Thank you Carmen!

This post is a big thank you to the wonderful Carmen! (Check out her blog, lots of arty projects, great book reviews and wonderful Rocking your world posts. A very inspirational lady!)

I entered a giveaway on her blog for a tool tote and I won!!

It arrived yesterday afternoon and I ripped into the parcel straight away, oohhhed and aahhhed over it, stroked it a lot but then I had to put it to one side until this morning as I was busy working yesterday.

                             

It is a really sturdy bag with loads of room inside and lots of external pockets



I have had lots of fun this morning trying to fill it up with crafty/painty goodness

And as you can see I still have lots of space left for the new paints I'm hoping Santa will bring me!

So thankyou lovely generous Carmen, big hugs to you and your cutie random generator who pulled my name out of the smartie bowl!

Sami x

Calendar challenge

Well, I didn't post my October calendar as I had not completed it until yesterday!

I have had such a busy month but I made sure to jot something down for each day so I could catch up when I got the chance.

October page done with Dylusions paints and sprays, stencils, stamps and a little digi image from The Octopode Factory.

Samhain is the pagan celebration on 31st October, a time to remember our ancestors and loved ones that have passed (hence the stamped faces amongst the trees!) and it is also our new year and a time to give thanks for all the blessings of the past year.

November page done with Dylusions paints and sprays and metallic acrylic paint splattered everywhere!

These pages were done in a bit of a rush as I didn't want to fall further behind, but I am quite pleased with how they have turned out!

Check out everyone elses calendar pages over at Kates blog.

TFL

Sami x

Exciting news! (Well for me anyway!)

 Artist blurb

 I have finally done it!

My prints are printed, packaged and ready to be delivered to the shop thats going to sell them for me.

I feel elated that they are done, amazed that they look so good and a little bit scared about whether they will sell.

 Some of the prints packaged

 

 Back of the prints with artist blurb and sticker with my logo on

I have had so much help and support to get me to this stage. My friends that have pushed me into 'just doing it' and have supported me by encouraging my art, Mr Lumpy who took the photos of all my canvas' so that I could turn them into prints and my wonderful Dad who tried to teach me how to use his little mount cutter, gave up when I found it impossible and then chipped in half towards a proper Logan mountcutter to make things much easier! My mate that actually walked into a new shop in Ryde and asked them if they would like to see my work, then rang me, said 'pack up your art i'm coming to get you' which resulted in the shop Silver Chimes selling my work!

Also to my blog friends for their positive comments and support when I questioned if I could actually do it.

Of course, the prints actually have to sell now, but just having the shop thinking my art is good enough for them to sell is a huge boost of confidence for me, so after I drop them off tomorrow I am taking Stu and the kids for a celebratory breakfast at Weatherspoons!

TFL

Sami x

Long time no blog

Helllllloooooooo! I have not blogged in over a month, dam blogger is still playing me up-am I the only one now? I have tried everything I can find but none of the so called 'fixes' have fixed it. I still have to sign in with internet explorer to post new stuff, but sign in with firefox to follow links to other peoples blogs and comment-what's going on?? I don't want to have to move my blog to another blog host site as 1: I can't be bothered, 2: I am still a bit of a techniphobe and 3:Blogger should fix this problem!

Anyway, enough ranting. I have been arting although not as much as usual (dam Pinterest!). Pinterest is such an inspiration but I find myself spending hours on there oohing and aahing over everything creative and then not actually creating anything myself!

I have started on a series of 3 canvas's (the canvas's were kindly given to me by Sarah's mum, thank you!).

They will be abstracty sort of paintings of the Maiden, Mother and Crone. They represent the stages of womanhood, the phases of the moon and the seasons.

 The Maiden is young and fresh, spring is her time and the waxing moon is her phase.

 Her energy is new and exciting and somewhat untamed (shown by the swirls).

 Finished piece

 

Close up of face



 The Mother has matured and is in her nurturing stage and the full moon phase (which you can't really see behind her head in this photo!). She is the end of summer and autumn and the harvest time. Her energy is more tamed and in control. I am hoping to get this one finished at the weekend and then I will make a start on the Crone.

I had a new tattoo done yesterday. I have been wanting a dragonfly tattoo on my wrist for a few years now as dragonfly is my totem animal but have never found the right one. The ones I like are big, detailed and beautiful so in making them small enough for my wrist they would lose all the detail that made them so pretty.

I went with Paige yesterday while she got her tattoo done and while browsing through the designs I found this little fellow. I asked them to change the colours for me as it HAD to be purple and I wanted the turquoise for the body. I am really pleased with it!

I have not managed to get my October calendar page done yet but I am making a note of what I have been up to each day so hopefully I can catch up, It seems silly to have kept up this far and not finish now.

TFL

Sami x

Sept calander challenge

Here is my September calendar page for the challenge over at Kates blog. I am soooo late posting this but at least I got it done!

