Waiting

A long time ago I bought a box of 6"x6" canvases and promptly forgot about them as other stuff got in the way. Well, I found them again a week or two ago and realised it's been ages since I worked on canvas. 

Paper or board is often an easier option for the sort of heavily textured and layered pieces I like to make now because it doesn't have that natural give to it that a stretched canvas does and I find it easier to print or stamp or collage on. So a challenge for myself here, to see what I can do!

New Video - A Series of Postcards

Finally, I managed to get a new video filmed and edited. I'm working on a series of small postcard sized pieces here. I find that working on several pieces at the same time is helpful for quieting the inner critic and allows me to work more quickly and intuitively so it's something I like to do regularly if I can. Hope you enjoy the video!

A Little Bit Of Gesso & Ink

Making background papers is always fun - and useful too - so I put together a little video tutorial to share with you on these. They're very quick and easy to do, require only a few ingredients and will give you some lovely results!

I have been having some time off from creating to nurse my poorly dog who's got pneumonia but he is, thankfully, on the mend now so I thought I'd ease myself back into things with a little play time. Hope you enjoy watching.

Be Happy Here

Just finished another video, this time it's a walk through one of my journals followed by a process piece as I make this page. You might be surprised by how it looked to start with when you see where it finished up, but that's part of the fun of creation. I often don't know where things are going until they get there, and that's ok once I let go of any preconceptions I might have and let things just happen!

Telling the Bees

Another video this week, this time of a journal page. I am doing a series of loose pages which I plan to bind together at a later date. 

It occurred to me the other day that I have seen virtually no bees so far this year and you may well be aware that bee populations are in decline all over the world. It looks like organo-phosphate insecticides could be playing a big part in this and it has potentially very serious repercussions for us all if numbers of pollinating bees keep falling, so if you have a garden make sure you do everything you can to welcome bees into it by planting the sorts of flowers they love and not using pesticides!

Folklore tidbit: there is an old superstition amongst beekeepers that you must tell the hive of any significant events - births, marriages or deaths for example - or they will swarm and you will lose your bees for good.

At Home

I forgot to share these earlier so thought I'd do so now. Another couple of 5x7 pieces with my cheery little houses which I made as New year's gifts. 

Learning Something New

There is a wonderful new artists' community you may not have come across yet so I thought I'd give you the lowdown on it. It's called One Little House and is the brainchild of my lovely chum Jeanette House. It has a growing number of video classes - paid and free - with more to come throughout the year, including some by me! They're aimed at all levels of ability and there are discussion groups where you can talk to the tutors and other students in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

For starters, you might like my free tutorial on making the cute little tag above. So if you'd like to watch and try this or something else for yourself just follow this link to join in the fun!

Antique Tag Tutorial

Here it is then, my very first foray into video making. If you'd like to know how to make a tag like the one in the photos take a look at the tutorial and I'll show you! And if you have any questions or thoughts please leave me a comment.

Hope you enjoy it!

Playing House

Since my last blog post I have become a grandmother. Little Eben couldn't wait to meet the world and was born a month early. He is a beautiful, healthy boy and I feel blessed to know him. 

One of the things which this whole experience has brought to the fore is how much has changed in the baby world in the last 30-odd years since my daughter was born, by which I mean everything from attitudes to home birth, advice on pregnancy and beyond, and the range of 'stuff' available to care for mum and baby. To me, 36 years seems quite a short time, but I feel like a stranger in a strange land when I watch how my daughter equips and acquits herself when looking after his needs, and I marvel at it a little.

Of course, much is still the same as well, the basics never change and the most important things: security, warmth, food and shelter, remain. And, of course, love. A loving family and a happy home are surely what we all wish for our children, and their children too.

The pictures above are a couple of the happy houses I made as new year's gifts this year.

Tag Fun

Well, the beginning of another year and I hope it's going well for you all so far, yes? I have lots of stuff to show you but... I can't, not yet. I made a whole lot of little mixed media pieces over Christmas and New Year but they're all swappies for my fab girlies in Studio33 so until they've received them I have to keep the pics under wraps!

