Inktober 2018 Part 1

 Just a quick update on my involvement with Inktober 2018

Artist Jake Parker created a challenge in 2009 to create 31 drawings in 31 days in order to improve his drawing skills - it took off and now there are over 408k followers on Instagram!!

For the past 3 years (which I have also taken part) they have also published prompts for each day, but you can use them or not, draw daily, weekly or even do them all in one go!  It's very laid back and a great way to experiment with ink.

Full details can be found here

The last couple of years I have completed mine on tags (small, cheap and take ink quite well).  So far I am using the prompts and whilst the other year my monthly inspiration was robots this year I thought I would choose Nature.

 The flowing of lava down the volcano

 

 An oyster

 Starfish!  Well, its a loose interpretation!

 Forgot to take any tags with me on day 7 which I was in Malta at Notte Bianca a fabulous free festival where I went to watch the band The Selecter play (seen them a few times but never overseas).  This sloth for "exhausted" (which I was) was sketched at 01:30 in the morning in a bar!

 The wolf is drooling (I got some odd looks sketching this sat on a bench in a park!)

 I love mushrooms and foraging so for the Chicken prompt I thought 'Chicken of the Woods' fungi would be a perfect interpretation!

 Spelling Bee!  Play on words but there are no rules and this is the first bee I have tried to draw, I was quite pleased with this one.

 Chestnuts roasting on a fire!

 I find woodlands tranquil (hence I try to do a daily walk and belong to the Woodland Trust)

and the first one-the death cap!

So that is them so far (I have done a few more, if you follow me on Instagram you have probably seen the last few days newer ones, I will blog these soon as it takes a while to upload and blog).

Are you doing Inktober?  I would love to know if you are.

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Anniversary Card

Hello peeps, just a quick update for a card I made recently for a 25th Anniversary.

I used some silver skeleton leaves, die cut 25 from some holographic card and added some ink over the top of an embossed piece of card.

I then used a silver pain pen to add some detailing around the edges of the card.

Nice and simple but something you know you could not just pop to the shops and buy so hopefully the recipient loved it.

Happy crafting

kyla

Abandoned Art

So the pay the bills job has been somewhat hectic the past few months meaning that there has been very little time for me, friends or crafting.  

Crafting for me (since I discovered it when I was about 7 years old) allows me some 'down time' mentally and physically and is crucial to my well being (it is as important to me as exercise and meditation).  This has meant I have had to learn how to snatch little pleasures where I can and art abandonment fits this perfectly.

I recently spent 10 mins during a break making a quick sketch on a tag that I used to mop up some paint from a previous project then abandon it for someone else to find.

This watercolour and ink was a quick sketch of some tulips and I abandoned it at the park in Sidmouth, Devon opposite the Sir John Betjemen plaque.

I always leave the details of the Art Abandonment group of Facebook but have never heard from anyone who has found one of my pieces (which is fine as the point is to set them free and not expect a response) but I do hope that they bring a smile to someones face.

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

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

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

Powertex playtime

 Not had much time for crafting or blogging but I was able to have a go at playing with my powertex.  First I made sure I covered the table with plastic sheeting and wore an apron and for once I also wore gloves!  I know, me, the person who nearly always has messy hands (just have a look at http://lunchladyjansfabricfrenzy.blogspot.co.uk/ that's my hands the lovely Jan used for her title!!)

Next I poured white powertex over the canvas, spread it out leaving some areas slightly thicker to see if it affected how it cracked (it does, the cracks are deeper on thicker layers)

 I then sprayed Bister (I remember this as a wood dye my father used to use back in the 70's but powertex sell it as a good way to add colour) and added some splatters too.

 I then cut up an empty milk carton to mix some thickener up with the white powertex.

 After I dried the canvass with an airgun the cracks started to appear.

 I used a pallet knife to apply the thickened powertex and coated some wooden canvas stretchers with it to help it adhere.

 I then added some powertex clay balls and started to play with mica's and acrylic inks dribbling and spritzing water to see how they reacted (after all the idea of this was to play and see how the products react).  

I also soaked some scrim in water and powertex and scrunched this up (and was REALLY pleased I was wearing gloves-boy is this product messy).

 My final piece, not sure if its a cross or a desolate tree after a forest fire (on my mind at the moment, my thoughts go out across the pond to those in Alberta).

 Not too sure on the final piece but I do like the depth and texture you can achieve with this product so I know I will be making some more time to play.

Happy crafting

Kyla

Red, red wine....

Just a quick update, I thought I would stamp up some images from the lovely stamp Shaz gifted me at the recent crop.  I have been after a decent sized wine bottle stamp for AGES (literally years) and Shaz kindly gave me this one.

So I stamped it on card with memento ink and was really surprised at how fine, crisp and detailed the image was.

A quick blast with the heat gun to set the ink and I started colouring it with inktense pencils applied with a wet brush so that I got that 'fluid' look.

I set the colours with a quick spray (I normally use a spray sealant but I was being lazy so grabbed my hairspray!) and was really pleased with the outcome.

I plan on making some masks so that I can stamp the glass and bottle separately and also mask the words and the wine label-I will let you know how I get on.

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Multi layered scraps

Thought I would post one of my latest cards I made.

The background is an old 12x12 patterned scrapbook sheet I no longer like that I gesso'd, painted, wiped back, stencilled, stamped and collaged!

