Lotties Artful Journey

Lentil and rock beads bracelet.

2012-02-01T08:01:00.000-08:00

When I saw on Crafty Cardmakers that the challenge was 'beads' anything with beads on it or something make with beads - I decided to make some out of polymer clay and enter them into the challenge.

This is one of the two bracelets that I am making from the polymer clay beads I made the other day. I sanded and buffed them until my fingers were sore and still couldn't get them as shiny as those I see in books and on the internet. Maybe they have a better way of photographing them than I do.

So I painstakingly gave every bead two coats of varnish - and they really shine in 'real life' now.

I reshaped the blue beads into 'rock' beads, and you can really see the glitter that I added inside them.

Any marks or 'dimples' are not marks - it is just that the beads are really shiny and the light is reflecting off them

I knew it would happen - when I now look at the first set of beads I made, they don't look half as nice as these. Maybe it's that these are a darker colour and varnished and look so much richer. The others were summer colours

Altered Domino

2012-02-01T04:31:00.000-08:00

Well at last I have made time to make an altered domino for a forum swap on Cardmaking Paradise.

I had made several previous attempts at stamping and colouring, using Stazon to stamp on an image, and Copics to colour it. Unfortunately the Copics ended up with black nibs and so I messed up a few.

So I tried collage instead

Polymer clay play - Sliced pendants

2012-01-29T09:57:00.000-08:00

Thank you for all your lovely and encouraging comments - and I have taken on board your questions and will answer them in due course - during a post. The beads are still a 'work in progress' so I have been experimenting - out of my depth as usual - but it's surprising how much you learn what 'not' to do during the process.

I guess the first 'rule' is not to jump too far ahead of yourself - but being an oldie I don't stick to rules any more - life's too short! The things I am trying are projects that have been created by artists who have been working with polymer clay for over 20/25 years, and I am attempting them after a few weeks!

So, as requested - these are the before photos - before they are sanded and buffed etc The 'after photos' will probably be on Tuesday as I don't get much time on a Monday as I am out.

I layered up some different coloured polymer clays which were metallic.

The next step was to poke holes in the layers, and then cut them out.

This is where the fun and the mystique starts!

Clay 'in the raw' above

And this is how they turned out after firing.

They go so much darker.

I am making pendants out of the clay, so cutting them out randomly.

This one reminds me of a pair of 'Flower Power' trousers. Mensm side ways on!
See how dull and 'flat' the colours are gone, and the rough edges along the sides - that's why you have to do all the sanding and buffing

Sanding and buffing, sanding and buffing, sanding and buffing, sanding and buffing.

I know it's tiresome reading that, but imagine how tiresome it is to be actually doing it 6 times!

This I made out of leftovers - and I think I like it best of all!

Once I have sanded off all the rough edges, and then do the sand/buff treatment, I think it will come up a treat.

More experimental beads.

2012-01-26T04:20:00.000-08:00

I have been making some moulds 'behind the scenes' which I won't be using for a while, so thought I would post you my latest work in progress.

Last night I thought I would have a go at the 'Skinner Method' but went wrong somewhere - I think I wasn't using enough polymer - just using up leftovers. Waste not want not is my motto!

I used two shades of pink and fuschia and a tad bit of metallic blue

Everyone is different - absolutely no two beads the same

It'll be interesting to see what they look like after baking

These beads a teeny weeny ones.

This is blue clay - and I mixed blue glitter into to it - lots of it.

When I went to make the holes last night, the beads were just too tiny to make a hole big enough to thread onto wire or beading 'tiger tail' so I had to redo them this morning into rounder beads.

Off to get them out of the oven!

Well they all baked up fine - so my next job is to sandpaper them all.

It's not my favourite job, and takes a long time !

Monsieur Moth - update

2012-01-26T04:11:00.000-08:00

Thank you for all your wonderful comments and suggestions on how to fix a 'hangy' thing to turn my moth into a pendant.

I didn't drill it - too scary.

But whilst searching for some charms to create moulds out of (the shop only had teeny weeny ones) I did spot a teen weeny charm that I thought would be ideal for a fixing - so here it is!

The light is not doing the back any favours - as it's showing a close up of every little thing. When making something as complicated as this - and with several 'firings' you just can't get the back totally smooth - there are too many elements - and even if it looks smooth when you bake it - it never stays that way. The solution is to sandpaper it - but as this was fragile and with so many curves, I have just left it.

I might give it another coat of paint at the back - but realistically no one will see the back!

Monsieur Moth

2012-01-23T05:08:00.000-08:00

Sadly I have only been playing with polymer clay for a few weeks - but inspired by Donna Kato (who has been working with polymer clay for twenty years or so and is very famous) whose book I got for my Christmas present - I decided not to make her Madame Butterfly as I have neither the talent or all the things one would need to do so - but instead - may I present to you ..........

Monsieur Moth

Oh dear, I see he has a couple of flecks of gold on his face - I need to wipe them off!

(My eyesight is bad, so apologies)

I got my inspiration from an Egyptian Sarcophagus

(my husband says that's the thing in your throat - anyway - I mean the grave/tomb thingie)

So this pendant, is a cross between an Egyptian tomb mask, with the idea of a moth as opposed to Donna Kato's wonderful butterfly.

It's only little 7cms x 7cms - and was very fiddly to do, and has taken me all the time since my last post!

I'll wear it as a pendant - just need to get my son to drill into the back 'ouch' so that I can attach a ring or two - I am too scared to do it myself!

The little grey mark you see on the right hand side is in fact just a reflection of the light. I took the photo, put the picture on here and saw it, but having rushed back to look at the 'grey mark' it's non existent!

Thank you for visiting

(If you looked earlier you would have seen so many typing errors, which I hope I have now corrected. My eyes are still recovering from a hospital visit this morning - so no crafting today)

Finished my first 'trial' at home made beads

2012-01-16T15:16:00.000-08:00

Well - this evening I surprised myself and made a necklace and a pair of earrings from my home made polymer clay beads - and I haven't had a single polymer clay lesson yet!

It's a bit late at night to be taking photos but I couldn't wait to get these on here.

This is really just a practice set as they are my first so I am on a learning curve.

To make the beads, I used three strips of polymer clay in red, white, and blue.

After conditioning them, I had three 'sausages' which I laid side by side, and then twisted them around like a stick of rock. I just kept going until I got a pattern I like. I rolled then into different size balls, and laid them one at a time on a tile, placed a piece of perspex on top, and rolled each one around with the perspex and they turned into bicones. I pushed a needle through each one - which is a bit tricky with cone shaped beads then cooked them for half and hour on 130c

Unfortunately I managed to split one of the earring beads by trying to make the hole a bit bigger for the wire. I hadn't taken into account that the polymer clay shrinks when being 'baked'. I made another earring with the only other bead I had of similar size - but the shape is different. You just can't get two beads exactly the same shape when you roll by hand! It's not an exact science - so I'll have to find out how to do it properly.

I needed the practice at making a strung necklace and bracelet and wiring the earrings - so this might not get worn!

I am 100% certain that I will look back at this and cringe, but I do think that it's important to keep your first efforts at anything, then when you progress you get the satisfaction to see how far you've improved.

I have not improved however, making polymer clay mosaic tiles with the air dry clay! The don't have the finished texture or the deep colours of the clay you bake. I have stamped them, and rubbed them with Rub and Buff. I have tried painting them, and using mica powder, but I just can't get the quality of finish I am searching for.

I'll just keep practicing for now before I post any pictures.

Polymer clay day three

2012-01-15T07:17:00.000-08:00

Well I had a go at sanding the beads, with three or four different textured sand papers, and after doing about 20 I gave up. They didn't really look any different to the ones I hadn't done, and the job is really labour intensive and messy with the wet and dry sandpaper.

I have joined a polymer clay forum and there are different of opinions regarding the bead tumblers and the sand paper you have to put in them. So for now I'll not be buying a bead tumbler until I am sure that I will get the use out of it - they are quite expensive.

After re-reading one of the books I have, I discovered that you don't 'have' to shine the beads, and you can varnish them with a polymer clay varnish if you want too. There is a matt and gloss version. So I'll leave that in obeyance for now too.

I have used some of the beads I made to make a bracelet - for summer wear - and I have enough left over to make some earrings and a necklace.

You can just about see a bit of a sheen on some of these - but with the pattern it's not really necessary.

I have made a start on some tiles for a couple of boxes I am working on. I am using air dry clay for those. I made the tiles yesterday, so can't get to work on them until Wednesday when they will be properly dry and hard.

So I am off to paint a couple of wooden boxes in readiness for the projects.

I am on a learning curve - I may be some time!

2012-01-13T14:58:00.000-08:00

Polymer Clay - starting at the beginning!

I just want to dive in and produce brilliant things - but it's not working out that way!

I have some books, I have some clays, I have a pasta machine, I have the oven, but I still seem to be lacking in tools - which I found out when I started! So I have been ordering the other bits and pieces that are necessary.

I have taught myself the very basics, but it's all going so slowly! The clay needs quite a bit of 'conditioning' done that - there are lots of different clays for different things - I know that now!

Having made some beads, I find that they now need sandpapering with several grades of wet/dry sandpaper, and the use of a drill plus attachments to polish and buff them to make them shiny!

These are called bicone beads!

The hole looks huge - it isn't it's the size of a pin pushed through - these beads are small. To make them you mix your clay strips together, make a small ball, lay it on the work surface, place a piece of perspex on top and roll it around - and it ends up looking like a little flying saucer!

This one hasn't been sanded yet! When it has the lip around the hole will disappear.

More experiments....

This time using air dry black clay. Which means it doesn't need baking.

What it didn't say on the packet was how long it takes to dry - so I have done these all wrong!

I rolled it out to condition it - it's very sticky so not as easy to work with. I left the pieces overnight before colouring them in gold, and silver rub and buff and leaving that to dry, before rubbing them.

These items are meant to be faux historic finds - I know, but I'm only playing with these!

Little Japanese faux metal calligraphy (but I have just noticed that I need to cut off the extra 'leg' on the piece on the right - doh!)

This is a work in progress. I stamped on some black air dry clay and used rub and buff again, and added the lovely inchie which I have had for a few years now which I received from Hilda in a swap. I need to fill in the grooves with something - maybe beads or something - and add another layer of R&B.

So the things I did wrong was because I didn't find out about it until I had seen a post on a forum:- The black air dry clay about takes 'a few days' to dry. You have to keep turning it so that it dries all the way through as it has a high moisture content - and you must NOT paint it or anything until after a few days. Oh well - at least I know what not to do now!

Sam's Surprise

2012-01-08T09:45:00.000-08:00

You probably already know that Sam is out of action for a while, with a shattered ankle - which is in a plaster cast and she can not put any weight on it.

So I thought I would make a little something to cheer her up .

She's bought a jewellery kit and is going to make some things.

So I made this using different techniques to 'start' her off.

