A bit of journalling

Now that's surprised you hasn't it! Me posting twice in as many days!

Having completed all the things on my immediate to do list - there are other lists - ie buy new sandals, book dental check-up, buy paper and carrier bags for the shop, etc,etc... I could go on...but the immediate things are all done and so I awarded myself a play date this morning. Flicking through my moleskin I found this background done a while ago - it has acrylic paint, oil pastels and a little doodling on it - but it seemed to be right for how I felt and

here it is completed. I added a couple of magazine images, some journalling, a

bit of random stamping, a pair of numbers cut from packaging and alcohol inked, more doodling and a quote that I thought seemed most appropriate... given that the temperature is..... well,  HOT!

Right, I'm off to jump in the pool to try to cool down so
Bye for now
Sue

There's me so tired I can't sleep and what happens. I have lunch today and promptly fall asleep on the sofa for a couple of hours and now I am wide awake and it's 2 in the morning so I thought I might as well catch up on the blog so here's what we made in class today.
I made this beer mat trio last August for a Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge and the ladies have been asking me to teach it. They brought in their beer mats and armed with rubber gloves they pounded their little blending tools to their hearts content...
pause for a photo ladies please...

and here's what a few of them made.....

Well, I am going to bed to read and see if that helps me to drop off - at least it's a fiesta tomorrow and so I have the whole weekend to spend asleep if I wish...yeah I wish!!! you know along with the washing and ironing and all the other chores you try to put off as long as possible so

Bye for now

Sue

ps Oh and I still haven't finished unpacking all those boxes - 4 left I think

New Challenge

Over on the new Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge blog the challenge this week is "Things with Wings" so to me that means birds and butterflies. I took three beermats, covered them in Alcohol inked glossy card and edged them with gold Dabber. I then stamped a few Tim Holtz stamps directly onto the beer mats. The butterflies I stamped onto card covered with book page, coloured them with Distress inks and then added touches of Stickles. I dug out my Grungeboard letters and Dabbered them and Alcohol inked them, added a metal bird embellishment coloured with Alcohol ink and attached it all together with ribbon after Crop-o-diling. Oh and not to forget the Wendy Vecchi sentiment.

It now adorns the wall by the till.

Off for some lunch and a rest before the younger kids class tonight.

Bye for now
Sue

A bag, a box and happy ladies...

I decided to do a class making alcohol inked boxes with roses and got everything prepared and ready but the ladies had other ideas.



They decided they would like to make a gift bag with tag instead so that was what I showed them and then when only an hour into the class they were finished we moved onto my original plan...so they went home very happy with two projects today...
Here's Monica, Margaret, me and Q


I was blog hopping and read on Dylan's blog that she had Dina Wakley to do a couple of classes at her studio. Envious me...flings hair back Miss Piggy style - Moi!! No - of course I am!!! Lol!
So yesterday afternoon I decided to have a try at Dina style (I have actually signed up to do one of her online classes starting soon) and here is the result - so far pretty pleased even though I say so myself but whether I will be once I have taken her class who knows - but I am at the moment!!!



Right, that's it for today - now off to have some much-needed lunch and a collapse in front of the TV for a bit.
Bye for now
Sue

Just to wish you all a Very Peaceful Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

I am flying to the UK tomorrow - snow permitting!! - and will return on 28th so wishing you all a very Peaceful Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Bye for now
Sue x

my 15 minute challenge

If you read about any Zentangle type doodles you will find most say a time limit of 15 minutes - I thought this was impossible and so today I set myself a challenge. I pencilled in the shapes of 3 atc's in my journal and gave myself exactly 15 minutes to complete each one. I finished one just on time and went on to do the other two in 15 minutes too. I am amazed that it was possible. They are nowhere near as detailed as my others or as large (others are 8 x 5 inches) but they are OK. They all started off with a thick line (the tangle) going from top to bottom with a loop part way down and a curved line from one side to the other but they have all finished up very differently. (Kirsti you could try this idea. Don't fret what they look like - just stop after 15 minutes and see how far you have got in the time. You will see that you get faster and more confident with each doodle.)

