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

almost there!

Well once again we are flying through the month- halfway through July! I have been very busy at work and family business too so not a great deal of time for any art.  I have juggled all month and am still not on top of things. I guess I have to give into it and let art go for a few weeks.  I have managed to do some calendar pages but feel they are not really finished as I would like, so many other things going on I dont seem able to find the right stamp or picture to finish them off!  hey ho, must try harder!

Here is my July effort,

I tried to just go random with colours and style but my heart isnt happy with it.  I think once you have a break from art, sometime its hard to get the arty mojo going again.  Im feeling quite frustrated this month but at least i've managed to keep up with the challenge on http://www.thekathyrnwheel.blogspot.com/ hopefully I will perform better next month.

I'm loking forward to my sister and nieces visiting and they love to play with paint, ink & stamps too so that should get me off and running again, but first I need to tidy up the studio! otherwise we wont all fit in! seriously where does the mess come from , I try to tidy as I go, but its still messy! Volunteers welcome!

Its not exactly summer weather !!? I had plans to sit outside and do some art! but maybe August will see some sunshine.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy making art

Maggie x

Two for One!

Its been a long time since my last blog! so this is a two for one event.  I never did manage to blog May calendar pages - oops - and i've not quite finished June pages, there is something missing! I keep looking at the page and dragging out stamps and images but as yet nothing has sparked with me.. i will keep trying!  I seem to be hurtling through the year here we are 6 months since I started my blog... time is going too fast and I just can't seem to keep up with myself, from reading other blogs i'm not alone everyone seems to be running behind themselves trying to catch up, I just run out of hours some days!
here is May and June:

oops sorry June seems to have turned itself around! I guess thats just the kind of month im having! The Gnome lady is from Tumble Fish studios collage sheet, her legs from Dyans downloads also the toadstools, I think she looks like my friend Mary who spends every hour of daylight in her garden, only problem is Mary Hates Gnomes! ha ha, The birds are a 7 Gypsies stamp and words from paper artsy.
I've been checking out all the other wonderful calendar pages linked on The Kathyrn Wheel blog, must get around some more.

I have also been finishing my She Art workshop (Loved It) (scarlet lime) and am still in the middle of She Had 3 Hearts workshop ( also Christy Tomlinson - scarlet lime) I have really enjoyed doing these my 3 Hearts journal is progressing very slowly, ive only managed 3 pages so far! lol I am also hoping to sign up for Dina Wakelys - Graffiti of my life workshop next month.  Am hoping to get to some workshops in the UK but its all a matter of timing!
Here is a page from the 3 Heart journal,

I have been very naughty and bought more supplies!!! so many tempting offers on the websites I can't stop myself! I may need more storage soon - a trip to Ikea is involved !

I've been doing a little sewing today, baby slings for the twins!

Enjoy the weekend, Keep Calm and Do Some Art!

Thanks for stopping by

Maggie x