Final post for 31 Hearts in July

Have struggled to get any art time this weekend as eldest returned home from uni with stuff, and we were babysitting. I needed 3 more hearts to complete my 31 Hearts for July collection today.

Look what I found while washing and repacking his stuff!!!!

3 in 1...result!!!

I'm guessing it is his girlfriends :D

Heart shaped mug...

with heart shaped lock and heart shaped key charm....I WANT ONE!!!

Thank you to Martha at Ayala Arts for suggesting this theme for July, it has made me smile...a lot :D XXX

We Luvzzzz Beezzzz...

This weeks theme at The Butterfly Effect was chosen by Guest artist Karen, aka Iamrushmore.

She likes INSECTS

I had this canvas I'd made following a class by Tee Thompson

I like it...but it was lacking something :S

So I doodled a bit with a charcoal pencil...

blocked in with white gesso...

mixed a blue/black with acrylic to give definition...

coloured with blues and white...

building up a few layers...

And used a bit of black to add more definition, and white highlights on the eye lenses and tongues.:D

Still consider this a work in progress, wants "more" background.

Enjoy :D XXX

Lady Ophelia salutes the Heroes

Week 30 of Darcy's Postcard challenge, and Lady Ophelia is in INDIA

The national flower of India is the Lotus or, as we call it, the Water Lily. 

"My dearest Lillian,

I can not believe this is the last time I will be addressing my cards to "Miss Lillian Crowther". I so wish I could be at your wedding next week, the 1st of August is such a romantic date, and the garden must be filled with the scent of roses and lavender. Wherever I am on that day, I will be thinking of you and toasting your happiness. Richard says we can have a special supper in your honour, he is such a softy sometimes.

I am writing to you from India, where we are attending a Military display by the newly formed Indian Army. Many of these native soldiers received medals for their immense valour in a siege in April. Apparently, the odds were around 5-1, similar to those of Henry V at Agincourt.

As a treat, I was allowed to ride on an elephant, but in a special seat due to my condition. I have purchased the most adorable outfits for when the baby is older. Miss Francesca frowned at me, said it was bad luck to be buying things this early. Richard said "TOSH!", and told me to buy whatever I wanted. I bought you Water lilies, do you have a lake in the garden?

Miss Francesca is frantically boiling everything again, but when I saw everyone bathing and washing their clothes in the river, I couldn't blame her really.

yours affectionately, Ophelia xxx"

"My darling Ophelia,

I'm glad to hear Miss Francesca is still taking great care of you. Henry V died of dysentery!

And how honoured you are to have met those brave soldiers. There was a report in the London Gazette only last week about the Siege of Chitral . Amazing story.

Marcus laughed when I read him your query about a lake, he says he will start on a pond after the wedding.

I don't have time to write much today, as I still have to add the finishing touches to my wedding gown. I am however, very excited about receiving my first card from you addressed to "Mrs Lillian Harrup"

I wish you could be here too. I will save you a slice of the cake, and a flower from my bouquet.

Your ever loving friend, Lillian xxx" 

Images on page: bathing in the Ganges 1895, A regiment of the Indian Army 1895, an elephant with ceremonial seat 1895, and 2 children dressed in traditional clothing circa 1895

This is a water colour that Ophelia(aged 16) painted of Miss Lillian, while she was "reading" in her window seat.

Lillian keeps this as a bookmark. She can still be found sitting, reading in her window seat, though she has a few more wrinkle now.

Enjoy :D XXX

I love Paris in the Springtime

Actually, I've never been to France...but it's Dawn's fav, and it's her birthday this month so I thought I'd make the effort to post for her Journal Journeys Challenge #10 Paris :D

Paris to me is the glamour of Moulin Rouge and the Folie Bergere.  I wanted to be one of those dancers when I was younger...

If Paris was a colour it would be hot, smouldering pink!!

I would have dressed in feathers...

Fishnet stockings..... 

and sparkly jewels :D

Enjoy :D XXX

Also linking this journal page to 31 Hearts in July...heart #26

I Like Traffic Lights....

This week The Game Challenge is 1, 2, 3....Redlight!(or as I know it Traffic Lights)

We have been asked to make an ATC(s) using the colours Red/Green/Amber.

When I read 1...2...3..I thought it was going to be the rhyme about catching fish, and it so happened that Collage Obsession are asking for items incorporating fish :D So I downloaded their free images and used them for my ATCs.

I have some clear plastic ATC blanks...

I added red/yellow/green inktense colour to the b/w image of an angler...

Used TH distress inks Firebrick red/Mustard seed/Peeled paint to colour a piece of backing paper...

and built up the layers on the reverse of the ATC blanks(starting with fish)

The numbers I had already stamped onto tracing paper for another project.

The images are still a bit cloudy as the glue layers are still drying. 

I am also linking these ATCs to Anything Goes Challenge #72 Let's not be Square(cos they have rounded corners lol)

Enjoy :D XXX

Star Trekking

This week's theme at The Butterfly Effect is "STAR TREK"...as suggested by my hubby...cos he was watching re-runs when I asked for themes :S

But when I started thinking about it, that programme actually lends itself to all sorts of inspiration. I was in love with Captain Kirk...and the mixed race crew, all treating each other with respect and loyalty was way ahead of it's time. The fact that they tried to ban the scene were Kirk kisses Uhura shows how they used the stories to push the boundaries...beyond the Final Frontier :D

One of my favourite things about the programmes is the amazingly surreal worlds they visit, so that is the angle I took.

I had decided to revamp an early canvas that didn't quite gel for me any more...

First I covered it with an acrylic glaze...yuk, major fail!

Next I added a layer of white gesso, and stuck on some plastic mesh...

...and piled on a thicker layer of Gesso.

I liked this much better. When it had dried, I felt it was the wrong way round, and decided to use it as a landscape for my Star Trek piece.

I used sponge pieces to apply acrylic paints to the entire surface, 

and dripped inks to create plant like growths....the plant life on most of the planets they visited looked gnarled or scorched :D...

and it wouldn't have been Star Trek without a "gaseous anomaly"...

( I removed the decoupage and plastered more gesso over it to give better texture)

and of course...at least 3 moons, preferably aligned :D

If I learned only one thing from the Star Trek experience, it is that anything is possible!

Enjoy :D XXX

Germany, Ireland and a soft heart

One of the extra manthings that came visiting yesterday is a computer wizard...took him 3 minutes to reset my printer/puter wireless connection :D

So, while I wait for layers of gesso to dry, I managed to get my postcard pages done...

and the 21st of my 31 Hearts for July

Soft - Hearted :D

Enjoy :D XXX