Happy Mail and more

Hi Everybody!

The weekend is almost over as I write this, so I wish you all a good start in the new week.

For Art Journal Journey, winter wonderland, I have another hybrid page, combining photos and fantasy.  The quote is by Wordsworth; my Auntie used to read this poem to me when I was a child, and I found it very sad and scary that  poor Lucy Gray had to go out in bad weather, and never, ever came back! The girl here is from the Graphics Fairy.

I received some nice Happy Mail this week.

Chrissie sent this beautiful card, with a lovely, colourful cat to wish me all the best for my OP last Thursday:

And from Donna in Canada I received a parcel of goodies to keep me occupied when I go into hospital next month. This is a card made from one of her gorgeous sheep paintings:

And some occupational therapy, lots of pictures to colour when I am stuck in bed:

And Sudoku puzzles to keep my brain ticking, all packed into this fun, decorated envelope! Yes, my old knee will be going out, and a shiny, new one being put in:

And a cookery book with wonderful recipes to cook in my slow cooker when I get back home again .

Thanks so much ladies, it's good to know others are thinking of me.

Thanks too to those who mailed and sent me encouragement, which was much appreciated.

The Heron was really getting into a flap yesterday, he was busy fishing, and the gulls kept circling round him, probably trying to steal his dinner.

Here he swooped onto  a fish and swallowed it straightaway:

The gulls kept on mobbing him, and in the end he took off - followed by a cloud of gulls....

Have a great day you all, take care,

and thanks a lot for coming by!

Sunday mix

Hi Everybody!

Hope your weekend is going well.

I am feeling better now after the OP from Thursday, and trying to gather strength for the next, big knee OP in February.

For Art Journal Journey, winter wonderland, I made another hybrid collage.

The background is a photo taken at the meadows by the Rhine when we had snow. I added some little shadow pics, and the photos of the plane and the horse. The kids and snowman are digital add-ons, as is the snowflake frame. I love mixing real and fantasy this way.

The morning sky is always beautiful, and I have only ever seen this shade of blue

while dawn is breaking.

The plane has just lifted off from the airport:

Took this one through the kitchen window, the sun seems to be heart shaped.

Another huge ship:

This little robin was also enjoying watching the ships:

The gulls were following along in the wake of the ship:

An early bird waiting for his worm:

Have a great day you all, take care,

and thanks a lot for coming by!

Faces

Hi Everybody!

For Art Journal Journey, winter wonderland, I have a hybrid page using a photo of my wonderful dog Scruffy, taken on holiday in Austria many years ago. She always loved snow!

I have a huge stash of 12x12" papers that I have not used for various reasons, and now I am using them as backgrounds for faces etc. This is face 55 for our challenge 99 faces. I used water colours and acrylics.

I never tire of seeing the guns sunbathing:

The name of this one sounds promising:

Have a great weekend, take care, 

and thanks a lot for coming by!

A crow on frosted leaves Number 2

Hi Everybody!

The week has flown by! Time again for Paint Party Friday and Art Journal Journey, winter wonderland. I made another piece following on the one I made last Friday, but this time using a canvas (18x18"). I was inspired by the rusty leaves left over from Autumn that were so beautifully coated with frost  in the past weeks. I re-used an old canvas, using rust and various metal patinas, with lots of added texture from reflex pearls, embossing powders (Utee and Frantage), mica and gilding flakes, and scraps of vintage, handwritten paper.  The leaves were cut from paper, painted with acrylics and embossed with Frantage EPs. The crow was painted onto cartridge paper and also embossed, cut out and collaged. I enjoyed making this.

We have had several sunny and cold days this week, and I enjoyed being out and taking my photos. Here are some of the ships from this week:

The sun made a rainbow on the field:

This gull seemed to enjoy posing for the camera:

Have a great day, take care,

and thanks a lot for coming by!