More Jubilee!!!

Next part! I masked off a piece of fabric...

Then the children used Lego bricks to print the correct colours in the masked off areas...

Then it was made into the cushion!

Like most schools we too have been making Jubilee related crafts for a display at the local village hall. Year 2 have printing as part of their art curriculum so I used that to design a variety of items for them to make; 3 cushions and a tablecloth. I will reveal them one at a time as a mini build-up to the weekend! This one began with printing spots in red, white and blue using corks.

Then they stencilled a crown before a Mum stitched them together for us and another Mum made the gold tassels!

Art Journal CJ

It's been a while but finally I have got around to doing the entry in CJ no2. This one was entitled "Inspiration" and didn't come with any stipulations or instructions.

These pages just emerged really! My inspiration often comes from a colour, so I did this page using bits snipped from magasines and articles about colour as well as paint charts.

More commonly my inspiration will come from a desperation to get something finished on time! I rarely have time to just sit and let the creativity just flow so working to a deadline seems to suit me. When I saw this image in a magasine I thought it was just what I needed so this page evolved around it!

Note to self.....don't use glimmer mists in the garden when the hens are out...

Bunting!!!

I think that the whole country has gone bunting mad, myself included! I have been stitching some but I can't show you yet as it's not quite finished. That will go up in the next few days. However I found a rather groovy pattern for crocheted bunting! The original is red, white and blue but I didn't happen to have that lying about in 4ply so I just used some scraps I had. I know it's a bit wibbly but I think it would straighten once joined to other pieces. The long loop at the bottom is to put a bead on. This was so easy and such fun that I ordered some 4ply in green, white and cream to make some non festive bunting!! 

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Once again I have had such a busy week that I barely had time to turn around so all my shots this week are quick snaps! First off is "Beneath My Feet" I took this whilst waiting for the children to come out of school.

One from the archive for "Capturing Movement". The sparrows just love to bathe in the puddles on the top of the hot tub!

"Currently" we are experiencing a very, very hot and sunny spell of weather. We went on a school trip on Tuesday and time was short so I just dropped my hand down by my side (holding the camera obviously!) and snapped!

I'm not scared of much really. So to "face my fears" I had to take a shot of the one thing that I really HATE! I just cannot sleep if the wardrobe door is open; not even a crack. My husband gets so cross when I ask him to shut it! So this is a shot of that scary, scary crack!

Last of all is a piece of wood that was in the picnic area on the school trip. One of the girls came and wanted to show me this unusual lumpy "Texture" of the tree...her word!

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Another Sunday and another set of pictures for you!
First off is "Metal" and a shot of Hastings Pier. This pier was burnt down in an arson attack last year and they are still trying to decide who and how it is going to be re-built.

"Trees". I drive through tree-lined roads every day and it's only this week that I have really noticed them and realised just how lucky I am. This was further brought home to me yesterday when my daughter came back from Uni in Bournemouth and couldn't believe just how green it is here in Sussex. This is one of the prettier tree lined roads with their roots all growing through the rock.

"Rainbow". I thought this was going to be impossible; after all they hardly ever appear when you have a camera, let alone in a specific week! However I was off out delivering or collecting children but when I got home my Hubby said "Did you see the rainbow? He had rushed out and snapped it from the back door and it began on my neighbour's house. Unusually he could see the whole bow and it was a double one but the camera ran out of battery after just 2 shots!

"Fluffy" I thought of all sorts of animal type pictures but in the end you have a dandelion head that Eliza picked me!

Lastly a quick (and rubbish) snap for "Letters". I had a great idea for one at school but was just toobusy to take it so I had to do this one late last night.

 

An Altered Thingumy-bob

We all have  lots of thingumy-bobs and doo-dahs that we save to alter don't we? That thing that you just know will be fab for altering so you pick it up and tuck it away with all the other bits that you save to alter "one day". Over at UKStampers (link on my sidebar!) we have just had an altered thingumy-bob swap to clear some of that stuff!
In my cupboard of bits I came across this wooden thingumy. We had these at Christmas for the Guides to decorate and hang on their trees but as I ordered and paid for the p&p I got to keep the spares. Needless to say I have done nothing with them!. So out it came for a sand and some gold paint

.....to be transformed into this fat-necked fairy/angel! Ooo I used lots of "bits"; her skirt is a massive scrapbooking flower from an unopened packet, her overskirt is from my sister's wedding favours, her sash is from a gift tag and the wings are leftover laminate from when I was cutting stencils for a school jubilee project. Had a bit of bother with the feet/legs. They were not going to attach to the body AND the boots so for a short while it was going to be one or the other but after the application of extra sticky glue and tape they finally stuck!
So she flew off to a new home where I hope Sid liked her!

