The Halloween Gang!

Well, I did it!!! 

As some of you might know I have just started making Paper Clay dolls. This is all new to me so it really was fun. I had the support of a great group called "The Hive".  They have been so inspiring and a few helped me with some tricks of the trade. They are artist of all kinds and when you need help with anything, all you do is ask and someone will have the answer for you.

So now here it is....The Halloween Gang!!

My last two projects were the cat, who's name is Chester and the Candy Corn guy. The cat is made of syrofoam and paper clay and is attached to a box which is decorated with lace and buttons. 

Candy Corn guy is made of syrofoam and paper clay but his legs are wooden skewers.  I think he looks better in person cause he looks antique. I think the flash dulls him out and doesn't show all the wrinkles.  (Candy Corn Guys thinks he looks younger and sexier and chose this picture.)

I really don't know if he is completely done yet...he might get some arms and socks. We'll have to see if he will allow me to do that yet. 

He is just so excited about Halloween!!!

Finishing up my last few Projects

It's almost Halloween and I am trying to finish up my last few projects. The neighborhood is having it annual Yard Sale on Saturday, October 30th and I am hoping to sale the rest of the items at that time. Then on to Christmas!!!!! 

I just love Holidays!!!

Another Blog Candy Giveaway

Karen at Feline Playful is having a celebration! 

 

 

She has reached 500 followers and would like to give her followers a chance to win some candy.
 

You should go check out her blog! http://felineplayful.blogspot.com/

 

You will have until midnight on November 5th to enter.

 

Just look at all that yummy goodness!!! 

 

GREAT Halloween labels...

Are you still looking for a few more things to make before Halloween?  

Quick easy projects?

Here are a few samples of what I found from two websites.

Vintage labels to put on bottles or jars or even cocktail glasses from spookshows.com

 

And some great images from  LoveManor   as well:

These come in different sizes so you get to choose from thumbnail, small, medium and large for the projects you are doing. 

 So hop on over to their websites.

Enjoy and Happy Crafting!!!

 

Hive Creative Challenge - Frank makes his debut!

I am so excited to introduce you to Frank. 

 

This is his big day in public. I hope he behaves himself and doesn't scare too many people!!

He was really fun to create. His head and body are made of Paper clay and Styrofoam, screws in his neck, springs for his arms and wooden dowels for his legs and he stands 14 inches tall.  I think he is ready to dance to "The Monster Mash"!!!!

Frank is out getting a tan!!!

Yes, you heard me right...Frank stepped to
get some tanning done.
He thought he was too white!!!
Little does he know that it turns green after the tan....hehehe!

A Free Art Course and The Witch is Done!

Still doing paper clay projects and my witch is done!! She is 8 1/2 inches tall and her black cape is made of paper from an old book. (not a great picture cause the batteries were going in the camera) I am also making Frank as in "Frankenstein" and he will be bigger at 13 inches. I am totally hooked on this clay and all the things you can do with it...wait till you see Frank. I will try to post a picture on his progress in the next couple of days after the camera gets it charge.

In the mean time I wanted to tell everyone about the FREE ART COURSE !!!




Visit willowing & friends

Tammy, of Willowing And Friends, is offering a FREE art course, beginning October 18th!!! Sign ups are open now, and I believe there's a link for the supplies list download. Tammy runs a great site, and there are so many wonderful discussions and challenges. Check it out!

T-shirts on Sale....MY DESIGN !!!

 On SALE till Sunday at Cafepress!!!

Ethel the Elephant Kids Dark T-Shirt
Buy this product at CafePress

And another GIVEAWAY!!!

I think all my art buddies have gone crazy!! They are all doing giveaways and who doesn't like something that is made from one of your art buddies! This is done by Diane Salter and isn't it just yummy with layers and texture? You must go to Diane's Blog and read the instructions on how to win. You will also enjoy reading her blog "My Art Journal" where she has tutorials and information that you can learn all sorts of things. So what are you waiting for....jump on over there!

Good GOLLIE Miss Molly...the dancing skeleton!!!

SCREAM!!!!

 Did I tell you that I LOVE Halloween??
 

Artistic Halloween Queens is having a giveaway!  31 prizes in 31 days!  If you love Halloween and fabulous art of all kinds, run over there and check it out!!

Halloween Count Down

Halloween Countdowns at WiddlyTinks.com

Yes, it is count down to Halloween and I am trying to get some projects done before October.


I download a great skull from Graphic Fairy  where you can get images for free.

On the right is what it looked like before I changed a few things.

I put it on Photoshop and erased the letters, cleaned it up a bit and made it to a black and white. Then I was going to print a small picture of it out to use as a projects but mistakes are great! I actually printed it out on a 8x10 card stock. Well I loved it so much I decided to use charcoal and shade it.

Here is the outcome of a mistake.



 Not bad for a mistake!!!

Mistakes are great....work with them and see what you can create.


 Happy crafting!!!

