Amazing Grace in watercolours!

I decided I liked my acrylic "Amazing Grace" creation so much that I wanted to try using another medium and see what happened.

I'm rather pleased with how it turned out using watercolours and a touch of Dylusions ink for some of the more intense coloured areas.

I once went to night school to learn about painting in watercolours and was always a bit disappointed with the results....mainly because we were supposed to be creating something that resembled real life...and mine never looked like it! ROFL

I'm much happier with the abstract in life so making this was a revelation.
Much thanks to Donna Downey because, if I had not signed up for Inspiration Wednesdays this year, I most certainly would not have made this!

It's painted on Fabriano Artistico 300 hp watercolour paper which has a smooth surface. The white splatter type areas were randomly done using masking fluid before adding the colour....some of it was obviously less successful at keeping out the colour but it adds to the overall look. :)

I'm thinking that quite a lot of the stuff I've created over the years could be reworked like this...
...ooh er! Is there ever enough time to do all these things we want to?!!!

Thanks for looking.

xoxo Sioux 

Idea coming together!

Worked a bit more on those colours and here is a portion of the painting I'm working on.

I think I'll have called it finished soon and will post as soon as it is. ;)

Can you guess yet...

...which Inspiration Wednesday page I'm trying to rework?

Thanks for looking

xoxo Sioux

Watercolour sample

A quick post just to show a bit of progress!

A little sample of colours in mind.

Need to make some of the watercolours more vibrant.....perhaps a bit of Dylusions inks will have to go in the mix! ;)

The scribbled effect uses pencil and over painted.

Thanks for looking

xoxo Sioux 

Got an idea to try.

Time to break out the watercolours.

Think one of my Inspiration Wednesday pages might look good in watercolours....its been a while since I've done any water colouring in the traditional sense...

...apart from using distress inks!

I'm amazed they have not dried out completely!! :)

Watch this space....;)

Thanks for looking.

xoxo Sioux 

A man drawing!

This holiday weekend, I freely admit, has highlighted the fact that I am far from being as emotionally tough as I thought I was!

It hits you smack in the face when you least expect it...and I thought I would be so productive art wise but I am not getting the vibe at all right now!

I even found it difficult to make my brain work yesterday and decide what planters to plant up with what plants ready for my party!

Having said that......hang on to your hat 'cos I don't share my drawing skills (or lack of them to be precise) here very often.

Now don't titter at the back 'cos apart from a half hearted attempt at drawing Pip many moons ago.....and he actually hated it so it put me off trying again...this is my second attempt at a male face!

I love looking at what Gina and Chris have been doing with faces recently....and I have been inspired to have a go at drawing a man's face having visited Gina today...and saw the link to Ayala and her create June Guys!

...thanks you all rock;)

So......I used my favourite guy as inspiration and although the drawing looks nothing like RA....I tell you what.....if he was to jump off the page and spring into life just like in the Ah Ha video....well I for one would not say no!!

ROFLIA :)

Some days you can surprise yourself and today was one of those days ;)

xoxo Sioux

A shadow box gift

This is a long overdue thank you gift (like over 2 years too late!).

My financial adviser performed a minor miracle in 2009 but Phil's health went rapidly down hill only weeks later and I never got round to showing my appreciation!

Added to which he has just made my dream of being able to live in this house for as long as I choose a tangible reality, fingers crossed :)
Still waiting on the pesky valuation to come through though!

It has eased my conscience to have made it, and I only hope it is to his taste and will fit in with the decor in the new place he has just moved to...

...it's not easy making something for someone who you know very little about...

...although I do hope the use of the gold/yellow and red ribbons as an accent on the key will not be lost on him as he loves his cricket as Phil did and those are the colours of the MCC at Lord's for all those non-cricket fans out there ;) LOL

After I took the photo I decided to add one of the new metal word things that had just arrived 'cos we all need an uplifting sentiment to make us feel better ;)

Metal parts mainly Ideaology....love that new faucet knob from which the metal All My Memories word tag is hanging...the cool watch face is from a grab bag of parts at The Artistic Stamper....arch door Crafty Individuals as is the Greek God behind the door...
...love that image ;)
The word bliss is from Chocolate Baroque.

It's not the sort of thing I usually make but I really enjoyed doing it.
Thanks for looking :)

xoxo Sioux

P.S. Hey, he liked it, in fact he said it was fantastic! Phew ;)

Flora & Fauna SCD

The last week for the skinnie format and the theme is "Flora and Fauna" over at SCD.

I've used a set of my own design stamp images......I won a competition way back in a paper crafting magazine and for the life of me I can't remember which one!! I can't check my records at the moment either as my computer has finally had it's day and it is with the computer man as I type this at work having all the files transferred to a brand new desk top.

