Return to the Centre if the Earth - part2

It is great having time at home. Spent yesterday finishing off the first page for my tunnel book. The book now goes into an exchange .

As you'll see in the pictured below both page sides are covered. The cover has Prof. James heading into the tunnel. I have borrowed the phase from the rock opera for the scroll. Then thought about what would you find living inside the Earth? Fantastic creatures ? Blind human forms ? Well seemed like time to start creating some fantastic creatures from due cuts. It reminded me of the old TV programme about fantastic creatures, I had a book when I was little. I also can see that this gives all the rest of the artists free reign when creating their pages. Would the be light down there ?

The child image was from an old photo I gave in my collection. The original us a studio shot with a little girl. Plan to add a few copies of the photo to the parcel so the same child keeps appearing.

The fun is having to think about looking both sides. What material gets used, what colour both sides are all matters. The net was an accident it is part of a stash my BFF gave me ages ago, but the stitching just looks like roots or plant life.

There are 12 pages but only 9 artists signed up so looks like I will get the last pages to answer the final question of what lies at the centre of the Earth.

Finally :
HAPPY NEW YEAR for 2012

Return to the centre of the Earth

I have changed my mind and created a new theme for my tunnel book. It is inspired by Rick Wakeman's rock opera.

Begun with creating images to decorate the first page. Love the machine, quite steam punk. Now to dress my traveller up.

Artful dwellings and metal

Been creating a seasonal artful dwelling. This time cut the larger house twice, but did all the houses first in Ten Second Studio metal. The house were each embossed with different folders. Finally used a sanding block to remove some of the colour. Each house then had an image added to fill in the window. I have tried different ideas for this. Then before adding the hinge I place a card board back on each one. This time to make them stand used paper tape on the back as a hinge. Seems ok. Then started to add embellishments which are a mix of findings from Tim Holtz and bits I had around.

I have also added an image of the tunnel book pages. Spent time yesterday giving the fronts two coats of Gesso , to give a nicer surface and to cover up the original art work as the card all comes off food packaging.

Update 3 : Yule house

A little or quick update.

Art house and butterflies

Been trying out my new sizzix die from the Tim Holtz collection. This is the artful dwellings die. Had fun, it is a little thrown together and I am still trying to work out the best way to link the house shapes together to get it to stand up.
I will be having a second go.

Also spent time cutting out the pages for a tunnel book. Will add photos next time as they are all drying from the Gesso under coat.

Update 2 : Yule house

Started adding colour. It is looking a little dark right now. Need to make some more layers of texture / colour.

Update 1 : the Yule House

Yes, been working on the Yule house project. Most of the items are not glued yet, just standing them around to get some ideas. Well I know it will be an art house. The house has liquid paper on the walls, although on the photo it might look like cottonwool. Needs paint, roof added and doors put on. I do like the fence going round the back.

Had a quiet day at home with BF and Hubby. Eaten large turkey dinner, open gifts together and now relaxing (which means sleeping for the other two).

Had an arty set of gifts. Hubby bought me a year sub to Somerset Studio, more Sizzix dies on houses from T!m's range, blank notebook, gardening books and a few chicken related items.

Gifts abound

We exchanged gifts with our friends today. Buni created this Yuletide cake for us.

Turkey and rain

Ventured out into rain to collect our turkey from the Ashford Farm. Then took our lives in our hands and headed into Waitrose for a last last few bits.

We did have extra cards to buy. First hubby's cousin has adopted a little girl - so finding a suitable card not fun. Most of the shops had seasonal cards out.  Then we also just heard a friend has become engaged.

House for YuleTide

Merry Yuletide to everyone. A day late but close enough.

Started to put a kit together I bought a while back. A lot of dressing now required but something to do over the holiday. Watch out for more updates over the coming days.

Not sure what style I will be going for. It may depend on what supplies I have to had. I guess I will starting with a Gesso under coat.

Perhaps one of Tim's rosset trees with the cotton reel base might work.

Finally the Tree

We only have a small false tree to keep the cat off it. This year I have added a few of my Tim Holtz inspired tree ornaments.

