Almost Ostara...

At the end of my last post, I showed you all an inspiration photo from Etsy. Well, here is what I came up with!

As you can see, I never did make it to the thrift store for neckties but I was able to pull from my stash of ribbon for the sash. I also had fun sifting through my box of odds and ends to find the center of the medallion. I'm not actually sure what to call it! It reminds me of an award ribbon. The center is a stone from a necklace with a very worn quarter on top. I LOVE the damask pattern on the ribbon!

Other than that, I haven't been very busy craft-wise. So, back I went to the internet looking for inspiration. Easter and Spring are not as easy for me to craft with as say, Halloween. In the past, I was very anti-pastels. Now I'm more than comfortable with pink and baby blue but I still find most Easter decor a little too cutesy for my taste. Still, I love the birds and foliage of Spring. I am always drawn to the eggs, such a wonderful symbol. While looking for a direction, I googled various permutations of the phrase "spring paper craft" and eventually discovered Carola at Boxwood Cottage!
I was blown away by her sophisticated yet whimsical spring egg ornaments. Here are a few of my favorites! Please visit her website and take a gander at her other beautiful creations!



Now, for my serving of eggs...





Mine aren't quite as opulent as Carola's, mostly because I don't have any Dresden foil trim. I must fix that little problem soon! But, again, this was a great way to finally use some of the scraps and do-dad's I've been saving. Here is a link to the template that I used. All my eggs are the extra large variety ;)
Hope you are filled with spring hope and renewal!
Allison

It's been so long!

And so many new things to share! I can't believe it's been months since I posted! Actually, I can because Christmas was such a wonderful time but full of busy busy busy!!!
Here is one of the many gifts I worked on. I gave a few to loved ones and a few to me! My favorite part is the paper from "A Wrinkle in Time." I also had fun trying different shades of gold and bronze on the walnut shell. I was inspired by the pic below which I found online. I wish I knew who made it! Please let me know if it was you or if you know where this was originally posted :)

Most of the things I created in December were ornaments. I used the paper rosette technique to great effect, creating sets of three matching ornaments for each recipient. I wish I had taken some pics! Hehehehe! But there just wasn't time. Maybe next year, I'll be able to get pics of them on people's trees.
I also had some fun creating collages with Photoshop. I was inspired by Victorian style this holiday season (more than usual? ;) I found vintage Victorian ladies in lovely finery and made them into holiday fairies! At first I just posted them on Polyvore.com and Facebook but then they used their magic fairy dust on me and I was struck with inspiration! I added them to my Cafepress shop as ornaments! Of course, where else would they want to be besides the Christmas tree? Please click on these and get a bigger view at Cafepress because there are so many fun little details you'd miss otherwise.

Since the end of the whirlwind Yuletide, I've been in a kind of creative slump. Not surprising considering how much I produced! I also collected lots of inspiration photos from the internet for next year. Still, I have sat down at my craft table several times throughout January and ended up organizing instead of creating. Honestly, it was starting to get on my nerves! Then, I got a new job!!! Hurray! Now, not only am I somewhat stumped, I am very tired after work, not really in a crafty mood. Just when I thought nothing would strike my fancy I found this on etsy.com by The Little Prints! How cute it this!?!? It is a felt brooch and that fabric on the bottom is from a NECKTIE!! I can see me at the thrift store now, snatching up colorful, printed ties!

The only thing is, I can't wait to get to the thrift store... I've already started one.... hehehe! Pics to come!
The signs of spring are already popping up, enjoy!
Allison

Swaping art for art :)

I got back on the swapbot.com bandwagon recently and participated in 2 swaps! I worked on a third today and thought I should share. Here's a little background. When I first began my love affair with photoshop and digital art, my canvas was usually about 12 by 12 inches. That is the size of a scrapbooking page and also about the size of my typical cafepress design. So,when I learned about ATC or artist trading cards... I was really kinda stumped by the smaller canvas! Only 2.5 by 3.5 inches?! How on earth was I going to work with that? Well, a challenge is usually envigorating so I tackled a few and really liked the results. Shortly before Halloween I joined an ATC swap with a Raven or Crow theme. Ooooo! Fun! But for some reason I couldn't seem to get myself to sit down and do it! Now you all now how much I love crows! I was a little confused by my own reaction. Now I think it has to do with my poor little T-rex arms...

