Wow May already

So much has been going on, around the house and art wise that the time has zipped by.

So the pond is nearly done, pictures soon. Stuart and Del are working on boarding out his garage so he is a happy bunny. China bought the furniture for her bedroom and it looks beautiful, she is just waiting for a super king size mattress for her bed then I will share photos.

I hate to be boring but I have been creating more faces, I write about them here and post them so that when I create my book with blog2print I will have a record of them in book form, so here goes my latest creations since my last post.

 This one is a portrait of Barb Rogers, I sent it to her so it now lives in the States.

 My sister Caroline loved this one so I sent it to her as a gift.

 This one was sent to a lovely lady to cheer her up.

 This one showed me getting braver with shading, and I was pleased with the results, it changes the picture with more shading.

 This one is a favourite of mine, why? because I did a happy dance with how her hand just worked.

 Another Pan pastel piece and on this one I stencilled the flowers with the pastels on her dress.

And as the Bluebells were abundant in the woods I decided I needed to do a Bluebell picture.

I am loving Pan Pastels, I get so much pleasure from using them, my poor paints, pencils are feeling neglected..hey ho no doubt I will get them out again soon.

I have so much catching up to do - really must write more, tomorrow is another day, gotta get out here as Real Madrid are playing Athletico Bilbao and if they win then they will be Spanish League Champions - so Ciao x

Gardening and ArtP

Phew better catch up with my blog. I have been A.W.O.L. as I have been busy doing mainly gardening! Oh my days I can't believe that I wrote that, I have never been a gardener lol, but Stuart and I are working together on getting the garden together.
What a thrill going and choosing plants to transform the garden and me planting veg - I would never have believed I would be writing that...

Planter for Jasmine plants which will hopefully grow up my balcony.

Jasmine Plants

Palm and flower for garden

Tomatoes, Cucumber and Peppers in this bed

Onions planted here too

Peas, carrots and beetroot in this bed

Stuart has always loved these trees, this variety is called "Susan".

Unchain my Heart - using doodling on painting.

More doodling to transform picture

Doodled a net just for fun.

Pan Pastel girl

Created this girl, wanted it to look as if she was behind net, waiting for a date.
Asked on Facebook if that had been achieved...responses indicated that it was not apparent
that there was a net, the challenge was to change that.

So rubbed off most of the pastel colour to push the girl back.
I then stencilled through mesh with fresco paint and it gave it a semblance of the effect.
This is something I will come back to and try again with a different girl.

Pan Pastel girl

Close up - I have to confess I was rather proud of this girl..

So that is an update on what I have been up to. I really have other stuff to share but I will do that in a post tomorrow as I like to break things up so as not to get boring.
Thanks for visiting, till next time have fun and enjoy life.

HAPPY EASTER

Hope you had a blessed Easter. The weather could have been kinder, but it wasn't so hey ho what did we do? Plans to crack on with the garden went up the wall much to Stuart's dismay - my hubby gets bored very easily...
Out for dinner with Richard and Julie on Saturday to Lazzaat, an Indian restaurant up the road from us - have to say the food was good and very friendly service. will definitely be going again.

Cathy, Terry and Steve joined us for Sunday lunch - which I made by myself, i stress about cooking for lots of people, there were 8 of us in total, enough for me - but I can happily say that everything was perfect.

China made some cup cakes, been a week of cupcakes, as Jodie made lots during the week, mmmm, heavenly but not good for the weight!!!

These were the first ones made from the "Little Treats" recipe, which was a giveaway on Facebook...

and then China made some cakes for the guests on Sunday.

Stuart and I have been working in the garden, loving seeing it come together...

 My vegetable plot - I am excited about starting this off - watching things grow - well fingers crossed lol, cos believe me I don't have green fingers.

 Stuart got his Signs up on his Garage door, one I bought him,  the Sanctuary one

 and the one from our friends/family in the U.S - BARBARA and family - Maxx and Maddy the grandkids. Maxx loves to share anything to do with cars with Uncle Stuart :)  The license plates cut to make the name look well cool. NOw Stuart  has decided he wants to decorate these doors with more plaques so he will have some outside art...

Talking of art I will do a separate post tomorrow with my latest art pieces... Whereever you are and whatever you celebrate, may you have a peaceful time xx

OOh I have been naughty

sorry for not blogging - time just gets away from me. Been working with hubby in the garden as the weather has been unseasonably warm - in the 70s crazy times.

Then in between working on commissions, even though I have still been getting headaches I soldier on, if I didn't' wouldn't get jack done..
So this post might actually be brief, as not totally pain free as I write this - think it will be more about the pictures.

Completed 3 of the Seasons that I have been commissioned to do and some other pieces too.

 SUMMER

 SPRING

 WOOD NYMPH

 WINGS

 GARDENIAS

WINTER

I spent some time this evening uploading photos to have some Moo cards made - if you would like 10% off  your 1st order let me know as I have an e mail with a voucher that I can pass on to friends. I chose 100 images of my art to have them made in to the cards - didn't think I would get to a hundred to be honest, lol, just shows I have been creative.