The drawing of the kingfisher pool got me the prize of an Imagepac polymer stamp making kit.

....I do love the fact that I can make up a stamp from my own drawings....but I have to confess it is a bit if a faff setting the thing up and making them.....it would possibly help if I could have a dedicated spot to keep it out all the time but needs must and it must be put away after use!

I have been having a lot of trouble with my computer for some time and it had really become a pain waiting for pages to load on the Internet and leave comments etc......I just don't have the spare time to wait!!!! So hopefully my new computer will be with me soon and I can get back to normal computing!!! :) Sorry if I have missed returning all your sweet words of wisdom and encouragement.....but I just want to say they mean the world to me.....THANKS :)
xoxo Sioux

SCD - Gothic Cat

SCD theme this week is Cats I hope this is o.k. nothing was said about how big a cat!! LOL

I am madly in love with Tigers :) and drew the image some time ago (wooo!! that would be about 18 years ago when I used to engrave glass.......time flies when you are having fun!!!) and now I have turned it into a digi stamp thanks to the wonder of computers.

I printed the image and quickly threw some clear emboss powder over it as soon as it came out of the printer!!! Whilst you don't always get the great coverage as with stamping, the heat does help to set the ink that might not have caught much powder.

......proceeded to stipple DI's Scattered Straw and Spiced Marmalade over the tiger and radiated outwards.......then masked the tiger and added some Faded Jeans and Tea Dye in places

........stamped the dark green leaves in DI Pine Needles using a second stamping for the lighter image......stamped the ferns in Shabby Shutters and over stamped with a second stamping of Walnut Stain......grunged the edge and dragged with Walnut Stain.

........I did not feel like doing my normal word fragments for the quote so decided to print it onto acetate.....added eyelets and for now have used fibres to hold the two pieces together...added a couple of gems and gold peel off scrolls.

I rather like the arch format.....thanks for the challenge all at SCD!....and perhaps will use metal rings to hold a whole book full of them in the future.......here is the open arch as it is not obvious about the overlay from the first photo!

The leaf and fern stamps are Royal & Langnickel.

Thanks for looking and happy stamping.

xoxo Sioux

SCD - Gothic Angel

Big fan of angels and any quotes that go with them

........could not miss SCD Angel theme this week then!

Decided to doodle my angel a la Teesha......the background is a digi paper from Rhonna Farrer that was a freebie collaboration for breast cancer awareness one year and I added the angel quote before printing it out........stamped the swirly edge stamp from Woodware and added the angel that I cut out and colored with chalks as I wanted a muted look then Distress Stickles Antique Linen was added to the wings.

Thanks for looking

xoxo Sioux

Merry Christmas To You!

It's Christmas!

Wishing everyone a Wonderful Christmas....wherever you are.

"Let your heart be light"

xoxo Sioux

Journal Girl - Party Girl!

Had a look through my stamps and nothing was shouting......Hey! I'm a party girl at me! LOL

I really wanted to join in with the SCD theme of Party Girl this week

....So had a go at a journal girl again a la Teesha Moore and coloured with pencils...couldn't blend it with oil though to smooth out the unevenness as I'd only doodled it on copy paper and not on watercolour paper! Der!

Cut it out and attached to a piece of yellow card...threaded a bit of string for the balloon and edged with DI FB.

Thanks for looking

xoxo Sioux

Be Happy!

I have admired the stamp of this lady for quite a while....it's from Elusive Images........but you know by now I have to be careful what I spend my money on so you can understand how the sale at Graphicus last week sort of tipped me over the edge and I bought it!!!

I have been working on this piece all week when I had a few spare minutes and it was going to be a card for future use but it just seemed to grow like Topsy and it's now hung in a frame and it is definitely staying here on my wall as a cherished piece!!

I'm entering it in this months Graphicus blog challenge which is to use a resist technique and colour scheme metalics.

I stamped the swirls from Dawn Chorus and the top part of the grass the little bird is perched on from the same plate all around the edge in Versamark and clear embossed.......

stamped the words "art" from the lady plate in Versamark and embossed with

Stamp & Stuff pewter........love that............

swooshed DI FJ and SS with a hint of WS onto the craft sheet spritzed with water and dragged the card through it...........stamped Be Happy from the words of wisdom plate in black Staz On.

Stamped the lady in Impress chocolate, masked and stamped a T!m script stamps in DI SS and partially cut out the image...........Made the flowers using the same script stamp using DI TD, SS and WS and drew with an emboss pen round the edges and heat embossed with pewter again.

All layered onto a piece of cream card then a card edged with DI FJ and heat embossed with pewter.....then onto the background made with DI SS and stamped in TD using the script stamp........and what about those metal filigree corners? They cost me a fortune...not!

