CIF Received and Elegant Ladies

I recently took part in a Create it Forward (CIF) hosted by the wonderful Steph from Belgium. Last week (yes, I am running late to post) these wonderful items arrived. A pendant that made my heart sing - that spoke to where I am; and the most comfortable bracelet in the whole world.

I have worn both of these pieces almost all week.

These elegant ladies dancing in a row make me smile; tiny antique dolls heads, vintage swarovski crystals, pretty beads and perhaps a little lace.

I am enjoying creating.

Perhaps they will sell from my Etsy, never mind if they don't , I will let them dance in my cave...

NOT from a pet free home!

Charles seemed to recognise a friend on this journal, or perhaps he just wanted some attention as I dashed outside to photograph my latest journals and notebooks. We had a wonderful few moments of tummy rubs, tickles, and chase the camera cord - a quality interlude.

As soon as I saw the felt ribbon stick-ons in scrapbooking stores I knew that I would use them for backgrounds. The one used above was a bright lime green. It is very absorbent and I should have sealed it before I began adding layers of paint - I think there is half a tube of my beloved Golden Quin' Nickel Azo Gold on the front cover alone. The picture is a favourite vintage postcard of a lovely ginger cat.

These two notebooks started out at ATC's but I added to many layers (pegs and paint brushes to name a few) that made them too thick to fit in any plastic sleeve. The one above features an original vintage photo and mother-of-pearl button.

Now that I have started using my old paint brushes in my art I can justify buying some new ones :). Aren't the leaves wonderful? I picked the last of them from my liquid amber before the rains last weekend and they grace my dining table, a huge bowl of them colourful, crisp and yet so very warming.

No reason for this picture, just the cutest little dog in the world looking at me as I do the blog post and some other work on the net. Hug your purr and bark babies for me!

Today's Silent Inspiration

One child's reject's,

One artist's treasure.

More Pins and Some Help Please

I have had a lot of fun putting together pins this week, soldering jump rings to pen nibs, pouring some resin, twisting wire and running my fingers through my button stash. I used some vintage fold-over connectors at the top of this pin, and a less ornate one on the pin below. Does anyone know what their correct name is? Or where I can get more? I really like these!

These owls have been a part of my stash for a long time too, but finally they have a home and nests of their own.

Another of my favourite components is the little fuses with brass ends, I pull them apart add vintage text (usually encouraging scripture) and then solder a jump ring to the top.

I wore this pin to work earlier in the week, some of my students (mostly boys) had a wonderful time passing it around and trying to identify all the components. Friends have been uncomfortable with the name I gave these pins; junk pins. A comment from a delightful, and almost illiterate, teenage boy that 'You tell a story with this Miss, unna?' has changed their name to 'Story Pins'.

Jewellery and Rain

The rains have arrived very late here in Western Australia, but the heavens are making up for it now. We have had three freezing cold days with winds and flooding rain, days where my face feels cold each time I stick it outside and all four fur-babies jostle for places in front of the heater. Nights where I cannot turn over without disturbing at least one fur-baby snuggled as close as he can get. Normally I would whinge about the cold, and the wet, but our farmers have been so desperate and the season change so late I am joyful, grateful that we are not to have a drought.

An added bonus is the wild weather is just perfect for creating (and even doing school work). The last two junk pins sold quickly, the one above was started at the same time. I have been making earrings and hat pins too. I love hat pins, they are perfect for holding my scarves in place as I dash between classes - arms full of books, and the inevitable hot tea. I made some traditional ones with bright beads last week, and this week I have made the steam punk version below.

Craft it Forward and a Treat

I made three of these 'junk' pins this week- so nice to have my fingers fiddling with little pieces again. I have listed two for sale on Etsy.

Steph is hosting a Craft-it-Forward on her blog, and I am in awe of the diversity and talent she demonstrates in her jewellery making. I could not help myself I had to participate.

The rules are quite simple.
The first five people to respond to this will get something handmade by me. There are some restrictions, though:

1. You must be willing to blog about Crafting it Forward
2. You need to make something for 5 people
3. Leave me a message with your intent to participate
4. Then leave me another message with the link to your blog post

I will take your color preferences into consideration and am also willing to make it for someone you love and send it to them in your honor as a gift from you.
Not so long ago I ordered something from here. I can't show you what because they have not gone to their final home yet - but they are beautiful! Wonderful! Perfect! And they were packaged in the little box to the bottom left of this picture. Their creator is a friend of mine and opening this order felt like a surprise birthday party for me - lots of wonderful treats. I am so looking forward to showing you what I bought, but for now I think I will indulge in cookies and hot chocolate....

Faces, Award and Love

I think I have finished playing with faces now - until I need one. The colours in this top pic are about right for these four - all drawn while looking at magazine pictures. The centre bottom ATC took more than an hour, but at last I got the shading to blend rather than splodge. I was going to scrape the round canvas clean, but after an week or so on the floor, where the dog literally walked on it, the colours seemed to meld a little better and some of the lumps disappeared.

The lovely and talented Bevlea blessed me with a Kreativ Blogger Award; the teacher does so want to correct the spelling :).

The Rules:List 7 things that you LOVE. Link to the person who has tagged you. Choose 7 more bloggers to give the Kreativ Blogger Award to. Comment on those 7 blogs to let the recipients know you chose them.

7 THINGS THAT I LOVE

1. Jesus

2. Family (Furry and Two Legged)

3. Sandwiches (I could eat them three times a day, 15 salad veges, plain cheese and pickles, peanut butter, anything, toasted or not, just fresh).

4. Sunshine and blue skies

5. Reading ( I read EVERYTHING - contracts, books, cereal boxes, signs, the lot)

6. This little art world we belong to online

7. My friends, who are always 'there' - thank you.

I am a dud at passing these on and this is no exception, thank you to all the creative people who inspire me.