On the eve of christmas

Wishing you all a very merry christmas and a wonderful 2016.

painting a shell

The desk looks relatively tidy as I move on to painting a shell. One the left is a black and white image provided by Anna Mason and next to it is the very light sketch.  Just above the sketch is a lovely Xmas card that arrived yesterday from RosA (thank you). On the right is my pallet with the very dirty mixing tray waiting to be cleaned.  Not a great deal happening on the desk. 

 But, lots happening at home as we prepare for guests, gifts and lots of food followed by a holiday. 

Wishing everyone a merry christmas and happy new year.  

Cat card on a Sunday night

A quick cat card whipped up on a Sunday night for a neighbour.

Hopefully it has captured her two kitties as we think of her this christmas.

Had to post the finished painting of the cosmos.  Pleased with the end result and I have to say 

all credit to Anna Mason and her wonderful tutorials.  I would of got into a muddle without her instructions guiding me along.

woyww -cosmos, card and tray

 Short and sweet this week.  A glimpse of my new painting a cosmos .... which is starting to take shape and get some form.

 A beautiful cheery Xmas card from Nikki C and she added sweet bling.  Thank you Nikki it brought a smile to a dreary day.

An almost finished tray just waiting for the weather to clear before I spray it with a gloss sealer.

Hope your desk is full of inspiring ideas.  

I plan to visit quite a few desks over the weekend.

woyww - a tray

In the middle of making Xmas cards I decided to repurpose a tray. Once upon a time it had tiny  white flowers and was all the go in the 80's. After a few hot washes the little flowers disappeared and I was left with a bright yellow tray.  Finally dawned on me I could give it a new look.

So far coming together and once the teacups are dry I will add a few stamps.  The little angel strategically placed looking at the teacups is for you Lisa. Last pic is the finished snow drop from last week.

Have I mentioned how much I am enjoying Anna Mason's online workshop.... so happy with the end result.  Happy woyww to all who visit.

woyww - cards and paints

At the beginning of the week my desk was littered with a master plan for Xmas cards.  So often woyww's show their masterboards created (I think?) to form the background for a card or art work. Now that is such a good idea... so I used the painting from last week as the masterboard for my cards.  The only connection the clematis has with Xmas is the colour red!  

A photo of the finished painting which I scanned and printed for the cards.  This week my desk is a pic of another flower I have started in Anna Mason's beginner tutorials.

If I lived in the Northern hemishpere I could of used the snow drop for my Xmas cards but I would never be that organised.    Just happy I have got started on the cards.

Have a lovely woyww.

 I promise to slowly drop by and say hello to all who visit.

woyww - clematis in stages

 My desk is littered with w/c paints and different stages of painting the latest flower.  Stage 1 of painting a clematis followed by a pic of stage 3. 

 It will sit overnight drying and then I move on to stage 4.  Anna Mason says most people stop painting at this stage thinking they might ruin it but she suggests you keep going.  I was ready to give it up at stage 1 as it looked awful... glad I am following instructions.

 A completed blueberry painted last week but too busy to post.

Finally the white cosmos that I started two weeks ago.  Painting at my desk is all fits and starts.

Have a lovely woyww peek and I promise to slowly visit lots of inspiring desks.

woyww - painting white

After a leisurely lunch with RosA I have come back to finish the white flower exercise.  Following the steps from Anna Mason's online watercolour school has really helped me understand what is involved.  The pic is in shadow as we have landed up with a very overcast day. 

Whenever I have lunch with RosA I always come home with goodies.  Look at these gorgeous papers, dies and stamped tissue paper and a beautiful card from Shaz in OZ.  Always lovely to spend time with a like minded friend and share our bounty.  

Join me in a woyww hop to lots of inspiring desks.

woyww - leaves

A busy desk which clearly shows the basil leaf I was painting.  An exercise in tone and hue or in this case a basil leaf on steroids.  

more gum leaves as once I am on a theme I tend to stay their for awhile.  Hopefully your woyww desk has lots of interesting projects to inspire me.   I promise to visit over the week.

Have a lovely woyww visit.

cards and gum leaves

Whenever I go for a walk I seem to come home with hands and pockets full of feathers, rocks and leaves that I plan to paint.  This week an assorted collection of gum leaves.   Showed it to DS as I was fishing for a compliment and asked "do they look realistic?" and he replied "They're leaves mum. Save yourself some time and just take a photo".  He did have a point ...lol.

Also busy using up a few watercolour flowers for a selection of cards made for the school fete this weekend.  Lots more in a box and hopefully they will sell.  Always surprising how little people want to pay for craft.  But, as it is for a good cause hopefully people will be generous.

Have a lovely woyww peek and I promise to slowly visit desks.

woyww - Lily & Pear

Still painting flowers and fruit and enjoying the process.  The Lily was painted following Billy Showell's wet on wet technique and a bit of scrubbing to get the line definition on the bud.  Happy with the end result and more satisfying painting something larger than violets.  

The pear was painted following Anna Mason's free tutorial.  She used a wet on dry technique and I am pleased with the results ... although the green was a tad too dark.  But I love online workshops so learning new techniques is always a winner.  A slow peek at woyww desks over the coming days.  Never seem to have time to sit and visit everyone in one sitting.

Have a fun woyww

woyww - cuttlebug and a few pansies

Now my cuttlebug has not seen the light of day for at least one year!  Finally got around to using a couple of script dies bought online months ago. At the time I absolutely needed a "thank you and hello" die, once they arrived I didn't even open the package.  What is wrong with me?  But I did try my hand at botanical painting with these miniature pansies.

Billy Showell and Anna Mason are brilliant artists and I spotted a few of their you tube clips and before you know it I subscribed to a free tutorial.

