What do you record...

These are the waste paint covered journals I mentioned in the previous post. The picture of all four together is true to colour. I have given a couple of journals/notebooks away this week, the rest will appear for sale soon.

I give my little notebooks hoping they will be used, happy if they are full of shopping lists and shoe sizes, reminder notes or puzzle solving. Some friends tell me they are, 'Too good to use.' Please do, I can always make more. One of this weeks is going north on holidays, with a lady who has never travelled, another is being used to collect encouraging quotes. I heard this week an older one is being used to record things which make its owner grateful. What a blessing for be involved in people's lives through my little creations.

On my desk at the moment is a mess! But under that are two half finished necklaces, some ATC's and some earrings. I am so so looking forward to some chunks of creative time next week. Perhaps I will make a list ...

Repurposing the Repurposed

I've mentioned before that I can't bring myself to waste even a drop of paint; these cards all use repurposed paint. The top cards have as their background some paint slapped on with the intention that it would be a base coat. Earlier in the week the colours appealed to me and I began to doodle trees and birds. Last night I layered them up.

I covered some journals with my multi-layered waste paint paper (and that is a mouthful) last weekend, the left over scraps became the cards below. the top two cards were very therapeutic as I lost myself in doodling designs on the patterned paper. As a child I wanted to design wall paper; I loved drawing up repetitive signs and relaxed just as I did while making these.

The irony in this card production is that I have missed more birthdays than I have remembered this year. I've resolved to send "just because..." cards instead, and hope you'll understand if you have been waiting for a while.

CIF Received and Elegant Ladies

I recently took part in a Create it Forward (CIF) hosted by the wonderful Steph from Belgium. Last week (yes, I am running late to post) these wonderful items arrived. A pendant that made my heart sing - that spoke to where I am; and the most comfortable bracelet in the whole world.

I have worn both of these pieces almost all week.

These elegant ladies dancing in a row make me smile; tiny antique dolls heads, vintage swarovski crystals, pretty beads and perhaps a little lace.

I am enjoying creating.

Perhaps they will sell from my Etsy, never mind if they don't , I will let them dance in my cave...

NOT from a pet free home!

Charles seemed to recognise a friend on this journal, or perhaps he just wanted some attention as I dashed outside to photograph my latest journals and notebooks. We had a wonderful few moments of tummy rubs, tickles, and chase the camera cord - a quality interlude.

As soon as I saw the felt ribbon stick-ons in scrapbooking stores I knew that I would use them for backgrounds. The one used above was a bright lime green. It is very absorbent and I should have sealed it before I began adding layers of paint - I think there is half a tube of my beloved Golden Quin' Nickel Azo Gold on the front cover alone. The picture is a favourite vintage postcard of a lovely ginger cat.

These two notebooks started out at ATC's but I added to many layers (pegs and paint brushes to name a few) that made them too thick to fit in any plastic sleeve. The one above features an original vintage photo and mother-of-pearl button.

Now that I have started using my old paint brushes in my art I can justify buying some new ones :). Aren't the leaves wonderful? I picked the last of them from my liquid amber before the rains last weekend and they grace my dining table, a huge bowl of them colourful, crisp and yet so very warming.

No reason for this picture, just the cutest little dog in the world looking at me as I do the blog post and some other work on the net. Hug your purr and bark babies for me!

Today's Silent Inspiration

One child's reject's,

One artist's treasure.

More Pins and Some Help Please

I have had a lot of fun putting together pins this week, soldering jump rings to pen nibs, pouring some resin, twisting wire and running my fingers through my button stash. I used some vintage fold-over connectors at the top of this pin, and a less ornate one on the pin below. Does anyone know what their correct name is? Or where I can get more? I really like these!

These owls have been a part of my stash for a long time too, but finally they have a home and nests of their own.

Another of my favourite components is the little fuses with brass ends, I pull them apart add vintage text (usually encouraging scripture) and then solder a jump ring to the top.

I wore this pin to work earlier in the week, some of my students (mostly boys) had a wonderful time passing it around and trying to identify all the components. Friends have been uncomfortable with the name I gave these pins; junk pins. A comment from a delightful, and almost illiterate, teenage boy that 'You tell a story with this Miss, unna?' has changed their name to 'Story Pins'.

Jewellery and Rain

The rains have arrived very late here in Western Australia, but the heavens are making up for it now. We have had three freezing cold days with winds and flooding rain, days where my face feels cold each time I stick it outside and all four fur-babies jostle for places in front of the heater. Nights where I cannot turn over without disturbing at least one fur-baby snuggled as close as he can get. Normally I would whinge about the cold, and the wet, but our farmers have been so desperate and the season change so late I am joyful, grateful that we are not to have a drought.

An added bonus is the wild weather is just perfect for creating (and even doing school work). The last two junk pins sold quickly, the one above was started at the same time. I have been making earrings and hat pins too. I love hat pins, they are perfect for holding my scarves in place as I dash between classes - arms full of books, and the inevitable hot tea. I made some traditional ones with bright beads last week, and this week I have made the steam punk version below.