Another Jigsaw swap....

I eventually finished off the Jigsaw swap that I have been doing with a group of friends. What happens is that you set a theme and send a jigsaw bit out to however any people in your group, they alter if for you and send it back, and hey presto you have a work of art. Obviously you do the same for the other people.

My Theme was 'family' and I asked everyone to do an Initial for each member of my family, so thanks to Cindy for M , Margaret for N, Sparkles for G and Sheila for E.

You can't see very well from the photo, but the photo is interesting, I stuck it onto the painted canvas with Gel medium, but it looked a bit stark and I was worried about it fading over time as scanned pictures do (anyone know how to prevent this??) , so I painted over it with clear gesso. It looks fab, the colours are muted a bit and also the finish makes it look canvas like, so it could have been printed onto the canvas itself.

I was going to use the word 'family' but when my daughter saw all the bits together she simply said 'oh it's us'........ and yep we are just 'Us' so that stuck. I have attached by bit with wire strands, with a heart threaded onto it. It's supposed to say that, we are all part of a jigsaw joined by a thread but with wings to fly.

Now.... next question..... any readers of my blog interested in doing a jigsaw swap??

School half term = not much crafting!

Busy week in this house OH and children are in a pantomime, six performances this week which means not alot of crafting has been done..... well at least not by me, I have just found my son ( I thought he was quiet, which is always a danger sign) 'altering' a box in the craft room... Oh well I'll tidy up the mess tomorrow!

I have been taking part in an ATC 'Jam swap', which is where you decorate 1/4 of an ATC and then pass it on to someone else to do a quarter and so on.. I gave my team members each a piece of a jigsaw to decorate, and here is the result, I think it is fab. If you ever get a chance to take part in a Jam, don't hesitate!!

I did sneak in a bit of crafting this morning whilst the family went to the dentist, and started on a swap I am hosting called Take 6. It's a kind of recipe of things you can and must use on an ATC.

Your own background, metal, fabric/leather, embossing powder, clay and string.... people have been telling me that I have challenged them, and they are right, it's not as easy as it's sounds!! I've managed to complete two so far, only another four to go!

Off now to cook some food for the thespians and then off to shift some scenery (playing havoc with my carpal tunnel LOL)

I'm all excited

Here is the result of the Jigsaw swap that I mentioned below... I am absolutely thrilled with all the bits that I got back from......
top L to R Wendy, Maureen,
Middle Me, Jan, Trudy,
Bottom.. Sherry

I mounted it only a 12x12 canvas and very fortuitously my DH brought home some tile samples from work (he is getting the altered art idea!), exactly the right colours, which I stamped 'Every time a bell rings' ...... (an angel gets his wings) a quote from our favourite film It's a Wonderful Life
And it is a wonderful life when you have such talented friends that I have found through 'art'

Thank You Ladies (and an extra big thanks from Matthew who is thrilled that we are actually keeping something, he gets cross cos I give everything away)

http://www.scrapjazz.com/topics/Techniques/Altered_Art/532.php

Crafters block today

well I am a poorly gal... but thats no excuse. I am taking part in an altered jigsaw swap in which you start with six pieces of an interlocking jigsaw and choose your own theme... you then send a piece out to 5 other people who alter it and then return to you. Vice versa you alter a jigsaw piece for them. I have done four peoples but am stuck on the last one... RETRO Advertising.... I ask you LOL
Still have my own to do as well, my theme is much kinder, Angels! Here are four that I have managed to do, Beautiful Women, Autumn, Egypt and Birds. I will add the dreaded Retro when I do manage to do it!
I plan to mount my finished jigsaw onto a canvas when they are all in.. watch this space!

**** OK then an update, have finished the Retro part of this challenge, not sure if I am happy with it or not.......... not I think! My OH thinks (and I believe he is right) that I do have serious problems working outside my colour comfort zone ****