What A Lovely Day Indeed!

Today was the 'Make A Mothers Day Brooch' mixed media workshop at The Steel Rooms, Brigg.

Many thanks to Deborah and Lucy for travelling such a long way to come and join in the fun!

Pat and Emma hard at work.

Lucy is the youngest participant I have had at one of my workshops and she certainly did her Mummy proud!

Concentration!

Gratuitous arty shot!

This little fellow was Lucy's inspiration...

Putting together the perfect composition is always the trickiest bit...

Playing with scrips and scraps...

Chatting and laughing (oh, and lots of hard work too!)

How lovely is this for Mothers Day!

Fantastic work Pat!

This one just makes me long for Cornwall and summer...sigh!

So beautiful and sunny Emma!

Lucy, I cannot believe one so young can create such a masterpiece!

This one is packed full of memories by Deborah.

(Or as us posh folk say ' it's imbued with personal narrative'. Ha!)

Your Mum is going to be so pleased with this.

And this one is about the workshop today, notice the sweetie wrapper....(although obviously sweeties and chocs were not scoffed on such an occasion!)

No use in trying to hide Lucy, it's time for the group photo!

Everyone's suddenly gone shy!

Creative mess, the sign that a good time has been had!

Well done ladies, I am so proud of you all!

Then it was downstairs to the amazing cafe for a gorgeous dinner.

(Sorry to embarrass you Pat....but these are Pat's paintings on the wall!)

As well as a beautiful gallery space and cafe of temptation, there is also a shop of joy and delights at The Steel Rooms.

I've had my eye one one of these necklaces for too long now, so a purchase had to be made...

Thank you ladies for all the laughs and inspiration, and thank you to The Steel Rooms for inviting me to join you again for another fun filled day.

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Mad March Hare!

I am still stitching away for the Hope and Elvis workshop next month.

This is the largest blanket piece picture I've made so far, I just can't stop obsessing about hares!

Must be Spring time!

I have kept these buttons in my tin of happiness for ages but this is where they are meant to live I think.

I think after the workshop I will make some changes to my Etsy shop and mainly stock my embroidered pieces, do you think that's a good idea?

I think that my work has veered more towards the individually machine and hand embroidered pieces and away from the screen printing.

I'm also thinking of popping in collage pictures too, as I love making these.

I'm feeling quite excited about the new ideas that are bubbling up inside my head, I think that Mr Sunshine has had a lot to do with that!

Hope you are all enjoying the lovely weather too and feeling the inspiration!

Woo!

(Sorry, I'm off for a cup of tea now and a little calm down methinks!)

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Once Upon A Time...

Once upon a time, a little red dolly found her new owner.

She was very happy.

The only thing that made her a little bit sad was that she had never had a home of her own.

She had an O Level in Interior Design and had big plans for her soft furnishings.

She even had a 10% deposit saved up and everything.

That very same day...

the perfect property came onto the market.

It needed a little work but had bags of potential.

Her kindly new owner agreed to lend her the rest of the asking price (£1.00) and a contract was drafted.

And the little red dolly lived happily ever after.

The kindly new owner on the other hand began to notice that scraps of her very precious fabrics began to go missing...it seemed like tiny cushion and curtain shaped pieces had been cut out of them.

Hmmmmm...very strange.

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Inspiration Huntings...

Got itchy fingers this morning and I have to paint.

If I don't paint I'm going to burst, or even worse....start cleaning the oven.

Sometimes it's difficult to tell yourself,

'Right, now I am going to paint and be inspired.'

It's a bit like if you looked at your watch on a Friday evening and said,

'Okay everyone, it's seven o'clock, let's do the washing up and then party like its Nineteen Ninety Nine!'

(Or is that just me?)

Any how, two things helped me in my quest, first my trusty concertina Moleskine sketchbook, this one is from my holiday in Cornwall last year.

And this book:

It's not a prescriptive 'how to paint' type of book, it helps you to kick start your own painting and challenges you to step out of your comfort zone.

The illustrations themselves are a joy and it really gave me that push to put down the Brillo pad and get back in my studio.

'Brave Intuitive Painting'

Flora Bowley

Quarry Books

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Scrips and Scraps...

There's only a few weeks until the Hope And Elvis workshop!

I think having a deadline really helps push your work along, and I have enjoyed trying to make work from all the precious scrips and scraps I have collected over the years.

We'll be playing with these mixed media techniques on the day so we will get nice and messy methinks!

I think that this piece of lace looks a bit like mini bunting.

I bought it from one of my visits to Hope And Elvis, so it only seems fitting that it should be included!

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Beautiful Days...

Mrs B is over the moon!

She's on a lovely art website!

Thanks Lisa chuck!

http://www.beautifuldayswithart.com

(Think I'll go for a celebratory cuppa now!)

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Maths Homework...

Sometimes chihuahuas are much better at helping with maths homework than Mums.

(Especially arty farty type Mums!)

'Come on, you can do it!'

' Ha! You call that a quadratic equation!'

'Yes, just put the decimal point there...'

' Awwww, it was no problem at all.

Yes, you can pay me back with tummy tickles.'

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