I was not looking forward to manipulating tiny bits of paper, especially with glue on them! I have tendonitis and it sometimes thwarts my crafty urges. Anyway, I immediately felt motivated when I decided to go digital for the ATC. My inspiration came from this goth image from my youth...


Here is "Legacy of the Crow".


My next ATC swap assignment touched on another great inspiration of mine, Ancient Egypt. The host of the swap promised that we would represent many of the gods and goddesses in turn. But here is the first!
"Horus the Great".

The second one is very typical of my style, a little bit busy ;) The Crow card came out as I envisioned it but I was a little startled by the simplicity of my vision. Maybe my style is in flux? You can be the judge of that when I post the PLETHORA of paper rosette ornaments I am creating for Christmas. Heheheheh!
Until then, thanks for reading :)
Allison

Day of the Dead...

Well, Halloween came and went. I meant to post on the very day but I was just too busy! I went to a carnival with my nephews and family. My costume was almost Egyptian Queen but I ended up wanting to be scary (surprise, surprise)! I dug up my fangs and went as a vampire.
I really loved my makeup! I'll post another pic with fangs if I can get it :) Picture courtesy of my hubby at Mask Photo.
Before the spirit of Halloween has totally left us for another year, I want to show you a few more crafts that I labored on this month. They came out just the way I wanted. Of course, I have to give credit to the person who inspired me, Sheila at Cheeky Magpie! Here are the gorgeous crowns she created. I used her template to make one of my own.
Sheila's:

Mine:

This was so much fun! I got sick with the flu in the middle of this and my next project though. They almost didn't get finished in time. The overall feel of it isn't as Halloweenie (Halloweenish? Halloweenesque?) as I wanted but I really love it. Also, the black and white paper was designed by me :) Here's a close up so you can see the bats and dragons. There's also some rib cages and skulls thrown in...

I would definitely do this again, maybe with a harvest theme? Thank you Sheila! But her inspiration didn't end there...

This beautiful banner, spelling out "Beware" just blew me away. It's so lovely but Halloween at the same time! She used velvet on paper. As soon as I read her tutorial, I was all over it. Hidden deep in my closet was some extra orange fabric. I've also been using pages from a very old copy of A Wrinkle in Time to craft with. Perfect! Here's what I came up with...


I stamped on mine instead of spelling out a message. I think next year I will work on it some more, stabilizing the holes for the ribbon and maybe backing it with some patterned paper for extra strength. I want this banner to last for years!
I almost forgot, I did another Cheeky Magpie craft. I had a little trouble with this one. Hoping for some guidance I left a message on Sheila's blog. She got right back to me and was very nice. Thanks! Here are her glam tombstones...

And here is the one that I was able to do. Only one (even though I want a graveyard full) because I don't have the proper cutting implements. You can bet some new items went on my Christmas wish list!

This was also a lot of fun to make. Her template offers five different headstone shapes so you can bet I'll be busy next year ;)
I hope you all will pay Cheeky Magpie a visit. I'm really excited to see what she does for Christmas!
Finally, we arrive at my title project. This is very special to me. In the past, I have created elaborate altars with food and flowers to honor my beloved dead. Today I just want to share their names. I made a layout with various free scrapbook kits from the internet. The ancient Egyptians believed that if you stop saying the names of the dead, they cease to exist in the afterlife. So, praying for them and talking about them is essential for them to continue. Personally, I strive to keep them alive in my heart. Our memories are all that are left of our loved ones and those are precious indeed.

blessings everyone,
Allison

Samhain Approacheth!

I don't know if "approacheth" is a word but it evokes a certain atmosphere, n'est pas? October 31st, my favorite time of year :) This change of the seasons has been celebrated by many peoples for eons. Who could miss the snap in the air, the darkening of the day, the feeling that we are leaving the sunshine far behind? For the tribes or clans of Europe, who did not have the advantages that we do now, this was a very dire time of the year; Samhain. Winter often meant death. Still, certain cultures celebrated this turning of the wheel as the New Year and used all the magick in their possession to ensure food for the winter, protection for their crops and lives stock and accurate divination of the future. Another reason to love Halloween is because it is an amalgam of traditions, rites and viewpoints. What we enjoy today is such a rich tapestry! An in depth look at Halloween and its symbols is a treasure trove of inspiration for the creative mind. Here are a few creations to get your cauldon bubbling!

Fresh off the boat from Transylvania! This trinket box holds the secrets of Vlad the Impaler, Vlad Tepesh, Vlad Dracula III, Prince of Wallachia. While the west viewed him as a maniacal, blood thirsty tyrant, he is now hailed as a hero in that region because of his defense of the kingdom against the Ottoman Turk Empire. Still, his methods were ruthless. They inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula novel and the man himself has never rightly been "put to rest" as his earthly remains are missing. Hmmm....
The box was covered in paper that I stamped and embellished with scrap art. The portrait of Vlad stands up against a backdrop of the Carpathian Mountains. There is a sparkling red jewel before him and a real feather in his cap. I also decorated the box with dragon seals made from bottle caps. Overall, this was a really fun project. I actually finished it last year but the old vamp retreated to his coffin for the year before I could get him to pose for a pic ;)

The vampire spookfest continues! So, in Stoker's novel, Dracula flies off to London to prey on Mina Murray (and her BFF Lucy). He wants Mina to be his forever wife despite the fact that he has 3 old ladies (literally) at home! He leaves them in charge of "entertaining" his hostage, Jonathan Harker while he goes after Mina, Jonathan's fiance. What a soap opera ;) Anyway, the vampire brides as portrayed in Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula (1992) are the epitome of the succubus! Seductive, inhuman, beautiful and ferocious! I created this little shadow box featuring the 3 brides wandering through the graveyard on a moonlit night. They are in search of their next handsome victim, perhaps to lure into yonder crypt. The box is a deep, metallic blue. It was used to hold greeting cards. I removed the plastic in the window and voila! Thank you to my good friend Jeri who passed the box on to me :) I was going to dress this up even more with some creeping moss or a skeletal tree... may have to wait until next year.
Remember my paper rosette obsession? I would not rest until I figured out how to make them! And once I did... oh boy. This double layer rosette features a werewolf insignia in the middle. For some reason I keep thinking of a werewolf "best in show" award... hehehe :) And to show you what I mean by obsession...

More later!
Allison

Vintage and Coffee

Hello! I know I said I was working on Halloween stuff (and I am) but I wanted to show you a sign I finally finished a while back. I've mentioned before that I have a somewhat protracted creative process. I may begin something and not look at it for weeks! Sometimes the finished product (or a version of it) exists in my head, sometimes not. Everyone has a different creative style and it really helps to notice and accept your own style. In my case, it helps me to remain calm when I see a forgotten project on my table. I know I'll get to it when the right muse comes along. Also, being aware of my own style means that I can challenge myself to do things differently. So, this piece began with two definite inspirations: my love of vintage photos and my love of COFFEE (or should I say addiction...) Before Coffee... After Coffee!

Your results may vary but coffee makes my heart so happy! I go from plain Jane to fabulous lady in minutes! I also like the idea of this sign being a warning to the unwary, typically before the noon hour... hehehe!
Alrighty, as promised, there will be something with a Samhain twist very soon. Oh, what is Samhain you say? You can google it or check back soon!

Here it comes!

The best, most creative time of MY year, and hopefully, of yours too! Yep, the answer is Autumn. I've already had some spooktacular experiences... noises in the hall seem to be something other than the house settling... birds in the trees seem to have sinister intentions. I followed a bird that was making a mournful screeching noise. I circled the tree, trying to spy it's white shape against the branches and sky. As I walked, I heard a groan and a crack. A large limb fell out of the tree and landed exactly where I had been standing!!! The birds continued to screech...
Here for your viewing pleasure is my 2009 Halloween Altar with last year's Halloween Tree as the spooky centerpiece. All I can say is this... watch out for those birds...