Three Muses - Odd Bird

Nothing pleases me more than creating odd characters. I think we've all known at least one Stanley -- someone who is a bit exotic, a bit of a caricature and a bit flamboyant who loves to be a bit different. This challenge should produce some wonderful odd fellows. I can hardly wait!
Credits are on my blog.

The Three Muses Challenge - Mail Art

The theme for this week is MAIL ART. I had a lot of fun making a decorated envelope as a sample for the challenge but any type of mail art is welcome. So bring out your stamps and your postmarks and your mail ephemera and show us what you can do with them.

Bev will be along soon to post her sneak peek for next week.

Credits for my envelope are on my BLOG

THREE MUSES 59 - FLYING CARPET TRAVELS

Hi, it's me Ann and this week I challenge you to take us all on a FLYING CARPET RIDE.   We can hardly wait to see your own wonderful journey but just in case you need a little help  to get started here is a sample for your inspiration.

As always, all forms of art are welcomed, just enjoy and please show us what you make.


(credits are on my blog)

THREE MUSES #58 - Rust

The sight of an old abandoned building or vehicle leaves me wondering about it's story.  Once this rusty old car was new, bright and shiny.  Likely it was some young man's pride and joy.   He might have courted his favorite girl in it, and later they might have taken their children for afternoon drives.   Now it sits here in a rural field, the prairie winds skipping dust devils through it's empty windows, stirring its secret memories.   How I wish it could tell its story!    I can't wait to see the rusty wonders you all bring to the challenge this week!

See my blog for credits.

The Three Muses Challenge - Steampunk

This is a true story. Well, it could be true. Perhaps. Maybe.

This week’s theme is STEAMPUNK. When the Industrial Revolution began in the late 1700’s, a noblewoman, The Grand Duchess of Schteamponk, became interested in the great changes taking place, so much so that she surrounded herself with the new machinery pieces and revelled in the progress. She became known as a champion of the revolution and the word “Steampunk” was adopted to ensure that she would not be forgotten.

The Duchess would be honoured to think that, in the year 2010, her name is still remembered and recorded in your art pieces.

Thankyou!!
(Credits for my picture are on my BLOG

CHALLENGE 56 - EYES

Our theme this week is EYES, but what will that inspire you to do?

We can't wait to see what you will create, but just in case you need a little help to get you started, here is a sample I made for your inspiration.

As always, we welcome all kinds of art, in any medium, and all we ask is that you have fun and show us what you create.

So enjoy.

(Credit for this piece is on my blog http://taluulas.blogspot.com/)

Three Muses Challenge #55 - Buttons & Bows

I guess Marie had me still in musical mode for this week's challenge, but there's so much that can be done with buttons and/or bows I thought it would be fun to see what our stellar group of artists come up with on the subject. I'm all set for a visit to your blogs to see this week's offerings! I hope you have fun! (See my blog for credits).

The Three Muses Challenge - Take a song, any song.

This week’s challenge is to take a song, any song, to inspire you in your artwork.
I have chosen “Eleanor Rigby” which is a touching study of loneliness.

“Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice where a wedding has been.
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window, wearing the face she keeps in a jar by the door.
Who is it for?”

A slightly sombre subject but I am sure there will be an avalanche of beautiful, cheerful takes on this theme to make up for it!!

We can’t wait to see what our wonderful artists have in store for us.
Credits for this picture can be found HERE

THREE MUSES CHALLENGE 53 - TIME

Just before we get onto this week's theme may I, on behalf of Bev, Marie and myself, say the BIGGEST THANK YOU to you all, for the warm words and good wishes you've sent the Muses throughout this last week. It's heartening and humbling to know you are enjoying our challenges so much. Thank you.

Now on to our theme for this week, which is TIME in its many guises. So without further ado it's TIME for you to surprise us with your interpretation of the theme, but just in case you need a little help to get you started, here is a sample I created for your inspiration.

Don't forget, here at the Muses we welcome all mediums and styles of art, all we ask is that you have fun and show us what you create.

So enjoy.

You can see credits for my sample of my blog. http://taluulas.blogspot.com/

**** MUSEFLASH ****

It hardly seems possible, but it's a year since we three muses bravely decided to co-host a blog challenge. Our criteria were simple,--any and all art forms would be welcome, a sneak peek would be offered to give artists time to plan their entries, we would share the duty of posting challenges; and lastly (and we felt most important), we would take the time to acknowledge entries and leave comments for artists who generously shared their talent with us, and encourage them to support their fellow artists. In our wildest dreams, we did not imagine that in one short year well over 200 artists would have participated in our challenges, and weekly participation hover at the 50 mark! The quality of art that appears each week is truly remarkable. We feel it's an inspiration to everyone who participates. Thank you all!

As our anniversary approached, we discussed what we might do to mark the occasion. We arrived at the conclusion to keep it simple, as we've kept our challenge blog, and simply offer our heartfelt THANK YOU to each and every one of you who have so generously shared your talents with us. We're honored to be a part of the blog challenge community.

THE MUSES ( Ann, Bev, and Marie)

THREE MUSES - WEEK 52 - CARD

Here's my card lady (who seems to have noticed it's the one year anniversary of The Three Muses challenge). I've used my favorite colors (black and white and red), and my gorgeous borders are from generous freebies from Astrid and Norma Frances. Thank you, ladies! I hope you all have fun with this challenge, and can't wait to see your entries.

The Three Muses Challenge - Relationships

This week's theme is "RELATIONSHIPS". I have chosen "sisters" for my sample picture but, of course, we form many relationships, both personal and impersonal, and the choice is a wide one. We can't wait to see where this topic has taken you.

For credits click HERE

THREE MUSES CHALLENGE 50 - LEGS

Playing this challenge across at least three continents and goodness knows how many time zones makes it difficult for me to know just when to post the theme, but a quick tour of the blogs tells me that some of you are already waiting in the wings with your entry so although it is not quite Wednesday for me yet, let the challenge begin!

The theme this week is LEGS, but what will that inspire you to create?

We can't wait to see what you will create, but just in case you need a little help to get you started, here is a sample I made for your inspiration.

Remember that here at the Muses we welcome any medium and any style, all we ask is that you have fun and show us what you create. So enjoy.

(You can find credits for my LEGS on my blog.)

Thank you for playing along.

Three Muses Challenge #49 - Stars

My father always told me to hitch my wagon to a star, and convinced me I could do no wrong. He just simply fearlessly and unconditionally supported everything I tackled. He was my cheerleader, my mentor, my friend. This one's for you, Dad!

The Three Muses Challenge - Music, Music, Music

It is Wednesday morning in south-western Australia so here I am with my challenge, MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC.

Let your imagination run free, using the music theme in any way that takes your fancy - backgrounds, musicians, musical instruments, references to favourite songs and compositions.

You will notice that a change has been made to our comments section. We decided that the side bar comments box is much more user friendly than having to go backwards and forwards, in and out of the old-style box. We hope that it makes commenting easier for you

Credits for the above sample picture are HERE - The beautiful image of the little musician is a freebie from the lovely Ms Terri Kahrs, at Pringle Hill Studios.

WEEK 47 - HATS AND CROWNS AND WINGS AND THINGS

Hi it's me Ann and this week I have chosen the theme of HATS AND CROWNS AND WINGS AND THINGS.

Use at least one of these in your piece and show us what you are inspired to create whether it be zetti or regal, wild life or fantasy or something else entirely.

We can't wait to see what you will create, but just in case you need a little help to get you started, here is a sample I created for your inspiration.

Remember that here at the Muses we welcome any medium and any style, all we ask is that you have fun and show us what you create. So enjoy.

(You can find credits for my HATS AND CROWNS AND WINGS AND THINGS on my blog.)

APOLOGY FROM BEV

I'm sorry to be late posting this week, but I was sitting in the ER of my local hospital waiting to have my knee stitched up! I fell in my garden and hit my knee on an exposed bolt in a step. Now it's 11 stitches later, and I'm good as new, but a couple of hours late posting the challenge. Sorry. I hope it was worth waiting for!

