By Susan on 12-01-2012 in Paper Dolls
Meri is here to say ‘hello, won’t you play with me this Christmas?’. She is all set for whatever games you play, whether it be snug in her little housecoat and slippers or out in the snow with her snowsuit. Meri can help trim the tree or sit down for a snack of gingerbread men. She also has a best Christmas Day outfit to wear while opening her presents.
Merri would make a great stocking stuffer or be used as a quiet time activity for your child. There are earlier Christmas Paperdolls as well. They would all like to play so please feel free to download them.
By Susan on 11-25-2012 in Backgrounds for mixed media, Christmas Patterns, Digital Images + Collage, Mixed Media, Original Pattern
I created these Christmas Papers because I wanted something different from eveything traditional. Snow flakes and ornaments are not on these pages, just the suggestion of snow flakes being picked up on the wind. Feel free to use them for your personal art.
By Susan on 11-25-2012 in Art For The Creative Mind Yahoo Group, Digital Images + Collage, Mixed Media, Paper Dolls, Vintage
These pieces were all made for the ArtForTheCreativeMind Yahoo group. The three wooden spools had a mind of their own and my muse just went with the flow. I had originally wanted all white and light blue and glittery spools, but they told me they wanted to look a bit like French vintage. So French vintage it was. I used large beads and small as well as cord and wire for the hangers, even a pipe cleaner. Some French vintage papers helped give the ‘French’ feel to them.
My advent calendar wreath was another piece that grew as I made it. I knew I wanted the Matryoshka dolls to be a part of it. First the pattern had to be drawn and I chose to create that in Photoshop Elements which made it easy to create the little faces. Christmas papers were used for the outfits. Finding the right size of prints became a difficult task as many of the paper’s designs were too large. I then glued them onto black card and created 25 different inspirational words instead of numbers for each December day until Christmas. These little dolls can be removed from the wreath to be used as tags at a later date.
By Susan on 10-30-2012 in Art For The Creative Mind Yahoo Group, Digital Images + Collage, Mixed Media
This is my first 3D piece. Circus wagons made from salt boxes …. so much fun to do. I cut out the windows on each side and taped a flat card inside to make the floor. I then painted the interior black. The outside is all paper card and ribbon. Wheels are buttons which have been glued to little painted wooden pieces. These pieces were then glued to the wagon. The figures were gleaned from on line colouring pages, coloured in Photoshop Elements and then reduced to the small size I needed. There are tigers, bears and lions along with a little trapeze artist. The ringleader is trying valiently to keep control.
By Susan on 10-30-2012 in Art For The Creative Mind Yahoo Group, Digital Images + Collage, Mixed Media, Steampunk
This little 4×4 card was done for a swap with the Art For the Creative Mind Yahoo group. It joins both steampunk and Halloween styles. The background was made with twine glued to a red background. Two old skeletons are just lolling on a brick wall. The pumpkins were sketched and filled with a plaid background, then gears were added. The brick wall is from a local heritage building. Of course the old gents had to have top hats and one has part of a pair of goggles in keeping with the steampunk theme. They were fun to make and when put together that is when the old song came to mind. The skeletons were clip art which I removed part of the art to create the fellows I needed. A fun piece to create.
By Susan on 10-22-2012 in Paper Dolls
I am back !! A long hiatus while we packed and moved. During those months when I didn’t have enough time to blog I did work on little
Sally. She told me her clothes just had to be steampunk. So here she is: Sally Steampunk. She has lots of clothes to go with any adventures you can think up for her. I hope you have as much fun with Sally as I did in creating her.
By Susan on 4-29-2012 in Digital Images + Collage, Embroidery, Vintage, Vintage Patterns
These owls were published in the McCall’s Needlework and Crafts 1965-66 Fall Winter magazine. Made of metal in this version, I can see them made from paper. How cute would they be painted in a border along a chair rail in a country cottage kitchen? Matching cushions on the wooden chairs would be so cute embroidered on linen.
I have redrawn the owl in Photoshop using layers and then filled with patterns. I then used a different sized stroke around each layer and bevelled each one differently. I then filled the background with black. He is too cute.
