Mixed media canvas/collage

Finally I have managed to finish off this large canvas that I started at a workshop a couple of weeks ago. I didn't like the finished image which was of the lady "clutching" a man to her - it just didn't work so I blocked him out totally and then just added her in full.

This started off as a blank 20" x 28" canvas (extremely daunting!!!) which was covered, using PVA adhesive, with various tissue paper, old music sheets, bus tickets etc etc. I then painted it over with gesso before starting my female portrait using acrylic paints. Over her hair and dress I have painted on an iridescent medium.

Thanks for looking.

Viva la Diva Memory Album

I went to a fantastic exhibition on Sunday down at Salwayash near Bridport. The exhibition was organised by Lynn Horniblow's students on her free machinery course. I was very eager to go down to look as I am joining Lynn's classes in September and, after seeing all the wonderful exhibits and meeting some very friendly people, I can't wait!!




I took loads of photos so I could sit and drool at home!!! LOL. Rather than just having them on the computer or lying around I decided to make a memory album and bring my Bind-it-All out of mothballs........... As it was an embroidery exhibition I decided that all the photos should be sewn onto the pages with various sheers/fibres which also gave me an excuse to use some of the different stitches on my sewing machine. For the front cover I used my embellisher to felt different fibres and sheers onto a backing. I also embroidered the words "Viva la Diva" on a piece of fabric which was then stitched to the main piece. The back is inked with chalk inkpads and then stamped with three ladies from 1st Class Stamps and they, in turn, were embellished with some gems. The final touch was adding some ribbons to the wires.





The album can now take pride of place in my bookcase and I know I won't have to go hunting for the photographs!!!

Mixed Media and Acrylic Inks

Following a mixed media workshop a couple of weeks ago I had a canvas which was half finished sitting in my room waiting for me to do something with it. I had just received a poster from the RSPB depicting a crane in flight and it caught my imagination as I thought this would look good on my half finished canvas.

The original canvas was made by tearing and crumpling tissue paper and adhering it to the canvas with watered down PVA. When this had dried the canvas is sprayed with water and then acrylic inks dripped onto it with gay abandon!!! This is what I had waiting for me. So today I thought it deserved finishing and this is what it came out like.

Thanks for looking.

I am delighted to introduce.............

I've finally finished Damson, my first attempt at bear making. My friends Anne and Jan came over today and Dee, who has been showing us how to make the bears, came to oversee the final embellishments which were adding the nose and mouth and sewing on the ears. Damson's nose has been hardened using watered down PVA and then polished with black shoe polish to give it a shine. I wanted to give her a smile rather than a normal bear mouth and I think it's turned out well. The final touch was to add a ribbon in her hair and to give her a necklace made out of knitted wire with beads. I am really pleased and she will definitely be sitting on the end of my bed tonight............ seeing as my DH is away for a couple of days on an Open University course Damson can keep me company. Thanks for stopping by.

Tall Trees Acetate Domed Card

It felt like Christmas this morning because my eagerly anticipated order of 5 (yes I said 5.........) stamp sheets arrived from Graphicus by courier. Then another two Joanna Sheen stamp sheets arrived so I have spent all morning mounting the sheets on EZ Mount, cutting out the individual stamps, laminating the illustrated sheets etc etc - boy are my hands sore!!!! LOL But not sore enough to stop me having a go at a card that was shown in the Graphicus Guild Newsletter using acetate domed over an image. It looked really effective so here's my attempt.



I have used an alcohol inked background on glossy cardstock and stamped the main image several times across the card using Staz-On in Timber Brown and Olive Green. I then stamped a separate image of the trees on a spare piece of the inked background. I then took a piece of acetate and swiped it with an antistatic bag and stamped the same image in the Timber Brown ink. The acetate is then scored down the side and attached to the back of the single image with DST (red liner tape)so you get the domed effect. This was then matted onto bronze mirri card, placed on the background image of the trees and then onto the main A5 top-folded card to which I had adhered some Graphicus paper. An organza ribbon across the top and a greeting and block from the Damask Blocks and Loving Sentiments stamp plates, again from Graphicus.



I was quite pleased with the way this has turned out and will be using this design again.

Another Word Book

Our friend, Alan, who lives in the village is 65 soon and we have been invited to a garden party (fingers crossed for the weather!!!) so I wanted to make a word book for him and used my Funky Daze CD.


Alan's interests are wine, cycling and gardening so I tried to theme the word book for these hobbies. I downloaded an image of a red wine bottle which had a blank label. I took the image into Photoshop and typed "Chateau Rankin 2009" and "made in Sparkford" on the label. I then printed it out on inkjet shrink plastic. It looks pretty good and I was pleased with it. I also stamped an image of a bicycle from the Flower Soft range onto shrink plastic and luckily I had some charms of various garden implements which I also used.


