New stuff...Been away too LONG!

Howdy from the cooold Houston, TX area...Believe it or not, we had 2 inches of snow last Friday.  Lovely stuff, but us peeps down here are more used to dealing with hurricanes than driving on the icy stuff!

Here are some of my recent items created for swaps...Enjoy!!

Kinda hard to see the wording, but it says "Fly"

Ink resist background on photo paper

Very hard to see...the PMC face made it hard to scan...It's a Court Jester...

This card was for a challenge on MLB ning group - the challenge was to use eggshells....then everyone voted and this card and one from another user there tied!

Winter ATC for a swap...

That's all for now...gotta go to work!

Go play and have fun!  Do something arty today!

Gwenny

Come little leaf...said the wind one day

I did this card for a fall ATC swap.  I was totally blanked on what to do...I had the background...but images eluded me.

Then, in a quiet moment, I heard my grandmother's voice...reciting this poem.  She and I were verrrry close.  Every time I spent the night, week, etc...she told me this poem before we went to bed.  She only  had a 3rd grade education...in those times, even the little kids worked the farm.  But, she had gone to school long enough to learn two of the stanzas of this poem.  I found this online, and have modified it to her version...because that's the one I fell in love with. 

She's been gone five years this week.  I miss her every day.   I firmly believe those we love never go away completely...they guide us from above.  She speaks to me, and has pulled me out of some very BAD situations...were I could have been hurt in a physical and/or mental way.

So here's to you, Granny...hope you like it.

Jewell Alene Ashcraft

1918-2004

What's love got to do with it - ATC

This lil cupid cried out for some Tina Turner lyrics...Background is crumpled mulberry paper with silver pigment ink dragged over the high spots.

Altered chipboard coffee cups...FUN!!

These chipboard coffee cups were altered - for a swap on The Sum of All ATC's Yahoo Group.  This was soooo much fun...hope you enjoy!!!

The one about hot flashes...well...let's just say that is an issue that hits home with me...on a stinkin regular basis!


Gwenny

Faux Handmade paper Tute

I found this tute on Inchies-onexone.  List owner/mom Betsy posted it for a November swap.  It was originally from Tech Junkie - June 2008.

Supplies:
Colored cardstock (I used 8 1/2 x 11)
2-3 colors acrylic paint
Metallic acrylic paint
Toilet paper (cheeeeeap - read: single ply - not the cushy stuff)
Wax paper or craft mat
Gloves  (((you want to use these...this is very messy!!!)))

Get a good sized amount of toilet paper and crumple up.  Squeeze out your paint colors, but not too close to each other.  Dip the paper in the lightest color of paint, and pounce on cardstock.  Don't cover the whole sheet.

Take your second and third color and repeat, covering the entire paper..  You will see some of the paper being left on the painted surfaceas you pounce - this is what you want. (((note, if you get balls of paper that are too big, pick off and pounce back over the spot)))

With the metallic paint, and dab on as an accent (((or use amount you want - I love sparkly so I used a bit more))).

Let dry completely before cutting / using.

Enjoy

Gwenny

Faux handmade paper....

Made the below faux handmade paper for a swap...my first time, so I wasn't exactly sure they were as they should be...but loved the colors so went with it...

ya, I know...the scanner smooshed one of the papers into the other...I was in a hurry this morning to get these scanned and saved before I mailed to my partner...

Have a great day!

Tuesday inchie-ness

Did these for a upcoming swap on addictedtoinchies yahoo group...the swap was to make "bubble backgrounds," with any theme.  You can see a tutorial on Jan's Blog

Also...Some twinchies with an inchie for a swap - on Inchies 1x1 yahoo gorup:

And for my last installment on Inchie Tuesday...lol...Some inchie charms for a swap on Ichies 1x1

Hope my partner doesn't peek!!

Now...go make something...play with scissors, glue, paper, glitter, stamps....or whatever makes you happy!


Gwenny

More Halloween-ish stuff

More Halloweenie stuff - ATC's for various swaps...

Simple but cute - these were for a swap on Altered_Start yahoo group - using Paper Imagery Designs (who picked one of these for homepage pic!)

"Boo"

for a swap on MLB Studios Ning group

"Happy Halloween"

Made this for Valerie - SumofallATC's yahoo group creator

Things that go Bump ATC's

Know it's already past spooky day, but here ya go...These were for a swap on ThesumofallATC's yahoo group.   Hope you enjoy!   Gwenny

"The Wolfman Cometh"

"Baby Mummy"

"Hotel California"

"Fatal Beauty"

Recent Inchie type stuff - Inchie Books

I had lots of fun doing two inchie books for my yahoo groups Inchies1x1 and Addictedtoinchies...First one didn't really have a theme.  The second one did.  My partner for the second book posted that she liked Paris as a theme.

Here's the first one - for Inchies1 x 1

Here's the second one for Addicted to Inchies

Take a look and let me know whatcha think!

Gwenny

WOW...I have 10 followers

Thank you!  I just checked my followers list...I truly appreciate it!  I'll be posting lots more pics soon!


Spread joy!


Gwenny

ATC's....

While I'm on a roll...here are some of my atc's!! More to follow later...

Enjoy!!!


Gwenny

Inchies

Yeah, ok....I'm a slacker...well, maybe that's not the right word...I'm ADD so I'm often all over the place...Remembered this morning I needed to post some new stuff.

I'm attaching some of my inchie creations...With more to follow.

These are so fun! I hope you are inspired!!

Muah!!

Gwenny

More about me...

You might notice on my post with the zentangles, that most of my zentangles have a theme, which is not the "zen" way...but it is the Gwenny way...my personal twist.

Allt of my work has a theme, some component of my personal experiences built in...I don't know how to do it any other way. I use art as my therapy.

Sometimes, the theme is a bit dark or sad...but truly it's about to the incredible capacity we humans have to learn to love and dream again after our hearts have been utterly broken...either from a estranged child, divorce, illness that makes us unable to do the things we want to do, or other heart rending event.

In short, I'm the one who had a broken heart...many times over...many different causes...yet I still dreamed. I dreamed of finding love again after a uber nasty divorce...and I did...I found my one true love, who makes me happier than I've ever been in my life...we are truly peas and carrots...lol. I dreamed of reestablishing my relationship with my oldest son after he alienated himself from all of his family...and it happened. I dreamed of finding another way to express my creativity after suffering nerve damage in my arms and hands due to long term degenerative disc problems in my neck, surgery for it...and rehab...and I found another way...papercrafts, pen/ink drawing, collage, etc. I learned that no matter what happens, no matter how many times I'm knocked down or had my heart shredded, I WILL still dream, I WILL carry on, I WILL find what I seek.

And I WILL create.

Zentangles

OK...I'm a fool for zentangles. Love Love Love them! I've done four complete ones, wich are shown here, and many others (ok 10+++) in process.

Hope you enjoy.

LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!! WOOOOO HOOOOO!!!!

Hi there...Finally have a chance to get this blog going...

I'm going to start by posting my Zentangles...one of my many passions...then the Inchies, ATC's, OSWOA's, and whatever else I come across...LOL

All of my art is a reflection of things in my life. My experiences, emotions, tragedies and triumphs.

More about that later.

Enjoy your stay, and please feel free to leave comments as you wish!


Gwenny