15-15-15 +1 gets a new Blospot

Despite a stonking cold and migraine I've been plugging away in dribs and drabs so that the girls can chat away, friend up, and post work and link up on Facebook etc. I'm by no means a techie, hate this stuff really, but love things to match and look right.
Made up a logo for us...

15 +1 is the story of 15 artists and their journals international travelling. So come visit the blogsite to meet up with 15 lovely artists doing some fantastic work...or visit us on Facebook at 15 +1 Round Robin.

Happy Yule to all!

Bead Journal Project 2012

Hooray! 

I've just got my link to this years Bead Journal Project .

I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but I think it will be a felted zodiac/wiccan based hanging with beaded segments incorporated as they are completed. Just need to come up with a workable design now...then chill for xmas, and add it to my list of "must-do" art over 2012.

Fun and games!

xxx

17-17-17 becomes 15-15-15 +1

Well, yesterday was a shocker!!! Our swap host turned out to be a devious, needy, selfish individual who despite pleading difficulties and illnesses galore on our 17-17-17 swap, begging for patience and support which we willingly gave- in abundance! was accidentally found out to be doubling up exactly the same on a different community art site.

Sadly she forced us into taking the robin into our own hands, having pretty much done so from the beginning anyway, due to lack of steering and communication. So 17 became 15, and 1 came back, so now we are 16 at last! http://15-15-15.blogspot.com/

So we continue our journey... a load lighter and with positive future. Roll out those journals!!!

17-17-17

I've just finished my entry into Trine's journal in our 17-17-17 Round Robin. ("host" deleted site)

Details are over in my 17 A-17 J-17 M page. This is the second journal I've added to in this RR. It's always so difficult getting started, but the journals so far have been beautifully made and designed so having them a little while helps to get the imagination flowing...

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Origami xmas fun....

As it's getting close to sending time for all those funky xmas cards, I thought I'd add something a little different...
I add a little origami heart in my RAAK's mail, in alsorts of tissue and paper, they're fun and very easy to do...

but I thought I'd get a little festive and send little stars for xmas. They are quite easy to make and look lovely in a group...so keep your eye on the mail, one may be on it's way to you!

 I will be putting tutorials in the how to section soon, so keep checking back.

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Sketchbook fun

I'm still working on my textiled sketchbooks, my current creations are A5, I'm finding that's both a nice size to work, and a reasonable size for sketching.
As well as creating these for sale, several of them will be going to unsuspecting friends for christmas, I can't wait to see their faces when they open them!

This is one of my favourites, spirals and blues. 72 pages of artist quality cartridge paper, yummy, I shall have to make one for myself  after the xmas rush. Here are a few of the others...A5's and A6's

Mandalas...part deux

I know I should really be working on so many other projects, but I need to get this out of my system first. I'm really enjoying them, but I love the effect a bit of doodling has....

Perhaps I should call it a day for a little while...I must finish the goodies box and do another 1000 words on my essay....Oh well! These 3 have been put through my filter again...what a difference!! In fact the bottom one is from the previous posting...you'd not know....

Mandala fun...

I've not created mandalas before, and with all the other work/playing that I do, I might never have got round to it if I hadn't seen a free tutorial on willowing . Guadalupe has posted video tutorials to work through the stages...great fun!

As these are my first, and it's coming up for xmas card posting, I thought I'd follow the theme....

I might add a bit of doodling later...but for the time being I shall leave them like this on the paper....although I have put them through my fave filter already

Have a go...it's great fun and quite meditative, like doodling!

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Heart Scent Pouch...

It's coming up to Christmas, and I'm doing my best this year to not actually spend a penny on it!! (Directly, anyway, I may need certain supplies to complete my projects!) Over on Milliande's Palma has begun a swap for an International Goodies Box  What a great idea!!! There's a list of items to choose from to create, and I'm working my way through...the journal, purse/pocket and now scented sachet are all done...

