Unruly Coaster Swap

Time flies when you're having fun- back in February you will of seen my coasters for the Unruly Yahoo Group swap, the theme was Dream, you can see my coasters Here.

Here are the 4 gorgeous coasters I got back, 2 are from Shar.

Shar

Shar

And 2 from Lacretia aka Krisha.

Krisha

Krisha

I just love how even with the same size (4 x 4) and theme to play with, all the creations are totally different, I love swaps ;)  Just have to find a special place to show these off now.

Spring Fling Art Journal Page

Over at Gecko Galz through the whole month of March, Leanne has been sharing a whole heap of Lovely Spring projects from the DT.

Today I'm sharing my project.

It was pretty hard for me to be Spring inspired as we are currently enjoying a sunny Autumn ;)

To create my page I lightly gessoed over the page, added doilies from my stash, then used a whole heap of lovely Gecko Galz collage images, which for me shouted Spring. I stuck them on my page. I then added some colour using Dylusions sprays, which I softened by mixing with the still wet Gesso on my page. I added some Prima flowers, a rub on sentiment.

Make sure you check out all the Spring Projects at Gecko Galz, as each one has the instructions on how to create your own version.

I'm entering this over at Simon Says Stamp and Show, where they want to see quotes.

Big - Week 4

Here we are at the end- just about of week 4 of BIG, feels like we're getting to the nitty gritty, the heart of the matter.

I'm amazed at how my fear of the white paper has gone, and my fear of the size of the paper has gone, and even the gremlin was quieter this week.

This week we have some exercises - morning pages, drawing every morning before starting the day, I'll be showing you some of those another time :-)

And then contours, first we did a self portrait by looking in the mirror and drawing the contours of our face. Then we had to do the same thing again, but this time only looking at the mirror- not the paper! freaky!!!

Here's my first contour painting:

and here's the Fearless second one

What came up for me as I painted this second one, was how I  box or compartmentilise my life, and how that destroys the beauty of me and the Joy of Life.

I'm looking forward to diving deeper into getting Bigger!! more colour more freedom more BIG.

Big-Week 3

Big Week 3

I'm running just a tiny bit behind on my Fearless painting :( Here's my week 3 painting- it's BIG :) It's about 1 metre by 75cm.

Here's my journalling for this week.

Curious, with my week 2 painting I was really curious about how I looked like a man in my painting, quite masculine, so that's where I started for this painting. Same old fear gremlins- starting to wonder if he ever goes away?? maybe he just gets quieter or he's easier to shut up?

This weeks fear gremlin Was Like "this is ridculous" "too Colourful"  "like a Circus" "stupid, why'd you want to do a hat" etc etc

I had such a hard time with the hat, keep hearing I had to do a hat, so didn't want to do a hat lol

I don't like this painting much- guess that's the gremlin again. 

to me it conjures all the elements: Earth, Wind/Air, Fire and Water. 

and more ATC's

And here are some more ATC's :-)

I think they're a pretty good representation of my style? the Rooster ones my fav :-)

ATC Fest

Here's some more of the ATC"s I've made to share with the ladies tomorrow :-)

ATC Misses

I've been working away at making 30 ATC's to swap with the ladies at Finn's Create Workshop on saturday. I don't know anyone else going so I thought it would be a great way to break the ice.

I've used Rogue Redhead Design stamps: Milliner Misses and Behind the Scenes.

I'll be sharing with you some more ATC's over the next couple of days :-)

In a Tropical Garden

It's the lovely Suzanne's turn to host our challenge this week at Craft Room Challenge. She's chosen the theme In the Garden- but she what's it also to be anything but a card :-)

As always my fellow teamies have pulled some stunners out of the bag, so make sure you check out their creations.

Here in Wellington, New Zealand, we have drought conditions- I know my Northern hemisphere friends will think that sounds delicious after all their snow- lol but actually it's becoming a bit of a worry for the poor farmers. Anyway, the reason I mention that is because the sun filled garden inspired my canvas for this fortnight's challenge.

This is a 12 x 12 canvas, I've covered it in text, and then lightly gessoed. I've then drawn the hummingbird and flowers, and coloured with Promarkers, and written the words. I then used some thick gold UTEE, added some glitter and microbeads and some wooden leaves. I then covered the whole canvas with beeswax.

Our sponsor this week is Crafty Emblies

Have a great week.

BIG- memory

Week 2 of Fearless Painting- BIG

This week Connie's upped the anty :) and we're going straight to Fearless BIG painting- Yahoo- I couldn't wait to be honest. She's asked us to start with a memory, and a thing that stands out from that memory. It could be recent or distant, happy or sad. Here's my journalling answers.

What memory did I choose? Why did I choose this memory?

I chose the memory of the birth of my first born. Jess was born at home after a long wait, it was a big deal for her to be born at home, as we were deemed odd by some friends and family by making this choice. So it felt a bit of a fight to get what we both felt like was the right choice for us. 

Jess's birth was a deeply empowering moment in my Life, I will never forget the Joy I felt through the birthing process and the Awe and Wonder as I first saw her and reached for her hand. It was this memory I chose.

What was challenging about this painting this week?

I was fighting the whole time how I felt like my drawing and painting wasn't good enough to do the memory justice, I had to work on that the whole time. Also I realised I have a thing about my paintings looking Real or Life like I had to let that go too.

My Fear Gremlin, kept saying "you don't even like to paint people" "Why are you painting people?"

What was I resisting--and how did my resistance take form? (excuses, fear, doubt, anger, procrastination, reasoning, etc.)

As above really "it needs to look real" and I resisted the lilac and blue skin- just had to go with it.

How did I work past my challenges and what lesson(s) did I learn?

