WOYWW 183 - Busy, busy, busy...

I cannot believe it's been so long since I posted... but I have been busy making gifts...

This is a mini friendship book for a dear friend's birthday in January :o)

And I'm being watched over by my new best friends...

Well, actually the centre raven (carrying a star), and the snowy raven (right) are new, but the one on the left is a card I found while searching for stuff for the mini book - and would you believe, the card I found is by the same artist as the snowy raven???

And I found more beauties while rummaging...

Both of these are by a favourite artist Fran and I know I bought them years ago!

I thought this 'obsession' with ravens was new - I've been dreaming of a raven (she's taken me flying over my childhood home a couple of times recently), but obviously I've felt an affinity with this wise and clever creature, for quite a while...

The woman in the picture is called 'Memory' and she wears a small star around her neck...

Like the star the middle raven is carrying in its beak in the pic above, and I've recently learnt the Norse god Odin, kept two ravens Hugin (Thought) and Munin (Memory)...

I don't really know what any of this means... but I feel it means something... and this is where my thoughts travel while I'm making the mini book for my friend...

Can't wait to see what you've all been up to this week... so I'm hopping over to Julia's at Stamping Ground...

With love xxx

WOYWW 177 - A big fat messy mess mess....

(Can you believe this is taken with a flash at 11am??? October in England, heh?? *sigh*)

 

Well, not much drawing going on, is there?? Maybe it's all aversion tactics, but a dear friend helped me sort out piles of books and art supplies the other day, but we ran out of steam before we tackled the desk... But, at least now I can reach the desk!!

 

This is clearly my task for today... *heavy sigh*

 

But, there are highlights, such as these colourful ribbons dear Debbie sent me, after I admired the gorgeous creations in her etsy shop.

 

 

She even included a pretty wired bead, so I could make a necklace

 

What a sweetie :)

And other highlights?

The sky the other evening...

And this bush in our back garden...

And, of course, globe-trotting to meet all the other lovely WOYWWers over at Julia's Stamping Ground :)

The skies may be dank and grey, but there's colour in my heart!!

Have a happy Wednesday xxxx

 



WOYWW 174 - Figuring stuff out...

I've been using my lap desk a lot recently...

Trying to think things through... which, for me means reading and writing...

The art course is in the background, as I figure out exactly want I want to do...

I'm using this little book The Mindful Writer: Noble Truths of the Writing Life... The principles apply as much to the visual arts as the literary...

Here's a close up

I'm trying to figure out what I have to say in my drawings...

I want to 'make an honest offering', not just a representation of the object in front of me...

I know that if I am to do this course properly, honestly and truthfully, I have to think about such things...

I'm sure others' desks are much more exciting and colourful, but I'm in a serious, thoughtful mode of being at the moment, and I hope you'll forgive my lack of exciting pics...

See you all over at Julia's Stamping Ground for the worldwide trip around our desks :)

WOYWW 172 - Drawing Course 2

Well, I did re-activate my enrolment on the OCA drawing course, and at the weekend received my updated course materials...

Oh my, it's no easier than last time!

Plus, I must complete the first 3 assignments before next August in order to get a 6-month extension to complete the rest of the course - eek!!

So my energies must be diverted towards this enterprise, so I won't be doing much else online for the foreseeable future, other than on my learning log (new button on the right) and on the student forums...

But I'm sure I'll stop by Julia's Stamping Ground some Wednesdays to get my wonderful desk fix :)

Wishing you all a wonderfully creative week xx

WOYWW 170 - Drawing course

Clearly a Tuesday evening photo :)

What's on my desk this week is the file of the OCA drawing course I started a couple of years ago, but deferred due to health issues...

Now, I'm looking through it again in the hope of restarting sometime this month...

I really hadn't got very far - this is the learning log blog I started almost 2 years ago, so I need to think through if I really think I can complete it.

Thank you soooooo much for all the love and support last week - it truly meant the world to me! And thankfully, the hospital didn't make me wait a full week to hear the results - the clinic nurse rang me last Friday to say every biopsy sample was benign, so thank you so much for all your positive thoughts :)

I send you thankful blessings... and the beginnings of the bounty of the autumn season, as seen at the weekend on my scooterwalk...

