A LONG 3 WEEKS

 

You know the saying " when life gives you lemons ....." well I wish it would send champers or chocolate instead! The past 3 weeks threw more drama at me which looks like continuing for at least another week or 2. The good news is that I still went ahead ,(with hired help) , and had my 5th back procedure . That was 2 weeks ago and it may take up to 6 weeks to feel the benefits but I already think there is some improvement. Yey!!! 

I have tried to de stress as much as possible and spend at least an hour or 2 each day doing some colouring . I am rather enjoying Rita Bermen's book at the moment. 

I particularly love my chosen colours for this page and changed the black dots to white using a Posca paint pen. I used a gold gel pen for the centre line work in each petal.

This was the 1st page I selected and I used a pastel pencil for the background. Hmmmm, not the best choice.

Finally, this is the page I am currently working on. I selected the colours  from a card in my colour cube . A few more sessions before completion.

I enjoyed reading another Anna Jacobs' book. This was the 3rd in a series and I read the 1st but don't have the 2nd. It didn't really matter.

As usual, I pass my books onto mum to read but I am currently struggling to keep up with her demand lol. It is very wet here at the moment and I am wondering when some warm weather is going to appear. It is a very strange November here . I hope the predicted severe weather in many states has not affected you. 

2 COMPLETED PAGES AND A BOOK

 

These 2 pages are from Johanna Basford's ' Enchanted Forest' colouring book. 

I am discovering my favourite colouring book artists just like I had my favourite stitching designers. There are so many to choose from but I refuse to buy AI produced ones if I can detect them as they are stealing illustrators' work. Something to be mindful of in all areas these days. 

This book is a fictionalised account of the Batavia shipwreck and the horrific events that followed . I wish I hadn't read it as it is quite distressing. However, I did persevere and the storyline was good. 

Now onto reading your blog posts........

QUICK POST

 

My apologies for the change in font size in my last post. It has happened before, changing from one paragraph to another and I have no idea why.

I have been working on this page in Johanna Basford's ' Enchanted Forest" colouring book the past 3 days. 

It looks like I am favouring Anna Jacobs' books these days. I finished this one which is the first of another series, a trilogy. I have the 3rd one on my shelf to read but haven't got the 2nd one. It is a pity but I am sure it won't really matter.

That is all I have to show but I am losing bloggers anyway . I guess it is since I have taken a different crafty path. Here's to enjoying our individual crafty pursuits. 

STILL NOT MUCH HAPPENING

 

Each day is the same here. I get up after little sleep , have some brekky even if I am not hungry, shower, then do all the household tasks while I have some energy. There always seems to be a load or 2 of washing to do, recycling  and compost to go out in the respective bins, mopping, sweeping and a bit of vacuuming. Then I scratch my head trying to work out what to cook for tea. By this time I am so tired and the pain increases so I sit and watch something on TV or a streaming service. Bah humbug! Was that Uriah Heep in David Copperfield? I love that expression. 

 I live a rather solitary housebound  existence these days apart from a weekly grocery shop and ensuring my mum has everything she needs. Hubby gets out and about a few times a week with his carer and a couple of friends which is great. I am looking forward to my next 2 medical procedures which shall hopefully see me feeling much better and getting out and about. Lol, I have no idea where or with who though. 

So, for my sanity, each afternoon I have been going into my craft room to do some arty stuff. These days, as you know, it is mostly colouring and even that is not always easy to do as my eyes are a bit affected by the pain meds. However, I am learning a lot and I enjoy doing it. This pic is from the 30 Days of Creativity book I purchased and  was a black and white drawing with only one quarter done from the inside out. The task was to continue drawing it all the way around and then colour it if I wished. Well, it isn't perfect but it was fun. 

In my last post I mentioned that I was considering crocheting  the Mystical Lanterns blanket and I did end up selecting some yarn from my stash to try out the pattern. I think I got the hang of it ok but colour selection shall be the thing that holds me up.

I see that Lucy from Attic 24 shall have another crochet along coming soon so I may wait for that. 

I thoroughly enjoyed a newly released book by another Aussie author. It is set in Tassie during the 1800s loosely based on the real Jam manufacturing there. 

I realised she has written other books so I recently purchased 'The Chocolate Factory ' which is sitting on my bookshelf ready to read after the book I am currently reading. I do enjoy seeing what you are reading and try to keep a list of the ones I think I would like. 

Happy crafting and reading.

A MONTH GONE BY

 

I had not realised that my last post was nearly a month ago and I have no idea where that time has gone considering I lead rather a dull life. So, here is some arty stuff that I have done. Bear in mind that I am exporing different mediums and still learning how to use them. 

I eventually completed this colouring page...

This leafy page is slowly heading towards the finish line although the page next to it on the left continues the design. I think I might complete that one in totally different colours and make it a separate page. I am still deciding whether to leave the background as it is or add some colour. Question is....what colour????

I started this page ages ago to experiment with my Inktense water colour pencils. They work differently to the usual watercolour pencils as they are ink based. I finished it at the weekend.

Then I decided to play with some gold, silver and white gel pens on a pastel background. I shaved a pastel pencil onto the background and then smooshed it around with a cotton wool ball. Some fixative was required so the pastel doesn't transfer to the opposite page. 

            I finished the last book of the Rivenshaw series.

So, that is what I have achieved in a month. I am now toying with the idea of crocheting a Mystical Lanterns blanket but I have made quite a few blankets already and most of them, like my quilts, are stashed away. Big sigh.

ART HAUL

 

There was a time, not so long ago, when the purchase of new fabrics and stitching supplies had me doing the happy dance . Before that it was new scrapbooking papers, cardstock, brads and albums. Then, years prior to that it was new DMC threads for my latest crosstitch or tapestry. Ofcourse, lovely new yarn was , and still is, a welcome purchase. Throughout the decades I have accumulated and stored so much stuff from my creativity and have found that some things are still useful for my new found art hobby. However, many things shall never be reused and I have been gradually tossing things out, rehousing stuff and supplying the OP Shops with many things. Last week I cleaned out a lot of scrapbooking supplies only keeping what I thought I could use. Now my cupboard has been emptied of one small set of drawers, a paper storage rack,a craft trolley and plastic drawers. This new space is now storing some boxes of patchwork things. Now I have more room for art supplies.  Yey! 

Last week I bought some arty stuff and 2 books that I had ordered arrived. Now I am doing the happy dance again.

                                  I am trying more gel pens.

 

More Tombow markers to add to my collection.  A battery operated eraser. No, I am not being lazy lol. These erasers are very fine for small areas so clumsy me doesn't end up creating smudges. The sharpener is easier for my hand to hold . I want to try alcohol markers and I needed a small pencil case.

I am now quite excited to start these 2 colouring adventures.

I have not done a lot of colouring recently but did do 5 more leaves on this page. Layering and blending can take a lot of time but I am happy to just spend an hour here and there.

                               Thankyou for stopping by . 

ANOTHER STRESSFUL WEEK

 

A lot of stressful things have occurred simultaneously this past week again but I have ventured into my craft room for an hour here and there when possible. This page was done with waterbased brush markers, pencils and gel pen.

Then I decided to get stuck into using only coloured pencils and practising blending.

Now I am colouring another page using pencils without any other medium ...yet. 

I have read the 3rd book in the Rivenshaw series and have started the final one.

Wish me luck this coming week !