Hello Everyone!

Where has the time gone!!!

I haven't posted since October of last year for goodness sakes!

But it hasn't been for not having any art time.

Don't we all have moments, or periods of time

of needing to replenish our muse?

Well hope you'll forgive me for being absent, and

in the up coming weeks, I'll have some fun

things coming up, maybe a tutorial or two. 

But for now, I'll just post what I've been working on

since we last saw each other, in hopes that it will

jump start your muse, ideas, and creativity, as

after the Holiday Season I am sure we could

all use a bit of dusting off the Winter ...

One of my Favourite Holiday Gifts from my Hubs

were these....

A 48 piece set of Lyra Aquacolour

Water Soluble Crayons

and

A 36 piece set of Gallery

Watercolour Crayons

Talk about yummy colours!

And great fun experimenting with both sets too!

And you can use them on in so many mediums, tag making,

journaling, on canvas, I'm so enjoying playing with them!

( Graphics on this double tag I made from Tumble Fish Studio

at MischiefCircus.com  a.k.a. Deviant Scrap )

And I am loving making my own Washi Tape

using my new crayons and some stamps!

I'll be doing a little tutorial in the coming weeks

so stay tuned!!

So I encourage you to try out 

Water Soluble Crayons as another source

of creativity!

( graphic from Itkupilli at MischiefCircus.com)

Another whole project I've been working on

is my hand made journal

Nothing more painful to me is to take out

all of the pages from a hardbound book!

I adore books and reading, but bit the bullet

and found a vintage book that I was

willing to go ahead and disassemble...

No regrets! You know why?

Now I have all the pages from inside the book

to use for other purposes as well as this book

I've made. 

I'll explain more in my next posting on how

I'm using the pages.

(Window frame used from Retro Cafe Art)

My Favourite Online Shop :)

www.retrocafeart.com

So there you go.....

that's a slice of what I've been up to,

and a 'hint' at some up coming posts!

( Tumble Fish Studio Graphics

Retro Cafe Art Gallery Lazier Cut-Out Owl

and Handmade Washi Tape and Water

Soluble Crayons)

Journal page.

So I hope you'll all stay tuned, check in, and

hang around as there are some fun things

going to be going on here on 

Birdnuts Mixed Media 

Enjoy!!

Quick Post :)

Hey Everyone :)

Just a quick post to say I'm trying

something new....

Altered Vintage Photos

( and yes I know they've been around 

forever, but have a stack of them in

my collection, and was never

brave enough to tackle the originals)

So here's my first try at them :)

'Sunny Side of Live'

Altered Vintage Photo

'Future Coffee Addict'

Altered Vintage Photo

'Poor Boy' 

Altered Vintage Photo

I'm so enjoying the process and hope

to have more to share soon :)

Enjoy!!!

Greetings Everyone :)

My apologies for such a long absence, as I 

just noticed it was back in July when I

last posted.

"Life has a way of moving forward whether

or not you are ready to follow along."

So many changes, stresses and complications

have raised their heads in my life over

these past few months. 

One being the changes in Social Media

and with the Canadian Anti-Spam Laws.

I have been busy researching the changes on

Facebook, and with the New Canadian Laws 

on Spamming and Gaming.

It turns out, what I've found out so far is, 

 I may no longer offer Giveaways and/or

offer Prizes, as the complicated Rules and Laws

for Canadian Sites and International Sites 

are quoting not only Restrictions,

 but also big Fines and Legal charges. 

All of this went along with the 

New Rules and Regulations

on Facebook July 1st, 2014, 

( and from what I can surmise, it must have been involved,

 and/or influenced by the legal changes),  and in turn, 

all Artists with small businesses have been 

effected by having to have a

separate Facebook Page for their works to be posted

instead of on their personal timelines. 

For those of us, who dabble in arts and crafts as

a hobby, with a few sales, and/or small business

set ups, like cottage industries, who make small

amounts of monies, it practically pushes us

out of the markets. 

This, and the Changes in the Postal Services and

the Price Increases tripling makes it almost

unaffordable to even have the pleasure

of having the Swaps as well. The Postal Services

New Documentations complicates having the Swaps,

as they are not informed and/or set up for the idea

that art is being 'swapped' instead of sold or gifted.

This I know first hand, as I've had conversations

with Canada Post back East on having to 

'teach' them the differences.

So, with Great Sadness and a Huge Feeling of Loss,

I will no longer be having the Fabulous 

Giveaways and Swaps here on Birdnuts Mixed Media.

At least until I am able to get more Legal Information,

(and I am so exhausted by the process of seeking

the information, that I've decided to just let it be 

until next year and see if there is any more information

or changes).

In the meantime.....

I have also been battling an ongoing illness, for 

over a year now, and I am finding it difficult

to continue with many of my Favourite Mediums of Art.

So this too, has been a hard decision, as

I will be taking a long break from my great love of 

Assemble Arts, due to

I have become sensitive to many of the 

Art Supplies needed for completing the pieces.

With advice from my doctors, I am to cut out

as many factors contributing to my sensitivity,

and getting rid of my dog and birds, and husband

just isn't going to work, ( wink :)

So for a while, this is my last Assemblage Piece

that I will be posting here on the blog, and again,

hoping by the New Year I might be able to

take up some of the fun artistic mediums again.

My Final Doll from Mary Jane Chadbourne's

Wonderful Workshop this Summer.

'Daughter of the Sea'

Using the base wood cut out from Mary Jane's

Workshop 'Imaginariam' on Artful Gathering

I launched myself into trying for the first time

PaperClay sculpting, and created the 'fish' body.