A hangy-thingy without a hangy bit yet!

Finally I have something creative to show you that I have made! Last month when I went to Burnice's cabin (with Linda) we started these doo-dahs! Burn had some lovely printed bits to decorate the forms so whilst we waited for her to enlarge them to fit my form die we decorated the BG. Then on Monday when we went back, we got to decorate the forms.

I wanted pink. Unlike me, I know, and Burn was fighting me every step of the way! I used a birdcage die for the base of the skirt, adding a net circle. I covered the body with pink satin and then assembled it with some brown ribbon to cover the join and hide the messy bits!

Then Burn rummaged in her boxes of "stuff" and gave me the lace, the pearl, the metal rose, the bling and the cameo!
Really like how it came out and I think I might be doing some more soon!

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

This seems to be all I can manage at the moment! I just have not had time to craft for ages but I am going to Burnice's tomorrow so maybe I will have something pretty to show you then!
Meanwhile on with this week's offerings. One out of the archives for "In the Mirror". Last year we had an art and science week at school and the children did a lot of work using concave and convex mirrors as "Sky Mirrors" This is the sky in the playground...

For "Close up" I had some lovely shots of a peony in my garden with raindrops on it but not one was in focus for some reason! Still we have another rainy shot as that seems to be all the weather we have had since they announced a hosepipe ban! This is my washing line...

My clock in the lounge for "Time". We had this as a wedding present 22 years ago and it chimes every quarter. Annoying to vistors but we don't even hear it now! Check out the accidental-but-rather-cool-reflection in the bottom of the shot! That's me and the lounge window!

Being a Brit I wasn't quite sure what a "sidewalk" was. Is it a proper pavement with kerbs and everything or is it just any old pathway? Can it be a path through a wood for example or does it need to be next to the road? I plumped for the middle option; a tarmac path that runs up the side of my house that we walk the dogs up every day.

Lastly is "inspiration". Well what could I photograph for this as everything inspires me! It could be a word, a song, something my children say but in the end I decided that if I need to seek inspiration this bookcase is where I go. Messy, but it's where my papercraft, sewing, quilting, knitting, crochet, cross stitch, cookery, gardening and any other hobby type book lives.

 

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Been a bit of a mad week here....had Guide Camp but I HAVE managed to get my pics done this week! So, first off is "Shadow". Last weekend was our 22nd wedding anniversary so we went out for dinner to a lovely place in Lewes. We sat inside but these daffodils were sat on the outside tables in the pouring rain making rather cool shadows on the table.

Next is "Unedited". The next day (after our meal out) we went to see my FIL and his new wife. Whilst there we went to see their new bungalow and then walked to the sea front, passing this rather cool building "thing". Bit wonky but I had to just snap and run so I wouldn't be left behind!

Now "Smile"...beach huts always make me smile....I'd love a beach hut but they are waaaaay to expensive! We saw these ones on the same walk.

"Keys"; fairly obvious this one. We got this piano for free and had to spend £50 to have it moved into our house! Two of my girls play but obvioulsy not often enough as it's a bit dusty!

Now "Fish" had me stumped for a while. But whilst on our Guide camp this weekend we did some backwoods cooking; that's cooking with no utensils or pots and pans. We had plaice, with vegetables, wrapped in foil and baked in the fire. One of my fellow leaders knew how I was struggling to get my pic so used the fish to create this rather artistic fish!!!

 

Art Journal CJ

So I received the first CJ and the theme was "Vintage Memories" Lovely theme this one and I chose to make a page about my Nana. I printed the photo of her onto fabric and stitched it to the page with a small amount of wadding behind it. 

I journalled about her. She was a very private person so we can only guess as to how true this may be. But my Mum felt that this was a strong possibility!

Finally I added another photo of her playing leapfrog, on the sign in tag.
I know this is a very personal page but I hope the owner of the CJ can still enjoy my vintage memories!