Here's the scent sachet, or my interpretation!! Instructions are over in the how-to's textiles section I've made bags, cushions, wallets, and even my wedding ring pillow in a similar way, it's so versatile and fun, give it a go!! I always show the quick and easy way, minimum pinning, minimum fuss- my mum would go mad if she saw- she was a dressmaker/tailoring teacher, very by the book! Stood me in good stead though- I know the right way, so I know I can work out the shortcuts too!

 

 So here it is, a cute little woven ribbon scented pouch, plumped up with lavender heads from my garden. I do hope my box doesn't have to go to Australia with all their customs restrictions on seeds/wood and flowers, etc. I'd hate to have to empty it....

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Little Pocket Pouches

It's coming up for Christmas and one of my favourite stocking fillers is a little pocket pouch...useful to keep all manner of goodies together; make-up, pens, keys, jewellery, or my fave- certain female products that you have to carry round with you. It's all so much more discreet if they're tucked neatly into a pouch.

I've put a tutorial over in the  how-to textiles page, if you feel like having a go! If you use scraps of material it will only take 15 minutes...no time at all for such a funky, useful little pouch.

Personal Pockets, recycled sheets, school shirt and baby wipes

Don't forget to send a pic of your creation for the gallery!! Have fun- go mad- bead it up after you've turned it the right way!!

There is now a pic of Mary's creation in the Friends' Gallery, take a look, they are super!!!

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Prayer FL-inchies...

Having come up with the funky idea of  mixing inchies with prayer flags, I hosted a swap for prayer fl-inchies on Milliande's .
Well, I was so happy today, mine arrived from Letizia in Italy...

How gorgeous is this??  painted papers, stitched and beaded inchies, organza ribbons and lovely penned letters...
See more work from other friends in the Gallery  of friend's work.


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At last- a website!!

Well, I'm not particularly software minded, and I'm not very skilled at learning programming, but at least I can say I'm tenacious and dedicated!

So at last, a website with selections of my work in a variety of mediums- painting, photography, textiles, a bit of  digital manipulation- all the things I love doing...

I know it's not fancy and professional like all the great sites out there, but it's mine. There's time to add elements like a cart and buy it now, but that will come as I learn how to do that....

In the meantime, enjoy a bigger display of my work than I'm able to show on my favourite community art site  , here is my site                                  

  Kalona Creativity

A selection of my acrylic work

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Little Rainbow notebooks...

I'm certainly on a roll...

Having made the previous 5 books I had a desperate urge to make some more...this time playing with the contents and papers. Some have mixed coloured papers, some watercolour paper in different weights or coloured writing paper...

With a beaded spine this little notebook is colour coordinated inside and out....

This is a pocketsized watercolour book, now there's no excuse not to paint on the go...

and this 3.5 x 4.5 inch watercolour book is even more cute and lightweight

This is an A5 notebook with matching yellow pages....

 They are all such fun to make, I just love how a white piece of fibre can be transformed into a quilty, soft, intricate story of colours and threads. I try not to predetermine the pattern for a cover- I do too much of that at uni- this is a purely extravagant venture into abstract and intuition. Such joy!

Now I need to set up an Etsy store....

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Little handmade notebooks....

I love making books from scratch, and as I needed a new book to keep a record of my online swaps I decided to make another series. This set has my inked/stitched babywipes as the cover material. There is a photo tutorial in the "How to... books" tab.

Four of these are a cute A6, perfect for your pocket. The rainbow book is my new swapbook, can't wait to christen it!!  

I'm taking orders now for Christmas pressies, made to order for one-off colour/size/page combinations.

You can contact me via the contact page....

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Halloween Postcards

Well, while I was looking for some  marbled paper to make more butterflies, I found some previously stashed marbled mount card instead. Perfect for making into seasonal Mail Art RAAK's . I like to work in series so here's the latest...

Pumpkin Postcard

Cute ghost

Bat

Skull Postcard

The cards were marbled using warm water and thinned oil paints. Drying is quicker if they are really dilute, and they smell for less time- if you're not keen on the oil-paint smell. The doodles were overlaid with Sharpies and 0.3/0.4/0.7 graphic pens. The edges were "aged" with pigment stamping ink in burgundy and black. Now I need to decide who to send them to....


