Altered Book Alpha Challenge - P is for Pirate and Privateer

Thank you everyone for your kind comments last challenge, I really enjoyed looking at everyone's work.  As you know I have just had a total hip replacement that has left me unable to do much crafting, if any.  But I just had to keep up with this one.  The background is a copy of a treasure map showing the wrecks of the Spanish Fleet around the coast of Florida, aged with walnut ink,on top of which is my favourite drawing of Blackbeard the Pirate, gold doubloons, rubies, pearls, gold ingots and emeralds all caught in a net along the bottom.  A copy of a Letter of Marque on onion paper singed at the edges with a wax seal and my torn out dictionary piece for Pirate and Privateer finish off the spread.

At the moment I am not supposed to bend more than 90 degrees so sitting and typing is banned.  Got my partner to do this for me.  I will continue to look at and enjoy everyone's work but comments will be few and far between.

Link to challenge HERE

Altered Book Alpha Challenge - M is for Mask

Thank you everyone for your wonderfully encouraging comments last week for my watercolour sunflowers.  My entry this week in the Craft Barns Alpha Challenge HERE is a 3 dimensional page made with Sculpey. The inspiration for this spread was from a piece of work that I saw by a Swedish lady, Mikaela, whose work with Fimo is amazing.  Two pieces of cardstock form the base for the pages and a thin layer of sculpey transparent placed on top.  After stamping and creating texture with chains I made two eyes from yellow cardstock with a pupil drawn on each and then stuck with glossy accents to flat bottomed glass rounds, the type used in floral decorations.  Each eye was surrounded with clay and  moulded to form the lids.  Tiny cuts for lashes and balls of clay surround the eye to give it dimension, some of which are squashed flat to make the scales.

 A vine of clay, leaves and the word mask are additional decoration.  I have used a base coat of black gesso and then rubbed with olive green and copper Inka Gold to highlight the stamping and texture of the pages.

May not make the next challenge for a while as having a total hip replacement and not sure how comfortable I will feel at my crafting desk, but I will try my best to keep up.