Friday 15 July 2011

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:



Artsee Bloggers

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.

41 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday to you then - just finished watching your two DVD's and am waiting for acrylic paint to dry on my first attempts!!! Wish me luck I'm going back to it in a mo!
    Thanks for your inspiration - my husband? Not so thankful ...... because he's seen my shopping list!

    Kathyk

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  2. VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATE! Enjoy your wine and have a wind down. I can understand why you can't wait for the hols! I've just ordered the DVDs. Having taken part in a craft video (that long ago!) I can remember it was quite tiring and we did end up talking rubbish and falling about with hysterical laughter.

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  3. Happy birthday, enjoy your day. Love the start of your new journal. Tracy x

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  4. so is your new sketchbook super huge as in large sized or has it got squillions of lovely blank pages just waiting for you to fill???
    You've made a good start anyway, so enjoy the rest of you birthday - cheers!
    Love n hugs Sue xx

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  5. Awe....HAPPY BIRTHDAY my lovely!!!!! OMG! I don't think I could cope with a book that big hahahaha!!!

    LOVING the outakes :-D xxx

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  6. Fantastic page Kate, how big is the journal? The outakes are fab too......bet you had a laugh !!

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  7. Happy Birthday! And what a wonderful start to fill the sketchbook! :-)

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  8. Happy birthday to you
    Happy birthday to you
    Happy birthday dear Kate the art queen
    Happy birthday to you

    LOVE the super big journal have fun getting inky and im sure you can drink a bottle, maybe even two hehehehe xxxx

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  9. Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday. Enjoy your day. Loved the vid. Too funny. Hey you were smiling and looked like you were having fun, bloopers and all. LOVE your page in your BIG journal. Can't wait to see whatelse you do in it.

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  10. Happy Birthday! What a lovely present and your first page is wonderful. Finished school today for the summer, but I have decided not to return in September. I am hoping that I will have lots more time to be creative.

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  11. Hi there 'collegue' (I'm on artsee blogger too! I think most of us are by now... such a great initiative of Geri!) CONGRATULATIONS!!!! And what a nice way to spend your birthday playing in a new sketchbook! Page one is gorgeous!!! Have a nice weekend and relax!

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  12. Happy birthday to you! Enjoy your bottle of wine!
    Love the first page in your new sketchbook and thank you for the clips from the video :D

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  13. Wishing you a very Happy Birthday Kate and you've made a fab start on your new journal. Have a great evening, Annette x

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  14. Happy, Happy Birthday Kate! Now I have been wanting to get your DVD, but after seeing this I want it even more...just to listen to you speak!!

    enjoy your wine...they may never fall asleep...

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  15. Happy Birthday, have a wonderful evening. Love the page. Hubby got me your DVDs and they are super!!!

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  16. Happy Birthday to you XXX Love your page, just my colours, gorgeous. Dyan's new stamps are FAB aren't they? I think there is a 'Sayings' one too....See you soon. S xx

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  17. Sending you "Happy Birthday Wishes!"
    Love your journal page, great mixture of colors.
    The video was fantastic, made me smile... thanks :]

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  18. LOVE your husband's gift to you, your incredibly great background, and the WINE! haha Happy Birthday, Kate! ♥k

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  19. i would like to wish you a happy birthday too!!
    beautiful page in your new book.
    Greetings from Belgium
    Anja

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  20. I'm hoping by now you've reached the bottom of at least one bottle and that you've had a wonderful day.
    I had to laugh at the bloopers, keep them coming!! xx

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  21. Happy Birthday Kate xxx Love your first page in the new journal don't think I could cope with one so big the Santoro Gorjuss Girl one is just about my size. xx

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  22. Eppie burtday dear. 44 Is a new start. Glad you had a day filled with art!
    Keep it up. I can imagine that the last weeks of the school year are so utterly busy! Not long now before you can lay in the grass all day and look at the clouds!

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  23. Hope you've had a fabby birthday Kate ♥♥

    I SOOOO know what you mean about the end of school.. I'm exhausted! Roll on next weekend!!

    Hope the wine helped tonight ;-)

    Lurve you page. Best wishes...xx

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  24. Happy birthday Kate !! so we are both July gals then ;)
    LOVE the pages, so colourful!! Brilliant.
    And the video, so funny... that should be included at the end of each DVD!
    Ok, so we HAVE to journal, so I'd better get back to it then LOL
    Hope you get some sleep ;)
    isa

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  25. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Gorgeous page!!

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  26. you are too funny, loved seeing these out takes!

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  27. Well many happy wishes for your birthday. I understand the problem of being too busy.

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  28. Hope you've had a wonderful birthday. This page looks fabulous, love the colors.

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  29. Fabulous page - love those colours ;-)

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  30. You have made beautiful pages. Gorgeous. Love the combination and colours very much.
    Congrats with your birthday.
    Greet and have a nice weekend
    Marja

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  31. Happy birthday Kate. As a teacher in Australia I am in the middle of our winter Holidays and they were well needed as well. I recieved your DVDs the other day and they totally rock. So much detail and so many ideas. perfect for creating art on the holidays

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  32. Happy birthday, enjoy the wine. Happy creating in that new large book!

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  33. I hope your much needed break from school comes very soon for you! What a lovely birthday gift!!! I hope you enjoy your day Kate! I LOVE your dvd....its so great, and I'm so happy I got it!

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  34. Awww now you have shattered my illusions of how calm and collected you appeared on your DVD's!! I have really enjoyed your DVD's - havent quite finished watching the second one, but you have already had me all inky and messy! In fact the waitress in the pizza restaurant said - 'oh mind your clothes I think you have lent in the sauce...' errr.... nope it was ink! Now if you will excuse me I will go and watch the rest of the DVD xx

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  35. Hope you had a great birthday Kate xx
    The out-takes are really funny, there was I thinking how together, relaxed and confident you were in the DVD's. They are brilliant btw, my first Kate page is on my blog. Hope you have a less stressful week too. xx

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  36. Happy Birthday Kate, your kick start page looks amazing, your dvd's are on my wish list along with Dyans new releases. Hope the stay awakeover goes ok lol.

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  37. Happy Birthday for Friday!!!!!
    I have just received your DVD's here in Australia have spent the last 3 days watching them over and over. I don't usually have a problem making the first mark on the page, my problem is what to do after I have done a background. It is very rare to find any information about what to do to a page after you have completed a background. It’s where I get stuck all the time (along with colour combinations). Your DVD's have shown us in depth what to use and where to go next. I do hope you continue to make more DVD’s as I am sitting here yearning for more Thank you.
    Cheers Gayle L

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  38. I adore that ginormous journal of yours. Your hubby got that for yo didn't he? You see.....he knows you will have no problem filling up a space that size with your incredibly talented artwork. I love how your stencils, impressions and doodling always seems to come together in such a color cohesive page of beauty. It never looks like it doesn't work together or that something is missing, it always ends up as a spectacular background for our viewing pleasure. As always....thank you for sharing and inspiring.

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  39. such a fabby background, love the gorgeous vibrant colours and the way the music is embedded into the page!! fantabulous work! Hugs juls

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