Just knowing that there are no mistakes, and knowing that in the past I've always know when the painting was finished, and that I'm always pleased and happy and Joy filled with the finished painting.

What surprised me this week?

I thought the baby would be in the middle, but as I drew the first lines on that huge blank piece of paper, I was like That's no baby. And I had a second lasting Fear shout- and then just went with the pen flowing :-)

That the adult in the picture ( that's supposed to be me) looks quite masculine, and that the figure had to be lilac and blue. That the end painting maybe had less to do with my birth experience and more to do with a spiritual Rebirth.

What intention(s) do I hold in my heart for next week?

That I'm going to get BIGGER :-)

What does BIG look and feel like to me now?

Feeling Good - Lets get BIGGER.

Thanks for Following my Fearless BIG Journey.

Deb is Going BIG

Yep, I'm going Fearlessly BIG. It's taken a lot of time thinking about it, but now is the tme to actually start and Do.
So Last week I started with Connie of Dirty Footprints Studio the Fearless BIG 6 week painting course. These are my first 4 exercises.

I'm already soooooo excited and Joy filled with these creations, I LOVE how they turned out.

These are all painted with acrylic on BIG pieces of Cartridge paper- 24 x 36 inches.

The first exercise - was the Scribble Exercise

I just went for it :-) and just let myself go for it with big strokes of colour.

a Close up:

The Next Exercise was the Flow Line, now I just Loved this, the colours and the painting flowed, and then I felt connected and I know that this was about my hubby and Me- full of Love and Passion. The little Fear Gremlin had a go- about following the Rules of the exercise- but I just said- hey the only thing I need to do is Listen and Feel the painting.

The next exercise was Shape or Shapes, I went with a teardrop- cause that was the first thing that popped into my head. I found this exercise tricky to do- as the Fear Gremlin was right there first hesitation, first doubt:- You chose the wrong shape, you don't know what you're doing, this is a mess etc. But once I just breathed centred and just went with and stopped worrying about what it was going to look like, I found joy in my shapes.

Finally, Draw like a 5 year old- classic, this just made my heart smile :-) the first thing that popped into my head was a Chicken. So a chicken it was. First, though I thought maybe I'd just do this exercise on a smaller piece of paper- A3, to save paper to not waste paper- (there's that pesky Gremlin again) but as soon as I picked it up, I was like No WAY!! that's way too small - BIG all the way.

I love my chicken picture- I painted it with the thought, the chicken has feathers, it's orange, it has a chick - it lays eggs the grass is green and the sun is big and yellow. Trying to attach no thoughts to the process.

I think what I learned today, is that actually I love to paint BIG, that I love Colour, and that I worry way too much about wasting paint, wasting paper, wasting time. And that I have a thing about painting to the Rules, whatever those might be. But that I can let go of that and just Flow and feel the Joy of being BIG and colourful.

Here's to week 2 of BIG

William Morris Inspired

How could I pass on this brilliant theme at Frilly and Funkie. I have loved William Morris designs ever since I was a child, when one weekend we visited a Country House ( we were avid National Trust Members) and this particular house had the Strawberry Thief wallpaper in the snooker room- such a vivid memory. I remember being wowed by the fact that the wallpaper design had a name- lol and when I saw the design I just loved the colours and depth of design.
William Morris was such an inspiration in his time, and I'm always inspired by how he did things his way, returning to the "old methods" of production when the world just wanted to "advance". Still relevant to today.
But enough of that- here's my card inspired by the Strawberry Thief of course :-)

Using a piece of patterned paper by K and Co, which must of been in my stash for years. I've then sponged with distress inks, Peeled  Paint and Tea Dye. Stamped using stamps from 2 Stampin' Up sets- Nature Walk and Clearly For You.

I hope you'll all having a good start to the week.

Floriculture Blues

Here's a card I've made using the challenge this week over at Still addINKtive- sketch and colour challenge- you can use one or both parts of the challenge how cool is that?

I decided my Mojo was a little down, and I loved this Colour Combo, so I inked up my Floriculture stamps, from Rogue Redhead Designs (they really don't see enough ink).

I've masked, then sponged and stamped the top part of the card with Pool Party and Island Indigo. I've added a torn strip of Cherry Cobbler cardstock and twine and the sentiment also stamped in Cherry Cobbler. I then added the ribbon, and punched a small scallop circle, folded it in half and a tiny jewelery tag.
I love how it's turned out.

Cup of Tea?

Gosh, I know I've said it before but doesn't that fortnight come round quick?

It's Zoe's turn to host at Craft Room Challenge, and she's chosen the theme "From Me to You". So she wants to see heaps of gifts.

I've gone with a simple gift box and thank you card, that I've made for a new friend who's been helping out with some stuff over the last few weeks. I've used a Tanda Stamp set- Retro Women 2. This stamp had never seen ink- and yet it's so cool. The little gift box, is full of individually wrapped teabags, in fancy English Flavours, that are expensive here in New Zealand, so a treat for my English Friend :-)

Our sponsor is Tanda Stamps, who sadly have gone out of business, but we still have some stamps to give you, and the winner will also win Zoe's DT piece- which is stunning- make sure you check it out.

Dreamy Coasters

Here are 4 coasters I've made for the Unruly Yahoo Group swap, the theme was Dreams.

I started with cork backed coasters that i picked up cheap from the $2 shop. I gessoed, and sprayed then with Dylusions Sprays. I then stamped the stars. I used the new Artful Ladies collage sheet from Gecko Galz, for my Dream ladies.
Finally I added some pretty stuff from my stash and the words I hand stamped.

Swaps are always fun, but as this is an intentional swap I can't wait to see what happy mail I get back  :-)

I'm entering this over at Frilly and Funky- my first time joining them- :)