goodies, frills and techniques

A few weeks ago I won some blog candy at Michelle's blog. OMG, I had no idea I would receive a package full of goodies. I was totally blown away, I just sat there on the floor and peeled the gift like an onion, layer by layer - take a look, too!

Papers - in elegant grey and white - Chinese paper money, slide folders, and Somerset Studios issue Artful Blogging. Now I know what the buzz is all about! This is such an eye-candy, plus really great reading. What you probably can't see, is a a rubber stamp alphabet from Green Pepper Press (Prague, nonetheless). And do you see the gorgeous card Michelle has made, all swirly and delicious! I never knew spray painting can look so beautiful. This is a lovely, generous gift. Thank you Michelle!

I met Michelle at ArtsyMama's tea party. After the party I have been hopping over and reading ArtsyMama's blog going backwards. I stumbled upon a hidden treasure that I am going to link here. (It is too bad she doesn't arrange her posts by month, you have to jump to the end of the list, where you get a new list, again to the end. This might make no sense until you do it.)

She has this great prompt how to challenge yourself out of your comfort zone and make a collage in the process. For those who don't wish to jump back and forth, I'll explain in brief.

You list all the different mediums and ways of working, then cut up the sheet of paper and put the pieces into a bowl. (A full list including some unusual techniques is on her blog.) Draw one piece. Do the technique prompted and draw the next. All in all she recommends ten.
Of course her collage looks just wonderful, and even better on the pages of the Somerset Studio magazine! Mine - not so much...
I had great time, though. This definitely pushed me out of my usual comfort zone. I would never ever have scraped, sanded, used charcoal or 3D if it hadn't been for those prompts.

This one is for DCM's Frilly bits challenge. I am not very frilly, and this is definitely the most frill there's going to be...

She looked on moodily. Not feeling like herself.
(traded)

Second card got a lot of chalking, charcoal, ink and scrape commands. I am not sure I like it, it is somewhat dark and moody.


This one pushed me even more than the first. Left on my own I would never have done 10plus layers. (I kept hoping for stamp to come up, now that I own beautiful stamps, but it didn't.)

Not until the very last did I read this piece of instruction: have your color palette ready. Yes, that would have helped!


A delicious recollection
(traded)

(everything clicks for big)