Tuesday, 24 June 2014

Flowers, fruit and film

Hi everybody!
We were blessed with good weather again today, so hope you were too!

I have another tag to share today, made with some of the UFOs (untidy flying-around objects) from my work table. I started as usual with cardboard, which was peeled and gessoed. The gesso was probably a waste of time, as the linen covers most of it, but I wanted to use the pretty printed linen. Next mistake - the image and matting nicely covers up the printed part of the linen. Oh well, perhaps it was not to be! The image is mounted onto some very distressed coredinations paper, and has a scrap of DP as matting. I used a piece of my beautiful lace and a button as embellishments. I am linking to Simon Monday Challenge, 'Use it'




And now I have some edible art to share - the jam I made at the weekend. I went to the fruit shop an hour before closing time, and waited on a bench till they put out the sign, 'strawberries half price' before filling my basket.
I mixed the strawberries with   figs and vodka (to disinfect the fruit!), and of course spices and ginger. The first 2 jars disappeared before they could have their photo taken, and the jar with handle is reserved for a neighbour. The rest is for me, and it is really delicious!


At Moo Mania the theme this fortnight is 'cinema and movies'. This is my attempt:




And last but not least, some pictures from my walk along the Rhine today:




This is the first time I have seen a swan in the river:







And of course, the horses were waiting to have their photos taken:



That was it for today!
Have a great day, take care, 
and thanks a lot for coming by!


Sunday, 22 June 2014

Wings, water, hay and a horse

Hi everybody!
The weekend is almost over, so wish you all a good start in the new week tomorrow.

Thanks to all who sent good wishes for my thumb, it is still painful, and the joints are very inflamed. On July 7th I have an appointment at a hand surgeon to see what he suggests.

I used an 8" tag here, which was painted with a mix of blue and green acrylics, background stamped with a script stamp, and then embossed using a CWS stencil and structure paste. Then I added my old letter fragments to the background, and had a fun time sticking on some gilding flakes - my thumb-splint looks pretty now, too. The dress form is a TH die cut, as are the dragonfly wings. The top parts were cut from black card, which I gilded, and the underparts of the wings from the covers of an old passport from Uruguay. I added a cameo for her head, and her hair/headdress has been made with half a tattered florals flower, painted and Stickled. This was fun to make!

I am linking to Simons Monday Challenge, anything goes, and to a Vintage Journey, wings and things, where the crafting needs to be Tim Holtz inspired.






I walked to visit 'my' ducks today, and then along the Rhine, where they were busy baling hay.





A lot of people were taking a trip on the little boat:



And the horses were happy on their meadow as always.
I love this one!


Have a great day, take care,
and thanks a lot for coming by!

Saturday, 21 June 2014

This and That again

Hi everybody!

Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

Today I am showing a tag I made as one of my DT pieces for Gecko Galz, and which I don't really like - but the month is nearly over so I have to show it!
The tag has been painted with green and gold acrylics, and I added the diamonds using a stencil and gold structure paste. The image is from the musical jewel it sheet, and has been fussy cut. I use a rub-on rose and a bow as embellishments, and put some green stickles round the edges.
(Material List: 6" tag, acrylic paints, rub-on, Stickles, bow)



 One of my dear readers recently asked me why I never show photos of myself. Well, firstly, I have often shown photos, although admittedly some of them are 40, 50 or 60 years old, and secondly, I think the landscapes and flowers I take pictures of are prettier. So here I am  treating you to a digitally altered Selfie taken a week or so back - enjoy!
 The horses are sensible and like to keep in the shade:



And hollyhocks and hydrangeas are springing up on every street corner just now - lovely!






Sorry, still can't write much, my thumb is still very sore!
Have a great day, take care, 
and thanks a lot for coming by!

Friday, 20 June 2014

Houses or homes?

Hi everybody!
The weekend is nearly here, and I am sure all those of you who work all week will be feeling happy to greet the weekend.
I can't write too much just now, I have a splint on my thumb, which is very painful, and the splint keeps making mistakes while I am typing!

Some weeks back when my old printer was getting really cranky, it printed out some images much too large, and they were extremely distorted. But I still somehow liked this one, so used it as a background for a journal page, which I am linking to AJJ - houses, and Mix it Monthly, home. I drew the houses with a stencil, and added more colour to the background with oil pastels and prismalos. The strong lady is one of a whole pile I made last year and put away for future use. I found them yesterday by chance, and have let one of them hold up the row of houses. It is simple, but I think, quite effective.








I am also linking to PPF and Paper Saturdays.

Here are a few more impressions from my walk this afternoon, flowers found along the wayside or in people's front gardens. and one of my fave paths between the lakes.











Have a great day, take care,
and thanks a lot for coming by!