Sunday, 12 June 2011

Surreal Art in the Garden

Before the rain started, Stewart and I put up this metal
hanging so the kiwi plant has something to grow up.
The kiwi fruit seeds were started off by my father in law
and now with all the lovely weather it has started to grow
quite quick.
This corner is outside Stewart's studio and divides
that garden to the Japanese area.
We had burnt an old single mattress a couple of
weeks ago in our burning area and when the fire
was finished it left behind the springs.
Interesting! I thought, I can use those.
What for, I didn't know at the time
but this morning walking past the empty screen divider,
thinking that the kiwi would soon need a trellis
to grow up, it came to me.
Springs!
This corner has always displayed Surreal Art
of mine, originally a 1.5 m 'peep box',
called 'Have You Ever',
click this link HERE to view
which over the years disintergrated slowly
so was replaced by a screen and sculpture arrangement.
The lady came from inside that box.
I love sculpture gardens and put unusual areas
around my garden.
The white board is not usually behind it,
I put this up so the area would photograph.
You look right through at the moment until the
kiwi grows up the screen.
See more of our garden

Through The Eye Textile Exhibition




On Saturday, Stewart and I went off to the North Norfolk Coast,
to a Textile Exhibition
called "Through The Eye"
at Brancaster Staithe Village Hall.
It was put on by The Hindolveston Textile Group.
Wow! when you walked in the door you were met by friendly
faces and the array of different mixed media textile work.
The work was breath taking and much to admire.
Even through some you were able to identify techniques
or stitches, the combination and thought of each piece was
wonderful. There was something there for everyone
to admire. Stewart especially like the two 'mask'
pieces on the stage.
Well done, to all who exhibited and helped to
put on such an inspiring Exhibition
and we look forward to more of the
groups Exhibitions.

Three Gilded Mixed Media Cards

Here are all three of the mixed media cards with gilding,
finished.
I really love the vivid pink with the various shades of Gold.
They are very India inspired.
See my website for more
Mixed Media work.

Gilded Flowers


Here is the first of the Gilded Flower Cards put together.
I love looking around my studio for that treasure,
the little bit of something that is just right to add to a piece of work.
The treasure that makes you go, "yes, that fits".
See more of my mixed media work on my website.

Saturday, 11 June 2011

Gilded Flowers

On Friday it was chores morning and catching up
on paperwork. When these were finished
I went in the studio and carried on
with the gilding I had started on Wednesday.
Time flies when you are learning something new!
Here is how far I got. Now I just need to
stick and continue with the backgrounds for them.
There is two different ways of gilding here.
Stamp and emboss a piece of card with your pattern,
then using 'size',
paint the areas you want to gild. Allow to almost dry,
it should look tacky. Then put on the flakes all over the area,
brush off any excess with a soft brush.
Do this on to a separate piece of card to save the flakes.
Then continue to brush off the smaller excess pieces,
the pattern is then buffed with a soft tissue.
The other way is to use the double sided sticky
transparent sheets.
(It has the square grids on for card making).
Cut a square out slightly bigger than your flower.
Peel off one side and sick on a peel -off, of your
choice, here I chose flowers.
Place the gilding flakes in the sticky areas and finish
as above. You can then either stick the the square
straight on to a card or cut the shape out.
happy gilding.
See more paper techniques on my website

Thursday, 9 June 2011

Little Abbey Farm



In my roll as a Norfolk Community Artist I was

called by Ben to come and visit

Little Abbey Farm at Pentney.

Ben and Dianne run a small mixed farm with

Bed and Breakfast.

Like a lot of different businesses they are looking to

extol their assets and best features.

Little Abbey Farm is a working Farm with a great

extended garden room, the light is wonderful.

I had a visit around the farm and it's inspiration.

The farm has great animals who are used to human contact.

Spike above was so lovely he let me stroke and rub his head,

and take his picture. He is an artist dream as he wasn't bothered at

all. I could have set up my easel and he wouldn't have

batted an eye!

The pigs were adorable with a little piglet squeaking around,

not bothered by us at all.

There was so much to inspire an artist with old milk churns

and farm machinery, horse drawn ploughs to an old

but huge combine harvester.

I would recommend it definitely for

Bed and Breakfasts, they have the Breakfast Award

and a Silver Award too!