Three Muses - Maps

In the 200 years Spanish galleons sailed to Spain laden with gold and silver, over 2000 ships went down. Only 10% of those ships have been found. Eighteen hundred treasure-laden vessels remain lost at sea. Off the coast of Florida, at the southern extremity of the Bahama Islands, there lie, under the water, sixteen Spanish galleons, their cargo holds filled with wealth undreamed of in jewels and gold. Treasure seeksers pore over old maps and shipping routes in hopes of finding wealth in the deep. In 1985, Mel Fischer and his Treasure Salvors discovered the wreck of one, The Atocha, with cargo estimated at $450 million in gold, silver and emeralds.

So, when you're next on the ocean, you might wonder if you are above such treasure!

The Three Muses Challenge - Blackbirds

This week the challenge is "Bye bye, blackbird". Apologies to Humphrey Bogart and the screenwriters for "Casablanca" for borrowing their famous line.
Include a blackbird in any setting! We already know that there will be as many unique takes on the theme as there are entries and we can't wait to see them.
To see the credits for this picture click HERE

Three Muses Challenge 44 - You Are What You Eat

Hi it's me Ann and this week I have chosen the theme of YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT.

We wonder what this will mean to you, will it be Carmen Miranda hats, vegetable people, something funky, vintage, surreal or just darn quirky.

We can't wait to see what you will create, but just in case you need a little help to get you started, here is a sample I created for your inspiration.

Remember that here at the Muses we welcome any medium and any style, all we ask is that you have fun and show us what you create. So enjoy.

(You can find credits for my YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT on my blog.)

Three Muses Challenge 43 - A Nice Cup Of Tea

Hi it's me, Ann, and this week I have chosen A NICE CUP OF TEA for the challenge theme.

What does A NICE CUP OF TEA mean to you, what will fire your imagination, will it conjure up images of ladies gossiping over a cuppa, or a more sedate tea for two, or will it be a tea party (complete with Alice), or something vintage, comical, zetti or surreal, or will it be something else entirely?

We can't wait to see what you will create, but just in case you need a little help to get you started, here is a sample I created for your inspiration.

Remember that here at the Muses we welcome any medium and any style, all we ask is that you have fun and show us what you create. So enjoy.

Three Muses Challenge 42 - Incognito

Still an hour to midnight Tuesday for me, but a quick blog hop shows me one or two of you are already waiting in the wings so here goes with my dark little number.

Have fun.

(Credits for mine are on my blog.)

MUSE FLASH

I'm back from my wonderful trip to New Zealand where Mr Taluula and I visited both Islands and had a blast of a time. We travelled for 7 weeks in the tiniest of campervans, but oh it was so worth it and something we will always remember, seeing such sights and making so many friends. In Wellington I was able to catch up with JudyNZ (Mangaroa Made) and we had a coffee and a chat and it was so nice to meet someone I had only previously known through cyber space.

I confess that the first thing I did when I got home was to give my broadband hub the biggest kiss I could muster : oh wonderful, wonderful internet connection I had previously taken so much for granted. Yes, I am that sad person. Rural NZ like rural parts of the UK is not blessed with anything more perfect than windup internet.

Well enough of all that, I just wanted to say a special and very big THANK YOU to BEV and MARIE for taking care of the Three Muses, with one Muse down, for the past seven or eight weeks and for the sterling job they have done. Thank you my friends and I promise to host the next three weeks' challenges as penance for having such a wicked time in NZ.

Three Muses - Newspaper

A little birdie told me someone is waiting to be the first to post this week. I wouldn't want to disappoint, so here's MY newsprint. Can't wait to see yours! See my blog for credits.

The Three Muses Challenge - "Oh, Man!"

Wednesday is already seven hours old here in my part of the world (south-west Australia). The theme this week is "OH, MAN!" The only requirement is to include a man or men in your pictures. I got carried away with collage, beginning with separate mini collages of each of the men. I spent an enjoyable time building them up with bits and pieces and some drawing.
Have fun with this one - or treat the theme seriously. Anything goes!
For details of picture and credits click HERE

Three Muses Challenge - Architecture

I have always been fascinated by the architecture of lost civilizations, such as the cliff dwellers pictured above, in the canyons of SW Colorado. The poem is by one of my favorite contemporary poets, Don Blanding (enlarge to read more easily). Many of these dwellings still stand today and it is possible to walk in the footsteps of those people of 800 years or so ago. How they crafted these stone cities with nothing but their bare hands and primitive tools is remarkable. (A bit more about them on my blog). My thanks to Gayle Page-Robak, who suggested architecture for this week's topic. Thanks, Gayle, for my journey into the past!

