Wednesday 30 January 2013

Fire and missing in action

So at 1:30ish Sunday morning I found the building we live and work in on fire. Luckily I found it in its early stages, it could have been much worse and I thank my lucky stars that we are all still alive. The only injury was Stumpy cat who I couldn't find to get out before the smoke was too much. She hid and suffered smoke damage to her airways. She was rushed to the vet at 5 in the morning and stayed in a couple of days. It was very touch and go at first as her blood oxygen levels dropped to a scary level but she is recovering just fine now and eating well too.



The firemen were amazing, arrived really fast and very professional. We had 5 units turn up and a tea van! I could not give them more praise than I already am, it is shocking that they are having their budgets cut so severely.

We are now all in clean up mode. Down stairs in the workshops everything is black. Everything else is covered in a fine layer of soot, from a distance it looks fine, then you touch something and get black hands. Everything is having to be cleaned with a damp soapy cloth otherwise you just smush the soot around. Everything fabric even in drawers/wardrobes is having to be washed. Luckily we have a fabulous laundrette down the road and the lady has been so helpful and understanding, cant praise her enough either! So far she has done 4 big black bin liners full of clothes and has several more to do too.

Here's a look at where the fire was and the damage done.














Friday 25 January 2013

January Book Review - Painted Pages


My first book for Darcy's artful readers club is Painted Pages by Sarah Ahearn Bellemare.

My first mistake with this book was when I bought it. I didn't buy this book in person I got it on-line and bought it off the name and front cover alone. To me the name painted pages and the images on the cover denotes some sort of painting book. I was very wrong in this conclusion and really do not understand why it is called painted pages when it has nothing to do with painting. It is in fact a book about collage and sketchbooks which if you do read the synopsis at the back does imply.

The book as a whole after I had realized my mistake was not so bad. It has good beginning section on materials that a novice would learn a few things from, as an experienced mixed media fanatic I was already familiar with the information provided. It does however give good advice on collage material and what to collect. The book also has a good section on how to do a basic image transfer, if you have never done that before.

Their is one paragraph in this book that really made me laugh ''Begin a new art-making session with a nice clean desk'' That never happens in my room, no matter how hard I try!

I found one thing really annoying with this book, it gives you a paragraph on something and then tells you to go to another page near the back of the book to see the illustration, it was pretty pointless, it could have just been written with that illustration instead. The book also has several sections and photographs on guest writers, these make absolutely no sense at all. These guest writer articles seemed to appear at random and had nothing to do with the section they were placed in. They are not relevant to the book and I could see no reason for it being included in the book apart from to add a few more pages.

I have seen this artist published in Somerset magazines, this is what initially prompted me to buy this book as she had some really good articles and art work. Had I flicked through the book in person in a shop I would not have bought it because I do not like to do collage and I think it is aimed at the beginner market.

Sorry to say, I would have to recommend to pass on this one.

As part of the club challenge we are to do a piece of work inspired by what we have read. Here is mine. I asked friends to pick random numbers for the prompts at the back of the book to create my page. The prompts used in order are: Use book page as collage, sign your name on the piece, close your eyes and paint or draw, paint lines shapes or dots with a tiny brush, paint with your finger. To finish I added words and doodling.


Monday 21 January 2013

Recent Art Journalling

I haven't shown any art journalling for a while so thought I would do a catch up.


My first page came about after a huge disappointment with someone that I considered a great influence to me and someone who I looked up to. I am no longer enchanted by this person and am glad to see the real side of them, instead of the fake one that has been projected for years.



My next page is proof that journalling while drunk is so not a good idea! It represents the fake end of the world when they Mayan calendar ended and all the nut jobs thought the world was going to end. No offence to nut jobs intended.


My next page is my summary to my 2012 journal your year and what I learned from the year, pretty self explanatory I think. The image is from Joe Cartoon hand drawn into my journal.


My final page is for the Creativity Venture and the completion of my personal challenge.

Thanks for Looking!

Thursday 17 January 2013

Gelli Plate Tips

Hi everyone, I recently got myself a Gelli Plate, After much frustration and much fun once I had worked out my problems I find I really really enjoy it. I wanted to make a quick video to share a few tips I have worked out along the way. I got my plate from the lovely Wendy at The Stamp Attic.



Thanks for visiting!

Monday 14 January 2013

IndigoBlu Samples for the CHA Live Show

Sunday's IndigoBlu Create and Craft show was live from CHA. It was a fabulous show and Kay did a wonderful set of demo's of the new products. Luckily for me, my examples made it safely across the pond for the show. I had two days to make samples and then deliver them to Kay's House.

The first one I made is the birdhouse




I used the Paperartsy Fresco paints for the base, then Kay's slap it on technique for the design, and again painted in all the details with the fresco paint. The roof was created with a Martha Stewart punch and some distress ink.

Next I worked on the Frame



For this piece I started with texture paste and gave it a mixed media treatment. Highlighting the raised areas with gilding wax.

The next piece I worked on was the clock




For this piece I started with texture paste and stamped into it. I then gave it a mixed media treatment and grunged it up.

The next piece I worked on was the hearts.



For this piece I started with a base of fresco paints, used Kay's slap it on technique, this time I did not paint the images but stamped them in colour instead. The phrase was stamped and gilded with mega flake then cut out and re assembled on the piece with glue gel to make it stand proud.

Then I worked on a couple of cards as I had an hour spare.



Thanks for visiting

Clare

Wednesday 9 January 2013

It's WOYWW time again!

Wow this week has flown by! Cant believe it is Wednesday again! I only have new products on my desk today :( I have spent the last week doing secret squirrel stuff for IndigoBlu, which we can now announce, Create and Craft are going to be live from CHA this weekend from 5pm to 10pm. Kay is going and will be doing one of the live shows! So I pulled out all the stops for my design team work! Anyhow enough prattling on you will see for yourselves on Saturday at 9pm, if you watch it!



So on my desk are the new Somerset studio and Somerset art journalling magazines, provided by the wonderful Wendy from The Stamp Attic. I have them on subscription so I don't need to worry they just arrive as soon as she gets them. Then we have some catalyst wedges for making patterns in my gelli plate that I got from Great Art, the gelli plate was from Wendy also. Then lots of paint and brush bath from my treasure gold from PaperArtsy and lastly a huge tube of E6000 from Ebay.

Thats about it for today, enjoy your week

Clare

Wednesday 2 January 2013

WOYWW

Wow its January already! I for one can't believe how fast 2012 has flown. Feel like I blinked and missed it!



On my desk today are a few of the ahem good ones of my first attempts at mono printing with a gelli plate. I see great possabilities in this little plate.

Happy WOYWW!

Clare

Had a few people asking where I got my plate from in the UK, You can purchase one HERE from the lovely Wendy at the Stamp Attic.

Tuesday 1 January 2013

Artful Readers club

My lovely friend Darcy is running an artful readers club this year. For full details and how to join in please go visit her wonderful blog, if you don't want to join in go visit anyway she is amazing!

The idea is to choose 12 books you have and plan to read one book a month, at the end of the month you need to write a small review, nothing major could be 5 words could be 500 and make a piece of art reflecting on the book you have read then post it on your blog and link up to Darcy's so we can all have a look.

My books are





I decided that I want to read some of the many many art books I have as I read normal books all the time. Most people I believe are reading normal books, its totally up to you! Now to choose which one to start with!
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