Silver Pendant and Garden Landscapes

 Happy New Year!  We've avoided the snow thankfully but it's been windy and cold so I've been staying warm indoors and getting a little bit of crafting done. 

Before Christmas I made a silver pendant as a Christmas present and also another one as a commission from a friend of a friend, so as the kiln needed to be fired up it seemed a good idea to make a couple of pieces for myself too!

I forgot to photograph the first two pieces what with so much going on - I was just relieved to get them finished in time and boxed up! However, I've just finished polishing this one for myself and I'm pleased with how it came out.  I would have preferred a slightly different stone to the white Moonstone on the left but that is all I had in my stash that toned with the Labradorite and Hematite.  It was taken from a mould of a rough concrete surface and is chunky at about 4cm wide.

And for something completely different I've been playing around in my sketchbook with little landscape collages.  I started with watercolour bases and am just adding bits as and when I feel like it!  I have no idea how they will end up but it's all about the process - they are relaxing and enjoyable and are feeding in to my current obsession with garden landscapes! 

I'm linking up with Sarah over at WOYWW. 

The Garden in Winter

 I'm still in a wintery frame of mind, helped along by the freezing conditions we are expecting later today!  I'm holding back on this sketchbook page for a while as I'm liking the simplicity of it at the moment - I'm good at over-egging the cake so I'm trying to stop myself flinging everything at it!

I made a birthday card for my brother-in-law recently - he loves working with wood and is very creative so I tried doing a wood inlay card using some wood effect papers that I've had in my stash for years, and a medallion die.  I was hoping for a Morroccan look to it, but he referred to it as lace so not quite the response I was hoping for.  Still, I had fun making it!!

I'm linking up with Julia this week over at WOYWW.
 

Winter Snowdrop Collage

 This week I finished a sketchbook page in celebration of these pretty little winter flowers that are blooming my garden at the moment.

I have one small group of Snowdrops and I'm hoping they'll spread - they originally came from a friend who has sadly passed on but I have so enjoyed making this page and thinking happy thoughts of her.

I'm also getting stuck in to another wintery page - I'm being drawn to that soft sage colour lately  - not a go to colour for me usually but I'm enjoying it and will be using it until I've worked it out of my system!  

  

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW this week.

Studio Makeover!

  OK I know I've mentioned it a lot lately, but I've been having a clear out!  Not all of it went to charity as I've found some long-hidden treasures that I've used to give my studio a bit of a makeover!

I've replaced my old brush pots with the jade coloured jars that I have had stored away and forgotten about, and the pretty floral jug which was found in my late father-in-law's suitcase of memories!  I decided they looked quite good together and although a creature of habit, I'm enjoying the change of colour scheme!

I also came across a dinner plate and mug while doing my online supermarket shop and they match the 'new' pots very nicely - perfect for a pencil pot and a tray for 'mess'.   

I'm feeling quite smug that I remembered to clean my water pot to a passable standard before photographing it - it was mud coloured yesterday, inside and out!  

It has been a week of quite terrible news and I feel very blessed to be able to indulge in such trifles as these and to feel safe in my own home and surrounding area.  My heart goes out to the people of Ukraine and I hope and pray they will find peace soon.  

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW this week.

Colour Plunge Collage!

 I've been working on challenge 5 - Colour Plunge - in Randel Plowman's Collage Workbook this week and the prompt is to make a (mostly) monochromatic collage.  I couldn't decide on which colour so ended up doing several and will probably do some more as I'm enjoying these a lot!

 

Just as I was about to pack up and tidy everything away yesterday evening I remembered to take a desk shot - several things are out of shot so it's actually messier than it looks - add a pair of scissors, a steel rule and another two punches!   

I am linking up with Julia over at WOYWW this week.

Spring is in the Air

'Spring is in the air' over at Tag Tuesday, so here is my Spring themed tag - 

with Pussy Willow stems, hard frosty ground and hints of new growth.

Midnight Green

I'm still working slowly on little tags while my hand recovers from the carpel tunnel op, and still enjoying my 'summer' garden although the weather feels definitely autumnal lately.  
 I don't work with green very often, it's definitely not a 'go to' colour but I've really liked working with these shades to represent the garden at night - it makes such a change from the blues and purples I usually use.   

