She's finished!!

Following on from my Ten Minute Tuesday post I sat last night and worked again on my art journal page with the Teesha Moore style drawing on it and I got on a roll and got it finished. I made a paper dress for the figure and finished it off with some rub ons - I journalled on the figure and all the way round it. I stood her on a tape measure rub on and some washi tape, doodled a border round the page and added on a couple of rub on lines. I finished off the watercolour blobs with some gesso which I drew into with the end of a pencil and made into flowers after reading another tutorial on Carmen's blog by Carla Sondheim. I finished them off with centres made from dots of a posca paint pen.

The title of the page is "She didnt care if it was perfect" and the journalling around the girl reads "You need to learn to embrace that sentiment. Life isnt perfect and thats okay, its just the way it is sometimes. Your art doesnt need to be perfect either - that's okay too!!" Its a wee message that I need to say to myself more often. Like most folks I'm very critical of my own work but I actually quite like this page, its not my usual colour scheme and the figure is a bit wonky and quirky but I like her.

Ten Minute Tuesday - 6 August

Hello again.  Well.despite being off for another couple of days there hasn't been all that much in the way of.creativity going on as I'm right on the middle of a major craft room clearout.  I managed to collect a second hand expedit unit at the weekend. So after clearing a space for it, it took me, Fiona and her.boyfriend.Gary to put it all together and I've finally made enough floor and desk space to work in the room while I'm finishing it off.

Here's what Ive been working on. It's still a work in progress.  I've done it in several tem minute bursts as a reward for tidying up.   The background was based on a.piece in the acrylic solutions book on colour patching but didn't turn out anything like it was meant to lol, once it dried I stencilled on some texture paste through a stencil and left to dry. I can't draw for toffee but followed a link on Carmens blog to some arty tutorials. I liked a simple drawing one by Teesha Moore and thought If give it a go, not too bad for a first attempt I guess.  I've only started to colour her in with my coloursoft pencils but I've a way to.go yet.

The little dots are the beginnings of some abstract flowers by Carla Sondheim from another tutorial I found on Carmens blog.

Why not pop over to Vickis place to see what she's been  up to and then let us see if you  have managed to achieve something in your ten minute bursts.

52 Photos - Week One

Hi there.  When I saw this idea to post one photo a week on Jean's blog I knew I wanted to join in.  having tried and failed at a photo a day on the past (my life is just not that interesting) I think I can cope with one a week.  There's a great list on Jeans blog compiled by herself and Gail from Efemera  Ink and Gail also gives a great tutorial for an easel type album to showcase them

You can use the prompts in any order you please hit you must begin and end with a self portrait *sigh* I hate having my picture taken and I really hate trying to take one of myself bit I gamely went out to the back garden and bit the bullet, I think the sunglasses helped lol.

Rocking Your World Friday - 2 August

Hello folks and welcome along to another Rocking your world Friday post.  If you don't know what this is all about then hop over to Virginia's place and have a look.

I've had a truly wonderful week this week so without any further ado here's what I'm grateful for

A few days off work at my beloved Beadnell. A picture of the local Church St Ebbas instead of the beach for a change.

Fabulous sunshine

The whole family all together to celebrate my lovely Dads 80th birthday.  Here he is opening the fire pit we bought him and we had two great nights sat round it in the dark toasting marshmallows.  Dad wad so happy to have us all there together and the sun shone on us.

The lovely welcome when I got home from the felines Spikey Bobs and Maisie Moo

Receiving this fab book from Amazon after reading about it on Carmens blog, I love it and hope to have a try at the techniques over the weekend once I make a space at my desk.

Finding a second hand expedit unit for sale locally to me on the very weekend I'm mounting a proper clear out of my craft room.

Going into Glasgow today to meet Donna for lunch and having an mooch round the arty section in Millers.

So, all in all a good week, how was yours?

Ten Minute Tuesday

Hello again folks.  Its Tuesday again and time for Vicki's Ten Minute Tuesday.  Im not sure if she is going to manage to post due to her kiddies being on their school hols but its worth hopping over to her blog for a wee look.

So Ive been off work and hoping for some more creative time.  I haven't  managed much so far as I've been down at Beadnell  in Northumberland and we had a hectic but happy time celebrating both my Dad's 80th and my Son''s 22nd birthdays.

I did manage to sit in the sun for a while one afternoon and made a start to the "Intentions Page" in my Art, Doodle, Love book (did I mention I lurve this lol). I think I ve converted a couple of scrappy friends to it too so thats all to the good.

