Naughty Mouse Christmas Card

Tired of the same old same old Crimbo cards? Well search no more because I've got a tutorial for a fun and frisky Christmas card that'll raise a laugh in even your crotchiest relative!

Who's been nibbling on Santa's cookie that was lovingly left out for him by the kids of the house?

Open up the card and find out that this cheeky mouse has had a mouthful.

Dontcha just love it? I'm mega excited because I'm entering my Naughty Mouse Christmas Card into the Christmas Card Craft Off - so hurry over it you want to join in the fun.

So now for the tutorial. Let's get started!

1. First take some white card stock.

2. Draw two large circles on the card side by side, overlapping the edge - as you want a straight edge for the card to stand on.

3. Draw a smaller circle inside the right circle - this will form the mouse's body.

 4. Draw a smaller circle here to form the mouse's head.

5. Use a bottle cap to draw the mouse's ears. 

6. Cut out a Santa hat out of red card stock for the mouse.

7. Draw in the arms and mittens of the mouse.



8. Cut out the card.

9. Cut out a mouth in a circular piece of brown card stock and glue onto front of the card.

10. Write: 'Who's Been Nibbling Santa's Cookie?' in the mouth.

11. Cut out 'chocolate chips' from black card stock and stick onto front of cookie.

12. Cut out a mouse's nibble on the lower left hand corner of the card.

13. Sketch in mouse's face with pencil and use pink crayon to color the mouse's cheeks.

14. When you are satisfied with your sketch fill in with marker.

15. Cut out a cookie slice, add teeth marks and cookie crumbs (bits of paper) from brown card stock and adhere to the card.

16. Glue red mittens, a pompom to the hat and write 'Gotcha' on the left inside of the card.

If you enjoyed this fun card join me at the All Things Thursday Blog Hop for lots of other fun crafty ideas!

Kids + bubblewrap = Inspiration

How to make a photo collage of the kids with plenty of texture and atmosphere? I was inspired to make this picture by a bit of bubble wrap. I thought, wow, that would make a great effect when soaked with acrylic paint.

So with my creative juices up and running, first I coated a canvas with gesso. When it was still damp I pressed the photos into it and the magazine picture of birds in flight on a beach to give it a bit of atmosphere. I painted in some sections of the background with acrylic diluted with Golden Fluid Acrylic. Then I started dipping the bubble wrap in pink acrylic paint mixed with Golden. Next I dipped the bubble wrap in green.





I was pretty pleased with how it was coming along but the colors seemed too bright and pastel colored for the effect I was looking for which was wisful, romantic, nostalgic and wintery, so I decided to tone the palette down so I put some more white paint bubblewrap effect on the picture to make it look more like a winter walk on the beach.

Finally, I found some bits of 'sea glass' in the stream behind our house and stuck them on to give atmosphere. How do you like it? I think it turned out pretty well.

Ta da! The finished piece:

So remember - don't ever throw out any bits of packaging - they can make great effects in mixed media pieces!

This is part of the Monday Mantras Inspirational Link Up, so what are you waiting for? Link up your posts!

My kids are my inspiration. They inspire me to create art every day and to try and be a good mom!

Holiday Crafting for Animal Lovers

The summers are absolutely boiling in Baltimore, which is why I get all excited when Fall rolls around, the air cools down, and I can cook up a big batch of pumpkin soup and start sitting by the fire crocheting animals. Firstly, for Halloween I created the unscariest witch on earth - Hello Kitty looking cute as a button (The Hello Kitty Witch Pattern can be downloaded over at Armina's blog).

Next I got myself all in a tizzy thinking about Christmas, snow and icicles and hot chocolate, and crocheted Mr and Mrs Mouse. As soon as I'd finished I fell madly in love with them. Next I photographed them in a pile of packing peanuts in front of a mini tree and they behaved impeccably.

They say you should never work with children or animals and they are so right.

My daughter insisted that our guinea Peanut would be great as part of this festive photo session but, well, let's just put it this way: Peanut would not be a winner of America's Next Top Model. As soon as she was put down she scurried under my carefully constucted pile of packing peanuts, scattering them a foot in the air and sending Mr and Mrs Mouse flying. Next she started eating the packing peanuts. In the end we hid a grape underneath the fake snow so she nibbled on that while she posed. The results are adorable and so worth it, don't you think, Tyra Banks?

Mr and Mrs Mouse pattern for download here.

What are you working on at the moment?

Linking up with the Christmas Holiday Linky Party. So come and join in the fun:

When Nibbles Met Raspbeary

"I don't know Raspbeary, I just feel so inadequate standing next to you," said Nibbles the rabbit.

"You are a fussbucket, Nibbles," said Raspbeary. "I can't help it if Emma crocheted me so that I tower above you even when I'm wearing Mary Janes."

"Hey Nibbles! Where did you go?"

"I just thought that if I stood on my own I'd look perfectly proportioned," said Nibbles.

"You do. You also look like a proper ponce," said Raspbeary with a sigh.

These are my latest crochet creations....Nibbles and Raspbeary. Do you love em? What shall I make next?

Last Tango

Last Tango is my latest artwork. Gesso base, liquid acrylic layers, collage elements. It is an image from a trip I made a few years ago to Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires is covered in a layer of fine black grime and maybe this reflects it. Also the city has a melancholy vibe as does the tango. Do you like?

Newest pictures

Hi and welcome to my art blog!

I have recently discovered mixed media art and it is certainly exciting getting into it and experimenting with different materials. This piece was done with collage and metallic inks to give a dreamlike quality. Let me know what you think.


Other than that I love to do portraits and also take commissions for pastel and watercolor (I do them from client photos) - so contact me for prices.

I am in the middle of a very exciting artistic journey and have just joined the Milliard Artistic Community of Women and am learning a lot.

Right now I am awaiting delivery of new art supplies including gesso. I'll be using it as a base to trying a faux encaustic technique I read about recently in Cloth Paper Scissors. I want to try real encaustic one day but right now I'm experimenting by faking it! Have you tried fake encaustic? Any tips?