Christmas tags abandoned

Hello, just a quick update (I will do a full update later in the week).

I have still be doing my art abandonment and free art friday drops whilst I have been offline.

This is a tag I quickly sketched on a recent walk and tea break at a local cafe (they have a tardis as a toilet where I set my tag free!).

 Then on another walk (and another cuppa-do you see the theme!) I sketched some Krampus tags!

and abandoned them around town!

That's it from me, just a quick update.  I hope you all had a great festive period.

Kyla

WOYWW

This weeks desk is slowly clearing down my die cutting from the weekend.

All I have on my desk is a Christmas card from Shaz (so sparkly) and three ATC's I got at the crop.

 

They are from Erika (her first visit and first ATC and hopefully not her last), Dolores (I think, there was no name on the back so sorry if I got it wrong) and Margaret (Glitter and Glue).

My previous post has details of the crop at the weekend (cake, chatting and good friends).

My "Man Bites Dog" cards this week-'1st Lady Defends Crooked Tycoon' - no comment!

Happy Whats on Your Workdesk Wednesday

Kyla

WOYWW Crop

This weekend saw us meet up for the WOYWW crop, this time in a new venue with some new faces (and several not so new that have now become good friends).

 

The day started the usual way, coffee and something sweet and lots of chatting (many ladies crafted......I did not....I talked....A LOT!!!).

 

This picture came from the lovely Jan (a full report on the day can be found on her blog here

It was fabulous to meet the new croppers (is that the term?  Not sure, but it sounds good!) and to catch up with everyone.  Jan and Julia did a grand job organising it, Doug supplied us with hot drinks all day and Fiona kindly made the two of us a veggie curry and supplied one of her now famous lemon drizzle cake (seriously, it is delicious and does go like hot cakes!!).

As I said I didn't craft (I talked) but I did do a lot of die cutting and admiring of Shaz's dies and organisational skills and stamping of Helen's grumpy penguins!

 

The usual 'donations' table and raffle went well and I managed to donate some stash and also get some great storage bottles and tubes, stamps and a couple of inks and just over £100 was made for the Salvation Army Christmas collection.

It was a long but lovely day.  Catching up with everyone and admiring everything from Dolores fabric stash, Helens amazing journal, Fiona's perfect stamping and folding, Mary-Anne's IT skills turned into crafts, Livvy, Morti and David cross stitch skills to name just a few!

Just wish we could meet up more often (hint hint!!!)

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

 

Scrap card

Just a quick update for a card I have made with some more scraps from my offcuts box.

I love Tim Holtz 12x12 papers.  

They are so thick and have some great detail and I really don't like to throw even the smallest scrap away (and I don't believe I am the only one who strokes the papers?  No?).

 

I have had a few thrown in my box for a while and couldn't think what to do with them.  Then suddenly inspiration strikes (odd how that happens, the offcuts sit there for AGES, like over a year and then suddenly, a spark of an idea!).

I mounted them on dark card and then doodled a border around the card and voila!

Now I just need to find something else to make with my ever increasing scrap box!

Kyla

 

 

WOYWW

Wednesday again so that can only mean one thing....Whats on Your Workdesk Wednesday where we all link up to Julias blog (link over in the side bar) and bare our workdesks.

Mine is pretty bare at the moment.  I have coloured my pyrography coaster and given it a couple of coats of yacht varnish so it will withstand all those hot cups of tea!

 

I have also been painting some more of my "tolerance" postcards that I abandon on my travels.  With what has been going on recently around the world it seems even more important to remember respect, tolerance, dignity etc.

My "Man Bites Dog" cards...well what can I say-honestly they have been really odd the past month or so and once again 'Angel weeps for Laywer'!

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Dinky Screens

So the past couple of weeks I have been struggling with RA flares and now I have a chest infection and generally feel rubbish.  This means that I am not doing much, which is a pain as it means I have been missing some gigs etc.  

However at the weekend I thought I would get out my Dinky Screens (a local company) and had a go at screen printing. I have not been paid or anything else by this company.  I came across them at a craft show and because they were from Bristol (my home town) decided to stop and chat and was SO impressed with the product I decided to buy a kit and I was so please I did.

I haven't tried screen printing for a couple of years and their dinky kit is SO easy to use.  It contains everything you need from a sturdy mini frame, squeegy, a selection of paints, instructions and 4 stencils-all contained in a lovely tin.  Nice, compact and easy to use.

I had a lovely couple of hours-and really like the results.  Sadly I cannot show you as they are for Christmas presents, but take it from me I will be using this company again.

If you are interested their etsy shop  (they have lots of different stencils) can be found here

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Inktober

 Last month I showed some of the tags I had made for Inktober.

Every October artists all over the globe undertake to complete an ink drawing every day for a month.  Full details can be found here .

Having not taken part before I thought I would keep it simple and decided to concentrate on a quick 2 minute ink pen sketch on a tag featuring the same robot.  

On the website there are a series of 'prompts' such as 'lost' or 'noisy' that you can choose to follow should you wish (I did as it gave me less to think about).

I really enjoyed the challenge to draw every day and they all sit nicely on a ring hanging up above my craft room desk.

Since Boxing day I have also been doing a daily walk (on most days, but not every day as it difficult with the RA when it is in flare) and record it on my Instagram account here.

Is there anything you do every day? 

Happy crafting

Kyla

WOYWW

 Hello peeps, it has been a busy few days.  Work, a friends wedding and two days at the NEC in Birmingham for the Art, Cake and Craft show.

Having been off work for a few days I am having to schedule this as I am super busy trying to catch up. Here are my spoils from the show.  I was really surprised how little I bought.

I bought a couple of magazines (that came with dies, stamps and a sewing pattern I liked the look of).  Two magazines and all their freebies were £6.  I bought some robot fabric for a Christmas present I am thinking of making, some stencils (£1) and a couple of small dies at £2 each (a sugar skull and a birthday cake).  An archival ink in violet (I don't have archival in pinks or purples so this will be perfect) and I bought 10 posca paint pens for £10 which is a bargain as I usually pay over £2 each for them.

I also bought some easy to use secateurs as we broke ours this summer so they needed replacing and it seemed like a good deal.

On the left is also a small canvass where we did a powertex session on the Thursday (£5) and we also did a pyrography session (£3) which is something I have been wanting to have a go at for a long time (I did it once many years ago with my dad but not for the best part of 15 odd years).

For £3 (which I thought was really good value) you chose a stamped item (I chose a coaster) and then you had some instruction and a practice on a plain piece before embarking on your final coaster.

It took a little while and the shading wasn't as easy but I was really pleased with the end result.

My 'Man Bites Dog' cards this week....well you will probably know the result by now...but my cards said...."Angry Thousands Lost Prez".....the world is watching.

So, do you have a desk (or floor) to share?  

Why not pop over to Julia's blog here and join us.

Happy crafting

Kyla

Wedding card

Just a quick update. I previously had a wedding card being made on my desk but couldn't share it until the happy day!

Well the couple have now received it so I can share it for all.

The wedding party was a lovely event and it was great to see friends so happy.

The card was a nice simple and reasonably plain to allow the beautiful, delicate vellum to be the star of the show.

Happy crafting

Kyla

Purple scrap box make

Just a quick update on a recent card I made.

Whilst sorting through my scraps box I came across some scraps of fabric card I made and die cut AGES ago (music papers and scraps that I inked and free machine embroidered over) and some small pieces of gloss card with alcohol inks.

Sorting through my scrap box I came across some purple off cuts and using my TH tiny attacher I added some mini staples and a mounted sentiment.

Odd how scraps can sit there for ages then suddenly your mojo sits up and shakes you until you realise you have all the components for a card!!

After all, it's not like my scrap box is running short-but every card is a little more used!

Kyla

WOYWW

Welcome to hump day and "What's on your Workdesk Wednesday" when we all join the lovely Julia to show our desks.

On my desk this week is my scrap box.  

Now this is NOT as bad as it looks (honest).  The back quarter of the box is filled with papers I have removed from some books to use in my crafts.  Now, I know this can be a sensitive subject, some do not like old books being repurposed.  However, these books would have been pulped as they were in the 'bin ends' at the charity shop and I would rather that some of the pages are used again rather than just pulped.  

I am also trying to sort out the papers into similar colours and I use my trusty plastic wallets for this, but I have gotten slack over the past month or so and just chucked them in so it's time to sort them out!

