So sorry to say...

I have had a problem with my blog this week... have had some spam messages which interferred with some of your messages and I have, unfortunately, been unable to publish them without the spurious ones... so those of you who left kind messages here - thanks - I was not able to note down who you were. Please come back and visit again though... and I am sorry I have not been back to your blogs...

Dratted spam!!!

Birthday Cards for Son and his son

Here is the front of a card I have made for my son's partner's son... complicated!! I used my new shades of alcohol inks in line layers, to create the background, then overprinted trees and pergoda from Lavinia stamps. Below is the backer, where I used the tool to make a more dotty background. He is a young teenager and I don't know him well, so I hope he likes it. it is late as I was in hospital for his birthday.

My son (my baby!!) is 36 on Sunday!!!! Ridiculous that he is that old, cos I am SO young!!! This is the front, and below is the back. I used the pear tag and some wonderful Dove of the East paper. I hope he likes it... I have not seen him for nearly 2 years... Sad that I seem to have lost him when I lost his dad... he is busy with his partner and work and new house etc. Oh well...

Thanks for looking
xx

Save the Date Cards for Handfasting Ceremony

As many of you know, Freddie and I are having an alternative wedding ceremony next year, so we can make a public committment to each other without signing an official register... These are the "save the date" cards we have sent out, made with alcohol inks on photo paper, and printed with flowers from a UMount set, in Vivid raspberry, with a gold pearlydoodle centre.
Thanks for looking
xx

My Paintings From My Charles Evans Holiday in September

This was the first EVER water colour painting I did.. it has been so long since I said I was going, with Rainbow Lady, I expect you have all forgotten!! It was done on a wonderfully hot day in Quesmy, a chateau in the north of France.

We moved on to Nice, after a breakneck, high-speed journey, which did nothing to make my hip feel comfortable!!! I rested on the first day there, and sunbathed on the hotel roof - first time topless!!! WELL... other ladies were, so I did!!! Oh la la... This painting above was done, on the second day, in a little village up in the hills behind Nice, where we sat all day and had a wonderfully simple lunch looking out towards the sea... The owner of this house bought Charlie's painting of it.

We then travelled to Lucca, in Tuscany, where it was hot, hot, hot!!! An ancient walled city, it was a fantastic place to be. This building was in a square, close to our hotel. Improving the detail and the brush technique here, but could do it better now. Not bad for 3rd painting attempt!!

The following day, we set out up into the mountains of Tuscany, to find a typical view over the countryside. Tuscany is full of these hills that rise from nowhere, and often they have a village and a large church on top. This one was just wooded. I had to sit in a low chair, here, and so I painted in the wall. Apparently this is usually a no no, but Charlie said it was good, as it took the eye back in... houses and windows improving on this one...

Lucca city again for this one, above. What a pig for the perspective!!!! I did not have it all quite right and a couple of the windows were a bit awry, but I was basically very pleased with lots of it, especially the top left hand corner... and the colour was spot on - I bought a tube of "sand" paint, and that made all the difference!!!

On to Interlaken in Swizerland, our final destination. I was not too bothered to go there but HAVE to admit it blew my socks off!!! This is the Eiger!!! in the Grindlewalt....Was interesting trying to get so many trees in... some of them are a little flat, but the mountain was quite good, I thought. Charlie was very pleased with my efforts by now. Everyone else had been painting for yonks, so I had a lot to learn...

Well, this one is my bestist and favouritist!!! EVERYTHING seemed to come right here. The castle had to be small to give the mountains their full merit... and the two together was hard for many of the group. I painted this exactly a year to the day that I booked the holiday!!! So it was a really good one to finish with. Well, I and the rest of the group thought so!!!

Below is the second picture, re-drawn and re-painted and it will be framed as a gift for my Taiji Quan teacher... hope she's not looking, as she does not know yet. Had to put it in though, as I was so pleased with it. So much more careful and better roofs etc. Texted it to Charlie and he was very chuffed. My phone camera made the walls look not quite straight, but they are, honestly!!!

