The Three Muses Challenge - What makes ME tick?

I think we could all apply this great quote by James Thurber to our own lives.  What makes me tick?  Now that would be telling!!

I hasten to say the lady in the picture isn't me at any time of my life (I wish).  She is an amalgam of a face from a Suzee Que Flickr free to use image (coloured and altered) and a body from a Kubivet freebie.

Take a Word Challenge - PRINT

Well, Sadie is certainly in print if not in the news!!  Sadie's head was originally a photo of a silent movie star on Google.  Her body is made from a template created by Maya at Scrapbookgraphics.  The backgrounds are also by Maya.

The Three Muses Challenge - Angels

My angel isn't traditional but I had fun creating her.  I painted the face and cut her clothes and wings from papers by Createwings Designs (The super-talented designer, Dawn van der Stoep who can be found at After Five Designs).  The boots were Googled.  The word art, heart, ribbon, bird and background paper are also by Createwings Designs.

Take a Word Challenge - Sepia

My collage includes images from the Graphics Fairy, hearts by SherrieJD and other bits and pieces of ephemera either Googled or having been stored in my "stash" for a long time.

The Three Muses Challenge - Tis the Season

For me, 'tis the season to be hot and bothered!!  It's summertime in Australia and in my part of the it we can expect endless heatwaves.  The background photo is my own.  I live within walking distance of the beach and one of the advantages of living close to the sea is the occasional sea breeze which cools things down for a while.  The bathing beauty was Googled.  Christmas greetings!!

Take a Word Challenge - Joy

I think the big smile says it all - JOY!! This is a photo of my youngest granddaughter here aged twelve  months.  She's four now.  I painted her new clothes (and hat) and also the background.  The rose was Googled. (Roses are in full bloom at this time of year).
Christmas in Australia is unique.  The weather is usually very hot and dry.  It is necessary to wear light clothing - on small children not much at all.  Some people still cling to the old customs but, increasingly, others choose to picnic on the river banks or go to the beach.  Barbecues are very popular.
I wish everyone a joyful season!

The Three Muses Challenge - ODD

The very odd lady is my own creation.  Background papers and other bits and pieces by Lauren Bavin.

Take a Word Challenge - Numbers

I made the background and spotted box.  The beautiful image is a freebie from Ali Mayes.  Daisies by Lorie Davison and clock, background papers and medallion by Createwing Designs.

Sunday Postcard Art - Christmas Fairy

My Christmas fairy started as a vintage photo from E-vint.com.  I gave her a new Christmas costume and tinsel (painted in ArtRage).  The background and paper for wings are from Pink Lotty Designs at Deviantscrap

Three Muses Challenge - Steampunk

Thanks to Bev for some Steampunkerie.  Poor Stanley likes to keep up with the current fads but he has no clue what steampunk really means (and he isn't the only one!)
Stanley is a freebie from Terri Kahrs (altered).  Thankyou Terri.  Steampunk stash items from Marta van Eck at Deviantscraps.

Take a Word - Blue

OK, I admit it - my favourite colour is blue.  The blue lady is actually a stone angel in a cemetery.  All other bits and pieces (backgrounds, stitching and overlays) are by Berna Datema at Scrapbookgraphics.  The lines are from a great old song.

The Three Muses Challenge - That's Entertainment

I have included two samples this week.  The above picture includes painting and daisies by me and background (including word overlay) from Createwing Designs.

The very busy collage below was created using Googled bits and pieces.

Take a Word Challenge - UMBRELLA

This week our theme is UMBRELLA and I have created this piece from a combination of two images and a lot of overpainting and colouring.  The face is from E.Vint.com (altered and coloured).  The original image was Googled and it has been overpainted and altered greatly.  Clothes and boots are new.

The bubble brush on the umbrella is from Katie Pertiet at Designer Digitals and the crystal rain is from Jofia Defoe.

Gothic Arch Challenge - Numbers

My own background, dried roses by Trish Jones and Googled image (coloured).

Sunday Postcard Art - Framed!

Thanks for the great challenge this week!  The young escapist is made from Googled bits and pieces with colouring and overpainting.  The frame is by Irene Alexeeva.

Three Muses Challenge - Mail Art

Thanks to Ann for the mail art challenge, always a pleasure to take part in.  The image (coloured) is from E-vint.com.  Background and elemenets Lauren Bavin.

