(500) days of summer

Watched this movie last night and absolutely loved it. It's captivating, engagingly and interestingly told, moving backwards and forwards in time, and I can't tell you the end! Check it out.

ATCs Lighthouse Swap Received

I had these lovely ATCs come through the post today from a Lighthouse themed swap over on the Milliande site (link badge on right hand side). This is the first group ATC swap I've participated in and it definately won't be my last, it's so much fun.
The artists were Mary Larner, Lynn Engelhardt and Julie Simmonds, thanks girls!

I went for Tassles

Table Top Treasures

Went to a local church table top sale today and found some little treasures. The cat is Crown Derby, which my mum collects and it was a total snip at £10, I couldn't believe it. It was my mums birthday a few days ago so it can be an extra surprise pressie for her tomorrow.

The basket I think I'll use in my bathroom to store toiletries and it will match the picnic hampers I'm going to be using for towels and linens. The vintage books will be refashioned into picture frames and I'll use some of the faded, browned pages in my artwork. The ceramic cherubs, I'm undecided whether they will stay as is or be chipped off their plinths and end up coming up out of a mosaic mirror frame.

The charm necklace was a brilliant find as I was only thinking last night that I might try my hand at making a shrine for a mermaid and all the charms are linked to the sea - shells, an anchor, a ship's wheel, a sailing boat. Even the bookmark charm, which I've already taken off of the metal bookmark stick, can be used as the diamante slipper could be what the mermaid longs to be able to wear in her dreams. All in all a good day's shopping!

Vintage French Easter Postcard

I was going through my stash of vintage postcards when I came across this french Easter card and thought that it would be nice and timely to share it. I'm unable to decipher a date for it, could 07 mean 1907? It certainly seems aged enough. It was part of a group of postcards I bought off of ebay. I often wonder about who the people were, the senders and recipients of such cards, how have they found their ways out of families and into the hands of strangers. It seems so sad somehow. At least I and others appreciate them. Be lovely to see any art you do with it :)

Bookmarks

I've been working on making bookmarks and this is a selection. I've used ordinary, advertising covered card bookmarks that you can pick up free in libraries and covering them with foreign language scripts and musical scores. Then I've used paper napkins, acrylic paints, stickles, stamps etc. I've again enjoyed working in a 'series'. It allows me to get on with one whilst thinking about the next step for another, it allows for experimentation as well. Now the thorny problem of tassle or no tassle.....

Glass Day

Been over to a friends today and done some little glass experiments. We've been using glass beads, dichroic glass and ordinary glass. Making up 'sandwiches' of glass and then she is going to melt them together (hopefully) in her kiln. Be very interesting to see how they turn out. If there are any successful ones I can then repeat them and make them into jewellery, charms, wind chimes etc.

Freebies

I love looking around cemetaries and graveyards. I love the statues, the artwork, the beautiful words, thinking about the people, trying to imagine what their lives were like, and enjoying the usually tranquil settings.
I have decided to put these pictures up for you to use in your artworks/creations if you would like to. All I ask is that you credit my blog, put a link in to it and let me know so that I can see what you have created.
I'd love to know if you know of any cemetaries that are worth a visit, and indeed if anyone else out there loves cemetaries as well. Most creative people seem to understand my fascination but everyone else just backs away, lol. Happy creating!

Bill's Big Day

Just had to write a quick post about Bill's first day as a big boy, being allowed out into the garden and beyond. Off he trotted as confident as you like and he had a grand day, wore himself out. At eight months old, and two months with me it was time to let him out but it's always a sticky moment when they go over the garden wall, will they come back?
Here he is, getting tips no doubt from Mickey, my old boy. It was good to get a sunny day for a change and get out into my little garden. Signs of the coming of spring were everywhere, at last!

New ATCs

Finished this one a few weeks ago for a swap on Willowing, with the theme Africa, using an old atlas page, stamp and collaged postcards.

Today finished off a 'sister'card, making it look smoke damaged with distress ink.

Also been working on a set of book marks for a swap on Milliande but got to keep them under wraps as well as a set of Birthyear ATCs that are off in the post tomorrow for another swap. Had a very enjoyable day, tinkering around with them. The big question I have to ponder now is - to tassle or not to tassle, book marks that is. Anybody have any thoughts on the matter? For myself I don't have tassles because my cats take them as toys and end up dragging them out of my books and losing me my page but I do like to see tassles. Then do I tassle at the top or the bottom, decisions, decisions.....

Prairie Thistle Giveaway

Check out Prairie Thistles blog. In honour of her 400th blog Julie is giving us the chance to be the lucky recepient of this gorgeous reliquery. An absolutely generous gesture, her work is gorgeous. Check it out!

Bill Biggles

He's growing fast and nowhere is safe, here he is on top of my ironing board. Notice his shredded collar, he's only had it on a day. At least with the bell on his collar I can hear where he's being naughty :)