Inspiration Avenue: Rocking Horses

If it's Friday, it's Inspiration Avenue challenge time on my blog. This week I am thrilled to co-host the first Inspiration Avenue challenge between a non-member and an IA team member. Thanks go to Shelly for inviting me to be part of this honored position. The theme I chose this week is rocking horses. I'm sure you already guessed, if you have ever been to my blog, especially during my weekly What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday (WOYWW), where I show one or more of my rocking horses each week.


Since I'm starting a new Altered Book (AB), as well as a free AB class (see the announcement here or here), I thought I would start with a double spread in my book. I started by creating a rocking horse made from an iris fold. If you have never made one, they are super easy once you have the image cut out.

I decided to cut the rocking horse directly from the patterned (stripped) paper using my craft knife. I never use a craft knife, so it took awhile to get used to it. But, in the end, I was pleased with what I did. By not using scissors, I was able to use the rocking horse I cut out on the left side of the page.

After I had established the opening, I cut several different colored papers into 1 1/2 inch strips and folded them in half. I know some places tell you to use four paper patterns only and to keep the papers uniform, but I am not a measure kind of gal. I have a habit of breaking the rules when it comes to art and this time because I had lots of little scraps of paper to use in the iris, breaking the rule was easy. I'm still on that "use what you have" kick!

I started in the upper ear area and worked around the piece, turning each paper at a slight angle, then taping each piece as I went. I worked from the back, so it was fun to turn it over once all the pieces were in place to see what I had created. At this point, everything was secure, and I glued the page to the book, effectively covering the back.

I painted the left side directly on the book page before I added the remaining image. I didn't have enough ribbon to go across both pages, so I had to improvise, something I seem to do a lot.

Once again, I want to thank Shelly and the entire IA team (including their latest team member Jennifer), for allowing me to co-host this awesome challenge. Please drop by Inspiration Avenue sometime after noon EST this Sunday to see what everyone has created for this challenge.