Greetings everyone I hope your Christmas was everything you hoped. We had a very busy time with family inviting us for breakfast and then other members asking us for lunch. we are so very lucky.

We went to meet our moderator Sarah and her boys for breakfast on Christmas eve. It was the anniversary of husband, father, and brother's passing on what would have been his birthday. It was very special.

My art and crafts have practically dried up! I have had a difficult couple of years. Ever hopeful  I keep trying!!    It's lovely to see you and  Sarah beavering  away at your crafting.

This corner of my studio shows a painting half finished. while taking it off the board I ripped it I kept trying to make it look better by adding more and more. Without any success look at that black bird 

its  the  size of an Eagle!!

My work desk while I was working on some small items I planned to make into  necklace.

another epic fail! far too large for a necklace, I will have a rethink!

This was the last crafty item I made, I think it was in a book I offered up at the last "crop" I think Sarah has it.  Wish me well with my arty crafty Quest this coming year. I wish you all a happy crafty  new year. 

 My Mojo makes a tiny comeback.

Like so many people the last few years have been difficult one way or another. I escaped the dreaded COVID but other illnesses and a strange lethargy overcame me. I have always been very creative but I found it very difficult for the very first time. I did the occasional thing but left them half completed!

I am determined now.I pick something up and keep going until I finish it even if it takes weeks (which it sometimes  has) 

The Woollen Crochet hat has been on the needle for at least 12 months.

I visited  somewhere called Cromford Mill in Derbyshire and bought the wool because I loved the colours. I didn’t use a pattern I was lucky that the strip of ‘granny’ squares I made first fitted my head!

My grandaughter modelled it for me and I will wear it eventually it in darkest winter.

The necklaces have been in the making for …years. i made the blue strands out of an old tee shirt I think people knit with the strips. I cut up an old top and then left it hanging around for so long.

I had the embellishments in my stash. If I remember right they were meant for scarves.  I have actually worn the elephant one.

 

What's on my desk?

Linking up with the 14th Anniversary of Stamping ground https://stamping-ground.blogspot.com With thanks to Julia Dunnit who keeps it going. 

I have been really creative lately, I must confess that the fact that I am taking high doses of steroids at the moment is part of the reason!

I am awake half the night because of the medication and two spells in hospital recently made me resort to watching crafty tutorials on YouTube.

WELL! I discovered eco dying on paper and was instantly hooked. 

I drove my poor husband and my friend Liz mad  trying to find a pot big enough to boil the experiments in. The house stunk of vinegar and the results were drying everywhere 

I used plants that grew in my garden and a public walkway yards from my house.

 

My favourite one would be hard to choose, also the images of the plants appear on both sides of the paper 

because of the layering process.

I have dozens of these experiments. I used watercolour paper mostly but the process works on almost any paper.

I know I have been conspicuously absent from joining in recently I hope I can be forgiven, I look at everything you do and admire it.

Thank you for taking a look at my efforts I am busy trying to use some of it for cards and suchlike.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of 'stuff' I am playing with. Think! .. drying wildflowers the easy way. For adding to eco dyed cards! Starting a journal using the tags I made years ago over at Tag Tuesday Trying to paint something for my Artist Society Exhibition. Buying stuff in the middle of the night from Amazon ( is that even a craft) ha ha!  Two cards finished.

Trying to get going again

 

I am here again documenting my half finished projects . I have however  been doing a little more in the way of creativity just lately so I'm hoping this is a good sign .

 The pandemic and ill health took its toll I am afraid. It's hard to get going again and find the same enthusiasm for things as I once did.

On my desk is a partly finished watercolour of my granddaughter in closeup. A half finished needle felted corsage flower. I volunteered my computer skill to my very small Women's Institute group to make our yearly booklet, I am pleased to say that I actually finished this project Yay!!

At Christmas I made a macrame plant hanger as a gift. I had not done any for at least twenty years and all the tutorials looked like gobbledygook to my poor old brain.

 I hung the strands up on a hook in the doorway and guess what?  muscle memory is a real thing! My fingers remembered how to do it. I was pleased with the result.

I am joining forces with Julia's stamping ground https://stamping-ground.blogspot.com hoping to catchup with some of the talented ladies who join in.

Trying to get my Mojo working,

It’s been a very log time since I contributed to WOYWW or anything online  and I need to start trying to get my artistic life up and running again.

I have just visited all your work desks, you are such talented and creative individuals.

Lockdown seriously messed with my ability to be artistic. I also have to admit I developed a serious addiction to Korean dramas on Netflix.  Ha ha! 

After Lockdown eased I joined a ten week life drawing class which gave me a push. 

I have made start on some sewing alterations that have been looking at me for months and  I did  actually paint a homage in the form of two beautiful girls  to my new found love of all things Asian.

What you see on my desk is the result of a play session with my watercolours and I was determined to do something with the result so I made some cards. My plan, ahem! is to not buy anything new and to use my stash.

My sister-in-law Sarah Brennan who also contributes to WOYWW puts me to shame with her talented productivity.

Take care everyone and wish me luck in my renewed  arty farty journey.