"Errr what's up Doc?"

I am not up to doing any crafting at the moment, so thought I'd put a few photos up of what's been happening in my garden today-just so that you know that I am still here!

 When I looked out of my window to see what my chooks were up to I saw this!  Large as life, sunbathing, without a care in the world!  It's hard to spot isn't it!

A pesky wabbit!

We never used to get any rabbits in our garden - until we had a new neighbour behind us.  I am not suggesting for one minute that it has anything to do with her or her dog - it's just a coincidence.   It's been a good year for rabbits - and I think that they seek refuge in our garden to escape her terrier!  They are tunnelling under our defences.

Scrabble and Daisy choose this corner to sunbathe, and they are not at all bothered - just puzzled and bemused at all the fuss I am making chasing off the rabbit.

He wasn't really scared of me either - so just made a leisurely hop around the other side of the pond to show willing!  Then went further along the path at the back to sunbathe there!

The 'girls' did the same, and decided to have a snack and ate some grass seeds.

I took a walk around the back of the garden to see if the rabbit had gone.

It is always hard to spot as it camouflages itself so well with the gravel, and leaves, and soil, sneaky thing.

It usually dashes over to this corner behind my gazebo and out and under to the field beyond, but I couldn't spot it

No sign of it over there either

Nor around here - pesky thing - looks like rabbit stew is off the menu again this week.  At least the fence around my raised winter veggie bed has kept the little blighter from eating those!

At least there was a consolation prize - I picked the last of my tomatoes from the lean-to on the back of the garage.

Had my best crop ever this year.

Sunday Stamper - week 78

Sunday Stamper week 78 just managed to join in with Hel's Sunday Stamper challenge.  I have one and one only Christmas tree stamp so am a bit limited, but I so wanted to have a go.

This is it.

It looks a bit off centre - but it isn't - trust me - it just the card is not laying flat so right hand side of it sticking up - I was in a mad rush - can you tell!!!!

I have caught some sort of bug - really sore throat, bad headache, high temperature and haven't slept much all night.  So apart from making lunch for Patrick before he went off bowling, I have been a limp lettuce!

I so wanted to join in Hels challenge and make a Christmas card.

This is a bit of a close up - the ink is just about dried!

If you click on the photo to enlarge it, it looks a bit brighter

The card was run through an embossing folder of snowflakes, and I coloured it with chalk!

On thick white card I masked a circle and coloured it in shades of 'moon'.  It isn't quite this dark in real life - it's just that it has got dark here so I couldn't get a decent photo

I layered on with sponges blues, blacks, and hazelnut distress inks to create a dark night with mountains in the background and a wintry wild winter night

Then in 'Christmas Tree Green' (Stazon green, and the trunks are Espresso) I stamped trees at different heights, overlapping branches, to create a forest.   In daylight you can see the white snow on the boughs of the trees - and on Father Christmas's sledge and reins and hat etc.

I am now off back out into my dark garden, to tidy my things away in my craft shed, and lock up my chickens - I may be some time LOL

By jove I did it - I actually made a card!

 I was inspired by the scraplings posts on various blogs so thought I would have a go - and here is the result

Now you need a bit of imagination for this.

It is 1934 and you are in Paris!

This is what you would be wearing - honestly!

I used a piece of folded card 4"x8" and distressed around the edges with Espresso ink.

Stamped a background of hessian.

Layered on some paper scraps and coloured again with Espresso.

Stamped the image and coloured it, and used gold highlights on the rose brooch

(Which you can see if you click to enlarge.)

I rather like her cape, I think it looks like velvet now that it has been inked

 

Stamped the wording and mounted it.

Finished it off with a bow, having first distressed the borders with red then gold.

I thought this fitted the theme of 'Remembrance' it was remembering anything, fashion included for Tuesday Created by Hand

The bag woman.......

I am really enjoying doing image transfers onto the 'bags for life' and am beavering away behind the scenes making presents of them.   I just wish that my own art was good enough for me to transfer it to my own bag!
But it is not - yet - but here is one I created today.

I just love this image

I fell in love with it as soon as I saw the postcard of the oil painting.

Here she is hanging on my shed in the shade

She just 'lights up' in the sunshine though!

If you would like a bag with  your own artwork transferred to it - or a favourite photo - just get in touch via my profile page for more details.

Under the influence!

Yesterday we went on a family visit - and it just so happened that Hels lives in the same county as they do - so we made a detour, and I got to meet her in person as well as deliver the bags.

The crafting 'fraternity' are wonderful - everyone that I have corresponded with or met! And Hels was no different.

It was just a flying visit, but she welcomed me as if I had known her for years - and guess what - I got to see some of her art work.

Well lots of it - and its stunning in real life. It looks wonderful on her blog!   Seeing it in 'real life' and holding it and examining it is a whole different thing.  We keep saying this when we take photos of our work - and it really is true - you just don't get to see the textures, the depth and true colours, the layers of inks, shimmers, crackle paints - the camera just does not pick it up!

It was just a flying visit - en-route - but boy did we cram in a lot - well me asking lots of questions!   It was a real treat and a great perk - and it really lifted me up to come out here today,  to my shed, in the pouring rain, to play.

Among other things Hels showed me some amazing tags - which I can't have a go at yet until I get the stamps and other 'stash' I need to have a go at some of the elements.

But her lovely 'pep' talk inspired me to use some bright colours for a change - I tend to favour 'safe' colours.

I layered on bright inks, stamped with hessian background stamp in the same colour

I over stamped with a vintage script, and part of a border.

The Crafty Indivduals image matched the colour perfectly, and as it is on glossy paper, and I wanted a dreamy look I dulled it down with Gesso.  I also drew some swirls in white to marry the picture to the tag to soften the edges so that it didn't look so 'stuck on'

I finished it off with more overstamping of the script,

more swirls, a border at the bottom and a ribbon to match.

Thank you Hels for giving my 'papercraft' mojo a kick start - it was lovely to meet you, and maybe in the future we can meet up again - and perhaps even do some crafting!

My first commission

I have sold both of my sunflower bags!

I never did get to take a photo in daylight of these!

Ink on my fingers (Hels) left a comment on  my 'Sorry Vincent' post to say that if I did decide to do a sunflower bag - then she would like to buy it!

I made two - so that there was a choice, and Hels wanted them both!

(The crease is just where the handles are tucked inside)

Not only that - but my tutor wants me to make some for fundraising!

I am not sure about that becasue (a) I can't get many more bags and

(b) the requirements are not arty crafty - but a logo to design!
 

I might just make one for my tutor for Christmas if I get time though.

Playing with sunflowers

I have spent a happy afternoon playing with Vincent's sunflowers.

The light has gone now - so  only artificial light so I will have to take photos in daylight - for now here are some close ups of parts of the images transferred onto bags.

One has a yellow background and the other a pale blue.

I actually grew this sort of sunflowers up my allotment this year - they were stunning and I now prefer them to the 'ordinary' ones!

Which do you prefer?

If you click on the photos you can see a close up of the textures.

Off indoors now - its dark..................................