Dance Slowly

 Started this violin - my third one - some time ago but could never get the composition as I wanted so gave up and put it in the cupboard until inspiration came a-calling again

It took a while but as soon as I saw Finnabairs new ornate frame mould I had a spark of an idea

This violin had such a beautiful shiny wooden case that, although damaged in parts, was too good to paint over so I left it to speak for itself and hoped the decoration would sit happily in contrast ... this is why there is no glitter or beads added to the composition 

Once it started to fall into place I loved making this - shades of peacock blue, copper and gold - very much my favourite colours to use

Let there be light

 Finnabair has kept us Patreons busy with all her wonderful on-line workshops - both live and pre-recorded

This one was live and my attempt is almost a direct copy of hers as I wanted to get to grips with the techniques she demonstrated

The little light unit itself was from Ikea & they were fast disappearing as Finn worked through her demo - wish I had bought more now but maybe it is a good thing I only bought one

I attempted to buy a suitable candlestick at the same time but had to laugh when it came ... note to self: check the sizes before ordering!!!

The light is battery operated & still opens so the battery can be repaced should the need ever arise & himself was on hand to chop down the candlestick to a more appropriate height - the bonus being I now have another half of a candlestick to play with ... win-win really

Object of the workshop was to achieve the patina look that old brass gets over the years ... gold shiny bits showing through where stuff has been handled 

I did completely miss out one stage by not paying enough attention but managed to get a result of sorts

 

Excuse the messy background but spot the deliberate mistake

Spark of Life

 Another piece inspired by an on-line class Finnabair did for her Patreons - I loved the colours she used and knew it would be a challenge for me to use similar

Just took a deep breath and went with it knowing I could always paint it over and start again if it went wrong

For once I am TOTALLY happy with what I did and it might even be one of my  favourite pieces of all time

Again struggled to decided what to use as my focal point - Finn used her new bird skulls moulds but skulls of any kind are not really for me so I knew they were not an option

Had a good rummage through my box of gathered bits & bobs and the spark plugs called to me

Knew I wanted to work an a tatty plank of wood so himself went off on a mission to see what he could find and came back with a recently replaced fence panel - I wanted it a little more jaggedy so into the garden he went to stamp on it ... still too long

Can you lost about three inches of it? 

More stamping and then it was just what I wanted

 

Rusty Alarm Clock & Midnight Notebook

 As one of Finnabair's Patreons I was gifted these two workshops - a quite unexpected but wonderful treat!

Each year Art Venture by Gather run a huge event in California but, of course, in the times of a pandemic this could not go ahead so it was the internet to the rescue and they went on-line

Only disadvantage being the cost of shipping meant the kits for each class were not an option for most of us outside the US - not a problem for me as I had most of the stuff anyway and it was a wonderful weekend as Finn took her turn teaching her two classes

Most definitely an advantage was being able to participate on-line - classes I would otherwise have missed 

The idea was you crafted along during the live workshops but I prefer to watch and then create later as the video's remain available for all participants

First workshop was the clock

Finn used a photo' inside her clock but I am not keen on using photos so struggled to think of a focal point - then it came to me!  Had been saving this pocket watch for a a few years, waiting for the right project to come along - I think it was waiting for Finn's alarm clock all along!

I was going to grunge it up but thought it so beautiful as it was I left it well alone - the inside of  the clock is quite dark so the shiny pocket watch is a perfect contrast

 

 

I took a photo of the inside before assembling the clock as much of the detail is lost

The next day saw the notebook workshop

I loved the colours Finn used in her workshop so used the same - the main difference being she put a different image behind the large pebble as a focal point

I struggled not having anything really suitable so, as I have been trying to learn how to draw gems I decided to throw caution to the wind and include one of my own

Hilarious, I know, but I actually quite like the result

 

Lockdown # 3 - Giveaway projects

 Well, another lockdown can only mean one thing (it means a lot actually but am referring to my little corner of the world) ... another set of giveaways

All these giveaways were very much made possible by Henry's Hat ... Henry being our Great-nephew whom, at nearly six years old, has plenty of other things to do I am sure but, like the superstar he is, he picks me a winner each week

Trying to make the draw as fair as possible I send him only the numbers of participants each week and he picks one of those numbers from one of his many hats and then I check my list of names to see who has won - a system that seems to work really well ... Henry has his own fan club !

#1 LITTLE BLUEBIRD

Oh how I loved making these - so much, in fact, I made two 

you can't tell from the photos but the top one is just decorated on one side and I kept this one for myself but the bottom one was decorated both sides 

 #2 LOVIN' SPOONFUL

This was based very much on an in-person workshop I did way back with Finnabair and a on-line video she did for her Patreon group so not an original idea of my own

These are also pretty much the colours she used for her Christmas Magic Patreon piece but a huge challenge for me as I really do hate pink but have to say I could live with this if there are no names in Henry's Hat for this one

(edited - there were!) 

 

#3 MAKE A NOTE OF IT

 

Who doesn't need a notebook?  

 

 

 

#4 ALTER THE ORDINARY

 

The ordinary being what is now a part of pretty much everyone's daily life - a computer .. bits of it anyway

I am fully expecting thise one to be a step too far and will send folk running for the hills but not everyone likes pretty-pretty and flowers so will have to wait and see

 

 

 #5  INDUSTRIAL BEAUTIES

A tin heart that I decorated both sides so it could be hung up

Quite grungy & industrial with dragonflies & butterflies

#6 STEAMPUNK ROCKERS OF THE HORSEY KIND

Two were on offer this week & I had serious doubts about these as I did not think they would be very popular - ended up with more numbers in Henry's Hat that any of the other giveaways

Shows what I know

Based on a project from Finnabair

These took forever to make as most of the embellishments were made with moulds and resin

Ten "keys" were needed for each horse and with only one key on each mould that meant 20 pours!

 

 

#7 OLD RUSTY TIN BOX

The joke being it was neither old nor rusty or tin

 

#8 BJORN & BO - FREE TO A GOOD GNOME

(Bjorn is the big one!)

Two Powertex gnomes made after an on-line workshop with Annette Smyth (creativeadventurer.co.uk)

 

#9 ROLL WITH IT

A remake of a rolling pin I did for myself but which many people seemed to like so I did another - slightly smaller this time though to make it more display-friendly

#10 LITTLE PLAQUES OF POSITIVITY

I wished everyone who put their names in Henry's Hat each week could win, but most weeks there could only be one number picked

So this week I did five little plaques giving five people the chance to win

 

 

#11 BLISSFUL BUTTERFLIES

or, as they were originally called ... Can't Think Of A Title

(because I couldn't!)

Then a dear friend came up with Blissful Butterflies & I was very happy to go with it

Another remake of projects I have done in the past but loved doing so was able to have two winners 

#12 TIME SPENT TOGETHER

 

And so the end of another lockdown & this one was to represent the time we have spent together with our little weekly dips into Henry's Hat

The draw for this one will take place almost a year to the daythat Henry first picked us a winner - a whole year!  I can scarcely believe it - a year for all of us of uncertaintity & sadness, being scared and overwhelmed - but also of friendship and thankfulness 

And I am truly thankful for all of you who played along, keeping me going each week and givieng me an excuse to keep busy doing what I love to do

Better times ahead my dearest friends ... there has, now, to be better times ahead