PAPERDREAMER

Melange Team Challenge ~ Wander ~ On The Sea Or Beyond

2009-10-19T18:32:00.001-07:00

Well I finally made it back into a challenge . I hated missing the last couple weeks but oh there is just not enough time ! 4 x 4 canvas on printers block feet .

Melange Team Challenge 9/15 ~WEE WITCHES

2009-09-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

" Witches Waltz "

Small shadowbox assemblage 3 " tall with altered antique photographs !

My Vacation Art Time

2009-09-09T18:21:00.000-07:00

I just got back from my vacation from South Padre Island Texas . I was thinking that it may rain or I may have some free time so I quickly filled up a gallon size baggie full of trim , buttons , needle , floss , a tin of watercolor paint , a small bottle of Golden , some pencils , a few photo's , postcard copies , an old magazine with lots of advertisements and one pad of watercolor paper and threw it in my suitcase . With in no time of arriving at our condo I had it out and allover the floor ! When the feeling moved me I played with my goodies .. I even thought to try a transfer on a smooth rock and it worked pretty well ! The inside of a clam shell worked also but needs some refining . It was nice to just play around when I felt like it with no interruptions or rushing to do something because of a household chore or kids demanding something !

The Sweet Little friend I made ! Transfer in a clamshell with a little watercolor highlights .

Transfer on rock ... kinda looks like Freud !

My bag of goodies !

Unfinished ..... Transfer and collage

Unfinished Transfer and collage , circles from my wine bottle cork stamp !! Yummy wine !

Almost finished this one , needs a little tweaking , ran out of glue so I sewed trims onto the paper .The cow with the fancy hat is a transfer from one of my favorite postcards .

Me and Alex

Melange Team Image Transfer Challenge - A Young Scottish Lad In America 1865

2009-08-31T17:01:00.000-07:00

This is the collage I created using a direct paper to paper and paper to fabric transfer using Golden Gel . I Really like doing these transfers because they are quick , pretty easy and require no printers or copies !!! The image above is done this way . The last photo here shows a small image ( there are few others on the piece ... musical notes ) done with silk from an old handkerchief

Melange Team Challenge ~ Abundance

2009-08-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

AN ABUNDANCE OF FAIRIES

" Some where from tiny throats ~ sounds celestial ..."

Transfer Experiments #2 19th Century book Images

2009-08-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

4 . When haze is gone coat with gel .

3. Keep rubbing for about a min . Pull top layer paper off . With moist finger rub back and forth till paper is rubbed off .

Apply gel with finger . Flip onto chip and rub gently until adhered.

.1 .Torn image from old book . Poker chip

This one is done .

6. Pretty much done , let dry and see if there is a paper " haze " remoisten finger and rub if needed . Let dry , apply a coat of Golden .

5. Moisten finger and keep rubbing .

4. Keep rubbing back and forth like you are erasing , gently peeling off paper .

3. Flipped onto paper and softly rubbed with thumb back and forth round and round for about 1 Min .

2. Golden Soft Matte Gel applied with finger

Paper torn from old book .

Mushroom Fairy Circle and A Very Hungry Catepillar

2009-08-27T12:15:00.000-07:00

Found these in my side yard this morning and my garden is full of caterpillars !

Melange Team Challenge 8 / 19" FLIGHT "

2009-08-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

This weeks word prompt was " Flight " .... I made this sweet little piece rather quickly and at the last minute ! Little butterfly catching boy searching for his " lovely one " . Small 4 " x 6 " canvas panel , hand colored ( with colored pencils ) book pages of butterflies with copies of old Victorian trade cards . A little gesso for softening . I attached an optical lens ( thanks Pam Carricker ) for closer " viewing " of the butterfly " specimens " !

Experimental PhotoTransfer On Glass

2009-08-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

This is an idea that I had when I was experimenting with different ways to do collage transfers . I had a stack of very old clear glass slides that was sitting around and I thought I would try to transfer an image on them . I laser copied some old photos and applied Golden gel medium to the front with my fingers and then let it set up for an hour or two and the peeled off the paper . Rubbing off the paper with a wet finger GENTLY , on the first one of the family I rushed and starting to rub off parts of the image too . I thought it was ruined so I put it aside .....today I thought to pick it and see what would happen if I put a piece of paper behind it ........ I liked the way it looked so I glued it down with gel to the back of the glass . The second one I let set up and dry longer that the first , only because I was out of the house and I couldn't mess with it . This one I had only gelled part of the copy . I thought it would look neat with silver behind it like an old Daguerreotype so I painted some water color paper with silver paint , let it dry and then gelled it onto the glass . Kind of spooky image ..... almost like and image in a tarnished mirror . I plan on using the family one on an altered book front , edging it with some type of vintage trim .... we shall see what I do with the Soldier .

