Roads & Paths

Sometimes when you read a challenge theme, you´re inspired immediately: Ideas come up, images pop up in your mind, words make up phrases, an atmosphere is growing. This happened when I read the theme for Lenna´s new swap at creativeswaps which is themed "Roads & Paths", so I´ve made my four 4 x 4 collages today.

Can´t Decide ...

Mermaids are this week´s SPA challenge theme.

Alice in Wonderland

As "Alice in Wonderland" is today´s Wednesday Stamper´s challenge, I´ve made my first four ATCs for my sister´s upcoming Alice ATC swap today - maybe I´ll make some more because I haven´t used all my Alice stamps yet :-)

My Body is a Cage

Last week I´ve bought Peter Gabriel´s latest CD and stumbled upon his version of a song by Arcade Fire, "My Body is a Cage". These words captured my mind immediately, and when I listened to the rest of the lyrics, I knew that this song would be my inspiration for my February skinny page for Marsha. The front page says:
My body is a cage that keeps me/ from dancing with the one I love,
and the back continues with some more verses from the song that are illustrated on the front:
... but my mind holds the key. (...)
I´m standing on a stage/ of fear and self-doubt, (...)
though the fear keeps me moving/ still my heart beats so slow.
If you don´t know the song yet, have a look at this lovely video made with it here.

Twins

Please welcome - no, not the Glimmer Twins, but the Wonder Twins! It´s their first show at today´s SPA challenge "Twins", so please clap your hands for this smart couple :-)

The Fab Four

Our next station on Katrin´s "Travel around the World" postcard swap is Liverpool. This card goes to Pat.

King Sherlock

Have you seen the ads for the movie "Sherlock Holmes"? My first thought when I saw them was: "What a great postage people body!" So here they are, my Sherlock king ATCs.

The Illusion of Freedom

Letha´s tip-in book is themed "Core Creations" which means that she wants us to create from our soul with whatever or however we feel inspired to do so. So of course my pages had to feature birds, houses/nests and a poem or quote. Here I used a quote by Jean Paul Sartre.

OWOH Giveaway Winners

Wow, I´ve had 280 comments on my OWOH giveaway post, and after I had deleted the duplicates, I´ve had 270 names in my jar today!
The winners of my gothic arches are Tracey from Ohio/USA, Caro from Austria, and Moonfairys Dreamland from Norway.
I don´t know any of you, so please let me know your addresses within three days, and your arches will be on their way to you very soon!
Thanks for entering my giveaway this year, it has been a lovely event again!

It´s a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world!

I´ve told you that I´ve signed up for two Zetti swaps, so here are my ATCs for the second one. Not sure if I´ll stop here ...

Paper Dolls

Have you ever tried to make paper dolls? These are all completely stamped, and you´ll find some of them in the latest issue of "Just Stamps" - check it out and try your own!

From Italy to London

I hadn´t made any postage people for a while, but as this week´s The Three Muses challenge is "Postage Stamps", here´s someone who may have used his wings as well as his feet on his journey from Italy to London. My card is 4 x 6 inches.

Some Zetti Personalities

I´ve signed up for two Zetti swaps recently, and these are my ATCs for the first one.

And Let My Eyes Into Your Pupils Dart

In my opinion the greatest poem that was ever written about a cat (but not really about a cat ...) is by Charles Baudelaire - here´s an English translation that I think is quite good:

Come, my fine cat, against my loving heart;
sheathe your sharp claws, and settle.
And let my eyes into your pupils dart
where agate sparks with metal.
Now while my fingertips caress at leisure
your head and wiry curves,
and that my hand´s elated with the pleasure
of your electric nerves.
I think about my woman - how her glances
like yours, dear beast, deep down
and cold, can cut and wound one as with lances;
then, too, she has that vagrant
and subtle air of danger that makes fragrant
her body, lithe and brown.

I´ve tried to capture the feeling of these verses for this week´s SPA challenge "Cats".

Still shy

A simple ATC for the ARTchix bi-weekly lottery themed Red and White. All elements used are by ARTchix Studio.

The King of ...

... is the theme for these ATCs I´ve made for Sandra.

The Raven King

How could I resist today´s 4 x 4 Friday challenge "King Raven"? I´ve painted mine with Twinkling H2Os and mounted it on a glossy dark blue card, so my raven looks quite royal. I´ll send it to a friend who loves ravens and crows as much as I do.

Feel Crazy

My second ATC for the Clowns swap has movable parts, so it fits in an ATC sleeve.

Clowning Around

When I see all this snowy white and the grey sky, colour is what I really need. So I´ve made a colourful ATC that fits for this week´s TMTA challenge "Circus" as well as for today´s Crazy Amigo challenge "Carnival". And as I´m planning to join a Clowns themed ATC swap, I´ll use it as my first ATC for that one. Am I really that lazy?