Latest Posts

Wellfleet flea market finds

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Wellfleet flea market is a staple whenever we visit Cape Cod and this year is no exception. Last Sunday was a $1 entry day which usually means there are not many stalls, but the showing was small but mighty.

Lots of vintage sold from tables in front of vans and cars by characters full of stories and information.

I bought the Birds of America book with the intention of chopping it up but I see copies in my future as it is such a lovely book. I snagged the whole box of vintage photos plus a couple of postcards for $12.

The mini awl and scissors may not make it back through the airport, but I will cross my fingers.

How cool will those lace gloves be if I print them using the gelli plate?

I have tested the nib pen and it still writes well even though it must have been a school pen (it has ‘public schools’ embossed on it). It is neglected and the nib is well used but I will enjoy using it to sketch and write.

Pocket Othello is from 1977 and we enjoy the regular sized game so for $1 I wasn’t going to turn down the pocket version!

I love to find treasures and as usual the Cape does not disappoint.

Happy Tuesday x

A New Sketchbook for my Holiday.

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I am going on holiday soon and as usual I have to have a sketchbook ready and waiting, preferably one I have made specially.

So I squirreled about in my old book stash and Enid Blyton’s ‘Five Run away Together’ popped out as bring just the size and thickness I needed.  I got this book from the library sale cart for nostalgia reasons although I never really liked the Famous Five, I thought the Secret Seven were way cooler!

I removed the book block and kept a few illustrations for future art journaling use and added my own pages. These consist of watercolor paper and a few images from an old book of photographs. I used clear gesso on the photo pages so that I can add marks or paint when I am filling the book.

Some pages are smaller, others fold out and I included a mini accordion page because I love to work on fold out pages of all varieties.

I am hoping to find some book paper while on holiday so that I can add some ephemera and maybe more pages.

Now I have my art supplies and sketchbook sorted out, I will throw in a few clothes too!

Happy Wednesday x

 

100 Days of Creating with Blue, Days 41-50.

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Half way!  Still enjoying working with all blue.  It is very freeing to only use one colour, it means I don’t have to worry about a new palette each time, I can just concentrate on the content, which this time has been a mix of collage and ink in brush pens.

If you are doing the 100 day project, I hope you are still going and enjoying it.

Find all of my project as I complete it on Instagram at #100daysofcreatingwithblue.

Happy Monday x

100 days of creating in blue 31-40

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Loving this 100 day project, it is so nice to have a fixed palette and a dedicated sketchbook, it is filling so fast I might have to add some more fold out pages to fit it all in!  Any new inspiration or technique I get to try out in blues and I am really enjoying it.  Almost half way and not struggling to get pages done at all, in fact I am often starting a few at a time and of course always searching old National Geographic for fabulous blue pictures.  Blue landscapes, blue cars, blue dresses, I want it all!

If you are doing the 100 day project I hope it is going well and you are keeping up (I am already checking which number we are on almost every day!).

Happy Thursday x

Three good books

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I have these books from the library and I am really enjoying them.

Husbands that Cook is full of interesting, delicious but accessible vegetarian recipes. I have already made the one pot pasta which was a family hit, even with the teens!  I am looking forward to making more from the list of potential family dinners I have got from this great book.

Zen Camera is one I first spotted at the library in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, NY.  Yes I am the person who visits the library wherever I go!  Once I got home I borrowed it from my library, it is full of ideas and tips which are doable and inspiring.

Everyday Watercolor I have only flipped through, but I can already see lots of ideas and creative tips for using watercolor paints, I can’t wait to get my brushes out and have a go at some of the ideas in here.

What books are you liking now?  I always like to see what people are reading, both fiction and non-fiction.

Happy Thursday x

The 100 Day Project. 100 Days of Creating with Blue 11-30.

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Just to prove how much I am enjoying the 100 day project this year, I got all carried away and forgot to post my 11-20, so I had to leap right to 11-30!

I really am loving the blue.  Any techniques or ideas I learn, I try them in blue and frankly I am filling more pages than I had planned in my blue maths book, that’s ok though, I can tape/glue or sew more in.

Are you doing the project this year?  How is it going?  We are over a third of the way now, hurrah!

Happy Monday x

 

The 100 day project 2019. 100 days of creating with blue 1-10

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Pages 1-10 of this year’s 100 project from my corner of the universe, one tenth of the way in!

100 days of creating with blue.

So far I have painted flowers, collaged, cut paper and made a terrible selfie!  I am enjoying it and I am also allowing myself to work ahead, if the mood strikes I will make a page so that I can have some in my pocket as back up for days when I don’t make my blue page.

