365 Art Calendar & T!m's Tags

Here is my finished November page, December has also been prepped but I've not taken a photo yet.

So went along the theme of Stars and Stripes, it being Thanksgiving in the USA, plus did it on a very dark day, so used bright colours to cheer myself up.

Tag 1

Tag 2

As always, I had to improvise, blimey doesn't that bloke have some stash, unlike us mere mortals.   Not done anymore yet, and we are off down south tomorrow to stay with friends in Hampton, which will be another world because here in the dizzy heights (around 1000' above sea level) we have SNOW .  We're going ice skating on the rink at Hampton Court tomorrow night, so that should be good, Wednesday we're off to Harrods and Harvey Nicks shopping, then off to Le Gavroche for dinner.  OMG, only dreaming again, although we are going to watch the skaters at Hampton Court, lol.

Ladies Who Lunch

Today was our December play day and we all made a Christmas Wreath, tutored by the lovely Jill (no blog).

We all had a thoroughly good day and here's a selection

Anne's

Pat's

Christine's (yes that is the two finger salute you can see there - she was telling me that her balls were dangling more than mine, although you can't actually see hers here, lol.

Mine

and.......

this is how teacher did hers...

She refused to be photographed and you can just see Chris in the background trying to get her into the picture.

They all turned out beautifully, despite some of (who shall remained nameless) being frightened of the little creepy crawlies which came out of the foliage.

Apologies for the facial expressions, they would not keep still - I shall have to get new models in future.

Bling Bling

Those of you who know me, know that I don't do 'bling', however on the She Art Doll I thought the dress needed jazzing up a bit.

I used Eco Friendly acrylics, Paperartsy Fresco paints, Claudine Hellmuth and Tim Holtz stamps.  I gave her a diamond necklace to finish her off.  On looking again, it probably would have been better without the flower coming out of the side of her head, lol.

Living with Autism

Our friends, Pat and Jim have a grandson, Liam, who has been diagnosed as Severely Autistic and Pat is taking a stall at a Christmas Fair to sell hand made gifts to raise money for the Autistic Society.  Liam's parents Lynz and Phil are doing a wonderful job, because autism affects the whole family and if you would like to read more take a look at Liam's blog here.

Pat has been busy knitting soft toys like these

and I've been busy making shabby chic hearts, gift bags and cards.

I've also made some Christmas cards, but I'll blog them another day.  In the meantime it's to be hoped that people 'down South' appreciate the style of Stampotique, lol.

If you wondered why it says 'general dogs body' on Pat's photo, Pat used to work for me and one day we employed an outside trainer to come and talk to us.  He asked us all to introduce ourself and say what qualifications we had.  Pat was the last and she just came out with Pat Dixon, SRN, GDB, he knew what an SRN was but couldn't work out what GDB was.  Needless to say ever after Pat was known as Pat Dixon, GDB.

Blog Candy from The Craft Barn

The Craft Barn are celebrating reaching 600+ followers and are giving away this fantastic blog candy

All the details can be found here

SDC41 Altered Poison Bottle

I'd bought a few old bottles from a charity shop in the summer and when I saw the latest Stampotique Designers Challenge decided to give it a go.

I'd seen the way Wendy Vecchi had used a new technique, so I painted bottle with Rangers Glue n Seal, waited until it was thoroughly dry, then covered with a layer of Rock Candy crackle paint.  Once dried I had some small cracks and some large ones which were starting to peel off, but added to the overall effect.  I didn't want it all to peel off, so gave it a generous coat of Mod Podge, told you, I love this stuff.  I gave the bottle a good cover of vintage photo DI, made a vintage label and stamped arsenic on, then remembered it was Stampotique stamps only, so made another label to cover it up and stamped poison with the Alphabities stamps.  Stamped 3 in a round and coloured with Neo crayons.  Embellished with chain, metal skull, wire and three further skulls.

October finished at last!

Here's my October page, finished at last, I seem to be spending so much time sewing and quilting that journaling etc., has been pushed to the back of my to do list.

Went with an autumn theme instead of Halloween.

As always this challenge is hosted by the talented Mrs C.

She Art Girl

After seeing my friend Jayne had taken an on line class with Christy Tomlinson and saw what a fabulous piece of art she had created I decided that I would also have a go.  Here's my first She Art Girl

I've put my own twist on her as I didn't have half the supplies she suggests and uses, so had to improvise.  I did in the end succumb to buying some Mod Podge, which I must admit I do now love, so easy to use.  She also uses lots of rub ons, particularly white ones, which I don't have so on the next canvas I shall stamp in white instead.

