Rio...one of the greatest album covers of all time!

Released on May 10th, 1982, Rio was to become one of the most iconic albums covers of the 1980's and also one of my favourite album covers ever.

Designed by Malcolm Garrett of Assorted Images, it featured the stunning painting by Patrick Nagel.

Original album cover

Alternative album cover for re-issue 2001

Style Icons....

On June 10th 2008, as part of a fundraising event, Duran Duran (above) became the first band to ever perform at the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Currently, the band are on a world tour promoting their "Red Carpet Massacre" album that was released late last year but my love affair with Duran Duran first began one Saturday afternoon in December 1981, when I saw them performing My Own Way on Jim'll Fix It!  I'd heard their three previous singles and loved them but it was at THAT point, watching them perform this new single, that I finally sat up and took notice.  In those few minutes, I'd become a Duranie!

On the following Monday, I went to my local Our Price record shop and bought everything they had ever released, on EVERY available format and it wasn't going to be too long before I'd be back at Our Price for the release of their next album...."Rio".

To be continued....

Peek-a-boo!

Something slightly different from the other cards that i've made and posted on the blog before....but how could I resist these two little faces, they're SO cute!

Both of these cards were stamped and handpainted, before being matted and layered onto the cardstock.  Then as a finishing touch, I stamped paw marks across the cards.

Turning Japanese!

Latest additions to my oriental collection...

The card below was made using Shrink Plastic.  This is a fantastic technique which gives you wonderful effects and can be used in all types of craft, from card making to jewellery.  The image of the Geisha was stamped with a pearlescent gold ink pad onto black shrink plastic. Then comes the fun bit...using a heat gun or you can put it in the oven if you prefer, you shrink the plastic down. At first it looks like it's all gone horribly wrong but don't panic, you get there in the end.

5 Star!

Another of my favourite cards....handstamped and embossed flowers painted with "Perfect Pearls", lovingly cut out by hand and mounted onto a star!

Feeling blue...

I love the combination and elegance of blue and gold, it's a marriage made in craft heaven and this card is the perfect example of how well these colours work together using beautiful papers and one of my all time favourite stamps.

The main image was stamped and embossed onto pearlescent card using a versamark ink pad and gold embossing powder.  I then stamped and repeated the same image down the spine of the card, slightly going over the edge.  Glitter and fibres were added for the finishing touch!

Was he worth the money?

I'll let you decide but by the amount of publicity that this campaign has already generated and by the fact that the first advertising campaign boosted sales of Armani underwear, I think two people who will definitely be laughing all the way to the bank are.....David Beckham and Giorgio Armani!!

Graffiti - mindless vandalism or art?

Blek le Rat

Art has always divided people, each to their own, we're all individuals and never going to love the same thing.  What some people see as beautiful, others will see as hideous.  What one person sees as artistic, another will say it's scandalous but the one thing that art will always do is make people talk and recently two men in particular have done just that.  Banksy and Blek le Rat have made us ask the question.....is graffiti, art?

Banksy

I love their work, for me it's doing what Warhol did in the 60's and it's moving art into a new direction.  It's different, it shows humour and it proves that graffiti or street art doesn't have to be the mindless vandalism, scribbled and sprayed onto walls.  This, is definitely, 21st century art and with canvases by Banksy selling at leading auction houses for £100,000+, I don't think that i'm the only one. 

Two posts in one day!

I wanted to post this card because this is one of my favourite designs that i've ever made and believe me I have made boxes upon boxes of cards!  The papers that I used here are exquisite and yes, I did have to force myself to cut into them, they're just so stunning!  But eventually after a lot of procrastination, I did take the scissors to them and with some ripping and tearing, this is the result.  I love the beautiful soft colours, the simplicity, just everything about it!  Hope you like it too!

Elegant lady!

Another card and another, not exceptionally great photo but looking on the bright side, if ever there's a reason to buy a new camera, I think this might be it!

Once again, this was a "must have" stamp!  The image and detail of the lady on the stamp is stunning and combined with K & Company background papers, this makes a simple, yet extremely elegant card.  I added the finishing touches with my much loved and well used swirl stamps and the edges were chalked and then inked, using Tim Holtz Distress Inks, just to give that worn and vintage feel to the whole project.

Yves Saint Laurent 1936-2008

Today the fashion world mourns one of the greatest designers of the 20th century.  Yves Saint Laurent died in Paris at the age of 71.