I then added an off-cut from an Angelina fibre die cut butterfly that I made for a previous card and attached it with coloured mini staples.

I added a butterfly with some foil adhered for a little bling and stamped a sentiment on the bottom left.

I got suitably inky and covered in paint so I was a happy bunny!

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Masterboard ATC's and a right mess!

Hello peeps.  Yesterday was the WOYWW crop to celebrate 6 years of this tom foolery and what an amazing day it was.

Friends old and new met, chatted (some even got crafting done...not me, too much chatting) ate cake, learnt some new techniques, ate a lovely veggie lasagne and then some more cake!

I will blog about that on Wednesday and even got Julia to pick some "Man Bites Dog" cards for the occasion!  This post is the shame that was my desk the day I decided to make my ATC's for the anniversary swap.

I decided to make some masterboards so glued music pages to card and sprayed them with mica's and spray inks.

I thought the quickest way to dry the glue etc as it was a nice day was to hang them up on the washing line-goodness knows what my neighbours must have thought?!

 This is the chaos that was my room.....a total mess!

 Lots of die cutting, inking and splodging going on.

 The first few die cuts bits and pieces I just thought it would be quicker to brush onto the floor then pick them up when I finished....27 ATC's later I realised this was a mistake as the floor was littered with left over die pieces and some were sharp ones too!

 But it was worth it in the end. 27 ATC's all finished in time for the crop.  Many were passed round and I filled several of the envelopes that Julia had to send onto people and I even remembered to leave a few ready for the proper Anniversary on the 27th May and the official  swapee and a few to those of may visit and would like one on the day.

After yesterday I am totally shattered and am grateful that today is a day of rest!

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

March 365 Journal Challenge

Hello peeps, I realised we are half way through March and I haven't shared my 365 Journal pages for this month!  

I have been following this on Kate Cranes Challenge blog for a few years now and it is great looking back and remembering the various events, big and small that happened.

In case you are wondering the black witches hats are on a Monday and are when I go to my Craft Coven get together-sometimes just a small picture is enough.

I used some gesso in the background as the inks were quite bright and this helped just bring it all together.

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Fake letterpress

 I finally got to have a play in the craft room at last (now it is nice and clean it seemed a shame not to).

I revisited an old technique I haven't played with for a couple of years but I was reminded of on Pinterest recently.

It is a fake letterpress technique and VERY easy to do.

You simply ink one side of your embossing plate (you can use a brayer but I just keep the ink pad as level as I can and smear it all over) and pass the plate and paper through your embosser and voila - 

 I quite like it in the brown as it looks like a henna tattoo.

This is the reverse side of the card (the uninked side).

 Some of the embossing plates are deeper than others-this one was particularly deep.

Which was so deep it created almost a shadow when I coloured it.

Quick, easy and simple and now I have some backgrounds ready to play with.

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

A new journal page

 Hello peeps, are you enjoying the sun and school holidays?  I love the fact that it means my commute is SO much quicker in the school holidays-so as far as I can see it's a win/win situation!

Only a quick update today, I have been playing in my journal again.  This time its my small travel journal that I often take with me for days out.

 

The background is a mix of acrylics, interference paint and inks with some ultra lightweight paste through a stencil for the numbers.

The words are printed off the computer and I keep a few random words in the back of my journal for use, the heart padlock tattoo was from a leaflet from a tattoo and music festival I went to last year...yep,leaflets and junk mail are a great source of stash, I just wish we had tyvek envelopes over here a bit more often for our mail so I could really go to town with the inks etc!

I added some barbed wire borders by hand and then wrote some personal testimony which I then lightly covered with white ink to partly obscure.

I finished it off by flicking some white ink.  The green blob in the middle is one of those issues we all have with other pages leaking through now and again...I tend to use quite a lot of ink so even gesso lets it bleed through sometimes.  I embrace it when it happens as it reminds me it is a handmade page and not digital (no issue with those that do digital crafting, but part of my job is being a bit of a computer geek so I try not to use one at home for craft!).

Right, off to check out my new solar lights!

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Naked art!

So, I have finally girded my loins and sent some 'art' in the post naked!!  No envelope...just sent as a postcard!!  Now, I was worried about sending it so I even phoned the Post Office head office and asked if this was ok and whether I need to keep certain areas free of paint (because of automated sorting machines)....their response was 'bemused' to say the least!!

This is my first one, I sent it to America.  Jane Davies is an artist who owns a post office in Rupert, Vermont in the USA.  Now this has to be the prettiest post office I have ever seen, a small beach hut type post office, all painted white with picket fence, so pretty.

However, there is a threat that it may be closed so in an effort to increase the through put of post she asked people to send handmade post cards.....I am not sure she expected quite as many (there are 15 galleries of cards already!!)...see all the details here

I also decided to send one to my Nan (in NZ) who has been poorly since before Christmas to brighten up her day.
 

Now I am a little hooked on this!!  Fellow WOYWWer, Donna  (http://www.adonnathing.com/doings-of-doone-blog/) takes part in a European collabor-art project who also have a mail art circle where you post handmade postcards naked too!  Donna has challenged me to join and I am proud to say I have just emailed them asking if I can join in (fingers crossed).

Right, my craft room is calling me (its what Sunday afternoon's were made for!).

 Happy crafting

Kyla