Wednesday, October 7, 2020

 Grateful to be back....




....I just cannot believe that June 2019
was my last blogpost, but there it is,
and I'm so sorry I've been neglecting to post!
Granted, since then we all have been through
tough times, 
with this current global crisis with
this virus outbreak, and all the stress and hardships
that have gone along with it, 
but I hope family, community
and yes, 
arts and crafts have seen you through.
Especially arts and crafts,
 if you've been stuck at home!

So here's a catch up post,
 of a few bits and bobs
I've managed to play around with. 
I've been craving some art time, 
getting back into my art room with
the boy,
 Barkley the cat, 
(who's just turned 2 years old
last month...time just goes by so fast!).

So here's some of my projects....
First off....
Fabric Painting



Prior to the pandemic, I had started dabbling into Fabric Painting and using my hand carved stamps to create the paintings with.


Using recycled cottons to begin practicing with....


...and experimenting with drawing....



I found it all to be quite addictive....

especially buying the supplies for the project...


...I found getting a selection of these fabulous

 Derwent Pencils just as addictive....


...which Barkley kind of noticed...


...still an ongoing project, lots of practicing and will
later on show you what the outcome will be from all
all this effort....lots of other projects and bits and bobs
have been going on as well...

Even managed to dabble a bit in acrylic canvas painting...
inspired by Barkley...


...although he doesn't think so....


...he's always skeptical....grin...

And my latest of projects,
Artist Trading Blocks
using 





...and using some wonderful scrapbooking papers 
 I found up here in Canada, 
from manufacturers in
Hungary and Poland through a little,
new to me online shop called 




...with all the other wonderful bits and bobs from

So as you can see....
even though life's been topsy turvy,
I've still managed occasionally 
to get some art time....
Hope you have too!

Enjoy!











Sunday, June 30, 2019


Well finally some real art time....


Hi Ho All of You

So my hubs is in hospital and after a 
frenzied week of details taken care of
extra chores to figure out, and a general
'what the heck'....
now it is a 3 day Holiday weekend here 
Canada Day Weekend with the holiday
on Monday.
Had all of my ducks in a row by Friday,
with the full intention of doing something,
anything creative for myself.
Seems my mojo has been on a slow burn
all week, but what better way to get some
quality creative time....

So I dragged out my big rolling 
rubbermaid cart full of my 
liquid acrylic paints from my 
decorative arts days and grabbed a gel plate
and Walla!


Didn't have the patience or time to drag out
my huge collection of stencils and mark makers,
that would have taxed my brain a little too much currently...
Just wanted to make a pile of colour and designs to 
start a little project with my collection of Mole Skin books...


So once I had all the papers printed on the gel plate
off I went on cutting and pasting pieces into a brand
new blank mini-mole skin book....


My idea is to just take bits and bobs of pages,
even the pages I rolled my brayer out on just
to created backgrounds in the entire moleskin
so as the mood, time and inclination hits me
I can just grab and do some collage, pen work
for a few minutes or for an afternoon....

This part of just pasting them in the book is
creative enough for my brain currently,
picking and choosing which 'pages' might go
well together for backgrounds....


...I find just looking at all the colours is 
uplifting in itself....


...also as I'm pasting them in, ideas are
sparking off in my brain on what to do
on the pages....


So between actually making the pages all
morning, then clean up from it all, 
having the blank mini-moleskin in the ready,
I can now spent the rest of the holiday weekend
pasting away to give the brain some much needed
de-stressing and worrying about the hubs....


...Barkley's worried too about his fur-dad
but more nose out of joint that I'm keeping busy...
GRIN.

So Happy Canada Day
to all of my Fellow 
Canadian Followers
and a 
Great July 4th coming
for all of my American Friends!

Cheers!









Wednesday, June 19, 2019

How can it be June already!


All I did was blink at Christmas and already
it is half the year gone!
I'd like to say it is because I've been busy with lots of creative time, but alas, not the case this year as it seems...
but there has been bits and pieces of some creative time...


Using some of Tumble Fish Studio's (Retired)
Fabulous Graphics 
seems that Barkley McMuffin Butt Phillips
now almost 10 months old, 
has slowly, but defiantly, demanding that he be my muse...


So be it Barkley, so he's been insisting that I get
back into my digital graphics and have a play
with some of his photos. This one digitally
altered, ( although I am sure his little soul looks like this),
I've printed this out on some cotton fabric with full
intention of quilting and turning it into something...
pillow, journal cover, who knows yet.
At the moment I just enjoy looking at it, and getting 
ideas on how to embellish...hope I don't ruin it!


...and on occasion between 'busy', have managed
to grab a journal or two and add some creative
pages in them...


I have high hopes of looking ahead further into this
rapidly passing year for some more regular and
deliberate art time, with a stored list of ideas
begging to be let loose....


(Graphics from Art Tea Life)

...and I still manage to grab a Artist Trading Coin blank
and have a bit of art time with them on occasion...
I always keep some blanks available, along with pages
of graphics and bits and bobs for that moment you
sit down and have no idea what to get started on...
mojo start ups....grin....

So I guess I should be pleased to say that there is still
some creative time I've been having, just not as
regular as I would like...
but then, these days, we're all busy aren't we.

So here's to us all getting our mojo going!
Make some time 
and
Enjoy!









