Sunday Sentiments

FUN FRIDAY! - Doodle Inspiration

 I seem to have somehow 

caught a bug!....

a flippin' great dose of 

DOODLE BUGS that is!

Oooooer! I forgot how therapeutic these were!

And with a little bit of colour here......

And a little bit there.....

they can look amazing!

Check out those quirky heart flowers!

Painting with colour 

makes all the difference....

and brings it all to life!

Doodles are easy, quick and

 a fun and funky way

to wind down and relax...

Plus you can use them for all sorts of other crafts,

from card making to scrap booking.

Try it.... once you start you can't stop,

and the ideas will flow and grow.

Happy creating.

Any questions?

please leave a comment :o) 

What's a strawberry got to do with anything?

A strawberry......

for no reason :o)


Just a little teaser,

of things to come....


Inspiration comes in many guises. 

Tomorrow......

I hope to inspire you too! 

Painting Collage Doodles - Autumn Leaves

I don't know what got me thinking of Autumn,

when I love and look forward to Summer so much. 

Perhaps it was the colours in the scarf I was wearing

But then someone shared this on Facebook.

Which sent me to this Pinterest Page

and I was inspired to pick up those pens 

and water brush, and have a little play.

As I've been telling myself for a long time,

I really must get round to making an Art Journal,

I thought I would at least draw and paint 

some Doodle Leaves

to perhaps add to the front.

Then I got to thinking 

that I could, if I made a few of these

and cut them out....

make some sort of collage.

for the front.....

And here's the little pile I created...

I think they'll look fab on a book....

Then I took the design and added to it....

My art Journal seemed appropriate

and encouraging,

at least it's a start......

And of course.... ever the eternal caution filled Pixie,

I scanned and printed a couple out, just in case...

If I don't use them,

 I'm sure I can find someone else that will

And I'll probably add some of those loose leaves

to make the design even bigger

Proving that 3 into 1 does go! ... Confessions of a technophobe!

3 machines:

1 Prints,1 foils,and 1 cuts.

Sometimes I even make myself laugh! I wanted to write this blog post, about experimenting with the machines at the studio and show you how my mind works sometimes. 

It was only after I loaded the pictures in order, that I remembered this post about resisting change and technology  and how I do everything in my power to avoid it like the plague. In fact, I'm one of those that is the last to get anything, not the first... and usually this is because I HAVE to have it in order for things to still work.

After seeing that Blogger was changing to the 'NEW BLOGGER' in April and fearing I would be the last to leave 'Old Blogger' and wouldn't have a clue how to post, add pictures etc. I was extra brave a couple of weeks ago and bit the bullet! 

Then Google kept telling me to upgrade to Google Chrome.... again I resisted, until my hand was forced. 

After being told repeatedly that Facebook was going to change whether we like it or not, I clenched my bum cheeks as I installed, never to be able to return, to the NEW Facebook timeline.

Now all this above may not seem like a big deal, but as a self confessed technophobe who hates change and prefers the comfortable and stable these day, it was one hell of a big deal.

Which brings me to this..... I wanted to blog about my idea of bringing 3 machines I employ on minimum wage, to make one complete thing. These 3 machines are not really designed to work together but the more I did with them the more I wanted to push boundaries. Now that's something I DO like doing.....taking things to their ultimate capacity and beyond....just to see if the techie heads have got the specification sheets right, you understand. 

Anyway....it was then and only then I realised that actually I am more a techie headed geek than I thought I was. 

Are you with me so far? 

I have a laser printer, a foiler and a plotter (which cuts vinyl and card).... 3 machines, bought for very different reasons. Each I have used in their own right..... but what could I do if I worked all 3 together? I had an end product in mind.... I just had to work backwards and see if I could get it to work.

Here's what I did.....

First I used the plotter software adding my design....

. then printed it off......

Then I foiled it....

This is what the sheet looked like. 

