Sparkle! Sparkle!

Hallo again blogworld! It has been a while since I have blogged, but finally I have returned! I have been mega busy preparing for our Sparkle Ladies Conference at our church, which finally happened this last weekend. We had a fantastic time! It was a great day, jam packed with great worship and speakers, lovely food, craft making sessions, and of course the craft stalls selling lots of lovely items!

We also did a fab exercise where we wrote down our hopes and dreams on a small piece of paper each, rolled it up and put it in a balloon, then prayed over them and let them all go outside!It was an amazing sight seeing about 100 balloons all rise up in the air! It was just a shame I didn't get a photo of it! (And yes, we did remember to check beforehand with the aviation authority as we live near an airport!)

I was really pleased with my stall too-I had managed to find a shelving unit at a furniture recycle warehouse, which was just right to display all my art pieces on! I painted it and distressed it myself, and put on a lovely floral backing to match! Was very pleased with my effort even if I do say so myself!
I was also in charge of one of the craft making sessions-card and journal making, which both went down a treat! Something to do again, methinks! The ladies seemed to really enjoy it! So even though I was exhausted afterwards, it was a brilliant day, and worth all the hard work!

Here's to next year's!

Here's my stall....

...and my lovely brooches that were on sale too!

More tweet inspiration.

Inspiration seems to be flowing at the mo, and I have been experimenting with a new painting technique which can be found in Mati Rose McDonough's book, Daring Adventures in Paint. Am loving the results so far!
Hope all is well with you all!
Xxx

His eye is on the sparrow (detail)

Love birds (detail)

Hello Tweetie Pies!

Have been a busy bee lately what with my youngest starting nursery, giving me more time to concentrate on building up my art business. Still got a way to go but things are coming along, and so hopefully in the no too distant future, I should have the website up and running!

So here's what I have been working on lately:

Sizzix love!

Hello Tweetie!

My new little friend Tweetie was born from a pattern in my purchase of the book 'Stitch and Sew Home' by Eline Pellinkhoff. I fell in love with the birds and the book the minute my crafty friend Kerry showed me her copy and so I have now been dreaming up ways to use these feathered friends in my work! And the ideas are coming so watch out for more in the coming weeks!

I also was treated by my hubby to a Sizzix Machine Big Shot for my birthday at the beginning of the month!! I was so excited I nearly cried!!! So with my new machine (in pink and black too I might add!!) I have been sewing and stamping on little hearts to my heart's content!!!! It's amazing how excited one can get with cloth and little letters!

What with our church's annual Ladies 'Sparkle Conference' just around the corner, I think I will be seeing a lot more birds and  hearts around the place!

Well, that's all for now! Hope all is well in the art and craft world!
Thanks for stopping by!
xxx

On being brave!

I have a tendency to put off things that I find difficult, or rather things that I think will be difficult, til later-much later! But lately I have been trying to be a bit braver and more pro active, and I'm actually finding that  things that I've been putting off for fear they are too hard are actually not as difficult as I first thought! Take the sewing machine thing-something was wrong with the tension on the zig zag stitch the last time I tried to use it and so I left it alone for ages because I was scared to try and sort out the problem in case I broke the machine. But upon receiving two pieces of lovely fabric from a friend (thanks Kerry, I love them! ) I braced myself and tried to see if I could sort the tension out so I could make a cushion or two! And this is the result!

So the moral of this crafty tale is: take a little step. Be brave and just have a go! Coz you might just be surprised at how easy something really is once you've tried it!

xxx

My Alice in Wonderland!

We have visited a few National Trust properties during our summer break but the one which has been my favourite so far was Coughton Court near Stratford upon Avon. I have recently got quite interested in gardening (in a very amateur way, you understand) but I was really taken by the beautiful plants and flowers that grew there. More than that though, as my daughter stood looking up at a huge flowing plant, it gave me an idea-especially when she also commented that the flower she was looking at was definitely from the film 'Alice in Wonderland'!
So here are some of the photos which most definitely deserve some sort of creative compilation in the near future!

"Curiouser and curiouser"
exclaimed Alice as she climbed up
 onto the bridge to see what it was....

...and just beyond she caught a glimpse
 of a little white rabbit running past!

Did you see him come this way?

This flower is certainly not about to tell!

Do you think the Queen of hearts lives here?

Poor 'Alice' is just so tired of all this
 adventuring about, she's decided to take a nap!

And another rest here to ponder....

