July Finished!

Wow, where did the month go?! Well, here's my July calendar all finished :-) I haven't quite got August ready but I know some of you will be super-organised and ready to share your August pages so the link is below all ready to go! Don't forget to link to your post and not to your blog in general so that if people drop by later in the month it will take them straight to the right post. If you don't have a blog, no worries, just upload to Flickr here and link to your flickr page.

We are now officially over half way. Yay! Only 5 months to go. So let's see, who's still in?

All sorts!

Smile by Daniel Torrente for Stampotique

Carol's Flower large and small by Janet Klein for Stampotique

Inks and paints by Dylusions

It's the Stampotique Designers Challenge time again! This time Kaz has challenged us to create something using sizzling colours of red, yellow and orange. Here's what Kaz has to say:

"When I took this  week for my challenge back in the winter, I thought it would be lovely and summery so I decided to set a colour challenge using the sizzling colours of red, yellow and orange. I should have known better really as I do, after all, live in England. It's been positively Autumnal this month. Rain, wind and grey skies. Yuk. So I'd like you to help us entice the sunshine back to help warm my cold toes!!"

Although I started out as a 'neat' cardmaker, I rarely make cards these days so I decided to challenge myself a bit further and make a card. I 'smooshed' red and yellow inks on a craft mat and dragged my card through. The colours mixed in places to give me the colour orange too.

All the details of the challenge can be found on the Stampotique Designers Challenge blog. As its the second challenge of the month, it's Stampotique only stamps, and don't forget there's a $30 gift certificate up for one lucky winner!

Yesterday I spent the day with the wonderful Kirsty Wiseman learning how to use my digital SLR camera. I have had my camera for ages but have only ever used it in auto mode *shame on me* but after spending a day with Kirsty I can now shoot IN MANUAL! Yay! I wasn't exactly a natural behind the lens (LOL!) but I'm getting better,  and I'm going to practise loads this summer. Here's a few shots from the day.

An unusual view of a bench:

 The gorgeous Kirsty, with the face of a 16 year old:

Kirsty took this one of me doing my best 'catalogue' pose:

Here's Kirsty again. Check out the railings!

I learned how to take a low down shot like this by balancing the camera on my foot:

Kirsty took me to some of the nicest places ... here we were standing on a motorway bridge!! Here I was learning how to do this:

And freeze frame like this:

Kirsty has the most adorable little sausage of a dog named Eddie. I tried to get a good shot of them together but you know what they say ... never work with animals! Here is Eddie mid-yawn:

But here he is looking gorgeous. Ahhhhhh!

I had such a great day and learned absolutely loads *thanks Kirsty*.  If you want to get to grips with your SLR then I highly recommend it.

Now, talking of taking great photos ...... if you have a spare moment have a look at  Cat's blog because she takes some amazing photos. I taught an art journaling class at Art from the Heart last weekend and we had a blast, but as usual I didn't get chance to take any photos. Cat took great photos of the day and blogged them here. She has a way of really capturing the essence of a day.

And finally, look what's happening in September. Woop woop!

This promises to be a great weekend with loads happening, you can read all about it here. There will be taster workshops from Dyan, Sandy Poppins, Susie Flintoff, Kirtsy Wiseman, and me! It's on the same weekend as the Great Northern Papercraft Extravaganza, and as Art From The Heart is literally just around the corner, if you are in the area you could do both things in one day!!

Right, that's me done. I really must go and get dressed, can't spend the whole day in PJs! Byeeee

I'm in!

Wowee! I'm very pleased indeed to be included in the new autumn edition of Artful Blogging. It is always an honour to be included in a Stampington publication and although I haven't actually received my copy yet I just know that it will be a fab magazine jam-packed full of inspiring blogs and wonderful artists. Ooh I just can't wait to get my copy!

Many thanks for all your lovely comments recently and very sorry if I haven't got back to you yet. Life has been hectic towards the end of term and time is always so short. I'll do my best! But let me know what you think ... do you hope for a reply / return visit when you leave a comment on a blog? Really, I'm interested. Because if I could I would spend half of my day making art and the other half blog-hopping but unfortunately life isn't like that! I spend a lot of time feeling guilty about all of this so I'd be interested in your opinion. 

Now a personal message to Rosie B who has been trying to contact me. Rosie I'm sorry but I haven't been able to answer your question as your blogger profile has not been made public so I have no way at all of getting back to you. In answer to your question, no, the DVD does not have subtitles but if you want to contact the publishers - Traplet  - they may be able to help you more.

Byeee for now.

New journal page and a new studio woop woop!

Borders and hand by Tumblefish Studio

Paints and inks by Dylusions

Butterfly - magazine image

SCHOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER! Yay! 6 whole weeks of not getting up early, wearing my PJs all day if I feel like it, and more importantly some time to make art. Here's a journal page I did in my A4 (12 x 8) journal. I think you can guess what it is about! I actually used a quote from our school summer show - a child-friendly version of The Tempest by Shakespeare. The line comes right at the end of the play when Prospero is asking to be set free from the island where he has been trapped for 12 years.

Here it is as a work in progress:

And here are a few close-ups of the detail. I  hand-cut the circles from backing papers by Tumblefish Studio and scribbled round them a bit:

I built up the background layer by layer using paints and inks by Dylusions and a harlequin template by Crafters Workshop.

