Eduardo Recife - inspired by Digitalmania

I'd love to have more time to create.  Yesterday was my first day off in months - I'm finally on Summer Break after an exhausting summer term and summer school for a week.  I'm just looking forward to relaxing, sorting out the flat, seeing friends and family and simply having Polly-time!

One of my favourite challenges that I've discovered is the Digitalmania challenge on Flickr.  Each week they choose an artist or a movement to inspire us; and I have to say that I have been VERY inspired by some of the choices.

This week was Eduardo Recife and I have fallen head over heels in love with his work:

I tried to do justice to his brilliant work in my own 'inspired' piece:

 

 [click on the image for credits]

Not quite there but I was pleased with it!

I think I will try some more 'inspired' pieces later though.

My first free digital collage kit :)

I've been writing letters again.  My spate of creating my own writing paper has encouraged me to start writing letters - and sending post-cards.  I signed up for Postcrossing and received my first post-card from Germany yesterday.  A lovely vintage style Peacock:

 

Advertising a store that the sender said is now defunct.

I also arrived home from a particularly shitty day at work last week to a surprise - someone had written to me from Flickr and wanted to swap mail art with me.  I promptly sent off a letter, a few sheets of my writing paper and this envelope to her:


I really enjoyed making the envelope but I think coupled with my writing paper it was a bit 'sensory overload'!  But I definitely think I might start making more envelopes and writing paper.  Perhaps even give-away some sets.

Click on image to read credits.

 Anyway - as always - let me know what you think?  Should I create my own writing paper and envelope sets?  Would someone like to try them out for me if I made a set of 3 sheets and envelopes?  I'll send it to you for free and you can let me know what needs changing or whether 'the girl done good' :)

If you want me to send you a set please email me at: fidgetrainbowtree@gmail.com

Finally - I've made a mini-digital collage kit that you can download for free from here. It's a set of postage marks, stamps and bits and bobs.  Usual TOU apply - enjoy.

Three Muses Challenge - Bathing Beauties

 

Bathing Beauty and seaside background: Rubyblossom on Flickr
Everything else from Tumble Fish Studio at Deviant Scrap

How nice was it to finally be able to sit down this evening and do some collages?  Since being back at work on Monday after the flu and Easter hols it's been craziness.  It always is this time of year if you teach Year 11s (or indeed post-16) as you're trying to get all their coursework in because the lazy little *&^£&^Q@ haven't bothered doing it all year.  I'm trying not to panic but I need it all in by next Friday and they're still not turning up to extra sessions.  Anyway - I won't whinge or moan - if I was honest it was the way I was at school.  I always have been a lastminute.com person.

Other than that I'm still not completely over my flu.  I have swollen glands in my neck and very full of cold.  It sucks.

Sorry I'm really moany at the moment so I'm going to shut up now.

Sharing ...

I thought I'd do a blog on people who have used some of my free resources :)  I found all of these on Flickr - if you want to be 'featured' just drop me a line x


AutumnSensation on Flickr used one of my faces on the image in the bottom right hand corner and it was featured in The Stamper's Sampler :)  You can find the original sheet here if you want to create your own!

- BlueRidgeLady - using the same sheet

*veronuchika(y-tu)* from this sheet 

panykattack - using this sheet

LauraPM using a lady from this sheet

by tammybeck using this sheet

Some wonderful work here :) If you've used any of my resources let me know I'd love to see what you've created x

Thursday Freebies

I have a ridiculous collection of ephemera - some of which is still hidden away in boxes from when I crumpled my life last year.  Slowly the bits and pieces are emerging. 

About 2 years ago I bought a job lot of ephemera when a local junk/ antique/ flea market was closing down.  The box contained many photos and memories from the same family and it's interesting to see the young boys grow up through the photographs.  Sad to as it seems that this box of memories was just left to a house clearance company.  Sometimes I'm not sure what to do with these photographs - afterall - these people are nothing to do with me.  But should I use the actual photographs in art?  Or just copies?  I've decided that copies (there are a few enlargements and copies) are ok to use in art.  I've still not decided what to do with the others - for now I'm going through them and copying them bit by bit.  Any Carte de Visites and backed photographs will be kept as is though.
Anyway - here's a random bunch of ephemera that I have for you to play with: