Art Challenge

Relics in Peoria is having an art challenge this year.  They are checking out old encyclopedia volumes into which people can put something creative, since the word for the year at Relics is "create."   When the year is completed, they will be displayed at a First Friday's Gallery Event and then they will be donated as a collection to the Peoria Historical Society.  My submission is a take-off on a Christmas ornament I sold this past Christmas.  It's called "And the Angel Said," a title taken from Luke 2:10--'And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people."  I thought it fitting to place it next to an article about The Shroud of Turin.

I used old lace, white and tea-stained cheese cloth, metallic ribbon, stick-on rhinestones, feathers and a copy of a vintage angel.

Off to finish the cross-stitched blanket since my lunch date was cancelled.  I hope to post a photo of it tomorrow.

Christmas Ornament 1

At last I'm getting my act together and I'm making some Christmas ornaments to hopefully sell in a couple of shops.  I love this picture.  I believe the real St. Nicholas would have been honored to hold the Christ child if he had been given the opportunity.  This picture puts Christmas in perspective for me.  I got this image from vintageimagemadness.com -- Nativity-Postcard Collage Sheet. 
I used end papers from an old book on the back, collage sheet from shabbycottagestudio, collage photo from Vintage Image Madness (see above link), a handmade stencil (silly me put all my vintage brass stencils in an auction--last week!!  I knew I'd need them!), cheese cloth, a vintage jeweled watch adornment, hand stamped word, and gold ruffled trim.

Books, Flowers and Necklaces




sold

   These are some of the little notebooks I decorated the last few days.  the first two are small purse-sized books and the other is a larger journal-sized book with green edged pages and colored lines. 

I used a rusty flat key purchased at Relics last week, old lace, scrapbook paper and I wrote the word "unlock" on a piece of colored paper to give the book a name.




The inspiration comes from Matthew 7:7--
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.


On this next book I drew pictures of the same tree in the four different seasons.  The scripture I used for inspiration is from Genesis 8:22:

As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”



sold

  A friend loves at all times--Proverbs 17:17
I entitled this book "Brighten".  The many times my friends have brightened my life is endless. 
I look forward to seeing my friends at church and in the world and get great joy from visiting with them.  This book is a large bound journal with a preexisting bracket for a label.  I found an old photo of some obvious friends, adhered it, put the word on some German fraktur print and put it in the bracket, then added some lace to the green border and a green rhinestone once-upon-a-time earring.

 I was given a felt flower to reproduce so I looked at how it was made, drew and cut out a template of the pieces, cut them from felt I had in my stash and added beads, pearls or buttons to their centers.  The first three (not pictured) I took to Relics, she liked them and asked if I would make some in Fall colors--thus, the flower hair clips you see above.  They make a cute wreath.  Maybe a wreath will be next....


muti colored sold

 Finally, from my super-creative last few days, I was able to make two more crocheted necklace/bracelets.  Two had sold in the shop and she requested replacements.  I love when my things sell (insert deep sigh and smile here).

Mixed Media Revived

 I've had a productive morning--creative-wise. I added some hair clips to some felt flowers (photos tomorrow), sewed some rolled flowers for potential headbands and revived my mixed media art.


 I used half of an old book cover I've been saving--I guess for this, added a tin type photograph of a well-dressed and warm-looking girl, raised it up with some glued together pages of an old book,

and added a ruffle from a very old piece of wedding veil given to me by Deb at Relics, and some old buttons dangling by waxed linen thread with a couple of matching buttons used to hold the hanger.  I added the word "winter" from an old dictionary by gluing it on some burlap.  Measuring 8" total from top to bottom and 3" wide, it would make a good Christmas ornament.  I know, it's anything but Christmas but I couldn't resist.
I also decorated a book that I'll show you tomorrow as well.  What fun!