My "Man Bites Dog" cards this week....seriously, I randomly draw about 6-8 and use between 3-5 to make a sentence and they really are randomly drawn...

'Angry Thousands Drops Thug Tycoon' - PLEASE drop him like a hot penny!!!!

kyla

Bristol Urban Sketchers October Meet up

 Last weekend I met up with the Bristol Urban Sketchers. 

They are a really inspirational group and even though I have only just started drawing they are really welcoming and I have been trying to get to their meet ups each month since I started back in January.

Octobers meeting took place at Millennium Square in Bristol.  It is a great space with @Bristol (a science based exhibition and education center)  and the large mirrored sphere (pictured here) is actually a 3D planetarium!  Next to it is a sculpture of a tree which is actually made from solar panels and is free for people to plug into and charge their electronic devices whilst they sit there are take in the views.

I decided to sit for a while and drawer the scene, not the easiest but an enjoyable 30 odd minutes sat sketching and watching people.

This is also where the harbourside is.  Bristol is still a busy harbour and there are boats people live on, tourist vessels, water taxi's, working vessels as well as beautiful replicas such as the wooden boat the Matthew and of course the SS Great Britain.

I decided to do a quick sketch of a boat whilst I was walking along the harbourside 

After we have all sketched we meet up to share our sketches and usually grab some lunch or a cuppa.  This time whilst we were sat in the cafe a group of people on the next table all burst into song..they were an acapella group about to sing at a wedding in the Cathedral and were warming up!  I don't think the tourists could quite believe, all us sketchers with our kits etc and then the singers on the very next table!!

This is the group shot my hubby kindly took.  The umbrella was won in a silent auction by fellow sketcher, Ed, and has been sketched all over!  A brilliant idea.

As a new sketcher I was uncomfortable in sharing and joining a group, but I am so glad I did and recommend it.  

There are SO many different styles that each time I see or learn something new.

Kyla

Scrap box and maltese flowers

Now, I am sure I am not the only one-crafters are a resourceful lot and rarely throw things out.  I for one am often re-purposing items and this is another one of those occassions.

These cards are made with papers from my scrap box (which I swear is getting bigger each time I talk into the room-it's like the childrens story book of the Magic Porridge Pot!) and the poppies are made from the fabric petals that the hotel in Malta decorated our room with on our Wedding Anniversary!

I thought I would try selling them at work and see if I can raise some money for the British Legion. I am hoping I can sell some before they come round with the collection boxes (we often get the motorcycle branch of the British Legion call in at work, with all their huge motorbikes decked with poppies, it always looks great).

Happy crafting

Kyla

WOYWW

Hump day again so that means 'What's on your Workdesk Wednesday' where we all visit the lovely Julia's page (link over on the right) and bare our desks.

On my desk this week is actually some crafting! I know, shocking isn't it!!  To be honest the past few evenings has been spent trying to sort out some of my unused stash ready to take to the WOYWW crop next month to see if I can raise some money for charity.  So far I have stamps, some paints, scrap booking papers and a few punches.

On my desk this week is a card I am making for a friend who is getting married (three weeks notice!  How romantic is that-I love it, no pre wedding stresses) so I can't show the finished card until a couple of weeks!

My "Man Bites Dog" cards are ' Angel Weeps for Tycoon'-now I don't know if this is a 

Dr Who reference or the fact that many of us are weeping at the reality that america may just be about to vote for a tycoon (I will be polite and not say what I think about him) to have control over the nuclear button!  

Thank goodness for crafting and the escapism that it provides!

Kyla

Routine and Inktober

On boxing day I decided to try to do a daily walk.  Each day I walk, sometimes only short (I have Rheumatoid Arthritis so if I am in flare then movement is difficult) other days longer.  Sometimes it is at lunchtimes, others after work or even around the hospital grounds during my appointments.  I have managed one most days this year and I feel it has done me the world of good.  Routine based around something for ME is a new concept so I decided to add to this by taking part in Inktober. 

Inktober was started in 2009 by Jake Parker.

The idea is that you draw, in ink, every day for the month of October.

Full details can be found on his website here

I decided that I would do a quick sketch (no longer than two minutes-that way I had a chance to do one everyday) of a robot on a tag (they are all held together on a ring so take up very little room in my handbag).

