Celtic Angel Mixed Media

This isn't my first go at mixed media. I do it on a small scale all the time with my ATC's, but this is my first large scale go at it and boy am I happy! A great Aunt of mine had a room added to her house and I helped her paint it. I just knew she needed some art to go in the space. I had a wonderful idea to enlist the help of my crafty partner in crime Digital Misfit. With her drawing and eye for design and my excitement and can do attitude we make the best crafty team ever. She drew/designed this beautiful Celtic angel for me and I adapted it into a piece of mixed media art. This is the Celtic Angel in her new home. I'm so happy with how I matched her to the room. She looks great and my Aunt was over the moon excited that she has an original by me!

I used a ton of different medias including papers, inks, paints, pencils, embossing powder and anything else I had handy. Don't forget the baby wipes! How did I ever craft without them? If you don't use them in your crafting go out and get some!

Her face was done after watching several tutes on you tube about face shading and mixed media art inspirations. I'm so happy with how it came out. Especially since I've never used so many different products on one piece to get the look I wanted. Her face was painting with colored pencils, watercolor paint, watercolor pencils, acrylic paint, and graphite pencil! Whew! What an awesome technique!

Anyway, I'm so happy with her and can't wait to make more! I have a few ideas already for some more gifts. Who doesn't want to get an original piece of art work as a gift? I also have a super special one in the works for myself. Just waiting on a supply from etsy!

whimsy House

whimsy House
Originally uploaded by AlwaysInspired

I'm done with the whimsy house for the hoop up and send swap! It is my first finished piece! I'm so excited about it since it is my drawing and my stitching. I used lots of different stitches on this. Satin, running, backstitch, french knots, split stitch, long stitch, stem stitch, and wave stitch! Whew! I did the lollipop flowers in a bit of Amy Butler fat quarter I had laying around. I thought they looked great with the color scheme. They are just raw edged circles cut and added with french knot centers. Now on to the next hoop up block!

Fantastic Giveaway!

So my friend Heidi is hosting a great giveaway over on her blog.

http://myhidingplaceincyberspace.blogspot.com/

Everyone should go check it out. You get the chance to win some beautiful jewelry from a great artist named Andrea. Her shops totally rock.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SwanRiverStone

So go enter the giveaway!

Two Feathers, Little Sioux Indian Girl

She's finished! I'm so proud! I thought this doll was going to be the end of me! Okay, correction, I thought the outfit for this doll was going to be the end of me. The doll itself is very simplistic. Almost too simple for my tastes, but after working on the costume for so long I understand why the doll is so easy. I'm not a beader. I've never done large scale beading like this before. Let me tell you I don't think I will be doing it again. She's a OOAK!

The Hubby assisted in making the great doll stand. He cut a slice from a log and drilled a hole in. I bent a wire clothes hanger into the doll stand form and it fits inside her dress so she looks like she is just standing on a piece of log. I love the effect and hope we can make more doll stands like this.

Here are her wee moccasins. I hand beaded them and had to hand stitch them together as well. They turned out so cute! You can also see some of the jingle cones I made from tin sheet and attached to her leather leggings. They really do jingle.

A close up of her bird beaded dress top and her two feathers. One feather is from a blue jay the other from a black bird.

I'm so happy with her and can't wait for the auction on the 18th of September. I'll update after she is sold to let everyone know what she goes for. I hope she goes for a ton, because the money benefits the art center!

Two Feathers Work In Progress2

Two Feathers
Originally uploaded by AlwaysInspired

So I am about blind and crazy, but Two Feathers dress is done! She also has leggings with hand made jingle cones on them. If you'd like to see a pic of those hop on over to flickr. All that is left is her moccasins! I have to bead them as well and Friday is coming fast! I don't think I can do any more beading tonight, but I may have to to get them done. The dress top took about 8 hours total. I barely stopped for breaks. I also think I need to add a little something to her hair. Maybe a couple of feathers to fit with her name! Another update when she is finished!

Two Feathers Work In Progress

Two Feathers
Originally uploaded by AlwaysInspired

So I have a project due by Friday for the art center's annual art auction. I started off with one idea and was totally not happy with how it was taking shape. I just couldn't bring my ideas together in a way that would make a project that wasn't disjointed. So I switched gears and went to something I'm always comfortable with, making a doll. I remembered that I had a vintage doll making book with some wonderful Native American patterns in them. I had been wanting to make one for my little sister. I dug out the book and got started. Sioux Indians are the main type that we have around here. All things Native American are pretty popular. It just so happens the book had a great Sioux girl in it. I'm working on the clothing now and I'm afraid I may run out of a certain color of seed beads. If that happens I'm screwed! I'm beading the yolk of the dress, moccasins, and leggings. I hope she turns out great. Her little face is pretty cute so far. She is pretty simplistic, but I think it works with the theme. I'm naming her Two Feathers, which is what we call my little sister.

New Shoes

Kicks
Originally uploaded by AlwaysInspired

Aren't new shoes the greatest? We went on our little mini vacation and had lots of fun. I saw these high tops within the first few minutes of being in the mall. They stayed in my mind until yesterday when I finally went back and tried them on. The felt so good! Just like the high tops I used to wear as a kid. They made me smile. So I broke down and bought them. Silly as they may be, and the Hubby thinks they are totally ridiculous, they make me happy. So I'll just wear my silly purple high tops with chrome accents and smile until my face hurts.