Madam Butterfly art doll...kits available for order

here she is! my latest artdoll, and available to order in a kit...$25 (AUS$) plus postage, email me if interested.

Tomorrow I'll put up a link for the youtube tutorial on the creation of Madam Butterfly.

fabtacular flourishes...to make you go WOW!

I love flourishes, I love their versatility. I look at them quite often and see wings...which just happen to work really well with my art dolls.

another seahorse

today I had a student over for our regular create day, I gave her a choice between Christmas ornaments and the seahorse...of course she chose the seahorse. I didn't get to take a photo of her piece but it was beautiful. This is my piece. It is going to be a class in the new year...so if you are in Sydney and interested stay tuned and I'll post details as soon as I have them.

QKD blog hop

I want to say thank you to everybody who follows me and my art, I love sharing and of course creating. I'm inspired by life and encouraged by you.

As you know I am on the DT for Queen Kat Designs, so you will be seeing a fair bit of stamping from me...you might even see some of my designs...who knows ;)

This little desk piece is a tricard that I created with some heavy weight matt board.

The stamps I used are from the Flying High With You stamp set available from QKD.

Now as this is a blog hop, I'm going to send you onto your next destination...Penny's Random Thoughts 

If you want to start at the beginning of the QKD blog hop...START HERE

Without art where would I be?

Sometimes I just have to sit back and reflect...I think back to where I was and who I was to where I am and who I am becoming. I say "becoming" because even at the age of 39 I am still growing, developing...morphing! I don't know that I'd ever be ready to say it's time to grow up and stop enjoying life the way I do now...I think I like jumping in mud puddles way too much.
It wasn't always good though, and I'd be lying if I said my life was or is perfect but I have learned that it is best to make do with the life you have...add glitz, glitter and grunge if you want to personalise it of course.

Looking back...I have had dozens of jobs over the years and it feels like I have lived a dozen lives. Some were good...some were not. I've been in violent relationships that left me scarred both physically and emotionally, afraid of people and totally messed up. My life is what I allowed it to be...now I am not taking all the blame for the broken bones, bruises and shattered soul, but I know that I could have escaped but chose not to. I pity the old me, but that is the past and I can't change it and wouldn't because "all roads lead to here".
I think back on the medications I was on to control my violent mood swings, I remember a point in my life when I thought the world would be so much better off without me...I felt worthless, useless, pathetic, crushed and broken...I tried to kill myself.
I won't go into details of what I tried because it's not important, what is important is the direction I took from there. I chose to live, I chose art.

I had always loved creativity and self expression and I tried alot of different things, hobbies, interests, etc.
In hospital I wrote poetry and sketched with a tiny piece of charcoal. At first my words and images were dark and sorrowful but slowly they began to show light and life, they showed what was inside of me trying to break free...like a moth from a cocoon. At the end of my three month "stay" I was smiling and painting with pastels and my poetry was about the colours in life.

My creative style has changed so much since then and I know it will continue to do so as my tattered moth wings unfurl and strengthen.
Art has been my saviour, it has helped me to see the beauty in things, it has shown me that there is good in the world. Even when bad things happen.

I look at my hands, they are my tools, they are also an extension to my expression...I use my hands to emphasise my thoughts and feelings. I love my hands.

*small pink orb

*large pink orb

*blue aura

*tiny blue orb next to pink orb

*NOTE* these are photos of my hands taken about half an hour before I posted this, they have not been edited in any way, my shirt is black and grey only. The photos were taken by myself with a time delay on my camera, I could not see the positioning of my hands as I was in front of the camera. If you believe in orbs, you will find these images interesting.

QKD blog hop and an ATC

hooroo to all those who caught up with me at the show this past weekend...wowzers was it full on, I am still recovering from three full days of talking up some of my fave products. It went really well and I got to catch up with lots of friends.

I did get a chance to create an ATC for my play with Queen Kat Design stamps...I love this Locked Gears stamp as a background stamp. It worked perfectly as a resist over my magical micas.

Now as you are hoping from my blog I will point you in the right direction...hop over to Penny's blog and once you have finished the hop take one final leap to Queen Kat Designs to pick up some goodies

Seahorse project (sold)

The last post I wrote spoke about my designs for WOW, so I thought I'd share with you what I am talking about...this is the Seahorse project I created earlier today and apart from the fusible film, magical micas, copper wire, shredded paper and impasto, I have used two of my new chipboard designs...flourish #2 and flourish #3...I love them because they came from my imagination and they worked perfectly for this project.

I dare you

This weekend at the Penrith Papercraft show will see me promoting and pushing some of my new chipboard designs for Words Or Whatever and some of them are very different from anything you have ever seen. There are page frames and there are clouds and waves...and there are flourishes. Every piece is hand sketched and cut exactly from my ideas. I know that some people will scratch their heads when they see some of the designs, and they will say "why?"...I say WHY NOT?! I am an artist, I create, I explore, I experiment, I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty and I'm not afraid of trying something new.
I have designed these pieces with the brave art explorers in mind...those who can look at one thing and see a dozen uses for them. Are you brave enough? Are you able to leap out of the box with your arms waving wildly, ready to use chipboard pieces that are perfect for paint, impasto, rust and so much more.
I DARE YOU! I dare you to come and see me at the Creative Era stand (#50) and to buy some. I'll have samplers on display, just to help inspire.
If you can't get to the show but want to get your hands on my stuff contact the manufacturer and they will point you in the right direction for your nearest stockist.


Don't be afraid to be an artist.

Queen Kat Designs Blog Hop

Recently I joined the DT for Queen Kat Designs, so keep a look out for the lovely stamps I'll be using...I have never seen grey rubber stamps before so was really spun out when they came...I love the few that I have so far but you have to wait and settle for just one thing today. I have used QKD Surfers Crown...how cool does it look as a 3D embellishment?!!

Yesterday was my first official blog post over at the QKD group blog, today is my very first experience at Blog Hopping...so I hope I get this right.

If you would like to join in the hop and see some amazing artists you must start at the beginning...HERE

Next hop is over to Penny's blog Random Thoughts 

Stay safe everybody...I'm pretty busy this week with preparation for the Penrith Papercrafts show on the weekend.

sharing is caring

I just uploaded a new tutorial to youtube. It is the much requested technique I use to create my faux woodgrain and trees. Click HERE to have a looksee