A Bridge overTroubled Water!

Things are certainly getting interesting over here but that's what makes life interesting! Been doing a bit of painting - think I put the last one on and now doing - or trying to do - small cascades in a stream. Going to post this and then erase quite a bit of the painting and do it again! For some reason hate redoing a whole painting as do not like doing the same thing twice, but don't mind trying a little repair work. Mind you reason I took the pic now is that I might have to bin it after my attempts - although I have always loved tim Holtz philosophy - Embrace Imperfection! Do the same with my quilting -does it matter that it is not perfect - no, because it is handmade and that's what I love about handmade things. Anyway here is the latest effort!!!

Bridge over Troubled Water! Need to darken bridge, lighten tree, sort shadows, redo rock at front, sort rock at back!!!!

See what I mean! Also found a wonderful book for my journalling. Cant say where I got it in case I get into trouble!Have decided that however much I love Donna and Dy's wacky use of figures etc I just cant do it and although enjoy some journalling realised that what I love most is scrapbooking with a twist, using mixed media ideas, journalling, quilting etc all in one so think that is what I am going to concentrate on. The idea being that where I have taken pages out of the book I insert others that are made from handmade paper, material, hessian etc and this will be a scrapbook of events in our life - at least that's the idea!! Here are some pages from the book, not yet adulterated! But obviously I am going to leave the wonderful colour plates and skirt around the illustrations.

Lovely scroll - it looks silver here but is actually gold.

One of the lovely colour illustrations.

Every ballad starts with a lovely pen and ink illustration.

Inside the front cover - think the date is 1936 but edge of pages ragged and lovely old, thick paper - yummy!

Right got to take dogs for their injections - we do it 2 at a time as less hassle!!! Have a great weekendxxxx

Long time no see!

Can't believe it has been a whole month - busy busy busy but must get better at keeping up with blog! Good news is had good offers for house, bad news no one signed on the dotted line yet and lost the house we were hoping for in the Uk. However been doing quite a bit of painting and getting back into quilting again. My sisters long promised quilt is finally coming together - slowly but loving it!! Will put pics on some time.
Firstly, made a couple of books that dont think have put onto blog so going to put those on first - for a swap in US but having seen the others in the swap these look pretty poor in comparison! They had to be less than 5.5 inches in size!

Made from postcard 12x12 folded and added tags so can put pics in for trips etc - liked this one wouldnt have minded keeping it!

The inside showing the tags.

Individual tag.

Second book made from tiny envelopes - Love.

Inside - all pages same layout just different lady image - all from Graphics Fairy of course!

Inside back cover.

Tags put inside envelopes so can journal, add photos etc.

Then one more painting from the Bob Davies Watercoloursecrets series. By the way he now also has one on acrylics!!

Supposed to be muddy farm track!!!

 Then last week Dee, my painting buddy and I went to Naivasha and stayed at a friends wonderful house there - just gorgeous! However the same can't be said of the paintings! It is one thing following a dvd it is totally another trying to do it by yourself. Hopefully this is a case of where practise makes perfect!!!

Lake Naivasha - those are supposed to be acacia trees but need to sort out how to do them!

Sunlight through acacias in evening. Again, foliage on trees in particular needs to be sorted.

Ol Oidien - the small lake at Naivasha - one of our favourite places in the whole of Kenya. Mulla, the flat topped hill was right in front of the house we lived in when we were there.

This is a small promontory into the lake that I changed into an islet!!

Anyway, that's it - off to do some quilting so will put some pics on in next few days. xx

Publisher rocks!

Okay found my way into publisher and started doing some really fun collage pages as it can make backgrounds transparent so all shows through -fantastic! Been busy - we have taken up tennis but last week my body decided to rebel afterwards and gave me the worst migraine had so had to go to hospital to get pethidine and anti nausea -wot fun!! However played yesterday and drank LOADS of water and just had to take one little tablet so great! Swimming 42 lengths at least 5x per week so if there is any justice in this world I should lose weight!  Anyway have spent last week really looking at quilties and made a cover for the ones I have done - intend to add to it- also some kinda folk art crazy quilt hearts and yesterday at last got back into painting. The problem is I love it all and there is just not enough time to do it all in a day!! Here is painting!

As usual some bits okay others???!!!!!!

Here is the quiltie cover I did - not finished got to put embellishments etc on.

Front cover

Back cover - love that quote!

Quilted heart

Detail of embroidery I put on it. Not great but first attempt!

Right getting ready to give residents nice Easter weekend. Happy Easter everyone!xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx