Birthday Greetings … of the Hare(y) kind!

I bought these beautiful craft papers a short time ago, and knew that I’d definitely be using the Hare papers to make a particular Birthday card – and, I did, and … this is it.

Actually made in August, I saved the photos and couldn’t find where the darn I’d saved them … but a bit of a search (of around an hour long!  tsk tsk) and I found them again today, so sharing a couple of photos here with you.

The papers are made by Craft Consortium (I’ll add a link to their website at the bottom of this post for those who might be interested), and are truly beautiful papers.  The images are so crisp and bright (although my photography skills are useless – forgive me), and the papers are a joy to work with.  As you can see in the photo, I used four images from the same ‘Hare’ selection, which I matted and layered onto card-stock I already had.

I used a little muslin square behind the main image, which I laid on top of some deep purple grosgrain ribbon.  Some assorted stamens, in 3 colours of purples, are peeping out from behind the medium image.   There are two tags, made from two smaller Hare images, which I tied with (hairy) string.  And I finally added some paper flowers, which I finished with some buttons for the centres.

Turning my attention to the inside of the card, I stamped an image of a Post Card, and gave it a vintage look with inks, then layered it onto some of the deep purple card which I’d also used on the front for matting and layering – so that the ‘theme’ was carried through into the inside of the card.

I stamped a couple of images, which I then water-coloured.  After the above photograph was taken I went back with the water-colours and painted a little more, and just brought the whole thing more ‘to life’.  But … I then forgot to take another photo, so this sadly is the only one I have of the inside.

This was a really enjoyable make, mainly I think, because I’m kind of in love with the beautiful papers.  I have another of their collections, and can’t wait to make some cards with those too.

For those who would like a peep at what they make and who they are, I recommend their website.  It’s easy to navigate and has a great selection of images, if you’re low on inspiration.  You can visit their site here:  https://www.craftconsortium.com/

Thank you so much for coming to share this card with me.  It feels like FOREVER since I shared a card.  I’ve been enjoying myself with the clay for far too long!  (and I’m still hearing it calling to me! lol).

I know that posts are a little infrequent at the moment, but this bloomin’ bout (or flare up) of ‘poorly’ is knocking the stuffing out of me, and I am so thankful to you for all your lovely messages of support, and am so genuinely grateful for your kindness and friendship.

I’ve been thinking about …. (brace yourself) …. Christmas…  and I’ve started to make my version of something I found on Pinterest, which I think you might like.  I still have to finish the project though, so although I’m not quite ready to share it yet, I’m giving you a warning that Christmas is on its way!  EEEeeek!  lol.

Again, thank you for coming.  I love seeing you.  Have a blessed day, my fabulous friends.

 

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Meadow Flowers 2 – The Reality

Some of you may remember that a few days ago (during The World Watercolour Challenge Month of July) I did a little ATC watercolour painting of some Meadow Flowers(<—click) and told you how I’d been inspired to paint that particular little painting.  (click the link and it will open in a new window to actually read that post if you missed it).

The original ‘Meadow Flowers’ ATC (sized 2.5″x 3.5″inches)

I said in that post that if I got the opportunity I’d take a snap of the flowers next time I passed them.  Well I drove past them yesterday (1st August) and before I turned the bend I had a very heavy heart, telling myself that they’d have all been drowned by the awful rains (and the winds) we’ve experienced here in the last few days, ….  however, as I drove around the bend my heart began to flutter like a butterflies wings.  Yes, the rain had given them a bit of a knock and nudge but there they stood, nodding and swaying in the wind.  I pulled over and very quickly snapped a couple of pictures on my cell phone.  One through the open passenger side car window – so it was nice and crisp and clean … and another through the windscreen – which gave the photo a bit of a white haze … but you can kind of see them.

taken through the open car window.

This photo was taken through the windscreen of my car.  Hence the white haze

What you’re looking at in the last photo (above) isn’t the full length of the Meadow Flowers planted – there’s roughly about half as much again which I couldn’t fit into a photo.  So you can imagine what a total blast of colour and joy it is to see each day.

I saved these photo’s as quite large ones,  (so that everyone would be able to see the meadow flowers properly)  and I know I used to be able to open up photo’s by simply clicking on them here in WordPress, and they would open up in the larger size.  But … I don’t seem to be able to do that now … so if someone knows how to get them to open up in their larger (saved) size then please could you let me know so that I can let everyone else know.  Many thanks!

I’ve blurred out the background properties which face onto the green, as … well, they aren’t my properties and I don’t have permission to put them on the web.  So just being polite.

I missed the final days of the Watercolour Challenge as we had Little Cobs come to stay, and quite frankly, he’s enough to keep a whole host of Angels busy!  By the time I’d managed to get him into bed of a night-time and read him a story (or two), I was so plumb tuckered out that I felt like I needed putting to bed myself!

But today I had to take him home again.  My loan of the Grandchild time had come to an end.  So we made the best of the last few hours we had together by starting with a thoroughly unhealthy breakfast … of Toast (not me, just Little Cobs) followed an hour later by … McDonald’s breakfasts!   Then we played Lego (which I am totally useless at but I try my best);   then we made a packed lunch and took it to the sea to watch the boats, the waves and look for Pirates.  However …. on the way there, we just HAD to take a slight detour and visit Toys R Us,  with pocket-money supplied by Grandad, to buy as much as we could possibly buy and pile into the car.