I have just noticed, that when the bracelet is lying down in the photos, the long chunky beads with the flat silver metal flowers at the bottom and the disc beads at the top remind me of a jar of blackcurrant jam!

It's now arrived safely at her home so I can blog it.

I didn't have time to photograph these properly

But you get the idea!

Thanks for looking and your encouraging comments

Charm bracelet - Just beads

2012-01-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

I love these beads, they are individual works of art.

You wouldn't think that with the addition of the fine gold wire work that they would 'go' with the silver chain. but with the addition of silvery glass seed beads, and the painted flowers on each bead it seems to work

They seem to match with most outfits.

Apologies for the photo - I took it before I bought myself a new light!

Charm bracelet - another present.

2012-01-05T14:55:00.000-08:00

I made this bracelet for my other son's partner, for Christmas

She likes black - so I found this a challenge.

Luckily she too loved her bracelet and unbeknown to me, the stone chips I bought are her birthstone.

It was a heck of a job to get two stone chips to balance on top of each other so that I could wire them together. The wiring took a lot of hours work for me, a beginner - but it was good practice.

My progress on the jewellery making front.

2012-01-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

I made this set of jewellery for my daughter in law's Christmas present.

The pendant stone is glass, and the blue tubes are just fascinating - they are different blues and silver - I haven't a clue how they make the glass like that.

They all look brighter and shinier in real life - and thank goodness, she was thrilled to bits with the set.

Polymer clay day two

2012-01-03T05:32:00.000-08:00

I've spent the morning finishing off my polymer clay bits that I started yesterday. I am just too impulsive to wait for the polymer clay workshops to start - they are not listed on the site yet - so I am just playing around at the moment.

This is one of the oriental dragons. I didn't sand it very much - just the sides, as I wanted it to look like something vintage - and dug up on an archaeological site. I gave it a coat of black acrylic paint, then some gold rub and buff paste - then gave it a rub. It looks much better in real life and I am pleased with my first efforts - but undoubtedly I am sure that I will cringe with embarrassment when I look back at this in a few months time.

The leaves I should not have photographed under a spotlight as they look incredibly shiny and plastic - but in real life, they are a duller colour and not shiny. I think I will apply a dark green paint, then they will look more like rose leaves which are much darker.

I am going to attempt to make roses or rose buds - and I might make more leaves and try to attach wires to them, and to the roses - or not - depending how I get on.

It's been a while - Happy New Year

2012-01-02T07:58:00.000-08:00

Playing with Polymer Clay. I was so lucky to get some Polymer Clay and books for my birthday and Christmas presents. We've had a busy time as has everybody over Christmas - so I made time this morning to have a bit of an experimental play.

None of the following are finished examples - they have been cooked - but not finished off yet - I just wanted before and after photos.

I have managed to make some leaves - yet to be painted - and next I want to have a go at some roses.

This is a bit of a cheat - I made a mould - it's not as easy as one assumes it will be!

This one is a bit clearer to see.

A little cameo - which I need to paint - or not. Like all the others it needs a bit of sandpapering.

And yet another cameo in white. I'll have to get it under my magnifier to sand it - her nose looks like it needs some attention.

I'd best look up how you paint polymer clay.

I was quite pleased that I baked them without them burning. I have been busy bulk cooking really large pumpkins today - so when they had finished I popped these in to the oven between two tins so they had their own little oven - and just turned the oven off and left them to it for half an hour or so.

Did you say beads? Job Lot Jewellery stash

2011-11-26T08:07:00.000-08:00

Earlier in the week I went to see a lady who was giving up jewellery making - inasmuch that she was not making any more to sell. As she had some stash surplus to requirements I jumped at the chance to buy it!

Lots of little seed beads and some bigger ones

Another nice mix of different sizes

I love these golden hearts with different colours in the glass

Findings - there are enough gold earring blanks to make pairs for hundreds I think!

A 'string' of shades of blacks/greys to be used in alls sorts of things - but I don't yet know what!!

More findings - including pins and coulottes

A little tiny box of these lovely colours -perhaps enough for a bracelet

More seed beads

These are those little self sealing bags - and I have used quite a lot already sorting out the stash

A rather cute silver metal necklace - reminds me a bit of an Egyptian style

Several packets of 'chilli peppers' some already make up into earrings and others just the bunches

Some little pendant gems

Some pairs of earrings mixed up with the beads

My desk - when I was discovering what was in the pile, and trying to colour sort it

I bought these chunky bracelets for £10 each.

Not only do I think they are gorgeous - I can study them in detail

And use them as examples to get an idea of composition too

I bought this earring and necklace set - the beads are lovely seaweed green/blue and this pattern was a copy of and Egyptian set.

Oh, and this bag of charms came in the stash pile.

I have sorted them out now - and the bulk of them are 'halloween' themed.

Wolves, bats, and scary mask/skeleton faces. There are also little hearts as seen on a bracelet above 'Made with Love' on them, some pendant blanks, a few stars, and fairies.

These should keep me quiet for some time!

Silver Clay Workshop

2011-11-21T07:47:00.000-08:00

Another tick on the 'Things to Achieve' list.

Saturday I went on a day long Silver Clay Workshop with the famous Sue Heaser

Was I nervous - you bet! But she is a lovely lady and has such a wealth of talent - and her work is awesome. As you will see if you look at the link above to her website.

This was my first attempt at the silver clay jewellery piece. I am so very disappointed with it, and if the silver wasn't so expensive I would have binned it! Sue is a brilliant tutor - it's me the pupil that's not very good. I guess that stress had a lot to do with it. A long drive on narrow country lanes all the way from where I live. Mist, then piercing sunshine which was in my eyes all the way, so I had to screw my eyes up to see as I didn't know the area, and I arrived with a headache!

I started off making an oblong with an art nouveau style flower impression on it which I loved. Unfortunately I had stamped the impression on the hough as we call it where I live - a bit wonky, not quite straight. I didn't honestly mind that - as I liked the imprint on it and would have worn it 'wonky'. But I needed to do it again, and there are only so many times you can fold and roll the clay and this was my last 'chance'! In my bag, I had taken along leaf cutters, and leaf rubber impressions that I used years ago in sugar craft - and it would have made a beautiful leaf - but I kind of felt too shy to mention it to Sue in case I offended her as she had an amazing array of things to leave impressions with! The impression on this is made with a skeleton leaf, and when burnishing it after firing, I rubbed a bit too long so the pattern one side is 'shallow'. I thought the silver would be as tough as a spoon, but as this is pure silver it is softer.

I should be proud with my first effort as a complete novice - but it's the 'perfectionist' in me that's disappointed. The veining is black and it looks more pronounced in real life than the photo shows - but my photography skills are lacking - the silver just gleams.

The afternoon session - after a lunch break and a couple of paracetamols proved a bit easier for me - not a lot! There was a lot of information to take 'on board' to understand the nature of the material and the drying and firing of it etc.

Can you guess what the above is? It's the reverse side of a teeny, weeny, charm - not even as big as a 1p! The pattern is made by pressing a scrap of lace into the clay before drying.

It's a tiny, but very ornate cup and saucer - vintage style. I need to buy some really 'smelly stuff' can't remember the name off hand - liver of sulphur or something like that. Then I have dunk it in and keep doing it until it all goes black, then polish it again to reveal the silver which leaves the impressions black! It'll really make it look good.

This is a tiny initial - again smaller than a 1p - and definitely needs the dunking treatment so that the flat impressions are black and the raised parts will be silver and really 'pop' - and will, I think, give it a Victorian look.

Am I gradually improving?

A teensy weensy fish - made with a scrap of leftovers - just as long as my smallest finger nail. Again needing the dunking treatment to reveal its lovely fishy scales etc.

And this last piece I like the best - although it is small!

It is just big enough for a pendant - and I am very proud of the texture made with lace on the back!

I have to say that I made this as perfectly as is possible - at least for me. I didn't have any cutting or filing to do - so was rather chuffed and relieved I have to admit.

This is just as perfect as a real sea shell, with so much texture I just love touching it. When I buy this 'soaking stuff' to turn it black then polish it, you should be able to see every single rib and detail.

The drive home was in thick mist and darkness - very nerve wracking but

I DID IT!

I bought a few basics from Sue's little sales table to start me off - and I was also pleased to be able to buy her gorgeous book.

I have to admit to being a bit of a 'groupie' and asked Sue to sign it for me - it'll not only be my Silver Clay 'bible' but a lovely keepsake of a very memorable day!

Thank you Sue - if you ever get to read this!

I am going to save up and do another of Sue's courses next spring - when the weather is nicer and the nights are lighter!

Charm bracelet

2011-11-16T09:37:00.000-08:00

I have been working on this for a couple of days now.

Firstly I made the charm bracelet with just silver charms, and a couple of transparent beads to mark the clasps - and it looked a bit bare.

But after looking at it - I decided that it could do with a bit more of Kath's stash.

So I started it over again.

The little charms are mine - but I thought they needed a bit of company with Kath's tiny weeney square beads in metallic green and metallic blue.

The clasps came from Kath too.

I can see a mistake - which I will rectify tomorrow - I'm too tired tonight!

Can you see? The square bead on the top left should be in the next link nearer to the clasp.

It's difficult to photograph silver charms and metallic beads - the light reflects off them!

The charms are miniatures and the beads are teeny weeny so quite a challenge for me.

My 'Lotions & Creams' one to one workshop was cancelled this morning, and the poor tutor was very poorly with a really bad cold - she sounded terrible poor thing - so we re-booked for next week.

Every negative has a positive - or so the saying goes - so I wrapped up warm and off I went for an hour and a half walk around the village. Kicking up leaves like a five year old along the little footpaths and alleyways around the village and through the church yard. I walked from one end to the other and most of the little cul de sacs in between. I muddied my shoes walking up the allotment and past the three bungalows which are being built where the pig sheds were.

Right up to the top of the field - not a soul up the allotments - but I spotted some chickens right at the top - half a dozen free ranging - I hope the plot holder realizes that there used to be foxes up there.

I wish that I had worn my welly boots - I might have ventured over the ploughed field!

Postman's been!

2011-11-16T05:20:00.000-08:00

I just love unusual bags and when I saw this on Magpies Collectables I just had to have it!

This is one side - there are three pockets that blend in exactly with the patterns.

And there are pockets inside too!

This is the reverse side - another beautiful panel. It's a really strong bag, and thick too, and the inside is lined fully with and oriental pattern and the strap is in keep with the Oriental style too.

I chose the surface mail postage route as it's come all the way from Canada! I didn't expect it to arrive until Christmas or after - according to web - so I was thrilled when it turned up early.

All that way by boat - what a journey it has been on.

Maggie even made me a handbag tissue holder as a gift - perfect for me as I always have tissues just stuffed in my bags and they end up getting crushed. My camera battery went flat, so I can't show you inside - but its beautiful - and as soon as Christmas is over I have my eye on a couple more!