Take a Word - Moonstruck

Background and some elements by Creativewing Designs, face by me, dress made from flower petals, original image an E-vint-com collage picture.

Gothic Arch Challenge - Roses

Thanks to Kris for a great challenge and gorgeous sample picture.  I used my own photo of a deep red rose for the hat and embellishments.  Background bits and pieces by Irene Alexeeva and Kubivet.  Image from E-vint.com

Three Muses Challenge - Window- Looking Out? Looking In?

Thanks to Bev for a great challenge.  I love windows as a theme.  The image (coloured and altered) is from a collage sheet from E-vint.com.  Background paper by Lorie Davison, grapes and light overlay from Lauren Bavin.  The stained glass window was Googled.

Take a Word Challenge - Sewing

For some reason I thought of the old fairy story about the shoemaker and the elves where the overworked shoemaker went to sleep and woke to find that the elves had completed his work.  Wouldn't it be nice to have a sewing fairy to do the same thing?
My fairy is from a collage sheet by E-vint.com (altered and coloured). Sewing essentials are from JenU Designs.

Gothic Arch Challenge - Green

The image (coloured and altered) is from a collage sheet by E-vint.com, embellishments by Ztampf, hat by Kubivet and overlay by Creativewing Designs.

Three Muses Challenge - Vintage collage/memories

The idea for my collage came from looking through old newspaper pages and seeing the outrageous claims made in advertisements in "the good old days".  I am old enough to have memories of newspaper ads claiming miracle cures for this and that.  Thank goodness nowadays there has to be (or should be) truth in advertising.  I'm sure some slippery customers manage to get around the rules.
The image is a Flickr-free-to-use photo and the old newspaper clippings are from Jen U Designs.

Take a Word Challenge - TIME

The image (coloured) is from E-Vint.com, the clock from Kubivet freebies and the background and clouds from Irene Alexeeva.

The Muses Challenge - Wings

All my own work except for the scattering of flowers which comes from my ArtRage painting software.

Take a Word #51 - Black and White

Hermione is my own creation (I know how she feels).  Edging by Kate Pertiet.  Other actions from ArtRage softwear.

The Three Muses Challenge - Circles and Squares

I'm late with my circles and squares.  I  made a pattern with circles and squares starting with nine squares of solid colour and overlaying them with semi transparent squares and circles.  I then applied a sphere action to the pattern, distorting it into a circle. 

Gothic Arch - Blue

The beautiful image is from a magazine cover (Flickr free-to-use).  The background is by Irene Alexeeva and the butterfly was Googled.

Gothic Arch Challenge - Classic Literature

Thanks to Kris for the great challenge.  My arch is made entirely of Google Images.

Collage Obsession - Winter Circus, every night at 8 o'clock.

For my friend Sherry I have used EVERY sample picture in her challenge.  The clown becomes Napoleon, the zebra has a new (strongman's) head, the "professor" has a new body (also from the strongman), one of the Geisha ladies has a new face (black and white altered), and the other Geisha has a new body (the ostrich).  A lot of overpainting and cutting and pasting (digitally).
Banner and circus notices are from Tangie Baxter at SBG.

Take a Word Challenge #51 - Childhood

The little girl is from Art Creations Friday and other bits and pieces by Create Wings Designs and Catherine Designs at After Five Designs.

Three Muses Challenge - HOME SWEET HOME

The lady was drawn by me.  Paper used in dress from Irene Alexeeva.  House and other bits and pieces also by Irene Alexeeva.

Take a Word #50 - Blackbird

Here is a little known fact about Edgar Allan Poe.  He was intrigued by blackbirds and he decided to keep a pair in his home.  Unfortunately, they were prolific breeders and soon he found himself overtaken and his house was full of squawking birds!
All items Googled.

The Three Muses Challenge - Bottles and Jars

The face and arms are from Flickr-free-to-use images, bodies by me.  Seat and net Googled.  Frame Scrapbookgraphics Studio Girls.  Background by Fiddlette at Catscraps and words filched from "Catch a falling star".

Gothic Arch Challenge - Pumpkins

The main image is a Flickr free to use picture, coloured and altered.  Pumpkin, bird, bats and background by Irene Alexeeva.

Collage Obsession - Sepia to Pastel

Sepia photo provided by Collage Obsession Challenge.  Coloured and altered.  Balloon by Irene Alexeeva.

