WOYWW - Watercolour Journal

Well haven't had the time for crafting or arty things for a couple weeks !
Happily the weekend before last was because of some serious retail therapy at Ally Pally Scrapbook & Stamping show - think it is my favourite show as it is so focussed on the 2 things that I enjoy without lots of other stalls that don't hold much interest ! My friend Theresa & I had a fun day & now I have a to do list of projects to use up my new papers & stamps !

This weekend I was playing around with watercolours - I have signed up for Jane LaFazio's watercolour journalling course & am enjoying using her style & inspiriation to learn new techniques !

So on my work desk today are 2 of my pages from her lessons - as well as a half finished bird house canvas I am struggling to work out what to do with next ! I have shown some of Jane's lovely paintings - hope you enjoy them ! Take a look at Jane's blog if you want to see more - on  www.janeville.blogspot.co.uk

Have a lovely crafty week !

WOYDTW - What's on your Dining Table Wednesday !

Not at my desk this week - but on my dining table in the conservatory where the light is always the best in the house !

Work has been bonkers for the last 3 weeks and having had to work over the weekend there's been precious little time for crafting !

But I did make 2 hours on Saturday to do some of the exercises in my new Watercolour for the Absolute Beginner ! So it was various fruit for me - which are a bit clunky but not as bad as I thought I would be - and a country scene which is very amateurish !! Well we all have to start somewhere ! The big step forward for me is to be actually doing some painting - not cowering timidly too intimidated to pick up a brush !!

Anyway not much else to report - just to wish you a happy week's crafting !

WOYWW - Easter Bears !

Things were pretty busy last week - I was so glad to be back home after a week on the road & a different hotel bed each night !

As we had a lovely sunny day on Sunday, there was more action in the garden than on the work desk !

But at least I did get to put my Easter cards together !

I'm not much of a card maker so they are not exactly sophisticated - but when I "do cute" I do like the Forever Friends Bear !

These were the FF Bear stickers layered onto Tatty Teddy Spring Papers with Easter ribbon & some Easter sentiments.

Now at least I know these are safely made ready for Easter - just in case the garden calls in the next couple of weekends !

I also succumbed to some new dies from X-Cut - I thought the triangles were just fun & would make some funky background shapes for when I am scrapping pages.

I only have one other alphabet die - and when I'm scrapping I always need quite a lot of letters for titles - and I thought this font looked attractive & a good size for pages.

The flower dies should be fun to layer up too !

Anyway - have a fun crafty week too !!

WOYWW - What's On My Work Bed ?

Hi bit of a crazy week this week - back in England for various meetings & three nights away from home in Wales. Have you ever slept in a round bed ? Well last nights hotel room near Sheffield was in a sort of turret and so the room was almost round - and they had positioned a round bed in the centre of the room - it was a bit bizarre but comfy enough!

Trouble is I have to have pitch black to sleep & this room only had slatted blinds - no curtains - & a huge light outside just above the window - so it lit the room all night & I just can't get off if its light !

But the hotel had lovely grounds - gave me my first glimpse of spring blossom & a lovely sunrise over frosty winter trees this morning - so much was forgiven !

So I have taken this week's photo the night before so to speak - no work desk -just my bed - this time a new hotel in Burton on Trent ! I have my faithful net-book - nicknamed Baby-net ! valiantly trying to download my Life Book videos - says 18 hours to go but am hoping it won't be that bad !

I have been reading a fabulous book called Artist's Journal Workshop by Cathy Johnson an American author & artist.

I have been craving doing some "real" painting & sketching in my journal & looking longingly at other talented peoples work !

I love all the mixed media type art & enjoy getting inky & paint-y & I have read rather too many Art Journalling type book on these sorts of techniques - it's a weakness !

I used to worry about doing more reading than doing but if I enjoying the reading so much too - I think what the heck & so I have forgiven myself this vice !

But I do so admire naturalistic sketching & painting - Cathy's book is a joy - do get it if you have any aspirations in this direction ! She is straight forward & down to earth, has really useful but engaging exercises to get you going - and so many lovely journal sketches & paintings to inspire. I saw it on Amazon & wasn't sure - but its a delight & I heartily recommend it !

