Pink and apple-green

Hi everybody!

The new week has brought us a new colour challenge at SOC - pink, apple green, and a touch of dark green. I used one of of my ladies again - she was printed out onto scrap paper, and then coloured with water colours and oil pastels.  I need to do things just now which don't make my thumb hurt any more than it's hurting now! I don't know what made me give her a pink eye, but I did. The quote is from Ray Kroc. I think I am definitely getting towards the ripe stage!

At Tag Tuesday the theme this week is garden party. My first thought was ladies in big hats, and then I found this image from Gecko Galz in my bit box - just right.

I distressed the edges with DI in forest moss, and mounted it onto a tag cut from corrugated card, peeled, gessoed and distressed. I added some die-cut edging sent to me by our lovely Twinkle Toes, a butterfly and some paper roses.

 Yesterday was cool, damp and misty. I must admit, that as much as I love blue skies and sunshine, the river looks somehow good with the contours fading into the distance.

The hydrangeas in the hospital garden also looked beautiful bejeweled with raindrops.

There was a little flea-market in the thrift shop and in the grounds of the hospital, and I found some bargains.

The town is decorated with bunting just now, as it's 'Schützen Fest' - Marksmen's festival' , a yearly event with traditional parades, music, social gatherings and of course, lots of beer and sausages etc.

And my friends the horses just carry on as ever....

Have a great day, take care,

and thanks a lot for coming by!

A Sunday walk round town

Hi everybody,

here's wishing you all a good Sunday.

Yesterday I talked to the lady who owns the beautiful horses that I like to photograph. She says they live outside on their meadows from March till November, and really flourish there. They get checked on daily, have shelter under the trees, and live a half-wild life there, which they all seem to love. It really is a  paradise for horses.

I don't know what the crows were picking at, but they were very irritated when I came nearer, and flew off screeching.

I see the farmer in his green tractor nearly every day, it's a busy time cutting and bailing the hay.

The wild flowers are always a joy to see, they have so much energy.

 I have no idea what these little red insects are, but the white flowers were covered with them.

This ladybird was also busy....

As was the bee:

The swan seems to have taken up residence on the shore by the castle ruins:

I need to be out and about early just now to find the lanes so peaceful, as busloads of tourists are coming for day-trips just now.

Saint Swidbert, the patron and founder of our town is represented with many little statues, here shown on 2 houses in the Church Close.

Here's wishing you all a peaceful and happy Sunday, take care, 

and thanks a lot for visiting!

Contrast Programme

Hi everybody!

I am still busy wondering where the day goes, it is already 4 pm here, and I have almost nothing to show for it. Either the hours now have less minutes in them or I am getting slower!

Today I have a contrast programme to my piece from yesterday with the delicate lavender, grey and plum shades. I had some very strange dreams this week, spraying walls with graffiti in the London Underground, yikes, I have no idea how that idea got into my head. Anyway, I have made a mixed media journal page, very much reminiscent of revolution, with a picture on a brick-wall. This was a digital combination of various elements, and coloured with  oil pastels, water colours and gel pens. Sometimes it's fun just to do something different!

I still remember one quote from him, "We cannot be sure of having something to live for unless we are willing to die for it"

The quote I have written on the page is from Simon and Garfunkel's 'sounds of silence'

I am linking to Paint Party Friday
and to Manon's Paper Saturdays

 A view of the basilica taken from the Rhine tow-path:

The flower shop:

(the Rhine flows at the bottom of the road)

The path through the park:

My fave horses:

Is he eating leaves?

Still clearing up after the big storm:

Have a great day you all, take care,

and thanks a lot for coming by!

Lavender, grey and plum

Hi everybody!
Time is flying by again, and as always, I am sitting here wondering where the day went!
At SOC this week the colours are lavender, grey and plum - hmmm- Difficult!
I decided to recreate a pastel drawing made back in 1995. I used the same technique as last week -  traced the original, scanned the trace into the computer, and printed it on paper  from an old text book. First I did a colour wash with water colours, then  used oil pastels to draw the outline and do the shading. The diamonds on the left have been added using a stencil and Vivacolor  paint.
I am also linking to Paint Party Friday, hosted, as always, by Eva and Kristin.

I made this collage from photos using the SOC colours:

The statue of Mary is in the Basilica here:

The door belongs to one of the ancient houses in Church Close, directly opposite the basilica:

The park was full of these yellow flowers,  some of which were nearly as big as I am:

I had to look twice at this sign on the lane leading down to the ferry - I think the sprayer might have been at work again! I just LOVE it!

And as always, the horses keep calm and carry on grazing....

Wishing you all a great day!
Take care, and thanks a lot for coming by!