Making an exhibition

At long last I managed to come up with a few paintings for the exhibition. I still have more work to do on some but these two are now complete.



This little coal tit comes to my garden during the autumn and winter to get fed. He (or possibly she) is one of several that come to the feeders, pick out the seeds they like and spit the rest on the ground for other, ground feeding birds to get.

These guys are frequently seen in the field opposite. During the warmer weather some of them can be seen stretched right out in the grass sunbathing. You can't help but be inspired by their cute little faces.

Calling all journal writers

If you enjoy journals and creating your own pages you might like to take a look at Seth's latest blog entry at The Altered Page. It is about Barron Storey's latest exhibition in New York. The pictures of Storey's journal pages are amazing. It blows my mind to think of all the work that must go into them. If you like what you see there then you might like to take a look at Barron Storey's own blog for yet more stunning pictures. Thanks for the introduction, Seth.

And then the sun came out!

At long last I can see the sun. For most of June we have had dull grey skies and rain. We even had hail on one occasion. But it is still better than some parts of Scotland - the Highlands had two inches of snow earlier in the month!





Here are some of the cards I promised. The little one above is only a couple of inches tall by four inches long. Makes and ideal gift tag or thank you card for those who don't want to write alot. The others are Father's Day cards and a birthday card.


Note the Scooby Doo decoupage! Who, of a certain age, doesn't love Scooby Doo?



This one is made using Crafty Individuals papers and collage images. The company is very helpful, had great craft items and is British! I have heard they ship abroad very quickly too.

This is a RubbaDubbaDoo image with DCWV Taj Mahal papers and lots of jewels. There's that Indian influence again!

I have been busy - really!

Despite the lack of blog updates I have been working hard. Not only did I discover that I have just a few short weeks to get work ready for the local art exhibition but I had a host of cards to make for various birthdays and celebrations and swaps to work for. Phew! Here we are at another Friday and I just don't know where the time is going. I am also contemplating signing up for another Open University course. I've got to keep those grey cells in gear. So far it is between theoretical archaeology and Darwin. Both appeal so it turning out to be quite a decision.

Because some of the cards I have made are for people who might be reading this blog I can't show them right now. But I can show you a few of the other things I have been working on. Two journal pages (front and back), some inchies and some silk beads. I'll put some of the other cards up later.

Simon Says Stamp challenge

The Simon Says Challenge blog is hosting an animal themed challenge this week but with a twist. If 100 people sign up for the challenge then Simon Says Stamp will donate $25 to the Humane Society of Delaware County Ohio. Regular readers of my blog will know of the plight of local animal shelters all over the world right now and this is a great way to help out while having fun. What's more, Simon Says Stamp will host a prize draw for all entrants and one lucky winner could get a £25 shopping spree in the Simon Says Stamp store. I have used this company several times and not only are there prices great but there is great customer service and fast dispatch and delivery - even to the UK.

So, this is my entry to the challenge. It's very simply done - some Basic Grey paper, some Penny Black stickers, a few home made glitter drops (made with UTEE and glitter) and my own quip. We've all heard of letting sleeping dogs lie but the mouse is certainly taking advantage of the sleeping cat.

Etsy update

I have been updating my Etsy store this week. Lots of new beads are instore with more to follow. I have also branched out to make polymer stamps. They are all handmade and most are from my own designs. The original idea was to produce stamps of my pen and ink animals. Unfortunately I have had difficulty producing the fine lines on the stamps so have diversified into bolder designs until I can figure out how to sort out the problems. The stamps are deeply etched, giving a good stamped impression that I am pretty impressed with. What really clinched it for me was, while many big name polymer stamps 'give' under pressure thus leaving a slightly blobby images if you press too hard, these stamps don't and do not need as much pressure to give a clear image. There are a few designs up right now but I am hoping to add more this week.

Greyhound

I have been practicing with my graphite pencils recently. Although I have been using watercolours for twenty years I have often neglected pencil work, using it only as a way of transferring shapes onto blank watercolour paper. However, all of a sudden I have had the urge to draw. This guy is the result of my latest experiments. Greyhounds are often found needing homes after their racing days are over. I hear they make great pets and do not need as much exercise as you might think. So if you think you might like to take one on have a look in your local animal shelter. At the moment there are a lot of cats, dogs and small animals in desperate need of new homes. People cannot afford to keep them due to the financial crisis but they all need a little TLC. Not only that but many animal shelters are in terrible need of support. Their finances are slowly dwindling due to rising costs and more animals needing homes. One of the shelters near me, Arthurshiel Rescue Centre, might have to shut its doors if they cannot get more funding. That would be terribly sad, not only for the volunteers at Arthurshiel but also the animals who need their help, people who have no choice but to try and re-home their pets, the local council who rely on the service and those who want to take on a homeless animal.

A wild Saturday night

Now that the weather is getting better (she said while a cold wind blew outside her window) I have started my night rambles in the countryside. I go out at around dusk and can see many of the mammals that stay out of sight during the day. Saturday was my first of the season and, boy, was it a doozy. To begin with a fox stalked past me, totally oblivious to my presence. Unfortunately it disturbed a couple of roe deer which shot off across the field - bouncing along and barking a rebuke to the fox. On the other side of the road another roe deer was eating the new growth from the young trees, silhouetted against the darkening sky, it's rather large ears rotating once in a while to listen. I stood for a while watching it and did a little sketch with indian ink pens and blue watercolour tinted paper.

As I turned to go back I noticed a hedgehog just at my feet. I shone the torch on it and it turned to look at me with its beady little eye. I have not seen hedgehogs in the area for years so it was even more exciting to see this one wandering around. As hedgehogs are pretty slow and quite accommodating I managed a couple of pencil sketches.

That is the beauty of this time of year. When I go out I never know what I am going to see. However, over the last year it seems to me that the wildlife has become richer and more diverse. Hopefully that will be a good thing for the area and we won't have to worry about people shouting about the 'damage' the wildlife is doing to the farmland.

Disintigration - The Big Reveal

Once again I had a whole essay about Seth Apter's fantastic project. It would take an age for me to type it all out again so you can find the relevant information and my before pictures here and this is my now picture.


The next stage is to make something from the paper. I have a few ideas but will wait and see if the papers disintigrate a little more before trying anything.

A Taste of India

I had a whole essay written about the wonders of India and was all ready to cut and paste into Blogger when I discovered that the new update of Internet Explorer doesn't allow you to to that. I cannot tell you how mad I now am. I always write my posts offline them cut and paste them. Now I will have to write them all online regardless of whether I feel like doing it or not.

Anyway, here are a couple of things I've been doing. The stamps are from Rubbadubbadoo, Woodware and Tanda Stamps. Hope you enjoy them more than I am enjoying Internet Explorer 8.