I also found a book called Watercolour for the Absolute Beginner & it is really a hold you by the hand, step by step book to get you going - I'm looking forward to trying some of the exercises at the weekend.

I have brought my Book of Days on the trip so I can keep up with my daily entries & my art bag hoping I would get to do something - but after so little sleep last night I sadly don't feel inspired to do anything creative tonight!

Anyway I hope you have a less "dashing about" week than me & wish you happy crafting !

WOYWW - Spring Is Coming !

Hi welcome on this special Leap Day ! My desk is trying to be full of optimism at the approach of spring today !

I have finished the March pages in my Book of Days ready for the 1st of March - I always think of yellow as the first colour of spring - with daffodils, gorse & forsythia boldly breaking through the grey lingerings of winter !

So yellow is my March colour !

On Saturday I sneaked off to Carmarthen to the new "The Range" store there - and had a good browse about their craft department - mainly Docrafts stuff but it had the bits & bobs I wanted for making my Easter cards (don't know why I like to make my own Easter cards when I don't do Christmas cards but I always enjoy it !!).

I got lured in by the new Michael Powell stamps - I've admired his quirky Mediterranean inspired designs on cross stitch kits at the shows before - but not being a cross stitcher hadn't had an opportunity to do anything with them. The stamps are lovely though- very fine detail - and I had fun experimenting with different types of watercolour to paint them on Sunday (which I had to myself as the much beloved had gone to footie with friends !).

In between some much needed clearing up & cutting back in the garden & the normal basket of ironing which sits there staring accusingly at me all weekend until I attack it on a Sunday afternoon - I did get to sit in my sunny conservatory & have a few happy painty & inky hours !

Hope you have a few happy crafty hours too this week !

WOYWWW - New Greenhouse Stamps !

Well not much action on the desk this week - but some lovely retail therapy !

I saw these stamps from Stamposauraus advertised in Craft Stamper & thought they would be great for the scrapbook layouts I make about my garden over the summer months !

They arrived this morning & I am really pleased with them - I'm getting nice clear, crisply stamped images & I love the fun quirky designs !

Looking forward to stamping & colouring them in - its like being a kid again - but now my box of crayons are posh Pro-markers & watercolour pencils !!

Also on my desk are 2 canvasses & the rules for entering the art competition in our local family run art shop.

Back in January I was reading a book about giving yourself a kick up the rear about your art & setting goals for yourself (but still having fun !!) - one idea was to show your art - and the entries for this competition get put into the shop window.

So this is a tiny step of putting my work out there in the big wide world !

And supporting a family business - on the use 'em or loose 'em principle !

So I just have to decide what I'm going to do now !!!!

Have a fun crafty week everyone !

WOYWW - My Seed Journal

Well, sadly we are now back in Wales after an enjoyable - if chilly ! - week in Spain - much like the rest of Europe it was the coldest week of the winter but when we could duck out of the cold wind & find a patch of sunshine it was still warm enough to eat lunch outside - unlike at my parents in Sussex where they had 8" of snow all week - so we were lucky !!

At last I had time to work on my Seed Journal - inspired by the project on the Millande website but with my own twist on the idea of exploring the symbolism of The Seed through journal pages.

I have had fun with this - I have used some stamping, some free-hand drawing (whoo ! I am trying to pluck up the courage to draw so this was a big step to a little pea-pod !!) and had fun experimenting with my new Caran D'Ache wax pastels, Inktense pencils & Windsor & Newton watercolours - exploring the differences between them & how each work.

I have thought about what the concept of The Seed means to me - a "Sheltering Pod" that doesn't reach its potential until it leaves its safety & comfort zone, a "Rememberance" - the bridge from last summer to the next, a "Seed By Any Other Name" - appearances & size don't matter to potency & zest for life, the "Scattering Seed" -going out into the world to flourish - and the seed as "a Promise in the Pod" - I've a few more ideas to work up but here's what I've done so far !

What's next ? Well, back at my desk now - I have some scrapping nagging at me but not sure when I'll get the time !!

I have succumbed to some new Greenhouse stamps from Stamposaurus & am waiting for them to arrive - so maybe have something to show next week !

Have a happy crafty week !