By Susan on 4-29-2012 in Digital Images + Collage, Mixed Media, Original photos, Vintage
My visit to the Almonte Museum last year yielded several wonderful printing plates. I couldn’t resist using them for digital images.
The original plates are the orange plates. I changed the image from colour to black and white and then recoloured them. Faces were left as is and I rotated the others to give a right side up print.
These images could be used on a digital or scanned background, set into transparency to hover above the background and another image set over top of that. Lots of play with these old plates.
You could also transfer the images to fabric to use in your fabric arts or onto paper for a little ATC.
By Susan on 4-28-2012 in Digital Images + Collage, Mixed Media
I have seen many stamps where shapes have been used to fill with gears and wheels for a steampunk look. Here are two that I have made using Photoshop shapes and filling with gear brushes. I want to do more animals, especially a turtle …. turtles are my favourite animals
A circle filled with wheels and gears … this could adorn either a scanned or digitally created background. It could be given a transparency as well so more layers could be added.
My first Steampunk horse …. I want to add a saddle to this handsome fellow. This horse, done in different colours would look good on a pasture background.
By Susan on 3-31-2012 in Backgrounds for mixed media, Digital Images + Collage, Mixed Media, Original photos
It’s amazing what you can do when you capture a piece of a high resolution photo. You can filter and style them until they no longer look like the object they are. I created a page of ATC backgrounds for your Spring creations. These came from earlier photos from the summer of 2011.
By Susan on 3-31-2012 in Digital Images + Collage, Original photos
These handsome ponies started as Photoshop shapes found on www.DeviantArts.com. I filled them with scratches using the Wacom Bamboo tablet, created the background using more Photoshop shapes and moved the ponies onto the background. Styles created the golden colour, transparency and shadows.
Another handsome fellow is our orange tabby. I caught him looking out the window with this very serene look on his little face. I changed him to black and white and played with shapes and the colour levels in enhancement and from there went to filters and styles.
By Susan on 3-18-2012 in Embroidery, Vintage, Vintage Patterns
Another wonderful alphabet to embroider from the McCall’s Christmas transfer book. This one features caps only and would be great used for monographs. A little book to hold and sort sewing machine needles would be a great gift for your quilting mixed media artist friend and would be theirs with their initial on the front cover. A special handkerchief or napkin would be pretty with this alphabet as well as gift tags made for a favourite somebody.
By Susan on 3-18-2012 in Digital Images + Collage, Mixed Media
This little moth was sitting on the grass sunning itself last summer. It is a wonderful delicate colour and lent itself to recolouring. I have added one page of the moths to download, but if you want 4 pages download the pdf below.
The original moth is pretty all by itself and could be used in a natural setting in your scrapbook.
The rainbow colours would look great along with a little girl in a fairy costume on a summer day or along with a photo with a rainbow.
Rainbow Moths for your scrapbooking
By Susan on 3-14-2012 in Backgrounds for mixed media, Mixed Media, Vintage
Gingham has always been a favourite of mine. It can be ‘country’ or it can be ‘sophisticated’ depending on what else you use with it. It can have a vintage feel or a modern look. These backgrounds would be great used with photos of your kids, a picnic with added butterflies and bumble bees. The pdf document has red and green for Christmas, purple, blue and pink for Easter and for fall there is a tan and leaf green.
I’ve made several in rainbow colours. If you want the whole set you can download the pdf Rainbow Gingham Backgrounds for your scrapbooking
By Susan on 3-14-2012 in Christmas Patterns, Embroidery, Mixed Media, Vintage, Vintage Patterns
This alphabet was published in the McCall’s Christmas Iron On Transfers,Vol-II-1976. It is a smaller size and could be used throughout the year. Mother’s and Father’s day cards using embroidery floss, fancy recipe cards using a permanent marking pen are great ways of using these in mixed media. Little muslin samplers made into personalized ornaments and gift tags would be quick to do and give a personal touch in any season.
By Susan on 3-11-2012 in Embroidery, Vintage, Vintage Patterns
More McCalls transfers from the Memory Lane book…the last of the trains. I love steam trains. They are such large black beasts, playing a large role in the Victorian period novels. Wouldn’t they look good on a pillow for dad on father’s day? How about a book cover or a fabric bag … it would be just for the man in your life.
