Starry – The Art of Cobwebs

InkTober 3rd 2017

InkTober caused me a moment today. I began with an idea in mind and started to draw it …. kind of liked it … but not enough. So I scrapped it and decided on something different instead. Don’t you hate it when that happens?

Its like knitting … and getting eight rows in then realising that you made a mistake on row 2 so having to pull it all back and re-knit. grrrr!

So anyhoo ... this is what I ended up painting….

… but .. that’s not everything …

The photo above was taken with the desk lamp as lighting, but the next photo is taken with the flash on the camera … and it shows you what the photo above can’t…. that I broke open the Kuretake, Gansai Tambi Starry paints (watercolours) – for just the one colour – White Gold, – so that I could use a teeny tiny bit around the edges of the moon, and onto the clouds. And this next photo, taken with the flash, shows you the difference that this one colour can make …

It just gives the moon and clouds a more magical feeling. Slightly more depth. And … well, I just had-ta! lol.

The apparent ‘bend’ on the left hand side of the painting, isn’t a wonky bit of water-colour paper, it’s actually how the paper dried. I’ll bury it between the pages of a book, weighted down by a couple of book, and it will then magically become flat again.

The pens used to create this bit of Inktober Art are by Kuretake, apart from one Sakura Gelly Roll Ink Pen, in white, which I used to add some ‘moon shine’ hi-lights to the trees and parts of the landscape.Pen

So far I’m quite enjoying InkTober . . . it’s a bit like doodling, only trying a bit harder. But I can see me getting tired of black a bit quickly. But that might just be me wishing to break out and crack open the bottles of blue and brown ink which sit on the side of my desk. I wonder if that would be against the rules. I mean to say … it’s still ink, isn’t it? I could rather go for a nice inky denim blue drawing. Or a fabulous vintage looking brown bit of fun!

Ahhh .. I’ll be good as long as I can .. then I’ll break the rules and be naughty. lol.

Thank you for coming for a visit and sharing your coffee moment with me. I just LOVE seeing you here. Blog land has turned out to be one of the nicest places on the web. I’m not sure what I expected when I began The Cobweborium Emporium – certainly not being part of such a great community of bloggers who are truly amazing, and so very talented! Cooks, Knitters, Writers, Bakers, Farmers, Artists in a variety of forms, and .. well just genuinely nice people. I’m SO glad that I began this blog, for without it I wouldn’t ever have even known that you existed. And that thought alone is SO painful to my heart, because I love knowing you. Truly.

Thank you for being exactly who you are. For who you are is . . . perfect. I tried you on and you fit perfectly, and I love you for it.

Have a truly great day out there! Sending squidges ~ as always …

Believe

I visited the Kuretake website (crafty goodies manufacturer) a couple of days ago. They’d updated their website and I couldn’t get into my account, so a quick call to their office sorted out the problem for me, and I got the new website address. As the page loaded there was a handmade card on the site which caught my eye, and I thought I’d have a go at making my version of that card … and here it is.

The die cut word, ‘Believe’ was one of a choice of two different makes of dies that I have which say the same thing, but in different ways ….

I cut them both out so that I could actually see what each of them looked like on the front of the card. I chose the Creative Expressions die – which I’ve had about a year and never, until this moment, used it! (No idea why … it’s so pretty, and cuts really well).

You’ve heard me say before that I’m a crafter, not a photographer – and these photo’s prove that I’m telling the truth. They do nothing to show you how pretty this card actually is. So I’ve taken some close-ups to try to share some of the details...

Once I’d die cut the word, I used a fine nibbed glue pen and added some crystal glitter to the whole of the word. I worried at first that it might look a little Christmassy, but I wanted something to ‘speak’ to the silvery painted feather – and this worked really well.

Believe 2 a — Painted in Gansia Tambi paints, in the ‘Starry Colours’ selection. These paints are all made by Kuretake.

Each feather is painted a different colour. One silver (in the centre) and the remaining two feathers are painted in different colours of the Kuretake Gansai Tambi paints, ‘Starry Colours’. The feathers were die cut using a set of Todo feathers dies.

I added gold sequins … and a string ‘bow’ (very fine string) ….

. . . And that’s all there was to it!

I did share the link to the Kuretake a couple of weeks ago, but they’ve changed their website, so I offer the updated link just in case you can’t find it:—> Kuretake.

I highly recommend this company. Their products are second to none, and their customer service is the best. I’ve been shopping with them for … oh … practically since dirt was invented, and I’ve visited the companies UK branch, when they used to have yearly sales there. I’ve contacted them from time to time for information, help or advice and each time I was breathtakingly amazed at how truly wonderful all the members of staff are there.

Please know: …. I’m not employed by Kuretake, I’m not paid in any way and have not been given any products in order to recommend the products or the company.

Everything I own is because I bought them in exactly the same way that you or anyone else can buy them. I only recommend them as much as I do, because I’m SO impressed with the quality of all of the products I have (and I have a lot), and love the customer service I receive from this company.

I’ve been doing a bit of crafting this week and also trying to keep on top of all the blogs I follow. I’m still having the odd problem with my reader — I’ll think I’m up to date and suddenly there appears a post from ‘A’ and another from ‘B’ in the middle of all the posts and blogs I’ve already visited! eek! So … if you’ve posted something and I’ve missed it and not commented when you know I normally would have, please give me a poke in the comments here and give me a link to the post so that I can catch up.

May I take this opportunity to say a warm ‘Hello‘ to some new followers. I won’t name you individually … but I welcome you in and sit you down at the table while I get you a coffee (or tea) and bring out the cakes and biscuits. Please feel right at home to join in the conversations we have here. We’re a noisy lot sometimes and we all like a bit of a giggle from time to time, but we love new people joining in. Don’t be shy. Just jump straight in and say hello … or comment on a post… or include yourself in a conversation which is going on in the comments. Please don’t be shy… speak up and make new friends. It’s how it works here.

Have a blessed rest of your day today, (Thursday). Enjoy it – for it is the last day of August this year. So make it a memorable day. And … if you can at all …. Make someone smile today.

Sending squidges your way ~

Flower Power in Faiyland ~ a hand painted Card . . .

Have you ever wondered where Fairies get their Fairy Dust from? Well wonder no more dear reader, for I think I’ve found out. But more about that in a moment . . .

I need to share with you something which I discovered last month in Aldi.

The photo above shows a large, A3 size, pad of 40 sheets of Watercolour Paper, of 100gsm, which I found in Aldi last month. (July 2017). When I spotted it and had a feel of the paper I have to admit that I wasn’t overly impressed in any great way. I’m too used to my usual thicker, water-colour paper. So I put the pad down and went to walk off. But … this sneaky little thought popped into my head: “hey, it’s just £2.49. Give it a try.” … So I bought it.

Because of a move around in my craft room (and the chaos which that sort of thing creates) I only got chance to have a play with it yesterday, and I’m rather glad I decided to buy it. It’s not the sort of watercolour paper which you can flood with water, as its a finer paper and the water will eventually be soaked up and will then wrinkle your page, but if you know where you’re going, have a plan and don’t soak it, then you can get some decent results. Added to that . . .if you’re putting the resulting painting onto a card, then it doesn’t add any great weight to the card, which is perfect.

Using Kuretaki Gansai Tambi watercolours, and also their Starry watercolours, and with the help of a bit of acetate, I created the background you see above. Because I used the Starry watercolours – in 2 colours of Gold, it was a little difficult to capture all of the patches of gold using my camera. If it were a video, I could have moved it a teeny bit so that you’d have seen the light catch all the areas of the fabulous gold paints. (Anywhere which looks like wet paper, or like I’ve spilt tea on it is actually twinkling gold paint which the light didn’t catch)

After the background had dried (with the help of my dear friend – the trusty heat gun!), I went to work on the flower.

Most parts of the flower were hand stamped, but some parts were drawn because I didn’t have a stamp which was either the right size or shape, using my friend – Stamp Perfect – a stamp positioning tool. (A Christmas present last year, and I love it for moments like this) .

What you’re looking at in the photo above is my Stamp Perfect, with a stamp attached to it, ready to stamp on to the background. The top half of the Fairy Flower had already been stamped, and I was adding the curled back sepals. If you haven’t met a stamping positional tool before and want to know how it works I found a video on You Tube which will help way more than I can here, and be far more entertaining than me too:

The photograph above is the flower after I’d finished stamping, (and drawing parts of it) and after I’d watercolour painted it.

Finally … I embossed around the edge, using a little Tonic Embossing Powder, and then adhered the flower to a 6″x6″ white scored and folded card, added a ribbon and Voila! One hand painted Flower Power Fairyland Card.

And that’s all there was to it!

Apart from explaining the Fairy Dust ….

Do you see at the top of the flower as it’s opening … with what looks like wiggly lines and dots? Well . . . That’s the Fairy Dust, escaping from the Fairy Flower Power Pod. See? THAT’S where Fairy Dust comes from. I know this to be true because my Unicorn, which lives in my back garden, told me so. 🦄 🤣

Happy Wednesday!

Did you know . . . that according to research by a tanning company, women look oldest at 3.30pm on Wednesdays? Now I KNOW this to be an outrageous lie because I know that you girls and I look terrific at all times!

