Leafygal

Altered Cabinet Cards

I just finished my first altered cabinet card. These are photos taken mostly around the turn of the 20th C by professional photographers and had the name and address of the photo shop embossed on them.
They have become a target of the Altered Art brigade and one of my art goups has started doing some.
Here is my first one.
I rather overdid the altering of the face, I will be less gung ho next time!

Here is the first card I did using my new art supplies.
I did a transfer of the butterfly wings using the Gel medium, then stuck on the pic of the face and cut out some jeans that seemed to fit her to finish her off.
She just seemed to be wondering what had happened to her, hence the caption.

Poorer and Richer

Had a very satisfactory day today

I went to the Craft and Quilt show in Melbourne.
I came home poorer in wallet (empty actually) but much richer in things to use in my collage work. Golden Gel medium and acrylics (finally), quite a few unmounted stamps, a Stayzon black stamp pad which (I have tried to get in Geelong), a collage sheet, some watch parts, some Twinkling H2O's, some very cute ceramic buttons of dogs and cats and a few knitting bits and pieces. The lady who sold me the Gel gave me a pot of crackle medium to try out as well - so watch out!
I can't wait to try out all these goodies.

My first "Deco"

I received Bethel's Deco book last week and was so excited to work in it.
She used the theme "Beauty"
I went pink in a big way and added beauty right left and centre. I hope I haven't overdone it and that she likes what I did in her book.
Now I get to send it on to the next person for their pages. I wonder what is being done in my Leafy one!

I am also sending off two postcards for the collage explorations group swap. One is a serendipity squares background that I did a while ago and turned into a Ginko card
The other is an Asian influenced Peace card.

Holiday glueing

I still haven't documented our little break in Lorne, but here is my gluebook page that I did while we were down there.
Used the City Life and the Good Weekender pages from The Age. Gluestick and scissors were the only implements used.
As you can see here one of the activities indulged in was an orgy of shoe shopping!

Not the Mass Market

I've just read an interesting article that was flagged in the intro to my blog by my blog host Typepad.

"Back in October 2004, Wired editor-in-chief Chris Anderson penned one of the most influential magazine articles of recent times, "The Long Tail." The Wired cover story explored the impact that improved searching and better filters have had on selling products and services, making it possible to profit from items that aren't "hits" in the Top 100 sense. Increasingly, Anderson suggests, niche products that alone sell relatively few units will together make up the majority of sales for many businesses"

My tastes, the ones that don't coincide with the majority of Joe Public, may finally have a chance to be gratified.  I can already find odd titles on Amazon, and music is now downloadable track by track . Movies and games are now following.

The Long Tail (a statistical term) is the material that doesn't make it into the blockbuster hit categories.  Movies  that I have to go to Melbourne to see because there is not sufficient audience in Geelong for more than a couple of screenings -  if they make it at all.

The theory is that if stuff is archived on line - very cheap compared to a hire of a movie screen, then a few people seeing each of many movies more than makes up for the many people who see the few "Hit" movies.
All I can say is "Three Cheers!!!"

Sophisticated Puppy

I have to record a grave misdemeanor.
Today I decided to treat myself to a gourmet sandwich for lunch.
I "buttered" the bread with cream cheese and layered it with slices of succulent smoked salmon.
Lemon juice, dill and capers finished it off nicely.
Plated sandwich and took it to the table, sat down and turned to the front page of the newspaper.
Before I could take the first bite Elizabeth arrived and I went outside with Pepper to greet her and discuss what we were going to do with the garden this week.
Have you guessed it yet?

I wandered back inside and went to the table - nothing on the plate.  Feeling confused now, I wondered if I could indeed eat without noticing it.  Felt sure I would have remembered such a yummy sanger for more than a few moments, then noticed 3 small slightly chewed capers on the rug under the table.  No crumbs, just capers!

My chair had been left out from the table and I soon deduced the culprit, now looking very self satisfied, but without a crumb on her whiskers.

The gourmet dog had struck again, reinforcing my long held view that poodles have highly sophisticated taste buds and go for the best food available. Our previous poodle - Nimh was an expert at detecting chicken breasts (no other cut) or fillet steak at 50 paces, but she was so small that she never had a chance to scoff them.
We no longer eat fillet steak but I have my suspicions that Pepper's radar would detect the difference!

To add insult to injury I had already given her a yummy dog biscuit because I felt sorry for her not having such a delicious lunch as I was about to eat.
This pic was taken at Terry's Lookout on our recent stay in Lorne - butter wouldn't melt in her mouth!! (but smoked salmon will!!!!!)

Leafy Deco

I've finished my first deco book.
I decided that the obvious theme would have to be "Leafy" so this is how it turned out.

Front and Back Covers. 

Inside front page and first page

Famous Knitter

My square, knitted for the "Wall of Yarn" project will be launched on the unsupecting public tomorrow night at the Nectar Bar  at 584 Glenhuntly Road Elsternwick.
Some of you might be able to get there to see the display which closes 10th August.