Then it was off to see the sea. 😊

We couldn’t go and sit out as the rains had made everything so wet we would have got soggy bottoms – and it was still a bit windy, which Little Cobs hates  …. so we ate a picnic in the car with the windows down a little so that we could get that fabulous air and actually smell the sea (which I love)  …. and gazed out onto the water, as we played with some new toys.

This was the sea and the sky of blue with its cotton wool clouds….

picture taken 1st August 2017

…  that isn’t an x inside a circle, printed on one of the clouds … it’s the reflection of the corner of my parking permit.  lol.

Normal service will now resume, once I’ve got my body back,  because some bu**er has stolen my youthful, joy filled, light as a feather feeling body, and replaced it with some old duffers body,  – and they have to be at least 120 years old, by the feel of the body which mine has been swapped with.  This one is creaky, old, positively broken in rather a lot of places and totally damaged through over-use (see definition for ‘knackered’ – which OBVIOUSLY isn’t a word I use,  being as it’s such an unladylike word and all that).

All I’ve done is taken responsibility for a 6-year-old boy …  so it’s obviously while I was distracted that someone broke into my home and swapped my own body for this load of carp which they’ve left me with.  I don’t know who I complain to.  I mean …. would the Police take this seriously?  I doubt it.  In fact … I feel like I can hear them laughing from here!

Suggestions for getting my  “OOooooNLY 27 YEARS OLD”   body back would be much appreciated.  For I have a birthday … as you know … and I shall be  “OOOooonly 27”  again, so I need my  “OOoonly 27”  year old body back… because that really was some body, and this one I’ve got now is ….  broken in 50 Shades of Busted!

Till next time …  …  I send you squidges,  mentally.   … I just can’t seem to get up from my seat at the moment to squidge you properly  …  actually, I think my arm has just dropped off   … ut ohhhh . . . .   I think a leg might be about to follow it!   Oh gawd,   …  what next?!!   I DEMAND THE RETURN OF MY BODY!   (or at the very least … a new one).

 

Meadow Flowers ~ ~ an ATC for World Watercolour Month

Where I live, I have a different routes to drive home if I’ve been out gallivanting.  On one of the ways I can come home takes me past a big stretch of  green grass in front of some houses.  On this stretch of grass the council planted some seeds for meadow flowers to grow in order to encourage and help bees with their jobs.

They’ve actually done this all over the Dorset area in various places, which I’m so thrilled about – but this particular area, being probably the biggest ‘patch’, takes my breath away each time I see it and makes me slow my car down just so that I can drink in the wonderfulness of it and nature in general.

So, when I sat down in my craftroom on Friday afternoon for a bit of watercolour painting on an ATC, I wondered if I could capture the mass of colours and beauty as they swayed in the breeze, of all the meadow flowers which always took my breath away.  And this is what I managed to bring about via a few paint brushes and some colours.

Meadow Flowers with a white mount ~ An ATC made for #WorldWatercolorMonth

I began by first working on the background which I desperately wanted to fill with the glory of the almost mental array of incredible colour which my eyes and heart registered as I came upon the flowers.  It was difficult to pick out particular flowers as it was all such a wonderful sight.

Meadow Flowers with the green mount ~ An ATC made for #WorldWatercolorMonth

Once the background colour was done (and I’d waited for it to dry  ….  helped after fifteen minutes of waiting – which is the limit of my excitability, patience wise) I then was able to pick out some of the colours and turn them into flowers.

Meadow Flowers with a blue mount ~ An ATC made for #WorldWatercolorMonth

I began with the blues and turned them into cornflowers.  Followed by the red poppies, and lastly the tiny buttercups appeared low down.  After this I just added some colour – mostly a watery green, to add to the depth and try to give that feeling of what it looked like as I slowly drove past this wonderful display and gift from nature.  It truthfully takes my breath away each time I see it, as if I was seeing it for the first time.  Just incredible.

Meadow Flowers, painted using Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolours.  ~  An ATC made for #WorldWatercolorMonth

All of the flowers were painted using the box of paints you see in the photo above (yes, that’s my desk….  and my mess).  This was taken just after I’d finished painting the ATC and before I’d cleaned up my three water containers.  One a large pot thing which has a brush scrubber at the bottom, a second pot which is what I rinse my brushes off in, and a third pot for cleaner water which I can dip my brush in if I require just a little more ‘wet’ to my paint(s) if the colour is drying out.

An ATC made for #WorldWatercolorMonth

And that’s all there was to it!   🙂

Well now ….  time for some coffee chat  …. Happy Saturday!  It’s so lovely to meet up with you for a coffee today.  I have some biscuits (‘cookies’ for our USA folks) in the cupboard … shall I get them out for you?,  or perhaps you might like some buttered toast?   We can all eat, enjoy and chat around the table together.

Thank you so much for coming for a visit.  It’s a total delight to see you here and I’m so glad that you dropped in and shared a coffee with me.  I hope you have a truly lovely day, and that when bedtime comes, you feel that today was a great day to be alive.

Sending squidges to you in your corner,  from me in mine ~