woyww - portrait of a cat

Not the best light but I did get up early to try and post before the rush.  Why rush? Work deadlines plus getting teenager to school on time!!

My desk is almost tidy as I hide away the woyww anniversary gift but you can  still see bits and pieces laying around on the desk.  ATC stamp, ink,  a peg (no idea why, a bit like the hammer last week) and a stamped image on a book page which will be joining the altered book. A background page which I discovered under my mat.

But my pride and joy is the pencil sketch of kitty.  A gift from the teenager who organised a school friend to draw kitty as she slept on my bed.  A very talented school friend ....

Off to visit woyww and see lots of desks from really talented crafters all over the globe.

woyww- altered book and art journal pages

Slowly working my way through the altered book class with Elisabeth.  The slow and steady pace is perfect.  On the right hand side is a watercolour book which I am enjoying and on the left a hammer.  No idea why it is sitting under my altered book.  But, I do know why there is a chocolate near my light.  I continue to potter away on my art journal pages which are considerably less stressful since I have moved to working in a small book.

I know I have mentioned the portfolio oil pastels in previous posts and I am still using them on a regular basis.  Love how they blend over anything, paint, canvas, inks or straight onto cardstock.  I love how inexpensive they are and must admit I have a preference for the brights.   

They can be heat set which means no more fixative fumes in my little room. Once I have finished a page I hit it with the heat gun and watch it melt.  I owe Leandra a big thanks for putting me onto the oil pastels, she had a great tute posted on her blog Paper Artsy in January of this year.  

Also working on an ATC for a particular swap this month.  But, I can't show you just yet.....

woyww - class stuff

My desk is covered with left over bits and pieces from the weekend workshops I attended. Bright and colourful art journal pages surrounded by lots of baking paper in an attempt to stop pages sticking together and paint seeping through the journal.  Loving the portfolio pastels .. they would have to be the cheapest and best thing on my desk at the moment.

The class with Donna Downey was interesting and I definitely had a light bulb moment when I heard numerous people talk about not writing a lot of stuff in their journal.  I just can't pour emotions into a journal.  I go blank and it doesn't help when DH sings Sid or Johnny's lyrics "pretty vacant ..." when ever he sees me trying to journal.

Another journal page using string and canvas and then coloured with acrylic paint and babywipes.

 The final workshop was a canvas which incorporated a lot of the techniques we learnt in the art journal workshop. I was really happy how it came together.  I used an old pic of my mother and her friend taken sometime in the late 50's.  They looked so elegant and happy sitting in the sun smiling at the camera.


So all in all a great weekend of workshops.  Hope your week has been creative.   I also hope blogger behaves and stops removing my blog as it updates, improves and does what it does in the name of progress.

Off to visit Julia and her addictive world of WOYWW.

woyww - dark and dim wednesday evening

Wednesday did start with some degree of productivity then I got sidetracked with a postal delivery.  My TH book No.2 open on top of all the other bits and pieces.   But,  before I got distracted I had made a lovely background for a journal page using my favourite glimmermist sprays.  I then moved on to watching YouTube videos on how to paint flowers. My pathetic little result is on the right.  Even the teenager was encouraging "keep going you will get there eventually...!", which was very unlike the teenager.  

The only other thing on my desk is a list of all the class bits and pieces I need to bring to a weekend workshop at Pages 2scrap.  The classes are being run by Donna Downey and I  can't wait.  I have checked and rechecked the list.  I am trying to contain my glee at going away for the weekend to have 3 classes with Donna.   Hopefully I will have lots to show next week.

Off to visit Julia's woyww.....

woyww - atc'

An early morning shot of my desk with all the atc's I have made for a swap coming up in May.  I have given up trying to be very original when it is a big swap.  I tend to stay with one design but will use different colours.

A close up of the atc's made by covering a floral stencil in gesso, sprayed with inks and when dry some bling and words.  Easy peasy.

Off to visit the wonderful world of woyww created by Julia.  I had no idea Julia was planning an ATC swap!!!

woyww- scraps and frogs

Thanks to all the woyww suggestions for making and findingcogs.   Three small cogs near my cup of tea is the result of trying Shoshi's idea of casting cogs in resin.  I had to make do with a plasticine base/mold as the craft store didn't have the silicone putty in stock.  All in all pleased with the results as I can see hundreds of uses for the casting resin and an endless supply of cogs and wheels.  I won't be casting the frogs but nibbling while waiting for the resin to set.....

I am also working on a couple of ATC's and have got stuck trying to find a pithy quote for the fish ATC.     DH suggested something horrible about a porthole!  I am ignoring him ... and the best I could come up with is "all men are equal before fish" which I like but, no clue what  it means.  I can be so concrete at times but not as rude as DH.

The last frangipani on our tree which pretty much blew off the tree after I took the photo.  Autumn has arrived in our part of the world with rain, cold weather and gusty winds.  Time to check the wonderful world of desks created by Julia.

woyww- cogs anywhere

I do apologies for not getting around to visit woyww last week.  Time was spent catching up with family and friends who all came to farewell my father-in-law.  A big thank you for all the kind wishes.

 It always catches me by surprise that life just keeps going on at a very rapid pace when at the same time it has stopped for someone else.  

Not a lot on my desk apart from some cogs that I am trying to remove from an old toy.  I have another steampunk ATC to make in a couple of months so I am looking everywhere for cogs.  I mean everywhere .... old toys, ebay, cyber space and DH's shed.  You would think with 3 motorbikes there would be a cog in there somewhere but, he says "definitely not ... out you go."

On the left of the desk you can see a collection of "textile themed" ATC's from the paperarts swap.  All different and all so interesting.

Now to visit woywww and continue my search for cogs.  You can never have enough cogs.