November 12, 2008 at 11:37 am (Mixed Media Monday)
Tags: collections, Faces, Judikins, Non-sequitar, Sunday International
This week’s theme for Mixed Media Monday is Body parts, in the artistic sense, of course! I don’t have many body parts as I haven’t done a lot with paper dolls but I do have LOTS of faces – it was time to get them out!

MMM_faces
I wanted some layering, so I used vellum to give to some depth. Started with Brilliance cosmic copper ink and Autumn Leaves swirls, then layered faces in Staz-on Midnight blue, then the word “Faces” with Making Memories rub-ons.
Face stamps are:
Big, rectangular face – Non-sequitar “Time and Space” plate
Medium face – Judi-Kins “Treasure” Cube
Small face – Collections
Face in square – Hampton Art Stamps
Eyes looking up and eyes looking down – Sunday International FS31
With the extra ink on the stamps, I also did this collage card, which I think I like better than the main piece!

MMM_face02
Hope your day is going stampingly!
Michelle
6 Comments
November 3, 2008 at 10:29 am (Mixed Media Monday)
Tags: Autumn, Autumn Leaves, Mixed Media Monday
It’s been a long time since I’ve participated in any Mixed Media Monday challenges, but I’m back into them! This week’s theme is Autumn Colours.

Autumn
These are two pages for a Fat Book swap on Seasons earlier in the year. I was trying to represent the change in colours and the wind swirling the leaves around. I’ve added the words of a childhood song:
Did you hear the wind today,
Blow the autumn leaves away?
From the trees they tumble down,
Some are red and some are brown.
Dancing up and down the street,
Dancing ’round my little feet.
Did you hear the wind today,
Blow the leaves away?
I always thought this was a strange song, as here in Melbourne, our autumns are usually the least windy of the seasons.
The backgrounds are painted with acrylic paint. Stamp swirls by Autumn Leaves (how appropriate!) in Staz-on Black and Saddle Brown. Pressed leaves added. Sealed with varnish.
It’s good to be back on the blog challenge trail!
Michelle
19 Comments
June 10, 2008 at 1:24 pm (Mixed Media Monday)
Tags: Bingo, Collage Images, collections, Mixed Media Monday
This week’s theme at Mixed Media Monday is BINGO! This page got a little sidetracked this week as I was sick for a few days and I went away over our long weekend, so here’s where I got to!

Top green bingo card from Collections. The rest of the images are from Collage Images, here. You need to join through Flickr. The group has an amazing array of images and I just figured out recently that you can search the images (I spent ages paging through them!)
Michelle
2 Comments
June 1, 2008 at 1:11 pm (Mixed Media Monday)
Tags: Blue Background, Mixed Media Monday, pencils, pens
Mixed Media Mondays challenged us with Pens and Pencils as this weeks theme. Luckily I do have a pen stamp, but then couldn’t find it; don’t know where it could have gotten to. Then found this one from an UM plate.

The writing is by me using an aqua pen and Ocean Wave Twinkling H2Os. Pen nib stamp from “Memories of Italy” plate, by Non Sequitur, using Denim Adirondack ink. Background made by me; instructions are here. Stick together with glue stick; a bit impatient today!
Thanks for having a look!
Michelle
3 Comments
May 24, 2008 at 10:30 pm (Mixed Media Monday)
Tags: birds, Maps, Mixed Media Monday, Otway Ranges
Maps are the theme for Mixed Media Monday this week! I LOVE maps – they tells us so much about our surrounds and other parts of the world. I am also a girl that can read maps (believe it or not!). The map used in this piece has been saved for such a special occasion. It shows the way from home to our usual holiday destination in the Otway ranges, not far from Lavers Hill (it’s been covered up with the doorway). The house location is just near the bird’s beak – it is set next to the State Forest, between towering eucalyptus trees, but close enough to the ocean that we can hear the waves roaring at night.
So here is my ode to maps and the birds and trees in the Otway ranges.

