A heart in love with beauty never grows old..

When I was looking for my acrylic charms yesterday I found all my "alterable stash" at the back of the cupboard that I had forgotten about!! So over the next couple of weeks I am going to alter these before I forget about them again... These 3 little photo frames contain some little twinchies I have made from some of my favourite collage sheets from Lisas altered art and Ceremony. After visiting the mill yesterday and seeing all the rust I wanted to make these wooden frames rusty so used a combination of paint, gesso and embossing powder all heated up with a heat gun.
We have been busy most of the day as my eldest is going camping tomorrow so hoping the rain clears up. My husband has been busy collecting a load of Norwegian scouts from the local airport and giving them a quick tour of Liverpool and providing all our camping beds etc as the church hall is putting them all up for the night....

arty bookmark (theme thursday words challenge)

I found my acrylic shapes last night and decided to make some little collages with them early this morning and left them to dry while I was out. I have made one into a bookmark with some old beads with the word artist and the other little charms have the words laugh and reflection on them. The challenge over at Theme Thursday is words so go check out the other entries.

My mum helped me out today with my sons and we all went to Quarry Bank Mill and saw all the old weaving looms and huge watermill...of course I took loads of photos of the steampunk cogs and wheels everywhere!

Love flowers card (stamp something floral challenge)

Woke up at 7am this morning so managed to have some coffee and read another chapter of Barry Normans biography (the old presenter of Film night)....I love reading biographies and pick them up at the local library for 20p. Before my sons woke up I made this little card with lots of layers and floral images on it...all stamps from Scrollswork who are having a sale on at the moment! The theme over at Stamp Something is floral so go check out the other entries and someone lucky will win a great selection of paper flowers.

Here are the other 2 pendants that I made with some chinese papers..love wearing these and I might sell some in my etsy shop in the future once I get some more glass tiles.

little bird pendant (lots to do shapes)

Have had a lovely day as I awoke at 7am and managed to get to the gym, do the shopping and get back just as my husband and sons were having breakfast. I have got lots of jewellery supplies so thought I would have a go at making a simple little glass tile pendant. I love making these and a few more are drying at the moment..now to search for some more glass tiles..anyone know a supplier in the UK? Just watching a martha stewart programme titled christmas in july....don't know about you but I like making Christmas stuff when its cold outside not warm!! The challenge over at lots to do this week is nice and general being shapes..go check out the other entries.

apologies for the pet logo thing which keeps popping up trying to get rid of it!!

UK Stampers bird cage swap

I am member of the UK Stampers community and decided to take part in their bird cage swap. A lot of us have bought the tim holtz die but havent used it yet! So the challenge was to make tags or 6x6 pages. I decided to make a little tag as I only have a little time for art at the moment as my sons are off school. I have used my favourite Scrollswork stamps onto a painted background then applied alcohol inks to the cage. I have put the bird outside of the cage as I just dont like the concept of caged birds, zoos etc. Hope you all have a nice weekend and the weather is nice..

Escape canvas (arty mum group) Tuesday Taggers challenge

I have been taking part in the workshops in the Artistic Mother book written by Shona Cole and this week I have painted a canvas. We had a lovely time at Oglet on the Mersey Estuary last weekend and I took loads of photos of my sons climbing on the sandstone rocks which have the most amazing texture and colours. I have transferred this altered distressed photo of my husband and sons onto a painted canvas and have added some stamping, string, wax and papers. The challenge over at Tuesday Taggers this week is canvas and someone will win some sprays from Art from the heart who are sponsoring this weeks challenge..so go check out all the other entries.

artsy fartsy apron (lots to do sewing)

Here is me modelling my latest creation expertly photographed by my 10yr old! It has taken me a while to finish as I was having problems with my sewing machine so have been using my old faithful Toyota with the basic stitches to finish it. The apron is covered with loads of scraps of fabric all sewn on using crazy free machine stitching. I have then added some pockets which have transfers of my artwork and are little collages in their own right..click on this link for an earlier post to see close up detail of the pockets. The lots to do challenge this week is sewing so be sure to check out the other entries.

La Luna (theme thursday round)

Another journal page I sketched today. I have always loved looking at the moon so here is an ethereal sketch using charcoal, water colour pastels etc. Theme thursday challenge is round today so the moon is round and she has a rather round face I think! check out the next sketch I did today called queen of fed up land...

Queen of Fed Up Land!