By Susan on 3-11-2012 in Backgrounds for mixed media
Both of these backgrounds were made using gradients and transparencies. I love how they glow. I haven’t actually used these yet, but they would look great with a black floral brush layer on top or could be placed as a transparent layer over a background that needs a bit of colour.
By Susan on 3-05-2012 in Digital Images + Collage, Mixed Media
Elvis …. when I saw these brushes on the Deviant Art site I had to create this card. I used an original background layer, changing the colour from green to ruby red in enhancements and layered the guitar and Elvis profile as well as other small brushes. Styles were also used for the brush stamps. I love how this card glows.
Love me tender, love me true…….a march down memory lane
TODAY …. live in the now, in the moment. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never happen. All we have is the right now …. TODAY. This card started as an original background, each letter was done on a separatae layer, the colour enhanced and then a drop shadow was added to each layer.
By Susan on 2-24-2012 in Mixed Media, Paper Dolls
Snow White and her prince will be married. She will look beautiful in her wedding dress. Keeping with her new steam punk attitude the dress has been made with silver and is very enchanting. She just loves her suede boots and I think this outfit will remind the prince that Snow White will keep her steam punk attitude for a very long time.
Seven of the 14 dwarfs were able to make it to the wedding … Grumpy gave the bride away.
By Susan on 2-23-2012 in Mixed Media, Paper Dolls
Snow White is ready for the evil queen wearing this outfit. She knows she is smarter than any witch and this gives her the confidence to chase the evil queen away.
Of course, any outfit needs to be put together and this ensemble has confidence written all over it.
Every princess needs a traditional gown, even a steam punk princess. Her gown has steam punk balloons woven into the panels and the top. Gold is Snow White’s favourite colour.
This gown also needs great gold jewellry to wear together. There is one dress yet to show you ….. her wedding dress
By Susan on 2-22-2012 in Mixed Media, Paper Dolls
After Snow White has rescued her prince charming she needs to get out and go shopping. She wears her red suede skirt and blouse and adds silver knit stockings and gloves along with a wonderful pair of silver boots.
Who wouldn’t want this great skirt and blouse ensemble ….
Once Snow White is home again and snuggled up in her favourite chair with a good book she will chill out in her steam punk pant suit. Harem pants and a shear over blouse keep her cool on a summer evening and looking good. She loves her jet gear necklace. Her ladies-in-waiting will take care of her every wish.
Even the stockings and suede shoes match her outfit.
By Susan on 2-21-2012 in Backgrounds for mixed media, Digital Images + Collage, Mixed Media
These background papers are free to use in all your cards and Valentine scrapbook pages. I created them in Photoshop for Valentine’s day past. They will be waiting for you next year.
By Susan on 2-21-2012 in Mixed Media, Paper Dolls
Snow White was created for the “ArtForTheCreativeMind” yahoo group. The swap was a steam punk doll and everybody had a different doll. These dolls were made of paper, wood, wire and metal. A paper doll came to me when I entered the swap.
My first paper doll book belongs to Snow White. I gave her a steam punk attitude and she told me I had to write her a new story to go with her “so there” attitude. Her new clothes are modern, sexy and she wears lots of gears and grommets.
Here is Snow White herself. She’s ready to wear her first new blouse and skirt. If I were the witch I wouldn’t want to mess with Snow White. She can now take care of herself.
Snow White is ready to look for her own prince charming wearing this outfit. She will look far and wide, through woods and stream until she finds him.
The outfit has been put together for easy cutting and playing. The page below shows each and every piece that is put together for this great woodsy outfit.
By Susan on 2-04-2012 in Embroidery, Vintage, Vintage Patterns
Here is another alphabet set. These set is wonderfully vintage. They were published in the Women’s Work Basket magazine, a little book of all things needlework whether it was embroidery, sewing, knitting or crochet. These wonderful letters would look great on a child’s t-shirt or pillow case. Your grandchildren would love a quilted plaque using an enlarged letter either embroidered or painted. It could also be couched using a bright coloured yarn or cord.
By Susan on 12-06-2011 in Paper Dolls
At last, a new paper doll, this one just in time for Christmas. Two more ginger cookies to dress. Please welcome Cinnamon and Spice. They are all ready for the coming holiday. Enjoy.
