I Love Chocolate !

I made this card for the Michael Strong's Yahoo group Chocolate challenge.
It reminds me the story of Hansel and Gretel and their candy house.
Well, my house is entirely made of chocolate!
First I used Michael Strong's Cloisonné Paisley Set.
The roof tiles were made of small Paisleys stamped with Brilliance brown ink on light brown textured CS and hand-cut with nail scissors. Yes, I cut each and every one of them separately. They were adhered to a dark brown CS panel in rows, overlapping each other.
I used the background stamp from the Cloisonné Paisley Set on both sides of the door, which was attached to the main house panel with a piece of paper to enable the door to open.
The handle is made of a big brad, covered with brown corduroy.
The windows are small octagons, stamped with the small octagon stamp from the Cloisonné Octagons Set, and glued 3D for extra dimension.
Each M&M'S Chocolate Candy is a colorful brad.
Finally, I used a white gel pen for the faux stitches around the main house panel.
The matting is made of red textured CS.
People who know me already take me for a chocoholic.
This card seems like it's made of pure chocolate, it makes me want to take a bite…

Pinwheel Card With Butterflies

I used red textured CS for the background and the butterflies, BG Boxer patterned papers, a ribbon inserted into a fabric flower, and a green bling brad.
The pinwheel part was glued 3D for extra dimension.

Gecko Card For Good Luck

I made this card for an 80 years old man for his birthday.
I used patterned paper, distress inks, Michael Strong's Cloisonné Gecko rubber stamp in shades of green and a green brad.
The Gecko part was glued 3D for extra dimension.

Alice In Wonderland

I made this ATC for a swap in the communa Follow Your Art, a communa for mail art and altered art.

I used an illustration for Alice in Wonderland by Sir John Tenniel, ink, a tag with stamps by Tim Holtz (the text) and a watch stamp from my stash, and a simple cotton rope to tie them together.

The White Rabbit is always checking his watch - what's the hurry?

Words And Meaning

These are the pages I made in Ruthy's altered book themed "Things I Love".
I love words and the ways they combine into different meanings in different languages.
I'm a linguist and I'm fluent in seven languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, English, French, German, Spanish and Italian.
I also speak Yiddish and I chat a little in a few other languages (but who counts...)
I collect books and dictionaries in many languages, some of which are unfamiliar to me (yet?)
Here I used a page of an old French book I bought in a fair in Cannes, pieces of newspapers I've been collecting from all over the world, and a rather new receipt from the duty free shop.

Old or new, they all represent my passion to the written word.
All pieces were torn and distressed, then adhered to the original Hebrew book.
I used the circle of dots stamp to enhance the connection between the different languages.

It's a small world, isn't it?

Same Fish, Another Wish

This is the page I made in Ruthy's deco themed "Once Upon A Time".
For the water background I used bubbles stamped with sparkly white ink on blue paper, and a piece of bubble wrap attached with decorative pins.
The postcard, which fits exactly, was taken from my never-throw-anything-away stash, its side punched to resemble a page torn from a book.
I added Michael Strong's Cloisonné Fish, stamped and heat embossed with copper embossing powder on an orange CS. You can see how different the gold fish looks like when used in a different context.
The text says:
"Once upon a time there lived an old fisherman... Do grownups believe in fairy tales? If you do - make a wish... the gold fish is waiting!"
It's an homage to Alexander Pushkin's tale "The Fisherman and the Golden Fish".

If you want to know more about decos, you're welcome to read my article here

DECO - Decorative Booklet

What is a deco?
Deco (short for decorative booklet) is a small booklet made by one artist, and then delivered to other artists, each working on one page. When all the pages are done and the deco is full, the deco is being returned to the artist who created it.
The artist creating the deco chooses its subject, and the other artists give their interpretation of the subject. The subject of the deco can be anything you like, abstract or not.

What is a deco made of?
A deco can be created from various materials, keeping two things in mind:
It must be durable as it is often sent via mail, sometimes overseas.
It should be small enough to fit into an envelope and light in weight so it won't require extra postage.
Therefore, the basic deco is a bit smaller than a standard envelope and is made of paper. It can also be smaller, but it usually isn't bigger.
You don't want to put a lot of pages in your deco, as the often transitions between artists increase its chances to get lost and never to be returned to you. 5-7 pages are likely to be enough in order to enjoy a selection of participating works, but not too many.

How to create a deco?
The cover is made by the artist who creates the deco. You can decorate both the front and the back outer covers, with photography, painting or collage work.
The inside cover should contain the relevant information which enables to return the deco to the artist who created it.Because the deco is being delivered from one artist to another, and eventually it is supposed to be returned to its owner, it is very important to provide the relevant information: the subject of the deco, to whom it is intended and by whom it was created (sometimes one artist makes a deco for another artist, as a gift or as a surprise), and both email and mailing address.
The inner pages can be made of paper or cardstock. Some artists prefer to work on a separate page and then adhere it onto the deco's page, so everything should be durable.
Binding the pages can be done in various ways: sewing, using eyelets, tied by ribbons, glued or folded in a special way - just not with simple stapler pins.

How long does it take to work in a deco?
It is considered reasonable to keep the deco for no longer than a month. One of the important things in mail art is not to get stuck at work, because then you may forget the deco or it may get lost.

Who can work in a deco?
Anyone can work in a deco. Most artists use collage but you can use almost any technique, as long as the deco doesn't become too heavy or thick and can still fit into an envelope.
You can use photos, draw, stamp, add 3D embellishments (such as eyelets, brads, buttons, ribbons, fabric etc.), or you can combine several techniques.

How is the deco delivered?
Each artist who works in the deco delivers it to the following artist who's willing to work in the deco, and the last one working in it returns it to its owner.
It is recommended to make a list of the artists who will work in your deco, so you can track it and let people know where to send it after working in it.
Delivery is usually via mail, and communication is usually via email.

Why work in a deco?
Unlike other altered art or mail art objects, the deco combines works of various artists.
It is interesting, intriguing and challenging to give your artistic interpretation of a subject chosen by someone else.
It's great to receive your deco back after traveling between artists, sometimes around the world, and see their works.
It enables creativity and discussion about techniques and ideas.

Gold Fish, Grant Me A Wish

I made this card for a friend who likes purple. I hope she likes it.
On the outside I used light purple pearly textured CS, dark purple CS with embossed whirling stars, Michael Strong's Cloisonné Fish stamp - heat embossed with copper embossing powder on an orange CS, cut and glued 3D for extra dimension, and white pearls for the water bubbles.
Inside there are several die cuts, a fish in a jar (cut from a magazine), and hand-written sentiments.
I added a few words later, on the white circle.
Make a wish… it may come true!

When Darkness Turns Into Light

As a challenge to recycle an ordinary object, I took two tablespoons and turned them into a lamp.

I like the idea of changing an object - not only the way it looks like but also the way it functions.

The base is a 30x30 cms piece of MDF covered with a napkin, designed as an old world geographic map.

The tablespoons are screwed to it and plugged in (my DH helped me with that).

It can be turned on and off by pulling the tiny teaspoon tied with a simple rope.

Let There Be Light!