The inspiration for this ‘Bathing Belle’ came from an [unused] sticker in my Craft Room. I’ve had this lovely sticker for about 7 years – bought in a sale at Hobby Craft here in the UK. It’s quite large compared to this little watercolour painting. I came across the sticker a few days ago and thought it would make a lovely image on a little ATC (sized at 2.5″x 3.5″). However … I changed the style of the dress part of her bathing suit.

Originally the dress was more puffed up and ’rounded’ in it’s design, but I wanted to make a play on words for the Bathing BELLE (Bell) so thought I could change her slightly and turn her actually into a Bell shaped Bathing Belle.
I changed her hair also, from a deep, warm brown colour, to a salt and pepper (or rather more salt than pepper) bathing beauty. After all, Grandmas, Nanna, Nanny and (in my case) Grammy’s can be just as glam as any young thing, so I thought I’d give a shout out for those of us who have a bit of stray grey going on!
The last photograph above, was taken with a light from two desk lamps – one either side of the painting – shining onto the ATC and mount. However the next photo has no desk lamps on, as I wanted to use the flash on the camera to try to make the ‘Starry’ water colours put in an appearance and I think I managed it …. take a peep …

… if you compare this last photograph with the one before it, you’ll see that the sea has sparkling white horses to the ocean. The sand has some sparkling wet sand, and our Bathing Belle has a twinkling sea-horse hair ornament. This sparkle and twinkle comes from using Kuretake, Gansai Tambi Starry water-colour paints. When they dry these paints have a fabulous twinkle and sparkle to them.

