yikes!

I can't believe how time flies! I haven' t blogged since June! I could give you a long list of excuses, but I'll spare you!.  Life get hectic sometimes, but I'm finally getting some arty time again.  I have been busy, honest, Ive made quilts, been to the Festival of Quilts, love it, I'm in the middle of some bunting just now, and also made some canvas projects.  I think i may have my fingers in too many pies! that's the problem, so much i really want to do but don't always get the time . Hey ho, that's life.

I can spend hours on the computer blog hopping and online shopping! for yet more arty supplies, so I'm now restricting myself to 45 mins just before bedtime! too many beautiful blogs and new ideas and inspiration to take in and before you know it the evening is gone and I'm too tired to get arty.

Here are a few of the things I've been up to.....

some canvases

What next? I want to start using my pan pastels I bought them some time ago and haven' t really used them much, any ideas?  also need to get going again in my journal, I seem to have abandoned it, more canvases, Christmas themed this time, yes I know I mentioned it,  but its only 105 sleeps so its time to get cracking!

Ive gone over my 45 mins now, so i'm off to get some shut eye!

Thanks for visiting, don't forget to leave me a comment!

Happy painting, inking, stamping, journalling etc!

X Maggie

ooops!

Ooops! I seem to have fallen off my blog! I can't believe the last post was on 10 March!! Which also means that I've fallen with a mighty bang off the 365 Calendar Challenge on Kate Crane's blog..... sorry miss! My arty life seems to have disappeared at the moment, real life has taken hold of me, but there is a shred of light starting to beam again, I actually got back to my little studio  last week and managed to do some ART!  whoop,  1st a journal page, then a teeny tiny canvas, and another canvas which I haven't managed to finish yet as i can't seem to find the right image to go on it! but I like the colours!

I had some more motivation last Saturday, I spent a fabulous day at Art from the Heart! with the fabulous Dyan! Yeah, I did the canvas workshop - been trying to get on that one for months! I enjoyed every minute of it and produced not to bad a canvas! (if i should say so myself!) I choose a colour palette completely out of my comfort zone! Im usually purples/pinks/lime green etc but I did have a cranberry/burgundy  colour in there! I was a little gung-ho with the centre strip! but i'll know next time not to go so high! I'll definitely be making more of them! watch this space!

I've been having a clear out in my studio, sooo many magazines, got three bags full but don't know whether to recycle them or take them to the charity shop.  I admit I have too much stash! but there are so many tempting items online! Im trying to be restrained and start using up more stash before buying more! I may have to restrict my internet browsing! if that possible!

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget to leave me a comment!

Hope everyone has an arty weekend.

X Maggie

Dina's Workshop!

Last Thursday 1 March, I travelled to Harrogate to attend a Dina Wakely workshop at Art from the Heart!
3 Days of arty fun!, Friday, Saturday & Sunday.  We danced! we sang! we laughed and most of all we played with gesso, texture paste, paint, stencils, pan pastels, inks and stamps! First off Dina showed us the 'Poetry in Motion' book we would be creating, then in Dina style, shared the techniques to create it with us!  Dina is a wonderfully relaxed teacher, encouraging, and supportive, there are no mistakes! and we don't have to do it her way! We all started with the same pieces of white paper, but everyone finished with different designs,  it was amazing to look at the finished projects,  they were all fantastic!!

Here are the first few pages in progress,

and the book made up, although Ive not totally finished it as I need to add some images and more poetry,
I'm very pleased with the result and especially drawing the face! that was nerve-racking! thank goodness for the magic stabilo pencil, it works wonders!

The whole process  was very enjoyable and I especially liked stamping on tissue paper and adding the stamped pieces to the book with gel medium, the tissue paper seemed to disappear and the stamped image looks so good.

A visit to Art from the Heart would not be the same without seeing the Lovely Dyan! and of course its a chance to add to my ever growing stash!!

just look at those flying pigs! so cute! I love them!(Paper is Graphic 45 Old Curiosity Shoppe)

It was a throughly enjoyable weekend , with lovely company, hopefully I will be able to go on another one soon!

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my blog, thanks for stopping by

xMaggie

Catching Up!

Im almost caught up! (with the Calendar Challenge, @ Kate Crane's site) despite the fact that I forgot to blog my February page in February! oops,  Here it is now....

I used Distress Stain in Victorian Velvet, splashed some water on then stencilled with a heart stencil in the same stain, it came out quite light so I did it again! then stamped some dots, I'm pleased with the colour and the page.

Ive managed to do my March page but its unfinished, as I can't make up my mind what stamps to use on it, the paper blocks are not quite the colour I wanted but didn't have anything else that suited so its rather 'Bright" and certainly not my usual colours! but I'm warming to it. Just pleased to have it ready at the beginning of the month instead of the end !

I dry brushed Dylusions acrylic paints then stencilled the blue squares, used a chicken wire stamp and added some white through punchinella !  I will show the finished page next month.

