Musical Monday's Muse - wiggle & no

Butterfly/faerie tag front & back

Good Mourning Glory is adding prompts to Musical Monday. Today is "Makes Ya Wanna Dance"

Click the button above to hear what's got folks moving this Monday. Then add your own tune.

I've gotta go with Jaan Pehechaan Ho - always gets me wiggling, especially with the video.

Each Week, Maternal Spark asks what's your muse?
Today I'm going with "No".

In order to get more done, I've got to commit to less....kind of sounds weird but is too true. Instead of trying to keep up with the hectic pace that evolved this summer, I spent the last week saying "Sorry, no thank you" a lot. It was hard at 1st but I think it will be worth it.

I fear that the Muse gets even more annoyed with playing catch up than I do. Hope to knock out a few more overdue commitments (some fun, some not). Then reevaluate how I am using my time. For instance how useful is it to google saying "No in over 520 languages" ?

Hopefully then I'll clean the studio (for real this time!!!). It used to look like a bomb dropped. Now it looks like the border dwellers built their post-apocalyptic city on top of the rubble.... and then another bomb dropped.

In the meantime, here are some more tags for Queen Bee's swap. They were tea died and stamped (the text & butterfly outline stamps are from Judikins). And then watercolor pencils & ink were added.

yet another tag front & back

Hope to finish the last 2 tags tonight. But before that I need to go hike Mount Laundry, put away about a bazillion toy trains & reclaim the vacuum from the cobwebs......

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By the way, there are 3 random drawings happening here this week:

To enter the 1st, just leave any comment on this blog before noon (EST) on 9/10.
1 piece customized jewelry from Etsy seller Jewelry By Solange

For the next 2 leave a comment stating how you would use each prize if you win.
500 custom business cards to 2 winners - ends 9/10

&

A 24" square custom wall sticker to 2 winners - ends 9/13

New Giveaway Art, Alice with Tulips - ends 8/13

Welcome back! If you are looking for the winner of today's noontime drawing (for the craft supplies tote bag) click HERE. If you'd like to enter the new random drawing, you've come to the right place. If you want to go directly to the prize & rules, scroll to end of this post.

Had a some time to play this morning with a few stamps I bought at the The Queen’s Ink booth last Friday.

I’d popped into the booth to ask a question about Judikins Diamond glaze and found myself in stampers heaven! (By the way, click HERE to order a sample of Diamond Glaze.)

The selection & quality of designs were truly amazing!

some The Queen's Ink project samples

So was the booth staff. I enjoyed a great demo on embossing. And got answers to all kinds of questions on stamps, glazes & adhesives. But since you are probably here to find out about next week’s prize, I’ll save most of that info for another day.

Next Thursday's Prize was made using a print of my original tulip painting and an Alice in Wonderland stamp from The Queen’s Ink.


The tulips were printed on textured paper & then enhanced with watercolor pencil for some extra pop. I then added Alice, colored her in a bit & sprayed the whole thing with a UV resistant finish. This piece is signed, dated and matted. It fits in a standard 5 x 7 frame.

TO ENTER: Simply comment on this blog before noon (EST) 8/13. It is that easy! 1 lucky winner will be randomly chosen. Drawing is open worldwide with free shipping.

By the way, for those of you into the online Art Challenges this week’s Mix it up with Melange prompt is Archetype. I’m having fun with this one!

Melange Art Challenge: Inspiration

It was many and many a year ago,

In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me

I was a child

and

she was a child,

in this kingdom

by the sea;


But we loved with a love that was more than love-


I and my Annabel Lee

The Melange Team's May 20th challenge was "Inspiration". It took me a while to catch up but here I am. I've been thinking for a while about making a series of Authors' Boxes. Here is the 1st, inspired by Edgar Allen Poe (who many believe was inspired by his late wife Virginia). If you want to read the rest of Annabel Lee, click here

I haven't played with wood in a while & had a grand time making this.


Decided to give it a slightly weathered look.


It is also filled with faded secrets in all the nooks and crannies

The notes tucked inside are copies of the writings of Virginia & Poe.

The smaller is a valentine written by Virginia. You can see the original here. The larger is a copy of Poe's Annabel Lee (the rest of the poem is printed on the back). See the original manuscript here.

The current Melange Challenge is Dance. I've several ideas but very little time so I may just post some older pieces soon. To view other interpretations, click Inspiration or Dance . Then click on the links in the comments to enjoy the wonderful variety . If you have the time, play along & enter your own creation!

So many challenges, so little time! I love how the ideas flow from the random prompts, Some pounce immediately, while others slither up behind me. Usually there are two or three but I rarely find the time to finish one - sigh... Some other great prompts this week are Adapt (IllustrationFriday), puppeteer (artonthedarkside) and Altered Ancestors (inspiremethursday). If only there enough time to play with them all.... Take a minute, look around & get inspired!

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Please note: All who leave a comment before noon (EST) Thursday June 4 will be entered into 2 random drawings: 1 is for a $20 gift certificate to my etsy shops & the other is for an ACEO. Click HERE for details