So instead I'll show you these: a tiny part of my ever growing tag collection. I recently got a 50-pack of large manilla tags which has revived my love affair with these babies. Tags are great tiny canvases for trying out products and techniques before you commit to a 'proper' project. If you don't already have some get down to Staples forthwith and buy a pack. Seriously, they're too much fun not to play with!

Too Soon?

Yes, it's only October but please don't hate me! I always end up rushing around a week before Christmas having done zero preparation so I challenged myself this year to acquire at least some semblance of organisation. So, having just purchased a few odds and ends from Hobbycraft I thought I'd try out some seasonal tags.

Favourite find was this Confetti Glitter Glue which has stars and snowflakes in it (how cool is that?!) and the Naughty or Nice stamp. I had to play with them right away and tags are brilliant for this; they're ideal little blank canvases and you don't have to stress about making a mess of them.

I rounded up some watered down re-inkers in mist bottles, washi tape, ribbon, the confetti glue and rubber stamp. Spread the confetti glue on the tag with a palette knife or something similar as it's quite thick and let it dry - this took several hours but the room wasn't very warm - then spritz with misters, add the stamp and washi tape fragments and finish with a ribbon bow. Super quick, apart from all the drying time, and easy, and I think it will make a nice addition to my Christmas gift wrapping!

House Of The Spirits

More from the journal. The page didn't start off going in this direction, it just kind of happened along the way. I like it when things evolve and take on their own life!

Saturday Journalling

Finished this off today. It's been languishing for a while because I wasn't happy with how it was going, then this morning it just seemed to come together, inspired perhaps by the lovely autumn sunshine!

Grow

So here we are: the first rose of summer. This is Ispahan, an old Persian damask which is always the first to bloom in my garden. Every year it astonishes me with its beauty and overwhelming perfume and really kick-starts my summer garden.

And now it's being joined by more early blooming lovelies. This is a little perennial viola called Etain, purchased at my local market and adding a big shot of sunshine on those grey days we always get in summer here.

Remember the tags I was working on in the post below? Well, inspired by my wee garden I made a bunch of blooms to decorate one of them and this is what I ended up with!

Currently available here

Tagging It

Some of my first ever collages, many years ago, were done on luggage tags. There's something about the quirkiness and informality of repurposed tags which I find irresistible. Add to that their small format and you have a perfect canvas with which to create little decorative objects. 

And what can you do with them? Well, obviously, you can frame them - a box frame is ideal - or use them in your journal, as bookmarks, or even as gift tags for a special present. I recently saw a whole collection of collaged tags which had been turned into a string of bunting for decorating a room, which I think is a fab idea and one I intend to try soon.

As for these two, you can find them in my Etsy shop if you want to start your own collection!

Journalling

I recently started working in my journal again, trying some new stuff out. My fave find recently has been a white Hybrid gel pen which actually seems to work over other media - I do not have a good track record with white pens but am enjoying this one so far!

More Journalling Fun

Another journal spread using some of my favourite colours and techniques but combined in ways I haven't necessarily done before. It's very freeing just to play with materials and see what happens without there needing to be 'art' at the end of it!

Just Playing

I recently joined Effy Wild's network on Ning and it has given me a bit of a kick start to keep up more with my journalling. It's a great group and whether you're a total novice or have been doing arty/crafty things for years you'll get a warm welcome and lots of encouragement (and who doesn't appreciate that?). One of the weekly journal prompts was all about patterning and this was my response to it. Lots of fun was had making this I can tell you!

Wax On, Wax Off

Three new encaustics which you can find in my Etsy store. I kind of like them all grouped together like this so I'm thinking I might do sets of six or nine which I could mount on mat board as a single piece. What do you think, good idea or no?

RIP, Robert

Robert Rauschenberg was a revelation to me several years ago when I first discovered his art. He died on May 12th at the age of 82 and I will always treasure the sense of wonder his work gives me. There's a really nice obituary here.