Brusho's

 I decided to play with my brusho's again.

I only have 2 (moss green and grey) but I find that they are two really useful colourways.

I thoroughly wetted some watercolour paper as its thick enough to take quite a lot of water and sprinkled some on, swirling the paper to let the water run with the colour.

When it dried (I gave up waiting and turned my heat gun on!) I added some watered down mica in gold and spritzed it on, flicking it across to add a subtle shimmer.

How has you used Brusho's?  Has anyone tried them on fabric (that may be my next test)?

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

 

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

 

A new painting

I hope you have been able to enjoy the sun.....I have given the house a good old blow through and managed to wash the net curtains.....how very middle aged of me!!!

In an attempt to get some crafting done I decided to use some of the painting supplies that my dad was using before he died.

 

The canvas has many layers of acrylic paint and also acrylic inks with some iridescence to add a little shimmer.  

I think dad would have been pleased.

Happy crafting....I now have to clear up the mess before hubby get home!!!

Kyla

 

Make Time to Create

 Hello all, I hope those of you who have time off of work are enjoying it (extra crafting time!!).

Blimey its cold here in the UK at the moment, the ice in the back garden hasn't defrosted for 2 weeks now....luckily the craft room is the smallest in the house and bathes in the sunlight so its the warmest!!

My new make is a new stamp.  On my WOYWW a few weeks ago I had a pack of 10 round rubber discs which only cost me £2.50 (25p each---bargain!).

Now I have admired the folky art girls that have been around in books and blogland for some time, so I thought I would have a go.  Now, drawing and me are not natural friends but I thought if I managed to draw one I liked then by capturing it in a stamp would mean that I could replicate the face time and time again.

So here she is:

 

I decided to create a picture on a canvas covered board using the new stamp.

I spread some texture paste through a number stencil at random points on the board.  Top right I spread some through a clock face that I liberated from an old desk clock I was throwing away and added some clock hands (made from wooden drink stirrers I pick up from coffee shops!)

I added lots of acrylic layers, pinks and yellows with blue, green and black over the top for depth.  I then dribbled some acrylic inks down the board.  

I stamped "Make Time to Create" on tissue paper and adhered it with multi medum and added the girl cut out of various papers and distressed them with inks.  I coloured her face with oil pastels so I could blend the colours.

I highlighted a few areas with both black and white chinagraph pencils and gave the piece a quick spray of matt varnish to seal.

The saying is so true to me, I spend hours at the pay the bill job and think about it almost constantly when I am not there.....it drags me down and the best way to relax, for me at least, is to create something, be it fabric, ink, paper or resin....but finding the time is difficult-I think I need to schedule some time for it in my diary, even if its only 30 minutes a day.

Anyway, its a bank holiday, housework is nearly finished...so the warmth of the craft room beckons!

Happy crafting

Kyla