Melange Challenge ~ Favorite Quote ~ Altered Book ~The Little Dog And The Puppy

2009-08-12T16:56:00.000-07:00

This weeks challenge was to use a favorite quote . I am using this quote as inspiration .

" NO MATTER HOW LITTLE MONEY AND HOW FEW POSSESSIONS YOU OWN, HAVING A DOG MAKES YOU RICH " by Louis Sabin .

I really couldn't think offhand of a favorite quote but when I saw this e on the back of a book I was looking at while I was also toying with a photograph I had just altered with a boy and a dog I thought VIOLA !

I took an old battered book , gessoed , painted and distressed it . I added torn pages from a 1920 magazine with advertisements for dog kennels . Pages from a childs storybook about a lost dog , an altered old photo were added . I copied the large image of the dog from another dog book and cutout . Vintage game pieces I painted became " balls " . Standing on top is a porcelain doggy perched on a dominoe .

Photographed on a shelf with my 2 FAVORITE dog planters .

MELANGE Challenge ~ ARCHETYPE ~ CAMERA " Say Cheese "

2009-08-09T07:08:00.001-07:00

I guess this is not what you would think of as archetype but it works for me . An old lonely KODAK camera , not the first camera made but it is one of the names that surely comes to mind when someone says camera ...

of course not anyone from the current generation would come to that thought !

Getting Ready For Halloween ~ Altered Photographs

2009-08-03T18:35:00.001-07:00

I have been fascinated with old photographs especially Victorian era ones FOREVER ! I loved looking at them as a child and still seek them out when I am out at antique shops and flea markets . The ones I choose to alter are ones that speak to me and of course ones that are not valuable ! I hope that in 100 years someone finds a photo of me and adds a fun new setting for me !
These are some new ones I have been working on for Halloween . I have them listed at ETSY . Paint , sheet music , old papers and a little imagination and voila !

WHISPER , MELANGE Challenge ~ HUSH BABY

2009-07-18T16:44:00.000-07:00

Well the glue is not dry , I am not quite " finished " but my time has run out . Instead of packing for my trip tomorrow I decided to throw this together ... perhaps it looks like that ! It is on a big book cover that dates to 1870 . I didn't have any handy surface to work on so this is what I thought of using . It goes along with the Victorian illustrations and photographs . I will have to tweek it when I get back next weekend ! Now off to pack ....

Purple Passion!

2009-07-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

This is what I have been working on ... slowly ...... I used loose pages from a 1870's Godey's Ladies Book as my inspiration . It was able to use images cut out and gel transfers directly from the pages ... no copies . The antique purse frame worked out well , I thought it was a fun way to use it .

Bathing Beauty Postcards

2009-06-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

These are some new postcards I just found .... I LOVE THEM !!! More favorites to come , I have about 500 +++ old postcards I am sorting through , some to keep and some to sell !

Melange Team Challenge June 17 " SERENDIPITY "

2009-06-20T07:48:00.000-07:00

Tough word this week !!! Love the word and always have but it was a little hard to come up with something ! I guess it WAS serendipitous that this collage was created . I did start out working on something else and saw this old artist pallette sitting in the corner of the room . I have had it for a very long time having purchased it at a yard sale . I stared at it for awhile and slowly an idea formed ! I used bits and pieces of papers and stuff that was sitting on or near my table to artsy it up . In the end I thought it was a fun piece and again I was able to used colors ( oranges ) that I do not usually use !

Melange On Etsy: "Mix It Up with Melange" Challenge ~ ADVENTURE

2009-06-10T12:29:00.001-07:00

This week the word from the Melange group prompt was ADVENTURE . This was a small 4" x 4" collage I did a little bit ago and it is currently on ETSY . I just thought it was perfect for my idea of adventure . Besides I have my mind going in another direction right now and thought I might not be able to get a " new" piece done !

Mother If You Only New

2009-06-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

My new listing on ETSY ... A piece that started me back on the artistic road ! I started it last winter but just " finished " it . I hadn't done much art work for a year or two but wanted to make a few holidays gifts and this was worked on during that time . Since then ... well I am back to being happy as can be in "MY" room cutting , pasting and painting away !

