FABRIC BROOCHES

Here are 6 fabric brooches that i made... really enjoyed making these

lace and beads creation

Just finished making a eyeglass case, inspiration taken from a vintage photo which i then printed on to white cloth.

had lots of fun making this.

Front of Case

Back of case showing embroidered taffeta that was used

Marie Antoinette Doll

Yesterday i finished making my marie antoinette doll which is for sale in etsy

It has taken me many many hours of sewing each individual glass bead of which there are hundreds. it is completely handsewn throughout.

I started this doll before Ernie died, and i bet he would be pleased with the result as much as i am.

Hope you like her xxxx

ps dont forget you can click on her to enlarge the photo

Another Matroyshka/Russian Doll

Some call them Matroyshka, others call them Babushka and some just call them Russian Dolls.

Well here is my latest addition to my etsy shop

Im certainly getting into the swing of things again.Hope you like her...

Hopefully sometime over the weekend i will be able to show you my first marie antoinette cloth doll

Two Dolls for my Etsy shop

Well back into the swing of things, and two matroyshka/russian dolls to go into my Etsy shop... two long years since i did anything like this.

Hope you like them as much as i enjoyed making them

SOLD

YAY IM BACK

Im back into the swing of things, but nothing to show you yet... lots of half finished things, which will be going into my etsy shop hopefully next week.

Missed you all, but i needed the space.

xxxxxx

IN LOVING MEMORY

On the 24th June my darling beloved husband Ernie passed away in my arms.

I have never felt such pain in my life, and at the moment cannot focus on anything except just getting by each day. I have lost my zest for life and art, and just hope that this ache in my heart will go away, so that i can at least face the future without him.

Here is the last photo of Ernie taken at his 65th Birthday party, on the 22nd May 2009, which he celebrated along with our Grandson Bobby, who was 13 years old that same day.

GOD BLESS YOU ERNIE, and I hope that we will meet again one day my precious.

ALTERED KEYS

The challenge this month over on GAS MAMMA is to make an altered key. I've seen some beautiful examples out there in cyber land, and my group of gals have not let me down.

Here are my two offerings.

Click on pictures to enlarge.

This one is not just an altered key, but an altered vintage brooch too, so will be wearable.

May have to make more of these. lol.

GREAT GIVEAWAY HERE ON NEEDLEWINGS BLOG

Altered Drinks Can Doll- Squashed Can art Doll

For this month's theme on MAD MAMMA (monthly art doll swaps), i chose the theme, squashed drinks can doll.

Oh boy, there was a mixed reaction, as most people assume art dolls are supposed to be pretty, but i wanted the group to be challenged, but was worried about their reaction. I should have known better, there was a mixed reaction at first, but now the ball is rolling. they have not let me down. pop over to MAD MAMMA to have a look at the great pieces so far. http://www.flickr.com/groups/964970@N23/

Here is mine. Now i really WAS worried about putting this in the swap, especially as my hubby said i had gone a bit tooooo wild with this one. So i put it in the photo-stream, but was more than prepared to remove it, if it wasn't well received.

Believe it or not, I've come to looove this doll, ugly as it is.

So i suppose you want to have a peep at her........

here she is in all her glory.....lol.

Zetti Fairy.

To make the doll, i flattened an empty lager can...lol. well in fact I practically annihilated it with a big hammer. Oh boy that was fun, and a great way to get rid of frustrations. roflol.

Then i painted it all over with white acrylic glue, after finding it much to difficult to erase the wording on the can.

Then i painted the face with flesh coloured acrylic paint, and coloured the body with alcohol inks.

The Wings, arms legs and hat are all collaged onto card, and the hands and feet are brads, that i managed to find just last week.

SEASIDE ALTOID TIN

For this months altered swap over on Flickr's GAS MAMMA the chosen theme is seaside and to alter a tin.

So far i have altered an altoid tin, and the bottom half of a cigar tin.

FRONT OF TIN

This is of Blackpool, UK, and the sand and shells that i used were collected from Blackpool beach


BACK OF TIN

The vintage advert to the left, shows how the circus ring fills up with water for the Grand Finale. I was absolutely mesmerised as a child.


Showing all the ephemera that goes along with the tin

on the far right is a copy of a seaside cut out that was used by families whereas each family member put their heads through the cutout, and had their photo taken.
Also included are some small versions of saucy british postcards, as well as a current Brand New one of today showing thefamous Blackpool lights.

I also altered the bottom half of a cigar tin

Last night, in honour of MAMMA Flickr groups 100th member, i gave an online party, to celebrate.
Everyone brought their own drinks, a firework display was given, and i set numerous tasks for them to winprizes of a paintings etc of mine.
The main prize was a Zetti doll. For this i set a challenge of making an ATC celebrating MAMMA's 100th member and they had 60 minutes to do it in. Ernie, (hubby) drew a name out of a hat, and it was Sherry.

here's the main prize won by her.

IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME- Marie Antoinette

Things just got toooo hectic for me to post. My husband has been seriously ill, and what with the 3 MAMMA groups i run on Flickr, it got too much.