Nothing special....it's how I print and foil all my Wedding Stationery

Then back to the plotter software,

in the hope that I had told the plotter where to cut around my design....

It didn't work....

Somehow the trace facility is still open to error 

and there has to be a bit of technical knowledge 

behind the thinking.....

A few buttons later and a quick test cut, showed that this time it did work! 

Here;s a close up so you can see that I have left a border around the image, 

I think cutting on the lines would have made for a long cutting time....

I'm fairly pleased with them and as usual can't resist folding the wings up!

Butterflies just don't look right with flattened wings.

Learning all this has made me feel like an expert......

But the best laugh????

I haven't the foggiest idea how I got it to work!

I guess I'm not as clever as I think I am!!! 

So... back to the drawing board :o)

Two Souls With a Single Thought

 One of my favourite quotations....

Designed on computer,

cut by machine......

Two souls

with a single thought,

Two hearts 

that beat 

as one

Time flies when you are having fun!

The Pixie and the Alchemist have great big smiles on their faces and have celebrated with a glass of Pimms tonight. We set ourselves a task a year ago when he moved in and one week short of our deadline ....we have made it!

We had between us 2 living rooms, 2 kitchens, 2 bathrooms and 5 bedrooms... as he was moving in with me there was basically 2 houses which somehow had to fit into 1. 
We basically kept the best of everything we had and I was determined that this house would become 'ours' so we bought items that needed renewing and chose them together. We also not only redecorated the whole house, but carpeted it all too.
There has been much discarding and during this we had a mew bathroom and shower fitted too! Madness and mayhem springs to mind! But it had to be done. 


Today was a milestone..... the last carpet was laid. At last, we can sit back and enjoy what we have achieved. The guest bedroom was the last to be done.... and it looks fabulous!


We've also been working hard at the studio and had a good old sort out there too. The Gallery/shop is all new and lots of storage space as well as getting rid of unwanted collected creative 'stuff'.... when 2 creative spirits join together it can be chaos.....for a while anyway.


Together the creative juices flow and he keeps me focused....something I sadly lacked before. It's nice to finally have someone who's supportive and has a creative mind.... the ideas just keep on flowing and growing.


It's been a busy year, as we've had to work, create, network, market AND get the house and garden together as well, but to be honest.... I wouldn't call it HARD work. Far from it, it's been a breeze. He's so calm and patient, it makes doing anything a pushover.


Oh.... and did I tell you.... right in the middle of all this, my son and daughter-in-law moved house and me and my son decorated the whole of their 3 bed roomed house too! I love decorating! That smell of emulsion especially, takes me places..... but AHEM! Enough of that.... my closest friends could let you into some of my sordid fantasies about painter and their overalls and the effect that paint has on me.... but that was a long time ago, when I saw the Chippendale's (not of the furniture kind!) and I have recovered since then.....well.... perhaps!  :o) 


Fortunately we both have the same drive and motivation when it comes to positivity.... and we firmly believe that you can achieve ANYTHING, if you only just put your mind to it! :o)


I haven't told him yet.....but I have my eyes on some gorgeous paint and I may just have to give the bedroom a bit of a freshen up......  :o)


Now then.....where's the Pimms??? 

Paper Fetish, from beginner to expert!

 I've always had a love for paper!
I remember as a child, my mum making flour and water glue, giving me a pair of scissors and an old catalogue and some blank paper. I created many pieces of expert art work.....Monty Python style. Legs coming out of mouths, birds flying out of peoples ears.....well you get the picture I'm sure. 
As a child of 8 years old and with a calligraphy nib I copied Gothic lettering I found lettering hard with a chisel nib, as a left hander I couldn't understand why. Of course years later, I realised I needed a specially cut oblique nib! I remember however, I was sent to the headmaster for a 'special pen' to use during handwriting class. A Platinum with a curvy end if my memory serves me well. (which could be doubtful at my age! - lol). 