Can't wait to see all you've been doing this week over at Julia's Stamping Ground!

With bountiful love xxx

 

IA Challenge - Doorways and Windows

I've always had a 'thing' for doorways and windows... and the whole liminal space of crossing a threshold...

I think it's a deeply held human characteristic/archetype... so I had to find time to join in this week's Inspiration Avenue challenge...

First, I found a special door pic (sorry, I chopped the pic a tad too much...), and my daughter cut aroung the doors, so they'd open...

Then, I found an 'inside' pic, stuck it on stamped card... and voila!!

And wrote this on the back...

August has been a very difficult month, as I shared in my last post...

First I had a scheduled mammogram at my local hospital - the joys of being 48...

Then went for a second mammogram at Boston hospital...

Then, last Friday, back to Boston for a biopsy to remove calcifications in my right breast... Boy, that was one of the longest, most torturous hours in my life... only the kindness of the doctor and nurse making it bearable - just...

I should have gone back on Wednesday for the results, but they rang on Tuesday to say the results weren't back yet, so I was looking at waiting a whole week for the results...

But, thankfully, the nurse rang again on Thursday to give me the all-clear - all the biopsies were benign!!

So, now I feel able to let my spirit dance :)

WOYWW 169 - Drawing...??

I've missed a few weeks...there's been A LOT going on, but not on this desk, not even on my lapdesk...

The drawing a day has gone by the wayside... as I've been back and forth to hospital...

First for a scheduled mammogram at my local hospital - the joys of being 48...

Then a for a second mammogram at Boston hospital...

Then, last Friday, a biopsy to remove calcifications in my right breast... boy, that was one of the longest, most torturous hours in my life...  only the kindness of the doctor and nurse making it bearable - just...

I should have gone back today for the results, but they rang yesterday to say the results weren't back yet, so it's another week of waiting and wondering...

Of course, I'm nervous - my mother's mother died from breast cancer aged 32... my mother had breast cancer in her 50s, though she died of a stroke aged 55...

So I wait... like thousands of other women around the world...

But I figured I needed to do some fun things, so I'm joining in WOYWW again over at Julia's Stamping Ground...

And here's some sketches I did do earlier in August before all this kicked off...

My first ever bird - it's supposed to be a wren...

A bowl... they're tricky...

And of course, the obligatory bowl of fruit...

And for those who are curious, this is the book on my desk - I haven't even opened it yet....

But, it's going to be fun visiting desks around the world... being pleasantly distracted by all you talented, creative people - thank you for your distracting loveliness :)

With love xxx

WOYWW No. 166 - A new workdesk :)

Here's my newest acquisition...

... a lapdesk!!

It's on this new desk I'm fulfilling my challenge of drawing every day in August, and it's the perfect surface to draw on while I enjoy watching the Olympics :)

I can proudly say I've drawn every day, except Monday, but I have a valid excuse - I was in serious discomfort following botox treatment on my right arm that morning (I get multiple injections in specific muscles 3 times a year to relax those muscles)...

So here's my drawings from the last 7 days...

These two are from my World of Downton book, which I showed last week...

This is of a favourite photo of a cemetery angel holding fallen leaves in her hands...

I hate chameleons!!
I had a huge one fall on my head in Kenya - believe me, they can grow to the size of a small dog! So I drew this lil' guy to exorcize those yucky memories...

I am pleased with this drawing of a photo taken by Cecil Beaton of an unnamed Wren in 1942..

But I tell you, I really don't like drawing men! They're all angles - and stubble :)

Next Wednesday, I'll show you this coming week's drawings...

And now, I'm off to enjoy others' creations from all over the globe. The ever-growing list is over at Julia's Stamping Ground...

Have a great, creative week :)

IA Challenge - Perfectly Pink!

I really don't like pink at all... Too Barbie-ish, too ultra-girlie, and too much negativity of gender associations of being the weaker sex...