Dressing the house

Yes, it has come to that time when the house gets the festive dressing. I tend to remove and store those items on the mantle piece etc and dress the clean surface.

No tinsil in sight. Everything has a nature base and candles. There is a few raindeer or moouse around too.

The tree will go up soon with all the hand made ornaments I have been sent over the years.

An experiment

I have the blog app for my phone now and wanted to see if I can keep on top of my blogging with it. So bare with me as I learn.

Added an image created at workshop two weeks ago with Cas Holmes. Had a great day. We learnt about momigarmi (not sure on spelling) where you turn paper into fabric by crunching up.

Update ~ A long One !

OMG , nothing since 8th May... I have so much to catch up on...

May ended with a wedding in Cheshire and a holiday.



Here is hubby's mate getting married to his lady in the May sun shine. Their daughter joining the offical photos. We stayed over at the hotel giving us time to enjoy the whole day, catch up with all hubby's old friends and generally relax.
It was a stunning day, but opened up the point that I don't have much in the way of suitable outfits for a weding or party.

Before heading home from the wedding we picked up hubby's parents who came to stay with us for a week. See picture above the title. We had a mixed week. I had a couple of mornings to still work, hubby got a BAD cold and the weather was not with us. We did have time to visit a number of National Trust houses to look round the gardens, Amberly Chalk Pits where I spent AGES in the Telecomms building. It was wonderful playing with the exchange they have set up. Ringing the speaking clock and watching the exchange clicking into place. OK ... so not every ones cup of tea. Mum and Dad also joined us in teh garden for a little light weeding mostly on the days when Hubby was not feeling up for driving.

Plenty of ART happening in the last few weeks. I have added to my Tim Holtz box... although I still have a couple of holes to fill. The top left hand may not show up well but it had a set of 5 chicken beads and a cat !!!


I am about to join a Fabric Book exchange. As a practise and coz they looked too much fun, I made a few extra pages to start a home journal. These are the pages I ahve been working on. The title of the book is Lost and Found.

The only stitching on here is the button. Everything else is grunge board or ink...


The girl as a piece of glasse paper which has been worked well first. All the pieces are then stitched down using the machine.


The bird nest is a button which I had bought YEARS ago. I found this while sorted in a few boxes. The bird is black card attached with matt medium. I still have some work to do on this page. Feel that I want to add some text.


This page is really only just started. Not sure if the bird cage will stay. Thinking about cutting a grunge paper version and have someone breaking out. Found a lot of my COC (Call of Cthulhu) figures which I am thinking could/should be added to a piece some time SOON !

Two weeks ago headed to Wembley for a triple header. WOW what a night. Started with Styx who are a great band to watch once you get over the fact that they do ever bad habit you would expect from Spinal Tap ... Funny but good music ... Oh and no models of Stone henge appear (see Spinal Tap the movie for reference)


Next were Foreigner !!! DOuble WOW ...
A brillant set. We could have left after them and had a great night. A little crowd surfing and GREAT vocals.


Then Journey came on .... :(
Not good. The sound was bad - seemed to over driving the amps. Their new lead singer who looked young enough to be their son or even gandson, was not sure how to deal with a non-responsive audiance. They played too many tracks off the new albumn. Many people left before the encore !!! That included us.

And Finally ...... I pass my driving test !

Are you PUZZLED ?

Joined a puzzle exchange this year and the final package arrived home yesterday. Five members of the group each worked on four the pieces but all in different ways.


Our friends came to stay over the weekend. So nice to have a house full. The boys went off for a 9 mile walk onthe South Downs Way , while the girls stay in , wondered if it was going to rain (it did but not until the evening), collected eggs and learning patch work.

Beltane at Butser

Saturday Butser Ancient Farm held their annual Beltane evening. This always ends with the wicker man being burnt. This year he went up very quickly as it has been so very dry. The wicker man can be seen on a few videos on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4p49MKx5nc


It was a lovely evening. Folk singers, belly dancers, mummer plays, morris men (well in fact most of them were ladies), folk rock band - Feckless, Bird displays, food counters and lots of activities for the kids. Shared the evening with good friends. We created our own head dresses then had face paint added once we arrived !