I will admit that when I stumble out of bed in the morning, my hair looks like five miniature kittens have been playing in it all night – but that’s easily calmed down with a comb. And … I do seem to have bought a couple of really spiteful mirrors which are obviously designed by cosmetic companies to try to trick us girls into thinking that we have a spot on our chin which is being kept company by a hair to the left of it. But .. I decided quite a long time ago that I would no longer look in those mirrors, and from that moment on I’ve looked practically perfect in every way! (so long as I don’t have my glasses on).

Oldest at 3.30pm on a Wednesday? Don’t make me laugh. I’m ONLY 27 years old – as we all know, for goodness sake!

Did you also know: that a recent(ish) survey in the US reported that bosses are most receptive to requests on a Wednesday? Now I can’t prove this, buy hey, what have you got to lose? Obviously asking the boss when he plans to leave as you want his/her job, might not go down terribly well, but I guess you could give it a go, so long as she/he has sense of humour!

[. . . thinks:- . . .] . . .

“I wonder if anyone is still reading?
Maybe I should buzz off and stop sitting here like a target.
Oooo, what are they talking about on the TV?
Do I need to turn those curtains up? Hmm, I don’t know… what if they shrink when they’re washed?
Aww, look at the dog, she’s so cute when she does that.
Uh Ooooo, here comes Alf Capone (used furniture dealer – but actually a cat), he looks bored, and that means he’s going to cause trouble by playing Cowboys and Indians throughout the house, and trying to get Maisie or Belly, or both, involved in the game.
Coffee…. do I want another coffee, I wonder?” eeek!

I have to agree with that last ‘Did you know?’ for I am, (easily distracted) and I do (talk to myself).

Aaanyhooo – that’s enough from me. All that’s left for me to say is: …. Have a wonderful Wednesday. Find the joy in each moment. 😀

It’s Only a Paper Moon ~ an ATC painted for World Watercolour Month

Hello again! Happy Sunday. I hope that I find you in full health and ready for a bright day filled with some smiles and a little love wherever you happen to be.

I’m still dedicated to the World Watercolour Month Challenge, (as you can see) and I’m here with another little ATC moonlight painting, only this time it’s shining over the sea.

Before I began I knew I wanted to paint:- a moon, the sea and a wee little sail boat/dinghy bobbing on the ocean. So I had a plan.

As I painted, the fabulous song from ‘Paper Moon’ came back to me and I ended up singing to myself. It seemed like the perfect title to use for this post, so I did use it. As you can see! lol.

Not sure if many of you remember ‘Paper Moon’ – both the film and the made for TV programme. It starred Ryan and Tatum O-Neale, and even though I was just a little child, I can remember how much I loved watching it. I’d never seen anyone doing any of the things this father and daughter team did … and it totally fascinated me. It didn’t encourage me to try to do things like they did, I just found them both so lovable and funny and loved their love for each other.

Ry “It’s Only a Paper Moon” . . . an ATC for #WorldWatercolorMonth

The above photograph was taken with just the over-head lights to light it. So it just looks like a moon looking out over the sea, painted using regular water-colour paints.

‘It’s Only a Paper Moon’ . . . an ATC for #WorldWatercolorMonth

However … when you add more lighting, the moon begins to glow. This is down to me using some Kuretake Gansai Tambi Starry water-colour paints, in ‘White Gold’ for the moon, and ‘Blue Gold’ for the glow off the lamp which is hanging on the mast of the little boat bobbing on the ocean.

A tiny section of the painting: ‘It’s Only a Paper Moon’ . . . an ATC for #WorldWatercolorMonth, *painted by Cobwebs of The Cobweborium Emporium.*

The above close up of the boat shows that the boat is actually sailing away from you in the painting. You’re looking at the back of the boat nearest to you. It also shows the little lamp which has been hung up on the mast of the little sailboat.

Finally, I placed a mount around the painted (and dried) ATC of ‘It’s Only a Paper Moon’ in order to frame the painting properly and draw the eye into it.

I really enjoyed painting this one. It was lots of fun and such a happy subject matter. Loved it.

And … because I have the song ‘Paper Moon’ buzzing around my brain now, I felt it was only proper to share (as good friends do) so I visited You Tube and got the song just for you. See how much I care about you? 🙂 It’s only 2minutes and 37seconds long. You can thank me later. 😊

Well … all that’s left for me to say now is … and that’s all there was to it! 🤣 LOL

Have a truly blessed rest of your Sunday. Thank you so much for coming and sharing a coffee with me. It means more than you’ll ever know, so thank you.

Sending love, from me here in my corner, to you there in yours ~

Lunar C ~ an ATC/ACEO – painted for World Watercolour Month

Can you hear dogs howling? Are there rappings at your window? Do you see strange shapes, female like, travelling past the moon with only a broom as transport? Do you have bats in your belfry?