The Craft Barn Blog Candy

2011-11-13T12:24:00.000-08:00

Have you seen this? It's one heck of a prize to celebrate their 600th follower!

Just click the link in my sidebar - it will take you right there!

What can you do on a cold, miserable, drizzley day?

2011-11-12T08:16:00.000-08:00

Well I decided to finish off the bracelet I started yesterday so popped out to buy some clasps.

The bigger beads came from my old button tin which I rediscovered Thursday.

They didn't look much in amongst the buttons and junk - but I like how they look now!

The colours change all around each bead and really catch the light.

I am trying to incorporate something of Kath's in everything I make.

There were some small head pins so I used those on the smaller of the beads to attach them to the chain.

I sorted everything out - and there are a collection of little beads.

I have used some from the little packet right in the middle, a mixture of tiny blue beads.

There's one either side of the magnetic clip at the top of the necklace chain, and ones either end of each of the beads which have a lovely metallic sheen to the glass and really make the 'button tin' beads shine out! (Although you can't see their beauty in these photos - poor light)

The earring hooks have all come from Kath's stash. You can see the little glass beads top and bottom. They are the same colour in real life - but depending on how the light shines on them - they change colour.

I am getting so much neater using the header pins, making a ring loop and attaching them to the chains and earrings. And also at making double ended loops and rings to attach the beads and clasps to the bracelets and necklace.

When I scrutinised the ones I have made in my two lessons - they now look very amateur - ish, so I am debating whether to take them apart - or wear them with pride as my first efforts.

(The bits that look like a beginners efforts, are the wire wound loops - which don't show when the jewellery is being worn, unless you absolutely scrutinise it! So I think I will keep them as a reminder of where I started!)

Have you made jewellery? Do you still? If you have any links to your blogs with you projects on I'd love to see them.

I am finding it a really calming and relaxing process - do you?

Jewellery Lesson No.2.

2011-11-10T09:47:00.000-08:00

Well it wasn't a one to one lesson this time - so I struggled somewhat, and the technique took longer, but I did make a necklace and a bracelet.

So this is the bracelet - the big bead is central - I've just photographed it wonky.

The beads have a metallic finish except for the crystal ones.

I used three beads to make the third charm from each end.

This is the charm style pendant.

The tutor chooses the style and we get to choose the beads.

This weeks lesson concentrated on wirework - making loops etc.

Which we really stuggled with - but practice makes perfect and all that!

I have put beads either side of the clasp fastening, as I always struggle trying to find it when I try to do it up at the back. There are a couple of glass beads with oriental calligraphy on them which are sweet.

This afternoon, I whizzed up the shop to buy some beads to make some earrings to match my bracelet.

More fiddley wire work - but I am finding it easier now.

Here is the bead board that Kath was using, when I visited her, and her red tweezers.

I am glad that I really concentrated when she was explaining things.

Here is a bracelet I am working on - I bought the chain, but forgot to buy the clasps, so back I'll go tomorrow to get some.

If you do jewellery making and don't have one of these boards they are great. They are moulded plastic, and the top is suede like, so that prevents things slipping. When you cut the wire - which you have to do a lot, instead of the bits of wire flying off sliding across with table, it hits the board and stays there.

The moulded sections are used for your beads and findings etc, and the measurements make it so easy to centre what you are doing - my bracelet looks askew as I laid it down when I had added the beads, but when making it, I could lay the beads out evenly where the markers are, and jiggle them about to get the design I like best.

I spent a few happy blissful hours this afternoon, using Kath's board and tweezers and the earring findings are hers too.

And guess what - I found it so easy and never messed up anything!

Craft Room Treasure Hunt

2011-11-09T15:39:00.000-08:00

There is a treasure hunt over at the Craft Room and also fortnightly challenges. It's a great place to shop too - go have a look

Flower Arranging

2011-11-08T11:24:00.000-08:00

Well I was in for a bit of a surprise at our monthly flower arranging workshop. It was a nice distraction working there - you can just concentrate on what you are doing and your brain switches off to everything else.

I was given a large and a small foam ball and some foliage.

What would you do with those?

With some pins from my tool box, I used Laurel leaves back to front because I loved the underside best

And layered them around and around overlapping them as they would in nature - I liked the effect.

My tutor said that it looks like an artichoke - that was a compliment by the way!

The smaller one - using the same laurel leaves but the right way around and randomly.

With the addition of some flowering foliage

A bit of conifer from behind the hall

A couple of red baubles (not my idea)

Some wild ivy with berry heads

Popped in here and there

Finished off with some sweet smelling pinks and 7 roses in bud

Finished!

Sorry about the photos - it was too dark to that them indoors and so I had to try and take some in the garden room with a glass roof and the arrangement on a glass table - not a good idea!

I know it's not art but this made me laugh, and made my husband jump!

2011-11-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

I was just finishing posting on my blog when my husband shouted 'Oi' - something had landed with a thunk on top of the roof where he was sitting, and giving him the beady eye!

Can you see who is tapping on the window?

It's none other than........

Zola Buddy Bantam - her namesake was a runner who always ran barefoot.

She obviously thought that it was time her and the others got fed.

The clocks have gone back - so the bantams queue up outside the door at 3.45pm now - which in their body clock is their usual feeding time of 4.45pm

Gozzie - who is a black Rosecomb bantam has the habit of sitting on the windowsill and tapping on the window to tell us that they want feeding. She also does it when we are eating too!

This is a new trick for Zola! I'll have to clip her wings again.

I called her down when I went out...

And she flew right across the lawn, almost to where their run is - in an attempt to get to the food first!

Cheeky thing.

From Trash to Treasure Art- Giveaway

2011-11-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

Do you follow Lin Stevens blog? I do, and she makes and transforms the most amazing things - wish she did online workshops on how to alter the things she has posted about today.

I couldn't believe my eyes when she announced that she is giving all the items on show to some lucky folks who enter her three year blog anniversary giveaway. Why not go and have a drool at her lovely work - and enter her giveaway.

Thanks for the chance to enter Lin - and good luck everyone

I did it ! - First course under my belt! Jewellery Making

2011-11-03T10:08:00.000-07:00

This is my very best friend in all the world. Last time when I visited her to say our 'Goodbyes' there were some things she asked me to do - and I promised I would.

One of Kath's hobbies was jewellery making - she was brilliant at it - so here is one of the things I am doing for Kath

As if by some miracle a couple of weeks after she passed, a note came with the village magazine announcing a new venture just a couple of miles outside our village - and I went along on their opening day last week signed up for my first lesson at Raggle Taggle Beads, which I had on Tuesday morning.

And this is where I went

It's on a farm site with some other units

In the peaceful countryside but easy to get to by car

Deborah - my lovely and very talented tutor

I literally felt like a kiddie in a sweet shop

But these were all beads!

I took these photos yesterday when I popped back to pick up a few more supplies.

I had the most amazing time - I was so nervous - I left with a blinding headache from all the concentration etc - but with such a joy in my heart. I wanted to dash indoors and get straight onto the computer to email Kath - as we always did - then it hit me! But I am sure that she had a hand in all this! These are my first efforts.

Wire winding - with shaky hands!

I really did have a struggle with these but persevered. I am not really an earring person, but having made some I think I am hooked. I chose lovely emerald green glass beads - Kath's favourite colour. They look so bright in natural light and really glisten and reflect the light. I can certainly see things wrong with these - but they are my first efforts and the 'not quite right' wiring doesn't show when they are on my ears - and I'll be wearing them with pride thinking of Kath.

Phew - with the first task out of the way, I started to relax a bit and Deborah and I were chatting away easily. She moved to our village so we had lots of things to talk about. Here is my next piece of work - rather ambitious I thought - but it's a pendant. I just love the little magnetic 'clasps' it takes away all that fiddling with awkward fasteners. Mind you I did get into a bit of a pickle wiring those - I kept dropping them and they attracted the chain so ended up each time with a little pile to prise off.

Would you believe that I photographed this on the same suede cloth as before - but the colour's gone peculiar. Still learning wirework, I chose this lovely hand painted bead for a pendant. The painting both sides was painted in pearlised paint - with gold outlines. I just love it! Kath and I both bought a set of paints in these very colours! I used beads top and bottom with the same colours - it's hard to see, but when the light catches them they look luminescent - like looking in a puddle and seeing all those rainbow colours.

I liked the look of these square black beads, as they will go with a lot of my outfits. I used the pearlised beads again - in blue and green - on the right there are a couple that caught the light but they all look gorgeous and really change colours in the sunshine. It was quite a challenge making the bracelet - again I am not a wearer of bracelets - just have one very thin platinum one that my son bought me after he got married - and it's on permanently. This one complements it as it's silver too, and it is so comfortable to wear - quite a challenge measuring up doing the wire work both ends - but I am getting better. This afternoon I made the little earrings to match - and after downloading a 'how to' set of pictures, I actually found it so much easier. It does take a bit of practice!

This is a lovely chunky but soft and tactile polymer clay heart which I fell in love with and bought to make my final piece of the lesson

I love it! I am always rummaging around in my handbag looking for my car keys.

This heart is so easy to find and feels lovely to the touch. In the enlarged picture above I can see that I need to bend the loop at the bottom straight!

I bought myself the blue set of tools from Diane - and am going back for another lesson on Tuesday. The other bits and bobs I have had for years - with the intention for including them in altered art - but never accomplishing it. It's amazing how much I found when I had a rummage and I can use lots on this hobby. I have put them all in a tool box now as you can see - so I can look in here first before buying more stuff! And I'll be on the look out for junk jewellery that I can turn into a new creation.

Chatting away about different things, I mentioned about the silver clay course I had booked - and by pure coincidence, Diane had met artist at the weekend and had some of her leaflets. They had stands side by side at an Exhibition in Norwich!

My lesson was supposed to be an hour - but we were chatting away for so long whilst working - about lots of aspects of jewellery making, and I got to hear/learn about some of the techniques in silver clay jewellery (which Diane can do, so I hope to persuade her to fit some lessons in after the Christmas rush - she's incredibly busy at the moment filling orders etc) Another talent of hers - she has so many in all fields of art and craft - is working with polymer clay - so I hope to twist her arm for lessons in that too next year.

Oops nearly forgot this

Perfect Scents

Deirdre's hand made soaps and toiletries.

I used to make soaps and skin creams using, amongst other things, beeswax from the village beekeeper. Things have moved on quite a bit from when I made them, and I won't have to bulk buy any more now that we have a supplier so near our village - no mail order costs to pay.

So - yes you have guessed - I am booking a lesson to try something new with Deirdre on 16th.

Off to flower arranging tomorrow!

Odd sized art - received back.

2011-11-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

Today there was a nice surprise in the post - I received three odd sized pieces of art in exchange for the ones I made in the previous post. All different materials and textures used - thank you so much ladies.


This one has a friendly plastic embellishment on it which really catches the light - no name on the reverse.

This one is from Adrienne - one of the ladies who hosts the forum


And this one is from Kathryn

Odd sized art

2011-10-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

Well I have made a start by joining in an 'odd sized art' swap. The size I found awkward to do -
13.5cm x 6.5cm.

It's a three for three swap.

For 'Auriculas' above I glued a vintage book page onto thick card and built up the layers.

This one has a vintage print, which I framed in a faux wood frame (it's made of cardboard and I have layered on different coloured inks until I got the effect I wanted.) It's meant to convey a picture on display in an art gallery in France - hence the vintage type faded 'wallpaper' it's displayed on.

I stamped the backing paper, used a torn image from an old newspaper stamped across the bottom, added a small stamp in the bottom left hand corner - and just had to use the sentiment stamp I found in a bag of old mixed rubber stamps - it really appealed to me.

They went in the post this afternoon - and I made another one for me later.

( I don't think I have much if any of my artwork - I seem to join in swaps and send it all off!)

I have just finished the above for myself.

Inked and stamped paper (a Crafty Individuals letter stamp). A torn vintage image, a row of lace top and bottom which I coloured to tone in with the paper - and the paper flower which I coloured dark brown but looks rather red in the photo just to finish it off.

Thank you Sam for the nudge and the lovely RAKS tags you sent me, I really appreciate your kindness

One large kick up the rear applied!

2011-10-23T06:29:00.000-07:00

Well how do you get your mojo going again huh?   I have been searching for ways to force me to do things - apart from staying indoors - and working myself to a standstill in the garden.

So yesterday I took the plunge and found a new venue yesterday, which has just opened in a 'lock up' on a farm near me, and have signed up for a one to one beading session the first day in November.

My best friend loved beading and made such beautiful things, that I thought I just had to have a go. If I learn the basics, then I can go arty crafty and put my own stamp/take on things - which will be good.

Years ago, I used to make lots of soaps and body creams using beeswax from the village beekeeper - but bars of soap seem to have gone out of 'fashion' - and there are only so many bars you can use if you do like it! Sharing the unit I visited yesterday was another lady who makes organic hand washes, and hand lotions, and one of them uses goats milk - perfect - and no, it doesn't smell of goats, she uses oils too.   So I have signed up for a one to one lesson with her too.

And the third thing I have done is to sign up for Mary Greens Christmas Glue Book Class which went online early this morning.   There is a link to her site in my right hand column.    I have paid for the course, downloaded the information, printed out the images and backing paper sheets, and am raring to go!   The first lesson starts on November 6th.   If you like Vintage Victorian - you'll love this.

I don't want to give too many secrets away - but after the course, you'll have time to use the images for Christmas cards and other projects too. And they are not too 'twee' and are from Mary's own collections. Pop over and have a look

Bring on the girls!

2011-10-17T14:34:00.000-07:00

You haven't been seeing much of my girls lately - so much going on! You can see Daisy, Maudie and can you see Dolly in amongst the flowers

I cleaned out their run and Peckingham Palace on Saturday

Here they are giving it an inspection and spreading the bedding around

It's hungry work

This was lunch time - after which they spent the rest of the day scratching about in the garden

It must be 4pm - they are gathering outside the kitchen door letting me know it's tea time.

Dolly the Silkie in the foreground has started moulting and has been preening herself.

When the others flew over to join the queue the feathers flew everywhere making a real mess of the lawn. It rained a few minutes after they went into their run for the evening so I didn't get a chance to feather pick the garden. Tsk.

Oh dear - I posted this on the wrong blog - it should be on my allotment blog. I am too tired to retype it - sorry if you thought it was a work of art!

Thankyou so very much Pat

2011-10-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

I received an airmail package with a lovely gift inside wrapped up in this pretty paper from Pat Winter

Her blog, with her beautiful work fills me with awe, and she always has a story to tell I try to visit most days - it's a joy.

A few weeks ago when I visited, Pat was having a giveaway to celebrate her birthday

I was staggered when I saw this . There ended up with 111 comments - but for the first time ever the random number generator picked No.14 and that was me!

I am very proud to have in my possession all these amazing goodies,

Pictures printed on material, packets of little embellishments,

Colour co-ordinated pieces of lovely fabric and some gorgeous hand dyed silk ribbon for sewing.

I am so grateful and it really lifted my spirits - thank you Pat.

I have a copy of your book, and really want to try Crazy Quilting, and I really think that this winter will be the time I start. With your thoughful collection it really has convinced me that perhaps I really can make something. You have no idea how much I appreciate your kindness.

(A little thank you is flying across the pond as I type)

I think I am getting a bit philosophical in my old age - and here's why

I have been 'overshadowed' with a great sadness for a while as a very dear friend of mine has been really poorly. But this weekend I really feel that somehow she has been trying to motivate me or cheer me up from 'afar.'

Firstly I received this wonderful gift.

Then last night for the first time ever I went to a quiz evening in a little village near us to help raise funds for it's bowls club. I bought some raffle tickets - (I've not won any raffles before) But the most amazing thing happened. Out of the several hundred tickets sold my number was called out first! I couldn't believe it! I chose a box of mushrooms - as it was being held at a mushroom farm. I could have had wine, spirits, chocolates and all manner of goodies - but just picked mushrooms are just the best - I could eat them like chocolates.

We were still celebrating - and the laughter of my picking the mushrooms hadn't died down - when the third number called was another of my tickets! This time we picked a bottle of nice Champagne - either for a donation to another fund raising event or for Christmas. Then a while later yet another of my tickets was chosen - at this point I was so embarrassed that I told them to draw another ticket.

Was all this a co-oincidence - or was my dear friend, wherever she is - working her magic to lift my spirits?
I like to think it's the latter.

I can't pretend to be happy, but I will be giving myself a kick up the rear, and start crafting again - it's just what she'd have wanted.

But it might take me a little time.

Till then I will be visiting your blogs and seeing what you are doing.

Oh I have just noticed the quote of the day today - its.....

Quote of the Day
How delightful to find a friend in everyone.
Joseph Brodsky

I doubt I will ever have a friend as special as you my dearest - but I think I am receiving your messages loud and clear

The Vintage Specs Case Saga

2011-09-10T03:35:00.000-07:00

Well the vintage specs case turned into a saga - I was too tired last night to write about it! Not being the most experienced person on a sewing maching (understatement - mine is hidden in a cupboard and only comes out when I need to get something else out) - I should have thought seriously before I put my name down for the swap!

The case my swap partner chose, was in fact my fifth attempt. I thought you might like to see my other attempt - well the only other one that got finished.

It started off O.K. - I used the colours preferred - brown and gold. Two layers of material thick cream inside and silkie thick material outside. I dyed the lace, used vintage gold silk to attached the lady to, and was hand sewing on the gold bead trim at this stage - it looked much better in real life the gold beads really were lovely gold.

This was Mk 1 finished and with a pair of specs in it - so it looks a bit lopside.

This is the back which is wonky - I just couldn't get it to go straight - I think the material I used was far too thick.

I took it apart and tried again .

I did manage to get the back seam a bit straighter - but not central as it should be! I sorted out the chunky bottom hem, dyed and added silk ribbon around the top to hide the seam.

The top is a bit wonky now - but the silk ribbon and bow is a bit of a distraction.

The bottom is nice and flat now and no longer chunky as I unpicked that and then once ironed, I sewed it flat adding more dyed lace and ribbon to disguise the seam.

It's far from perfect but OK for me to put my reading glasses in.

The other (aborted) attempts I tried......

An envelope style one, where you just fold up a third to create the pocket, and the remaining is the flap. But - why does there always have to be a big BUT! If you sew the seams of the pocket, the flap is too wide, so you need an overlocker machine so that you can sew it all flat in one go - the stitches like blanket stitch or similar - guess who's machine is basic! The other attempt was still using the two flat oblong pieces of material, cut a corner off - then do a curved stitch all the way around as a pattern and the cut around the curved bits to create a fancy border. Not as easy as it sounds with a basic machine and at that point, if I were strong enough, the machine would have gone through the window!

My final attempt was the one in the previous post.

These do actually look a lot nicer in real life!

Think I'll skip the sewing swaps in future!

Heavens to Murgatroyd - I have managed to make something.

2011-09-09T15:32:00.000-07:00

Well it's been a long time coming hasn't it!

I finally joined in a couple of swaps on a forum I belong to.

One of which was to make a specs or phone case, whichever your partner preferred.

My partner Pattie wanted a specs case - and so did I so that was good.

You can't see it well in the photos, but this material has a lovely printed pattern of gold overlaying, and highlighting the coloured pattern. It is a reproduction of an Elizabethan/Tudor pattern.

The front has a panel made from a vintage French sample which is lovely and shiny like silk with an woven pattern of flowers.

I made a number of attempts at different specs patterns - and failed miserably at them all. But this was my second attempt at this one - my own 'pattern'. It is lined with thick cream material with an embossed cream pattern on it - another sample piece of upholstery material so it's nice and soft for the specs.

This case has taken me a large amount of hours to make (I am too embarrassed to own up to how many) and at the moment it's the best I can come up with.

I'll have to start 'playing' with my sewing machine so that it's not alien to me!

Yours Artfully Pastel Giveaway

2011-09-06T14:58:00.000-07:00

You just have to visit here to see the new Pan's Pastels that Lin has in stock - and the amazing things that she has made with them. You can also be in with a chance of winning some!

Awesome

At last - I have managed to make something!

2011-08-15T03:10:00.000-07:00

It took me over a week - I am so slow and out of practice. 'Life' has been getting in the way of crafting, but I am sure once the autumn comes and there is less going on, I'll get back into it.

My daughter-in-law's parents are visiting from Japan, so I made them a little book to take back with them of photos of his stay with them last year (this year was cancelled at the very last minute due to the Tsunami) and I have also included 'big' events of this past year up to date. Such as first day at school in his new uniform, winning a medal in the school sports day, special photos with mum and dad, learning to ride his bike without stabilisers in the pouring rain - that sort of thing.

The book was inspired by one a forum friend Paula made me - you can see her blog here obviously mine isn't a patch on the one she made, and I didn't have all the wonderful embellishments she used, but Haruko's parents seemed very happy with it and my grandson explained to them in Japanese all the events and Haruko translated all the messages for them.

It was a very hot and humid six week summer break in Japan last year so an afternoon nap was essential!

There are lots of exotic insects in JiJi and BaBa's (grandad and grandmother) garden. This was a green stick insect that was on his bedroom windowledge. At least I think it was a stick insect. Long and bright green, with long long legs - and perfectly harmless

I won't bore you with the rest of it - just wanted you to know that I haven't given up!

Time for flower arranging again.

2011-08-04T02:35:00.000-07:00

It was our annual flower arranging and lunch day yesterday

The weather was excrutiatingly hot and humid but we still had fun.

This is a pew end but as I don't have a pew, its laying on my table.

This very large arrangement is difficult to display.

