Summer, jam and a bespectacled owl

Hi everybody!

This morning started out cool and cloudy, with a very fresh wind, but by this afternoon it was hot and humid again.

Here you can see the view from my balcony, the sun was trying to struggle through the clouds. It was very windy along the Rhine, but I enjoyed my windy walk.

At Soartful challenges the theme is eyeglasses/spectacles.

I used a large owl stencil on a page painted with paint left over from another project, adding in some colour round the edges with oil pastels to fill in the gaps. I used a foam brush to stencil the owl with black acrylic paint, and outlined it all with a white gel-pen when it was dry. The glasses were cut out of a magazine ad, glued to cardboard, fussy cut and varnished. This was fun to make!

And this was fun to make and will be even more fun to eat! Plums were on offer this week, so I made a batch of my special jam, adding cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, and vodka (to kill off germs!). Jam making is for me a much loved summer activity - buying the ripe fruit when it is plentiful and cheap, cooking the jam, labeling it, and watching the shelves in my store cupboard fill up. Eating it is also a great pleasure, which I have for a whole year.

At Manus Mifoc the challenge this week is 'summer'. For me the jam is part of summer, and in addition  I have collaged some photos of summer around here - the hay harvest, wild flowers on the meadows, the plantation of sun flowers, and  the Rhine with the sun sparkling on the water. The text is the first verse from a hymn we used to sing when I went to school.

Here's wishing you all a great weekend.

Take care, have fun,

and thanks a lot for coming by!

Frida Kahlo Collage, a sunrise and horses.

Hi everybody!

Today I have yet another Frida Kahlo piece to share. I have been fascinated by her and her paintings since I first heard of her back in the 1960s, and the more I learn about her, the more I admire her and her indomitable spirit.

The backgound has been painted with metallic blues and greens, which I textured using a crackle stamp.  I collaged various pieces of her journal together with cut out photos. I used a palm stencil from CWS, and did the text and some doodling with a white gel-pen. The white flowers are some ancient rub-ons.
I am linking to AJJ, Frida Kahlo and PPF.

 I tried some rough  sketches of Frida while watching TV this week, but they do not do her justice. I am trying to lean to hold my pencil without using my thumb, and I think I am slowly learning how. I used a charcoal pencil here.

I woke up very early again this morning, and was rewarded by seeing this beautiful sunrise while drinking my morning coffee.

I saw these horses on a field behind the house when I went walking yesterday afternoon, they were very friendly, and came running up to the fence as soon as they saw me. I will visit them again this afternoon with some carrots.

Have a great day, take care, 

and thanks a lot for coming by!

Still more Frida Kahlo, happy mail and a castle

Hi everybody!

The week is flying by again, and the days never seem to have enough hours in them. I sometimes wonder how I managed back in the days when I had to work!

I have another Frida collage to share today. I have enjoyed seeing all the Frida art from  those who have taken part in the challenge at Art Journal Journey, and hope that more of you will join in!

I made a painted background, which was textured using a crackle stamp into the wet paint, and then collaged with various images. I added the quote with a white gel-pen. I filled in the gaps round the edges with oil pastels. I had fun surrounding Frida with fruits, flowers, bird and animals.

I am linking to Paint Party Friday, hosted, as always, by Eva and Kristin.

And here are Frida journal pages I made 2 years back, I will be transferring them to my 'Frida' album.

Yesterday I got this lovely card from Diane, very sparkly, with a wonderful embossed and glittered background. Thanks Sweetie! This was a lovely surprise!

 Recently I cycled through the fields to the castle at Angermund, a neighbouring village. I took the photos with my phone, as I thought I had forgotten my camera - I hadn't, it was just in the wrong pocket!

The moated castle  dates back to the 12th century.

Have a great day you all, take care, 

and thanks a lot for coming by!

Frida collage with paper doll

Hi Everybody!

We had cooler weather today, with lots of fluffy clouds and a nice wind. But I'm afraid it will be heating up again from tomorrow, and then once again we have to expect storms, rain etc.

I used a photo of Frida with a monkey for the background, and increased the transparency to make it recede. The Frida doll cut-out sheet was sent to me a couple of years back, and I saved it for a special occasion....I gave the image a coat of clear varnish before fussy cutting it and putting the parts together with foam pads. I used liquid pearls in champagne to add embellishments to her hair, necklace, and to the patterns in the skirt. I used some fibres to make a belt. I made a frame using oil pastels, and tried to repeat the pattern from her skirt in the corners.

This is the album I made last year using Mexican cotton scraps sent to me by my dear friend Donna, a very talented artist, who lives in Mexico. I will be filling it with the Frida pages I am making for this challenge at Art Journal Journey.

I enjoyed my cycle ride along the Rhine again, and it was good to feel the mixture of cool air, sunshine and a fresh breeze. The clouds were fascinating today, I love watching them form and change.

This is my trusty bike, and today I saw it has a name, 'Donna' - so, Donna is accompanying me on my journeys.

 The farmer was cross because one of the bales burst open while he was lifting it....

The crows were having a party:

And the clouds just sailed overhead:

Here's wishing you all a great day. Take care, have fun, 

and thanks a lot for coming by!