WW CollabPOEration

I'm doing a collaboration with the Wednesday Whine (WW) girls on Facebook. We decided to do a round robin which will be piece of card divided into sections and we'll complete a section on each others card in the chosen theme. The agreed card size was supposed to be 8"x10". Somehow I read that as 8"x12" so that's what my card is. I tell you, every thing I've made lately has been the wrong size - my Exquisite Corpse piece is taped together under all the layers of paint because I cut that one to small! (But I can't show you that one yet so, shh!)

Anyway - it took me an age to decide on a theme. Would it be shades of purple, zombies, skulls, skeletons, crows... which took me to ravens and then *ping* Edgar Allan Poe. See? You're getting my genius and oh so subtle post title now aren't you?

There are six of us taking part and so six layers. this is my first layer. I was oh so tempted to go with ravens and crows... but then I saw this Poe quote online. It seemed so apt - my memory is the worst you can imagine. So that's what I went with.

" If you wish to forget anything on the spot, make a note that this thing is to be remembered" 

And I've written it slightly wrong on my piece, I've just noticed - dammit. Ah well, it's coming back home to me and I will still love it. Terrible, terrible memory, see?

• Mixed paper collage 
• Gesso 
• Stamping with Acrylic paint
• Image printed on tissue paper and picked out with Drawing Ink
• Tree stencilled with both Acrylic Paint and Drawing Ink
• White Posca Pen

This is it on the piece of card, just waiting for all the other lovely Poe art to join it. I can't wait to see it all filled up.

The bottom layer isn't smaller - just wouldn't fit in my scanner.

It's on it's way to Sam and I now have Sarah's Copper & Teal themed piece to work on. I'll update as the round robin progresses.

Thanks for stopping by :)

Rocking My World Friday...

It's that time of the week where I take stock of what's made me smile throughout the past seven days. Then link up with Virginia and the rest of the Rockers. We are a small group and anyone is welcome to join in - I can't recommend this little exercise enough.

Firstly. Playing! Yay - ever since my desk has gone up there hasn't been a day where I haven't played in my shed. It might be for 10 or 20 minutes. It might be for a couple of hours, as was the case over the weekend. Either way - I'm making full use of it! And loving it!

 ***

We had glorious weather over the Bank Holiday weekend. On the Sunday we went to our first boot sale of the year and came home with a few bits and pieces, some tomato plants, books for the girls etc... bag full of donuts - as you do. Then in the afternoon my friend Caroline popped round and we tried to fix her broken mojo with a Gelli Plate sesh. I think it worked - methinks a certain plate and paints will be going on her wishlist soon ;) That was great fun.

Then on the Monday we had our first barbecue of the year - I spent most of the day playing in my shed and by the time it came to sparking up the BBQ, I locked up and went inside leaving these two to the important work. (The sun had got to hot outside for me by then.) Devvie was head food prepper, Craig cooked, Ruby issued orders and Pheebs and I were content with having food brought to us. It was a lovely weekend.

***

Yesterday Craig and I managed a date morning. We still had Logan with us but we reckon it still counts. It took a couple of weeks of talking about and scheduling time but we finally did it. There was no work talk. (Well, not much. This is Craig - he and work need to be surgically separated!) We had a leisurely breakfast in Wetherspoons and then had a charity shop crawl. Yep. We know how to live.  He got a few birdy related bargains... and a new top. I got a (looks brand spanking new) black M&S short sleeved cardi.  And... AND! This beauty. It was just £2.50 and looks like new. 

It's a hardback book compilation of three graphic novels. I picked it up purely because the cat detective art work reminded me of  film noir movies. Isn't it gorgeous? I'm a relative newbie to graphic novels so am the first to say I don't know the author/artist. 

 When I got home and looked on Amazon - it sells for over £22! Chuffed much? Indeedy.

***

This cheeky chappy - makes me laugh all day, every day. 

 ***

Remember those baby canaries from last Rocking Friday? What a difference a week makes eh?

Excuse the poop - dirty birdies ;)

Craig tells me that some have left the nest this afternoon. How fast they grow up these days ;)

  ***

• Devvie is working so hard towards her exams. She stays behind late after school every day and most of the weekend was spent either revising or working on her art project. She really deserves the grades she's working towards - she makes me so proud.
• Ruby. She, Daddy and I are really working to talk before she explodes. It's hard being 5 but I think she's starting to understand (most of the time) that if she tries talking before stropping, she actually gets somewhere. Every night she has Daddy and Ruby time where they either sit and read or go on the PC together or she goes out and helps him with the birdies. (I say help but he usually comes in telling me what she's knocked over *g*) It's lovely to see.
• Endless cups of tea made for me by Devvie and Pheebs.
• Collaborative art projects - keeping me busy, inspired and making sure I do stuff. If I owe you it - it's coming.

And that, my lovelies, is that. Thanks for stopping by - how was your week?

Tutorial Try-Out: Abstract Face

The Tutorial Try-out this week was How To Paint Abstract Faces by raeart. I had so much fun with this one. I absolutely adore grunge and art with drips incorporated. raeart also has a really fun way about him, I'll be checking out his other video's.

I used my A3-ish size sketchbook for this one and might have gone a teensy bit overboard with the dripping. Once you start, you can't stop. Well... I can't. I did love it when it got to this stage...