In secondary school, my plan was that I wanted to become a graphic designer or sign writer. I used to copy lettering styles out of the Lettraset catalogue. It's here I became fascinated with lettering of all kinds. Whether on paper, carved in stone or etched in glass. 


Years later I got heavily into Quilling. If you've never heard of it go and take a look-see here
Still my passion for paper continued. 


To be honest I wanted to stone carve letters and learning calligraphy was a means to an end. 
It wasn't until I actually took a class in stone carving that I realised what hard work it was and if I was to have any wrists left at all, it was not something for me. 


So....lettering and paper seemed a perfect combination.
I learnt to bookbinding, from single section to multi-section, paper covered to the largest 500 page. A4 sized leather bound book for a shop in London.... very exciting!


I've done letters ON paper, and in books.....but finding this lost piece of cut out lettering art (now sadly VERY yellow and dirty) made me come back to cut-out letters....

This piece was created in 3 layers and was taught to me by a wonderful stone carver 

called Celia Kilner, who made some of these to explain to a stone mason that she wanted letters cut into and out of the stone.....

I have been fascinated with silhouettes and stencilling over the past years.

These two pieces are experimental pieces where I wanted to cut letters overlapped and in one whole piece.

I've designed my own stencils in the past, so being aware of letters which would drop out and fall away when using the positive, came in handy. I had to make sure the dot of the i on waiting and life and the apostrophe on I've were attached to a letter somewhere. Like I said, these couple of pieces are very much experimental at the moment and I have to fit the playing in after my commission work is out of the way.....which has been very hard lately, but I have lots of ideas and will show you the progress as time goes on.

I
 love paper-cuts...... of all kinds. Paper is so flexible and can be manipulated. Cutting can both strengthen and weaken the paper depending on how it is cut. 
And with the wide variety of weights, finishes, colours and application types, it's an amazing material to work in. 

I LOVE PAPER, I DO!

I don't think I will EVER

 achieve anything as spectacular as this though!

I Love Quotations! - dance in the rain...

I've a few friends at the moment who are going through a very tough time. 

Life can throw up some difficult challenges sometimes.

It's often hard to stay positive when the odds seemed stacked against you. 

Knowing that others care and share your pain

 is certainly a comfort in times like these.

Nothing makes us immune from these challenges.

As a living, feeling being, it's all part of life.

What you can do is look at the things you are truly grateful for.

No matter how small.

Starting a gratitude journal is certainly a step in the right direction.

And even in our darkest hours,

we can all find something to be grateful for.

To those in need of love, support and healing right now,

know that you have it! xxx

I Love Quotations - On being creative!

We are definitely a breed apart and 

I'm not quite sure others understand us.

We often start early and finish late,

not to mention the times when we cannot sleep

 because our minds won't close down.

One thing I do know.....

I wouldn't change being me

 for the world! :o)

Happy creative day everyone!

I Love Quotations - On being a strong woman

I Love Quotations - Sticking by you!

I Love Quotations - Creativity

Don’t let anyone rob you of your imagination, 

your creativity, or your curiosity. 

It’s your place in the world; it’s your life. 

Go on and do all you can with it, 

and make it the life you want to live.

1. ~Mae Jemison

I Love Quotations! - Message to artists

Resisting change and technology! - Not everything new is bad!

Ok, ok, ok.... I'm the first to admit I'm a total technophobe! I think my long standing passion for calligraphy, lettering, wet ink , paint and paper as well as my inability to understand written instructions in their simplest forms, made me this way.
I mean, if you show me I can understand and remember.... give me written information and I... well run away in the opposite direction.


