Laying low

The planets must be jumbled because everything seem rather sticky and messed up at the moment. I think the key to surviving the rest of the week will be to lay low and try to avoid anything truly disastrous. Hopefully everything will sort itself out sooner rather than later because I could really use a bit of goodness.

It's been nose to the grindstone here. I've been working on some cards for spring (just the thing to do on a snowy winters day). Here's a sneak peek at one of the new designs...

Not entirely sold on the words... but we'll see what happens.

I've also been working on some new full moons. While I usually create my moony faces in paper clay I thought I'd do a series in polymer clay so that they could be worn as a brooch. The first one listed can be found here.

I also made two mandrake brooches! One is already listed here.

Ok, I'm heading back into the studio to keep out of troubles way. Wish me luck!

Papery love

I think the glue is still wet on this one but I couldn't wait to share. Really it's just a load of fun with paper...

The base of the piece is made from the boxes from the  Layer Cake Paper Mache Box Set. (I swiped the lids for other projects) and you can grab some of those trims, papers and flowers from Alpha Stamps too. The tree at the top is made from twisted brown paper bags.

And here's a nice close-up detail shot of the tiered portion.

I'm really pleased with how this came out. There's a zillion little parts to it, but it looks like a fairy wedding gift.

Happy Monday!

Winged things and missing mail

I've spent the day makin' this troop of winged things...

They're going to part of a new batch of work for greeting cards which (fingers crossed) should be available in a few weeks.

ALSO please note, I'm having a heck of a time with my email. I have no idea what has or has not been going out or coming in but I suspect shenanigans!

If I owe you a message, or you think you've been lost in the abyss of cyber space... I'm sorry and I have pulled out my wand in the hopes the issue (whatever it is) is resolved soon!

New and Improved Pesky Piskie Photos

Thanks to the sunshine (and the realization that my macro setting was somehow turned off) I have some improved pictures of the captured Cornish Piskie!

 

Here she is, sitting still for just a moment. Piskies do not sit still for long. If you happen to capture one, you must act quickly and be very patient in order to get a good photograph.

It was quite dangerous of me to remove the lid, I could have lost a finger! Thanks to BLiSsAngELs for the suggestion that a nibble of cake might appease her for a short while, I was only nipped twice. 

How big is she? Well her box measures just 5" tall, and don't worry, the lid, once again, is firmly in place.

Ode to Stash Joy Shrine

So there's this sad little box that has been in my stash for ages. At some point I had painted it black, gave it glittery yellow interior and some sparkly red trim but it sat in my 'to do' drawer for about 3 years untouched. That is until yesterday when I got a bit 'stuck'. When I get stuck I try to get myself going again by cleaning up my mess. When doing so yesterday, I came across the little black box. I thought that it might be a nice little project to get the mess making juices going again...

 

I just began gluing things down and eventually it became a shrine to the all of the little bits in my stash that never get used. You know, all those beads and sequins and things that sit around and rarely get used and you think "I can't get rid of those! What if I need 10,000 star sequins one day?"

 

Anyway I rather like it. It feels lovely and heavy in your hands. It's a bit of a mess... but a hot mess... and I think it's rather joyous in it's sparkly goodness.

I'm thinking I'll make a larger one next time and REALLY go to town using those old stashy things that have gone far too long without attention.

Sneaky peeky at a pesky piskie

I worked on this piece today. A captured Cornish Piskie.

I was pretty darned pleased until I tried to photograph her. Grrrr. She was pulling all sorts of horrible faces, moving around so that the pictures were blurry, and hiding in the shadows. Here's hoping a good night sleep will do her good and she'll be more photogenic in the sunshine tomorrow.

Fingers crossed she doesn't escape before then!

A goat named Nymeria

I finished up another painting inspired by Missing Willow Farm last night. This one is much smaller than the last at 8" x 6"

I dropped the lamb painting off at Impresario Artisan Market on Sunday and Rebecca commented on the sort of dabby, smooshy kind of painting I do. I didn't always do that. I used to paint like this...

Those studies are pretty darned accurate, but reproducing something is a skill and is only one part of the act of  making. I eventually came to a point where it became more important to enjoy the painting process, to celebrate the little strokes and ticks of colour than to get hung up on perfect rendering.

Now, if you'll pardon me, I think I'll got and get dabby with some oils ;)