Love this new paper!

Got this this weekend from Rowan Tree Crafts and I love it! This is coloured in with pencils, ink and luscious powders. Beautiful!

Can't wait to use it all!

Wind beneath my Wings

Friendships really are important, good friends love you for you and accept who you are. They can be someone to laugh with, share your troubles with, and cry with. I'm blessed to have so many lovely true friends. So this canvas is for them, with the lyrics from Bet Midler  " Wind beneath my Wing", from one of my favourite films Beaches. It makes me cry every time. I'm going to enter this at Try it on Tuesday.

September and back in a routine!

So glad to be back in a routine and have a bit more free time again. I've been really busy with my dyary journaling, making loads and loads of birthday cards, and I've even had some Christmas orders! So over the next few weeks I will be putting bits on here. Its my daughters birthday soon so I've made her this card which I would also like to enter at try it on a Tuesday. I'm not very good at sewing but its something I'm working on. Anyway as long as my daughter likes it I'm happy.

She also loves cats and I think she will like this cute button.

Inside of book box

Had fun finishing off the inside of box today. It would maybe make a nice box to keep hold off happy memories and notes. Or a diary, or even your favourite book.

In my beautiful garden

 

Hi got this wooden box that looks like a book from my local charity shop and I soon got to work using dylusions paints, distress oxides that I used for the background.. I also did some stenciling and some stamping with some mini flowers from Indigo blu . I then used cut outs from a napkin that my friend Chris gave me for my beautiful birds, thank you. Some of My die cut outs for the flowers and feather,that I think I had used brusho when I was doing backgrounds one day. I think I will be brave and enter this into Try it on Tuesday. Love the weather today think I will go for a nice walk, get the teenagers out and get some more inspiration. Have a fab day whatever you do x 

Make a wish upon a star

I was lucky enough to see the shooting stars last night and my daughter and I watched them lying down looking up and making wishes. Its motivated me again in my craft room, I've been a bit flat lately and unsure about things, but maybe my wish came true.

So using the only scrap piece of card I could find I got to work using Distress oxides for the star sky. Indigo Blu stamps for the stars and trees. Finger painting the water using dylusions paints and then I added Indigo blu unicorn sparkle for -well just because it felt magical and I love glitter! This cute little mouse is my daughters stamp who is only 11 but I love it too! Stampendous house mouse designs.

 

Hope you get to make a wish too x 

Daphne's Diary

I recently got introduced to this beautiful magazine called Daphne's Diary by my friend Sharon. I absolutely love it! Its beautiful, pretty and has all sorts featured in it by very talented people. Plus poems, art work and craft ideas. There is gorgeous paper in the magazine to use as well. I've been making cards with the paper. I feel very happy.

     

The canvas with the couple on the beach I bought this weekend from a very talented lady at an art festival local to where I live. It was lots of fun and nice to be involved with the community.

Holiday

Hi, back from a beautiful holiday in Southport with my family, here is my holiday page in my Dyan's Dyary. These are my own flowers I've drawn and I feel the flowers and colours represent the lovely weather we had. I'm going to add in some inserts as I ran out of space! We made lots of memories and I feel very lucky to have such an amazing supportive family.
I did look all over for a craft shop but as I don't drive it's difficult on foot. I did find one, that was sadly empty. I don't know if they've relocated or just closed down, but it made my heart sink a little as lots of small shops seem to be closing down, as they struggle to keep up with the online competition and larger stores. I love my local craft shop and would feel lost without it.
If you are off on your holidays or get a day or 2 off work, I hope its relaxing and you get to be a bit creative and have fun!

Art journals big or small

I have only recently discovered the joy of art journaling and I've almost completed one art journal book, that you can put together yourself with not too many pages, which is great for a beginner not to overwhelming. I can't wait to get another and I'm already thinking of some ideas! Here are just a few photos of my playtime, I'm hooked!

 

Looking To The Future.

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Just thought I would share one of my favourite items at the moment. Its a dyary /art journal. Its by a lady called Dyan Reaveley who  has a huge range of paints,inks, stamps and stencils. I really like her stuff. You can start the dyary any time of the year, decorate it how you want and do some art journaling on the opposite page. This week has been very emotional as my youngest child finished primary school. We've been very fortunate that our children went to a great primary school, where they had lots of lovely teachers and great friends. The parents have also become good friends. You go through a lot together from mum and baby groups to the end of primary school, often relying on each other to help with childcare.  We will really miss everyone but we will see them around. Onwards and upwards for new adventures and fun times ahead, as the children go into their new surroundings, want to grow up too quickly and turn our hair grey with worry! For the record though, I will miss all those little magic moments where even a walk to the shop can be an adventure! Or to blow a dandelion on the way up to playgroup and they'd be absolutely fascinated. Wishing you lots of luck and joy to all those facing new challenges x

Angel windchime

Hi here is an Angel Wind chime that I've made getting ideas from a fabulous mixed media book from the library, then turned it into my own.

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I've started off with an old CD, and some Tim Holtz paper from the idea-ology range. Then decoupaged it on onto the CD.

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Once dry I've gone over it with some black ink, oops too dark so I've lightened it a little by brushing over some Indigo Blue Luscious powder in bronze.

 

Next I've found bits and bobs from around my craft room to make it look beautiful also adding on some wording from the Tim holtz quotes.

 

The Angels themselves are beautiful and are made of thin wood with a material (like cotton?) Over the top. I used Dyan Reaveley's Dylusions Ink sprays in London blue, turquoise and bubble gum pink.

 

Made some very thin holes in the CD for the Angels to hang from. Also added on some lovely wording, and bells onto some of the Angels, sounds great! I also think photos would be a nice touch here as well. 

 

There we are finished, hope you like it and thanks for looking!

One of my first watercolour cards

Purple Tree Paints

Hi my name is Annie and I've very recently got into Arts and Crafts. I say recently as its now something that I would really like to  keep moving forward in and develop all these new skills that I'm learning. Ever since I can remember I've always enjoyed being creative. For example as a teenager my mum let me draw and paint  a dolphin and sunset scene on my bedroom wall! Brave mum! Then I entered a Christmas card competition at 14 and won, and was lucky enough to be in the paper and have 70 of my cards printed. Anyway life threw some other things my way and like you do I just got on with it. Life until now was meant for me to be doing other things. A few years ago I cared for a family friend who was a very artistic and won many awards for his beautiful water colours. I loved looking at them, flowers, gardens, birds and buildings. Sadly he developed vascular dementia and went down hill very quickly. He sat for many hours over time showing me how to paint and all my love for painting, drawing and creating came flooding back.

Life is sometimes very difficult, and these past few years my crafting has really given me personally something to do when I've felt down or anxious, there is something very rewarding and satisfying about creating something, especially if other people like it too!
Anyway ever since then I've been learning and really enjoying having a go at new techniques. I don't have any firm favourites, but I do love watercolours, art journaling, stamping, and beautiful colours, oh yes and sparkle!