Sweet dreams

There's nothing like a good night's sleep....nuff said :D
hugs
Chris xx

Doin' it digital

Sometimes I just like to play.... and sometimes I like it to be easy.... so sometimes I do it digital :D

I think I've got a thing going on with sad faces.... gotta learn to make them smile!!
hugs
Chris xx

Midnight and Jade jewellery set.

A little change today with this jewellery set I made. 

Lots of shiny black beads with jade to add colour and some bead knots that I saw in a magazine tutorial.  They looked quite difficult but turned out to be really easy and fun to make.

hugs
Chris xx

Angelic

but she looks a little sad don't you think.  I am really liking the effect of plain graphite with colour and this time I've tried to add more interest to my sketch and challenged myself to draw her with a body this time.  Still not very confident with hands... so she has none...lol Blimey there's such a lot to learn with this drawing lark!!

The obligatory close-up :D

She doesn't look as sad at this angle... maybe just thoughtful eh.
hugs
Chris xx

My first PROPER sketch pad...

by that I mean A4 size... purposely meant for sketching and here's my first sketch in it.  I use all sorts to draw on but up to now have mainly used A5 spiral bound sketch books of the 99p variety...lol  Not quite what a REAL artist would use I'll bet.

 So I thought if I am to take myself and my art seriously it is time to play with the big girls and use Artist quality supplies. 

It won't stop me using my cheapy bits and pieces...cos I do like them... but I want to improve and I need to learn to draw on a larger scale I think.  Mind you the surface of this paper is sooooo different from the ones I usually use that it brings up new challenges all of it's own.   I'm getting  another step nearer to braving that first 'real' portrait ... which is why I took up sketching again. Wish me luck ;-)
hugs
Chris xx

Milliande journal challenge day12

I'm still doing my pages for Milliande's journalling challenge but keep getting waylaid with other things.  I WILL complete them all though... even if it takes me a while.  I've sort of skipped a couple that didn't appeal to me but will do them at a later date.  The good thing is that you can dip in whenever you like :D

Day 12 (Daily debris) really appealed to me... so much so that I did a double page (which I hardly ever do).  The pencils took a beating as is usual nowadays but I also added some collage, oil pastels, acrylic paint, watercolour and some toilet roll .... yes I did say toilet roll...rofl ... well I was using some to take the wet out of my brushes so I decided to stick some on my page too ;-)
I also used some book pages, a stamped image that I had coloured previously but not used and pens for the wording. 
hugs
Chris xx

The Sketchbook challenge-February-Opposites

The pencils just WON'T stay in their box...lol  So it's just as well that it's time for February's Sketchbook Challenge.  I had lots of ideas for this theme but I couldn't resist doing another face.  I wanted to experiment with coloured pencil and graphite in a combined sketch.  It was quite difficult because my eye kept being drawn to the coloured part when I was trying to draw the grayscale bits.  I really enjoyed the challenge though and was quite happy with the result.

When I had finished I couldn't resist a little play in photoshop so that I could change the placement of each side and I think I like this even better :D

Have a great weekend all
hugs
Chris xx

Home hanger

I previously used the hearts from a Home hanging set from Tando Creative to make jewellery with and had the letters left over so I have used them to make this hanging plaque. 

I used some gorgeous Basicgrey paper to cover the base and to make the flowers and covered the letters with some metal that had been embossed with a script embossing plate.  The metal was coloured with peel off markers and then sanded to reveal some of the original silver.

I used more of the metal to add small hearts to the centre of the paper flowers.

Don't forget to check out the Tando blog to see what gorgeous things the other DT girls are creating.
hugs
Chris xx

Green crochet necklace

It's soooo long since I made any jewellery and it was a nice change to get out the crocheting hook and these are so easy to make they are a breeze.

 I used fabric covered wire... there are so many gorgeous colours available so you can create a piece to match any outfit.

I added a black shiny bead to the centre and two small ones at the end of the ties for a bit more glamour.  I think I've got the jewellery making bug again... watch this space :D
hugs
Chris xx

Artist Trading Club- Guest Artist

I was asked to be Guest Artist for February over at The Artist Trading Club.  I decided that rather than offer a theme for this months challenge... I would leave that choice up to the individual... instead I am asking everyone to make an ATC easel card for which I have provided a template and tutorial which you will find below. 

This is one of my completed atc's... I used a print of one of my paintings and a public domain quote by Helen Keller which I love, some ribbon, bling, watercolour crayons and acrylic paint.  (Sorry for the pants photo)

Ok here we go :-)  You will see the template below... please click to enlarge before saving to your computer to print out. 

If you prefer to cut without the template the three piece sizes are one each of the following :-

7" x 2.5"

3.5" x 2.5"

2" x 1.5"

Step 1...  Fold the long piece in half  then open it back up and decorate the bottom half ... also decorate the atc size piece and the smaller one.  You can use any medium you wish... paint, collage, stamps, etc...

To assemble the Atc easel card.... take the long piece and bring the undecorated outer edge in to the centre fold and use a bone folder to flatten as shown below.

 Now when you bring the outer edge forward from the centre fold you will have a shape as seen below.  Cover the part of the undecorated piece that faces you with glue (or as I did...DS tape).... this is where you will adhere the bottom of your previously decorated  atc.

Your easel card will look like the pic below once you have adhered your atc and the smallest piece to the bottom of the card to act as a stopper.  You may wish to use a button, brad or something else in place of this piece depending on the style of your atc.  As long as whatever you use is not totally flat... the sky's the limit.

 I hope you will join in with the challenge and I will be looking forward to my swaps :-)
hugs
Chris xx