It smells wonderful and is designed to look nice from all sides.

Its in a long tray which holds three Oasis blocks so quite a lot of space to fill.

We all took food for lunch - and had a veritable feast - it was great - and there was laughter all day long.

(We made the little pew end arrangement in the afternoon - as you can probably guess. We were all wilting from the heat, and full of fabulous food)

Getting out of the doldrums!

2011-07-07T12:08:00.000-07:00

I received my monthly email newsletter from UK stampers - with a Vintage Challenge in it. I took a look at the links and decided to have a go. It's taken me a few days - and I think it's kicked me out of the doldrums and hopefully back into crafting.

There was a 'recipe' of things to use - some of which were a vintage image. Which you can see above. I have enhanced it with inks, and sewn on an embroidered piece of lace embellished with sequins.

As cards seem to be my downfall, I decorated an old cardboard box and turned it into a jewellery box for a necklace a friend made for me.

I covered it with really old vintage material which I enhanced in places with ink to give it depth and more colour.

Other elements I included from the 'required' list are a vintage shirt button in the top left hand corner, a scrap of frayed vintage ribbon which I have stamped, and I have edged around the box with vintage lace - I had just enough to go around it, and I 'curled' it over the lid to make a frame.

When I started out the old material and image looked flat and faded and, well ordinary, but with the addition of the inks I painted on here and there, it seemed to come to life, and I was rather pleased with the enhancements to the face, bonnet and ribbons, shawl, little flowers on her dress, and the addition of the pretty lace.

I added quite a bit of shading to the roses, and some of the leaves, and I found a little butterfly at the bottom which had faded so gave that some ink tinting with a combination of the rose colours.

Thank you so much for looking and leaving comments - I have been 'away' from blogging for so long, I thought you would have all forgotten me!

Butterfly Card

2011-07-07T06:45:00.000-07:00

I had a go at making a butterfly card from a template featured on Cardmaking Paradise

I went down the stamping 'route' and embossing 'route', but couldn't get a result I was happy with, so decided on using a piece of Chinese silk that really shines in sunlight.

I coloured the two pieces of card with ink and added a quote

A blissful afternoon.

2011-07-06T12:20:00.000-07:00

The quote of the day to day is: Talent is a flame - Genius is a fire - well for months now I have been a damp squid as far as crafting is concerned. Not a spark nor a flicker - nothing.

Yesterday though I had a wonderful afternoon playing around with flowers in a little village hall about 16 miles from here - and what a joy, mixing with lovely ladies, having fun, and laughter too - and I get to bring home an arrangement I have made - and this is it.

I love zingy lime green at the moment - the colour just makes me smile for some reason.

Just looking at it is cooling in all this hot weather - so here is my take on a cool dish for a hot day

Blue hydrangeas, lime achemilla mollis, icecream coloured roses

Poppy seed heads, lime green carnations, and stalks of lavender.

Topped off with a 'cool cap' of twisted wire.

Its a mound of foliage on a raised bowl - I'll try to add a side view - tomorrow.

Honey I'm home - with blog candy news

2011-06-10T08:36:00.000-07:00

I bet you didn't even notice that I had 'gone' did you?

I am just checking all my emails - 126 in just 5 days! 89 of which were kinda 'junk'!

BUT some nice news to catch up on in my - inbox - one of which was to let me know that Moira - the owner of the Happy Daze shop, had moved her blog to here and to celebrate is giving away a £30 voucher. Yes - a whopping £30 to spend in her fabulous online shop.

Click on the link and join in!

It's that time of the month again.............

2011-06-01T14:28:00.000-07:00

Oh how I have missed going to our monthly flower arranging get together.

It's such fun and well worth the journey.

Did you get to see Chelsea Flower Show last week?

I only watched it on TV and it was great.

This arrangement is a mix of English country garden foliage - hosta leaves and conifer.

With a touch of the hot colours of Gerbera, exotic Proteas which always look as though they are not of this world, and cooling carnations.

Framed with aspidistra leaves.

Not the best place to photograph it, right in front of a window, but my space is limited as we have some work going on indoors at the moment.

The colours in real life are much more vibrant and contrasting - it makes me smile just looking at it.

Grrr Blogger still misbehaving!

2011-05-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

Well blogger is being a real pain. It lets me type a message in the comments on blogs - then it throws me into the log in page - even though I am logged in - then when I got back I get the same message - seems to be stuck in a loop.

It will be nice when they fix it.

So I am visiting your blogs and will continue to do so - but for now you will not see my comments - all nice ones I can assure you!

Altered wooden cheese book

2011-05-31T10:05:00.000-07:00

Well here I am - back again - it's been a long time.

This is a wooden cheese box which I painted inside and out

with metallic blues,and pearls.

I used my favourite stamp - the mermaid goddess, and also used a stencil to make a seabed like pattern of seaweed

I managed to find some embroidered edging that reminded me of waves. It is decorated with sew on little seed beads and 'pearls'. I happend to find it in a little haberdashery shop which finished it off perfectly I thought.

The mermaid has been finished with a watery pearl wash then sealed to give it a lovely watery finish.

It's off in the post tomorrow for a swap. My husband asked, 'Can't you keep it and send something else?' Maybe I can make myself one - but two never turn out the same do they. That is the joy of crafting.

Happiness is..................................

2011-03-04T13:59:00.000-08:00

Feeling well enough to slap on the sun cream, big floppy hat, and go out into the spring sunshine

To have the energy to clean out the chicken run, albeit slowly with lots of resting and looking, and watching Bluebell and Zola rush in and roll about in the fresh Hemcore squeaking with delight

To see Dolly, and Willow, Henrietta, Freckles, Snowy, Poppy, Mary, Gozzie, charge in and follow suit

To sit in wonder that Old Daisy has survived another winter, and is relishing the spring just as much as me. She really is very old, and we never expect her to last another year - but she does bless her

Happiness is seeing new life bursting forth through a bare ground

Turning a corner and discovering scented wonders

And bouquets of Bergenia

Oh how I have missed all this.

And happiness is visiting treasured friends blogs again, and seeing that 'they too' are enjoying a breath of spring and chickens - just like me.

Jo's given me some inspiration to get crafting again.

Thank's Jo - I loved your post - it really perked me up and I hope to have a go at your 'make' next week.

Lovely to be back - hope to be 'visiting' you all again soon

Flower Arranging Friday

2011-01-29T02:58:00.000-08:00

I had such a fun time at the flower arranging workshop I go to once a month.

Perfect pearls with pink

My tutor had said that it would suit me down to the ground, and it did!

Most of the lesson was 'crafting'

You cut up a bit of old cardboard 10"x10" or any size you like to fit over your vase - a tall one.

Cut a square in the centre - so it looks like an empty picture frame

Then start wrapping material scraps, plasterers netting strips, ribbon, wool, torn paper, skeleton leaves, and just keep adding layers until it looks padded and pretty. Lay bits and pieces loosely on top, like skeleton leaves, bits of string - anything that takes your fancy.

Then wind around it with wire to flatten it and keep it all intact.

I decided to thread some old beads from a broken necklace on the wire to add some interest.

Then you just do a hand-tied bouquet of whatever flowers you like-roses in this case from the supermarket.

And I thought I would add some pearls on pins to the centre of the roses.

Over the coming days the roses will open up and fill out and look gorgeous.

Imagine a frame with spring colours - and the bouquet full of tulips or daffodils!

Or hot firey reds and oranges for summer flowers from the garden.

Or those lovely rustic autumn colours - yummy!

Think I will be making a few more frames - such a cheap way of having a bouquet in your home.

And it would only cost pennies - and the frame will last forever!

Edited

I took the above photos last night with the hope of taking better ones today.

My bungalow is so tiny that I only have one table to put a vase of flowers on, but I can't get a decent photo without 'things' in the background - like the fire place or sofa - so I tried outside.

And this happened! As soon as either of us go outside the bantams come rushing over to see if they can scrounge some food or scraps! These are just some of my rare breed banties.

I threw them some chopped up apple and pear cores and managed to just get them out of sight for a quick photo.

Fabric Journal - ongoing project

2011-01-27T02:08:00.000-08:00

Firstly may I thank you all for leaving comments yesterday. I wasn't able to get onto the computer until last night, and by the time I had answered emails, etc, it left me little time to visit all your blogs. I did spend over an hour before my eyes 'gave out', and later today I will return the compliment and visit all those blogs which I didn't manage to last night.

Now where did Kate go to next? And what did she send back to Lucinda in England for her scrapbook?

Well she did get to have a good time didn't she! She mixed with the high society and fashionable set of the era - and they certainly knew how to enjoy themselves!

The Moulin Rouge was a new theatre and totally different to anything seen before.

It was so exciting, and glamorous and full of high society and artisans, and was always packed with the rich and famous - quite an eye opener for an 'innocent' from a country estate in England.

She became in awe of Toulouse-Lautrec, who used to spend hours and hours in the theatre sketching everything that was going on there. He was only 1.5m tall, after breaking one, then the other leg later in his childhood which stunted their growth.

His art was very 'new' and 'modern' and totally different to the 'traditional' painters.

Maybe he saw things differently when he sketched, then painted the posters at home in a drunken 'haze' apparently.

I love the simple lines and caricature way of painting his subjects and the colours he used too captured the vibrancy of the theatres don't you think?

Kate loved visiting there - and Lucinda was transfixed when she read of Kate's 'adventures'.

Her scrapbook, although very old, has weathered the years quite well, despite the pages being 'well thumbed' over years of re-reading it, and stained with age.

So, two more pages in my vintage fabric journal story......

Thirteen more to go - who knows where she will be visiting next?

I don't - but I'll find out in a week or so no doubt.

Thanks for looking

What's on your workdesk Wednesday

2011-01-25T15:13:00.000-08:00

Well I am typing this late Tuesday evening and am out early Wednesday - here's a Mr Linky to WOYWW.

Last week my desk was a disgrace - but in my defence I am moving all my craft stuff from a 16ftx12ft studio in my garden to a tiny room less than half that size, indoors.

So it is getting rather full in here.

Thank you all so much for your comments on my blog - I do take everything you say 'on board'.

On the last blog entry comments, Rosie mentioned about us having 'our fingers in too many pies'

What wise lady - it summed up my dilemma perfectly.

So with that in mind, I have made a commitment to myself to complete all my unfinished projects.'

This is a journal I made on my first online course - it has lots of signatures so I ran out of steam.

So picking up where I left off in the story, my 'heroine' is living it up in Paris, and has been visiting some of the famous dressmakers with a view to having the latest fashions.

In hindsight I am quite pleased that I did not have the time to do more to this, because in the meantime I have dabbled in another couple of courses and have aquired the ability to add more colour to the pages. (We were shown how to colour huge sheets of water colour paper, by painting with tea, or coffee etc and they did look rather drab

I have now added more colours to the pages as I go, and it looks 10 times better. I have made cardboard cut outs and decorated them with gorgeous scraps of materials and beads, some, like the red one at the top, have a genuine vintage sample of material of the era - with a real french label attached for it.

