"Arte y pico" award

Blog Award
I was very surprised and honoured to receive this award from Lorri, my new friend in Australia, I am very proud of it. Thank you so much Lorri.

Now I have to nominate 5 blogs who I think deserve this award too.
BUT ... my winners then are requested to do the following :

1) You have to pick 5 blogs who deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material and also contibutes to the blogging community no matter what language.

2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to the blog to be visit by everyone.

3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and the link to the blog that has given her or him the award .

4) Award winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of "arte y pico" blog (linked in my title) so everyone will know the origin of this award. (Cut and paste the info into your blog to make things easier)

5) This is very difficult, as I visit so many Blogs, and there are so many things that then influence my work:

My 5 winners are:

John Dyhouse http://johndyhouse.blogspot.com/ for putting up with all us ladies, and trying out all the different techniques

Sian: http://siansbitsandpieces.blogspot.com/ for her fabulous work

Nicks for being Nicks: http://nicksartystuff.blogspot.com/

Suzan Buchner: http://thriftycollageartist.blogspot.com/ for doing such brilliant art, and a fascinating Blog
Anne Bulles dorees http://bullesdorees.blogspot.com/ for producing such fantastic colourful work

Gothic arches

Gothic Arches




These two arches are for a swap I'm in. The last one using a vintage image and distresssing it, inking and stamping other images, and adding embellishments.
The one with the angel on, doesn't show up very well. I have sprayed the card with shimmer paint, and there is foil in the arch top. I have put gold around the wings, and the edge of the arch. The whole card is quite shimmery, the scanner has dulled it off quite a lot.





The arch with the miserable looking baby on is me. I had obviously been taken to the photographers under duress, and I wasn't going to smile how ever many toys he gave me to play with.
The stamped image I thought looked a bit like me, so put that on as well.
You will be pleased to know, I have cheered up a bit since then.













These two arches show some of my ancestors. The last one is of three generations my great grandmother, my Nan with a family friend, and then my mum, with one of my first cousins. Mum can't remember who the little girl is. My great grandmother looks a bit of an old harridan to me.

The other one is of my great grandparents. Great grandad looks like a typical grandad figure, the sort who would slip you a sweet when your mum wasn't looking.

Altered dominoes

I have been having a go at altering dominoes in a 3D way. Before I had only put them on to ATCs. The top one is in the form of a concertina book, titled Women. Most of them are Da Vinci women, and are stamped in purple/blues to tone with the backing paper. The back is done with alcohol inks, and the front stamped with Stazon

The two boxes have domino bases, and tops. They have card sides, which I have painted with acrylic paint, and added metal tape, accent beads, beads and lace Both tops have shrink plastic oblongs, also painted with metal acrylic paints, and heated. The silver one has a bead handle. I wish I had put one on the bronze one now. All this because the craft drill I bought didn't work. I had to find different ways to attach things. Good ol' UHU

The bronze one also has some copper waste on, kindly given to me by Cindy. This box looks much better than my picture shows. The colours are very rich, and shiny.

The garden

The garden is now beginning to colour up, but I do need to get more spring colour into the front of the bungalow. The previous owners obviously just bought a sack of daffodils. These now need digging up, and splitting up, they are far too crowded. There are loads of primroses out, which are one of my favourite spring flowers, and they are seeding everywhere. We have only had the place for two years, and there are no end of primroses appearing all over the garden. Now need lots of bluebells (Are you listening Sylvia)

There is more colour in the back garden, where there are loads of small bulbs out. There are many more growing in pots, that I never seem to have the time to plant out. It's on the list though.

The front garden in winter. I really must get out there and do some clearing up. I have loads of plants to move before the new workroom and garage are built. Builders do not look to see where they are putting their feet.

There are now loads of daffodils out, so the next sunny day I will take some more photos.

Matchbox Shrines

Instead of eating Easter eggs, I have been making some matchbox shrines. It was our months project with a group I belong to. I just love seahorses and Egypt, as some of you will have gathered by now. I shall soon have made everything possible with those two subjects. One day I will start on the Indian embroidery that I keep wanting to do. I have the materials, I keep buying the beads, I can't find the time, as I'm too busy crafting.. Will power that's what I need next. Stop joining in swaps, and heading off in all sorts of directions. Yes, right, forget Will Power who ever he is. The seahorse nest with the babies inside is a small matchbox. The Egyptian one is a Swan vesta, so easier for my hands to work on. I now need a big display cabinet to put all these things in.

Original art

I have been having a go at painting on a small scale for a swap I'm in. I seem to be stuck on a poppy theme, but as they seem to be very popular, it isn't a problem. For such a keen gardener, I find it quite difficult to paint flowers, and make a better job if I do them from memory. If the flowers are in front of me, I can make a real pigs ear of it.. I am fairly pleased with the results here, and they have gone off to the host. It will be interesting to see what I get back

Finished jigsaw

This is my piece for my African jigsaw. I really enjoyed doing this one, as I love the colours and images of Africa. I am extremely pleased with the finished piece, so a big thankyou to all who contributed. The finished piece has strangely turned out in a rough shape of Africa.