It was a surprise to me when I met Steve....a true techie head. So, in his daily life he's a  pesticide chemist, he also loves messing about with electronics, he can make things and understand how things work....even the complicated things. When I balk at technology there's usually a wry smile appears on his face and then it's accompanied by the explanation of why technology is good and more importantly why it is good for me...I take some convincing I can tell you, preferring the simpler things in life (no I'm not going to make a joke about my ex's here.....although it's on the tip of my tongue to do so!)   :o)


After using a fellow artist's iPad a couple of times....i suddenly realised what I had been missing out on! For a Virgo I can be pretty disorganised (no change there then!) and I make notes on bits of paper....lots of notes and LOTS of bits of paper. Having a visual impairment means I very often loose these bits of paper, which then results in a frantic scramble around the studio or on the kitchen table (my favourite place for leaving the bits of paper) and sometimes ends up with me in a stroppy Pixie mood with myself, for being so disorganised and not mindful of what I am doing and where I am leaving things.

In a bid to get sorted at the studio...I did buy these amazing drawers.... all colour co-ordinated to help me find things quickly..... it helps, a bit!


As business picked up at the back end of last year, I suddenly found myself with 8 Wedding orders on the go.... and the paper juggling exercises became overwhelming. 
One of the great problems with Wedding orders is that the work is scheduled in at different times. The invitations come first then later the place cards, menus, order of service  and other ephemera. Place cards are always a last minute thing as the client doesn't know who is turning up and how many cards are needed till last minute. Keeping a diary, note book, order book, catalogue of designs and a variety of sketch books... Oh yes as well as the bits of jotted notes and post-it-notes became an impossible situation...... so guess what happened? 

The iPad3 was due out a week after I decided to buy one. While the screen resolution of the iPad2 was good, I thought I would wait and go for the 3, with it's even better quality screen. Sighted people would probably not even notice the difference.....but I can. And as they say, every little helps!


I honestly can't believe how useful it has been for me already.
It's my address book, diary, organiser, notepad, sketch pad, it can play my talking books (blimey I thought I was state of the art getting an MP3 player!) it can read out my emails, it's my photo album for taking to wedding fairs and it's fast becoming my (almost) best friend (did I really say that?) ..... I could ramble on and wax lyrical all day.  I was even tempted to rush out and buy a Mac and an iPhone....but I'm holding off on that one. Baby steps Susan (Sunday name for firm out loud voice).


Oh....and did I mention someone else in the Pixie household likes it too.....

So.... here I am.... smitten with my new gadget. Within 24 hours I knew more than I ever knew in a year, when I first got a PC!

My 2 year old grand-daughter can use it.... honestly she can!

And if anyone is pondering and procrastinating on getting one....especially artists who are not used to the less tactile side of life......do not hesitate....it will be the best decision you ever made! 

At the end of the day and the worst case scenario,

It makes a great cat toy!

Message to self:

Another Message to self: 

Not everything new is bad,

evil, a waste of money,

consumerism gone mad

or complicated! 

Message to my wonderful partner

Steve: 

OK, you can stop grinning now!

In memory of Karen

It's been 2 weeks. 2 very long weeks, since we received the shock news that Steve's nephew found his fiance of 5 years dead in bed after just a few days where the doctor and subsequent hospital visit diagnosed nothing more than tonsillitis. 

We went down to see the family and console Joe at the weekend. It was a tough call, as is any loss, especially when sudden and unexpected.

Having been through it myself 12 years ago when my own partner died I could at least give him some kindly words of advice. Mainly, do whatever feels right, no matter how stupid others may think your ideas are. Take each day in baby steps. Laugh if you want and cry if you want. It's nobody's judgement call but yours.  

Time is a great healer. The knife in your stomach and the pain from your heart being ripped out, does not last forever, no matter how much you feel it will at the time.

Be gently on yourself and take comfort from your family who love and care for you so much.... and friends too....they are important and will help get you through this. And do you know what? You NEVER forget that kindness.

The wheel of the year will turn it's circle. Sometimes it feels too slowly. But almost without trying, one day you will wake up and realise just how far you have come and the suns warmth will be felt on your face once again. 

For the rest of us.....life goes on....

In memory of Karen 1961 - 2012

Please play the video.

It's the most beautiful fitting tribute

to those who have gone before.