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Butterflies...

One of my swap buddies creates some beautiful origami cranes to send around the world, so I was inspired to try something to send as  "thankyou's"... 

There are several objects that I love, but I couldn't make a pegasus practical to make/send flat...so I tried bird of paradise, orchids, lilies and a cat....all very nice but not suitable for posting. Hearts are appropriate too, but oh so...common?

Eventually I came across a blog with a nice butterfly.  I don't have origami paper so I played with tissue paper until I remembered some marbled paper I'd made at uni....et voila!

So here are my "Thankyou" butterflies....

Now I need to make a good few more so they can fly off round the world.....


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Catching up on ATCs...

Catching up on ATCs, these were made for the ATC Trees swap on Milliande . Two went off to a friend in Australia and arrived safely, thankfully.
They are mini versions of a large mixed media canvas work I did earlier this year called "Metamorphosis"

As I get older I'm really loving the idea of getting closer to nature and refinding all our natural/ spiritual selves. Alot of my artwork is beginning to reflect this now...


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Another Prayer Fl-inchie

As is normal for me, once I start an idea I have to make several, or more, until I'm exhausted of ideas...
Having come up with fl-inchies there's a new inexhaustable area to play in...so here is a second creation....

These inchies are created in the same way as the tutorial for fl-inchies shows. The lettering is wool. Other squares were embellished with ribbon and glass beads.


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Windows ATC's

Patty kindly hosted an ATC swap themed round windows, and as the idea was to try and make a window rather than just draw one I decided to try my embossing on perspex to fulfill the brief....

Windows ATC's

Sadly the photo  shows them while they were still foggy from the heat, but the layers are still discernable. Sequins, organza, skeleton leaves, sharpie and embossing powder were used in layers to build up the scene.

At the same time I used up some bits and bobs that I'd just used in another project and created these windows too;

Funky window ATCs

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Halloween inchies and ATC's

Yes, I know it's a little early for Halloween, but if these little beauties are to get where they're going in time, we had to make them early. These are my latest inchie creations for the Needle Queens Halloween inchie swap at Milliande's 

They were great fun to make, I used up the baby wipes that I coloured while making some Halloween ATC's for another swap ( see below) and doubled them up with a heavy roofing fibre. The witches etc. were confetti just begging to be used!  The bigbird at the back was supposed to be a spider, but didn't really work out- he's more a moustacio'd gringo!

Tweedlesboth; white rabbit; Mad hatter; Malice and Cheshire cat.

These 5 cards were the hardest I've had to come up with so far...Alice in Wonderland meets Halloween! Another fun ATC swap at Milliande's. I'm not particularly happy with them, but they fit the requirements so I'll be thankful for that. Several members have diecut machines and  I am tempted to buy one- all those shapes in one simple movement... yet another dimension to my artwork...and all those textures....hhhmmm. They certainly seem to make creating ATC's a whole more dimensional.


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Zentangles and Doodling...

Wow- I've been doodling for years, but never once realized there was a whole cult thing going on with them...zentangles, with courses and instructors...

Here's one of my favourite sets, I usually work in sets of three. I don't always use colour after, but these just begged to be played with....

Doodling is great when I'm struggling for inspiration, or putting off a bigger project. I must admit though, even my doodles have to have a certain amount of  organisation and tidyness, guess I'm a chronic control freak after all...


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ATC's - a new exploration, for me, at least!

Having joined the Art swaps group at Milliande's I found a whole new world of small artworks, highly intriguing having spent the last few years growing in confidence enough to make my paintings BIG!
This really appealed to my "have an idea, must do it now" streak, by being small enough to complete in a reasonable time-frame.
And so another addiction began....
Here is my first group of ATC's, specifically for a "layered" card swap

These are on canvas, stamped with pigment inks, gel transfers, embossed copper, and beads. They were great fun to make, and several of them went round the world to Australia for the swap.


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