Twinchies - Flowers

These are for a 'Twinchies' swap. The subject was 'Flowers'. I thought I would do my flowers in the style of old Dutch paintings you see. So these are meant to look like little oil painting - on wood panelling. I have embossed parts of them to look like they have been painted in oils.



A peony in full bloom - and yes the lines and scratches are meant to be in these twinches, as its supposed to give the feel of wood panels.



A tulip in full bloom



A Morning Glory






Another tulip




Day lily





Another tulip


And the last Morning Glory

These will all be going to different people - and although some of the images are the same - they are all different when you look at the painting etc.

Paris Bind it All Notebook.

I haven't been able to do much as I have 'man flu' - but between coughing fits I spent a couple of hours in my studio late afternoon.

My chickens were having a snooze on one of the raised beds and wondered what I was doing out.

When they saw that I didn't gave any goodies in my hand for them to eat - they just ignored me.

So this is what I got up to, until they stood outside my door at 4pm heckling me for their supper, and I had to stop.


It looks a deeper colour in daylight and more lime green.

I used coloured lime green card, and glued it onto mountboard. Added a rub on, then, so that it did not look totally flat, I distressed it (or added interest) by swishing over a blue ink pad - the same colour blue as in the image, and inked a border and the sides to colour the cut edges.

With a white pen I made some random 'scratching' lines to give more depth and enhance the textured card, and did the same around the image.


The back cover got the same treatment, and I also stamped a Morning Glory and embossed it.

I used 5/8th inch O wires and some black organza ribbon. I did add some home made beads but it looked a bit OTT so have left it simple.

It is another chunky book - bigger than the others and the paper for the pages is the remainder of that which I cut out last time I was in the studio - so it only took me an hour and a half.

Finger Painting - on Canvas

I spent a happy afternoon getting really messy with paints. Going back to the days when I ran a Playgroup - and we all did finger painting.

Click photos to enlarge.


When I did this it was raining outside and I used the sky colours for inspiration, and day dreamed of a holiday spent in the Lake District - mist rising from the wet ground, and clouds drifting over the hills.

I would be crouched down low in the spiky grass, trying to take a photo through it to catch the mists coming and the clouds over the hills and mountain.

(I have a vivid imagination don't I LOL)

It is my very first attempt at a canvas - and 'huge' for me as I usually do small things. This is a couple of inches longer than A4 size.

Here are a few close ups of areas.


Wet reed grass in the foreground

Cloud and mist textures

I used layers of acrylic paints in Key Lime Pie, Green pearl metallic, Dark Turquoise, Shamrock Green and white.
I used only my hands, mainly fingers and also this..............

To create texture, scratch through the colours etc.

My husband can only see the soggy wet reed grass in the foreground, but likes the colours its 'nice' bless him. But he says 'nice' about whatever I make, even if I end up binning a piece of work LOL because it isn't.

This looks better in daylight hanging up. I am not sure about it myself, as I think it looks a bit bland, and the grass being the focal point isn't quite right. I was going to paint a few birds in the distance to draw the eye to the skies - but couldn't decide whether to or not!

It was more an experiment - and so relaxing getting fingers in lovely gooey paint.

I am going to live with it for a week, then if I can come up with a proper design, I can paint over it, stick things on, and create something else.

Honest constructive critiques please - because I really need them to improve and learn. I love it when people say, things like, 'I like the colour but perhaps if you did 'so and so' it might lift it' or 'next time you make one perhaps you could try ...........'

When you 'work' at home and don't have anyone close by you can 'bounce' ideas off, then my forum friends and visitors to my blog are really important to me. When I look back at some of my old work when I first started at the beginning of this blog - I cringe! At the time it was the best I could do and I was pleased with it!

But from reading your blogs, advice and encouragement, hints and tips, and links to tutorials etc I am learning so much - and conquering canvases it is my next 'thing'.

So if you have any tips or suggestions or links to canvas work that you have created or been inspired by, then please would you leave them in the comments section - or email me, I would be ever so grateful.

Many thanks

Under the Sea Adventure Pages

Here are two 5" x 5" pages for someone's Deco book entitled Under the sea adventure.


Click to enlarge

I painted the pages different shades of blue and green, and used a clear sea green gel to paint over it again - and the fish and shells - to give it a wet look.

It has textured 'bubbles' in the sea green gel too, and the paint is textured.

I was stumped a bit by this title as I didn't really have much in the way of stamps I could use - but I did have my 'mermaid' goddess stamp so used her and gave her more hair etc.

She is wearing pearls - these I made from pearl stickles, and look like pearls stuck on - so too amongst the sea shells - there are pearls here and there.

I guess when you do these things, all you can do is to try your best, and just hope that it is acceptable.

I am looking forward to getting my first pages.

Altered Cardboard Book Box

Oh dear, these photos are terrible and it does look so much better in real life, but I took them in a rush as I had to get it packed and posted.

The challenge on Objet d'Art is to decorate a box - why not have a go.



This is a book box, made of card, which took me days and days to do because of all the layers and sides, and time to dry. This photo is more the true colour of box






It really was a challenge but one I enjoyed. I painted it all with Gesso first to seal inside and out. Then textured paste - for the texture. Then painted it with cream acrylic - but decided that was too pale, so gave it a couple of coats of black acrylic. I used gold rub and buff to highlight the texture. The image was mounted on card then glued to the box





It opens up to allow for use for hidden treasures or storage etc.

I did alter a spoon - well two actually - but they were not good enough do I binned them.

Blame Paula for this!

I was chatting to Paula, a forum friend this morning - telling her that I hadn't a clue what to make today.

She gave me some advice which works when she 'gets stuck'.

It was to put some things on your desk, and see where it takes you.

So I put some peculiar things on my desk - and it took me to 'twee' land!

Plastic slide mounts - courtesy of Freecycle last year.
Some cute images
Mountboard

(Click photos to enlarge)



I painted the plastic slide mounts a pale shade of pink acrylic paint, then when dry stamped them with Stazon ink.


I sandwiched the images between acetate and then snapped them into the slide mounts.


I added embroidered cream flowers, and put black gems in the centres; rummaged around and found some vintage cream lace and some pretty pink organza ribbon.

I cut out a strip of black mount board, layered a strip of the thick cream lace, then the ribbon, added more cream embroidered flowers and black gem centres.



Punched a couple of holes in the top, and added another length of the organza ribbon!

So although I don't usually do 'twee' - I did today - and I have since hung it up in my studio and looks quite nice against a cream background

So if ever you get stuck - toss some things on your desk - and see where it takes you!

Recycled Beer Mats

I spent a couple of hours in my studio late afternoon, and made three chunky notebooks with the covers I made in previous posts - and I am actually pleased with how they turned out.

Then as I didn't have much time, I decided to play with some more recycled beer mats.

I had some 'ends' of A4 paper which I had used for one of the books I made so cut that up for - yes - another chunky little book.

The back and front covers (obviously - you don't need telling, but I had to type something to separate the photos!)


The butterfly was printed on acetate. I like the size of these little beer mat books, just right for in a handbag, and great for shopping lists.


Inside the front and back covers, I covered with white paper (although I had gesso'd them you could still see the print through it faintly.).

I coloured it with TH inks using the sponged on method, and stamped the butterfly on.

It was great, having organized most of the unmounted stamps - I could find this stamp so easily!

That's all for today folks.

Hope you had some time to play.