SPRING IS IN THE AIR!

I have recently completed the latest window dressing for the One Craft Gallery.  The theme was SPRING, complete with two mad March hares! The hares are my latest work.  The female hare on the blue background is dressed in pearls and a flowery dress that is attracting the butterflies! The text reads - 'Cherish every moment'. The male hare is obsessed with time! He is wearing a pocket watch and there are clock faces in the background. The text on this one reads 'Never enough time'.   They are painted in acrylic with paper collage and are 30cms square.

LOVE IS IN THE AIR!

LOVE IS IN THE AIR is the theme for the Valentine window in the One Craft Gallery this month.  Red hearts, collaged hanging hearts and lettering plus a range of Valentine cards and gifts made by members completed the picture...

  

ALL THINGS CHRISTMAS!

This year for the gallery windows we have opted for a Christmas woodland theme with natural branches and fir cones painted white, sparkly lights, and stars.  Below are a selection of the Christmas cards I made this year...

MERRY CHRISTMAS to anyone who reads this and a big thank you to everyone who has helped and supported me this year.  I hope to be able to devote more time next year to creating artworks and writing my blog!

CARDS USING EXPERIMENTAL BACKGROUNDS!

I have been busy making more cards using three experimental painted A4 sheets that had been languishing in a plastic box!  I cut each up and collaged on painted papers to make up card designs.  On the top row I have used some of my flower punches, for the middle row I drew some bird shaped templates to use, and on the bottom row I tore painted papers into vase and flower shapes to create a painterly effect...

VINTAGE DOLL HEADS ARE INSPIRATION!

The inspiration for the above cards were some photographs that I have of vintage dolls heads.  I photocopied the heads, cut them out and collaged them onto painted and collaged backgrounds. The six top cards used black and white copies that were reduced in size, while for the bottom six I kept the sepia colour and size of the original photographs...

CARDS FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS!

Here are two cards I have recently made for family and friends, using simple shapes.  The one above, which is 6 inches square, benefits from the contrast between the layered, textured painted background and the smoothness and precision patterns of the papers used for the simple flower shapes.  A black marker pen and a silver metallic pen finished off the design.   

The above card is larger - 8 inch square and is a very simple heart design. It is for a nephew's wedding.  The papers used are handmade by me, and include some interesting recycled bits!  The only embellishment that I felt it needed was edging the two inner layers with some walnut ink.

COLOURFUL BUTTERFLIES!

It has been a long time since I have posted anything!  It is not that I haven't been creative when I can find time, but the truth is, full-time caring for a loved one doesn't leave you a lot of spare time!  I am still involved in doing the One Craft Gallery window with Caroline Tetley.  Above are pics of our latest window, which is full of colourful butterflies.  I made these out of thick cartridge paper decorated with alcohol inks.  They were coated with cold acrylic wax and the middle was then folded and stitched.

Above are some butterfly cards that I made by cutting up a background that I had constructed using layers of acrylic paint and napkins.  I then collaged on punched out flower shapes and butterflies.

CARDS WITH A FISHY/BEACHY THEME!

Here are some more cards - this time with a fishy/beachy theme.  The red netting in the cards above is actual netting, the kind that fruit comes in.  I stuck it on with acrylic gel before collaging on the fish.  The top two cards below have photocopied images from one of my sketchbooks added to the background.  I do love using the beach and sealife as inspiration...

FLOWERY CARDS THIS TIME!

This time I have done cards with mostly a flowery theme.  With the ones above I responded to the painted background that I had cut up, and the ones below were inspired by a new punch! It punches several flower shapes out at a time so you can put the components together to make a variety of flowers. Great fun!

MAKING CARDS IN LOCKDOWN!

I have enjoyed going to my studio during lockdown and producing new cards!  The ones above are inspired by holidays in Cornwall and are collaged shapes on top of a handpainted background, that has been cut up.

I started making the cards below by designing templates of bottle shapes which were then cut out of my own decorated papers, before embellishing them with stamps and paper shapes.  I then searched around for suitable backgrounds from my handprinted papers and in some cases added words.  I thought the subject matter would be particularly suitable to give to men as I always find them difficult to make cards for! 

MAKING PERSONAL BIRTHDAY CARDS!

Here are some birthday cards I have made for family and friends.  The lovely thing about making your own cards is that you can include personal messages or images specifically for that person. Each of these cards started with a painted and/or collaged background, with images added using matt acrylic medium.  
 

MAKING CARDS IS WONDERFUL THERAPY!

It has been a long time since I have written a blogpost.  I haven't done much in the way of artwork in the last few months for a number of reasons.  Last year was my annus horribilis!  My beloved mother died, leaving my Dad, who has some health problems, on his own, and I became a full time carer for my husband after he had a stroke! Therefore doing artwork has taken a back seat.  However, I do enjoy the therapeutic nature of the creative process and so have made time to make cards for family and friends.  The red card was a good luck card for my Chinese sister-in-law, who was just about to have an operation.  It is multi-layered and my inspiration was a Chinese silk textile.

Above are some of the Christmas cards I made.  All my cards begin with a painted background which can consist of several layers and includes working with stamps.  I then collage shapes on top and add any embellishments needed.

CHEERFUL SUNFLOWERS FOR A CARD!

 

We all need cheering up and sunflowers are such happy flowers!  I made this card for a family member's birthday.  The background was a photograph I took of peeling paint on an old drainpipe.  The  flowers are made out of handprinted papers, which were collaged on with acrylic matt medium.

FLOWERS AS INSPIRATION!

I was given this sweet bunch of flowers, which I put in my small studio pottery jug - see top right picture.  I used them as inspiration for these collaged double-sided bookmarks - see above.  I did not have to cut out the cardboard shapes, as I recycled the packaging which came with some socks I ordered on-line! I painted them with gesso and acrylics to make a background for the design.  To finish I added ribbon and gift tags, using the punched holes which were already in the cardboard shapes.

I also made a birthday card for a friend, continuing the flower theme, and using a scrap sheet that I used to try out colours etc. as a background...

BOOKMARKS TO SEND INSTEAD OF CARDS!

Here are some of my new bookmarks which are for sale in the One Craft Gallery.  They are double-sided - the top pics show one side and the pics underneath show the reverse.  I collaged my drawings and found pictures on top of handprinted and painted backgrounds.  I looked at the colours and shapes in the background to see what subject they suggested.  Each one has a gift tag and is supplied with an envelope so they can be sent instead of a card...

PLENTY OF FISH!

I have been continuing on my fishy theme!  The above artwork is 30cms square and done on a wooden panel.  The pics below show cards with a handpainted graffiti background and features plant life and fishes...

FISHY CARDS INSPIRE ARTWORK!

While the gallery is closed, I am making some new stock.  As fish are one of my favourite subjects, I have made some cards using handpainted papers.  Some of the fish needed more embellishment than others.  With most of them I let the patterns on the paper speak for itself and only had to add an eye...

These cards inspired me to finish off an artwork that I was never happy with!  It is on a wooden panel - 50 cms square.

Left is the unfinished artwork and right is an experimental mixed media work on paper which I cut up to form the fish shapes which were collaged on...