Angels Among Us

It's not beginning to look a lot like Christmas,

but it is somehow feeling like it anyway.

Normally the holiday music and decorations appearing in the

stores before Halloween annoy me and turn me into Scrooge.

Somehow this year I am not bothered by it and (dare I say it?)

I'm even liking it a teeny little bit. Very teeny, mind you.

But still.

I decided to put together some collaged Angel tags for my Etsy shop.

So fun to add all the layers of texture! Tissue paper rocks!

I've started stamping on tissue paper and now I realize I

need to add to my collection of stamps.

The challenge at Inspiration Avenue this week is 

Angels

so the decision to make the angel tags was an easy one.

Beth of Mossberry Cottage is our host this week, and I love this theme.

I used some vintage sheet music from The Graphics Fairy,

stamps and tissue paper (I know, I said that), and some angel collage sheets
from my other Etsy shop, plus acrylic paint.

(Shameless plug ~ go HERE to see the collage sheets)

(and HERE)

 

I put diluted Gesso over the tags to give them a soft haziness.

I think next I'd like to make some with sharper colors.
Use the coupon code holidaylove over at
Heart of the Magpie for 20% off anything in the shop.

Pop over to Inspiration Avenue

and play along! You've got some angels, don't you?

If not, go ahead and make some!!

Stencil Test Drive!

Exciting News!

STENCIL GIRL has just released a line of awesome stencils

designed by Jessica Sporn!

As if this isn't exciting enough, Jessica asked me along with

some other artists to take the stencils on a "Test Drive"!

I'm over the moon (see him in the test drive logo?)

and can't wait to get started!

We will each show you how we used her stencils, and you're

invited to play along. My first post using the Starry Night stencil

 will be on January 10. And I'll have another one using

the Fun Borders stencil on February 27.

Starry Night

Fun Borders

Meanwhile, the Test Drive will start on December 6
with Carolyn Dube and Michelle Rydell
and continue once or twice a month through June 2013.
Visit Jessica's blog to see more details!

I hope everyone here in the US had a wonderful, gratitude-filled

Thanksgiving!

And speaking of Thanksgiving, which brings to mind shopping
and Black Friday and all that (and don't forget Cyber Monday),
here is a blog hop of shops that are having sales this weekend:
Happy shopping!

The last one!

For Priti Lisa . . .

. . . who likes E.E. Cummings. I like him too

when I can understand him.

 This quote I can understand.

Here you may be able to see both pages without scrolling:

Lisa's journal, when opened out, is long and narrow! 

The round robin has flown full circle! I have received my own journal back

with 7 stunning, heartfelt, magnificent pieces of art inside!

Blog post coming to show you the treasures it holds.

I have been so "out of the bloggy loop" lately
(busy making preparations for Thanksgiving guests {this past Thursday,
for those who are not in the US}). All went well, and I'm thankful it is over lol!
I have so much to catch up on now, and I thought connecting up with

Paint Party Friday

would be a good way to start.

Please visit over there for wonderful delights for your eyes!

Mandarin Orange Monday

Mandarin Orange Monday

I've been wanting to link up to Mandarin Orange Monday

because I just love orange :) and Lori, the host, is one

of our newest members at Inspiration Avenue. 

We're so happy to have her aboard!

The reason I picked this painting is that I've just sold it! Whoot!

Mandalas

Beth of Mossberry Cottage is our challenge host at Inspiration Avenue this week.

She chose Mandalas as the theme, and it just happens I've been taking a

class on mandalas at Guada's Circle, so the timing is perfect...

( Click the button in my sidebar to visit Guada's Circle )>>>

I don't generally paint mandalas, but this turned out to be fun,

and I learned so much from Guada. 

I'm looking forward to doing another one.

I think I may not be finished with it, it seems to need a bit more...

In progress:

Finished. For now :)

And speaking of mandalas . . .

Look what I received from my friend 

Kat, of Wright Story!

Kat is a writer, painter of mandalas, my Round Robin sister,

and former Inspiration Avenue member.

I just love this pendant with one of Kat's mandalas under glass!

Thank you Kat!

So sorry the above pictures are not the best.

I'm waiting for the gray days to give way to some sunshine,

but it's just not happening! My photos are suffering...

Pop over to Inspiration Avenue.

There's still time to enter the challenge!