Monday, June 30, 2008

Oh I'd forget my head...........................


..................... you know the rest of the saying and it is oh so true of me at the moment.

I did forget that on Terri's Paper Quilting Class I also made this!
I call it Asian Squares.

The background is painted mulberry paper. The larger squares are scrapbook papers and the smaller squares are a mixture of scrapbook paper and painted mulberry paper, all of which have some script or Asian design on them.

The embellishments are Asian coins, beads and mini game pieces stitched on to the base.

I have mounted it onto board and am now looking for a suitable frame for it.

Just a little bit!!


Well I am still bereft of my muse and even the will to read has disappeared!
This means that I have not visited any blogs in an age.
I am truly sorry about that as I usually love to read all about my cyber friends.
At least I can rectify that shortly.

At the moment I am just allowing my self to be lead along by some wonderful artists.
For example, Sue Bleiweiss and her Journal Making Class, Terri Stegmiller and her Paper Quilting Class and at the moment Michelle Verbeek and her Cat Sack Class.

When I started writing this blog my intention was to use it as a record of the things I make and do.
It was initially for myself.
Then I stated to have visitors and what a boost that gave me.
Then I started to make friends and that was an even bigger boost.
I love to read what you think of my work and trips. I love criticism as long as it is constructive and I find you all so helpful.
Thank you for calling in here.

So for myself and for anyone who would like to see, I will start to post the things I am up to again and hopefully my muse may see that I am worth returning too - I hope ;0)

First, I think I should show the things I made at the end of Terri's Paper Quilting class.
I really enjoyed Terri's class and have lots of ideas written down, I just have to find a way to bring the ideas to life.

One of the last things I made was a little box. At the time I had to make a box for a swap with a Fantasy theme. The two things came together and the Magic Box was born.
Hiding in a pocket on the front is a key that opens the lock to the secret garden.
I had fun with this project and it reminded me how much I love to make little embellishments like the key.
I made a note of this, with my ideas, in one of the journals I created in Sue's class.

The very last, but certainly not least, project in Terri's class was to make a little book. I made a book with watercolour paper and cartridge paper inside to encourage me to draw and paint. It has worked a little as there are some scribblings in it now.
We used painted and stamped mulberry paper for the cover. It has a lovely texture and I think that is why I pick it up often.

Monday, June 02, 2008

An away day of my own.


As you know, my artistic Muse has cleared off on an away day that has lasted months now.
And would you believe it, but my writing Muse has now gone off to catch up with her!
Hence very few posts here of late.

Well, I mean, what is a girl supposed to do in this situation?
I decided to have an away day of my own ;0)

It may seem a little silly to go for a day out on a Saturday in a tourist area but, actually, it can work to your advantage.
Saturday is "change over day" and most people are on the roads going home or arriving.
A ten minute drive from the main road through the steep sided valley of Exmoor leads to a paradise where you don't see another human being for hours.

We've had a heavy sea mist this weekend that was very dramatic so we took ourselves off to the Heddon Valley. You have to know that the cliffs around here are some of the highest on the English coast but, there is a track way that climbs gently to the top that even I can manage to climb.
It was a wonderful climb too. Through the trees with the valley dropping down on one side. Fred (dog) thought it was great to trot backwards and forwards through the grass and peep through the trees.
When we got back down we had some lunch at Hunters Inn and chatted to some lovely people.
It was very relaxing and I think my batteries are recharged enough to go hunt for the Muses!

The mist stayed all day and through yesterday and is still here today. That is OK with me as it looks fantastic don't you think?!