I hope he likes it.

Word Book

I've just managed to finish off this word book to celebrate our friend Doris' 80th birthday next week. Doris used to be a near neighbour but moved down to Hove a couple of years ago. Can't believe she's 80 next week - really scary!!!

I've made a matching box for it and am going to post it off tomorrow. Then I need to make another word book for another friend, Alan, who has his 65th birthday coming up soon - I don't know; we're surrounded by all these old people............ LOL!!!

I have also sold all my leather notebooks so need to get making some more and today also sold a knitted wire necklace and treasure box so know what I'll be doing for the next few weeks.

Thanks for stopping by.

Phew...........!!

Just finished my animal card for club night on Wednesday, so that's me done on the preparation front. I have used an image from Joanna Sheen's brilliant new CD-rom "Eastern Treasures" - it has got some of the loveliest images I have seen for a long time. This tiger looks like he is literally going to leap off the card. All the images have been hand painted by the artist Chang Ko-Chi.

Right - better go and have a look to see what's for dinner - definitely NOT a BBQ!!!!! LOL

Second medallion sample card

Hurray!!!! I've just managed to finish off my second sample for club night on Wednesday. Again I have used a medallion stamp from Creative Stamping. This time I stuck to monotones of black and white; so black embossing powder on white card and white embossing powder on the black card. Again I raided my stash of Graphicus papers and found a matching black and white sheet. The sentiment is one I got from C&C and I used a ticket punch from Stampin Up for all the corners. Gems were then added as a final embellishment. Now - off to start on my animal card!!! LOL

Medallion Card

Hi everyone - well it seems such a long time since I posted but things have been really hectic over the last couple of weeks - first our two day art exhibition, then the following weekend I had a stall at a school fete and then yesterday we had our annual BBQ to raise funds for the local Neighbourhood Watch and catered for nearly 100 people............... don't think we'll be having another BBQ for quite a while!!! LOL.

I have managed to finish one medallion card sample for club night on Wednesday and will try to get another one done this afternoon but thought I would post this one first. For the main image I have used a Creative Stamping image and, for a change, have stamped onto patterned card (from my stash of Graphicus Guild goodies). There are actually 7 layers and I must admit it was quite difficult to cut out because of the pattern on the card. When I stamped it I embossed in copper. The sentiment is from a Stampin Up set as are the scalloped and oval punches. I then used DecoArt Paper Effects in copper as embellishments at the edge of the card.

Sneak peek!!!!

Well, I did promise some photos of Damson Bear yesterday, but I am afraid it's taking longer to finish than we thought............ he's all jointed and nearly completely stuffed but needs his nose doing etc which will really bring him to life. But I decided to tease you a little with a couple of "partial" pics...... LOL and as soon as he's finished you can see him properly. I'm off to a canvas collage and acrylic ink workshop tomorrow so it's going to be a few days before I will be able to do any more on him. Thanks for stopping by.

A hectic weekend................

The art exhibition went really well and so did I!!!!! LOL Really pleased the way things went (literally......) and it certainly made quite a dent in my stash although I have been coerced into doing another fair next Saturday at a local school with a friend of mine. She makes jewellery and doesn't have enough stock to fill a 7 foot table so I have agreed to help out by bringing my stuff. Haven't bothered unpacking as I will be able to take most of my goodies with me.

Today my friends Anne, Janet and Dee are coming over and we are hoping to finish off the handmade bears we started ages ago. They are all sewn up and now need to be jointed and stuffed (hmmmmm...) so maybe I will be able to post a photo of my completed "Damson" bear tomorrow. Dee is an absolute whiz at bear making and I think she's been on every course going and she's been kindly helping us out. What a star.

Right, must be off as they will all be here soon. Thanks for stopping by.

Art Exhibition

Well, we have finally finished setting up the Art Exhibition and it's running today and tomorrow. We have been really busy today which was good and hopefully we will have a good turnout tomorrow as well. I took a few photos of my "craft" table and my paintings, which took up more space than anticipated..............

Bog Candy Alert!!!!

Graphicus are releasing some new stamps next week (now I'm getting too excited for a Friday afternoon..........!!! LOL) Pop over and have a look.

And another Etui box

Well folks - that's it!! Have just finished making another Etui box and in these photos you can see I have added various sewing implements. On top I have added a button in the shape of a thimble which seemed appropriate. These boxes and lots of other things will be for sale at our Art Show this weekend. I now have to make sure all my paintings are labelled and the glass is clean etc so that might take me a while........... thanks for looking.