The Three Muses Challenge - Nature

This week's theme is NATURE in all its wonders and we invite you to use something from nature in your pictures. I have chosen fish (in a whimsical setting). I admit to getting carried away and altering them outrageously, placing them outside their comfort zone (water!!) which could be injurious to their health.

There are so many ways to approach the theme. We can't wait to see what our wonderful artists come up with.

For credits, click HERE

Bev's Baaaaack!

I have seen the devil and it's is called Malware! After a month of ups and down in trying to rid my computer of this accursed stuff, my computer guru finally had to reformat my hard drive. Being the queen of procrastination, I had not backed up since September, so I lost a lot of "stuff". Not to mention all my bookmarks! Curses, confound and drat! Thanks for all your kind wishes. I'm trying to get reorganized. I tried to catch up with my comments, but I'm having a bit of trouble there, so if I missed you I'm sorry. All the entries this week were stellar!

Three Muses - Postage Stamps

Stamps are so much fun to play with. The lady is really "into" her work! I hope you all enjoy creating your version of art with stamps. Can't wait to see! (I apologize for late post. We're in the midst of a ^%$#%$# snowstorm, and I was distracted).

The Three Muses Challenge - Birds of a feather

It's already Wednesday morning here in Western Australia so we are getting an early start. The theme this week is BIRDS OF A FEATHER. My cockatoos have been given a makeover and sent off to a honeymoon in Paris. I can't wait to see what you have done with YOUR birds.

For details of my picture, click HERE

Three Muses -Quote or Quip

This is one of my favorite quotes because it is so true! As women, we are so quick to accept blame for any number of things which are beyond our control. We're all loyal members of the congregation of Our Lady of Perpetual Guilt. (See my blog for origin of this, and for credits). I'm looking forward to all your favorite quotes and quips to add to my quote journal. And, most important of all, HAVE FUN!

The Three Muses - Something in the Air

I'm not sure I believe my own quote, cynic that I am, but the idea of floating in a cool, cloudy world appeals to an Aussie suffering the effects of one extreme heatwave after another! Global warming is alive and well in south-Western Australia where all sorts of records are being broken.

I can't wait to see what you have floating in your air space!!

Credits for my picture are HERE

Three Muses Challenge #33 - Water

My personal muse led me to underwater whimsy with this challenge. I'm anxious to see where the challenge takes you. I'm reminded of Walter Winchell's lead-in for an old radio show,--"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. America and all the ships at sea!" Maybe we'll have some of those before the week is out! See my blog for credits to my piece. (It's inspired by the work of Angi Sullins and Silas Toball.) We had such a phenomenal response to last week's challenge, I hope this one is equally as inspirational. Have fun!

The Three Muses Challenge - Angels

Welcome to all our wonderful and talented artists for our first challenge of 2010. We hope you had a peaceful and enjoyable holiday season and we wish you a very Happy New Year.

Our theme this week is ANGELS. Anything goes! Conventional, classically beautiful, statuesque, whimsical, quirky, even (gasp) maybe a Zetti angel or two! Angels are an idea rather than an actuality so who is to say what they look like? Every week we are blown away by the variety of entries, every single one so unique and wonderful. I am sure that this week will bring a host of angels, each one different to the next.

Credits for my sample picture are HERE.

Three Muses Challenge 31 - Something Old, Something New

Well it's the last challenge for 2009 here at the Muses. Thank you so much for supporting us over the last seven months, it's been a fantastic experience for Marie, Bev and myself, making so many new friends and seeing our little community grow and prosper.

We hope you will continue to visit and post your lovely work here and may we take this opportunity to wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2010.

So without further ado, here is a little inspiration for this week's theme of SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW. I can't wait to see what this theme will mean to you.

(Credits on my blog.)