There is a published list of prompts in case you run out of ideas and I have decided to use these prompts to make my life easier.

These are some of my tags that I have already drawn. 

 Each day I post my latest one on my instagram page here

Very simple but a daily sketch has forced my hand to do something I haven't tried before and I am enjoying doing it.

Do you have any routines you enjoy doing, just for the sake of it?

Kyla

Journal page

This is one of my latest travel journal pages.

I painted it in watercolours whilst travelling back from my Nieces Birthday party.

Can you guess how old she was?

I find journaling whilst travelling, especially with watercolours helps the time pass, especially since there appears to be so many engineering works on the railways at the moment.

Happy crafting

Kyla

WOYWW

 Hump day can only mean one thing...What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday.

Well after unpacking from my hols, doing a ton of washing and now the inevitable ironing mountain where the bleating of the odd mountain goat can be heard muffled by a shirt or two I have finally managed to get round to blogging (not crafting, but at least blogging).

On my desk this week is a lovely card and some feathers that a friend sent me (waves at Carolyn). I have no idea what to do with them but I am sure that inspiration will strike at some point (maybe for some art abandonment).

My "Man Bites Dog" cards this week are 'Hero Reveal Fake Cop'.

Happy crafting

Kyla

Craft show stash

I have been absent for a short while.  Work, holiday, blah, blah...life...you know how it goes.

If you follow me on instagram (kylacotterell) then you would have seen my capers and art abandonments etc over the past few weeks.  I am slowly uploading the photos and will update my blog soon.

At the weekend I went for a Coven outing to the Shepton Mallet craft show.  I was lucky enough to be given a couple of tickets from the organisers as they used my photo on their publicity (ooh, get me!!) and I contacted them and they were very obliging.

I was being smug as I only spent £1 on craft.  The fat quarter hidden in the middle of the photo.  I kept walking past the Dinky Screens stall.  A couple of young ladies from Bristol and this was their first show.  Having done some screen printing in the past I was really taken with their compact and contemporary set up.  I chatted to them, wandered off and ended up back at the stall on 3 separate occasions!

As we went to leave to return home I decided it was fate as I walked past them again....out came the cash....purchase made!!  I chose the 'Bristol' stencil collection.  I live near a steam railway and we have the balloons going over us regularly so it seemed really appropriate.

I am looking forward to playing with this.

My only new stash for several months (apart from a couple of magazines and a replacement watercolour paint)....but we do have the NEC only a few weeks away!

Happy crafting

Kyla

Urban Sketchers at the farm

 If you follow me on Instagram you would have already seen these but I was a little slow in blogging them.  Two weeks ago I attended the meet up of the Bristol Urban Sketchers. 

 I have been to a few of their meet ups and its always a lovely group at a local spot, a cuppa and a chat then some sketching and then sharing of ideas etc over a cuppa and maybe some lunch afterwards-very refined.  

This event was at the Windmill Hill City Farm (which only last week end celebrated its 40th Anniversary) and somewhere I have never been.

The wall outside was painted by a local artists Andy Council (I have always been a fan of his work and was even lucky enough to go to his house at a local open art event a few years ago).

 There was so much to see and do from allotments, to chickens, pigs and goats.  I found the goats to be particularly delightful as they stuck their heads through the fence to play with passers by so ended up sketching at that spot for most of the time.

 I also decided to paint a watercolour postcard of the largest goat whilst I was there and leave it as part of the Art Abandonment project (search for the group on FB if you'd like more details)

On the way back into town my husband noticed the Arnofini art gallery has a stamp carving workshop for free and it was just a case of turn up and carve-everything you need was provided.  So I couldn't turn that down so I carved a face which reminded me a little of the Studio Ghibli character Calcifer!  I decided to sketch the process in my journal whilst I was on the bus home (never a missed opportunity).

I recommend local Urban Sketchers groups, they are great way of learning from others and it's always nice to meet up with like minded people.

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

WOYWW

Hump day again so that can only mean one thing-the day we share our desks of creativity (or shame, you choose!).  Full details of What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday can be found in the link over on the right which takes you to the Queen of desks, the lovely Julia.

So my desk this week-well I am actually up to date!  This is Octobers 365 Journal in the making.  I know, I am actually close to finishing the page BEFORE the start of the month!