Because I changed the shape of her dress, to make her look more ‘Bell’ shaped like, if you use your imagination now and cut the ATC at where her dress ends at the bottom … you’d find that you had a Bell which you could ring by grasping hold of her head! LOL!!
But of course … we’re not going to do that. We’re not savages!! Grief! 😀
Bit of paint. Scrap of Watercolour Card. Tub of water. And that’s all there was to it!
Happy Sunday! May today find you happy, healthy and with few jobs or chores to do, but lots of happiness waiting for you to discover it.
Sending you Sunday Squidges, and lots of lovely love ~
soooo I am curious. Do you have a gallery wall for all your lovely paintings?
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Hello Tam.
No, no gallery wall. I think at 2.5″x3.5″ – I’d have to paint one heck of a lot of these to make an impression upon a wall. lol. Can you imagine a six foot by 8 foot tall wall with just three of these in the centre. LOLOLOL… it would need a magnifying glass to find em for some folks! lol.
aww… I’m on a giggle roll now. Even Cobs Snr here is laughing at me laughing. LOL!
Sending squidges Tam. ~ Cobs. x ❤
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hahahaha ! okay that made me laugh!!!! But LOL In all seriousness =) a small wall would do … LOLOL You make me crack up …
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Ahhhh.. a small wall. Ok… I can work this into the imagination section of my one brain cell….
Maximum size, I think, would be two foot square. That should about do it. I’ll get Mr.C onto it straight away.
😀
lol.. xxx
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haha well they are cute =) and they need a good place for displaying =)
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Ok, being serious here …
I keep them in an ATC wallet. It’s like a kind of folder, with clear plastic sheets which are held firm inside it (none removable) which are all sectioned to take an ATC.
To be honest, I’ve never counted how many ATC’s will fit inside a folder, but …. When a folder get’s filled it’s easy enough to buy another one.
Other than this … Mr. Cobs could make the walls as planned. LOL
~ C. xxx
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haha I think it would make a cute all =) You are really talented =) xoxoxox
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awww, thank you Tam. You are too kind.
I’m not really sure abou the “really talented” – I think I have one simple talent … and that’s ‘how to make a total mess in a craft room. It’s something I excel at, and I’d say if there were medals given out, I’d get the gold.
lol
Bless you Tam, and thank you.
Sending squidges ~ Cobs. x
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LOL i think i excel in that as well.. HUGE mess … =) its okay
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Ah but it’s OUR mess.
And besides … it’s organised mess. I can find ANYTHING I want in my craftroom. (most of the time. lol)
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hahaha only another crafter could understand =) .. i can too!!!
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Another fantastic painting and I love the way you’ve played with words when designing your art. 😊 x
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LOL … It’s probably me having a weird brain that does it. I so enjoy finding the fun element. lol.
So glad you like this one.
love ❤ and squidges ~ Cobs. x
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l paint, water paper-and a good artist! loved it!
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Paint, water and paper … but I’m not convinced about the good artist. If you want one of those you’re in the wrong place! LOL
Ooodles of squidges and buckets of love ~ C. xxx
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you are a good and modest artist. xx
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ohh bless you rabbit.
Thank you my wonderful friend. xxx ❤
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What a lovely lady! She reminds me of a more demure Beryl Reid lady! Great little artwork 😺🌸🌹💕xx
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Ohhh Beryl Reid – the actress?
Or maybe Beryl Cooke the artist (painter)?
I loved them both …Beryl Reid used to make me howl with laughter. I cried when I heard the news that she’d passed on.
Likewise Beryl Cook. Ohh her artwork was such massive fun. Another wonderful lady, loaned to us then called home before we were ready to part with her. I’d have love to have met her.
Thanks for coming Samantha.
Sending hugs and love ~ Cobs. x ❤
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Ha ha!!!! Oh dear…lol…I meant the artist lady…lol..knew they were both Beryls , which is also a crystal! Thank you for clearing up my Beryl bewilderment! Lots of love to you 😺💕xxx
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Ah… I knew what you meant. You and I … two peas in a pod. We make sense most of the time .. it’s just now and again, when we’re tired things go a little pear shaped… but in a hugely funny way! LOL
Squidges ~ Cobs. xxx ❤
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Well I for one am glad ‘Bell’ has silver hair. Those of us on that side of the color spectrum don’t get enough credit. Color my hair…not on your life….I’ve earned every last gray there.
Another gem of an ATC.
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Aww, thank you Beverly.
I thought I would go against the ‘regular’ and make her a real ‘doll’ with flowing locks of silver.
I don’t colour my hair either Beverly…. the regime of doing the roots thing every couple of weeks? No thank you. I’ve got better things to be getting on with.
Glad you like this little girl.
Sending oodles of love ~ Cobs. x
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Aside from the trouble it is toxic and very dangerous.
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tellin’ me!
I watched a programme on TV a few nights ago and they were talking about the things which are in beauty products, hair dies, lotions and potions… which are having a really bad affect upon the living species in the oceans. I was absolutely wide eyed at the hidden things which people just don’t give a thought to. Even I had a facial scrub thing in the bathroom which was one of these things. I was totally astounded.
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And all these fancy new materials are leaving nanobeads in the wash water which ends up in the oceans. We are in trouble…big time.
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Yes, I saw those on the TV programme. Really teeny tiny beads. Fish and ocean life are picking them up and eating them.
I’ve worried for years about life in the ocean and how they are being affected by the pills and potions we take and even the contraception pills. We are taking these chemicals in and then passing them through our bodies and out the other end. All this is ending up in the ocean and making the most dreadful changes to things. Awful, just shockingly awful.
He gave us a beautiful garden to play in and we’re wrecking it.
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After seeing your “Miss Bell” I think I have discovered the shape my body is!! I used to think I was just round but I am now thinking….nope….bell shaped. It sounds so much better than saying shaped like a pear. (I have no idea why!) Sometimes my brain just kind of gets on these tangents and heads who knows where……
And to think it is only Monday over here….the way this brain is going the rest of the week looks a bit iffy.
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LOLOLOL.. You aren’t Pear or Bell shaped …. you’re Chicken Grandma shaped, and that’s the perfect shape for a Chicken Grandma. It’s how you were moulded and put together, and what makes you uniquely you!
You’re like Mary Poppins …. like each and every one of us – “Practically Perfect in Every Way!”
(I have a framed, glass fronted ‘picture’ of that quote in my craft room – naturally! lol)
Love you Chicken… just the way you are. I would change nothing about you.
Squidges ~ Cobs. x
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I will remind myself I am like Mary Poppins the next time I try on blue jeans LOL!!!!
At least I am a grandma and we are supposed to be fluffy right??
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Fluffy is my middle name!
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I am with you all the way!!
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Bell is so pretty. Fabulous shape. Love the sparkly magic in the water and on the sand. Hugs Flo x
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Thank you Flo. That sparkly magic is an amazing little watercolour paint, made by Kuretake.
I’m going to have to do a post about Kuretake because I need people to know how brilliant they are.
Thanks for the lovely commen Flo.
Squidges ~ Cobs. x
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Oh what a cute little image! I do believe some of us would have almost a full head of gray/white if it weren’t for that little box of “coloring” that we use on our heads! LOL! Great image! 🙂
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LOL … you have the Magic Box of Colour! lol
Chuffed to pieces that you like the Bathing Belle. She makes me smile in an almost giggly way when I look at her.
Thanks for the great comment Nancee.
Squidges ~ Cobs. x
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Dearest Cobs,
Where ever did you get a photo of me to use for painting??? I know that’s not me but if anyone were to ask who you used as a model I would be honored if you suggested it might be me!
The bathing suit is exquisite and if I were a sewing person I would be making one for myself right this instant!!
Beach buckets full of sandy sunny blessings to you! ❤
~ Tami
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But Tami .. it IS YOU.
Everyone knows its you. That’s why they haven’t asked me who it is. They already know ….. It’s Tami!
😀
love ~ Cobs. x
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Hooray!!!! But seriously – I wish that bathing suit style would become popular again!! 😀 ❤ 😀 Have delightful weekend dear dear Cobs!!!
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Do you know … so do I. There’s something so … so …. ‘comely’ about it. It leaves everything to the imagination, and leaves the wearer feeling free to enjoy themselves doing what ever they like. Nothing is on show, so no one has to pose or hold their tummy in for silly reasons or a ridiculous amount of time.
It’s so exhausting being a woman!
Sending love to you Tami. Have a wonderful weekend ~ Cobs. x ❤
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Your bathing bell(e) is lovely. The added sparkle is just perfect too Hxx
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Aw thanks Hannah.
I really like those Gansai Tambi Starry paints. They’re almost magical.
❤ ~ C. xxx
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I think I need them!
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Oh you do… you really do. They are like oxygen. LOL. xxx
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Miss Belle’s mighty fine, Cobs.
I feel like I’m in another era.
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I would kind of enjoy that type of bathing again only in this time we’re living in now. Leave more of it to the imagination has always been my motto.
Maybe it’s just me being OOonly 27 (cough) … but everything is so … so …. ‘loose morals’ now. Men expect to be slept with on a first date and these idiot girls feel that’s fine.
I don’t see it that way.
Is that just me?
Am I too ‘nicely’ brought up?
Are my personal morals out of date?
I have no idea. I only know that if what I saw in the papers and on TV, really is how it is now, then I’d hate to be the mother of the daughter behaving like this because I’d disown them.
Ok… I shall gather up my soap box, tuck it under my arm, and leave your ears to recover. LOL.
Thank you for listening to my rant.
It feels better to get rid of that little niggle.
grrr.
😀 ~ Cobs. x
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Better out than in, said the …erm… somebody to somebody else… 🙂
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LOL
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