Three Muses - Challenge #30 = Home Sweet Home

The aboriginals in Australia call the place of their birth their "belonging place". I've always liked that term. No matter how far we stray, there is a place in our hearts reserved for our belonging place...for home. I've tried to depict the excitement of a young couple, ready to establish a home of their own. (For more about their choice, see my blog). I hope you are all snug in your homes this holiday season, filled with the peace and content that is the spirit of Christmas. You have all enriched my life in many ways. Thank you.

The Three Muses Challenge - Mail Art

It's Wednesday morning here in Western Australia so it is time for our challenge.

This week's theme is MAIL ART which can be anything you make of it. Old letters, postcards and cards, and stamps from far off places are so full of nostalgia for us and it is a delicious exercise to use them in artwork. My problem was knowing when to stop so my collage is a wee bit busy!

We can't wait to see how you use your "stash" of mail ephemera.

The lovely Miss Beverly will be along soon to post her sneak peek for next week.

Credits for my collage are HERE

Three Muses Challenge #28 - Bottles & Jars

I learned the legend of the blue bottle tree from the venerated Storyteller, Kathryn Wyndham, of Selma, Alabama. The legend, originating with the African slaves, is that the blue bottles ward off evil spirits, who fly into the blue bottles at night and are trapped, then evaporated with the morning sun. If you're vigilant, you may still see blue bottle trees in the gardens of the south. I may have shared this story before in response to a challenge at Mixed Media Monday over a year ago, but I couldn't resist repeating it. I hope you've enjoyed hearing about it!

Three Muses Challenge 27 - Fun and Games

Hi it's me, Ann, and this week I have chosen FUN AND GAMES for my theme.

What does FUN AND GAMES mean to you, what will fire your imagination, will you be inspired by playing cards, bingo, a board game or games that people play, or something else entirely?

We can't wait to see what you will create, but just in case you need a little help to get you started, here is a sample I created for your inspiration.

Remember that any medium and any style goes here at the Muses, all we ask is that you have fun. So enjoy.

{For credits see my blog.)

The Three Muses Challenge - Time

The theme this week is “Time”. Time is a subject that can be approached from so many different directions – time flies, the passage of time, time waits for no man, etc. Time affects us all and is the most persistent constant in our lives. How will you illustrate time?

Credits for my collage are here

Three Muses Challenge #25 - KEYS

Success at last (after initial problems with upload). Here's my interpretation of this week's challenge - KEYS. I thought of any number of interpretations -- keys to the kingdom, key to my heart, key to knowledge, and key of C, and finally went with the key of C. I'm anxious to see what all our talented participants have to offer!

Three Muses Challenge 24 - IN YOUR DREAMS

It's Ann here and my theme for this week is IN YOUR DREAMS, which could be a dream of something you have always wanted to be or do, or a dream holiday destination, or a different way of life. For those amongst us who like surreal, it might be a dream person or fantastic landscape. Or you might like the idea of illustrating the darker side of dreaming, a nightmare landscape for example, or does IN YOUR DREAMS conjure up a different image for your entirely? I can't wait to see what you will choose.

But just in case you are stuck for a little inspiration here is my IN YOUR DREAMS sample.

As always, any style or any medium is welcomed, and indeed encouraged, so go ahead and enjoy yourself.

Credits for my sample are on my blog.

The Three Muses Challenge - Pairs

The theme this week is about “pairs” which could be couples, romantic or otherwise, adults or children, birds or beasts – or even plant life!! THINK TWO! The choices are endless and twice the fun!
Credits for the sample picture are on my blog

CHALLENGE 22 - FOWL PLAY

I'll start off this week's Cockadoodle Cluck challenge with this gloriously happy rooster and his "women". He really has something to crow about. .... and very little competition! I can't wait to see what shows up this week from our talented crew. Have fun!

Three Muses Challenge 21 - Long Ago And Far Away

Hi it's me Ann and this week's theme is LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY. I wonder what that will mean to you, will it be a strange and exotic land, a fairy tale, a famous person, part of your family history or something else entirely?

Just in case you need a little inspiration here is my sample, a tale from Mabel's childhood.