Cinnamon is all set for Christmas Eve with her little green nightgown with it’s furry trim. She will be festive in her little red dress Christmas Day and after opening her presents she can go out and make snow angels in the snow wearing her bright red snowsuit.
Spice will wait for Santa in his green pajamas and be all dressed up in his new blue jeans and t-shirt on Christmas Day. Later he will go out and play in the snow, maybe he will make a snow fort. Spice will stay warm and cozy in his bright green snowsuit.
By Susan on 12-04-2011 in Embroidery, Vintage, Vintage Patterns
Two more pages of Godey Ladies for you. These ladies along with the earlier page are all from the same vintage McCall’s transfer book. I love them all. They remind me of “Gone With the Wind” with the ladies and their long, hooped, swishing skirts.
A set of tea towels embroidered with these lovely women would make a great hostess gift to take along with you when you attend your next holiday party. One could also adorn a journal cover as well.
Redwork or bluework could make your lady stand out on a crisp pure white cotton or muted earth colours on an ecru background would give them a vintage appeal.
By Susan on 11-27-2011 in Christmas Patterns, Embroidery, Mixed Media, Vintage, Vintage Patterns
As promised here is the last of the alphabet. I love this version of Christmas letters. It is so whimsical and adaptable for so many different venues. The letters could be appliqued using either cottons or wool felt and the rest embroidered on top. They could also be painted onto a wooden ornament or coloured in digitally and printed onto paper to make great tags.
By Susan on 11-26-2011 in Christmas Patterns, Embroidery, Vintage, Vintage Patterns
A wonderful Christmas alphabet was published in the Mc’Calls Christmas transfers, Vol II. A Santa stocking with your child’s initials could make a great Christmas tradition. Embroidered onto a quilt block in a table runner, it would make the best hostess gift.
Adding a few beads to the letters would make them extra festive.
Whether you embroider white on red or red on white to give it a red work appeal this alphabet fits the Christmas season.
QRSTUVWXYZ will be posted tomorrow. There is still time to whip up two or three initials for this holiday season.
By Susan on 11-20-2011 in art quilts, Embroidery, Mixed Media, Original Pattern, Original Quilts
Catnip Capers was done for a woman who truly is the mother of these cats. Her favourite flowers are sun flowers and I thought what better than to put the cats in a sunflower garden enjoying the sun on a hot hazy day. The butterflies and dragonflies along with ladybugs are all present on this summer noon along with a hazy sun directly above. The cats are playing and rolling in the grass with one (there’s always one) looking down on them with humour.
These cats started as embroidery outlines. I painted and coloured them in Photoshop using a Wacom Bamboo tablet. Once they were fully drawn and coloured in I used filters to give them a soft furry look. The sunflowers have stuffed middles along with some of the petals that have been sewn down onto the quilt background. Other petals are double sided giving the flowers a 3D look. The stems are twisted cord, ribbon and embroidery floss. Large leaves were cut and sewn with a raw edge and then fray stop was used to keep them from fraying. The brown-eyed susans have button middles and the flower petals are simply a piece of gathered strips that has been cut with a pinking blade and doubled. The chickweed flowers were made on a daisy loom with ribbon and seed beads sewn for the centers. The little forget-me-nots are made with dark silk from men’s ties and mauve lame. Simple small yoyos turned backward and sewn down with more seed beads. The dragonflies, butterflies and ladybugs are buttons and embellishments. This quilt was an absolute joy to make from start to finish.
By Susan on 11-19-2011 in Christmas Patterns, Embroidery, Vintage, Vintage Patterns
Christmas is just around the corner, but there is still time to embroider a kitty or two. These images are also part of the vintage Golden Books colouring book.
This tabby cat is so cute. He has the greatest smile on his face. Embroidered in Christmas colours he could adorn a stocking or cavort around a tree skirt.
Do you need a plate of cookies for Santa? This one has several and treated individually they would make cool decorations, embroidered and beaded or painted on felt. They could also be painted onto wood for a more permanent ornament.
By Susan on 11-03-2011 in Original photos, Places to See
A little boy carrying his prize dolphin and a little girl riding the merry-go-round along with her mother.