It took forever to cover the body with over 500 glass

beads....and they're heavy too collectively!

The sculpted body was a mental exorcise while I

taught myself how to create the effect I had

in my brain :)

And making her hair was a blast as well, again having

to really think it through on how to create the effect

I was picturing in my mind.

And using the Fabulous Face Graphic

from Tumble Fish Studio at Mischief Circus

(formally DeviantScrap)

and all the Wonderful Bits and Bobs of

wonderful fun from Retro Cafe Art Gallery :)

I really enjoyed making this doll, using so many

different and new mediums mixed all into one piece, 

just like my previous doll

This one as well had a plethora of mediums used, 

( some I can no longer do from my sensitivities, 

like resin use, and sealants, etc.)

So both will be treasured with my collection of

other Artists Fabulous Creations.

I still have one blank wood doll from Mary Jane's 

Fabulous Workshop, but will save that one for

next years attempt after a long rest :)

A Huge Thank You 

to All of You!

Followers and Shops Owners

who have Brilliantly made my

life richer for all of your Participation

over the past few years here on

Birdnuts Mixed Media.

And even though I'll be dabbling in

some paper arts, and tag making, journaling

and any other medium I can find to

keep my creative juices flowing,

I'll also be looking for some fun, creative

ideas on how we can all continue

to participate here on my blog in the

coming New Year. 

Until then.....

Oliver Howard and I 

Wish You All

a Fabulous Holiday Season coming and

we'll see You in the New Year :)

xoxo

Enjoy!

How'sYour Summer Going?

If you're like me, you have tons

of projects going all at once :)

And not just art projects!

Our weather here in my area,

has been on again, off again 

since last Spring, so many of

my outdoor projects have had 

me ping ponging, in and out

of my art room.

Nothing like doing fence cleaning and

sealing one day, then diving into

painting a canvas the next due to 

the weather.

Working on a canvas project for

an online workshop I'm taking :)

And then it is also the 

Season for Workshops!

I've signed up for 3 all at once....

( pinch me next year if I do this again:)

I'm taking Mary Jane Chadbourne's

Desert Dream Studios

Workshop 'The Imaginarium'

at Artful Gatherings

Starts July 16 so there's still

a couple of days if you wish 

to join in!!!

And what FUN Class Kits!!!!

And Joanna Grants

Wonderful Gelli-Jam Workshop

at Artful Gatherings!

YUM!!! tee hee

And Joanna's Workshop Starts July 16th in Session 2 at Artful Gatherings just as Mary Jane's so there's still time to Sign Up!!!

And as much as I'd love to be in my art room all the time, ( as in Winter months :)

I've still managed to grab and play with 

2 of my Most Fav 

Deviant Scrap Designers New Graphics Kits

Tumble Fish Studio

at Deviant Scrap.com

( Loved playing with this Kit of 

Marsha's!)

(my self portrait....grin)

And the Wonderful

Crowabout StudioB

at Deviant Scrap.com

Always love Nancy's Girlies in 

her Graphics Kits.

This one I used my own background with...

may need sunglasses....grin.

And make sure you check out

all the Designers Kits on Monday

July 14! There's a big Collaboration 

Event going on!!!

TONS of New Kits!!!

So there is so much to keep busy with! 

GRIN

Even the latest edition to my art room

is enough to keep me going :)

Meet 'Doris'

My New Vintage 1958 

Singer 99K Machine

As you've seen my other machines

here on my blog, I can now say

I'm a hobbyist collector at this point :)

Which of course leads me into another

project.....rearranging the art room.

HA!!!

No time this Summer will have to

be a Winter Project :)

So that's about it for the moment,

I will have some "News"

coming up soon, on my next 

blog post. There are some very

serious changes going on 

with the Facebook and other 

Social Media and

the Canadian Governments Rules

as of July 1st, 2014

in regards to Blogs, Emails, Spam,

and some other issues. I'm currently 

involved in seeking information

and legal advice as there will 

be some changes here on my blog.

I will keep you posted :)

In the meantime.....

Oliver Howard and I wish You All

a Great Summer!

Enjoy!

We Have Winners!!!!

It is always a pleasure for me

to Co-Hostess with 

Mary Jane Chadbourne

of

Desert Dream Studios

All of Mary Jane's Workshops

past and present,

at Artful Gatherings

have been Full of Fun and Inspiration.

And Mary Jane is a Fabulous Teacher!

So it's a Total Win 

for Any of Us 

Signed up for Mary Jane's Workshops!

So it really is 'icing on the cake'

for a chance of Winning in this

Giveaway of

One of Two 

Special Workshop Kits

With Embellishments to boot!!!

That Mary Jane has so

kindly put together for

this Giveaway for the Students

of the Workshop

'The Imaginarium' 

Anthologies of an Art Doll!!

So let's get to it!

We have 2 Winners!!!

Using the Random Generator

to choose from the Great Turn Out

of Entries!!!!

The 2 Winners are.....

Elizabeth Barrow

and

Yvonne C.

Woo Hoo!!!!

Congrats!!!

Being that you both are Students

in Mary Jane's Workshop,

she should already have info

on how to contact you, but

give her a shout just in case

so she can make arrangements

to get these Fabulous Special Kits

mailed out to you! 

I'm also taking Mary Jane's Workshop

so I'll look forward to seeing you all 

in class!

Looking forward to seeing all of your

wonderful creations!!

Thank You All 

for participating in this 

Fun Giveaway

and 

And a Huge 

Thank You  

to 

Mary Jane Chadbourne!

of

Desert Dream Studios

(to bits Girlie :)

Enjoy!!!