A couple of cards

Had to make a couple of cards recently and I've really struggled for ideas, anyway came up with these

The first was for a friend and the stamps are by Dina Wakely, one below was for my son and stamps from The Artistic Stamper.

Both backgrounds were created with Dylusion paints and sprays.  

Shabby Hearts

It's absolutely ages since I've blogged, but not done anything to show, you know how it is, life just darn well gets in the way.  I did manage to make a few shabby fabric hearts, here's just two of them

I knew as soon as I saw the material I had to have it and I adore the wooden buttons.  Sop easy and quick to make, I've already given a couple to friends as thank you's.

September 365 Art Calendar

Well it's that time again, and I've finished on time!  Not even started October though.

This is all organised by the super talented Kate Crane, where you'll find some fantastic artwork.

Long time no post

It's ages since I last posted, been busy and still managed to do a bit of crafting.  A couple of years ago I signed up to do a Suzi Blu on line class but never managed to finish it.  I finally decided a few weeks ago that I would start again but couldn't find it on my computer, then suddenly realised that I'd put it on my external hard drive.  Went to find it there, then remembered that I'd deleted everything on the hard drive to start afresh, what a fool I am.  Anyway this week I've been playing with drawing faces again, but I still cannot get the eyes right.

All paints and sprays are Dylusions, dress cut out of a piece of 7 Gypsies paper.  If you look closely you can see when I painted in the eyes. nose and mouth, but they were awful, so went over with skintone paint from Dylusions which is on of Dy's new colours and is fantastic.  The writing says I'm giving up but since I made this, I've decided I might joint another course on how to draw faces because I'm not going to give up, lol.  I think my girl looks very sixties, in fact I remember Dusty Springfield having hair like this.

Art from the Heart's 10th birthday blog hop

Lots of exciting things happening at Art from the Heart next weekend where the big birthday bash is happening. Want to know more then do click here 

So in Celebration we are having 5 birthday blog hops.

You should have reached my blog from She and are on the Stampotique Team hop

here is my first project

I used Dylusion acrylic paints, then sprayed through stencils with Dylusion inks, I stamped  Stampotique Supergirl and Uncle Buck onto an old book page, added some circles and lines, bit of splodging with a paintbrush loaded with watered down acrylic paint, machine stitched around edges

Here's my second project

Background is the same as the first project and the sentiment is from Dylusions Say What you Mean

Before you move on - you will need to collect a letter from me which is K

This is part of an anagram of a Stampotique product

Once you get back to Dys blog please email your answer to Ben.

So after leaving me a comment you need to move on to

here

Have fun hopping!

August Finished - on time!!!!!

Well I think this is a first for me.....August finished, but I have to admit not even started September.

Dylusion acrylic paints and sprays, made my own beach huts, Tumblefish Studio beach girl image, bit of doodling.

The At Journal Calendar is being hosted by the fabulously talented Kate, so why not take a look here at all the other gorgeous creations.

Warning - contains scenes of a sexual nature!

Had a brilliant day yesterday at AFHT taking a workshop with the super talented Kate Crane. It was a full class and I met some blogging friends, so it was nice to put names to faces.

This is the first page we did...

Background is created with Dyulsion paints, we gessoed through some stencils, then put on some gorgeous layers of Dylusion inks.  A Stampotique image with acetate bee wings from Jo Capper-Sandons bee stamp, bit of doodling and finishing off.

My second page took on a different theme from everyone else's.  It was inspired by the lovely Christine (who has a blog but rarely does blog).  You see she always wears rubber gloves when using inks and sprays and we were having a bit of banter and she got hold of the top of her gloves and snapped them, well the conversation degenerated after that so much so that I can't repeat it, but you'll get the theme when I show you my next page, but you've been warned, do not carry on reading if you are easily offended.....

Thanks Kate and to all who were there, I had a great day.

Enjoy the rest of the Bank Holiday weekend.

A lovely afternoon creating art

Had a wonderful afternoon yesterday with my youngest granddaughter, Charlotte, crafting.  Whilst she was happily playing with acrylic paints and crackle glaze, I did a journal page.

I used Paperartsy Fresco paints from here, then sprayed Dylusion ink sprays through various stencils, used a couple of the new Dina Wakely stamps, a couple of Stampotique stamps and the sentiment is a Wendy Vecchi.

I'm going to enter it into the current Stampotique Designers Challenge No 36 - Altering a Book Page.

Bucket bag

A couple of weeks ago we made a bucket bag at Craft Den, instructed by the very talented and patient, and I mean patient Jo, we had to make these flying swans.  Well she tried and tried her best to make it easy for us all, but no chance.  It took us ages and by the end of the day Jo was bright red in the face and had a bit of a dab on, lol.  Still we certainly laughed and laughed and eventually managed to get it right.  