I had hoped to blog a bit more often, but never seem to manage it! There are always so many other blogs to follow, projects to finish etc etc, but I will try harder! I have also being doing some online classes, so I have been busy,  Im off now to link up this post and catch up on all the other Calendar pages which can be found @ thekatkyrnwheel.blogspot.com  I really must work out how to link these addresses, would it make my life simpler? probably not, I usually take the long way round.

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to leave me a comment!

X Maggie

I'm in!

The 2012 Calendar Challenge that is!  Enjoy it last year so thought I would continue.  You can find details on www.thekathyrnwheel.blogspot.com  I'm looking forward to seeing all the other entries.  First up is my December page which I didn't manage to blog in December!

I bought a spiral bound sketch book from Rymans stationers (well worth a look they have some great journal/sketch pads etc) Here is my January effort!

We've not had snow! so thought id do my own version! .  Apart from the recent storms we have been lucky with the weather, but theres still time for snow I'm sure!

Ive had some time off from crafting and am struggling to get back into it, I've joined a Creative Jump Start at nathaliesstudio.com , lots of very talented people giving a jump start for 2012! first up was Dina Wakley dinawakley.com really enjoyed this tutorial, it has given me a push to get started and some great ideas!  I've also joined Strathmore artist studio workshop - Doodles Unleashed- with Traci Bautista, great fun, although I've not tried out the lesson yet, I love doodling just need to get cracking .

Heres to a happy, healthy, prosperous and creative 2012 for everyone.

Thanks for stopping by, I love comments!

X Maggie

Look Behind You!

Thats me, running behind everyone trying to catch up!  I can't believe I didn't do a blog post in October! It was a very busy month, first off I hit a very BIG birthday! seriously i can't believe I'm that age! eek i am a little freaked out, even my 84 yr old Mother can't believe she has a 60 yr old daughter, shush Mum someone might hear you! so its just a number, theres no way of avoiding it, so I'm not thinking of it anymore, its our little secret...  Ive also been to New York to see my beautiful twin granddaughters and also had the pleasure of having my other two beautiful granddaughters there too!  They could only come for a week but it was great fun to see them all together having fun! I was there for a fortnight and got to baby sit several times, and had lots of walks cuddles and play time - Bliss! Ive been back 3 weeks and am suffering from withdrawal symptoms! thank goodness for Skype at least we get to see and speak with them..

Heres my October calendar page followed by November, for the calendar challenge on The Kathyrn Wheel(sorry link not working) Im very happy with October.  November is a different matter, I just can't seem to find the right 'thing' for it I even forgot to gesso the pages!(senior moment! haha).  I don't like November as a month anyway its always so grey and blah,  or is that just me.
For October I used Ranger Distress Inks, I love the effects you get with splurging water on them, Tim holtz masks, Stampotique stamps (love them!)  For November i used Dylusions paints(love them!) with a baby wipe, dylusions stamps, crafters workshop stencils (Love them) a little bit of gesso on a credit card scratched on. Was sure I had a leaf stamp but can't seem to find it at the moment hopefully I will before the end of Nov.

I've been catching up on some sewing projects too I made the cupcakes cushions and also this tied fleece blanket (which actually doesn't need sewing) very quick.  Lots more to do before Christmas, which is only 36 sleeps away!! isn't that scary! Im off now to continue my catch up and look forward to checking in on all the great calendar pages.
Thanks for stopping by, don't forget to leave me a comment!

X Maggie

Catching up!

What a busy August! phew, Visitors and family and days out! Now i'm catching up again  and getting a little time in my studio, not as much as I would like but at least i'm caught up with my August Calendar and have actually got September ready! and it only the 4 September!  I have thought of giving up, but decided to keep trying  I know I would miss it.  The calendar challenge is run by Kate Crane of thekathyrnwheel.blogspot.com  check out all the enteries they are all fab.  Here is my August page

and the september page

The birds are a Dylusions stamp with Tim Holtz tape around the edges of the page ive used golden fluid acrylics paints and scraped them on over gesso and stencilled.

I attempted to do the blog hop yesterday for Art From the Heart's Birthday celebrations! but once my Granddaughters arrived I didnt get to finish it, i was too busy playing hide &seek! i will try later to day when I get a spare hour!  From what I did manage to see all of the projects looked fabulous, generously shared techniques and I found loads more blogs to follow!  Would love to get to the www.afth.co.uk birthday bash on 10/11 September, but unfortunately can't  boo hoo.  I'm sure they will all have a fabulous time.
Im off on holiday shortly and would love to take a journal with me to do, i've been trying to prepare pages (I can't take all of my paints! or ink sprays!) and Im stamping like mad and cutting out so all i'll have to do is finish the page....I will have to take some background stamps but luggage is restricted so can't take them all :( I could fill three bags with stuff! but am down to just one wish me luck!

As if I didn't have enough stash now there are lots of great stamps; inks; papers etc etc on the market just at the moment and i don't know about you but i'm having trouble deciding what to buy! Watch this space I'm about to start shopping next week!

Happy crafting!

Bye
Maggie x