Phew, I am so in shock I need to sit down!  But before I do this weeks "Man Bites Dog" cards are ' Angry Wife Sues Devoted Fans'.....ooh there should be several famous husbands out there wondering about this!!!!

So why not join us and share you desk?

Happy crafting

Kyla

A scappy butterfly

My scrapbox is starting to get out of control again so I decided to challenge myself and make a card ONLY using bits from the scrap box.

There was only a small amount of the apricot metallic card so I die cut a butterfly and used some gems to indicate the flight pattern.

 

I loved the card that I used for the top and bottom but there was  so little of it I wasn't sure what I could use it for when inspiration struck and I realised that if I cut it in half there would be just enough to edge the card and voila, a card from scraps.

Now I just need to make a TON more as there are STILL LOTS of scraps in that box!

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

WOYWW

Hello peeps, it is Wednesday again so time to share our Workdesks.

On mine this week I am preparing more small pieces for Free Art Friday and Art Abandonment.

I am making some tags with my carved face and "Good Times" stamped underneath and yet more of my devil stamp with "Smile" stamped on the side.

I am also in the process of making some more watercolour postcards with my Dignity and Tolerance 'country'.

So, why not show us yours?  Pop over to the Queen of Desks, the lovely Julia (link over on the right) and link up.

Happy crafting

Kyla

'Marvel' at the freebies

Just a quick update-look what I found!

In a department store (if you are in the UK - Wilko's) I found this wallpaper with large, almost comic sized, Marvel comic cover prints.  You are able to rip some off to take home to test.....

Now, I was a Girl Guide when I was younger so I am "always prepared" and this means I 'may' have had a penknife and scissors to hand to cut off a few pieces to take home to 'test'!!!!

What can I say....it was too good to ignore. The wallpaper is lovely and thick and cut down should make some great cards and backgrounds too.

Happy crafting

Kyla

WOYWW

Wednesday again, seriously the weeks are just flying by!!!

So, since it is hump day that must mean "What's on your Workdesk Wednesday" where we share our desks of shame across the globe led by the lovely Julia (link over on the right).

On my desk this week is my finished 365 Journal and I am slowly filling in the events of the past week.  Sticking out top left is another one of my tags that I abandon across the West Country as part of the Art Abandonment and FreeArt Friday projects that I blogged in my previous post.

My "Man Bites Dog" cards this week...well a certain American candidate springs to mind!!!

So, what are you up to?  Why not join us?  We are a happy bunch and there is always something to marvel at or some sort of storage device/idea to lust over!!

Happy crafting

Kyla

Free art around Bristol

 As part of the "Art Abandonment" project (search for it on Facebook if you fancy finding out more) I have abandoned some more pieces, this time across my home city of Bristol.

Bristol is an amazing city.  I have lived here for about 14 years and it is a vibrant city full of art (we have many galleries, art schools, the largest street art festival in Europe) and social enterprise (from an old police station turned into art studios through to state of the art digital centre and start ups, Aardmen Animation studio and we are also a cycling city) so I am hoping my abandonments go down well.

 This piece was one of my watercolour postcards, as shown in a previous post, based on a country/state with words such as "Respect", "Hope" and "Tolerance" which I abandoned at the Folk House cafe,  A fabulous cafe and centre that runs art and music courses.

 This tag (also mentioned previously, is made from a stamp I carved) with the words "Imperfection is Beauty" was left outside Forbidden Plant (a graphic novel store-which I may have popped into a made a new graphic novel purchase!)

 This one was on the bridge in the harbour-lots of lovers walk over the bridge and place padlocks on the sides so I thought it would be a great place to leave a piece.

and the final one was on Park Street on the approach to the museum just outside Cass Art and down from the Design Guild.

I hope if someone finds them they will contact the facebook group (there is also a generic gmail address on the labels) but I haven't had any reports to date of any 'finds' for any of the drops I have made over the summer, so I don't expect I will-but the art of creating and releasing is fun and something I think I will continue to do.

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Free art for you and me too

 I often take part in Free Art Friday and the Art Abandonment project.  

My latest piece I set free was a watercolour postcard.  

It is not based on any particular country or province but rather the green was a mop up from an earlier painting and after carrying it around in my sketchbook for a few weeks I suddenly realised it looked a little like a map outline!  

