Adding detail

I've begun with a few of my latest sketches ...to add more detail to them with clothing and accessories.... slowly slowly catchee monkey.  Not biting of more than I can chew yet so to speak... but one step nearer the prized goal of doing a real portrait.

Makes a real difference I think and as is becoming usual I added colour in photoshop.  I left her hair grey in this one just because I liked the effect.

Thanks for all your good wishes re- my parents.  Mam is having a brain scan today so hopefully she and the rest of the family can be reassured that everything is ok once it's over and then maybe she will be given a course of medication that will alleviate her symptoms and make her feel better.
hugs
Chris xx

Another sketch

to share.. I haven't been around for a few days as my Mam was taken into hospital at the weekend... it turned out to be nothing serious and she is now home... but it's always a worry when parents are poorly.  Mine aren't in the best of health now they are older which isn't surprising... but panic always sets in when hospitals come into the equation.  I know they won't be around forever but I wish they could be... the thought of losing either of them absolutely terrifies me.   My Dad has to go in for an op next week so I guess the worry will last a bit longer so I hope you won't mind if I am not around as much as normal.   I may get chance to postdate a few things...well I will try anyway.

Been playing with eyelashes.... think I got carried away...lol

Thanks for popping by.
hugs
Chris xx

Still sketching...

eeeeh this is turning more into an art blog than a craft blog but I guess that I just follow my mood ... and I can't help it if my pencils keep jumping into my hands...lol

This is my latest girl....

I love how colour totally transforms how she looks...she reminds me of some one but for the life of me I can't think who :D

Hope the sun is shining where you are... it's such a beautiful day here today... I can't wait for the summer, somehow I always feel more creative when the sun is out.  What about you?

hugs

Chris xx

Queen bee

I've  been practicing a bit more...  drawing on a smaller scale and adding more to my sketches.  I just keep drawing faces as you know... but well they are left floating ha ha.  I will no doubt use them all later or prints of them in mixed media work but I guess it would be nice to have some sketches with bodies. I named this one Queen bee.... mainly cos her hair ended up looking a bit like a beehive.

As sometimes happens I also got the urge to give her some colour in Photoshop.  I love doing it this way because then I can change the colours to suit my mood.

Wish I had a figure like hers... I used to have once upon a time :-)
hugs
Chris xx

I found it!!

My owl journal page... I felt in a whimsical mood when I did it and it transpired because I got a yearning to cut out some stamps from funky foam.  Well I have to do what my muse tells me to even when it's not really my thing.  So I made these .....

and used them here ha ha...it was like being a kid again... slapping paint on foam instead of potatoes.

I love shapes so I also made this one....

and used it here...it's so nice to have a bit of couldn't care less fun now and again eh.

Have a fun day
hugs
Chris xx

eye...eye...

eye... love eyes.  Can you tell lol.  I seem to have a fascination with them but I also find I can draw them better when I only have to do one.  Think I need to block of the rest of my sketch with a piece of paper with a window in it so that I can concentrate on one eye at a time without being distracted by the bigger picture.  Makes no sense I know but I think it will make my faces better.

I was going to share with you a journal page I did with an owl and a house that I did the other week... I remembered about it and then discovered... I've LOST it!!  What am I like... have searched for it but no joy.  Oh well another one to share when my mojo deserts me eh
See you soon.
hugs
Chris xx

Imagination....

is a cool thing and I'm so happy when mine decides to wake up and help me to create something different.  I took an hour out this morning to draw because I woke up with this image in my head and couldn't stop 'till I had it down on paper.  Maybe I dreamt her but I'm not complaining...I think she is fun :-)

I like that she is a little bit more childlike than most of my recent sketches too.