The tutorial says to leave it to dry and then go in and pick out details with black paint... I'm torn. I still like it but I loved it before. If that makes sense? I don't know - what do you think? I think she looked quite ghostly in the top one.

Either way, I adore this technique. It wasn't the first time I've played with drips. Yes - the first time I've used so many. It wont be the last time that's for sure.

The new tutorial for Kristen's Try-outs go live tomorrow -  Still time to link up with this one.
Thanks for stopping by today :)

Cam's Cocoon - Part 2

Tadaa! Presenting - Cam's Cocoon. Otherwise known as Cam's Studio/Art Shed/Messy Area/Haven from Chaos. Formerly known as Craig's Bird Shed. (Hence the green colour - it's what canary breeders use in their cages.) It now looks like this...

From the door

Still from the door.

Obviously I wont be using this chair any-more  unless I want to sit with my chin on the table. I usually stand when painting, hence the height of the desk. If I do feel like sitting, I'll bring out the kitchen stool. I'm keeping the chair under the desk for this fella...

Lots of shelf storage

 These two wanted to test the desk strength :)

Cue much hilarity when Devvie decides it would be good to take a picture of me inside to show scale. (I love that it's a one person space!)

Flattering, mid-guffaw, shot.

See this? It's mine all mine. My Kingdom. 

Try and take it. You think you can take me? Bring it! (Ruby looking slightly worried)

Hmm, I feel all artistic like. Inspiration has struck.

Tralalala - serious artist at work. Child magically turned into dog with the overspill  of  inspirational, artistical happenings.

Hope wherever you are this fine Bank Holiday weekend, that the weather has been as kind as it has with us. Thanks for stopping by today and indulging me in my happiness over a little shed :)

Rocking My World Friday...

Hello 

Firstly - I have a feeling this post is going to be light on the photo's, sorry about that. I just haven't taken any and if I wait till I do, it'll be nearly next Friday again. So am just going to go with a list today.

• First up - I have a desk! Hurrah! Craig has been out in my shed hammering and nailing today - he even hoovered up all the dust he made and my shed is now usable as more than a big cupboard! Woohoo!  It looks great. I will take some pictures when the light is better. It keeps raining on and off today and being generally dark. H.A.P.P.Y am I!
• Ruby is not throwing up. Which she was all day yesterday. Think it was a 24 hour thing as she's eating today and although quieter (for that read: not so gobby) she is 100% better on yesterday.
• The bottle of Glayva (citrus, spice, honey and whisky) I won from Facebook arrived. Mmmm. Love that stuff.
• Going to our first boot fair of the year tomorrow.
• I put the £10 I won last week towards the Acrylic Solutions book by Chris Cozen and Julie Prichard. I'm waiting impatiently for it to arrive. Squee!

• Which leads me onto Natasha and her Link Love posts last month. I had never heard of Julie Prichard until then but as soon as I visited her blog, knew I wanted to take every single grungilicious class... but am skint. So someone was really on my side when I won that money as this book has only recently been released. And it shall soon be mine, mine, all miiiine. Mwuhahahahar! *Ahem* I also discovered and re-discovered some other pretty amazing blogs through Natasha's participation in Link Love last month so I am really happy to read she is continuing on with it through May. She finds some pretty amazing sites!
• Little Logey Bear has outgrown his moses basket and is in his big cot now. Poor little thing is teething like mad and all dosed up too but still a chipper little thing. He's wearing holes in the toes of his baby-grows where he zooms round the living room in his walker now :)
• Toffee popcorn. Just because.
• Quorn burgers. With gravy over the top in a roast dinner. Sounds odd. Flipping delish.
• The first series of Person Of Interest being repeated. It completely went under our radar first time round but we really got into the second series. This made Craig so ridiculously happy this week.
• Warm, sunny days.
• Craig's canaries hatching out...

 

And I think that'll do for this week :) I'm off to link up with Virginia - thank you for stopping by. How was your week? 

Tag-tastic!

When we - a group of great but yet to meet face to face friends - decided to properly meet up in April we agreed to make tags for each other as a little memento. Some of our group couldn't make it, well - we are spread the length and breadth of the UK... but we all did a little something anyway. 

These are the tags I made.

Two or three layers of Gelli printing with circles, cross hatching and swirles drawn in with a skewer. Random masking done with some circles. For the last layer I cut a little skull mask. When it was dry, went doodle mad with my white Posca pen... and one I used black Copic because it was a second print using the black paint so the background wasn't so dark..

I can't believe I haven't done any tags before this. I'm sure I keep meaning to but I don't think I have. Or have I? I don't think I have...

Anyway - these cured the headache from Hell so I know what to do I when I have one in future.

These are the tags I received - I think most of us went mad on our Gelli Plates. The end blue one is by Jo's daughter, Hope. The texture is gorgeous. It's like looking down through the clouds on a piece of landscape.

L-R Sue, Jo, Hope

L-R Sam, Sarah

Virginia's tag

I managed to scan everyone else's, mine included but, had to photo Sarah's. The scanner had a hissy fit at the colours and refused to recognise it in any more than black or white! It really is that bright in real life and she said the alien is made up of multiple stencils. Boggles my brain!

This one is mail art from Virginia

I don't think this is the last time I'll do a tag, now that I've started. I like the size and quickness and it's great to just mess about and try new techniques. 

Thanks for stopping by today :)