Drill – The Art of Cobwebs

Making ANYTHING for Mr. Cobs has always been a logistical nightmare. He’s got a sixth sense when something is going on which relates to him. A cake. A meal. A gift. A plan. A surprise, etc etc. But making a card for him probably the worst because he pops in and out of the Craft Room all the time. He comes to bring me a surprise ice cream from the ice cream man. To bring me a coffee. To collect empty coffee cups. To look for the dog, or one of our cats. He’ll come bearing any packages which might have arrived for me, or even to tell me something funny which he’s read in the newspaper, heard on the radio, seen, or thought of.

I love him dropping in. Except .. when I’m trying to make him a card. I rarely make cards for him as I find it just too difficult to work on one in secret. But I managed this time, Yay!

In my panic about him creeping up behind me, (always a nightmare at anytime) I forgot to take photographs of each step, but I did remember at around the ‘quarter into it’ mark, so at least have one ‘in the middle making photo’ to share :

It’s meant to represent his shed. A total mess, and no rhyme or reason to it … but he seems to know what’s there, and I guess that’s all that matters. (Doesn’t stop me from wanting to get in there and label everything and put them all in some sort of understandable order though! lol).

Anyhoo …

The card was made using Card-io Stamps, – and the notes saying ‘Happy Birthday’ were made on the computer (I wanted to use a particular font, in the right size – so stamps wouldn’t do it … but stamps could be used), liquid pearls (for the drips of paint and the paint drips on the pots) and Anita’s 3D Clear Gloss. The stamp pads I used were by Memento and Papermania, dye ink pads.

Each of the little pinned notes were first curled up a little at the bottom, then glued to the card front. The two different types of bulldog clips were then stamped into place – in oder to ‘anchor’ the notes to the wriggly (hand drawn) string which stretches across the card – again these bulldog clips are Card-io Stamps. And the cupboard (with opening doors!) was again made using Cardio Stamps, and a bit of careful cutting with a scalpel and metal rule.

And that’s all there was to it!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. COBS! (erm …. how old will you be next year, sweetheart? [snigger])

Happy Saturday all. ~

I’ve had this project in my mind for months and months. Well, I say ‘this project’ … it wasn’t necessarily THIS project, more an idea for a project of this sort which came to me when sitting in my craftroom one day. Dearest one, Mr. Cobs, had left a used paintbrush in my craftroom, on a bit of paper. He’d been painting the tongue and groove wainscoting in the bathroom a fabulous shade of blue and this paintbrush signalled the end of the project. I picked up the brush and admired it. I loved the blue – so seaside looking. Very what I call ‘Martha Stewart blue’ – only a little lighter.

I looked at that paintbrush for what seemed like ages, and felt an idea forming in my brain. Ooooh… I liked it! But . . . I didn’t actually do anything about it. Every now and again I’d turn the idea over inside my head but never actually begin it. That was until last week, when suddenly everything came together. It was like: The moon was in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligned with Mars, then peace will guide the planets and love will steer the stars! The idea exploded and I decided that this weekend (just gone) I was going to make it happen.

Art Work 2+ — The colours in this photograph are, *I would say*, pretty true to what the colours are in real life

I’d had the little men for months, just waiting for me to get my act together, and I did, and it’s now here. I’ve given it a name…. ‘Art Work’. The reason is in the title. The men are at work, and the whole thing is a piece of my art so: Art plus Work = Art Work. 🙂

Art Work 3+ — I used the flash on the camera for this photo so the colours aren’t quite so ‘true’

So that you can see it from slightly different angles I’ve taken a few photos which kind of look like they’re the same … but they’re not. I moved the camera each time so that you could get a ‘feel’ for the depth of the piece, and also how the colours work their way up the brush.

You might not believe this but this brush actually began life over the weekend as a brand new 2″ wide brush.

The fabulous men are, for me, what makes this ‘come alive’. One man has a hammer and is making holes in the metal part of the brush – cheeky monkey! The man in the middle is trying to drill through the surface on which they’re all standing – how dare he try to wreck my art piece! And finally … the man on the left (as you look at the photos) is trying to peep into the hole which he’s standing by. I think he’s the one that tickles me the most. You can actually see how he’s leaning in and shielding his eyes while he peeps. He looks like he’s a little scared to put his head too close in case something pops out of that hole and bites him! Eeeek!

Art Work5+ — taken using the flash on the camera and lit by bright lamps either side of the Art Work – hence the dazzling brightness *(sorry about that)*

I loved making this and can’t wait to make more. Me thinks a trip to the local DIY store is on the list, to buy paint brushes!

Mr. Cobs and I came up with lots of fun ideas for many other Works of (paint brush) Arts, and we had quite a giggle together doing so. I don’t think it will be long before I’m back with another bit of this style of art.

Well, that’s my bit of Show and Tell for this Mondays session at school. What about you? What have you been up to this weekend, my friends? Been anywhere? Done anything which made you happy?

Whatever you did …. I hope your weekend was peaceful and up-lifting, and that you feel re-charged and ready to take on whatever this new week presents you with. May you have a wonderful week, and if it’s not, you tell me and then you and I shall form a very small gang and beat the ‘you know what’ out of whatever it is which has caused you strife. We may be small but we be MIGHTY!