Spring is in the air!

An Etsy team called Boomers and Beyond or BBEST for short, are having a new swap challenge this month is to create an ACEO with the theme entitled….. Spring! 

I love sitting back to see what comes out of the woodwork.  Truly inspirational pieces are being created in all manner of mediums.  The excitement is always that each person who contributed is given a name of their swapee but they do not know who will be sending them an ACEO.  To remind readers, an ACEO has only one rule.  That is, it has to measure 3.5” x 2.5”.  It can be created in any medium.  You will note there are glass based ones, fabric, painted ones.  The list is endless.

What did I create?  Well, under the name of Precious Quilts I decided to create an ACEO depicting Spring in the form of the sun shining down on some pretty flowers made with cute little buttons I had in my stash.  For the centres of the flowers I added some seed beads to enhance the image.

Oh yes!  I love butterflies and have one in my avatar  on Etsy so, of course, I had to include a pretty pink one to complete my picture composition!

Now, I urge you to follow this link to see the other ACEOs offered for the March BBEST swap.

Hard to choose my favourite and even harder is the waiting and wondering which ACEO I will be lucky enough to receive!

Week #2 - Update on Di's 30/30 challenge!

As I come to the end of Week #2 of Di's 30/30 challenge I can report that I have done some WII sessions! You would think by using a machine you could sneak a session here and there. Let me tell you! I had not used it for a little while. Do you know the comment I got from it once it had fired up and I stood on the WII board? "Nice of you to join us!" Cheek!!!!

Anyway, I completed the steps program and have now graduated to the next 'step', excuse the pun! This one is far more exciting, not only stepping up and down but sideways and twisting on the board.

A new painting was created in my aka ego of On a Whimsey. This one is entitled, Red Flower, and uses a new technique that I am rather pleased about.

So, that just leaves me this week with still my head to scratch to find an idea/inspiration for my contest picture, which one to enter.

Here's to another productive week!

Di's 30/30 challenge!

As I sit here with my head in my hands I stare at the screen wondering at what I have done! Sounds dramatic doesn't it?

Di, from dbhoyleart.blogspot.com invited people to join her in a challenge that whoever joined in would want to commit themselves to making a positive change in their lives. At this time of year many of us tend to procrastinate and need that kick up the whatsit to get going again. If you read Di's page you will be able to find out who is in the challenge and what their individual challenges are.

Mine? Oh yes, I suppose you want to know! Well, I thought long and hard about it and finally came up with three, yes, three!

1. Exercise on my new WII.
   I love this machine! I am not into games or anything but find the Fitness program really good. Yoga, Aerobics, Running and muscle building floor exercises start you off. I really like doing the aerobics because it reminds me of the game the kids used to play. You know, Simon Says? Well, here you use the step to copy the images on the screen as they do a step classes. You can either watch the image people doing it or follow the purple feet pattern at the side! Great fun when I first started, getting into a right muddle!!! Tripping off the step because I stepped to the left but everyone else stepped to the right! Talk about 3 left feet.
   
2. I wanted to get into the habit of creating and listing something at least once a week. Well in my On a Whimsey guise I produced this ACEO entitled Fairies Darting. Since we are having workmen in I am finding the house really cold what with windows and doors being left open. So I decided I needed something to keep me warm and what better than an old hairdryer! For this ACEO I used the hairdryer and stylus. The finished effect made me think of fairies darting around very busily catching rides on leaves and twigs.
   
   
3. I belong to an organisation called Artscuttlebut.com which is for all manner of artists. At the moment they are having a drive to gain more members and to do that a competition run by Art Calendar. Great prizes are on offer but more than that I thought it would be a good opportunity for more exposure to the wider world! So, I have painted an encaustic but haven't yet decided if I am to enter it or not. Actually, if truth be known I have submitted it to a group on Etsy called the BEE Team (beeswaxteam) for their monthly challenge. October's challenge is called 'Awakening' and so I thought this might suit.

Imagine the atmosphere awakening and the turmoil of the gasses in the sky, the colours that would be produced.

And so, we draw near the end of the first week of Di's challenge. I will be very pleased if I can keep up this momentum!

Each week I shall give you an update for both good and bad days so that you can follow my progress. Psst.... it makes me do it too! Can't lose face, can I?