First Sunday Annapolis

2009-06-08T18:26:00.001-07:00

Some pictures from the First Sunday Arts Festival . FUN day , I met a lot of great people and sold a few things ! My favorite of the day sold ... my girl in a nest ... HOME SWEET HOME , I would have liked to have kept her for awhile !

New ~Melange Challenge ! " FLY "

2009-06-03T05:03:00.000-07:00

This week the word prompt is FLY ....
This little fairy girl is named Thumbalisa and she just recently got her wings . She is is resting on a toadstool waiting for her friends of the forest !!!

ETSY MELANGE Team Challenge ~ COME DANCE ~

2009-05-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

This is my "challenge " piece for this week ! The spicy colors are not what I usually work with but wanted to try something different . The image of the dancer is from old sheet music , the words are from a song " Dance Artists ".... come ! let us dance like the dance artists do ..... The bits of fabric are from an antique wool paisley fabric that I use smidgens of when I can !

LUCKY BOY

2009-05-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

New shadowbox I just listed on ETSY titled " LUCKY BOY " .

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25569601

Annapolis First Sundays Arts Show

2009-05-24T18:12:00.000-07:00

I am going to participate in the First Sundays Arts Festival in Annapolis on Sunday June 7th . http://www.goweststreet.com/This will be the first time I will be selling my mixed media art at an event ! Hopefully it will be worth the effort . I have been busy trying to figure out how I want to display my pieces . I certainly do not want to just line it up on a table ... oh no no no that will not do ! I so far have altered an old bookshelf with antique newspaper advertisements , gingerbread wood cutouts and paint . I have some old green shutter screens I am going to hang things from . At the last flea market sale I picked up a way cool old metal gum display rack and it holds my small collages perfectly ! I think all put together it will be different and eyecatching . I just need to tie up some loose ends and start praying it doesn't rain ! Stop by and say hello !

Melange Team Challenge May 18-25 INSPIRATION

2009-05-21T09:04:00.000-07:00

My " take " on the word is a little unusual ... " Inspiration " for this collage came from a big spider web I spotted right outside my window one recent morning ... I was at that time looking through an antique nursery rhyme book and came upon the Little Miss Muffett rhyme ... well one thing lead to another and VIOLA ... I have titled it " Little Ms. Muffett Ain't Afraid Of Spiders !

I wove the thread web onto the canvas board that I had painted and texturized with paper , paint and glitter . I added pictures from old postcards , bits of antique lace and an old earring that I cut apart . I finished it with a sprinkling of very old mica flakes !

Latest Melange Team Challenge ~ LACE

2009-05-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

This idea came to me this morning at 6:30 while I was sipping coffee and impatiently waiting for my kids to leave for school . I saw an old eyeglass case sitting there in a box looking like it should have been tossed .... I am glad I didn't ! An old tintype photo of a pretty woman , some antique lace , bits of a tapestry , postcard parts , sheet music titles , old buttons , key and a Longfellow poem under an eyeglass .......VIOLA !

Cleaned My Craft Room Today Surprise's Found

2009-05-10T17:45:00.000-07:00

I spent most of today cleaning and trying to organize my art room . Not how I wanted
to spend my Sunday / Mothers day BUT I could not find a photograph that I had just sold on Ebay and I was frantically looking for it ! I did find the photo..........and luckily not glued into a collage . I am not out $115 ! I kept at it and I was also amazed at what I did find .
1 . 8 pairs of scissors , gee I can never find any when I need them .

2. 2 pairs of clogs and one pair of flip flops .

3. At least 4 dryed up paint brushes

4. several bills I most likely did not pay

5. 3 coffee mugs

6 . photographs I forgot I had

7. A Christmas present I made and forgot to give

8. a credit card ... and not one I was using as a paper smoother

9. too many dried up tubes of paint

10. a " to do " list I never got to.....

11 . too many " found objects " !

After all that cleaning I sat down to finish a collage on a clean work space ....the breeze blowing through the window , great music was playing , kids out of the house , boyfriend at the gym and what I happened ... I could not find something I needed ... go figure .

First Time For Everything

2009-05-07T17:43:00.000-07:00

www.melangeonetsy.blogspot.com

2009-05-06T13:36:00.000-07:00

MOTHER and BABIES COLLAGE in Petrie Dish

2009-05-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6942648