And remember at the Three Muses anything goes so whether you stamp, embroider, make it with fabric, paper or clay, paint it or do it digital we can't wait to see what you come up with. Most of all enjoy.

(Credits on my blog.)

The Three Muses Challenge - Hair

Our theme this week is HAIR. Remember, anything goes at the Muses. We want to see beautiful hair, ugly hair, big hair, sparse hair – and maybe an outrageous wig or two. The pathway to hair excellence is sometimes STRAIGHT and sometimes WAVY. Hair is a PERMANENT fixture, sometimes FINE and sometimes THICK. Hair is here to stay (except on bald men). Hair is a buzz (cut). Let’s hear it for hair!!

Credits for my sample picture are HERE.

CHALLENGE 19, NUMEROLOGY

Numbers have such a large part in our lives today - phone numbers, street numbers, bank numbers, charge card numbers and so on. I am anxious to see what you all have to offer when it comes to putting numbers into your art. Credits for this piece can be seen on my blog. HAVE FUN!

The Three Muses Challenge - Zlightly Zetti

This week the theme is “Zlightly Zetti” which probably means many things to many people! I think that those artists who developed Zetti into such an interesting art form intended it to be fun, where imaginations can run riot. So, enjoy your creative journey into the world of Zetti. Remember, anything goes!

To see the credits for my picture, click here

Challenge 17 - Windows

Hi, it's Taluula here, my theme for this week is WINDOWS and we Muses can't wait to see what type of window you will choose!!!

In case you need a little inspiration though, here is a sample from me ..... but tell me, am I looking out of or looking into that window?

Don't forget all sizes, shapes and mediums are welcomed, all we ask is that you have fun, and thank you so much for all of your lovely entries last week.

(Credits are on my blog)

CHALLENGE #16 - POCKETS

There were so many ways to go with "pockets", but I decided to go with a pocketful of memories. I'm looking forward to seeing what you all put in your pocket!! Credits are on my blog. Have fun!

The Three Muses Challenge - Moonstruck

It is already Wednesday in my part of the world!

Our theme for this week is the MOON. No matter how many times we see the moon it fascinates us. When it is full and low on the horizon we stop what we are doing and gasp at its beauty. “When the moon hits your eye like a bigga pizza pie that’s amore” – the lyrics of a thousand songs say it all.
So, show us YOUR moon! We can’t wait to see the many and varied versions that you creative and talented bloggers come up with.

Credits for my sample picture can be seen here

Three Muses Challenge 13 - Charlin Chaplin

Hi it's me Ann, and this week it's my turn to host the Three Muses' theme and I have chosen CHARLIE CHAPLIN.

He is such an icon with his trademark bowler hat, his cane, little moustache and baggy trousers, I hope there will be something there to inspire your creativity.

I have chosen to alter him entirely and I hope this little sample will inspire you to get creative too.

Remember all artistic mediums are welcome so however, and whatever you create with we can't wait to see your works of art.

Have fun.

(You can see credits on my blog)

Three Muses - Give Us a Hand

We've always heard "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush". That was the beginning of this piece. You HAVE given us a hand in the form of your kind responses to our thank you message. At the end of this challenge, when all the artists have checked in, we'll put our hands together and join in a standing ovation for all of us who meet here every week!! Have fun. (Credits are on my blog)

THE MUSES SPEAK

Back in June, three muses timidly decided to start an art challenge blog. We put our heads together (well...as much as we could from Australia to the UK to the US); and, after discussion, we decided we wanted it to be a simple blog spot without fancy bells and whistles, just a place where artists in all media could share their work and offer constructive support for one another. The Three Muses blog has succeeded beyond our hopes. We feel our blog family is the cream of the crop, bringing outstanding art to our challenges weekly. Beyond that, our artists are generous in their support of one another. Taking the time to comment on 40 or 50 entries is no small task, but reading supportive comments on your own effort makes it all worthwhile. So, this is Ann, Bev and Marie taking the time to say THANK YOU!

The Three Muses Challenge #11 - Wings on Things

Well, it is 10am Wednesday here in Western Australia so this week's challenge is now OPEN.
The theme this week is 'WINGS ON THINGS'. Have some fun. Spread your wings and fly.

Credits for my picture are on my blog