After leaving the shop I had a wonderful catch-up coffee with two of my girlfriends - Lorraine and Chrissie - which lasted for just under 3 hours!!! yes, we met before two and when we left it was quarter to five.....

...so I went straight back to the shop to get ready for tonight's class.
The girls were just great with newbie Maddie settling right in. We have started on a canvas as I thought it would make a nice Christmas present but when I showed the girls the sample they seemed to think they wouldn't want to part with it once they had made it. We gessoed - see Alice's hands - Alcohol inked, stamped and dabbered and laughed loads.



Yaa has the flu and we send you big hugs and hope you are feeling better very soon.

Right, I am having an early night - no more doodling or it will be another after midnight and my body just can't take the punishment of all these late nights any more

so Bye for now
Sue

ps Kirsti, if you email me on sue.artyfacts@hotmail.com I will tell you where to look.

Wacky week!!!

Well, what a week - it has just flown by. Last time my friend, the lovely Tanya was here (at Easter) I tried to purloin her fabulous ring - I didn't succeed needless to say but she made me one - see below - and in the top photo where we are displaying the earrings she bought us both!!!



Tanya has been here on holiday from Belgium with her son Bart who is just such a thoroughly nice guy....BUT if you knew how long it took me to get this photo as he is camera-phobic!!! He has the patience of a saint with all our craft talk!!!




Every morning we have worked together in the shop - how excellent is that - a personal masterclass from Tanya - eat your heart out all you out there!!! We have had so many laughs despite the pain we are both experiencing and made several projects for workshops for later this year and early next year. How lucky am I and I have Tanya's permission to pass on all this knowledge so there is a choice of canvases, a couple of albums and a couple of mirrors so watch this space as the workshop photos will be on here.......SOON.



Back to the world of art y facts...

Monday girls...Dayana



and Louisa...



Tuesday morning saw Emma and Erica making alcohol inked boxes with Wendy Vecchi roses...



are they not just beautiful...




Wednesday evening the girls made photo frames with roses...







...but it's almost midnight Thursday and Tanya and Bart have gone to bed - they have a long three days ahead of them - tomorrow they leave for home too soon!!! hoping to catch up with Lisa Mitchell in Barcelona and then back to Belgium via France and Luxembourg. A long, long drive. Home sometime on Sunday.

It has been a fabulous week which we hope to recreate again very soon - we have made plans for me to go to Tanya's in February. Can't wait!!!

Well, thats up to date so...

Bye for now
Sue

More alcohol ink flowers and boxes

Just a quickie post today...We had a great time learning new alcohol ink techniques...

Mu pouncing away - her broken finger nicely cocked!! She didn't quite catch the bottle of water hubby Mike threw her. Ouch!!!



Margaret showing her finished box...




dinky blue earrings today...



and that's all folks!!
Bye for now
Sue

Inky Fingers

I took Bailey to the shop today as he looked so sad when I went to leave the house. He has become used to someone being there since Mum arrived



but Colin and Mum have gone to the UK as Colin's Father who is 91 is in hospital and sadly it looks unlikely that he will come out. I will know more when Colin has spoken to the social worker tomorrow. Until about 4 months ago he was in his own home and managing reasonably well with carers going in but he has deteriorated very quickly - he did, however, manage to get to Victoria's wedding. Here he is with the lovely Jodie (Jon's girlfriend)



This morning I put the finishing touches to the project for Sunday's 25th class. The ladies have been asking about the Wendy Vecchi flowers that I made and so today I have made Alcoholic inked boxes - hence the Inky Fingers - to put chocolates or other pressies in for the table on Christmas Day. They look much prettier in real life - the camera hasn't captured the shimmer of the inks.




Here's a journal page I made yesterday but forgot to put on here.



I have to make my pages from scratch. Some people are able to colour pages and even add stamped and photographic images in advance but I can't seem to work out what colour a page should be without knowing what is going on it. Maybe, one day.

Last but not least today's earring watch - varying shades of amethyst.