Also a venue for future events like

Retreats for small groups to enjoy the

rural location and the first rate food.

I am looking into helping run a Quilting Retreat and

an Arts Weekend.

Visit their website

www.littleabbeyfarm.co.uk


Heart Felt Crafts and Gifts

I next went on to Heart Felt Craft and Gifts in

Bennet House Dereham.

This is a wonderful shop and has a wonderful

website too!

I needed a gift that I hadn't made! and a funny card!

The shop is inspirational and always looks so beautiful.

Found the perfect card and had a chat with Heather,

to catch up on Norfolk craft events and news.

Visit her site

www.heartfeltcraft.com


Bead This Craft That

After being inspired I went to

Bead This Craft that in Dereham and had a good

look round for and brought a flower punch,

some cosmic shimmer paints, (these are just beautiful and also

work on fabric!) and some trinkets for projects that I am working on

for future workshops in the Autumn.

It is always a shop to be inspired by and in

and if they haven't got it, they will try and order it in

for you!

Visit Bead This and Craft That at

www.beadthiscraftthat.co.uk

Gilding

On Wednesday Kim showed carol and myself how to gild

cards with Gilding Flakes.

I watched and was thinking, well! embossing and

stamping bling normally works why spend the extra

on size and flakes.

How wrong I was,

When you follow the technique through and buff

the gilded area up, ooo, what a shine.

I can see me using this on many different medias.

Above is my practice piece ready to make cards later.

To see more of my card making click on the labels below

or visit the paper techniques on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Mixed Media Autumn bark

This is my Mixed media Autumn Bark piece
which jeanette was following as inspiration.
It is made with a muslin base and the same method
I showed Jeanette.
Jeanette's pice will get more soft and 'Bark' like,
as she works on it. You will be able to see it as it progresses.
Thats if Jeanette lets me after me stretching her comfort zone!!!
See more of my mixed media work
on my website pages.

Mixed Media Autumn Backgrounds


Jeanette is making a mixed media leaf wall hanging and
needed the background for her wonderful
embroidered leaves.
She really doesn't enjoy painting because like some
of us she was put off art by an art teacher who didn't like her
and told her she couldn't do it. That teacher was wrong!!!
Jeanette produces fantastic mixed media pieces,
one of which being 'Bolliwood Turrets'.
She was really out of her comfort zone when
I lay out a piece of plastic,
put a piece of calico on it and arranged, paints, PVA, cotton wool,
swabs, rubber gloves and an apron on the table.
After we all had a little laugh at her impression of a
mad surgeon she got to work through
'gritted teeth'!
It went outside the Gallery to dry with bricks and a flower pot
to hold it down, much to the interest of customers.
Forty minutes later Jeanette was at the machine
with wools and a machine that didn't want to play!
(they always know when you are trying something new!)
With perseverance the wools were zig zagged on to
form the bark layers.
As you can see above with the leaves on top with
the background showing through it is going to
look quite something.
To see Jeanette's 'Bolliwood' click the label below.

Scissor Case


Barbara has made a needlecase using up all her scraps of
'Confetti", as I call it. The ends of the material you cut off material
while you are making projects. It looks great.
Her scissor case above is nearly finished just the
wool trim and beading to go all round.
See more scissor cases and how they are made by
clicking on the labels below this post.

Wednesday, 8 June 2011

Gallery Day 7th June 2011


Gallery Tuesday busy as ever through the day with creating and
laughter.
Above Holly who has just finished school is learning how to
make a dress. She has chosen the most fantastic crepe fabric,
not so easy for a newbie but she has taken it all in her
stride and it's turning out great.
To see more of what goes on @The Gallery
visit

Sunday, 5 June 2011

Mixed Media Card Making





Friday afternoon I had a couple of hours
making mixed media cards.
I like to mix large pieces of work which
take a long time to make with
small mixed media projects like cards or
pictures.
They are available from me or @ The Gallery Dereham.
See more of my cards on my website

Jacks Quilt

On Friday morning I managed to finish quilting the borders

on jack's Quilt and placed the bias binding,

ready to hand sew it into place.

(There is 7m of it to hand finish!).

Michelle and Lexi came round to and

we had a cuppa and blew Bubbles!

Do remember Lexi is 16 months old.

See more of my Quilts on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk