Alpha Stamps Grimm fairytale Collage swap -first prize!

It seriously took me some time to decide on a First Prize winner = the most creative swap entries in our Alpha Stamps Brother's Grimm fairytale swap! I had a long list of about a half a dozen participants who I thought really showed creativity with their 5"x5" collages but it was these collages featured to your left that I kept returning to.

Lulu Hlavin from Des Moines, Iowa is our winner!

Congratulations to Lulu! I loved the way she collaged both the front and back of her cards and she used so many elements . . . dimensional leaves and flowers, beaded trim, large die cut letters, different ribbons & trims, foil pieces, metal trims and spiral clips, fabric rosettes and glitter . . . all put together very creatively with the Alpha Stamps Brothers' Grimm images as well as some of her own childhood storybook images, wow! The photo to the right below, shows just how dimensional, interesting, beautiful and creative Lulu's collages are! (click on any picture for more detail).

This is an Alpha Stamps sponsored swap, and Lulu receives a prize for being the winner! The book below is the First Prize donated by Leslie Elledge at Alpha Stamps.

I know Lulu will love it!

Actually, everyone who participated will be receiving a prize - A gift collage image sheet from Leslie at Alpha Stamps, but I am going to keep what it is a surprise until you receive it . . . .

I have my swap list designed (how I sort swaps out - on paper first!) and I am working on swapping the 200 pieces that came in. If you were in this swap, I will be sending out your package with the Alpha Stamps gift collage sheet sometime next week -I will keep you posted to my progress!

Thanks very much for your participation in another really awesome swap! To see ALL the entries, follow this link for the entire Brothers' Grimm Swap Gallery at Alpha Stamps.

; ^ ) yours creatively, lenna

Grimm fairytale 5x5 Collage swap: Carol Campbell

Amazing!

This is the last post for artwork that came in by 6/28 for the Alpha Stamps Brothers' Grimm Fairytale swap!! I have just gone & counted all of the posts I have made since the end of April for this swap to make sure I have accounted for everyone - and I think I have!

Lastly, we have Carol Campbell's work. Carol is from PA and this is her first swap with me. She has done very well I think -her work shows a lot of thought. Carol created 5 collages. I am going to show 2 of them here. Please hop over to the ALPHA STAMPS GALLERY -with this link you can view all of Carol's swap pieces. When writing my posts today I am including a link for each participant's work in the AS Gallery. The link should bring you directly to a piece done by that participant. If you click on "next image" at the top you should move along to another piece done by that participant. Their name will be at the bottom of the image, and I am sorry I spelled you last name wrong Carol, when labeling the photos! In a few cases the pictures are out of order - a computer organizing thing. If you just keep going to the next photo and you will see the ones you are missing!

Follow this link for the entire Brothers' Grimm Swap Gallery at Alpha Stamps.

Grimm fairytale 5x5 Collage swap: Katherine DeCarlo

Oh my! Katherine has created 4 beautiful and different 5x5 collages for our Alpha Stamps Brothers' Grimm collage swap. Katherine hails from New York, and for her swaps she used collage images from The Ball #2, Midnight #1 and Midnight #2. All of these images can be found printed on your choice of paper (cardstock), fabric, transparency, or a clear sticker sheet from Alpha Stamps. I must say from experience the images are very high quality whatever choice of receiving substrate you make - I think you will enjoy!

Below is another one of Katherine's collages. Please hop over to the Alpha Stamps GALLERY to see the rest of Katherine's artwork - the link will take you right to her pieces. Thank you, Katherine for your beautiful collages! I love your paper embellishments and the words you added.

Grimm fairytale 5x5 Collage swap: Linda Garcia

This is, I believe, the 8th creative swap that Linda Garcia has participated in? If you scroll down the side column of this blog, you will come to "creative swap links". This is a long list with participants names & numbers - the number shows how many posts there are with that label, or name in this case. If Linda wanted to share a link to all the swap art she's done here she could just click on her name, copy the address in the browser window and paste it in an email. Or just click on her name or someone else's or a swap name & enjoy all the art!

Linda is from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and she created 10 collages for our swap! Yes, 10! She made 2 sets of 4 plus 2 extras - thank you! Linda used images from Red Riding Hood, Cinderella & Birds and The ball #2 -- all found at Alpha Stamps!

You can view ALL of Linda's 5x5 collages in the Alpha Stamps Gallery - enjoy!

Grimm fairytale 5x5 Collage swap: Lulu Hlavin

Lulu is a new participant to creative swaps but new or not, her work has impressed me very much! I want to share a part of the note Lulu enclosed with her swap pieces --

"It was so much fun designing them that once I got started it seemed a shame not to use so many beautiful images. I ended up doing eight for the swap plus one extra for you. I cheated a bit and added some extra pictures from my children's book collection (A weak spot of mine). Most of the collages use pictures solely from the Alpha Stamps collage sheets, a few have supplemental pictures from fairytale books I had at home, but all have at least one Alpha Stamps image, except for the one I made for you -yours is totally unique."

The collage Lulu is speaking of, the unique one that she made for me is the very first one you will see when you follow this link to the ALpha Stamps Gallery to view all of Lulu's collages. (Don't rack your brain trying to figure out which Alpha Stamp images are on my collage!)

For the other collages that Lulu created for the swap, follow the link below to see the entire collection of Alpha Stamps Brothers' Grimm images that she chose from.

Lulu's collages are different in that she beautifully collaged both the front and the back of each collage. Like she said, once she got started she wanted to use all the images she had! Here on the top of this page are the front and back of a collage Lulu made. The images on this piece come from the Sleeping Beauty #3 collage sheet at Alpha Stamps.



Here is the front and back of another one of Lulu's collages. Click on any image for more detail - and take a look at the rest of Lulu's collages, which are uploaded to the Alpha Stamp gallery. This link will take you right to Lulu's collages.

Thank you, Lulu. Beautiful artwork!

Grimm fairytale 5x5 Collage swap: Rena Matus

Rena Matus lives very nearby in East Hartford, CT. She has been a student in many of my classes over the years, she came to my garage sale with her beautiful Great Dane, and her sister lives across the street from me! Rena almost always drops her swap pieces off instead of mailing them to me and it's always fun to see her!

Rena has created 2 sets of 4 collages plus an extra one for a total of 9, wow! Thank you, Rena. Her sister Dottie is also participating in this swap, so I need to remember NOT to swap their work with each other if possible, as they always make an extra to give to one another. : ) Some of Rena's collages include clay pieces she created herself -look a the fabulous shoe featured to the right or the letters below!





To see ALL of Rena's 5x5 collages for the Alpha Stamp Brother's Grimm fairytale collage swap -- GO HERE.

Grimm fairytale 5x5 Collage swap: Sharon Walworth

Let me start by saying that Sharon, who is from RI, wrote me and told me she had to drop out of this swap because she could not finish the required pieces in time. That is all I ever ask -communication! But then . . . . without telling me, she sneakily slipped the 2 pieces she had made for the swap into an envelope and wrote to me saying, "I decided I should push to get these two finished and off for you and Leslie. After all, my failure to finish all of the squares doesn't diminish the great job you two did, eh?"

Wow, I was floored! So I am showing off Sharon's art here and also in the Alpha Stamps gallery just because she was so generous to send what she was able to create -- these 2 squares for the swap. Sadly, you will not receive any of her pieces in your swap envelope if you are in this swap. Sometimes things happen and you have to bow out of one of my swaps. I understand completely, and as long as you let me know, then you are good to go next time! Thanks for being considerate.

Note: I know the felt leaves (self adhesive) are from the fabric page at Alpha Stamp as I have ordered them myself! The Red Riding Hood fabric images are found HERE. Thank you, Sharon.

Grimm fairytale 5x5 Collage swap: Vickie Trancho

Vickie Trancho from Glen Oaks NY sent in 6 collages - 4 for the swap and two extras for me & Leslie at Alpha Stamps. Thank you! Vickie even wrote us each a little note on the back of each collage, that's so sweet! Looking at the collage to your right (click on it for more detail) Vickie used an image from the Pumpkin Coach collage sheet and also clear stickers from the Cinderella borders sheet. I love those stickers and used them quite a bit in the Grimm Fairytale Fabric Book I made recently.

Vickie has done a wonderful job! To see more of her collages, follow this link to the Alpha Stamp Gallery. This link should start you at one of her 6 collages!

Grimm fairytale 5x5 Collage swap: Victoria Talcott Wormell

From Victoria Wormell, who lives right here in CT and has taken many classes with me, we have 5 very beautiful and striking collages -- 4 for the swap and an extra for me & Leslie : ) Here you see that Victoria used castle images from the Brothers' Grimm collage sheets as well as clear stickers from the Cinderella borders sheet.



















I think it is so cool how Victoria addressed doing the back of her collages, and she did a little something different on each one. To see ALL of Victoria's fairytale collages, go to this link at the Alpha Stamps gallery. I know how busy you are with 3 little ones, Victoria -so thanks so much for making the effort. I love your collages!

Grimm fairytale 5x5 Collage swap: Fiona Brockie

Fiona Brockie from Aberdeen, Scotland has made some very cool 5" x 5" collages! For me, to think about a winner for the most creative collages is getting harder and harder as time goes on, and more outstanding and beautiful things come in. I will try to keep my head on straight! Everyone will receive a gift for participating from Alpha Stamps, but one participant will win a First Prize, and Leslie has asked me to choose -yikes! Saturday the 28th of June is the last day for me to receive collages, as that is the 'received by' deadline day.

Fiona's swap pieces are very appealing to me because while she has used a sturdy card stock base, there is wadding or batting in the middle and a fabric layer sewn on the top. Fiona has also elected to use fabric collage images from the Brothers' Grimm collection. These are so nice and soft to the touch! She used a clear transparency sheet too, called Cinderella Borders that really adds a great look to her collages. There is also iridescent fibers, gold thread stitching, hand sewn buttons, beading and text from Cinderella printed onto fabric - wow!!! Click on any scan for more detail!

Fiona also made this ATC for me below, besides making extra collages. Thank you so much, Fiona!

Grimm fairytale 5x5 Collage swap: Naomi Healing

From Naomi Healing in Portland, Oregon we have received 4 wonderful collages for the Brothers Grimm swap, plus an extra 5x5 collage for Leslie at Alpha Stamps -- and . . . a small canvas with a similar design for me! Wow, thank you Naomi.

At first I could not figure out what image Naomi was using from the Grimm Brothers' collage sheets on her collages. But when I took a closer look, I saw she had used images from the castle sheets and cleverly cut them apart into strips!

Naomi made this beautiful small canvas for me (to your left). thank you! She also made an extra collage for Leslie at Alpha Stamps, see below. Click on any collage for more detail.

Grimm fairytale 5x5 Collage swap: Carol Stocker

From Carol Stocker in Omaha, NE, we have some absolutely wonderful 5 x 5 collages for our Alpha Stamp Grimm fairytale 5x5 swap! Carol has really gone all out with these . . . as far as the fabric transfer backgrounds she did and the little shink plastic charms . . . the text/story on the back . . . I just love what she has created!

CLick on each photo to get a better look, and to read the clever sayings Carol included : )

wow!!

Grimm fairytale 5x5 Collage swap: Dottie Mucha

My neighbor, Dottie Mucha, has delivered to my doorstep 4 collages for the Brothers Grimm fairytale swap plus 2 extra collages in the same design as the first; 1 for Leslie at Alpha Stamps & 1 for me -thank you, Dottie!!

Dottie tells me she never allows herself to look at the swaps blog until she has finished her pieces. Such restraint! I don't know if I could do that . . . I would be sure to be taking a peek just to see what everyone else was doing : )

I love the idea Dottie has come up with, so maybe her method does have a lot of merit. On each of her collages Dottie has include a window, complete with a clear covering. It looks great and gives her an additional area to work in.

Thank you, Dottie! Your collages are beautiful.

Grimm fairytale 5x5 Collage swap: Bella Ayers

Wow! Miz Bella, one of the moderators of the Alpha Stamps yahoo group -AND the Alpha Stamps Design Team Coordinator has joined us for this swap and created 4 simply gorgeous collages! Please note: she created these beauties while corralling 3 OomPA LoOmpas (her children!) and packing up to move to a new home. Yikes!

Bella teases me and calls me one of the "art pod ladies" because I create so much art, but in fact, I think she is the art pod lady! Iam really impressed with her entries. Bella has used sheer fabric to cover her illustration boards which when combined with the bits of paint she added, make them so touchable and downright lovely! Thank you Bella and much luck with your move to a new home!