This little boy caught my eye as he was walking towards his mother. The dolphin toy he is carrying is almost bigger than he is. The coloured shadows of the dolphins as the sun shines through them beside him create a wonderful photo. I wonder who won the dolphin for him?
Is there anything prettier than a little girl on the merry-go-round? This little one is hanging on to her horse, with her mother keeping her safe beside her. For me, this is what a fair is ….. families and their children getting together in our fast paced world, bringing back the feeling of belonging and adventure.
By Susan on 10-31-2011 in art quilts, Digital Images + Collage, Mixed Media, Original photos
Watch out for the ghosts and goblins tonight. I kept these three photos aside just for tonight’s festivities. All of these photos could be used as backgrounds for a spooky digital collage or inspiration for a dark nighttime quilt.
A summer moon taken on a hot night. The white cedar shadow gives this photo it’s Halloween flavour.
September gives us a different moody moon. The moon this night was a beautiful silver with a big dog ring that picked up the moon shine and through it around the scudding clouds below it.
This is another summer moon. A June moon which was taken on a hot evening and another shadow of a white cedar tree.
By Susan on 10-26-2011 in Original photos
The heavy horse breeds are my favourite. Their movement is so powerful and they are so massive. The words “poetry in motion” describe them well.
The silver bridles caught the sun here through the dust. It is a very dramatic photo.
The wagons would come through the gate at speed, showing the power of these magnificent horses. The runner beside them is in full stride as well.
More dust, taking these photos were not easy to do, but well worth it. This wagon of 4 horses was at a trot when turning the corner.
I loved this fellow. He turned right towards me as if to say “you taking MY picture, then let me make it easier for you” or maybe “don’t forget to spell my name right”. He is a beauty.
By Susan on 10-20-2011 in Christmas Patterns, Embroidery, Vintage, Vintage Patterns
Santa too needs a rest once in awhile. Here he is snuggled into his favourite chair. This is a colouring page from a Whitman’s Golden Book. Doesn’t Santa look comfortable. It is a very traditional picture. Santa is puffing on his pipe. Mrs. Santa must be a very patient wife, baking cookies for Santa and the elves all year round and putting up with that cloud of smoke.
This Santa picture would look good painted on a window for the holiday season. He could also adorn a pillow or lap quilt for the favourite man on your list. Reduced in size and embroidered onto a small square of red cotton he could hang around on your tree or on a gift bow.
Although this pretty little party basket was also among the Golden Book pages it would be at home at any time of the year. For Christmas a white frilly basket with a red bow and candy striped handle applique around a tree skirt could adorn the Christmas tree and done in redwork around a circular table cloth to match would make a great holiday conversation piece.
By Susan on 10-14-2011 in Original photos, Places to See
After taking photos in Appleton, Ontario we travelled next door to Almonte. It too is on the Mississippi River. Almonte is a pretty, small town that has many vintage homes and shops as well as some newer stores to keep up with their growing population.
The Mississippi River is low this year and many rock outcrops are showing. This photo was taken from the bridge
Reflections of the trees across the river, this photo is part of the dam at Almonte. It shows the old stone mill on the left hand side.
A bend in the Mississippi River, taken from the bridge shows off the Autumn colours in the Ottawa Valley.
This photo shows how low the water levels are in the Mississippi River this year. It shows how rocky this part of the Ottawa Valley is. Ottawa itself was built from swamp, but the western end of the Valley changes to rock. This is the last of the Autumn photos of the Ottawa Valley for this year. A cold front has moved in with lots of rain. When it is over the leaves will have fallen. Halloween is right around the corner.
By Susan on 10-13-2011 in art quilts, Original photos, Places to See
Autumn in the Ottawa Valley…my heart leaps at the sight of the burning colours on the horizon at this time of year. Is there anything quite so spectacular? The light and shadows play along the rivers creating serene outlooks wherever you cast your eyes or camera.
My favourite photo of the blue heron at Andy Haydon Park while he is fishing for his dinner. He is a magnificent bird and would look good worked into a landscape or art quilt.
On our way to the Carp Fair this year we were halted in traffic and I was able to snap this photo of the trees. Carp has rolling farmland which is mostly rock, but good for grazing animals. It is a beautiful country area of Ottawa.