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW - why not pop over to see what other people have on their desks this week.

ATC's for WOYWW

 Here are a couple of the ATC's I made to celebrate the 10th anniversary of WOYWW...

...and here are some of the beautiful pieces of art work I received back...

I was overwhelmed at the gorgeousness of the needle felted creation made by Jo (aka Twiglet) who was my pif - she had even chosen my favourite colours and popped it in a sweet little frame.  Needless to say it's taking pride of place on my little shelf of 'treasures from others' (an idea inspired by Jan last week).  Thank you so much Jo.

And these two lovelies are from Heather (at Heather's Crafty Retreat) and Zsuzsa (Inky Dinky Doodle).  Heather included a lovely card and some inspirational die-cut words, and Zsuzsa printed her own envelope and note card to match the ATC and added a lovely sheet of collage images. 
 Thank you so much ladies.

I'm linking up with Julia over at WOYWW, so why not have a nosey over there and see what other people have on their desks this week.

Tree House Collages and WOYWW

  On my desk this week are these two little collages that I've just finished - they are based on my fascination with tree houses and my current love affair with lime green!
If anyone's interested I did a little trio of tree house pieces last spring, and you can find them here.

   

I'm joining up with Julia over at WOYWW this week.

Mossy Doodles and Old Postcards

I've been doodling and using up little bits of old velvet.
Little mossy seed heads on old postcards - inspired by my lawn that's about 80% moss with a few weeds and bits of grass thrown in!

I'm linking up with Julia over at What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday.

A Hardy Geranium Tag

A summer tag using a Geranium die and a colour that I don't often use - mauve.  I'm not awfully comfortable working with mauve but it's such a pretty colour I should use it more.  I was going to hang this round the neck of a bottle of wine, but the back is so marked where I'm such a messy worker that it shall be turned into a birthday card to accompany the wine instead!!

I'm joining in with Julia over at What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday this week.

ATC's and WOYWW

What a lovely week it's been - for someone who wasn't participating in the swap I received two gorgeous ATC's from Jan and BJ and I used a couple of ATC sized card toppers I'd made that were ideal to return.  All I had to do was dig out the stamps again and decorate the envelopes.   

Thank you BJ and Jan - I love the typing on the heart, so dinky, and I also LOVE that butterfly button in the middle of Jan's!

Have a good week everyone and you can hop over to Julia's at WOYWW here for this weeks snoop around the desks.

A Ferny Birthday Card

A birthday card for the Hubs was needed this week and I tried to make it spring like and to reflect his love of nature.  I am really enjoying using the fern and  bud dies that came as a set by Marianne - I purchased them a few weeks ago in the belief you really can't have too many foliage dies or stamps!!  They also feature heavily in the Luminary I made in my last post here!

I am linking up with Julia over at What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday this week.

Tree Houses

 I've been gently getting back into a creative frame of mind, and messing about with tree houses!
I've always loved them, ever since Peter and Jane had one in a Ladybird book when I was a child - anyone remember?!  I yearned for one, to no avail - we didn't have a tree for a start - but they still hold a real fascination for me. 

I've just been down memory lane and found the original image on Google - I remember in my tree house I wanted an easel in the corner so the wood grain wouldn't show through the paper, as I'm sure it must have done on Peter's drawing - I was pernickety even back then!   

I'm linking up with Julia this week over at WOYWW

Spring Pinks

 Getting a little tired of the bright green I've been working with lately I decided to add some vivid pink - a choice helped along by the beautiful bundle of cerise sari silk I found at the Needlework Fiesta few weeks ago.

I used the little frame stamps from May's Forgotten Stash post here, and I made a series of little Spring windows again.

Th backgrounds are Brusho's on clear texture paste - a technique I found on the Country View Crafts blog, although they were using Infusions and not Brusho's.  I have recently purchased the Infusion powders but felt they weren't as bright and vivid for what I wanted on this project. 

I received another beautiful ATC in the post this week from Jo (Twiglet), and I'm thrilled with it - I love the colours, especially that beautiful bright pink -  very appropriate for my 'pink' mood this week and very gorgeous!  She also included a card showing close-up the beautiful and intricate work of her daughter Maxine (Tilly Tea Dance) - a big thank you Jo!

I am linking up with WOYWW this week.