Watch the morris here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8RlYi6duss



Beltane Blessings to Everyone !

Garden Update

Here is the view over our back fence into the fields. We live in the South Downs National Park and the setting is so very green and peaceful. The location really sold the house to us.

The garden at the back is full of cottage garden plants. These bluebells just grow all over. Below a few more images from around the garden.

Taken the good weather and a week off work to put in many hours in the garden. Removing the nettles, cutting back the dead items killed off in the snow and adding supports for other plants which need it. Hubby has been laying a brick foundation for the greenhouse.


The front of the house and part of the garden. Nice spot but shame about the busy road which goes past. Perhaps next years we'll plan to do more than mow round the apple and walnut tree and give the front some real shape. The wonderful lavender hedge did not make it from the winter and will need to be replaced.

Last night we headed into London to the Royal Albert Hall to see Paul Rogers (From Free and Bad Company) with Support from Joe Ellot's Down'n'Outz (Yes, Joe from Def LEppard and QuireBoyz).. Great evening. Started off with a meal at an Italian near South Ken tube stataion then walked to the venue. The Royal Albert Hall is an amazing location and we'll be glad to visit again for a show. Such a relaxed evening, no bag searches to speak off, bottles of water where sold with the lids on and good beer on sale (spitfire) started the evening off well. The seats are wide, rock/swing so you can turn to face the stage. The sound was very good =)

Garden Update

As the weather has been so good today, we have been in the garden. Last weekend , while I was off in London, hubby built me a second raised veg bed ... YEY !!
I love raised beds, it is medieval method of grow veg which I find REALLY works. On Friday I had the day off so used some of the time to move a tonne of top soil from the delivery site on the drive to the new bed. Thus allowing me to get my second early potatoes in =)
Today , hubby made the nice path you can see in the image. So much easier than trying to mow between the beds. Also as we had over ordered a little on the sets for the path I will now also get the same path infront of the green house...
For those who are looking close, the original bed on the right has peas, onions, leeks, strawberries, radish, spring onions and lettuce. Although the last three have only just been sown this weekend !

Art Weekend in London

Spent yesterday working on a few more pages in my art journal. Here is another image to share. Had a chance to try out a few of the new items bought at Ally Pally last weekend.

I have started to use tissue tape (Tim's one) on the edges of the journal pages when I join two pages. Makes a neat edge and added the the pages !!

Last weekend joined the All Things Tim - european team in London at the Big Stamp Show in Ally Pally. Here is the group by the fountain ! We had a guest from the States join us too. So good to put a face to a name.

A few of us chatting.


Here is what I bought. Very small pile but was great looking round and seeing some of the new products close up.

As you can see i have started to collect stencils. The tissue paper is from 7Gypsys. There were a few different ones but I liked the birds. COuld see a use for that. The NEW Tim tissue tape with the butterflies is great. Already been adding that to a journal page I have been working on. Not forgetting the Sizzix die cuts. Some are out of the packets as we were playing with them Saturday evening in the hotel.

These are a few gifts from friends.The book on the right is from Nikie and the hanger in the centre was from Dorien. The owl was from Bethan which as you will below I have already used.

A few of us stayed over in London with the ladies from Belgium. As we had an evening together we had planned an art evening. The small ring bound book was from Inge for us all to work in. But we got distracted by Dorien's new Vagabond. Then we ended the evening learning about Zentangle.
BUT it meant we had Sunday together to head round the markets. It was such a hot day and lovey being with good friends. Dorien bought a new designed outfit from Spitafields Market. So cool. The we "had hungry" and headed for the rain forest salad bar. YUM !! The afternoon was spent in the Stables at Camdon market.

I have started to work on the book from Inge. The following are the pages so far.

The small bird was cut from a food lid (not used) which Dorien had brought along. As there was a shiny side added colour with A/inks ... the photo does not show well that the bird shines a bit. The last page has a cage made the same way !


Here is the owl now with button eyes and a colour wash paint job.




Finally ended the book with Tim's glacine paper which had the word cut out. Spent Friday playing with the paper. It is so soft could almost think it was fabric.