You can see the 'flying swans' here

Different angle

Here you can see the toggle which helps to fasten it

You may wonder why there is a fly swatter on one of the photos - well a pesky wasp decided to land on my head, so I ran around a bit, hands all over the place trying to get rid of it, just made it madder, so got the b***er with the swatter!

July finished but where's August

Only managed to do July's pages yesterday morning, I seem to have been very busy over recent weeks, so although I'd kept a note of what I'd been up to, I'd never actually painted and prepared my pages, so unfortunately it's a very simple design.

Went all Wendy Vecchi.......I just love her stamps, backgrounds are Dylusion paints and sprays.  Take a look at Kate's blog to see all the entries.

......and where is August, it's well on it's way, been busy doing it today and almost done, just needs a few finishing touches.

It's been really humid here today, a day for just being lazy really, some hope.

A wonderful day sewing

Spent a wonderful, relaxing day at Craft Den yesterday, where the very patient Jo showed us how to make a sewing roll.  Jo allowed us to choose our colours and she arrived with all the elements already cut out for us, phew, that saved us lots of time, and I couldn't believe the fabric she had chosen for me, vintage, right up my street.

I've still got to finish the front, it needs a toggle on to hold it closed

This is the inside, space for scissors, pins, needles, bobbins etc.  I love this and thoroughly enjoyed making it.  We all had a good time and I even managed to avoid the biscuits but succumbed to Bob's cheese salad sandwich, my does he make a mean sandwich, lol.  

Next on the agenda is a quilt and we have to cut out all our own patchwork squares, that'll be fun then.  The first time I used my rotary cutter, I cut a deep gash in my finger, in fact yesterday is the first thing I've made without blood on it.

More journalling

Had another fabulous day at AFTH with Kate Crane, such a relaxing day and we managed 2 journal pages.

We had to draw, paint and cut out our own houses, any design, any colour.  I wish that I had drawn smaller houses, maybe if I do another one I would.  I've numbered the houses with the number on the road I have lived.  Would you believe that I've only lived in three houses in my life, even though I was an estate agent in my previous life.

The next challenge was to use three images, all the same, and to put hats on them, the idea being that we all have to wear more than one hat.

I don't wear as many hats now that my children have flown the nest and I am retired, they still cause me problems though, lol.

SDC34 Flower Power

Did a bit of journaling yesterday and did this for the Stampotique Designers Challenge

Painted background with Dylusion paints, then sprayed through flower stencil with Dylusion inks, highlighted some of the flowers with a black pen, stamped Jo Capper-Sandons daisy stamp along the bottom, stamped the main image, which is from Paperbag Studio, onto French text and popped a flower with an itsy bitsy button in the middle, bit if doodling here and there.

Happy Anniversary

Today is our friends wedding anniversary, luckily for them they are on a fantastic holiday in Canada, touring all over the place and finishing off with a cruise to Alaska whale watching, they wanted us to go with them but with this stupid illness I can't go abroad yet.  I sent them this card before they went and I know they've taken it with them and will open it later today.

I have been so incensed about the phone hacking events that I decided to do a journal page

I decided to use an image of a jester because they are all fools and made fools out of the police and politicians.

Gorgeous morning down here in Essex, hope the weather is good where you are and have a lovely weekend.

LIM Week 23

This weeks challenge over at LIM is a One Layer Card with the theme 'Something with Legs'

Swish of colour using Jenni Bowlin Malted Milk, Stampotique Friends stamp and friendship quote from an old thesaurus.  I'm down at my daughters at present so art supplies are limited, in fact the inside of this card has lots of drawings on it, so turned it inside out and got myself a clean card, lol.

Ladies Who Lunch

It was our monthly Ladies Who Lunch play day last week and Clare had chosen for us to decorate a torso. Now I think it's fair to say that some of us didn't really want to do this project as we weren't sure what to do, however we all did something different and they all turned out fantastic.

Here's a photo of them all, I don't think any of them are finished at this stage

and this is mine finished

I started off by painting and ink spraying with Dylusion acrylic paints and inks onto some of Claudine's sticky backed canvas, using various colours and spraying through stencils etc.  I then randomly cut up the canvas into bits and stuck them onto the torso, if you look closely you can see that I then did some faux stitching.  I then made a bobbin out of cardboard and the canvas, added some charms and dangly bits.  I am so please with the result, I think it's unique and better still even Maurice likes it, that's a first, but it could be because he made all the stands for everyone, lol.  Would love to hear what you think about it.  Had a fantastic day, as always, so thanks Clare for the idea.

I'm going to enter this into the Happy Daze current challenge which is dangly things.