Welcome to May ...

Welcome to May.  Firstly I want to thank everyone for the wonderful entries we received last month - we so appreciate your support.

This month we have a delightful photograph I think you will all enjoy - a little mystery, a little whimsy, a lot of light and air and pretty ladies.

What inspires you from this picture?  Is it the white dresses reminding you of weddings or debutant's?  Perhaps its the field and grass recalling days of family picnics and outdoor fun.  Maybe the maypole itself brings back memories of dances and school or threading daisies on a chain.  It might even be the goat! Whatever the inspiration, we would love to see your work and please don't forget to let us know what it was that prompted the creative process for you.

HEIDI

I loved the maypole inspiration this month,I used lots of ribbon which I curled myself using a metal rod and heat set it.  Lots of mediums and die cuts and bright colours.

JANE

I loved the muted colours in this photograph and the light and airy feel it evokes.  It also brought back memories of summer days playing hide and seek in the park and  lovely family picnics beneath shady trees.

TONE-LILL

The inspiration picture this month gives such fantastic feeling of spring living north of equator in Norway. The dancing ladies inspired me to use this photo of my niece wearing her Shirley Temple dress on her Birthday, with spring coloured papers and flowers.

DI

This month's challenge at P & P  has gone in a totally different direction to that I envisaged when I first saw the inspiration photo. The dancers in their white dresses were striking and brought back memories of childhood, where the whole of the Infants  School had to learn Maypole dances to be performed at the local showground.  I remember the white dresses and satin sashes. These were to be in  the same colour as the ribbons we had to hold for the dance. I don't remember the steps or the music we had to dance to... all I can remember  is making sure that the pattern we were weaving with the ribbons was coming out right!

This is where my inspiration this month has come from... flowing movement, ribbons and flowers. This month I bring you Rhoslyn, the May Day Queen. Rhoslyn started off as a small wooden stamp. She was then photographed, enlarged and printed, before having plaited ribbons and flowers added.

Rhoslyn is on an A3 sized watercolour paper background which has been smooched with Distress Inks. Handmade flowers,  stamping  and an old English Maypole verse ( yes I did write it out and anyone knowing how I normally write would be disbelieving!!)  have completed the piece.


ALICIA

I loved this months photo. The grace and beauty of the women dancing around the maypole in the meadow is so beautiful. But I don't have any graceful pictures in a meadow like that to use, I guess that's why we call it an inspiration photo. I did however have the funniest experience with my mom and son the first time we introduced him to grass. As you can see from the picture he was disgusted with the feel of it, my mom even had to pull his legs down to try to get him to adjust to it- but he wasn't having any of it! Long ago I found this page filled with grass blades and bought it vowing it would be for this picture. I brought out the grass blades with glitter, and created the die cut grass piece to mimic the meadow grass from the inspiration photo. I always add in a hand written touch on every layout, and so created my title with stickles and accented it with the adorable little frogs I had just bought. Thank you for joining us this month, we look forward to seeing what you will create!

Please upload the DIRECT link to your actual entry with the link tool on the LEFT by 11.55pm on May 31st.

You are welcome to submit traditional paper layouts, art journals, divided page protectors, smash books (etc etc).  Digital entries are welcomed and encouraged.  All entries must be new for this challenge and no back-linking is allowed.  I am happy for you to combine with other challenges (maximum of 3) but the essence of the Pixels and Paper inspiration must be clear in your work. Combining with a sketch or colour challenge would be preferred.  International submissions are welcome.

Please come back later next week when we will announce the winners for April.