Halloween cat

A few people have asked how I made this picture. They feel it and can 't figure what it is made from because it is so bendable like leather. So here is the receipt: The secret is old paper and Golden Soft Gel Medium. I took a very old page from a torn up book and I put soft gel the back side to protect paper. I painted the front side with acrylics and to make it a little more layered I painted the cat on some acrylic paper then cute it out and used soft gel to glue it on. After I painted the front I also put soft gel on the front side to protect it and antiqued the sides with ink. Then I punched holes in the top and hung wire and ribbons from it.  I am planing to make more and sell them in a garage sell coming up soon since I have had such a great response on them. Maybe I will do some witches next! Happy crafting!

Crafting, crafting...things I made for Halloween

Happy Labor day to everyone.  School has started, fall is just around the corner and crafting is in the air. Every year I procrastinate on getting some decorations made BEFORE the holidays so this year I started before August had ended. Yeah for me!!! This is probably the first time in history I have done this and I am determine to stay on this roll. Here are just a few things I have finished so far!!!

Folk Art Doll finished!

I told you I was on a new adventure right? I am taking a class online using air dry clay. Well, I just finished my first folk art doll and could not believe how much she matched one of my paintings. I had to put them together to take a picture and here it is.





I love this air dry clay I am using called DAS.  I don't know to much about it but I used to do a lot a of green-were in my younger days and this was very similar to it in its texture. But I love the fact that it is air dry.  I let it dry over night and paint it the next day. I thought it was paper clay but there really is now ingredients listed on the package It is also very easy to sand and shape. If you are looking for a quick gift to make this is a fun project to do.   The folk art doll was so much fun that I made a pumpkin and a bird but they are not finished yet but I will post pictures when I am done.  Oh, I have so many ideas to do!!!


If you are interested in taking this folk art doll class you can find it here.

New Class: Folk Art Doll

I am on a new adventure playing with paper clay and making a Folk Art Doll by Moriah Betterly. I found her on YouTube making a snowman and she made it look so easy so of course I just had to try one of her classes.  She has just finished her website and is offering this class for only $30.00. I KNOW!! What a DEAL, right!!! If you are interested in taking this class go visit her at:

http://www.artdollworkshops.com/

I am gathering everything I need for this class and hope to start in just a few days. I hope you will join in the fun!!

A new Blog I just found

My Art Journal: 100 Post Giveaway--Not 1, But 2!!

I found this new blog today "My Art Journal" and have really enjoyed reading all the post she has done. I sat and read for an hour going through all her articles and really liked "Help for anyone who would like to start selling their art at Shows." This is a must read!

Anyway, she has giveaways going on celebrating her 100th post. Step right over and get to reading and don't forget to sign up for the giveaway!

Playing with Collage

 The last couple of days I have been playing with 2 cigar boxes, paints, gel medium and collage paper. 

I found myself engrossed with the techniques. I did not want to put it down to eat, sleep or anything. It was like I was possessed.

I was first drawn to this cigar box because of it's size. It is 9x11 so it felt like the size of a book. Then there was all the different textures. It still had the cigar labels on it which were embossed, there were cuts, torn paper, writing in pencil and the best of all....the grain in the wood. It all just seemed to pull me in. Some people would have said it is just a cigar box, right. But I saw it as a canvas with art already going on. 

I started with gel medium and glued all the pieces of paper down. Covered parts of it with gesso and left other parts as it was. I then took Titan Buff by Golden (the best paints ever) and put a light coat over the parts I wanted to see. You should have seen all the texture just popping out, which lead to many other colors of paints. There were golds, browns, greens, blues, and paint that had Iron Oxide in it. Some of these were new colors that I learned about in Julie Prichard's online class "Color: Beyond the Basics."  There was so much depth going on but I still used some modeling paste in areas that still needed texture. I also used wax and shoe polish. 

Well, believe or not after few days had gone by, I managed to put it down and started on another box. This is the picture of the 2nd box which ended up to be more of a collage. So where is my first box you ask? It is sitting on the sidelines waiting for hardware to come in the mail. But here is a section of it and color does not even show like it does in person.

In a couple of days I will post the outcome but the most important part of all of this was how engrossed and possessed I got doing this project.

                                     Wow, was that fun!

Blog Giveaway!

MLB Studios is having a giveaway of an awesome Mad Hatter Sculpture. Click the link below to go to her blog and find out how you can enter.

http://mlbetterly.blogspot.com/2010/07/ado-wonderland-blog-event-and-giveaway.html

Art Saves

This week my friend, Sarah Whimire is guest curator of the awesome online community CRESCENDOh. Brought to us by Stampington's former Editor in Chief, the fabulous, Jenny Doh. The powerful message the community shares is that "Art Saves". So this week, Sarah Whitmire personal "Art Saves" story along with inspiring links is featured on the front page. Please go check it out. :)

To learn more about Sarah Whitmire, visit her Web site at caspiana.com.