If you want to follow on Instagram, my hashtag is 100daysofcreatingwithblue

Are you doing the 100 day project?  What are you doing?

Happy Wednesday x

I tried Suminagashi and it is brilliant!

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I have tried ink on water marbling and it was ok but nothing spectacular, quite pale colours and I didn’t get great results.  Of course I most likely used the wrong ink and almost certainly an inefficient technique, but in the back of my mind I wanted to have another go as I love the effects of marbled paper.

I saw a suminagashi class on Skillshare and it looked doable as I had all of the ingredients so I gave it a go.

Tomoe River paper

Top Strathmore mixed media, bottom Stonehenge warm white.

Strathmore mixed media (front)

Strathmore mixed media paper (back).

I like that this technique is fairly unpredictable but not totally. Having said that, the final photo is the back of one of the prints and I really like how the ink has swished onto the back of the paper and created a very unpredictable effect.

I used Strathmore mixed media paper which was very white and smooth, Stonehenge warm white paper with a slight texture and Tomoe River paper which is thin smooth and will still withstand the printing and rinsing of suminagashi very well.

Of all the papers I think the Strathmore mixed media worked best as it seemed to give the cleanest prints with nice strong lines. I am always amazed at how much wet you can throw at Tomoe River paper and it still comes out smiling!

I am looking forward to having another go, maybe with some coloured ink and on a warm sunny day so that I can hang my prints onto the washing line to dry!

Happy Monday x

 

The 100 day project, I changed my mind!

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‘The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry’ to quote Mr Robert Burns.

My plans for the 100 day project were not really that well laid if I am honest and they have not gone far awry, they have just moved a little bit and changed a little bit.

I still plan to do the project and I am enthusiastic to begin on Tues April 2nd, I have merely changed my mind.

I gathered some blue supplies for something else and I had a flashback to each time I think that a project all in blues would be a nice thing to do.  I have thought about this many times and done it no times, so I thought the 100 day project would be an ideal opportunity to make a lovely blue project.

So, for the 100 day project 2019 I intend to be creative each day using blue.  Blue media, blue substrate, maybe even photographing or sketching a blue something.

I haven’t decided on a hashtag yet (apparently decisions are not my strongest point at the minute), but it will be one of these.  Which should I use?

100 days of blue creativity

100 days of creating in blue

100 days of creating with blue

So I am in, I am ready and I will try and make a hashtag decision and stick to it!

Happy Thursday x

PS ‘100 days of blue creativity’ sounds  a bit saucy, so that one is out!! Ha ha ha ha ha.

Mono Printing on a Homemade Gelatin Plate.

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Today I made a slab of gelatin (actually I made that yesterday) in a cookie pan and used it to make mono prints of bamboo leaves and crochet doilies!

I was reading Courtney Cerruti’s book ‘Playing with Surface Design’ and she was talking about how a handmade gelatin plate behaves slightly differently to a commercial gelli plate.  I have been using and loving my gelli plate for a few years now, so I was keen to try!

Making the ‘plate’ was super easy, I used 4 envelopes of unflavored gelatin according to the instructions on the packet (they suggested apple juice but I went for water!) and I left it in the fridge over night to set.  I forgot to remove any surface bubbles so I had immediate access to some extra texture (oops!). There are lots of videos and recipes for gelatin plates on the inter webs but I was happy with this one as it lasted for an afternoon of printing and I can make another one when I need it.

This picture was taken once I had finished printing and you can see how the plate gets nicked and pot holey.  I left it in the cookie pan to help keep it sturdy.

By the end of my printing play session, my gelatin slab was pretty well used and starting to distribute blobs of gelatin hither and thither, but I had some lovely prints and it was well worth making the plate and giving it a go.

It is much ‘wetter’ than a commercial gelli plate and the prints come off a little more softly, there is still plenty of definition but the paint is a bit more washy in the final effect.  I usually am a single print kinda gal but in the name of research I used some sheets for two prints and I am pleased with them.  I like my prints simple but I like the extra texture from re-printing the same sheet.

The gelatin really keeps the detail of whatever you are printing with so that the ‘ghost’ prints are still full of texture and detail.  The veins in the leaves I printed were all nice and clear and the doilies left a very detailed and clear print.

I would absolutely recommend making your own gelatin printing plate especially as gelatin is cheap as chips which is a good thing because this is a one time use item.  I still liked to print with the plate even when it was getting a bit worn because it is all extra texture.

Have you made a gelatin plate to print with or do you like the commercial plates?  I enjoy them both, of course I can pull out my Gelli Plate whenever I want to but I enjoyed the process of making and using my own.

Happy Thursday x