A trip out to Appleton, a very small town in the Valley. The Mississippi River flows through the town which has many heritage homes. Unspoiled by new houses it is an absolutely heavenly village to stop and take photos.
Weeping willows growing on the banks of the Mississippi in Appleton present the prettiest photo ever. The day was so peaceful and bright and this was the last day of Indian Summer. This willow would make a great landscape quilt.
The last photo of Appleton with the Mississippi River reflecting the tree colours back upon itself. This would be a pretty town to live in.
By Susan on 10-02-2011 in Original photos
During a trip to Andy Haydon Park in West End Ottawa I was able to snap photos of some of the wildlife. I think they may have been posing for me hoping I would be on my way, thinking “tourists”. It was a sunny afternoon, one of those lazy days when you just want to get away and forget your everyday life.
The great blue heron had his patience rewarded when he caught a big mudpout. He stood in the pond so still until he saw the right moment to capture his dinner. A magnificent bird.
This grey squirrel was napping in the afternoon sun and didn’t notice me at first. A very interesting photo.
Whoops! He caught me with my camera snapping his photo. What a character he is.
The park is full of Canada geese and when the heron crossed the pond to eat his fish the geese lined up in the water around him. I wonder why? Once he had swallowed his fish and taken off the geese separated and swam away.
By Susan on 9-30-2011 in Mixed Media, Original photos, Places to See, Vintage
My visit to the Almonte Textile Museium during this year’s Fiberfest was a wonderful treat. Upstairs there is a wonderful display of machinery as well as wooden spools and spindles. I spent almost two hours there taking one shot after another knowing they would be beautiful. I love earth tones and the machines are rusted, the spindles and spools are made of wood that has been polished through long handling. One word describes them to me and that is magnificent.
Spools and spindles are sitting in large cardboard boxes beside the machines they were used on.
This Toledo weigh scale caught my attention as I was leaving and had to go back to take more photos. I love the colours and the inner workings of this piece of equipment.
Shuttles were displayed in a box as well. How many hands have used these tools? How I wish they could tell us their stories.
By Susan on 9-21-2011 in art quilts, Embroidery, Vintage, Vintage Patterns
Pumpkins, wheat and corn cobs fill this cornucopia. It is a perfect embroidery pattern for this time of year. This is another pattern from the vintage McCall’s transfer books.
This cornucopia would be great on your Thanksgiving table as a runner or table mats. As an embroidered centerpiece among a maple leaf blocks it would be stunning, or used as a pattern for an appliqued block it would be a more modern table quilt.
By Susan on 9-15-2011 in Digital Images + Collage, Mixed Media, Vintage
These are my first ATCs. The topic was the Wild West and I thought of Gene Autry right away. When I was a young girl my mother made me a cowgirl outfit for my birthday and added cowgirl boots, hat, guns and holster. I wore them to the Toronto Canadian Exhibition where Gene was starring. He spotted me and waved Hi. A great memory.
Gene Autry sang “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” as well as other cowboy and Christmas songs. I can still remember him singing them.
These ATCs were so much fun to make, beginning with finding vintage images to putting them together along with backgrounds in Photoshop using layers, styles and filters to make them all fit on the little 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ cards. I made the decision to sew them together to continue on using fabric for my creations.
By Susan on 9-15-2011 in Digital Images + Collage, Mixed Media
This is my first posting for September … what a busy month! Between working on a quilt, several other small projects and putting away some of the produce in abundance this time of the year my days were very full with little time to spare.
One of the projects I was working on was this little animated story about a little girl. When I first saw these vintage images I knew I had to use them. They are wonderful and the story they tell is very poignant. I used layers and shapes as well as brushes and styles in photoshop to create this little gif.
By Susan on 8-28-2011 in Christmas Patterns, Embroidery, Vintage Patterns
These two ladies are two of a set that was published in the McCall’s Iron On Transfers Vol IV. They could be embroidered on linen towels for a great Christmas gift. Done in cobalt blue, turkey red or forest green they would stand out beside matching terry towels. These ladies could also be added to an old fashioned pinwheel quilt with appliqued dresses. A smaller version of one would also look right at home on the top of an embroidery case.
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