Throughout history, the occurrence of the full moon has been linked to all sorts of strange behaviors. It’s said that some police officers believe that a full moon leads to more crimes being committed.

Me personally? I think it’s all rubbish. The only thing that happens during a full moon is that I can see better in the dark, and I don’t reckon that’s because I ate all my carrots either!

Lunar C. … an ATC for #WorldWatercolorMonth – lit with the dullest of table lamps – so that it lights the photograph but doesn’t over light it. It leaves it a little dark and moody.

I was sort of vacant of thought, gazing at the moon through the window and this gave me an idea to paint a [bit of fun] night sky with silhouettes on the ground in ATC size. So I did.

However not only did I use regular water colours, I also used a tiny bit of a different type of water-colours, called Gansai Tambi Starry water-colour – in White Gold. I used this for the moon and a little on some of the stars, as I wanted the moon to GLOW.

Lunar C. … an ATC for #WorldWatercolorMonth – This photograph is taken with a bright desk lamp – so it shows the moon being a little brighter than the last photo.

The Gansai Tambi Pearl and Starry colours have mica mixed in with the water colours and can give you a truly lovely glow to parts of your paintings which you want to draw attention to.

Lunar C. … an ATC for #WorldWatercolorMonth. This photo taken with the same brighter lamp – but I’ve put a mount around the ATC to frame it better.

I’ve been using these types of ‘twinkly’ water colours for a while now…. I found my very first set years and years ago, packaged up as ‘children’s paints’ and I bought them for just £1.49 from a shop here in the UK, called The Works. You can see a little ATC here (click and the link will open up in a new tab) on which I first used those mica paints to paint with.

But the paints I used for brightening the moon in this painting was part of a boxed set of 6, made by Kuretake.

I LOVE Kuretake products. The company was sited not too far from where I used to live, and every year they would have a monster sale and invite crafters to come and buy. I must have kept that company going for years! I spent so much money with them, and learnt so many amazing techniques from their fabulous staff, to do with paints and pens. They are very much a company who I highly recommend. BUT … although I know you can buy from that well-known TV Craft Channel (Create and Craft), I urge you to shop around before investing your money there, as I’ve bought some Kuretake products for half the price that they’re selling them on C&C, AND – I’ve got FREE postage on top too! So do please shop around if you decide to buy any of the Kuretake items. The company itself is truly brilliant. Their customer service and the products are perfection. —> Link to Kuretake website HERE.<— (You can buy direct from them on that website too – check-out the sales items!)

This last photo was taken with the flash on as it’s the brightest light I had on a dark evening a couple of nights ago. I so wanted to show you how the light plays with the Gansai Tambi Starry water-colours and makes something so simple become something quite stunning….

Lunar C. … an ATC for #WorldWatercolorMonth.

… and … what you see in the photograph isn’t the true story. That moon looks like MAGIC! So magical that it makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck!

The only thing I would change about this tiny ATC (2.5″x3.5″) is … that I wish I’d have gently dotted stars into the scene, instead of dragging my fingernail over the bristles of the damp brush to get the ‘splots’. I totally forgot that I was working small-sized and because of that I should have dotted the stars in individually using a tiny brush or dotter. tsk tsk. By the time I’d got to that part, I couldn’t change the dots as it would have spoilt the sky … so I left it as is. But to be honest .. in real life, the dots aren’t as ‘in your face’ as they appear on the photo’s. It’s my own fault for being away with the fairies as I was painting. lol

The next full moon, here in the UK, isn’t until the 7th August 2017 – so make a note and … don’t forget to howl at the moon! (Google will be your friend if you want to know when the next full moon is where you live).

Thank you SO much for coming and sharing a coffee with me. It’s so fabulous to spend time with you. If you fancy a wee chat, then please leave a comment in the comments box below and I promise I’ll reply the very next visit I make to the blog here. (and I come here regularly – so you won’t have to wait long! 😉 )

Before we part … I need you to know that I receive no incentive, payment or encouragement from Kuretake, or any other company, when I recommend products to you. I speak to you as a fellow crafter, with many years experience. I research and buy all my own supplies – and if money would allow I’d buy even more supplies just so that I could share them with you and share the results I get from using them.

Of course, if Kuretake, or any other craft product company, happen to be reading my blog and would like to share some of their products with me so that I can share [honestly] the results I get from using them, with you – then I’d be more than happy to do that. (but the chances are very slim that any craft company will be reading my blog so I won’t hold my breath!) 🙂

Have a truly brilliant Saturday. I hope the weather is just right for you – not too warm that you’re uncomfortable, and not too cold so that you require a hot water bottle for your feet! May your day end with you looking back over the hours, and smiling a satisfied, contented smile.

Be kind to yourself, . . . and each other.

Much love ~