It's Been Magic !

Hello and welcome to the last of the marathon postings,

Thank you for following over the last 30 days of small musings and creations.

I will keep posting......but perhaps not every day!

I have a couple of bigger quilt projects to get on with, but I will try to keep up the

momentum with the drawing.

As promised.......The Magician......

He really is saying "l....o...o...k into my e...y...e...s....."

But in quite a friendly sort of way.....

Or maybe not......you decide.

Am I talking to myself again....maybe, but blogging sure helps with motivation :)

Until next time, bye for now, P.

Simples......

Good Evening All,

This post is about good and bad.....

The good was an opportunity to learn from a professional illustrator, Debi Gliori,

whose children's books feature charming animal characters. It's good to hear about

ins and outs of the publishing business, and how the creative process works.

Character drawing exercises

with charcoal and paper cut-outs

"Mirror mirror on the wall"......

The bad......poor organisation (late set up, damp hay-bale seating, inadequate equipment)

Not the tutor's fault. LitFest workshop.....socks up. Expensive.

End of rant.

Anyway......please join me again tomorrow for the final something small for September!

See you then, P.

A Bit More Odd.....

Hello Again,

Just a quick update today.

Totally out of character....I am actually keeping up with the short course "Bottles, Bananas

and Beyond"!

This is the next stage, more weird creatures. A totally different way of approaching things

and really interesting :).

See you tomorrow, P.

Conkers!

Good evening,

Another wet walk......better get used to it......this is it now until next year!

Out of the wind though in Silverdale Glen.

Where I found these....

Ready for a quick watercolour sketch

Slightly different angle. REALLY just a QUICK sketch.....so no masterpiece!

But watercolour is really about constant practice, and obviously I don't :/

Some bits are ok

So I will keep trying.

Back tomorrow, P.

The Great Magician.......

Hello All,   hope you are well.

Illustrated another page in my altered poetry book today......such a great idea!

The best prompt for drawing you could have.

Today's page had a description of the Great Magician, brilliant :)

Can see him straight away

What do you think?

This is just the beginning drawing though, got to get those colours in.

I couldn't stop and have actually finished the double page, but have decided to

save it for the 30th day on Friday.

"Look into my eyes"........

Stick with me until then,

Bye for now, P.

Shooting Star Block.......

Hello again, Day 25!

Only 5 more to go now.......

After doing gazillions of housework (somewhat neglected this month due to blogging

amongst other things) decided to treat myself to a " just follow the instructions" bit

of sewing.

This is the Shooting Star Block Pattern by Edyta Sitar.

A bit fiddly I have to say but if I can do it then anyone can!

The more observant among you will notice that I haven't as yet appliqued it to the

background...... need to work out the best option for this.......looks like a lot of hand sewing

to me :/

But sometimes it's good to get straight to the making bit. Besides....it took me ages to

find all the colours.

Bye for now, P.

Tight Laced.....

Happy Saturday,

Had a good day at a workshop with the Embroiderers' Guild (IOM).

It was given by a lady called Gillian Roberts, who expertly led us through

the history of corsetry, and then guided us in making a lovely corset style belt.

Her instructions and teaching were excellent.......the proof being in that everybody was

successful in the making.

Of course it's a long time since my waist was this small.....so will give it to daughter.

Odd again.... I really like sewing in straight parallel lines :?

So for anyone out there looking for an inspirational speaker....I would recommend this

lady.

Must go now and catch up with Strictly. P.

A Bit Odd.......

Good Evening,

It's Friday!  Actually as I don't have a job at the moment that isn't as significant

as it used to be..... but it does mean a dog-walking day off tomorrow.

I am following a short on line course which is totally different and a little bit odd,

but fascinating.

This being some of the preparation work.....and no it's not meant to be photorealistic!

The course is "Bottles, Bananas & Beyond" with Alison O'Donoghue.

Even the style of presentation is unusual.....but great to watch.

The drawings are supposed to be completely from the imagination, but as mine is

a bit lacking at the moment, these are inspired by (only glanced at!) some historical

references. Certainly gets the drawing hand moving :)

On to the next bit..... Bye for now, P.

Trying to Catch the Sparkle......

Hello again,

The leaves are starting to change! Nooooo!

I noticed it at the weekend in Northumberland, but that's WAY north isn't it.

But it's starting here too. Where did the Summer go?

So here's a leafy card, a bit Autumny. A mash-up of Tim Holtz dies and StampinUp

paper. Love the orange glitter card.... but it's really hard to catch the sparkle in the photo.