Tuesday, March 12, 2019


How can it be March already?


Funny how that happens, you just blink, and you
realize you've lost 3 months.....grin....

I always look forward to Wintertime, with big expectations of lots of creative time and a list of projects that I sometimes spend months planning and thinking about.
Then when it arrives, I end up these days, more like a bear in
Winter, wanting to hibernate.


So I keep in practice, at least every couple of days
with my Artist Trading Coins.
As I find when you keep your hands and head busy
with creativity usually, one thing leads to another.


Last year, I had started a series of 
with wonderful, quick and easy kits from

I loved the Artist Trading Coin 'Spring Fever'
I'd made using paper flowers from
Retro Cafe Art, that I didn't want to just stick
it away in my ATCoin book, so I had a play around
with one of the Artist Trading Block kits and 
channeled a bit of wishful thinking
for a change of season soon.
( Still snowing, raining and general Winter at my home).
Will be adding this one to the collection, that at
some point will take up a wall in the art room.
More nail holes....grin...


Something of which, I am sure 
Sir Barkley McMuffin Butt
will enjoy plotting about reaching up the walls
to get to all the pretties hanging up there.
As you can see, Barkley's growing like a weed, 
and each month as he's sprouting, I'm still playing around
with the artsy apps and digitally changing up his photos.
6 months old, almost 8 pounds, and 28 1/2 inches from
back feet to nose in a stretch. His 1/2 Maine Coon is
regally showing up.

And although he manages to monopolize most of my time
being a kitten mum of a moose kitten, it doesn't change
that we still miss our dear Oliver Howard any less.


I was motivated a few weeks ago, to give tribute to my boy,
after seeing a series of Victorian Sweetheart Eyes, as 
traditional gift of a loved one's eye to give remembrance.
I did my version with a metal frame from Retro Cafe Art,
and chose a photo of Oliver Howard's gaze, which wasn't easy,
as going through the photos to pick just the right one.
Sealed with Glossy Accents and placed on a clear
acrylic mini-easel also from Retro Cafe Art, 
Oliver Howard is there on the mantel in the art room
at a glance when I think of him.
If you're missing a pet that has passed, I encourage you
to try this for yourself, it does give a strange peace to the heart to see it daily as a reminder of how special they are.

And as I said before, still making my 
Artist Trading Coins
here's a few more to have a boo at ....


Using a variety of the wonderful graphics
from all of my favourite graphic designers.


From Tumble Fish Studio (Retired), Crowabout StudioB,
Itkupilli 


and many others...


So it may be March, it may be unseasonably cold
and icky outside, but I do hope you all are 
managing to have some rest, and creative time
in your neck of the woods.


and Barkley says, 
"Be Creative, but don't forget to Cuddle your Pets" 

Enjoy!















Monday, January 28, 2019


May be late but, 
Happy New Year


Just noticed my calendar, and although it is still
technically January, ok, the end of January, 
I thought I'd better get a blog post done for
the beginning of the New Year.
Better late than never....grin...

So my last post last year, I announced and 
introduced you to my new art room buddy, and
our new fur baby in the home, 
Barkley McMuffin Butt Phillips

(graphics used by Itkupilli)


Turns out, Barkley, who is turning 5 months old
today, is a real character...


and during my late night, ok, all night
art fests in the art room, turns out he's great
company too...

And since Oliver Howard's passing, as my muse,
turns out Barkley has given me a bit of a push
at creating some new projects....


Using one of a myriad of downloaded photo
manipulation apps, I've been having a play
with pet photos. Barkley turned out so well,
that he's sent me off on a journey of doing a
myriad of our pet photos spanning 30 years
of 5 dogs, now 2 cats, and many others...


...like this one of our very first dog together, 
Muffy the toy poodle.
So alas, another round of mats and framing to find...grin...
I'm loving that they're so unique in look, just as each
of our dear pets have been unique in their personalities.

And since New Years, there has been some bits and bobs
of other arts and crafts happening....


Still grabbing late night art time and coffee,
and making my Artist Trading Coins.


I have a little 'station' set up on my art desk,
so no matter the time, day or night, if I'm sitting
there, then, there is no excuse to not be doing
something artsy...


it's so easy to get addicted to making these...

And one of the wonderful gifts I received at
Christmas was a Midori Traveler Notebook.
Being that I don't travel any longer, (spent my entire
childhood and 
young adulthood traveling worldwide),
I decided to nickname it, 
'My Not Going Anywhere Travel Journal'
...grin


(graphic from PaperWhimsy, watercolour
with doodles)

Although, I have all sorts of the accessories
tucked in it, like for credit card holding, or even a zippered
pouch for keeping pens, etc. in...
about the only traveling it will see is from room to room,
or an occasional tucking in my purse to use while 
waiting for doctor appointments...HA!


(Graphics from Tumble Fish Studio (retired)

As you can see from the size of the pages, being the 
'traveler' size,
it's a bit different of a page for doing my bits and bob 
graphics collage works in than my usual mini-moleskins.
But totally enjoying the freedom of using it for anything, as it
holds so many insert booklets. 

So there you go, a bit of New Year's artsy mojo,
and hope it might inspire you to get some art going for yourself too!

It'll be a good way to bring in February.....grin...

Cheers!