I wrote the quote with an old-fashioned dip pen. I love its unpredictability.

Now, with reference to a previous post about my new super-duper huge journal ... some of you asked me just how big it is. Well, it's this big!! This is HUGE for me - I started this art journey making tiny ATCs!

For the last few weeks we have been in chaos in our house as we moved my son into his new big bedroom (my old work room) and I moved into his old bedroom. It was complicated because we have an old house and it's NEVER just a lick of paint, it ALWAYS involves stripping about 100 years worth of wallpaper and replastering. Emptying the room that I had been creating in for the last 7 years was scary - my art stuff spread into 5 rooms and for the last few weeks I haven't been able to find a thing. 

But now my son is sleeping peacefully in his colourful new bedroom, and finally I have a work space that I can call my own. It is small but beautiful and it is MINE ALL MINE hahaha!

Here, let me show you around. Here's the view from the landing. Do you like the eye chart? Isn't it totally fab?! (Ikea of course!) It lights up and everything!

My eclectic collection of pots for paintbrushes and pens:

A close-up of my work area. Doesn't it look ... er ... clean?! Don't worry, that won't last long.

Here's the new storage (ikea again!). Everything has its place, the trouble is I don't know my way round it yet .....

Here's my little friend Ratty. I love him for his lop-sided quirkiness. He's even got a tattoo.

I made this angel quite a while ago, but a couple of weeks ago I found this rusted bird-cage in a florists in town. I think it's really meant for a plant, or maybe a candle, but probably not a trapped angel. When I was a little girl I used to long for a fairy in a jar, not a stuffed one - a real one! I think this is the closest I'll get.

I love this lampshade (Ikea again!). I was shopping with my mum and she said that she though it was horrible but I think it's a bit funky and a bit unusual (and probably a real dust trap hmmm).

And finally just a couple more of my favourite things. I found this whimsical bird in a shop on Mull, Scotland. I desperately wanted him but I was worried that he wouldn't make it home with all his toes intact. But lots of bubble wrap and a bit of TLC and here he is in his new home, alongside a cute hand-made bear:

The question is .... how long till everything is splatted with ink?!

Byeee for now.

Stampotique Design Challenge Time!

Gog Lin by Jill Penney

Carol's Flower by Janet Klein

Sentiment - Carol's Collection

all for Stampotique Originals

Paints and inks by Dylusions

Ooh I'm skidding in by the seat of my pants for this challenge - almost late but just in time. Phew! One of these days I'm going to be ready AHEAD of a deadline. Maybe :-)

The challenge this time has been set by the lovely Gez, who has challenged us with a fabulous theme of Flower Power. As it is the first challenge of the month you may use any stamps at all but there must be flowers somewhere on your creation. If you would like to join us this week for your chance to win a $30 gift certificate for Stampotique stamps (you want that, you know you do ...! )  please link in at the Stampotique Designers Challenge blog with a DIRECT link to your creation. You can also see lots of inspiration there from all the Stampotique Design Team members.

I chose to do my challenge page in my vintage Time Book journal, dating back to 1911. I have to be very careful with the pages as they are so fragile. I decided to turn Gog Lin into a fairy (of sorts) by giving him bee wings and hiding him amongst some flowers. The sentiment just seemed to fit perfectly!

Bye for now.......

Where've ya been?!

Sorry about my absence, I've been busy busy busy. Too busy. Uncomfortably busy. *sigh*  Why is the end of the summer term so manic? It is even worse than Christmas ..... parents, children and teachers are all exhausted. We need a break and we need it NOW!

I haven't had time to do any art for ages and that makes me twitchy. Today is my birthday and my lovely hubs gave me a super dooper HUGE sketchbook and said something along the lines of ... 'Ha! Fill that!' So I decided to kick start my mojo today by just playing with inks, paints, stencils and pastels. for no other purpose that just playing. And it was fun, and now I have filled in page 1 of my super-huge sketchbook :-) 

Thanks to all of you who have continued to give me feedback for my DVDs. Thank you soooo much! You can now get hold of my DVDs in the UK at The Stamp Attic, and you can see what Wendy (of the Stamp Attic) had to say about them here.

Now, I don't want you to think I found filming these DVDs easy, noooooooooo it wasn't! I have been pestering the producer for some of the outtakes because they really make me laugh. Oh yes, I may look all relaxed and serene and in control on the DVDs, but just for you here is the reality. Enjoy!

The trouble with not blogging for a while is that I end up with a lot to say and a lot to share! I'm so excited at the prospect of new rubber by Dylusions at Art from the Heart. This little lot looks right up my alley! Here are a few sneeky peeks but head over to Dyan's blog for all the latest.

And finally ..... Look what's new this week:

Geri has set up this wonderful website where you can visit and see links to all sorts of arty blogs. It's a great way to link up with other like-minded arty-farties :-) If you want to go and have a look or even join, just click here. And well done to Geri (and her husband!) for setting it all up. It's a great idea.
OK, I'm off to enjoy the rest of my birthday (44 just incase you're wondering!). Tonight my son is having a sleepover stayawakeover for his birthday which is in a few days time. Not the best way to celebrate my own birthday, but I think if I try very hard I can probably leave them to it and drink a bottle of wine. They'll fall asleep eventually won't they? Won't they?!
Bye for now.