Tambi – The Art of Cobwebs

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. 😀

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 4 — 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 2 — 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 3 — 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 1 — 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.

Meadow Flowers 5 — 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 ~

In Fairy Land ~ an ATC painted for World Watercolour Month

Once upon a Time, there was a Princess Fairy who lived in a tall tower in Fairy Land. From the window she would wave her magic wand over all the people of the Land which would sprinkle them with magical wishes.

Aaaand … back here in the real world….

Maaaaany years ago – at least 10 but probably around 15 to be honest, Daughter No.2 bought me a Birthday card which was just a total delight to me. It was like all of a sudden my daughter ‘got’ me. She saw a card so perfect for my birthday that going against everything that I’ve always taught my girls (buying cards is just such an expense – yes you have to purchase one, but don’t spend half a weeks wages on one!), she spent a little fortune on.

Now, I keep greetings cards. All types. For Birthdays or just for ‘Hello I thought of you and am sending you this‘ types of card. I’m very much into the whole physical memories of something, and will keep cards and little mementoes for ever! I have a drawer in my craft room where I’ve kept cards from years gone by and every now and then I get them out just to make me feel wonderful. Each one holds a special memory, and a ‘trick’ to get that memory from the back of my mind so that I can enjoy the moment all over again. And there, in that drawer is a humongous card – very very tall but not very wide, – which I have cherished from the moment Daughter No.2 gave it to me. Here it is . . .

It’s about (guessing here) 18″ – 22″ tall. (I should have measured it and I didn’t think. I’m not tip toeing over to the craft room now because it’s belting down with rain outside!). You can now see why I’m showing you this card. It has a picture of Fairy Land on the front and I just loved it from the moment I opened the envelope. When I saw it in the drawer I instantly thought I’d have a go at turning it into a tiny ATC of 2.5inches wide by 3.5 inches tall.

(yes, that photo was taken in my craft room)

Some of you might remember me telling you that I taught my little girls, when they were knee-high to an ant, that if anyone should ask them how old their mommy was, they were to say …. “My Mommy is ONLY 27″ … and I have remained 27 since I was 27. Each year Daughter No.2 remembers this and sends me a birthday celebrating my 27th Birthday. Have a look inside this card .. . . .

… ah… you’ll need that blown up a little to read it …..

Her name has been removed (to protect the innocent) …. she writes: “To Mom, have a great (27th) Birthday! Have fun, love and snuggles ______ x“. I thought that since I was using the picture on the card as my inspiration for a little watercolour for World Watercolour Month, I might as well share the inside of the card so that you can see that I trained my girls sooooooo well! LOL

Anyhoo … back to this little watercolour. This one was a real struggle. It’s difficult to go into detail when you’re reducing something to a ridiculous size like this, so I had a real problem with the Princess Fairy. I perhaps, in hindsight, should have left her out – as I did the shutters on the windows (not enough room to keep them in).

I couldn’t make my mind up on the mount … green or blue? You choose and tell me what you think …

… Green? … OR ….

… Blue? Each one brings out something different. The Blue one brings out the shooting star and seems to make the colours just a little more vivid. Where-as the Green mount makes it look more subtle and … ‘fairyfied’. OOoo… choices, choices!

And that’s all there was to it!

We have an almighty storm going on here as I type. The thunder is so loud that it’s making the dog bark and me jump. It’s pelting down with rain and I’m thinking that all my flowers are going to get a right old bashing!

I’m not entirely surprised that the weather has changed like this. It’s been far too hot for it to continue without some sort of storm cooling things down. (although I don’t feel any cooling down happening at the moment. I’m still boiling hot!) I feel dreadfully sorry for the county next but one to where I live … Cornwall. They’ve had some awful flash floods there today (Tuesday) and they’ve had to go out in helicopters and rescue folks who have been trapped in their houses by rising waters. I watched it on the TV news at 6pm and it looked awful!

Well… that’s me done and dusted. I’m now going to schedule this post to happen in the early hours of (UK time) the morning, and I’m then taking myself to bed and taking the wee ~~little~~ chubby doggy with me.

Whatever you’re doing today do it with a smile on your face and hope in your heart. To prove to yourself exactly how blessed you are, imagine that you woke up this morning only with the things that you gave thanks for yesterday. Puts things into order does that little thought.

Sending you love, and a bucket of squidges which should last you all day long …

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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 ~