Tags and Changes

I've been adding loads more people to my links on the right-hand column - there are so many fabulous artistic blogs out there and I have been very lucky in getting to see such great work being made.

I am yet to find the ideal blog host. I tried LiveJournal last year and it was OK, but not perfect (particularly when it comes to uploading images) and then I switched to Blogger, which again is great for a free program, but anyone who uses it knows that it is not without its problems. The whole idea about moving blogs was to have a serious, trustworthy, professional look to showcase my art and if the blog is playing up and no help is available, then that isn't going to cut it. So I have been doing a trial period on Typepad and so far, I quite like it. I am basically running the two in tandem sort of, just to test things out and will decide at the end of my 30 day free trial whether to keep the Typepad blog or not. Hmmm, will put the link on the right column so you can take a look. Comments most welcome.

For some reason, I seem to be working away, but nothing much to show except these tags that I made for a swap in Altered Guild. They are sanded, acrylic paint layers on light card, gold stamping, sewed images and fibres. I was going for a cool winter colour theme and think I managed it.

I seem to have spent a lot of this weekend sorting out swaps. The biggest being the round robin I am running, which is an Altered Book swap in ANUK called Literatura Infantil. It is based on the books we read as children and I shall be altering a copy of Pollyanna. The round robin doesn't start until January, but I am already very excited about it.

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend.

Kari x

Altered Canvas

Here is an altered canvas I made for Michelle Remy (she is banned from looking at my blog until after she receives it) in another swap an Altered Guild. I have struggled with this project, something to do with the fact that I separate painted art and altered art in my mind and using canvas has really mixed me up. In the end, I worked on flat canvas, thinking of it as paper, before stretching it on frames.

Anyway, it is painted canvas, watercolour, stamp and spotty feathers sewn onto canvas, collaged bird and a tag with poetry attached. The poem says:

"Each twig I chose for you, my dear,
Down plucked from my own chest
I give you protection and warmth in here
My humble, jumble, little nest."

Again, photographed at an odd angle to avoid glare from the acetate on tag and shiny bird.

Kari x

The Most Beautiful Book Ever

Do you remember in an earlier post, some time in summer I made a Zetti page for a special Little Fat Book in Altered Guild?

Well, last night I came home to the final results. Michelle Remy has lovingly laboured over this book and turning our pages and some paper bags into the most amazing book I have ever seen. It must have taken her ages and she must have wished she had never started it, especially as she and her family have been struggling with ill health and long working hours to boot.

But, the results are stunning, as well as being so beautifully put together, and carefully planned, each and every page is fantastic, full of colour, wisdom and humour. I feel so honoured to have taken part.

Michelle's blog is Lost Coast Post and the link is on the right in my blogger links.

Mini Collages - Mark II

These are very difficult to scan/photograph. Not only are they too lumpy for a decent scan, but of course, they are tiny, just 1" x 1" and my poor old scanner just isn't up to it. Then the problem was photographing them, late at night with artificial light and the flash bouncing off the transparancies that I have used on them.

Hence the rather odd angle - partly to avoid the glare and partly to make them slightly hidden from the recipients.

They are watercolour washes on watercolour paper, rubber stamps, transparency images, sewing (on all but one) and eyelets.

In the post tomorrow - just in time for the deadline.

Kari

A few Deco Pages

Here are a few out of several deco pages I have done recently, I often forget to take pictures or scans of deco pages I have done, so this is a rarity!

The deco subjects are, from top left hand corner, going round clock-wise: Schooldays, Altered Frida Photo, Weaving and Postcard.

Lynne's Everyday Book

Lynne's book is lovely, it is beautifully bound and astonishgly well organised with tabs for each participant's piece. This round the colour theme is Pink/Silver and the word "Joy". I adored the colours and enjoyed putting this piece together. It is watercolour paper with a wash, the word joy written in silver all over, then layers of papers, fabric butterfly and sewing, beads and wire. It isn't glued into the book just yet, I will do that later.

I have also included a small ginkgo leaf in the photo (not the artwork) that I collected yesterday. I love the shape of these leaves and have put some in my flower press to use in future art projects. This one is quite tiny (ATC-sized?) and looks like a little heart.