Bye for now
Sue

I saw a grungepaper flower on Wendy Vecchi's blog and decided to replicate it with
alcohol inks on glossy card and I think it turned out very well. I have only made two so far but am planning on making more as they are very easy to make and look so professional. Mine need refining but practice makes perfect!

This was my very first attempt...


...and at the second I realised I needed to fold the petals down...


I will continue playing until I get them to look as good as Wendy's!!! She warns they are addicting and I can confirm that!!!

Bye for now
Sue
PS You can find Wendy's blog at Studio490art.blogspot.com

Flap Book- sneak preview

I made a Flap book using the oh so subtle Delish design papers and a dash of Alcohol ink for a workshop later in the year.











I now need to add some photos, a bit of fiddling and tweaking and it will be ready.

I have also been busy with other samples for workshops - more of those later today when I have photographed them.



I have been given a friendly blog award by the lovely talented Kate, who incidentally has an article in this month's Craft Stamper magazine - such influential people do I know!! Her blog is well worth a visit as her work is so inspiring. Look at the side bar and click on The Kathryn Wheel to visit and maybe leave her a comment. We all appreciate comments in this friendly blogland of ours.

Colin returned from the UK yesterday and picked up a few Ten Second Studios goodies from Lin at LB Crafts (these are just for me, myself and I!!) I've had the tools for years, now I have the metal and moulds so I now have to make time to play...
so I'll be off then

Bye for now
Sue x

atc's from Wednesdays workshop.

top row - mine
2nd row - Tanya
3rd row - Norah
4th row - Erica
5th row - Christine
6th row - Katharine

The left one was done with alcohol inks, middle one was pre-stamped with three flower images and right one was Tim's spritz and flick technique.

My Mum and her friend are arriving tonmorrow for a week's holiday so off to tidy the house, make up beds, etc so
Bye for now
Sue x

This morning the ladies asked if we could colour dominoes and matchboxes with Alcohol inks.




Of course, I was delighted as I just love playing with any Ranger product but especially their gorgeous Alcohol inks. I got so engrossed that I forgot to put the kettle on until quarter to twelve!!!! Class is 10.30 till 12.30 so nearly home time although classes often don't finish till 1.00 or later!! I am very easy going especially if I too am enjoying myself. Suppose I should be more business like but......well maybe next week, next month.....




These are Norah's










and these are Erica's


The photos don't do the colours justice at all as they really are bright and they look quite muddy.


Erica brought in the mini book she started in class last week that she had finished at home. She has made it for her two granddaughters and it is really lovely. The Crafty Individual papers and pictures are just perfect for this project. Add in a little charm or two and a piece of ribbon et voila! or aqui tienes as we say in Spain!!





A clap of thunder and a few flashes of lightning are putting this post in danger of being lost so I'll sign off for now and hopefully return later. Whoops another crash and flash!!! Bye!!! xx

Tim, you are a true inspiration

I remembered seeing a technique of Tim's where he blasts a blob of alcohol ink with air from a can - well I had the alcohol inks but no aerosol so what to do??? "Think out of the box" I say so I followed my own rules and found a solution. The kidz have juice to drink in little boxes complete with....yes, a straw....so.....drink the juice and nick the straw!!! easy heh! A bit of glossy card later and hey-ho.....fun!

I had earlier been playing with my Sticky Fingers inks without much success. I had lots of inky pieces of paper but no inspiration of what to do with them.



Then suddenly inspiration struck. This looks like a quiet rural landscape - what if I made the other alcohol ink piece into urban!! Got it!



Heyho! bit of stamping later and two more atc's are made!! The urban jungle houses are coloured with Wet look markers and heat embossed with clear and the atc edges roughed up a bit!! while the rural idyll houses are painted with sticky fingers inks (maple and olive). Add a songbird embellishment and the piece is complete. Voila! very pleased with these two.



Right, ignore the grey sky and the howling wind which I suppose is keeping the rain away - we've had enough rain lately thanks - and get on with making some more art.
Bye then
hugs Sue xx