So this was going to be a real challenge for me this week...

I was going to copy this fashion illustration for my entry, having set myself the challenge of drawing every day in August...

But I decided against it, as I've made the challenge to DRAW every day, not paint...

So, instead, I gathered together all the pink things I could find, and there's quite a few... mainly gifts from friends and family - I am a girl, after all :)

There's E's baby Barbie plate, with a pink napkin, my phone (E's pre-teen cast-off, hence it's pink!), and a pink sharpie... there's a pink tablecloth, pink tissue paper, pink gift tags, pink pages in a journal, a pink tin of Papaya postcards, my 'Best Mummy' plaque (from a Mothers' Day a number of years ago!), a pink pot with my pebble collection, a pink mug, a pink ATC from a friend, pink journal spots, my Folio Society collection of Perrault's fairy tales, pink and black candle holders (a surprise xmas pressie from my lovely son a few years ago), and the current issue Gentlewoman with a neon pink background, a pink gift bag, a pink emery board, a pink compact mirror...

I wonder if that's enough pink to meet the Inspiration Avenue Challenge???

And for those who are interested, here's my first 3 drawings of my Drawing-a-Day challenge - the first two are from my World of Downton Abbey book, the third is from a favourite photo of a churchyard angel holding some fallen leaves, which I've called ' Hold Beauty Lightly'...

I hope to post all my drawings throughout August, but not each and every day...

Wishing you all a fun Friday, and a great weekend :)

WOYWW No. 165

Another Tuesday evening photo - not a lot happening yet... all set up for the morning, as I have to watch Team GB's women's football team take on Brazil at Wembley :)

I'm hoping to draw every day in the month of August... we'll see how far I manage to get... I'll certainly post each drawing :)

I'm going to draw from my Downton Abbey book - so many glorious photos - my first assignment is for this week's IA Challenge - Perfectly Pink! - which is a real challenge for me, as it's a colour I really do not like much :(

I'm planning to tackle this fuchsia coat illustration... though I really like the dress and hat ensemble next to it :)

I'm looking forward to globe-trotting around as many desks as possible this coming week, as I've missed a couple of WOYWWs... As usual, it's happening over at Julia's Stamping Ground...

Wishing you all a fun, creative week!!

PS The women's football team beat Brazil and topped their group - they're through to the quarter finals!! Now we need the men to do the same! I'm loving these Games :)

WOYWW no. 163

I've missed a couple of weeks, but I wanted to show the ATC I received from Shoshi in the 3 year anniversary swap...

... and it nestling in its new home (very bottom right)

Ann's lovely creation found another spot (very top left)

It's been great to swap art in the mail again, and to peruse my ATC collection and remember all the lovely folk I used to swap with...

Here's some other pages...

The backs are often as lovely as the fronts :)

Now i'd better hop over to Julia's Stamping Ground and see what treasures abound on other desks...

Wishing you a wonderful week xxx

Inspiration Avenue Challenge - Art Journalling

Well, how could I miss this challenge???

I adore art journalling, and this was the perfect nudge I needed to get on with a new journal...

I bought the basic pieces several weeks ago - front and back covers, and two packs of pages - from 7 Gypsies... they arrived in several packs unpunched, and you add your own bookrings - THE perfect book-making kit for the one-handed :)

The beauty of this 'binding' is you can add and remove pages as you wish...

This is a page I'd made pre-stroke from another book, which was landscape 5x7, so I just punched holes down the other side to make it fit this new 7x5 portrait format...

Here's the tags front and back...

Sadly, I can't make such little, intricate tags any more, but I can stamp and stick, so on a blank page from the same older journal, I made this page today showing some 'Favourite Things'...

I just love this bookring format, not only for the flexibility of adding and removing pages, but mainly for the fact it encourages playfulness - it's not a 'proper bound book' - it's just a place to make images and to express yourself...

I can't wait to see what the others have been creating this week, so I'm heading over to The Inspiration Avenue... while keeping half an eye on the tennis - Andy Murray's level 5-all in the first set against Marcos Baghdatis...

Life is good :)