Looks like Jack and his beanstalk
 could also be in this Wonderland!

Don't forget to read the poetic
 leaves on the Poetree!

The inspiring Alice tree!

Follow me for more adventures!


 Hope you are all enjoying the summer break!
 TT4N! xxx

Instant fan of instagram!

Well! All I can say is that I'm hooked! I have recently got a new phone, so I can finally see what this fuss is about with instagram! Am thinking that the proper photographers out there may take a different view but I love the funky effects that you can get once you have taken the initial photo! Me like!

Just lately.

Wow time has flown since I blogged last! Things are hectic round here~good, but hectic! Over the last month or so, we have had a family wedding, my hubby's 40th, a weekend break away~just me and the hubby (whoop!), a photography course, a school trip, and my eldest lad's first residential trip away which he embarked on this morning!( He returns on Wednesday!) Oh and I have also managed to do a bit of painting too! Phew!

So I thought a little pictorial update of some of these events was in order!

So here are my two latest paintings. I am very happy with both of them and I have the 'Dream' one hanging in my kitchen to remind me that even the act of painting a figurative piece is me beginning to dream more in my art!

'Cherish'

Dream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

These next two photos are taken whilst I was attending a 6 weeks course on the basics of photography. I have not got an SLR camera but  the course was still very valuable in helping me take better photos with my digital camera and understand more about all the gadgets and functions that it does have. 

(I was especially pleased with this one!!!)

It was my brother in law's wedding at the beginning of half term and I think we all scrubbed up rather well for the occasion! It was a great day!

My boys!

Us girls!

So there we have it! A little snapshot of us lately! I didn't manage to get any photos of my lad going on his trip but they were all smiles and waves when the coach left so let's hope they have a great time! At least it's not raining so far this week!!!

Have a great week all!
xxx

Pocket watches, old drawers and wellies!

We were in Manchester recently and I was browsing in the shops with our two youngest, whilst waiting for hubby to get kitted out in his Best Man suit for his brother's wedding in 2 months time. We popped in an accessories shop and I spied a gorgeous pocket watch on a chain embellished with a bit of lace. I love the old vintage look that has made its way back into fashion, but I must admit I do not have the funds currently to buy the actual original REAL vintage items! So, mass produced or not, when I saw the watch I loved it! I did not purchase it at the time but I 'clocked' it (hee!) was determined to find one at a later date.

A few days ago, I found another in the sale in my town shop, and so went ahead and bought it this time! This one did not have the lace attached, so I just added some when I got home. It also had a lovely design on the back too which was a bonus.

Just love it!

Speaking of vintage items I went to the Sudley Castle Spring Fair at the weekend with my friend Helen. There was an array of different stalls selling their wares, but my favourite had to be the vintage lace clothes which were on sale. There were some amazing garments and the lacework was just beautiful! Out of my price range, but beautiful!

I did manage to find however, something that I have always admired when visiting my friend Jo Teague's house~a shelving unit which is made up of little compartments which holds lots of little treasures. I am not sure whether Jo's was once a drawer from an old cabinet, but whilst we were browsing in the garden crafts, I spied one!!!! I couldn't believe my eyes! So after a moment or two of contemplation I jumped in with both feet and bought it! Either a focal piece for our living room or an inspiration point in my art room,I don't quite know yet, but I was really pleased to have found such a lovely piece! We made a few more purchases, before setting back, and really enjoyed our little jaunt out!

And lastly, the wellies! So this week has been really wet, but having a three year old at home means that even if this is the case, we have to do something to pass the time, so we decided to do some puddle hopping on one wet afternoon. It was great fun and lovely to see the little lad have so much fun jumping in all the puddles down the country lanes near our home. But...on my attempt to puddle jump, I realised that I had a leak in both of my wellies! Although it didn't hinder our fun I needed to purchase another pair fairly soon as the weather was not much better for the rest of the week! I found some on friday and am just loving the funky flower pattern on them and the fact that they are three quarter length so I have no issue with the width of them which used to be a problem!

So there you have it! Hope you are all well and enjoying whatever weather is with you at the moment!

xxx

The New Look!

How do you like it??? I had great fun playing about with the various templates and fonts this evening! All that is left to do is to take a decent photo of myself and then I'm done!

And in the not too distant future I will have this blog linked up to my brand new website where I will be able to sell my paintings to the general public! How exciting is that!

Thanks for all your support and comments since I started this arty adventure! I am looking forward to what's in store in the future!