They were a bargain pack of laser cuts for 50p and I just heat embossed with pewter.

Thanks for looking.

Happy stamping.....I have been this week.

xoxo Sioux

P.S. Here it is in the frame.....if you look close that is DH's fingers holding it while I take the photo.....bless! Just caught a chink of sunlight today.

Whiter shade of pale?

I have been very taken with the fabulous white space cards that Paula often creates and have been wanting to have a go myself......just for the challenge you know!

Not sure that this is "what it says on the tin" as I seem to have stamped all over it!!!

It does appear to fit the Tuesday Taggers theme this week though which is no patterned paper so am entering it there.

I stamped the umbrella man in Impress chocolate onto some card adding one of my own background stamps in DI SS and partially cut out the outline on one side. Stamped my own distressed alphabet stamp onto the background card again in chocolate and a T!m scroll stamp at the opposite bottom corner in DI SS. I stamped the watch face (a freebie from magazine) onto a bit of the tomato paste tube metal that Laura ever so kindly sent me.....fab or what!?......then had a go at trying some embossing onto metal just like Leandra from Paperartsy shows on her blog.....think I must try harder..............but then that stamp was not specifically designed for that technique!! Stamped and cut out the Artifact pen nibs and added my own sentiment stamp.

Thanks for looking.

Happy stamping!

xoxo Sioux

P.S. I'm still waiting for the rubber stamps I won in the Paperartsy draw the other month as the first lot got lost in the post!! Hoping the second lot have not ended up the same way!!!!

Birthday - Stamp with Fun

The challenge theme this week at Stamp with Fun is birthday! So it's a birthday project on show today for me!
This was for a friends birthday and I can now post it as she has received it :)

I made the card using my own design digital papers and my Fitz digi stamp.....I made up a template for the box to fit 3 "Thorntons Chocolate Blocks".......it should have been for 4 blocks but afraid DH lost the plot in the shop and only came out with 3! LOL......The edge was punched with a Fiskars border punch......it's the only one I have but they are easy to use and I'd definitely have more if the old piggy bank would let me!!.....The papers were stamped on the edge with that little dotty border again too.The inside was decorated with more of the same papers and I stamped one of the Elusive Images sentiments from my lucky lucky win that is available at Graphicus on the pink heart paper.....I think you may have to enlarge the picture to read what it says..........The sunflower on the front uses the same template I designed for a poinsettia on this card........can't believe how different it looks inked with DI SM! LOL

Thanks for looking......happy stamping!
xoxo

Fitz amongst the Sunflowers - Papertake Weekly Sketch #16

I am warning you now this is a bit bright!!!
I had just finished colouring this for a thank you to a friend when I saw the sketch from Dawn at Papertake Weekly and spookily it was just the right layout for the image......had to use it then :)
I don't usually do this colour way and this is the first time I have used the K&Co Hopscotch Boy papers.....thankfully I think it works ok as I had coloured the image whilst watching the tele and there was not a lot of light and I put too much colour on.......obviously the eyesight is not what it used to be and it turned out a bit too intense!!! LOL

Sorry for using Fitz again so soon......but he is mine and I love him!.....The sunflowers in a pot I have had for years (QVC) and this is the first time I have used it.......shame on me.
Thanks for the sketch Dawn it was just what I was looking for....and thanks for looking........you can take your sunglasses off now!!! LOL

xoxo

Tilda meets Fitz! Just Magnolia Week #7

I have been busy with life and other things but I am back at Just Magnolia for the challenge this week to use animals or insects.......I have used one of the much prized stamped images of Tilda that a very special person sent me :) and added a little twist with my own digital stamp of a cat......I used K&Co Classic K McKenna papers........made up my own flower, inking plain white card to match the papers.......ditto the swirls and a computer generated sentiment finished off with a corner punch/embosser that was a bargain on C&C many moons ago....the silver heart charm was in a bargain card making kit (£1.39!!) from my local Sue Ryder shop on Saturday.......images coloured with pencils using the baby oil technique.



I believe they say necessity is the mother of invention?.............I love stamping only problem is the monetary challenged position I find myself in which prevents me indulging very much in new stamps.........I have been hoping to buy some sort of cat stamp recently but.....well......I just could not seem to find the right one at just the right price!!!....the only solution..........draw your own!!!..........somehow I was inspired and came up with a design based on my gorgeous cat Fitzgerald......as he is a digital stamp I have re sized him so he can be a new friend for Tilda.......that is the best reason for doing him or any other stamp digitally IMO......being able to resize.......although nothing is perfect and there are limitations in using a digital stamp for certain techniques......Hope you have enjoyed looking at my card.......and if you have why not pop along and join in the challenge.........you might be lucky and the man of your dreams aka Mr Random might be knocking at your door!!
xoxo