I give all credit to these wonderful artists who also have the patience of Job.  I didn't even think to draw the flowers larger and after hours of painting I have 3 little flowers and a leaf.  

You live and learn.

Have a wonderful woyww week.  

woyww -layout

My desk this week has a scrapbook layout.  Unusual for me as I haven't played around with layouts for at least 10 months. But a friend died and I started looking at old photos and remembering all the things we did together.  So while I was in the mood I thought I better put it in a layout.  Funny seeing a photo of DH and me before children......looking relaxed, having fun and we both have lots of hair!! 

Please note the cup of Yorkshire tea on the right.  Lisa Craft Garden assures me it is the one and the same.

Have a creative woyww.

woyww - wax and watercolours

Lots of pics this week showing bits and pieces that I have finished from online and face to face workshops.  RosA reminded me I had not posted pics. .. so here goes.

The leaf is the first attempt at an encaustic workshop.  Although it was a great learning experience I am too clumsy to work with hot wax, paints and pastels at the same time.  My first mistake was adding too much colour to the transferred leaf image.  Then I tried to scratch it off! which didn't work so I attacked it with a heat gun and melted all the wax with colours moving everywhere and burning off the shellac background.  In the end I walked away from the heat gun and started a second image.

Bird image transferred onto wax with a subtle application of pastels plus metal transfer onto the bark.  All a bit twee and not convinced shellac is that great a border.  But a good experience and I have an appreciation of the skills required for encaustic works.  

Completed pears  which I had started two weeks ago. Happy with these, especially the bottom of the pear on the right.  Looking forward to a leisurely hop around to peek at lots of woyww desks.

woyww - sketchbook fruit and flowers

Not a lot changes on my desk from month to month. Fruit and flowers and flowers and fruit.

A birds eye view of a page in my sketchbook dated mid june.  I don't think I ever got around to posting a pic at the time.  Even the colours on my watercolour palette match.  

The final attempt at the magnolia I was painting last week.  I have learnt to keep a version of what I am working on in the sketchbook so that I have a record.  Always interesting looking back and seeing how skills and styles develop over time.

This week I will be starting a 4 week online sketchbook course with Liz Steel and I can't wait to start.  She is always inspiring and sketches teacups in minutes.  Hopefully I will have something to show next week.  

Have a great woyww peek.

woyww - little gem magnolia on my desk

An early morning shot of my desk as I get ready to sketch a "Magnolia Grandiflora" aka Magnolia little gem or Southern Magnolia depending on which country you live in.  I think they are pretty much the same plant and always fun to paint. 

First attempt using far too bright colours to get a feel for the shape and shadows. Choice of yellow was completely wrong but still fun to paint.

Second attempt in a more traditional watercolour style.  Pleased with the end result and now considering doing a third attempt.  

Hope everyone is having a fun woyww.  I will get around to visit desks but these days it is a late post and a slow meander over the week. 

woyww - card making

A bird's eye view of the desk  showing some left over cardstock, watercolour paper, ink pad and new dies.  Had planned to use the dies for cards but started painting.  Then I used the little paintings to make cards.

My favourite "magnolia for you" Altenew stamp embossed and painted with glimmermists.

Trying out a painted wreath for a congrats card and finally ...

daisies.

Have a great woyww.

woyww - feathers and flowers

Nothing very exciting this week just some feathers and flowers in watercolour.  Painted them on the weekend and they are still on the computer after scanning the images.  Never got around to taking a pic of the desk.  

Simple yellow daisies, easily done after following Martha Lever's steps using an oriental brush.  Holding the brush at different angles means you get different shaped petals and leaves and then everything is outlined with an extra fine marker. 

Finally a few Lorikeet feathers which I had picked up on my walk. 

Off to visit woyww desks all over the globe.

woyww - tulips

Happily painting tulips this week and really enjoying the process.  A very simple watercolour technique  that I had to try as it required an oriental brush.  Luckily I bought one last year in Vietnam (as you do when travelling around). After watching You Tube and following Martha Lever's steps I am set to go.  The photo was taken on the side to avoid my great big shadow..... don't want you to think I am painting in this position.

Have a great woyww and my plan is to have a peek at lots of desks.

woyww - finished cards - almost

Finally popped the stamped images from last week on a couple of cards.  Planned to add a sentiment  but was unable to decide which sentiment.  Always have too many "thank you" cards when I need a "happy birthday" card so my inability to make a decision means lots of cards with no sentiments.

 I did eventually open my box of goodies which contained 2 bottles of glimmermist "Iridescent Gold"and a pad of watercolour paper.  Nothing terribly exciting. Lots of comments from woyww's who would not be able to leave the  box unopened.  Confession time....I am the type of person that can leave xmas presents under the tree, chocolates in a box, cake on a plate, gift cards in my wallet  and not be tempted.  But I drop everything to read a book and don't stop until "The end".  Now I am really curious to hear what little quirks other woyww's might have.

Have a lovely crafty week.

woyww -card making

My wednesday desk shows stamped images that are drying in preparation for card making. The desk has not changed since Sunday when I had a burst of activity. The package on the left is craft goodies which  arrived on Tuesday and I have not even had a chance to open the box.  Nothing exciting this week but I will pop around and say hello and get inspiration from other woyww's.  

Have a great week.

woyww - what is on my desk?

Tulips hopefully will appear at some point this week as I start to lay down a wash of colour.  You can see I am working from a pic I printed from the internet.  My printer was running low on ink so the colours are interesting.

Thank you Eliza and Robin for the wonderful ATC's and look at the gorgeous cards and envelopes they came in the postie thinks I am very special. 

Gorgeous goodies from RosA and her woyww ATC.  How lucky am I to not only meet up with a crafty friend but then get lots of wonderful craft goodies.

Have a lovely week and I promise to pop in and have a peek at lots of desks.