Here is a scrap of the letter that went with one of the 'mannequins' to go into the scrapbook, which is now over 100 years old and has aged somewhat.

I was lucky enough to visit Monet's Jardin in Givernay a number of years ago and it was like stepping back in time - the print is from a fern leaf.

And this is the 'spread'

I had to take photos this evening - so under artificial light.

15 more pages to go to complete the book.

Wish me luck!

What's on your workdesk Wednesday - A MESS!

2011-01-19T05:50:00.000-08:00

My desk is a shameful mess this morning - and why?

Because last night after my visitors had gone I decided to have a go at the first exercise of 'Your Vintage Gluebook' course.

I know what you are going to say - namely that I have signed up for a few courses and haven't followed them through - and you are quite right!

There are many reasons for this - hence my trying this collage course. I am hoping it will help with my other areas of art work.

This is my first attempt.

It is a bit darker tham it appears on here - the colours being vintage, using mainly vintage ephemera.

Mary of Greenpaper said that 'you will not like your first attempt'. Well last night I did - I thought it was rather good for a first attempt - but this morning I didn't and picked 'holes' in it for all sorts of reasons.

The size of the book is 3.5 inches by 5.5 inches - so it's a bit small and having big arthritic hands and fingers I do tend to avoid small things as they are a struggle.

(Notice all the excuses!)

I have laid the page on a frame which helps to focus on the 'dislikes'.

The title of the backing book page, which is a vintage pale coffee colour - is off centre (wish I had used a frame last night!).

I tend to tear everything as I have trouble cutting out images, which is OK in straight lines but not so clever with the child and dog - old newspaper images, which were a bit thin.

I like the overlaid vintage rose drawing over the green vintage paper strip. I also like the torn at an angle, vertical vintage strip on the left hand side.

The vintage perfume bottle label, I thought looked nice last night as the colours matched - but now I realise that it is 'top heavy' and should have been smaller.

But I guess for a first effort - it's not bad!

I have spent the rest of this morning clearing up all the mess!

Lunch is 'calling' so just off to cook it, and I'll be paying a visit to other WOYWW participants

First 12 days of my diary journal.

2011-01-12T05:35:00.000-08:00

Well, so far I am actually finding time to fill in my daily art journal. It does help that the squares are only 1 inch! Not had much time to do any other art work sadly - too much going on.

As you can see it has changed quite a lot from my last post.

I real life the colourful page actually looks like it is cut out and glued on - you have to touch it to see that it is not,

I drew freehand with a thick feltip pen the wiggley border.

Then I coloured the outside with burnt orange feltip, and spent ages drawing on individual tiny circles all over it, then shaded it with oil pastels.

The colours are far more vibrant in real life - I wanted bright and cheerful colours for January as the weather is now so wet and dull and gloomy.

This close up is three times the size of the actual square.

I just love these Stampotique chicken stamps from Happy Daze which were a present from a friend I hold very dear.

This chicken looks just like one of mine - Dopey Dolly who is very happily laying eggs in the mid winter - when she shouldn't!

The start of a journal...

2011-01-07T06:27:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pages that I experimented with

All metallic colours

And this is what I am using them for

I am going to make a day by day journal.

Made up of quarterly signatures which will be bound into one big journal

I'll use it to made notes or quotes each day, and add stamping and drawings when I feel inspired.

These are the paints I am using to create the pearlescent highlights.

Little hard 'cakes' of colours.

Off to play again.

My little bungalow is as dark as a cave today - so I feel some 'lights and brights' colour sploshing coming on!

Being a child - and sloshing around wth paint

2011-01-06T14:33:00.000-08:00

My art work is a disaster at the moment. My attempts at journalling, sketching, even making a card - to join in the various challenges, are so bad that they are just bin fodder.

I am not going for the sympathy vote - it's just a fact. My brain won't switch off with life's problematic intrusions - it happens to us all doesn't it.

So late afternoon, when all the chores, and cooking etc had been done, I just went into my little craft room and just experimented.

I bought a roll of wallpaper lining today, as I couldn't get any watercolour paper or sketch pads from the nearest town. As it is so cheap for a big roll of paper, I didn't have the 'worry' of messing anything up and I just 'let go' and played.

The first thing I did was to tear some strips, to make pages, then I sloshed on some water colours, dried it then sloshed on some very watery pearlised water colours.

And although this photo does not do the colours justice - you can just see the metallic effect of the splatters.

All of the blue shades are pearlised and catch the light - it's great!

I don't have a clue what I will do with these pages I am creating, but it is just wonderful not to 'try' to make something for a challenge or theme, but to just be a child again and play!

What's on your workdesk Wednesday

2011-01-05T02:37:00.000-08:00

My little grandson, who is painting a canvas I bought him for Christmas.

'Nana, the elephant is grey, and you don't have grey in your paint box', he said.

He is marvelling at the grey paint, having mixed a splodge of white and black!

I wish I had taken a photo of him at the wonderment on his face when he made this amazing discovery that you can mix colours together to get whatever colour you want!

But he is still looking as though he can't quite believe what happened.

After that, I showed him the magic of mixing dark blue with white to get a light blue for the sky. Blue and yellow to get different shades of green. He just loved the mixing on a plastic lid part. In fact he seemed to have as much fun experimenting with mixing different colours as he did painting with them.

(I have to confess that I was rather proud that as he had just had his 5th birthday 2 days before Christmas, at how careful, and painstakingly he painted his very first printed picture. Not a bit like his dad and uncle - who at the same age were sploshing on paint with great gusto!)

In the photo above we have dried the paint with an air dryer, and he is just putting the finishing touches to the tree - he wanted red cherries on it, so is drawing them freehand with a felt tip pen!

Definitely a mixed media artist in the making

I thought I would join in on the fun blog hop which is What's on your workdesk Wednesday.

Why don't you hop over here to join in

Art Journal Every Day 3

2011-01-03T12:33:00.000-08:00

Well I messed up big time with this!

So I painted over the page and tried again

And again

So spent more than 10 minutes on it.

But decided to show you anyway!

So instead of being on top of a rainbow - which I ruined (but only one page thank goodness)

This is totally different.

I used oil pastel sticks as they are good for covering up 'stuff' as they are rich. The only thing is, because they are oil based they are hard to write or even paint on.

This is not finished yet.

For some reason I thought of the three brass monkeys.

'See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.'

It's good to post things that go wrong I think.

Talking of which .........there is another one coming up

Art Journal Every Day. 2

2011-01-01T13:37:00.000-08:00

Today my time was spent brayering over the page on the left hand side

Splattering the page on the right hand side with water to which I added a drip of bleach.

I like the effect!

Haven't a clue where I go from here!

Will let you see when I have done some more!

Altered Plywood Tissue Box

2011-01-01T01:11:00.000-08:00

I had the blue metallic paint out to decorate the cheese box in the previous post - and yes, you know what's it's like - you want to paint everything in sight don't you!

So after a rummage in my stash, I retrieved a wooden tissue box which I had been saving for the day that I had some inspiration!

I painted it blue all over and it looked lovely, but plain.

Then I got out my stencils again and stencilled every flat surface!

Both ends

Both sides

And both sides of the top!

With a lovely pearlescent (childrens) tube of acrylic paint, which I brushed over the blue to give it a gorgeous sheen when the light caught it!

Sadly it doesn't photograph well but you will have to take my word for it.

I didn't want to part with it really as it looked lovely in real life!

It has gone to a very good home though - to Haruko, my daughter in law, as one of her Christmas presents.

Art Journal Every Day

2010-12-31T08:56:00.000-08:00

Quote of the day today is 'Fortune favours the bold' from Virgil - which is rather apt in my case as I am about to embark on 365 days of art journalling - joining in the challenge of 'Art journal every day' you can join in too - there's a link in my side bar!

Now you don't have to do a journal page every single day - oh no - I would fall by the wayside on the first day if you did! The idea is that you add a little something every day - why not hop over and read up about it - it sounds great fun.

I am number 150 on the list of those joining in from all over the world - and the list is growing fast!

On Julie's blog today, she has uploaded examples of work from different blogs and it's brilliant to kick start you into action.

So after an hour and a half's walk in fog around the village, on a cold miserable day, it was just what I needed to get going.

When I took a look today I was inspired to have a go at using bright colours after seeing Reine's fabulous journal page.

So here is my 10 minute 'start' today.

Using Pentel Aquash water colour crayons on the left hand side page, I just scribbled some random colours. Then decided to repeat the colours on the right hand side page using Necolours.

Look what happens when you wash over them with a water brush - magic!

I had just started to flick water onto the right hand side when my time was up!

Watch this space!

Finished the cheese now altered the box!

2010-12-30T12:29:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos of a cheese box I altered.

Firstly I painted the box with children's copper coloured acrylic paint

Then using a stencil, I dabbed all over with blue metallic paint

Then I repeated the process for the lid

Job done!

Tucked inside is a surprise - best not mention what it is as it's a birthday present.

It's a cracker

2010-12-21T12:52:00.000-08:00

I hardly have time to sit down at the moment - like most mums and grannies - lots of baking and wrapping of presents, etc.

I did make some time a week ago to create this

It smells wonderful when you walk into the little room. The combination of eucalyptus, pine, and rosemary is so refreshing. It looks much redder and Christmassey in daylight.

I also bought a real Christmas tree as always from a farm - and braved driving down a narrow country lane, covered in snow, with only one track of tyre marks - that was last week.

I spent a couple of afternoons decorating it. It takes so long, as every bauble and bit of tinsel brings back memories of Christmas past.

Are you the same when you decorate your tree or home?

Have a good Christmas one and all, and may 2011 bring good health and happiness.

Fabric postcard - with vintage c1920's material

2010-12-14T12:27:00.000-08:00

Recently I made a fabric postcard for a swap, my very first, and now that it has arrived at it's destination I can post it on here.

I made it from a sample of vintage French material circa 1920's

which found it's way years ago to a shop in Norway, and was bought by Ati

I couldn't bear to part with the original label - rusty staples and all - so this is a photo copy which I made on old paper - it's hard to tell that it is not the original

It looks like silk brocade with gold embroidery, and I have made it 'shabby chic' style, sewing it on to the back of a scrap of vintage hessian, which I had stamped with vintage script

Then I built up the layers.

Another piece of the vintage blue and gold material

More torn hessian stamped to match the base layer

Then I did an image transfer of this gorgeous girl which really suited the period of the material.

I dyed the scrap of lace to tone in with the colours in the image, and added the tiny circle of from a piece of vintage crocheted doilly.

(I have kept enough of the sample to make myself a similar postcard or wall hanging, or maybe I will make a journal of little works of art using the samples in 2011, the material is just so beautiful)

I received my first ever fabric postcard swap back - from Jean - the start of a lovely collection I hope.

