I love doodling...

After a very frustrating start to the day when I couldn't get my new i-pod to load any tunes - I even had Tanya and Bart on the phone and computer trying - I gave up and took myself off to the seafront with a journal and a couple of Pitt pens and had a relaxing lunch while people watching and drawing. I have had my first go at drawing a new craze called zentangles. It's just a very relaxing way of doodling, something I have always done but in a more undisciplined fashion.

This is my first and was done in the bar - the waitress kept popping over and a girl of about 12 kept peeking too. Blank page to finish 2 hours less lunch - see if you can spot the 5 words on there...



This next one was done when I got home thoroughly addicted...



These last two were random lines and random patterns but this third one is a little bit different in that it has a theme of a flower garden. I don't know if you are supposed to do this - but I just did!!!



If you look up zentangle on Google it says you should give yourself 15 minutes....my three took between 9 and 10 hours to complete...maybe I'll get faster with practice!!...but in fairness they are very detailed.

Again, it is well past midnight so I'll just make a hot choccy drink and take myself off to bed so

Bye for now
Sue

four more journal pages

Quiet Sunday in my pj's with the dog and cat spent journalling...

I surrounded myself with my Pitt pens (have now got terra and landscape sets)various coloured pencils and markers, trusty Ranger inkessentials white pen and settled myself lengthways on the sofa with my lovely adorable moleskine journal and lovely adorable Bailey at my feet. Tia, being a cat did what she does best - slept on my bed!!!

It was a beautiful bright blue sky but oh so windy and the TV kept going off and on so it stayed switched off - the wind did mean I got all the washing dry though...and ironed later. ( she says polishing her halo!!!)

these first two I had started the pages earlier...







the photo does not do justice to this - the flourishes are gold and shine in reality - this really is a very pretty page ( did I hear myself say pretty - me do pretty!!!what!!!) notice anything familiar about this one Tanya - for the rest of you out there, you'll just have to wait and see!



the next two were done from start to finish... why does the camera always wash out yellows??? and with the flash switched off too...






Well. that's what I did yesterday. If you come to class or the shop why not show me what you did too.

Bye for now
Sue

Here's today's earring watch......



.....and another journal page done in the shop this morning between customers.



I had fun with just some dabbers, old lids and credit cards and a touch of journalling.



Just got home for lunch, opened the newspaper (only normally buy one on Wednesdays and Saturdays but did today, don't know why??) and Jonathan Cainer says........

When other people are in trouble, their address book seems to fall naturally open on the page with your name on it. You have a crick in your neck from holding the phone while others tell you their troubles. You have a perpetually damp shoulder from all the folk who feel safe to come round and cry on it. Who, though, do you turn to when times are tough? At the moment you've got a lot on your plate and it would be nice to be offered some sympathy or even some actual help. This week, you will get both...

How appropriate that I wrote what I did just this morning.

Bye for now
Sue

PS Don't forget the give away - you have until 31st October to be in with a chance.

to bring you up to date.....again!!!!!

The blog has been silent for the past few days - well OK then, a week and a half!! the computer has been back in the computer hospital! It seems OK now but shush don't speak too soon!!!

Right, to recap on what's been happening in art y facts land.

Friday the 9th and Monday 12th were fiestas and so I had a lie-in and rested. Yes likely!! I actually caught up with the washing and ironing, tidied out my bedroom chest of drawers and discovered all those bit and bobs I thought I'd lost. You know the sort of thing... Bits of jewellery, earrings, purses - all those things you put in a safe place....

I live in boring but comfy flip-flops and occasionally in boots so I can't do a shoe watch but I do have pairs and pairs and pairs and pairs Ok maybe an exaggeration!!ha!ha! of earrings so here's an earring watch instead... (this one's for you Norah)



these are hand made iridescent blue green glass with what looks like a purple friendly plastic ball at the bottom - truly gorgeous

The Tuesday class ladies came to the Wednesday five hour monthly workshop instead and made an Egyptian flap book. This time after the ladies had swapped atc's...............


Carole and daughter CaroleD from USA, Erica, Christine

...my camera battery suddenly went flat and so......


...the photo that should be here will be as soon as I get the disc from CaroleD possibly tonight


Then, later that night Melissa brought her cousin Natalie (holidaying here from Germany) to class



Melissa, Yaa, Mar, Natalie

and the girls continued with their albums while Natalie learnt heat embossing and marbling.

The Friday morning ladies arrived - Emma definitely vying for teacher's pet bringing with her camomile teabags this week - first week it was ginger biscuits!!!she is going to fit in really well!!!



Mu, Emma, Margaret

I explained briefly about mandala stamps and while the ladies set to work I made these two quick Christmas cards.



The weather has been horrible the last couple of days or so - grey, overcast and rainy and when I woke this morning to the usual bright sunshine I immediately felt so much better and my mood lifted about 500%.

I wandered out onto the balcony off my bedroom and took this photo looking up into the forest



and this one looking towards the sea which is just beyond the dip left of centre - before the foliage grew we could see the sea from here.



Now, for all those folk who have asked to see a photo of me at Victoria's wedding here it is.... da da!! drum roll....with my youngest son Jon



and I'll just slip in this one of my daughter Victoria with the adorable Jodie (Jon's girlfriend) This photo is for tights watch!!ha!ha!



In case you think I never publish any of my work on here any more well here are some journal pages that I have made in the last couple of weeks.









These two pages aren't finished as I had to find these photos and then "borrow"??? them from Facebook



........so come back tomorrow as there will be something worth coming back for - promise.

Bye for now
Sue

3 more journal pages

For the last few days the weather has been warm but we have had torrential rain, thunder and lightning. It is called a gota fria - literally translated as a cloudburst - and today there was so much water on the road I decided that I would not open the shop and do some journalling at home instead (what's this - me time!!!)...but.....all my journalling stuff was down at the shop so I persuaded Colin to drive me there which being the big sweetie that he is, he did. This was 9.15 this morning. I had phoned the ladies who normally come to class and said come tomorrow instead if the weather is any better.....they were happy to stay home in the dry. We have so much water on the road but none coming out of the taps so no wash today yet!!!and only just had the electricity restored.

So nicely snuggled on the sofa in the naya (conservatory) I made three pages...

..this tells of the frustration I am having with my hands...





...this is a cute comment made by Uwe who has the fabulous flower shop opposite my shop...



...and this is a page about Granada...



I am now going to spend the rest of my day off snuggled on the sofa in the living room watching England get st**fed by New Zealand at cricket!!! They have 3 players out already and only 13 runs on the score board!!!

so Bye for now
Sue