Mixed Media Mosaics

Well despite not blogging for a while I have been trying out a new craft technique - making my own mixed media mosaic tiles. The technique is taught in Laurie Mika's excellent book Mixed Media Mosaics and she combines really clear and encouraging instructions with some inspiring examples of her own work. I have great fun finding a way of using the Sculpy clay I had bought in a way that really appealed to me. My messy mat has a grid marked on it which made sizing the tiles much easier and it was fun adding the beads & charms. The most amazing technique was brushing the raw clay with mica powders for stunning colours & pearlescent affects.

The tiles represent the four seasons and are added to a box frame in which I have featured my new Owl stamp. All in all I'm pleased with my first attempt - even if my tile edges are a bit wonky ! That's one to work on with my next piece !!

Guardian Angel ?

I have been dabbling with the next page of my art journal this week - moving things about until I liked the final look of them!

The page was a coming together of inspirations. The theme was inspired by my finding a small white feather on the lap quilt on my sofa.

I have heard from somewhere that if you find a lone white feather somewhere unexpected that it has been left by your Guardian Angel as a reminder to have faith that they are there looking after you. It's quite a comfort to believe this at the moment when we are so concerned about Mum.

The style is a combination of ideas - I am reading "The Art of Personal Imagery" by Corey Moortgat in which she gives ideas & techniques for including pictures, images & photos into a collage style which has some personal meaning. I have seen quite a lot of what I call modern American or "Stampington" style collage but whilst it can be quite attractive it does seen a bit derivative & cliched with its wings & crowns and "inspire"/ "believe" & "journey/ discover" words dotted around !

But I decided to take it in the right spirit and take some of those very motifs and make a page about my Guardian Angel. The image is from Kelly Rae Roberts beautiful artwork in her enjoyable & inspiring book "Taking Flight" - the inking & painting ideas from "Personal Imagery" - so a bit of fun with some of the things I have been reading over the past few months.

Here's hoping that my Guardian Angel is here with us especially when we need her at the moment.

Not much crafting got done !

Well here we are back from our week in Spain & although I did take a crafting kit in case of poor weather confining us indoors - we were really lucky & the weather was pretty good - a couple of damp days but then 3 days of blue skies & sun to finish - so no crafting got done at all !!

Still nice to chill out, rest up & see friends & take some long walks. Including a sunset walk which turned into a moonlit stroll courtesy of a full moon in a clear sky !