Havent been able to do much lately as I have felt hormonal and exhausted like we all do from time to time...so thought I would catch up with my journal today which I havent sketched in for ages! I wanted to do a sketch that showed the way I have been feeling after all isnt a journal a personal art form expressing how we feel...so instead of the usual boring journal words of create, dream inspire etc etc I have decided she is the queen of fed up land! I would love to see your journal pages where you have showed how you really felt..please leave me a link!

be a little crazy and don't forget to dance (Sunday Postcard babies)

This weeks sunday postcard challenge is babies so I used this baby winged stamp from Scrollswork to make a card. I have used various stamped background papers, water colour pastels, lace and a variety of Scrollswork stamps to create this cute card just for a change! I love the stamped quote..especially the last words..be a little crazy and dont forget to dance.

Pockets for my apron..work in progress...

Continuing with my apron I have been concentrating on making the pockets for the front. I have used some old jeans as the background and used some of the photos I have taken recently transferred onto fabric after being altered in Picasa. Can you guess which ones were of the jellyfish? I really like these photos of the thistles and forest from last weekends trip to Delamere forest. I found some natural dyed threads which I had forgot about so have used couching to show the threads off. I didnt want to have neat stitching but rather used the threads as another layer of texture.




The main pocket features one of my paintings that I blogged about in 2008..where does the time go..which is called "and down came a blackbird and pecked off her nose..." all layered on fabrics with free motion crazy stitching. I havent finished this apron yet as I want it to be a really layered arty piece..watch this space for the finished result....have a nice weekend everyone

arty card (Green Pepper Press strips challenge)

Decided to do an arty card using torn strips of my painted papers. Have added some arty stamps from Scrollswork...the sequence waste stamp is one of my all time favourites..
The theme for this month at Green Pepper Press is using torn strips..go check out this great blog as its full of arty ideas from Michelle Ward...and dont forget that you still have time to enter the Design Team call for Scrollswork!

Beauty is around..Old Pale (lots to do hats)

I have really enjoyed reading the freebie stampington magazine..see previous post. In there I spotted an article by shona cole using recycled cereal boxes! I go through loads of cereal boxes and always use the inside bags for wrapping sandwiches in or as surface protectors. I have painted this little cereal box with white paint and covered it in various torn papers, wire, lace and a cinema ticket stub as I really love my Wednesday visits to the local independent cinema. I have photographed it hanging from my potato vine with its lovely purple flowers. I am going to use it in my greenhouse to hold all my recycled ice lolly plant tag sticks. The theme at lots to do this week is hats and as my birdie has hat on..check out all the other entries.

We have all just had a lovely walk in Cheshire up the hill to Old Pale in Delamere Forest..the surrounding views were breathtaking and of course we had to treat ourselves to fish n chips on the way home....

Inspired by Nature....

Have just been for a bike ride with my sons down to the local ducky pond. Today we spotted quite a few blue dragonflies and loads of caterpillars on the reeds



The cabbages I planted recently in my garden are really doing well. My guinea pigs are going to love these!



I love eating the strawberries in my greenhouse..a great place for a bit of peace and quiet





Arty photo of the reeds in the pond

I always like getting interviewed and feel quite pleased that I inspire people with my art..here is an interview about me with Helena Stead who has some nice experimental work on her blog. My blog has also been mentioned on Bluebeard and Elizabeths blog..she has some nice layered journal pages

Have a good weekend......off to cook the tea.

Free Stampington magazine....

Busy today cleaning the house and waiting for a bunk bed to arrive for my eldest son. Just wanted to let you all know that there is a free fabulous stampington digital magazine available for free download on facebook..here is the link.

http://www.stampington.com/html/facebook_7500_party.html

I am printing mine off now as its full of excellent ideas. Have a great 4th July weekend all my US friends and lets hope the weather stays nice for everyone in the UK and Europe..

pale layered and torn tags (theme thursday torn paper)

I wanted to make some tags today to go into my whiter shade of pale book. I have used various torn bits of paper, white tile adhesive for texture, buttons, string and some ceremony words. Over at theme thursday the challenge is torn paper so be sure to check out the other entries...

I went to the Woolfest last Saturday and had a great time and came back full of ideas. One of the ideas I saw was a corded bowl so this is the beginning of one I am making using aran wool. My friend Pat was also inspired and made her bowl out of sari ribbon so be sure to check it out on her blog Laugh in Colour..