After creating a rough sketch in my notebook, I cut out pieces of thick board to shape and covered them with the selected map pieces. They were placed in a flower press overnight to help them dry flat. A coat of Gesso was applied to tone down the bright map colours. Next I outlined the pieces with a black Derwent pencil and coloured in the Autumn Leaves bird (by Rhonna Farrer). I took these colours into the border. Added some gold highlights. Stuck on the doorway and the bird, with double sided tape. Text by hand with black Derment pencil. Punched holes, added eyelets and linked the pieces together with jump rings. Stuck icy pole sticks on with double sided tape. Found a stick in my yard to tie the piece onto with black ribbon and bows (it’s sitting just out of the photo).
I’m pleased with it, even though my husband couldn’t understand why the bird needed a map. I pointed out that that was the point – she didn’t need the map, so she could build her house with it.
Keep your spirit alive by creating art!
Michelle
4 Comments
May 11, 2008 at 10:14 pm (Make It Monday, Mixed Media Monday)
Tags: buttons, Grandma, Make It Monday, Mixed Media Monday, Paint, Red
It is not often that I combine themes for different challenge sites, but when Mixed Media Monday set the theme as “Paint” and Make It Mondays was looking at “Red”, I just couldn’t separate the two in my head. There are not many projects that I don’t include paint in these days. My inclusion of paint started after attending one of Joy Bathie’s classes, hosted by Ancient Echoes, last August. The technique Joy taught was used for the background in this piece.

Background paints are all water colours from a variety of brands. Stamps by Collections and Buzz and Bloom. Red wire swirls made by me! Heart made by me. Buttons from my Grandma.
When I started looking through my stashes for red things I was quite dismayed at the collection I’d found – I think I actually have more PINK things than Red things (and I’m definetely NOT a pink girl!). I also wanted to stay away from the typical piece I tend to make at present with an image of a person and some words. I wanted to keep the background fairly clear.
And joy of joys, when I saw my Grandma today for Mothers’ Day, she handed me a very large container of buttons. My 3yo and I had lots of fun sorting them into colours and the red one added the highlights I was looking for.
Hope your creations are bringing you joy.
Happy Mothers’ Day!
Michelle
5 Comments
April 23, 2008 at 2:56 pm (Mixed Media Monday)
Tags: Buzz and Bloom, hats, Mixed Media Monday
Diane at Mixed Media Mondays has outdone herself, yet again, with the great topic of Hats for this week.
I’ve gone again for the trio of ATCs, proudly adorned by the Buzz and Bloom stamps “Girls and their Hats”.

Purple background painted by me and enhanced with white and silver Autumn Leave swirls. Girls by Buzz and Bloom and coloured with chalks, for a soft effect. Highlights with silver Kindy glitz.
If anyone is interested in swapping, please let me know; with all of these challenges, I’ve got bits and pieces coming out of my ears!
Happy Creating!
Michelle
14 Comments
April 16, 2008 at 4:07 pm (Mixed Media Monday)
A challenge with a different theme for this week at Mixed Media Mondays; “Girls and Dolls”. The sample piece has a gorgeous image, by Glenda, but I didn’t think I had anything to compare. However, I came across an image I had cut out for something else, two girls playing dress-ups with their dolls, and decided it was the perfect ATC size.

Background painted by me. Lace left over on my table from the 4×4 challenge, “Family”. Letter tiles from Collections. Swirl stamp by Autumn Leaves. Hand written text by me!
See, one can create something simple and still enjoy the results (and the time spent doing it!)
Michelle
10 Comments
April 8, 2008 at 9:56 pm (Make It Monday, Mixed Media Monday)
By some bazaar coincidence, both Mixed Media Monday and Make It Monday (Go Make Something) have the same theme of Paris, only a week apart. I had lots of fun making this piece.

The background is made from credit card technique, with three colours and gold. I added the black card border to cover up the rough edges. Images on LHS from unknown source. Image on RHS from Flickr. Words added rub-ons with gold stickers. Swirls from Grungeboard and painted gold.
Michelle
3 Comments
April 6, 2008 at 9:57 am (Mixed Media Monday)
Tags: Add new tag

This weeks Mixed Media Monday challenge is to use the word “Believe”, which I thought would be simple, as I use the word quite often…but being challenged with the word alone, there were many, many options and it was hard to choose one.
Scrapbooking paper was adhered with double sided tape (don’t have to wait for it to dry!) and Gesso’d over (this takes the brightness out of the paper). I then stuck squares of text in a row and painted over them again with Gesso. Stamped various alphabet sets with Staz-on. I don’t think it’s finished but don’t know what else to add. I was thinking butterflies but that seemed too cute.
Your thoughts are most welcome; please leave a comment.
Michelle
1 Comment
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