Art Project Book

I love Paperchase!  I can rarely go past one without going in and admiring all those lovely pens and notebooks ..... *sigh* ... there's just something so appealing about pretty stationery!  It must be a girl-thing, neither my husband or son get it at all ... a pen is a pen and a book is a book!  They are just soooo wrong!

Anyway, I found this perfect little 'project book' with pre-printed pages where I can organise and plan all my art projects and make notes, sketches etc etc.  The only problem was that I wasn't overly keen on the cover, but decided to buy it anyway and paint it!  Well, being a mixed media artist comes in handy sometimes ...lol!

So, here is the final result ...

I even went the whole hog and painted it shades of pink/purple and added some fluffy strings and ribbons!  Tut tut ... such a girl!  But I love it and now I have a totally unique and quirky project book!  I  think I might need to go back to Paperchase and find a fluffy pen to match .... ; )

Happy painting ...

Liz x

What's On Your Workdesk ...

I've been absent from this fun blog-hopping activity for a while and it feels good to be back in blog-land and visiting all these fantabulous artists all over the world ... courtesy of our hostess Julia at The Stamping Ground.

So, what's actually on my workdesk today ...

... I've been getting into journalling in the past few months and have started filling out pages of an old sketchbook with all manner of paintey-ness.  These pages are a 'work in progress' so hopefully I'll be able to share the final results with you soon.  You'll also notice some letters peeping out ... I've also been dabbling with alphabet-designs and have been having lots of fun with some Sharpies - particularly those metallics!  Anyone know where to get a white one?  There's also some Dylusions inks (great colours and great fun) as well as some Jo Sonja Clear Glaze Medium which is a light sealer that I use to protect the page when I've finished.  Oh and I suppose the eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed the Percy Pigs ... my guilty pleasure ... ; )

How lovely to see some sunshine through the skylight ... Spring is coming ... woohoo!!!!

Thanks for visiting and Happy Woyww ...

Liz x

Through the Wardrobes ...

... Well not quite 'through' but it has a kind of Narnia theme to it ... intrigued?  Well you'll just have to read on ....

For some time I have been wanting to paint a range of fitted wardrobes in our spare room.  They are quite old, but functional, so worth a little bit of TLC.  I had a dilemma though (and I'm sure most of you can sympathise with this one), what happens if I paint it and then don't like it!!!!!!  It can be scary painting something so permanent, but in the end I just told myself that if I really didn't like it, I could just paint over it!  And if that didn't work ... well, we could always move!!!!

So I set to work with a great range of chalk paint called 'Annie Sloan' which has been manufactured specifically for furniture painting.  No need to prep or prime, just go for it!  They have a gorgeous range of colours that blend well together, for this project I used Old Ochre and Country Grey and then to add a little interest I decided on the Narnia theme and hand-painted branches in Old White on the panels.  My son loved it (and it takes some doing to impress a teenager!!) and decided he wants the same done to his wardrobe in his bedroom!  He said it reminded him of Lord of the Rings, but I prefer the Narnia theme myself!  I finished it by waxing with clear wax and then because the wood was old and quite worn in places, I added an aged appearance with dark wax.

So here is the finished article ...

Needless to say the rest of the room needed painting, so whilst hubby was watching the rugby at the weekend I set to work on the walls, just plain old magnolia but fantastically easy with a Dulux Paintpod!  And because I couldn't stop .... I also painted another wardrobe,  the curtain rail, a stool and a laundry basket!!  Phew!  The problem now is that it highlights all the other rooms that need painting .... oh dear !!!!!

Until next time ... happy painting!

Liz x

PS I purchased my paints from Lavender Blue in St Albans who are Annie Sloan stockists.

Heart and Soul

Yes I know I'm a week late for Valentine's Day (story of my life!!) but I really wanted to share with you this sweet little project which would be a lovely gift anytime of the year.

I took a paper-mache box, covered it with Tim Holtz tissue paper with Jo Sonja All Purpose Sealer and built up layers of wash (a mix of JS Napthol Red Light and JS Magic Mix).  I shaded the edges and toned the red with a mix of JS Burnt Umber and JS Magic Mix and used a die-cut heart and stamped words to add interest.  I shaded around these shapes to 'seat' them on the piece and varnished the entire piece with Jo Sonja Satin Varnish.

If you would like to know more about how to paint your own 'Heart and Soul' box, contact me for details on classes and Jo Sonja products.

Happy painting ... and Happy (belated) Valentine's Day!!!

Liz x

Workshop at Flutterby Crafts

As promised, here are some pics from Saturday's Canvas Workshop at Flutterby Crafts.  We had a fabulous day, the ladies created some gorgeous work and really enjoyed playing with the paint and getting stuck in.   Huge thanks to Lynn and Catherine for all their help and hard work and for always making me feel so welcome.  I had such a great time : D

Butterflies for Flutterby's

Beautiful colour combination

Playtime ....

Stunning travel theme ...

Who needs brushes .... ?

Finished ....

I'm at Flutterby Crafts again on Saturday 11th May where we shall be creating this canvas.  If you would like to come along and play with paint, get in touch with Lynn at Flutterby Crafts on 01635 860900.

Workshop Project - Sat 11th May

Until next time, happy painting ...

Liz x

Live ... Love ... Laugh ...

... words to live by!

I'm looking forward to teaching a lovely group of ladies tomorrow at Flutterby Crafts in Thatcham.  We're going to play with paint in a BIG way and I can't wait to see what they create.

This is the sample of what we're doing, and I'm sure that whilst some will enjoy the process of creating the same and learning some fab new techniques, there are bound to be some who want to go 'off-piste' and adapt it to suit their own style.  This is what I love about teaching these workshops, you all start with the same project and then see what happens .........

I promise to show you pics after the weekend : D

Have a great weekend and happy painting ...

Liz x