The sweetest nectar ....

Hello,

I've just bought my first dylusions art journal with black pages and couldn't wait to have a play in it.

I had been watching Gerda Van Dijk's You tube channel and she creates some fantastic journal pages in her black journal, so I just had to get one and have a try. 

Here's my first 2 page spread inspired from her work;

The birds and flower stamps are from Sheena Douglas stamp sets, stamped onto Sheena card, coloured with Spectrum Aqua and sparkle pens from Crafters Companion, then cut out and glued on.

The background was created using gesso, paints and stamps - Limor circles from IndigoBlu and wording stamps from Visible Image.

Then finished off with some doodling and highlighting using a white posca pen.

Challenges;

Stamps and stencils - Off to collage challenge

Creative artiste mixed media - #35 challenge

Art journal journey - A-z animals ( hope that includes birds)

Make my Monday challenge #65 Messy backgrounds

Simon says stamp- monday challenge- Grunge it up

We love 2 create- Anything mixed media

New stamps and paints

Good evening all,

I've been playing with some new stamps and paints today. 

The paints are by Pebeo - Dyna acrylics, look how yummy they are, all shimmery and gorgeous.

I painted a few A5 pieces, just to have a go with them, then I made a set of 4 coasters.

 The peacock stamp is from Heartfelt Creations and the hummingbird and flowers are from Sheena Douglass' Laguna range.

 I will be taking the coasters with me to an artisan market at the National Wildflower Center, Liverpool, this Saturday. I will probably make the other paintings in to notebook covers.

Hope you like them!

Thanks for looking

Hugs Sue x

Lets have a Catch-up

 

 

The sun is shining in the sky, there ain't a cloud in sight..... Bet that's got you all singing, I know I am.

 

Good day to everyone, I hope you are all keeping well. Thought its about  time we had a good ole catch up. Go and get yourself a cuppa and lets chat. Be warned this is quite a long post, feel free to skim it or just look a the pics, I wont be offended.

There are a number of reasons that I've not posted for a while, the main being I've gone back to work, I mean a proper full time job, not just doing my craft fairs. I'm now a deputy manager/senior nursery nurse at a lovely little pre- school not far from home. It feels great to be working with children again and they're even younger this time, they really lift the spirits and make me feel young again. I can dance around and sing like a 'gud un' and they love it and when a little child comes over and grabs my hand saying "Come and play Sue"  well my heart just melts. Can you tell that I Love my job.

Earlier this year me and a co worker did a reverse bungee in aid of Christie's cancer charity. After losing my brother just over 12 months ago to this horrible disease, I try and fund raise as much as possible. We were thrilled to raise over £200 and had a brilliant experience in the process.

Ok ! here goes, its our turn next.

5,4,3,2,1, blast off

Aaaarrrrrgh!! Oh look you can see my house from here!



No one warned us that it spun round as well as catapulting us into space.
Oh dear bet I look a lovely shade of green.

Ready to come back down to terra firma.

Well apart from looking a bit windswept, we don't look too bad.
Infact can we go again? that was great fun. 

 

 

I am still doing regular craft fairs and that's probably another reason for not blogging, not through lack of time just that I hadn't really got anything new or different to show you.

Here's a couple of photos of my craft stall at various venues. 

 

Walton gardens in Warrington

 

 

Created in WA - Mothers Day craft fair held in Warrington's indoor market.

 

 

Other side of stall at Mothers Day fair

 

 

 Over the past couple of months I have started to play with different craft mediums and I'm adding new things to my craft stall

 

An old favourite of mine.
Large framed mirror hand painted with wild
 flowers and a butterfly using matt acrylic paint.



A new twist.
Large framed mirror hand painted with fantasy florals
using special irridescent paint and over laid with acetate flowers

 









 

Wall hangings and hanging heart baskets.
The heart baskets contain 4 scented tealights.
 People kept asking me for scented candles, but I don't like to paint on scented candles as the scented oil can affect the paint and after a while the design can look a mess.
 

The wall hangings are painted using an assortment of mediums, Distress inks, Luminarte range of twinkling H2O's, sprays, daubers, pourables and various acrylic paints, along with Sheena Douglass' range of stamps and various background techniques. 

Vases painted with a fab new paint called Fantasy Prisme and Fantasy Moon by Pebeo.
 

These coasters and panel are created using the Fantasy paints again, along with rubber stamps by Sheena.
These are great sellers as the effect created by the paint is wonderful and very unusual.

Lastly, ... I hear you sigh with relief, if you've stuck with me so far, Thank you, now give yourself a pat on the back, we're nearly at the end.

I'd like to show you a couple of custom orders, not my usual style, but fun to make.

A birthday card for a Doctor Who fan.

The verse inside
"Fezzes are red,
the Tardis is blue,
Bowties are cool,
Happy 18th Birthday
to you."
 

A Princess Castle nappy cake.
This was a present for my friend at work who has just had a baby girl, a few weeks earlier than planned,
 but beautiful and perfect and oh so cute.
Welcome to the world 'Matilda'.
 

 

There you have it, that's what I've been up to lately. A quick review of the last few months, ok,ok, a not so quick review.

Anyhoo whats new with you?.....

 

Butterfly wallhangings

Good morning everyone, I'm scheduling this so fingers crossed its posted correctly.

All being well, I should be setting up my stall at Warrington's farmers and craft market as you are reading this, hopefully in nice sunny weather, as we are outside in the town centre.

Thought I would share a couple of wall hangings with you today.

I have made quite a few of this style with the butterfly and wild flowers in shades of pink, on oval shaped mountboard, as they seem very popular and always sell well.

 



 

I was asked to paint one on circular shape mountboard and also one in shades of blue.

As usual I painted a dark shade of paint, then a crackle effect or a sponged effect with the lighter top coat, as the background.

 Next I use Sheena's Paint Fusion range of stamps to set out the design, then paint the flowers and butterflies in acrylic paints. Once dry I soften the background with a little Distress ink.

On the back, although its not really seen, I apply a patterned paper in a matching colour, usually one from Sheena's Cd rom. 

Then edge each mountboard shape with 'Wow' embossing powders, as well as over stamping the butterfly with a hologram embossing powder to give a lovely bit of sparkle. 

I finish them by using a cropodile to punch holes and thread them together with ribbon, with matching bows and decorative gems or pearl embellishments.

 

 

I really like the shades of blue, think I may try some other colours too.

 Sorry the photo's are a bit dark, but I was struggling to take the pic's last night.

 

Thanks for looking

Hugs Sue x