Pyrography wooden box

Click on photos to enlarge

Thank you to blogger 'Angel of the North' for the technical term for this - something else new I learned today!

This is the finished box



I wasn't happy with the burned pattern on the lid - so decided to change it.



I have used gold Krylon paint around the bevelled edge.






I just have to pluck up the courage to varnish it without messing it up!

Playing with a new toy to do some pyrography

I recently bought a soldering iron craft kit - and today I decided to have a play.

Straight in there - no practicing - silly me.

This is a teeny weeny little box.




I drew around a stencil in pencil then just burnt into it free hand.




I did both sides the same pattern




And this is the front.



Trying to burn grained wood is really rather difficult. Well it was for me. Although it looks smooth, it never is when you use a hot tool, so it sometimes has a mind of it's own.

Celebrating Spring Time - with a Bind it All Mini Book

The April showers stopped and the sun came out - and the spring colours looked amazing.

Fresh greens of the new foliage, shades of yellow and orange of daffodils and narcissi, and the pale blue of the Forget-me-nots with little yellow middles.


So this is the way I see Spring. The arrival of birds which migrated elsewhere for winter, and the first sign of hoverflies and bees.

Click photos to enlarge





For this note book I used 1/2inch Bind-it-all silver O wires. Luscious lemon ribbons. I cut out the covers from mountboard, used fabulous K&Co paper, which I scanned and altered the colours to yellows. I inked the edges with deep green, and coloured the paper frames I cut out to tone in with all the colours.

I made the paper flower embellishment, inspired by yellow and white Hellebores (Christmas Roses) in my garden, with a drip of rain in their centre.


This is the outer back cover of the little notebook.


And the inside covers.

Something Different - A mixed media card

I was inspired by Jo's mixed media card and wanted to make one similar myself. But when I went into my studio late this afternoon - the only 'component' I had was a small image.




Whilst lacking in square cards etc, I didn't let it put me off - so I made a mixed media effort of my own.

I have absolutely zero confidence when making cards, and am determined to keep practising until I can make them without trepidation.

This started off as a cream A6 card, onto which I adhered some Basic Grey paper and swished a lime ink pad over it.

I got a new 'toy' late this afternoon so had to try it out. I layered different papers, which I had inked to colour co-ordinate them.

Cut out the little photo image and matted that.


I found two small skeleton leaves - from my flower arranging days, and layered those on too, and finally added the two little silk butterflies. I have just noticed that a bit of the top butterfly's wing is tucked under - so I have now 'flicked' it back out.

So although I didn't manage to get even close to Jo's mixed media card - I did try to make a card and used mixed media to achieve it.

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