So what's been happening.

First i was published in the Stampington & Co 'Marie Antoinette' magazine.

This is a scan of the page i was on, i never received a copy of the magazine itself.


Next, work over in Mamma - Handpainted ATC's




A paper doll in the Mad MAMMA swap



a button fairy for the MAD MAMMA swap

I've also taken part in a 6 way JAM swap of a bird journal. template from Stampington & Co.




HANDPAINTED FOR VIV





Made for Sherry




Made for Wendy






Made for Sheila





Made for Maureen




Last but not least is a fabric bird i made as a gift to Constanza. I altered the Stampington template to give it a better shape.




I'll try and keep in touch more, if life allows it.

Take care...xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

CAT HUMOUR

This cracks me up

Another Award

Today i found out that I have received another award, this time from a lady fromCyprus, who i didn't even know had ever visited my blog.

I get very emotional about this kinda thing, just thinking that someone from another part of the world not only reads my blog, but thinks enough about it to give me an award.

The lady is boatbird
and she has given me the Marie Antoinette Award, Real Person,a Real Award

Many many thanks boatbird, i reeeeeeally appreciate it. thankyou xx

Here are the rules for the award:

1. Put the picture of Marie Antoinette on your blog.
2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.
3. Nominate at least 7 or more blogs.
4. Link to those blogs from your blog.
5. Leave a comment on their blogs to let them know you've shared the award with them.

I am just going to give the award to one person, and that person is
Viv over at Viv's Visuals
This is not only for her brilliant creativeness, but for being a great friend to me, especially over the past couple of months, when things were a bit of a struggle for me. She made me laugh so much i cried tears of laughter. She is such a funny, mad, GREAT friend, that I'd be lost without her now.

Bottoms up Viv, I've a glass of vino in my hand and raise it to you.
(makes a change i know, me drinking ROFLOL.)

Over on MAMMA, the group i run on Flickr, i chose the theme triptych. and boy my friends never let me down, their work is stupendous, each and every one of them
Here's my 3 contributions for this week.

Elizabeth I triptych

Birdhouse triptych

Seaside triptych.

Sir Winston Churchill

This is something very close to my heart, but for some strange reason i've never thought of doing it before.
The reason why it's so personal?. The name Winston Churchill, was my father's first and middle name lol. AND his party trick was emulating Winston Churchill and his many speeches. I can remember going on holiday and at the Miner's Holiday Camp in Skegness, when it was the Talent Show, Dad would get up and do his oration, usually 'We'll shall fight them on the beaches.......".
I used to be soooooooo embarassed, as everyone else was doing a singing act lol.
Looking back now, I was very proud of him, and of course, the real Sir Winston Churchill too.

Mixed Media, made on 6" x 9" mountboard, acrylic and gesso background. With numerous symbols representing that era.
Rik rak in V shape - Victory symbol
car tyre - petrol rationing
blue bird - song 'Bluebird over the White cliffs of Dover" a war song by Vera Lynn
German scrap at bottom of photo, with acrylic paint drips - representing iron railings that were torn down during the war, to make aeroplanes
the white crosses represent the windows taped up for protection against bombs, and to stop the glass flying out.
Black material across the top represents blackout material which was put up to cut out all light from outside
Toggle on top right, represents the duffle coat Winston used to wear.
Buttons and shoe lace represents the 'make do and mend' philosphy of that era.
Embroidery around photo, represents his bow tie
Tag - Never , from another of his speeches
Roses - Symbol of England
Text is a copy of his actual transcript for his speech "Their finest hour"

I'm working on Queen Elizabeth 1 at the moment, and intend to do a series of English Historical figures

A week ago today, I celebrated my birthday. I had a reeeeeally super duper day, with some beauuutiful presents from family and online friends, culminating in a delicious dinner at an excellent restaurant nearby.
Sorry I'm late putting these pictures up, but ill health has been dogging me this week, and I'm struggling once again with the vertigo and depression. When this happens i become very insular, so pleeeeease forgive me for not visiting your blogs. I look, but don't talk. I've had to reserve my 'talking' for my Flickr groups, as i would not want to lose them as they have been a lifeline for me.

Sooooooooooooo dear friends, a VERY big thankyou once again, for the numerous cards and RAK's and pressies, and most of all, thankyou for putting up with me LOL.

From Ernie (hubby)

2 Marie antoinette figurines from Ernie, as well as year's subscription to Somerset Studio.
I bet you're thinking, oh what a thoughtful hubby lol, but i picked them out myself roflol.
The 2 drawer jewellery box on the right is from my beloved daughter along with smellies etc.

From Viv and From Sherry

Beautiful Lace from Maureen

Domino necklace from Jinny, Heart from Cindy and some more beautiful lace from Maureen, this time some hand crotcheted lace made by her Grandmother. I can honestly say that this really touched me.

Last but not least, a cushion from my dear friend Jan. NOW I can take Michael Buble to bed with me EVERY night. yummy yummy.