What did I do Last Year?

Happy New Year!

Hope you had a marvellous Christmas?

This is me making the 3 bird roast of turkey, goose and chicken. It was very tasty indeed!

2013 was an incredible year for me, I started the year off on the PaperArtsy design team.

What an honour, love Leandra and Mark. 

Then had the chance to do a spot of demoing at Alexander Palace for PaperArtsy too. It was heaving and met a lot of people from Twitter. :)

As if 2013 couldn't get any better Dyan Reaveley gave me an amazing opportunity to teach at Art from the Heart. I was a nervous wreck, but I enjoyed it immensely because the ladies and occasionally a gentlemen were really lovely and supportive :)

Then I was made redundant from work, so I had more time on my hands to make bread and to craft!

I had a dabble in other art too and tried oil painting. 

Which resulted in a painting being put in an exhibition in the Infinity Cafe in Stockton-on-Tees.

My little painting xx

I had a bumper crop in the garden this year, the sunshine made everything ripen quickly..a bit too quickly!

Then I went back into work in September, back to my first love geology.

I wonder where 2014 will take me?

Looking forward to the adventure.

I have heaps more crafty classes lined up too, can't wait. xx

Have a fantastic 2014

Michelle xxxx

May sunshine & flowers for my Calendar Journal

I got a little bit behind with my Calendar Journal page this month, but I've been recording my days in a diary until I caught up. If your not familiar with the Calendar Journal revolution, the very talented Kate Crane has a Facebook page where everyone shares their wonderful monthly journal pages.

I've used the fab Delicate Aster's stamps from Creative expressions to make the colourful flowers on the bottom of the page.

I've used Dylusions Inks (Lemon zest, Squeezed Orange, Fresh Lime, Cut grass, cherry Pie) to create the background and also used various stencils to add more interest. 

Then I stamped the Aster's using Archival inks.

I painted the petals with white acrylic paint so it would show up the colour better when using my Prisma colouring pencils. Also this was easier than stamping them on white paper and cutting them all out too.

I've coloured each flower using bright contrasting colours, I love the way the blue just pops out!

Now I can start to fill in my days properly. Actually I have forgotten to put my days of the week on, but I will add them later.

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On another note, I've been a little preoccupied lately playing with a new medium for me, oil paints.

I decided to do a still life painting of a few things I had lying around the house and some fresh fruit.

The great thing about oil paints, I've discovered, is that the paint stays wet over a few days so you can change things you don't like all the time. So since I thought I was finished the painting, I've revisited it about 4 times to adjust the shadows and tweak it a little bit.

I only have to wait a month now to varnish it, then frame it.

There's a lot to be said for acrylic paints. However, I really like the feel and smell of working with oils.

I'm looking forward to doing another one, I'd like to include some geology into the next one, so maybe some fossils.  I'm excited!

I've submitted this painting to Paint Party Friday, it's been a while since I did that.

Have a great weekend

Michelle xx