So, I love painting and will keep it up now. Really looking forward to doing a bit in Venice when Freddie and I are on holiday next year for our honeymoon.!!!

Thanks everso much for looking, and getting this far... Any of you water colour?

xx

An apology to AliMayes

Front - top, back below...

Ali, this is the card I made for you for your birthday. I am so sorry it seems not to have arrived... all I can think is that there was a postal disruption in the area at that time and it is sitting around in some sorting office or other. I will make it up to you when I get back from my hols... The colour of this scan was not very good, as I made it from the bird tag which was much more lively... boo hoo that it never arrived!!

xx

TIO #20 - Text it to me - make it purple!!

Here is my effort for this week's TIO challenge #20 - text it to me - make it purple!! I started it with a piece of semi gloss card, and printed it with some background text. I stamped in distress inks in worn lipstick and dusty concord with Lavinia and Dimension Fourth stamps. I also used UMount and Elusive images stamps, then overstamped with some of them in onyx black, with clear ep. Some of the images were blurred using a water spray, which has given a blotchy look to some parts. I really enjoyed this one and hope you like it too.
Thanks so much for looking, and making your comments...

WOO New Car too!!!!!!!!!!

Here is my new baby!!! I wanted to change my feeling about myself, now I am moving on and have a new life. My daughter will drive my Focus and this will be my new ride... it is lovely and I am now looking for a dragon decal!!! Nothing too large, but to personalise it to me... The inside is black and the whole thing is classy, and feels so good to drive...

Thanks for looking

xx

TIO #19 - Up, Up and Away...

This was my inspiration piece for the TIO #19 tag challenge this week... up, up and away. I decided to do dragonflies, but the theme is very open to different interpretations... I began with shiny cardstock and the usual distress inks in blues and yellows. I printed a whispy bamboo from Stamp Addicts by Judikins, in weathered wood and shabby shutters, then various plants from Lavinia Stamps in the other distress blues. The agapanthus and flower swirl from Stampendous and UMount, respectively, were stamped in onyx black then all inks were embossed in clear ep. The dragonflies are from a clear stamp but don't know where from and the ep around the border is a fascinating one from Stamp Addicts called Blonde Moments in festive fern. It is gorgeous and thick and yummy, shot through with green, blue and gold.
Thanks so much for looking again this week...

TIO #17 A Circle Embraces, a line divides

This is my tag piece for the DragonsDream TIO #17 challenge this week, a circle embraces, a line divides. It was inspired by the lovely ring Freddie gave me for our engagement / betrothal on Monday, this week!!! This is it below... it is rose and yellow gold and the flower centre has a diamond set into it... so very pretty. Well, I think so, but then I would I suppose!!! Woo... the picture does not do it justice, as I could not capture the lovely pinky tones of the rose gold. Still, you get the idea...

I started with a piece of soft gold, pearlised card and printed the UMount swirls and flower in gold and rose gold, respectively. The face and keys are from a Judikins cube called treasure. I masked the face and overprinted with my Aspects of Design net, and stamped the UMount sentiment . I used distress inks and my inky tool to blot colour on to various areas, then covered it all with clear ep, to give a dreamy look. The lips and flower centre are highlighted with pearlydoodles, in red.

Thanks so much for looking, and following mine and Freddie's story... there will be more to come next June, but not necessarily what you are thinking!!... the Dragon has dreamed something quite different...

TIO #16 Strictly for the Birds

Here is my entry for the TIO #16 challenge - strictly for the birds. I used several sets of stamps again this week (when don't I??!!) Two are by Kodomo, cranes and bamboo lake. I also used some clear stamps of bamboo and leaves. I used my brayer again, for the colouring in... I used the happy birthday Big n' Juicy, printing vertically with it and using it flat on the brayer. The tie is a bit of raffia. I think it works.
Thanks for looking...
xx