Sunday 23 February 2014

Half term shenanigans


Oh yes, half term shenanigans! It's never easy to find the time to create once the children are at home for a week from school, but this afternoon I did find a bit of time to play at making some background papers. Ah, making a happy mess was rather blissful!

During the week I just had to grab a bit of time when I could. These days I usually offer to take the kids swimming because a) they are old enough and competent enough to go in without me (always a bonus) and b) that means I get an hour or so without interruptions! Yay, everyone's a winner. This time I took along my 'Art Doodle Love' book by Dawn Sokol, with my pencils, prismacolors, and my Faber Castell PITT pen, my coffee, and spent a very happy hour colouring in :-) ) Look, you can even see the swimming pool in the background.


This next photo sparked a bit of a debate over on facebook. Although I start off with good intentions when I get a beautiul new set of colours, I just can't keep them in order. In fact, after a while I get hugely irritated at having to lift off layers of pencils just to find one colour, so I tip them all out in a shambolic mess. And that's how I like it. So, what about you? Are you a 'neat freak' or a 'tipper'?!

Ooh, look! I don't even have the ends pointing the same way. Shame on me!

And finally, I have always had a thing about things in miniature. When I was younger my grandmother won a tiny matchbox containing a even tinier baby doll inside for me on the bingo at the seaside! I LOVED it, it was very precious and I treasured it. Every time she played bingo I lived in hope of a baby doll in a matchbox. And once I even 'rescued' a dead bird - a blue tit - and wrapped it up and kept it in a little box in my bedroom (until my Mum found it). It was so tiny and so beautiful and perfect I couldn't bear to leave it just lying on the path. True story.

Lately I have been stalking people who make tiny things on pinterest - you can check out my miniatures board here. I used to make altered matchboxes a long time ago but haven't made any for ages so today I decided to make a teeny tiny book in a box. I think I'll make some of these cuties for my Etsy shop ...


Byeeeeeee for now!

20 comments:

  1. Oooo loving the matchboxes Kate.......I did something similar with a dead goldfish I won at the fair, but it wasn't so kind and thoughtful as you.........it involved white porcelain, a chain and a flush!!

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  2. oh you didnt give us a peek inside the teeny tiny book! I too love all things miniature.
    Gill x

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  3. Hi Kate, I love your match boxes.....The only bit of tidiness anywhere in my life is my pencils and pens.....they have to be in colour order and all facing the same way! I wish I could be more like this with anything else! Your pages look fabulous. xxx

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  4. FAB art - me? I'm kind of a tipper too!

    Kathyk

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  5. Great post Kate I love the match boxes xx

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  6. I agree it is never easy when the kids are home from school 24/7 ;)
    I have a question: Is the big circle design one stamp you created with the wood burner technique ? in love with it, I need to make one (or ten lol).
    xo

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    1. Hi Nolwenn, the large spiral circle is the one I made myself. I use it loads!

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  7. Oh, these nice little boxes! So you love these?! http://bimbambuki.blogspot.de/2013/07/sommer-in-der-schachtel-sommerpost-2013.html Last summer, we had groups with nine women. Everyone made nine little matchboxes with her most loved summer place. One for oneself, the others for the other eight women.
    Love
    Jorin

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    1. Hi Jorin, I had a look at th blog you linked to. Fabulous! I love them all! Yes, I do love these miniature boxes :-)

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  8. Love your doodle page and your little matchbox books! I'm definitely for tipping out- can't be faffed with order!!

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  9. Hello Kate I love to peep in here from time to time, there is so much beautiful color! My boys are off school too now, they have a fortnight in France. Enjoy your time with the kids and your alone time too, your creations are always so gorgeous and colorful!

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  10. Love the match boxes and the little book. I would tip the pencils in a tin as it is much easier to rummage through, but they would all be pointing the same way. :)

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  11. Very creative and fun! I know what you mean about finding time when school is on break (and my mom was visiting). As always, I love your color choices!!

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  12. Great way of making time to craft Kate, love your miniatures too !!

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  13. Gorgeous pages & the teeny tiny book in a box looks wonderful.

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  14. What cute little books and the journal page is fab. My pens, pencils and crayons are all in a lunch tin and I kie them this way. My Copics are in a box but I would like to find a box where I can see the numbers on the ends of the pens as I like to store them horizontally.

    :)

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  15. I am so much a "tipper" with everything in my art room! It looks in a shambles most of the time. I do try to put things in order when I finish a project, but it doesn't stay that way long. I want to make journal pages!!!!! I bought one of your CDs about a month ago and have only had one day to really play. I LOVE the pages you have shown here! I also just bought Art, Doodle, Love and can't wait to sit down this evening and read it. Keep creating.......you are such an inspiration!

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  16. Kate, my family immigrated to the USA from England and always spent holidays by the sea. There was a shop there that sold treasures, including matchboxes with tiny carved wooden animals. Wish I still had those! You have inspired me.

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  17. Goodness Kate!! I absolutely love what you create...LOVE!

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