Take a Word #49 - Walls

The wall is from a software package I have installed as a plug-in in Photoshop Elements.  The angel is from the Graphics Fairy and overlay by Berna Datema at Scrapbrookgraphics.  It is possible to find beauty in old walls!

The Three Muses Challenge - MOON

Thanks to Ann for the challenge.  The first thing that came into my mind was Van Morrison's song "Moondance" and then I was up and running.  The ballerina is from a collection by E-vint.com (coloured and altered).  The background, moon and stars are by Lorie Davison at Scrapbookgraphics.

Take a Word #48 - ALBUM

I chose to add coloring to my vintage photos from family albums.  These are images of my father at 4, 21 and 100.  Part of the background is by Ztampf of SBG and the aged album cover is by Lorie Davison also of SBG.

Gothic Arch Challenge - Autumn

Thanks to Kris for the great challenge.  The image is from the late Suzee Que at Flickr.  Other bits and pieces from Rosey Posey at Scrapbookgraphics.

Sunday Postcard Art - Autumn (Wardrobe Malfunction)

Jeannette Jaxon loved autumn and every year she joined in the Autumn Festival street parade wearing one of her unique costumes.  In 2010 she designed a dress made from beautifully coloured autumn leaves.  Unfortunately, it was a windy day and her autumn leaves did what autumn leaves do and they started to fall, leaving Jeannette in a state of acute embarrassment.  She will never forget the wardrobe malfunction that ruined her autumn in 2010.  A true story.

Jeannette is an Ozstuffe Original, the leaves are from Kubivet freebies and the background pieces are by Rosey Posey at SBG.  The words used are from an old song called, strangely enough, "Autumn Leaves".

The Three Muses Challenge - Doors

Yes, this is my (in)famous Uncle Paul (by marriage) who features regularly in my artwork.  The fact that his poor little wife, Julia, is standing while he is seated sums up their marriage.  (She was my mother's sister).
The photograph of church door was Googled, the photo of the bridal couple is from my family album.  Layers by Rosey Posey (SBG) and Vera Lim were added.

Gothic Arch Challenge - The Last Rose of Summer

I used bits and pieces I have had on my computer for a long time so I don't have credits for the image or the arch.  The dried roses are by Trish Jones and the words are from the song "The Last Rose of Summer" by Thomas More.
This is a new challenge hosted by Kris Dickinson at http://nostalgiccollage.blogspot.com  - If you like a challenge, join in and make it a success!  We need all the challenges we can get having lost so many great ones over the past few months.

Take a Word #47 - MALE (His Own Greatest Fan)

This week, at another of our challenges (Digitalmania at Flickr), we are taking inspiration from the modern surrealist artist, Vladimir Kush.  It occurred to me that one of the pictures I have created for that challenge fits nicely into "Take a Word" and MALE.  As usual my choice of life partner causes me to vent a tad!! 
The male in the picture is actually my Uncle Paul (by marriage) who regularly features in my artwork.  He probably won't be recognised as I have given him a makover - new hair style, new moustache and some makeup.  The grand piano was Googled, the "flying carpet" is by Alexeeva (a checkered pattern which has been distorted) and the butterfly by Lorie Davison.

The Three Muses Challenge - Autumn

Tee hee!  I decided on collage style for my sample picture and the problem with collage is that it is difficult to get started and difficult to know when to stop so you are lucky the kitchen sink isn't on show here.  The "autumn goddess" is my own creation.  I painted the face in ArtRage and cut her clothes from background papers.  Other elements are from Rosey Posey and Tangie Baxter both of Scrapbookgraphics.

Take a Word #46 - MUSIC

The young girl musician is from a collage sheet by E-Vint.com.  Background Rosey Posey at SBG.

Three Muses Challenge - Words

I'm not sure if the lady is appropriately dressed for a game of hockey.  Perhaps she plans to use it on hubby!!  The beautiful image is a Flickr free-to-use.  Background and elements by Lauren Bavin.

Take Word Challenge #45 - Butterflies

Thanks to June for hosting our Butterflies challenge this week!

My butterfly lady is made from two E.Vint.com images (altered and overpainted) and a Googled butterfly.  The background paper is by Irene Alexeeva and the two edging overlays are by Vera Lim.  Words from a Dolly Parton song.

Three Muses Challenge - Newsprint

Newsprint doorway by Maya at Scrapbookgraphics, vintage newspaper ad from Jenu Designs, Top hat and cane and image of fashionable man from Google Images.