Creative Scraps Altered Art

There’s so many blogs I love to read, and when something moves me I will leave a comment. Have you noticed a lot of blogs offering free gifts if their readers leave a comment? Personally I avoid these blogs, and will generally unsubscribe from them because it is no longer a blog but instead a bit fat commercial. I think we all know that more subscribers and more comments means higher ratings with search engines and all kinds of other nifty perks, but personally I don’t like having a carrot dangled in my face in an effort to manipulate me into leaving a comment. I will instead purposely not leave a comment, even if I love the artwork! Instead of posting obvious “marketing effort” posts, why not post up something worthwhile so the people who really enjoy your work will interact with you by leaving comments and subscribing to your blog all on their own? There’s an old saying, “I would rather be hated for what I am, than to be loved for who I am not” and securing subscribers and comments with bribery falls into that very deep hole. Has your blog turned into a circus designed to prostitute comments by offering junk… or is it your honest desire to share your artwork and experience with others? Just a thunk!

And with that, here’s a free vintage photo for you to use in your artwork. Comments have been shut off for this post just to prove that something can be offered without expecting something in return. Enjoy!

I saw the movie “Australia” last night and one of the lines was: “In our life we take nothing else with us except for our story”. That intrigued me! After thinking about it I have to agree, all we have is our story for as long as its told. The trick is to make it a great story. 

This was made with: Card stock, matte medium, glitter, acrylic paint wash in pink and teal, a page out of a helpful hints book and another page from an asian prayer book, rub-ons, butterfly stickies, glitter pens, rhinestones, scrabble-type alphabet and an image from Dover’s free clip art giveaway that I get every Friday.

Go to http://sundaypostcardart.wordpress.com/2008/12/07/fairies/ to take the challenge, it helps get you creating instead of “thinking” about creating. Thanks for the challenge and for looking, too! 

Kinda failed but not really, I learned from it. Lessons learned: I need to put more matte medium on before I put down the image. I’m guessing that I didn’t rub enough of the paper off, so its showing very cloudy. I should have also painted it first so the cardboard color doesn’t show through like that. Not all is lost though, acrylic paint hides everything! I will redo this technique and see how the next one turns out. It’s only paper, right? *forced grin*  :)

Well this was pretty neat, an online test that shows you how well you can discern hues in a color strip. I don’t usually post stuff other than my attempts at art, but this was too good not to share. When you click the link it may ask you for your country first. Also below is a free vintage clip art I am sharing, I have so many now that I wanted to share the wealth. Enjoy!

100 Hue Test from X-Rite Paint: http://www.xrite.com/custom_page.aspx?PageID=77

Here’s a free vintage photograph for you to use:

My Mom is celebrating 38 years in AA tomorrow, so I made her this altered art frame as a gift. Isn’t that porcelain doll awesome looking? I snatched him out of an antiques book that showed how people used their collectibles in decorating their homes. The frame was from a yard sale for $1. The wings are made from chipboard, then layered with a Chinese newspaper that I crinkled and painted with metallic gold acrylics. I also edged the outside of the images with my gold wax, that stuff rocks  :)  Thanks for looking!