Jan de Bellis who won the prize giveaway chose the picture I call Dreamer and Jodi Ohl the Poppies.

Thats it for now as my head is not co-operating, Thanks for dropping by x

The luck of the Irish

So who had the luck in my Giveaway, who won the prizes??? Well here is the picture with all the names randomised by Random.Org

THANK YOU for taking part and visiting my blog, I do appreciate it....I  did the main draw which generated the top 3 to get prizes,
Jan you need to let me know if you would like the Poppies or A faces picture...
Once you have decided it will decide which prize Jodi Ohl will get and the final prize is for Miss BZ... that prize is a vintage item, which I did photograph but which will not upload, so tomorrow I will re-take the picture so she can see her prize.

Dont despair if you didn't win a prize in this draw - you might just get a little surprise of me sometime soon for being supportive, who knows!

Just had to say I was amazed after my last post to find that someone wanted to commission me to do a series of paintings for them - I know I have written about this on Facebook, but Facebook can't be made in to a book so I am writing about it here so it is recorded when the book is printed lol


So exciting and thrilling for me and the response to my surprise at this was unreal too...that's it, that is all I am going to say but totally, totally amazed and thrilled

I am out of here....winners will need addresses, that is all
Love you all

xxxx

2 more days

till the Giveaway draw on my blog...don't forget if you want more chances to win you need to have entered a comment on any posts since the draw announcement....1 extra chance for each comment, one comment per post. GOOD LUCK

Work has been progressing in the garden of the new home. Stuart and I have replaced the balcony from our bedroom so it is now ready to sit out their safely on sunny days.
We have put up a new fence so the dog has his own space to run free. Cut down trees that were rotten and yesterday we had 20 railway sleepers delivered to create borders for plants...will show pictures when they are in situ.

So I mentioned in a previous post about going to the Village Craft Cafe on Saturday...well I contacted the organiser to tell her how good I thought it was, and get this, my e mails have my blog address as the signature line - she visited and e mailed me to ask if I would be interesting in selling at the Craft fair.

This made me chuckle, and I did feel flattered, but you know as much as I enjoy my girls, my flowers I just don't think people would buy my pictures...so I doubt I will take her up on the offer. The only way I would is if I were to incorporate the images in to some other piece...so we shall see, never say never.

Talking of my pictures, done a couple this week...

First one was a self portrait, wondering if I should call it this or a self likeness, probably the latter. If you are on Facebook you would have seen it, if not I share it here now

The BEST compliment from my husband was - "You should frame that,  and hang it" I was well chuffed when he said that..hasn't said it about anything else lol.

Then I was inspired by memories evoked on a Facebook group I belong to for Forces Brats.. made me think of childhood and so I created this piece.

The images were from the Toodles and Binks range.. which is part of Stamp Galaxy, run by Kay. I have mentioned in previous posts that I don't love stamping on my pictures - I stress about them not stamping correctly, you know incomplete images, blurry etc...but I just thought as it is a dream of childhood that it wouldn't matter if there were inconsistencies with the images as they were just part of the background.
I then used some Windsor and Newton Iridescent Medium to was over the black area and the stamped images can you see it here?

This medium works well with water colours - so I was thinking if you can't afford Twinks it might be worth investing in a bottle of this stuff as a little goes a long way and you can create your own shimmering paints..

Well that is it for this post - don't forget, if you have taken the time to visit today and since the draw announcement which was posted HERE and you leave comments you name will be popped in to the draw for each comment, just trying to give you more chances to win...

Take care, have fun with whatever you are doing...

Till next time, Thanks for visiting
(p.s. the headaches have eased a little, but still there, but not so fierce)

Headaches have kept me away

Boy oh Boy, can't cope with waking every day with a headache and then going through the day with one - arrrghh so frustrating, so if you have dropped by to see if I have posted, apologies.

I have not let it stop me having a life fully, no siree, the show must go on, or in my case caring for the family.
I did have some me time too, there was a new Village Craft Cafe at Borough Green Village hall this Saturday. Met Kay from Stamp Galaxy  there, she is often published in Craft Stamper Magazine. Anyway I was telling her about how I have stamps but don't use them too often as I worry about not getting a crisp image, so she kindly invited me to go and spend a day stamping with her...will be taking her up on that offer.
For a first outing for the Craft Cafe I was really impressed with the whole event, and I am glad it will be a monthly outing for me.

On the creative front what have I been up to? Not as much as I would have liked but since my last posting I have these to share with you

This is done with caran d'ache, pastels and stamps and was a new direction, trying to capture a different pose for my girl.

This was a fairy created in pastels, trying to put the wings on from a side view, another challenge, what is life without a challenge.

I have to confess, I find it difficult to do great faces when they are small, trying to work it is a challenge, not one I intend to give up on, but it is a challenge.

This is for the 6 brave soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan, so sad that they will no longer be around to be a part of their families lives, I just hope that they did not die in vain and peace can come to pass in the region.

and this is what I created today, so there you are, and there I am up to date with my creations.
Tomorrow I will be sharing the gifts that have lifted my spirits in the past week...till then have fun wherever you are and my life be good for you xxx