Painting: Cottage

 Another Matthew Palmer paint along from last night.  This was slightly more taxing for my eyesight, but pretty pleased with the result.   I might try and paint it again on a larger scale.

I actually painted along in real time, rather than watching the lesson on Rewind, so that I could paint at my own pace.

Needle felting: "Daybreak Poppies"

I haven't done any needle felting for a few years, but decided to try out this landscape by Solway Woolscapes.  I had forgotten how much I enjoyed this craft.

There is loads of wool, and fleece left, so I will have to find something else to make

Painting: Inspired by Harlech Castle

I caught up with the Matthew Palmer's "Paint along" the other day, and this is what I produced.   The painted using just three colours - blue orange and red.   The size is 5.1/2 inches x 3.1/2 inches.  So quite small.  I think it is sometimes more difficult to paint small pictures than larger ones,  particularly with my dodgy eyesight - but I do have a nice new daylight lamp that shines directly over my work on my desk!.  Anyway I am quite pleased with it.   

I will own up that there was a slight "hiccup", when I removed the masking tape from under the mountains, which took off part of the paper, but as we then had to "rough" up the sea with a craft knife at the end of the painting to give the impression of surf - it actually did me a favour! - lol!

All my readers will know that I have always said that I can't paint or draw, and I had to chuckle at a pal's comments on this picture "I know you say you can't paint and draw, but just think what you could achieve if you could paint and draw!"    I did reply that it was all down to the great instructions by the teachers, but left to my own devices, I doubt that I would produce anything without guidance!

Oriental Birthday Card

It's not often I buy a stamp or a die that can't be used in more than one way - but I fell in love with this one by Tutti designs, called Asian Landscape.

I die cut it twice - once in white and once in dark blue mirri card.  I then stuck them on to the card at slightly different levels to create "drop shadow" with the white one.   I think you can just make it out in the photo.  (I was dreading applying the glue to the intricate die, but I had taken on board a little tip I saw by Lou Withers, and put the glue on a sponge, and sponged the glue on - Result!  A lot easier than the way us crafters tend to do it by smearing glue on the back of our hand to try and add the glue!)

I also had some thin "oriental" washi tape - so just add a strip down the side.

 

Drawing: Three random flowers

The exercise for this lesson was actually to fill the flowers with zentangle shapes or doodles, but I knw my eyes weren't up to that, and would spoil it, so I opted to just colour them again with my polochrome pencils.   Again blending with Dorso oil.   I actually used a water colour pencil for the background and "painted" it.

Drawing: Toadstools

 

Another drawing today - this time fungi - or rather Fly Agaric toadstools.    Once again coloured with polychromo pencils and blended with Dorso oil.

Drawing: Tulip

 

I have been catching up on the drawing again, and this time colouring in the image too.    Coloured in with plychromo pencils and blended with Dorso oil.   I am beginning to believe I CAN draw - Taken me the best part of seven decades to achieve it though! lol!

80th Birthday Card

I love this stamp and the triangle stencil, so I used it again for my neighbour's birthday   The photo doesn't do it justice (think I had a bit of a wobble taking it).    The card looks as though it is coloured, but it is all white with a pale green/grey triangle.   The flower spray is watercoloured, and the dots around the triangle which were the same colour as the triangle have been also dotted with a micron pen.
My neighbour loved it and said how pretty it was!

MDF Train

 

This is a large MDF train that I have built and painted.   The train was a Clever Cut kit from Stamps Away.   I have kept the colours fairly simple, as guided by Ali Reeve, although I did add ted to the front and rear, as that seemed to be the norm for engines.   I just need to decide a name for it,  to go on the "headboard! - There isn't a lot of room, so as this is a present for my train-loving son-in-law, it will probably be called Sir P.

A bit different to my norm

Something a bit different for me - a semi grunge card.   I made a mask for the stamp, and then used a stencil for the background using mainly pink and purple Artistry Inks, with a little yellow for the centre of the "flower".   I then removed the stencil and stamped the images, and painted them using the same inks.    Finally a sentiment from the same set of stamps was added

Sometimes you have a bit of a disaster!

 

OK - so somedays things don't quite to plan.   I attempted this Zuri mold with "Plasta" - one part turned out ok.   but the other two parts broke when I took them out of the mold.   These two were made with just the powder and the special binder, and because it was too warm, I think it made it set too quickly.  the piece that remained in tact had water and binder.  (Lesson learned).  It was a particularly thin mold which probably didn't help.   I shall try again, and I will also make it in resin.    At least brushing the mold with mica powder first worked!

The large plaque was made using the left over mix from the cog pour, into which I sprinkled some black mica powder and swirled it.   I am sure I can use all the pieces to create an abstract so or "Time Team artefact find" collage!  So they won't go to waste!   Just a case of thinking outside the box, and pretend I have been on a Roman dig !!!

Macramé Wall Hanging

I tried my hand at a macramé wall hanging with a kit I bought recently.   I think I could be addicted to this.    I have of course made macramé bracelets before, but wanted to try something on a larger scale. This one involved beads, and weaving with merino wool.   Quite pleased with my fist effort, albeit my tension needs working on, but want to make more, as I have a lot of the merino left.    Just need to buy some more cord now (and find some bits of wood to hang it on - lol!)

Here is another picture taken against a brick wall, which shows up the colours in the design better.

 

Drawing - Daisy

 Another drawing from me again today - this time a daisy.   Still got a couple of "how to" videos to catch up with.   I am enjoying them though.

Drawing: Hibiscus

I attempted another of Lou's drawing lessons - this time an Hibiscus.      Pretty pleased with this, particularly the little group that I drew in the bottom corner (actually it drawn by turning the page round, so they were in the top corner to draw them!)

I have cropped the photo and turned it around to way I drew that corner:

Flat Braid Bracelet

I wanted to see if my eyes could still cope with some jewellery - so I attempted a flat braid bracelet.  Not perfect as I had a bit of trouble with the claps, particularly as I seem to have run out of my jewellery glue to hold the braid in first before attaching the clasps,   We also won't mention trying to open and close jump rings when you can't see what you are doing!  but hey ho - as my dad would have said "A blind man would be pleased to see it!!   

Playing with Plasta

 

I played with a new product from the Glass Hut, called "Plasta".    It is a bit like Plaster of Paris, but a lot smoother like resin, and it only takes about 20 minutes to cure!

Once it was out of the mold, I rubbed a small bit of gilding wax over it to define the features.

This is the back of the mold, and hopefully you can see how silky smooth it is.