 I used Dylusions paints and sprays, watercolours, TH distress inks and masks and See D's leaf stamp set.

 I have not really had any time for art over the last few weeks. Bad news, people making things complicated, trying to find funding for my job etc has all got on top of me. All I have managed is some doodles. In the one above I looked for shapes in the paint splodges and then doodled them in.

 This one I sat and doodled while watching the TV the other night,

Then I used watercolour to colour her in, but now think I liked her better as a doodle!

TFL

Sami x

New painting

Just a quick post to show you a new painting.

This is acrylic, waterolour crayon, felt pen and glitter glue on an 11 1/2 inch canvas.

She is called

'Luna Faerie'

I have been thinking to myself for a while that I should have an etsy shop. I have had a couple of people who own shops say that they might sell my paintings and prints. I have had photographs taken of my paintings to turn them into prints, I have even rung the printers to find out about sizes and prices. Then my friend asked me the other day 'so when are you actually going to do it?'

When indeed? I have made small steps over the last few months, getting the paintings photographed, ringing the printers, buying the mountboard for the prints but just can't seem to push myself in making that final step. The fear is holding me back...thats a positive step though right? Knowing the fear is holding me back??!

Fear that I am not a 'real' artist, fear that my stuff is in no way good enough for people to buy, fear that I will fail at this, fear that people will think 'who does she think she is trying to sell that stuff?' Oh yes, the fear is surrounding me people and I just don't know how to get past it. How do you get past your fears and take that next step, how do you put yourself out there and take the risk? Answers on a postcard please!!!!!(or in my comments box!)

Sorry, this turned into a bit of a depressive moan didn't it?! I am not fishing for compliments on my work I would just like some advice on facing my fear and maybe your helpful hints on how you got started selling your crafts.

Thanks for listening,

sami x

Fairy-Licious!!!

My good friend Paige is getting Handfasted (Pagan wedding) in two weeks time. Her theme is red and black and poppies and corn. My DD wants to go as a fairy so today we have been making her costume.

This morning I googled 'fairy wings' and watched a couple of tutorials on how to make them. I made huge fairy wings last year for the carnival but the frame for them was willow and quite heavy and bulky so I needed something lighter for my DD to manage!

I found some wire in the shed and twisted it into four wing shapes, 2 large, 2 small.

I then used my hot glue gun to glue along the top edge of the wire frame and laid the organza fabric over the top. (It's best to do this in stages otherwise the glue dries).

I then trimmed the fabric to the edge of the wire rim, not cutting too close in case the fabric peeled away from the wire.
I lit a joss stick and let it smolder and then used that to burn some holes into the wings to add to the pattern and give them a more organic look.

By this stage Paige had arrived to help, bringing with her red and black glitter glue, ladybirds and plenty of ribbon.

I traced all the way around the edges of the wings with red glitter glue and around some of the holes I'd made. Then I drew some swirly designs on them and added dots of black glitter glue and some red and black stick on gems.

While waiting for the glitter to dry, Paige and I sat and cut out loads of circles from the organza fabric and some black silky fabric I had. Paige then burnt all around the edges of the circles, using a candle flame, to bunch them up a bit and curl the edges. We then sewed layers together and added a button to each one for the finishing touch.

We then joined the wings together, twisting the wire and then covering with electrical tape, and made some shoulder straps with black elastic. We attached the wings to the shoulder straps by stitching them in place. (Sorry, I should have taken photos of every stage which would make it easier to explain!) We then wrapped ribbon, ricrak and pearls around the centre piece of the wings before attaching 3 of the bigger flowers, some oak leaves and lady birds to the centre. We also had enough flowers left for a broach for DD and me!

See how pretty!!!

We also made the skirt in the same fabric to match the wings. There is a great tutorial for a no sew tutu on this blog. Paige cut strips of the organza and then knotted them on to the elastic we had sewn for the waistband, following the tutorial.

We still had lots of flowers left so we attached them to ribbon and knotted them onto the waistband as well. Every time my DD put the skirt on the strips would all bunch up and the knots would come loose so I used my sewing machine to just sew all the way along the waistband near the bottom edge to secure the knots.

My DD is wearing a bought black net skirt under the tutu skirt we made. As she already had this skirt I saw no point in buying black net to add to the one we were making, so the tutu was made to sit over the top of her existing skirt, which I think works very well!

Twirling around!!

For a first attempt at fairy wings I think we did a bloody good job!! I did not expect them to come out as well as this so I am so pleased with them. The best thing is the whole outfit has only cost me £4.99 for the fabric (I had loads of organza in every colour but red!!already at home) and £1 for the thick black elastic.

My DD is over the moon with it and Paige and I had great fun making it! Now my DD is not allowed to touch it for 2 weeks until the handfasting!

TFL

Sami x