TT4N
xxx

New Beginnings!

Just a quick entry to let you know that I am still here, and am going to be changing the name of my blog soon, to incorporate it with my new website which is currently under construction! So watch this space and I'll look forward to letting you know all about it soon!

TT4N
xxx

New paintings

As some of you know, I have been part of an art group called ArtDepot in my town for the last few years, which has been a source of growth and motivation. The time has now come for re registering with the group in order to continue as a member and hopefully to exhibit again with them. But in order to do this they have asked for three pieces of current work so they can assess ones' suitability. So, I have been busilly painting away, ready for the deadline which is on Monday!! And, thankfully I am on track, and have finished the last of the three last night, and photograped it this morning! (All that is left to do now is actually send photos of the work to the group! Best not forget that part!!!)

So, here is a little snapshot of paintings two and three, as I am also going to use the painting titled 'You've made your home in my heart' which I also completed recently.

Be still my heart.

Detail

Hope springs eternal.

I am especially loving the painting titled 'hope springs eternal' and think that it is my favourite one out of all I have painted so far!

We shall wait and see what the verdict is, once I have sent the email off to them. Ooer!

Anyway,have a great weekend!
xxx

Just lately

I have been a busy bee lately, what with one thing and another, but one major thing that I am really excited about is the decision to set myself up on a facebook business page as an artist, to sell my work more regularly!!! Don't get me wrong, I am really grateful for the selling opportunities that I have had up until now, but what I really want to do is give people a little slice of encouragement, of hope, of love, of purpose and beauty, to enrich their lives, and so I need to up my profile somewhat. As I still will have my youngest lad at home with me until next September, when he will start school (eek!) I want to make sure I can still have time to be with him, as well as create more work, so it feels like this is the way to start things off at the moment.

So I am intending on changing my blog's name to co~incide with my new name for my art, although my blog address will still be the same. So look out for the new alterations soon! I am hoping to set up the facebook page by the beginning of April and go from there! It's a bit daunting as there is so much I just don't understand about the aspect of getting myself 'out there' so to speak, but I will get there!

So watch this space, and let's look forward to the start of something new!! :o)

Tt4n
xxx

Hearty Painting!

I love the way children draw, especially when they are very young~their expression is so fresh and innocent, and simple yet captures the essence of what is in their imagination.

I wanted to use a picture that my little girl had drawn a while back, and incorporate it into my own painting somehow. So I set to work on a canvas I had prepared already, with collage and paint as the background.

I am happy with the result and really love the colours too!

Here's her initial drawing~which really I should just frame on its own anyway!

And here is my take on it:

Detail:


Also my latest journal page inspired by a line in a poem by friend, Lizby Warren.

Have a great day!

xxx

Journalling again~happy place!

Just thought I'd show you my latest journal pages. It's nice to be able to make stuff that is just an idea at first but could turn into something else at a later date! Just nice to get it from in here to out there too!

Enjoy!
xxx

Nature up close!

It's the start of another year so I thought it was as good a time as any to try and start getting a bit fitter. So this week, I have cycled to school and back with the kids every day apart from Monday, and also walked home from taking the car in for its MOT (not that I could do anything about that though!!) and have also done a run with my friend, Helen! So am feeling positive about this new fitness lark so far! The only draw back was that it was a little too cold for the kids on yesterday's school ride and they did complain about being too cold so I may have to rethink the schedule a bit for the frosty days. But all in all I really enjoyed it so far!

And it was on the walk up to the garage with the kids to collect the car, that we stumbled across a real beauty!

On the bank of the cycle path overlooking the back of some houses, was the HUGEST thistle like plant I have ever seen!! I was in awe! It looked so beautiful even though it was in its winter state, with no colour or greenery! I was smitten!

But wait!...No camera!!! What is a mother to do???

Sure enough, back we went this afternoon with the camera, hubby and kids, to capture this beauty on film, so to speak!

And here they are! Beautiful right?!

While we were taking our photos, (James too with his own camera) a lady came out of the next house along and informed us of the name of the plant and the fact that she also had some in her garden, but I guess she cut them back, for they are very large! But of course, I didn't have a pen and paper on me at the time to write down what she said the plant was called, and I have now forgotten!


But still, I am so pleased that we managed to take some photos~they are just such amazing things to look at!!!


I'm so glad that I was able to go back and record these findings! Love them!

What an inspring way to spend a Saturday afternoon, I say!

xxx