I can see how addictive these little works of fabric art can be!

Upcycling 'rubbish'

2010-12-13T08:54:00.000-08:00

Have you got any of these lying around? Well don't throw them out will you.

Take out the pattern

Add some stitching.

Slap on some gesso - as much or as little as you like.

Then you can cut it and sew it up as it is or.....

I decided to cover mine

Added some scraps of webbing

Added some handles

Hey presto - a bag.

It's surprisingly strong!

This one holds an A5 journal set with coloured pencils,

and sets of brushes.

If you would like to have a go at making some lovely bags out of paper - visit Roben-Marie's blog here - for lots of inspiration and a free mini workshop with all the instructions here

Mine is rubbish in comparison with her samples - but after visiting her blog late at night on Saturday, I just had to go into my craft room right away and have a go at one!

So in essence this was just a practice piece to see if I could make one - my head is now buzzing with lots of ideas on adapting the process to make all sorts of packages.

Another week - another 'cake'

2010-12-12T12:31:00.000-08:00

I made a square arrangement for a friend.

Another cake design

I hadn't seen this friend for over 20 years

She thinks it is about 23 years

What a joyous weekend we had - and we won't lose touch again

I was able to use lots of foliage from my garden, and moss just a couple of days before the snow wrecked most things

I chose flowers that should last a long time

I love Christmas - it's such a great time to flower arrange

I am working on a Christmas cracker

I'll finish it over the weekend - it's very Christmassy

Zero calories, fat free birthday cake.

2010-11-20T08:24:00.000-08:00

My daughter in law Haruko, is 40 years old today. I didn't have 40 candles so improvised with the cake.

I glued two blocks of floral foam together, then cut out a circle.

There are lots of layers. Dozens of laurel leaves

Each picked to be of a uniform size. Secured underneath and then each one pinned to overlap the previous one.

It takes a long time, and a lot of patience - but it stops you eating!

You only need tips of shrubs from the garden and moss to fill the gaps.

And in true Alice in Wonderland fashion with the flowers

Off with their heads! The flowers last so much longer this way

I think it looks good enough to eat - and smells divine!

The chunky candle should last at least a week of night time lighting.

I think I will make a few Christmas cakes like this!

(Oh - before I forget - I have baked a really BIG calorific wicked chocolate cake too!)

It's in the post - work in progress, and Mary Mary

2010-11-19T13:35:00.000-08:00

The wall hanging is finished and in the post.

The next experiment

I spent some time over the last few nights just experimenting with layers.

Trust me this looks better in real life, the colours aren't so harsh, and it has a feel of the Tudor rich velvet costumes and wall hangings - muted, but rich

I thought you might like to see how the layers are built up.

It started off as a piece of cream material, which I painted with suede acrylic.

Cream was stencilled on next.

Then pearlescent white.

Metallic green.

Brayered white all over.

Stencilled gold.

I now have one more layer of acrylic white to brayer on then I'll build up the layers of material.

This is Mary - she somehow managed to get on the wrong blog.

She's a very very rare little Lemon Millefleur Sablepoot.

She decided to sit right outside the conservatory window on a wall - to dry off her dirty 'boots'.

I think that she is as pretty as a picture - so I'll let her stay here!

I spent a lovely couple of hours at a flower arranging workshop this afternoon.

It was too dark to take a decent photo of the finished work - so I'll post that on here tomorrow.

'Make an item of your choice using stencils'

2010-11-16T13:41:00.000-08:00

I thought I would have a go at this swap - it's taken me quite a long time to do this - but its been fun.

I had bought a yard of this from a charity shop - it's quite thick material

I had to do this in stages. Firstly I painted the metallic copper layer over a stencil and left it to dry overnight.

Then I painted the pearlescent on top through another stencil - left that to dry overnight and repeated the two processes the next couple of days. (Having been doing Tam's free course, I have learned a lot about layering - it really makes a huge difference.)

I cut out a heart from the same material, then painted the pearlescent over stencils - yes you guessed it, left it overnight to dry. I painted around the edge of the frayed heart, transferred an image directly onto the heart, stamped 'Best Friend' with Stazon, and then sewed all the layers together.

Hemmed the top, sewed on the vintage lace borders. I haven't decided whether to just sew on the cord or to thread through a stick and tie the cord on. I'll experiment before I send it off.

This photo is just to show you the difference it makes taking a picture at night with just the room light!

The other photos were taken under a 'daylight' bulb lamp.

Art, Heart, and Healing Course - Week 3 Part 2 - The making of an Empathy Monster

2010-11-14T12:31:00.000-08:00

You'll have to click the link to Tam's free course to see what all this is about - yet another new technique and learning curve.

This proved rather difficult for me - a monster!!!!

So this is a prototype using the drawing Tam gave us. There are elements missing - like a zip for the mouth, but as they don't say anything - my little 'Emy' Empathy doesn't have a mouth.

She is made from scraps - second hand used blue velvet - feels oh so soft on my cheek. Ribbon someone saved for me a year ago - from a box if chocolates. Fringing from a charity shop, buttons from Freecycle, and the star is shell which I coloured blue. The heart from a piece of silk from a charity shop tatty scarf.

Now that I have made Emy, I want to make some friends for her - just need to get some 'bits' to make them 'properly'

Oh - and she is filled with perfumed stuffing!

Obvously NOT a child's toy!

Edit

Thank you for all your lovely comments. I can't wait to make some more - this is my first ever 'doll' - I'm a bit old to finally have one, better late than never!

Week 3 Art,Part 1 Heart and Healing Course

2010-11-09T09:06:00.000-08:00

I know that I haven't finished the Week 2 projects, but I can catch up with those later - and I don't want to fall behind

So here we are at week three - and this is so much fun, truly.

It's decorating the cover page - and what a different and scary way to do it!

You take a photo - do unimaginable things to it with sandpaper, water, scratchy things, and paint!

I ruined the first photo at the last 'knockings' when I got some black ink on my nose and couldn't get it off!

A dull day, and low light levels are playing havoc with my photography and colours. The green dots are made with metallic paint and look lovely in daylight.

Me and my little grandson - I love him so very much it literally opened my soul when he was born.

To think that he is part of me - without my genes he wouldn't be alive - the beginning of my own little line of family tree - who knows how many generations will follow me - sends a tingle down my spine!

I have to make something else to finish the first of week 3's projects to add to the front page - but hopefully it will be a bit of art all of it's own.

Tam is the most amazing tutor - there is just something about her that I just can't explain.

I spent the morning looking through lots of old photo albums - from the years when my boys were youngsters - and the joy and smiles in those photos lit up my day. I hadn't fogotten about the exquisite joy and happiness of having and nurturing them. The parties, the games, the pets, the houses, the gardens, the simple life and simple pleasures - it was great.

Then I looked at other albums - photos in black and white - and seeing the images, I relived those times with detached affection - and was surprised at the memories it brought back of that young girl out into the big wide world on her own and working too at the age of 16.

And look at me now!

And before I knew it - the whole morning had gone and I hadn't found a single photo that I could use.

But as you can see - I did find a digital one, and managed to fix the printer too!

Week 2 Art, Heart and Healing Course

2010-11-08T14:47:00.000-08:00

Oh dear dear dear - week 3 is upon us and I am just trying to catch up on week 2!

It's been a week of doctors, dentist, and hospital appointments and we have been away overnight - but here is where I am at right now.

As this is a work in progress at least you will get to see how the layers and shading progress.

Above you see a base layer of Gesso, then shades of green and blue water colour crayons, some stamping and colouring - then a coat of brayered white.

I have added the tree trunk - which had layers of white and browns, and have just scribbled on a third layer of water colour yellow for a sunshine glow, (yet to be brushed with water to blend it in), another layer of stamped flowers, the heart and bird.

I drew the chains and swing seat and added on my whimsy self.

I had great trouble with my whimsy as the book isn't very big, so the whimsy is very small and it was a real struggle drawing her. I still have to draw and add her friends.

Apparently I was a very pretty child, with ginger hair - not a 'carrot top' but strawberry blonde or titian it was described as. Doing this exercise has brought back some nice memories - one of which is when I had a pretty little blue seersucker cotton dress, with a white colour and white spots on it. I only got to wear it once to have my photo taken on an 'Open Day' in the Village. I got to wear my Sunday shoes too, and I was told how pretty I looked - isn't it funny the things that pop out of your brain!

It was a lovely happy day!

The countryside, swing on the tree, little bird - and any other creations are, and will be, figments of my imagination to create a perfect storybook childhood.

If you haven't joined in the free course and would like too - just click on the link in the side bar.

You don't have to join in any of the 'healing' side of the workshop if it is not 'your thing' - just have fun and learn some great techniques.

It really is such fun, and not only I, but 1155 people (latest number as at 2 minutes ago) have joined in too. Take a look at all the artwork, the flickr pages, the other courses - and prepare to be amazed.

Happy Daze Weekend Special

2010-11-06T09:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Daze are having a weekend 'special' with 20% off Websters Pages - they've even got the latest Christmas designs in too.

Quick - grab yourself a bargain - it's too good to miss

Trash to Treasure blog giveaway

2010-11-04T14:53:00.000-07:00

Lynn of Trash to Treasure has and amazing blog giveaway to celebrate two years of blogging.

You can join in by visiting her fabulous blog HERE

Lots of Christmas goodies including a gorgeous vintage doll!

The Heart of Art - Week 2

2010-11-02T14:55:00.000-07:00

Well it's been so hard trying to fit in the time to make a start on my Week 2 project - but here goes.

We started off with a children's board book - any sort - this was 30p from a charity shop.

We painted the pages with Gesso in preparation for doing an image transfer

We were shown two methods of doing an image transfer - by using an image printed on an acrylic sheet - which I didn't have - so I used the other technique

Whereby you print your image onto paper, cut it out, paint glue onto the page nice and thickly, then add the image, and leave to dry - and this is what it looks like at the leaving to dry stage.

I left mine overnight - don't know how I had the patience - but I did, and it was worth it!

Once dry, using your fingers, you rub, and rub, and rub to remove all the paper off the print and are left with the image in the now dried glue!

It's quite eerie how it emerges - and it really is hard to imagine beforehand that it will emerge.

But it does and leaves a lovely soft, almost ghostly effect - which is quite appropriate for this exercise as it represents our childhood years - up to around 3yrs old.

I didn't have any photos of my childhood years so 'borrowed' some images. You can see some of the bits of rubbed paper still around.

The next part of the process is to type up words or phrases to represent your wishes for the childhood images.

My printer decided to pack up, grrr, so I had to improvise.

I am rather disappointed about that, so if/when I get it fixed I think I will paint over my writing and print out the phrases as you get a much better result.

One of the things that Tam has taught us is that there is no such thing as a 'mistake' - you just paint over it as many times as you like to change it.

The Heart of Art

2010-10-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

I am not going to say much about the actual techniques or theory behind this free journal course, because when I mentioned it on one particular forum, with a link there were some 'negative' almost dismissive comments from some who obviously had not even read through the course notes!