Maybe this means my mojo is on the way back.... I can but hope.
hugs
Chris xx

I take it back....

what I said about not liking comedies... ok I still can't stand most of them but just by chance I watched Mrs Brown's Boys on T.V.  and I swear down... I almost wet myself.  I laughed and laughed and laughed until I could hardly breath!!  Now it's not for everyone cos there are lots of naughty insinuations and sweary words BUT if you aren't easily offended you just HAVE to watch it. My Sister phoned me while it was on and I could hardly speak to her I was laughing so hard. So she turned on the TV to see what all the fuss was about and the pair of us were squealing down the phone and laughing so hard that we couldn't hear each other :) Best half hour of belly laughs I've had in my life and that's no lie even though it pains me to admit to liking at least one comedy..lol
Still no creating going on BUT I came across a folder of pics of things I haven't shared on my blog yet... don't ask me why but I know I haven't ...so I will share a few until my mojo hopefully returns.... maybe I should just watch Mrs Browns Boys over and over on BBC iplayer to keep me in a good mood... perhaps my mojo will then come running back eh!
So a while ago I got a yearning to create something other than with paper and dug out some bits and pieces for easy sewing and this is what I came up with.

lots of beads, lace and heated voile and voila...a  pretty brooch and a pretty niece who kindly modelled my creations for me :-D

The next piece was made with some more of the same heated voile, some black ribbon and some beads dotted about... although it just goes to show how bad my eyesight is getting when some of the beads are shiny and some dull.  Didn't even see that till I looked at the photo.... mmmmmmm Specsavers???

I put this one onto a hair clip which dear Niece added to the hairband she was wearing.

Finally some more voile but this time heated  longer so it crinkled up more, added onto a piece of lace and topped off with a glass bead .....

and another hair accessory was born.

Hope to be back again soon
hugs
Chris xx

Plant kindness..Gather love

Sorry I haven't been around for a while but my head's been in a funny old place!!  Not been able to draw...or craft.... or concentrate on anything including blogging. I've watched more telly over the last week or so than I've done in years. It's been driving me crazy  (I KNOW...I'm that already...lol) but irritable is the only way I can describe how I've been feeling...oh and really frustrated with my inability to get things moving.  I spent a few days with my pal Chriss in the hope of doing some crafting and eventually managed to do ONE thing cos nothing else seemed to come together... usually the ideas are buzzing around like little bees gathering pollen... but not this time.  Poor Chriss had a lot to put up with as I was a bit snappy too... thank goodness my mood seems to be lifting a bit now and thank Heaven for good buddies who put up with me :D

Anyway on to crafting...I thought this little saying was cute and it inspired me to make this altered chipboard piece with one of the bare sheets of chipboard available from Tando Creative. The chipboard stands up to a lot of battering and is an ideal base for the crackled paint effect using pva glue and acrylic paints.

I applied the glue and paint quite thickly and got a fab result with some really deep indents which I love.

Adding some flowers and watering can seemed in keeping with the saying and I did intend to make a hanger with my piece but I have decided to use it as a cover for an altered book containing some favourite quotes now... so that I can keep out on display because I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

Now then I have a couple of awards to share.  This one I received from Sandy (thank you sweetie)
I have to reveal something unusual about myself and then pass the award on to eight other peeps.

OMG what can I tell you ?????   errrrrm.... errrrrrm.... errrrrrrm......

 I'm not a full Shilling...rofl (does that count..No...OK back to the drawing board!!)

I HATE comedies...even though I love to laugh and have a MAD sense of humour.... most sitcoms and comedy films drive me even MORE insane.  I could scream out loud when DG stays with me and wants to watch things like 'Friends' and 'Fresh prince of Bellair'  They irritate me beyond belief and I just can't laugh at them... especially shows that have 'canned laughter' aaaaaargh  (I think something inside of me is switched off...ha ha ha) 

Ok peeps I pass this award to the following girlies...hope you have something more unusual than me to share :D

Sioux
Sally
Jill
Electra
Netty
Anisha
Linby
Karen

BLOG AWARD

I also received this award from Linby (Thanks me lovely)

I have to share this one with 3-5 other peeps so I award this one to the following girlies

Sandy
Lori
Shashi

If you made it to the end thank you for sticking with it... OMG was that a long post or what!! lol
I hope to be back with you soon but bare with me cos I'm still not creating much but I will be popping by to see what you have all been up to... you  just gotta have been more productive than me ;-)
hugs
Chris xx