Purrr...fect

I have been revisiting my art sketch book.....bit of a posh name for a doodling book!.....I tend to roughly jot down ideas in it.....which can be anything from a phrase that springs in my mind to a pattern I see.......or a doodle of something......not that much in it has ever turned into a bigger project or a full blown drawing...............I mentioned in an earlier post about wishing I had had some proper training when it comes to art........anyway I have been in "the mood" and have been refining (playing) with a doodle of my cat Fitzgerald.....finally transferring him to the computer in a digital format via my Wacom tablet...........I am by no means an expert at using this but it is an invaluable tool if you are interested in that sort of thing.......I then printed him off (what they call a digital stamp) and coloured him with the pencils my mum bought me all those years ago.


And the inside got a bit of decoration too....I used the Magnolia week 4 sketch....loved it but did not get the time to join in that week!!.........Papers are the same as I used on the digital post here only printed out this time for a bit of tactile crafting..........you can find them here under Mindy at Designer Digitals


That is my first post showing my very own design art...........Hope you like Fitz as much as I do........but then I am biased he is based on "My Cutie Pie"...Fitzgerald the purr...fect cat....IMO.

xoxo

Doodle Peek

Another quickie today........need to finish lots of other things!!!.....part planted front flower bed but too hot at moment so will finish later..............here is a little peek of the inspiration doodle that "My Cutie Pie" provided.

Be back tomorrow with a little something else.
xoxo

Who Lives in a House Like This? Graphicus Challenge

Once again the inspiration came from the monthly challenge that you can enter here at the Graphicus Blog. The theme this month was Home and the colour prompts were Brick & Teal. I combined the theme and colour on this as the brick was in keeping with the home idea, wasn't sure about the teal at first though until I started to see the result.
I had been meaning to make something with the Glimmer Screens ever since I was lucky enough to win some in the Christmas blog candy giveaway last year - but you know how it is - life gets in the way and before you know it, that must have item is languishing in a box of stuff you have forgotten to label and never sees the light of day for months!!! I had presumed I would eventually end up using them as screens/masks for paint effects but as soon as I saw the monthly prompt the idea of using them as a template for a fancy roof popped in my brain.
So this is the result "Who Lives in a House Like This?". Why I do of course! Although only in my dreams LOL:)) There are little somethings on the 8 embellished squares that are relevant to me, not forgetting some other bits and pieces, that outline what I'm interested in. "The clues are there" as Lloyd used to say!

If any one's interested here is a brief "how I did it"
Ingredients

Glimmer Screens
Adirondack Ink- Cranberry & Stream
Adirondack Acrylics - Cranberry
Alcohol Inks - Espresso, Raisin & Pesto
Archival Ink- Jet Black
Distress Ink Pads - Tattered Rose.
Stamp & Stuff Embossing Powder - Disco Black & Clear
Stamps - Small mesh square free from Craft Stamper Magazine, line of dots free from Cards & Papercraft Magazine (I think) although I cut both of them up as I have never used them as is!!!
Making Memories - metal letters
Metal cat charm, Key, Florists wire (own stash)
Paper for window panes- Basic Grey
Chipboard (some recycled packaging!)
(1) Traced the glimmer screens outline (middle size) onto chipboard and cut out using a combination of craft knife & scissors. I found that cutting around the outline with the craft knife first and then using the scissors was a lot less effort. Inked it up using stream around the edges and a touch of cranberry in the centre. Then traced the smallest glimmer screen onto textured card and cut out and inked with cranberry. Added a stamped heart using the acrylic and acrylic dots around edges and spritzed it with an ink that had some mica in it (can't remember what, did it ages ago!). I liked the way the colours look slightly different due to the different base card/chipboard colour.
(2) Cut out a rectangle and inked it up using cranberry around the edges and a touch of stream in the centre. Stamped the small mesh stamp randomly up the sides to give a brick impression. Added the dots because I felt like it!
(3) Photocopied a dictionary definition of home, printed out and coloured with stream and added the 8 embellished squares.

(4) Cut out a larger downstairs window and used the glimmer screen to give a decorative top to it and stamped each window pane with one letter repeatedly from the word HEART. Added a punched out heart from a left over bit from this project to the last pane.
(5) Designed a word block in my Serif programme using different languages for the word home, words that describe a home and words that mean a place to live but do not necessarily mean HOME! Printed out and inked with cranberry. Layered this onto a piece of the dictionary paper inked with the stream. Added a circular embossed motif left over from this project.

(6) Alcohol inked the metal letters HOME and the cat charm. Decided not to ink the key as I liked the rusty aged patina it already had, shame to spoil it. LOL:)))

Arty best wishes to all

Edit: DH informs me it was actually David Frost who used to say the clues are there!! Hey Ho.