Puccini

I am halfway done with a Giacomo Puccini swap, actually it is the first in an Opera Series. My partner was also the host and he sent me 3 ATC's, only one was required - awfully nice of him for sure. Anyway, I wanted to do a stencil of Puccini and since he sent 3 I figured I'd best at the very least send him two back so for the second I did a geisha to represent Madame Butterfly one of his most popular operas. I really really...did I say REALLY am uncomfortable painting the human form and if it weren't for the white face paint I would have scrapped the idea for sure...here are my babies:

The background of the Giacomo (calling him by his first name like he is a friend of mine..sheesh) ATC is mulberry paper and I used my cut stencil and black spraypaint, I made a very little tassel with some DMC floss, that tassel is why that card looks kind of blurred it lifted it off the glass a bit - he looks rather full of himself don't you think? As for my Madame Butterfly, I really liked how she turned out but the scan is terrible probably due to the textured background paper I used and what those black spots on her face are I sure don't know, there wasn't anything on the scanner bed or on her face...ghost spots! So, there you have it...I still have one more to do for my other partner (ok, since I have the stencil cut already I'll probably send two) but I think I will do something from Turandot this time!

ok...I'm outta here - catcha later, chillin'..............at the shores

Queen of Her Castle

I've been painting an 8x10 for a swap called "There's a Word for People Like You", basically you were to go have a look at your partners profile and make a painting/collage for them. Well, my partner made it very easy on me to choose a word for her - the first line in her profile was "I am the queen of my castle", pfft, you don't have to hit ME on the head to get my attention! Anyway, below is the painting - I rarely ever use blingy, glittery sorts of things in my art but this just screamed for it:

Glitter can be found in the flowers, apples, the word Queen and the flying birds and the crown is of course rhinestones, hmmm something looks crooked - oh well, that's my style I suppose....hope she likes it!

Cleaning up my mess to start another............................at the Shores

Busy, busy

I seemed to have lumped a lot on my plate these days, I mean things that really should not be a priority...swaps, tags and the like but I just can't seem to help myself - I have a ton of things I need to get finished before we head south to my mothers in Georgia for Thanksgiving. I have some backdrops to get done for the childrens Christmas program at church, I think I'll make this number one...I hope it doesn't rain all weekend since they are so big I would really like to work on them in the driveway.

I've finished a cute little angel for a homemade ornament swap (not a very good picture):

I like to take a little something for my mom when we visit and after a nice person in the UK sent me some stitch markers I knew my mom just had to have some - my first attempt at any kind of beading but I thought they were pretty. I made 2 sets, one for knitting (R) and one for crochet (L) another crappy picture from my Blackberry:

I think on the drive down I'll make a little bag for these to go in for storage.

Welp th-th-th-that's all folks, time for bed - I have one busy day tomorrow so for now you'll find me snoozin'...............................at the shores

Monochrome

I was in an ATC swap ...they were to be monochromatic so after looking at my partners profile I see blue is her thing and since Europe is mine I thought I'd mix them for this:

Blue Moon Over Venice

Do you think I should send sunglasses for viewing of the second one? For some odd reason this was the second ATC this weekend I did in shades of magenta - not exactly a color I run to for comfort normally but seemed to be the color of the day for me - I scanned it crooked so it is totally wonkey but just tip your head a little to the right and it'll be just fine!

Untitled

The weather has been outstanding here, it was nearly 70 degrees and anyone who knows the weather in northeast Ohio this is something to marvel at in November, it sure won't be long until the first snow flies and it will be downhill from there for several months as we are perched in the middle of what is called the "snow belt", Lake Erie can be thanked for much of it I suppose.

I am outta here for now, you can find me................................at the shores

Feelin' Goofy

I was caught up with my swaps and saw someone was doing an "Old Maid" swap on Swap-Bot and thinking about it took me back to those silly cards I had in the 1970's...after finding a set I started painting a couple, it's funny really - I remember every inch of these cards, maybe because I just played it a lot?

Pretty goofy eh? They were done more for mental health I think! My friend Jeannie wants them, she had major flashbacks once she saw them...and to be honest, there are only a handful of people I'd rather have my art anyway so the girls will be shipped off tomorrow...BON VOYAGE LADIES!

Time to snuggle into bed (it's freeeeezing).........................at the Shores

Learn Something New

Well, I was doing this ATC for someone who likes the works of ee cummings so of course I set out to do a bit of research and found he was also a painter...am I the only one who didn't know this??

Here is one of his watercolors (date unknown):

Anyway, I just thought it was interesting! Here is the ATC I did for her, I might just learn to write on these ATC's straight one day :/

It's real simple but I like how it came out.

It seems as though overnight the leaves have fallen from the trees, they are nearly all bare, unlike the ground which managed to catch them all and now you have to just guess where the driveways are and despite the winds they just seem to never blow anywhere...one day our yard guy will be here to get them up before they kill the grass! Until then here I am, marveling at the pretty colors on the ground   .........................at the Shores.