Here is my effort - and the point where I am usually very critical of my work - but today all that has changed.

My Week 1 Part 1 in the style of wonderful Tam.

There are lots of techniques on this course which I have never tried and probably never would have.

This page consists of many layers, which include writing

Watercolours and paint

Stamping and printing

Week 1 Part 2

My first portrait ever!

After which you 'dribble' water along the top.
Which was very scary for me as I thought it would totally ruin my work!

The water made the paint trickle all the way down the hair and nearer the bottom ran along the edge of it almost like an outline.

-and along the bottom (I did have to tip it up as it would have dripped all over my table)

Instead of panicking seeing the paint run it was very cathartic, and looked like someone shedding tears!

I found it mesmorising.

It is extremely rare for me to cry - so this was fascinating!

It is a dark day today so the light levels are really low so hard to capture the true colours

Having seen the latest course work on the site - Week 2 is going to be brilliant.

More techniques - and I will be coming back to this to improve it.

Thank you for looking.

And if you happen to see this Tam - thank you from the bottom of my heart for tempting me out of my arty crafty doldrums.

There are over 1,000 people who have joined Tam's journalling course

Actions speak louder than words!

If this has tempted you to have a go at something completely different, why not click on the link in my side bar and take a look for yourself - you will be amazed.

Flower Arranging Friday Again

2010-10-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the month again

Flower arranging Friday - it's such a joy to meet up with friends and just play.

This month the theme was 'harvest'

Now I expect that the first thing that springs to mind is a harvest festival - pumpkins, veggies, fruit etc

You know how I like to be different - so I did a sea harvest.

Blue delphiniums represent the sea. White roses the sea spray

There is a conch shell in the top photo and I have used dried aspidistra leaves curled to represent those big seaweed leaves.

I live in a little bungalow so it is very difficult to photograph my arrangements

It does look lovely on the one and only coffee table in our lounge.

It smells lovely too

The delphiniums match the embroidery on the vintage table cloth exactly!

I finished the arrangement off with a coil of rough rope - I liked the difference in texture and you often see bits of old rope on the beaches

Journal - update

2010-09-14T08:06:00.000-07:00

The story so far is here

Lucinda has been pretty busy since she last looked at her scrap book. It's summer time and she has been busy from dawn to dusk, growing fruit, and vegetables in her cottage garden - and of course she manages to fit in some flowers here and there.

There's not been much time for idleness, but when she has worked herself to a standstill, nothing makes her happier than to sit in her little room, pull out her old scrap book, and re-read, and re-live those long ago days of youth.

She turns over the next page to reveal ..................................

Claude

Kate's wealthy beau. Did she really find him handsome - or was she swept away by his charm. Oh yes he was charming, there is no denying that.

Lucinda allowed herself a chuckle, which turned into a giggle, which exploded into such a long loud laugh that her cat woke up and walked off with a disgusted look on his face and his tail high in the air!

"Well", she said, as she dried her eyes with her dainty lace hankie," if you can't laugh out loud in your own house, then where can you?"

She kept looking at Claude wondering why he looked so stern, and what Kate could have possibly seen in him - that she herself could not!

She lifted her book right up to her nose to read the scrap of paper she had glued on the page. It was something Kate had written in one of her letters to her.

'Oh Lucinda - Claude is so utterly romantic and charming, he sent me a little note from his Chateau near the Seine whilst I was in Paris visiting the dressmakers, and Monet's garden'

Lucinda started chuckling again as she re-read the passage that she almost knew by heart.

"Oh Kate, the hours I spend with you, I look upon as a sort of a perfumed garden, a dim twilight, and a fountain singing to it. You and you alone make me feel that I am alive"

Then she quickly turned the page for something more attractive to look at.

The pretty little pouch that Kate had sent her - beautifully embroidered and hand stitched. There was a gorgeous brooch, made from some of the trimmings of her first ball gown. She unpinned it and wistfully brought it to her nose - and yes - there was still the faint smell of lavender - despite its age and condition.

On the reverse of the pouch was another brooch, of Kate when she got engaged, she looked so young and beautiful - but the memories were too painful to dwell on, so she swiftly turned to the next page.

Oh how Lucinda loved this page in the scrapbook. Over the years she had saved a lot of the samples of materials that Kate had sent showing her the colours of her ball gowns.

She had layers and layers of them.

Each with the original handwritten tags of the designs and dressmakers

She closed her eyes, and ran her fingers over strips of velvet, silk, laces, and allowed herself to be swept away in a daydream of what it must have been like all those years ago to be clothed in such finery.

Sincere thanks to Ati I have photographed the labels, printed them out and attached them to scraps of materials I had. The originals are saved for a special project - hopefully to be worked on over the winter.

One hundred pennies well spent

2010-09-14T06:50:00.000-07:00

What can you buy for one pound that will make you feel like a million dollars and bring a smile to your face for a week?

A bunch of dahlias which I have arranged in what will now be a vintage vase, with foliage from my garden.

It is pure sunshine on a rainy and dull day.

Not only that but also

A full on, really clashing, bunch of hot reds and pinks Zinnias.

They look really, really bright in the kitchen and just make me smile so much - unfortunately with the light coming in from the conservatory at the back, they don't photograph well.

I bought them last Friday - when it was tipping it down with rain and they still look wonderfully fresh!

Do flowers make you feel great and make you smile too?

Mine come from Andrew up the allotments.

I have been busy making edible art

2010-09-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

For weeks now my art work has consisted of harvesting borlotti, cherokee, climbing, dwarf, haricot and lots of other varieties of beans. Added to which I have been pulling up onions, garlic, golf ball carrots, orange beetroot, potatoes, courgettes, squash and adding peppers, and tomatoes and anything I else I can pick from my garden or allotment....

Cutting them up, adding a tad bit of oil, and roasting them in my big oven, weighing them, and vacuum packing, and popping them in my freezer. Each pack holds at least 700gr 1lb 8oz. Can you imagine how long it takes to create the packs I did just one day last week?

But in the middle of winter, when I'm feeling 'blue' and can't decide what to cook - I pop out to the freezer and grab a bag of instant sunshine - and boy oh boy what a joy - and all the aches and pains and hard work of digging, weeding, growing, harvesting, washing, etc are forgotten.

Fast food?

I think I must have about 30 bags of sunshine in my freezer - so far!

Allotment Diary - Me 72hrs. He 71hrs.

2010-09-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been quite a time since I have posted - thank you for all your requests for an update.

I haven't been able to spend much time up my allotment this year - the absolute bare minimum to maintain it - but I have been growing veggies at home - where it has been easier for me to garden late evenings when the sun has gone down and it has been cooler

Just as well really as the heat and drought over the summer, has played havoc with the crops on the plots - especially the beans, broadbeans, sweetcorn, and root veggies.

Here is a quick up date with some photos taken during the visits that I did make.

These photos were taken at the end of July

The main crop of potatoes were almost in full leaf

All the potatoes were looking really well at this point, but my neighbour had blight

I popped in a couple of late pumpkins as we were forecast rain in August

July was also the month of high egg yield - and playing the 'hunt the egg' game with the bantams to see who could outwit us the most.

Giant muffins were made and frozen by the dozens

These are chunky chocolate - but there were so many varieties.....Date and walnut, black cherries, to name a few.

Then along came August

The pumpkins grew and grew

And burst out of the compost bins

The main crop potatoes flowered

And I started digging up the rows of early potatoes

And each time I dug up a row, they were bigger and bigger and bigger.

These are the smaller ones.

The grass was short and looked lush, and the dark clouds gathered

The lovely farmer next door decided it was time to retire

The fields have been sold off to local farms, and barns are being demolished to make way for some new houses

And I fell in love with some babies

Meanwhile my little treasures were still playing hide and seek with the eggs

And I kept finding them - albeit 16 at a time covered in mud, but they passed the float test, and the taste test, and I have lots of lovely slices of cake in the freezer for cold winter nights.

And here we are in September - more of that later in the week!

And ecky thunk - I posted this on the wrong blog - but I can't be bothered to type it all up again on my Allotment Lady blog

So - if you want to read any back posts of my allotment life you can see them here

Journal Journey Continues.........

2010-08-24T23:54:00.000-07:00

I spent some time messing about with my journal and made a couple more pages.

A quick precis of the story so far.

Lucinda and Kate are childhood friends .

As a young woman, Kate was invited to join her cousins in France, and through them mixed with a wealthy circle of the 'elite'

She has been staying in a Chateau, has a new companion Genevieve.

They have been wined and dined and have been sampling the delights of Paris around 1900.

******************

Lucinda is now an old lady still living in England and looking through her scrap book of memorabilia of bygone days

If this is your first visit and want to see previous pages you can see them here and here and here and here

******************

Lucinda kept all the letters and postcards etc and here are some of them.

Kate sent little bottles of eau de cologne.

The bottles have long since gone, but the labels, now yellowed with age have been pressed and saved on a sheet of French writing - which she glued on with flour and water.

Kate and Genevieve were swept away by the latest fashions and used to send paintings of the latest fashion items to Kate.

The shoes particularly amazed Lucinda - who wore leather ankle boots for Sunday best!

Like these - the height of fashion!

Some of Kate's letters survived over the years, but the gold leaf on her napkins and writing paper had almost all flaked off.

But despite the ageing the letters were still legible.

(Un)Friendly Plastic Swap

2010-08-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

I joined in a swap this month which required the use of Friendly Plastic.

So what's friendly about it tell me do!

I bought a number of sticks, a set of heart cutters and thought it was going to be easy!

I even watched a mini demo on TV - and it did look fairly easy - but clever people have a way of doing that don't they. - Making things look easy!

I thought I would make a book and decorate it with friendly plastic.

But I received a lovely book in the swap from someone, so had to think of something else.

As I had a heart cutter I had a flash of inspiration and I cut out a big heart out of material - almost A4 in size.

I stamped it with vintage wording, and did an image transfer of a lovely gypsy girl onto a piece of cream lawn cotton, and sewed it on the front adding some vintage lace to frame it.

Having admitted defeat with the unfriendly plastic and ending up with lots of disasters I decided to make a back for it and turn it into a 'puffy heart' which I remember seeing on someone's blog but just can't find it to add a link.

**** Edited to say - it's here ****

Carol makes the most amazing things - and her little vintage hearts are stunning- so is her photography - do go and pay her a visit.

It was nothing like my heart - and as soon as I have tracked it down I will post a link.

I made a gold heart from Friendly Plastic for the gypsy girl to wear, and experimented making leaves and little gold flowers with gems in them for the front.

I did an image transfer on the back of a vintage heart.

Then sewed it all together and filled it with stuffing which I perfumed with Anais Anais

It's a Friendly Plastic failure, but hopefully the padded heart will be used to add fragrance to a room or to a wardrobe full of clothes.