I added some blue for  the sea and used my new Uniball pens to add some outlines and lettering (see my earlier post about the set I was given, they are great fineliners and are waterproof so I can doodle over watercolours without fear of the pen bleeding). 

Following from the whole Brexit debate reminded me that regardless of whether one agrees with other peoples views we are lucky to live in a country that allows free speech and the right to vote and we should respect that.

I am lucky that I work in an organisation with a very diverse workforce made up of many different races, religions and orientations and this means I am regularly exposed to many differing views (and some SERIOUS lunchbox envy at the canteen-boy they look and smell much more appetising than cheese sarnies I can tell you!!) and I believe I am a better person for this.

With this in mind I chose the words to represent different 'Countries/States".

 As I am in hospital regularly there is also diverse workforce there and the words also struck a chord with me as to how patients should also be treated so I decided to abandon it there.

 Imagine my surprise when further up the hospital I came across a box and lots of knitting with a sign saying "Knit with me"....so as I had time to kill, I did.  Now, I am not a great knitter but I was thrilled that I remembered the basic knit (which is what all the little squares were)

 

 Upon closer inspection I realised that the many of the knitted squares had been made into envelopes and had signs on them saying "open here" and "To: You....really you" and  "I'm not lost I'm for you".

So I picked one up and opened it up and found this message!

On the back it said that the words had been collected from patients, visitors and staff to the hospital in the hope that they maybe just what you need to hear today!!

It is the Envlop Project (https://www.nbt.nhs.uk/fresh-arts)

What a fabulous idea.  I love seeing the changing art installations around the hospital.  When you are there it makes it SO much more welcoming and how lovely that whilst I was there abandoning art there was another doing it too!!

If you fancy abandoning art or taking part in Free Art Friday then just search for them on Facebook and the groups should come up.

Happy crafting

Kyla

WOYWW

Hello peeps, Wednesday again so that can only mean one thing-

"What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday" 

when we all join Queen Julia to share our spaces (link over in the right hand sidebar), some tidy, others....well you can see what camp I am firmly in!

On my desk this week is my 365 Journal.  I am late making Septembers pages but will be hopefully finished before the end of the week so not too long to catch up on.

The rest of the mess is still there from the other week....my carved devil stamp (middle back), my goat boiled egg cosy (left-dont ask, it was given to me a few years ago and I love it so it stays on my desk usually atop my glue pot) and a couple of upcycled tins and jars that I keep lolly sticks and pens in.

My "Man Bites Dog" cards this week are 'Devoted Wife Runs off with Crazy Wall St. Intern'.....needless to say I will be scanning the papers to see if this one comes true!

Happy crafting

kyla

Tea or coffee appears to be a theme

 I have been a bit tardy at blogging recently, mainly because I have been out making art and wasn't sure how to get the photos off my instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/kylacotterell/?hl=en) but I think I have sussed how to transfer them across (just needed to book time on the laptop to transfer them). 

This page of my journal was sketched in a cafe over lunch.  I had spent the morning at a Repair Cafe in Bristol.  A group of volunteers meet in a church and if you have a broken item you can take it along and they have a go at repairing it.  I took my solder iron but sadly it was well and truly broken, however, whilst we were there they mended a large flat screen TV (the lady had brought it previously and they identified the spare part she needed to buy for about £25 and then they fixed it for free).  Such a great resource, and the local church make some money by selling tea, coffee and cake.

Also, over the past few weeks I have been taking part in Free Art Friday and the Art Abandonment groups (search for them on FaceBook for more details).

This tag was a stamp I made and then over painted with posca pens and  stamped the phrase "Imperfection is Beauty".  I left it on the back of the hooks in the ladies toilets of Herbies Cafe in Exeter!

This tag I painted whilst sat overlooking the sea at Sidmouth in Devon and I left it in the Clocktower cafe.

I am enjoying abandoning small pieces or art.  I haven't heard back from any finders (they always contain details of the FB group) but hopefully people have enjoyed finding them. 

Whilst keeping the sketchbook I have noticed that I spend a LOT of time in cafe's sketching though!  Keep your eyes peeled if you spot someone sketching over a coffee-it may be me!

Happy crafting

kyla