Any chance of an Indian Summer? Probably not.

Just enjoy the day......

Back tomorrow, P.

Grey Day......Paint Colour!

Welcome back,

It has been a grey day.......monochrome......gloomy.......

So I slapped some colour on a small canvas

Instant improvement!

Now to practice form.....in the shape of a glass vessel

Just pleasing in itself: shape, colour of background showing through. Trying to stay loose.

Using a bristly brush to get some texture

Managed not to overwork it. Yay!!!!

It doesn't have to be complicated does it?

Bye for now, P.

Finding Small Treasures......

Hello All,

You wouldn't know it......unbroken seamless blogposting.......but we have been

away this weekend on a mini holiday to Northumberland. What a beautiful place!

And such glorious weather for walking a section of Hadrian's Wall. So lucky :)

We came across a vintage fair in a small village, where I found this and couldn't

resist

An antique French "Festonneur Automatique" used to print border designs on linen

which were then embroidered, "Broderie Anglaise".

These things just fascinate me......so it is added to my collection of curiosities.

Plenty of artistic possibility here methinks......

And how's this for something small?

A fire engine!

Thank you for visiting, P.

Paper Rose Cottage......

Hello and welcome back,

I love pretty things, they make me smile. It isn't always necessary to create from

scratch.....plain paper and paint. Sometimes it's nice to take some pretty materials

and make something of your own.

I saw these Anna Griffin papers on the Craft Channel, and they have been sitting there

waiting to be used for a while (I just keep looking at them and putting them back.....I

have some fabrics the same).

So in true "Cutting My Coat" fashion I have decided to USE them.....

Sooooooo pretty.

Combined with the Tonic Gingerbread House die set, it doesn't look much like

gingerbread :)

I love papercraft (and sewing).....it's SO clean :)

Have a good evening, P.

Patch on Paper......

Happy Sunday evening,

Keeping things clean for a few days (in the literal sense) because I'm doing some

more quilt making.

So today I have combined patch and paper.....

You might recognise the fabrics from the rabbit quilt. I cut the apple core shapes

using a teeny tiny deep dish die by Tattered Lace.

They make a lovely background for this little flower girl.

Join me again tomorrow, P.

Die-cuts in the Background....

Hello All,

Here's another way of making a textured background to add to your list...

Simply select an interesting cutting die (this is one from Tattered Lace) and cut

it in cartridge or watercolour paper (whatever you have chosen as your substrate). 

Apply it to the base using acrylic medium (with no loose bits to curl up, unless that

is what you want of course!). Scrape a bit more medium or gesso across to help

meld into the background.

Washes of acrylic or watercolour settle into the dips. Lovely!

Not sure what next for this but......

Oh...and make sure it is properly dried out before adding the colour washes.

Patience is not really my thing.

Bye for now, P.

Seaweed and Sewing machines......

Hello All,

A little stroll near the beach today, looking down to see this....

Love the colours and the texture.

You can't beat fabric and thread when it comes to texture...or in this case thread without

the fabric.

Really simple to do.....on dissolvable film, with machine embroidery threads, in rows

of in-built embroidery stitches on an ordinary machine stitch set up.

As long as the rows overlap slightly, the piece will stay intact when the film is washed

away. Another bit of magic!

That was a short break in the middle of stitching a quilt :)

Bye for now, P.

Simple and Modern......

Hello again...... Day 15.....half way point!

It's tough this daily blogging!

Today we have a simple modern card idea using Swirly Scribbles Thinlits dies

by Stampin' Up.

A bit of paper, a set of dies, that's all, and I really like it :)

It must be the colours.....actually seem to choose these quite often.....

Sure they will be back.

Bye for now, P.

Finished the Page...

Hello All,

Just finished off the double page spread....

I sealed the poetry text with matt medium and then primed the rest of the page with

a thin layer of gesso. Gesso is really a lovely surface to draw and blend with a soft

graphite pencil. I also sealed the figure page with the matt medium.....brings out the

colours nicely.

Die cut butterflies disappearing out of the page :)

Need to prepare some more stitched page bundles next.

Have a good evening, P.

Step Away from the Drawing!

Good evening,

Continuing from yesterday......

First added highlights with gesso......and now I wish I had stepped away at this point!

However....went in with the watercolour pencils........

And it went a bit downhill......

Think it's the mouth that went wrong, but hey.....a bit of a wonky smile...

Never mind.  More practice needed.

Bye for now, P.