Photo for ABAA

A few days at the caravan with no stairs to climb seems to have sorted my bad back out, thank goodness....
....so I finally finished my piece for ABAA and, hopefully, I've made the deadline by the skin of my teeth !
We were challenged to make a piece using a photo of Jaqi's aunt. I dont know why but as soon as I saw the photo I had the old Marie Lloyd song "Don't Dilly Dally" buzzing around in my head...so I've written some of the words on the sides.
The fabric is Anna Griffin and the photo was tinted with a mix of stamp cleaner and pink acrylic paint as it was too glossy and I wanted to make it matte.
Darned if I could spot the bird so I stamped one...! (clever Patty spotted where it is though...!)
Hope you like it !

Come on...Lets twist again......

I've made two more pieces of altered cutlery for the ABAA challenge because I was determined not to be beaten at trying to twist a fork!
(See post below.)
I've also managed to twist the handle of a spoon till it was back to front.. Lol!
I've got four of the metal masks so theres only one more piece to go to make a sort of "set" of four.
Once the fourth piece is done I should have got this out of my system... (oh yeah?)
...off to finish number four.....Catch you later !

Altered Cutlery for ABAA

The amazing Patty Szymkowicz is the guest designer at Awfully Big Art Adventure this week and she has chosen the theme "Altered Cutlery". Patty's altered cutlery is absolutely stunning so theres a lot to live up to !
Nothing ventured nothing gained... so I set about twisting a fork with a pair of pliers...the fork didn't budge...but the pliers twisted beautifully !
Then I tried making a hole in a spoon...which shot up in the air and landed in the sink...so not a good start ! Lol!
I finally decided to just go for embellishing an egg spoon while I was still in one piece !
I gold dabbered the spoon and heat embossed various colours of powder on the back and front of the bowl.
I then wired some beads...making a loop for the charm and threaded the wire back through the large bead to secure it. I wrapped the plain end of the wire around the base of the bowl and twisted the wired beads around the handle.
Finally I gold dabbered the mask and added it to the bowl with silicone glue.
This has got to be some of the most enjoyable crafting I have ever done...Thanks Patty ...and Thanks ABAA !

"Birdhouse" for ABAA

Well I was getting a bit stuck with the altered book I'm making and "Hooray" because the challenge at Awfully Big Art Adventure is "Birdhouse" ! ( My book is a birdwatchers pocket companion so I've been using a bird theme for it)
I've had a lovely afternoon playing again so here's another double page towards finishing my book.
Thanks for taking a look......
(More pages below...!)

" Print" for ABAA

Heres my 4x4 for the challenge at Awfully Big Art Adventure which is "Print"
I tore up strips of newspaper and junk mail and painted and stamped them.
Then I took the quote from one of the discarded pages of an altered book I'm making and edged it with ink.
I then glued the pieces at random onto cardstock.
When it was all dry I chose a square I liked and cut it out.
I covered everything with a thin coat of gesso, to even out the tones and finally I added the image.
I hope you like this bit of re-cycling...and thanks for dropping in !

Bookmark for ABAA and Colour Create

Awfully Big Art Adventure have a bookmark as their challenge this week so here is mine....showing both sides.....it's based on the Holy Grail tapestries designed by William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones.
I thought it would be amusing to put some words on the bookmark...just in case the book was boring !
The background is done with a copper dabber and the images are from a magazine.
I'd also like to enter this in the Colour Create challenge which this week has picked the colours "Orange,Yellow and Green"
Thanks for popping by !

"Milagros" for ABAA and" Metal" for Lots to Do

The challenge at the Awfully Big Art Adventure this time is "Milagros" They are mexican religious metal charms and can be hearts, arms, legs...well all sorts really.
We are allowed to make them of any material and I decided to make mine out of metal (a used...and clean (!) tomato puree tube) I also used embossing tools and a permanent marker. I first drew a heart on the back of the metal...and then just kept playing until I was happy with it. Great fun and it cost nothing!
I would also like to enter this for "Marvellous Metal" which is the challenge on Lots To Do
(Please click on pic if you want to see it a bit better x )

Altered Canvas -- ABAA / Frame --- Lots To Do

Here is a canvas I altered which fits two challenges this week.
Awfully Big Art Adventure --"Alter a Canvas"
and...Lots To Do---"Frame"...
I have turned over a canvas and used the back which I've covered with aged tissue...then PVA embossed it and added some embellishments.
I've put an old challenge piece in the frame but the colours of the frame were chosen to go with a lovely photo of my mum which I will put in after the challenge is over.
Thanks for dropping by x