The page is not finished yet but its getting there.  Some of the writing - my intentions - are - to make great art, just for me, to doodle without over-thinking, improve my lettering, learn to love what I produce and to have confidence in my abilities. 

Why not let us see what you have managed in your ten minute bursts of creativity this week

Rocking your World Friday - 26 July

Hello and Happy Friday to you all.

A much more positive post from me this week - Im sure you will be glad to see that. Last week was just one of those weeks for me but I was still determined to join in.  I guess sometimes you do need to take the rough with the smooth.   Not as many photos as I would have liked though as Im blogging from my phone which isnt a problem in itself but the signal is poor and its very hard trying to get photos to load over it.

So lets get down to it.  What rocked my world this week.

Firstly - my local crop -  I co run this along with Audrey and they really are the lovliest, friendliest and maddest bunch of crafters you could hope to meet.  A days cropping with them never fails to cheer me up.
I even managed a bit of creativity - Yay! It felt good after a week of producing nothing at all.  No pictures though as I havent actually managed to finish any of the things I started yet!!  It was good to see Donna again all refreshed after her holiday to the USA and I really must thank her for the teeny wee wooden alpha stamps and lovely journal cards and little patterned glassine bags she brought me back.  The stamps are pefect for my art journal and I cant wait to use the envelopes and cards on a layout.

Then on Sunday we were distraught as Maisie Moo, my daughters kitten managed somehow to get out of the house and was missing for around five hours!!!! We were in a right old panic when we discovered this and when we set off along the street to search for her it was not at all helpful when the first thing we saw was a fox!!!! just two doors along strutting up and down like he owned the place  We were sure then that we would never see Maisie again but just after we had given up searching and come inside to post pics of her on facebook I noticed a movement at the lounge window and there was the little minx up on the outside sill begging to come in.

Finishing work on Thursday for a wee break!! Im not back in the office until Tuesday 6 August. Its a fab feeling. Yay!!

Beadnell - yes I'm back here again - my favourite corner of the world and how lovely this time to be here not only with my parents but I will be joined later on today by  my lovely son Fraser and his girlfriend Emma and my gorgeous daughter Fiona and her boyfriend Gary.  Its a long time since we were all here together and Im really looking forward to it.

But the main thing Im grateful for this week,  and the reason we are all at Beadnell together is that today my lovely Dad is 80 and along with all their caravan friends we are having a birthday bbq.  In case you didn't know about eighteen months ago my Dad was diagnosed with Vascular Dementia and in that short time we can see him failing which is incredibly sad.  Most of the time he is his lovely self but when he is not it gives a glimpse of how the future might be.  He has been looking forward for weeks to us all being there with him (I will post up some pics of his birthday celebrations next week)

Im here for another few days then Im heading home because once and for all I need to get a grip on the ever increasing mess that is my craft room.  So instead of chilling out down here Im biting the bullet and having a few days off at home (which I dont usually like to do) to sort things out in the hope that once its tidied and semi organised so that I can find things I might feel more like sitting in there doing a bit of creating,  So Im hopeful it will be worth it in the end

And finally I receive this very lovely kit in the.post.this week from Sue.  I won this as a prize.on ber lovely blog and I can't wait to.use it.

If you want to know what this is all about then hop over to Virginia's place and join in.  Due to very limited signal here I might not get round to comment on your blogs till I get back home but I will try my best.

Till next week.

Ten Minute Tuesday

Hello there.  Last week I just ran out of time to post my Ten Minute Tuesday post.  It was just one of those weeks! and this week isn't looking any better at the moment.  Roll on Thursday at 5pm as I finish work then until 5 August.  Thank heavens!  Im hoping for great things - some relaxation, some sorting out, throwing out, tidying up and of course some more creative time so watch this space.

I recently bought Art, Doodle, Love which I absolutely love and although I havent started doodling on any of the prompts yet I did decide to make a start on one of the title pages as it wasnt as daunting as a full blank page.  Here's what I achieved so far with a PITT pen and my coloursoft pencils which I am beginning to fall in love with as they are just so easy to colour with.  Its very theraputic and great fun and is being packed away into my bag to take with me to the caravan so hopefully I will have more to show after next week.

Hop over to Vicki's blog to see what Ten Minute Tuesday is all about ( I know her kids are off school so it may be that she doesnt have a post up - but scroll back and have a look at her previous posts)