Beowulf and The Pied Piper

Craft Day 1/365
Hubby’s just made me a prop for school where I will be teaching Beowulf along with other myths and legends. He drew out the shape on some ply after a bit of research on the shape, then cut it out. He left the decorating for me to do!
I have painted the Viking broadsword using metallic paint for the font to add a bit of shine to it in the light and outlined some of the lettering with ink. I particularly like celtic patterns or those which interlock. One day I hope to have a go at silver jewellery making. The first piece of jewellery I designed was when my first baby was born and I wanted her to have a keepsake for when she grew up. Although I designed it, I commissioned a jewellery maker from famous Glastonbury in the UK to make it.
Regarding my class, all about the age of 12/13, they were thrilled that we were going to create a wall display of our work on myths and legends. After the focus on Beowulf, we moved onto The Pied Piper and the children’s task was to then write their own epic poem. My youngest daughter is always inspired by the ideas I plan for my lessons and wanted to take part even though she’s younger and attends a different school. She drew me a picture for a slide on The Pied Piper, having already studied it at school!

Featured Artist!

Do you ever do anything on the spur of the moment?  Is there ever a time you’ve woken up and decided ‘yep, I’m going to do this today!’? 

Well, I did just that on Saturday.  I woke up and announced to my youngest that we were going on a train.  She didn’t react with the same kind of enthusiasm: ‘But, I’m busy!’ she groaned, not even bothering to ask where the train was heading. With a little … OK a lot of persuasion … we caught the train with five minutes to spare and she finally cheered up when we arrived at our destination two and a half hours later in Portsmouthnd I managed to squeeze a drawing in, using my 6″ x 6″ sketchbook on the return journey.

  
 We were met with glorious weather and a bear hug from her big sister.  She bounced out of the station and took you straight to a massive ice cream parlour.

   
 It’s been an exciting week.  Not only was I featured in an eco e-magazine sharing about my art and creativity using natural products for painting and my passion for recycling, upcycling and using items found around my home to create, but I am this week the featured artist over on an amazing Facebook group site called DoodleArt 😀

How did this happen?  Well, I posted one of my forty-five minute doodles of my OH and the cat, Nikon onto the page challenge: portraits.  It was selected as receiving being among the top three with the most ‘likes’.  The group runs a different challenge a month, so there’ll be a new challenge set on June 1st.

The irony of the icecream parlour visit and eating in a restaurant, aptly named Giraffe, was that my latest doodle depicted both icecreams and a giraffe all painted using naturally made inks from coffee, tea and strawberries!

  

A Boat? In the woods?

A boat in the woods?

Yeah!  

On the outskirts of a busy city lies an area of National Trust woodland.  Yesterday, it would appear that half the city had decided on visiting the woods.  Was it the burst of sunshine?  Was it the draw of an unusual, quirky art installation?  Was it because parents were at a loss of what to do with their children that didn’t involve spending money?  I saw one irate lady trying to stop her two children bickering in the back of her car while she awkwardly reattached the bicycle rack and her son’s push bike to the rear of her car after a day out!

The art installation was bang in the centre of the woodland and, despite wearing white plimsoles and it being muddy, I got away with keeping my footwear remarkable clean as I dodged the crowds to get photographs of the boats without people obstructing the view.  I tried my best!

    

  

  

  

  

  

  
      

Hare print from a Big Mistakes Eraser

I bought a ‘Big Mistakes’ eraser a while back and have been wondering for ages what to draw on it so that I could do some carving.  

I guess I’m going through a bit of a ‘hare and rabbit obsession’ lately, what with buying a baby dwarf rabbit and watching her binkie around the living room; watching her ears twitch and turn as she listens out for unfamiliar noises.  They sure are fascinating creatures.  

Yesterday, the family went to a wooded estate where deer were enjoying the sunshine and shade.  I could have decided on a deer for my print – maybe next time!

So out came the pencil and I sketched a hare, then taking the smallest cutting took from my lino cutters,  I carved away the layers of rubber to reveal my hare.  I have a rainbow ink pad and used this to take some first impression prints.  This was the third impression:

   
     

Doodling bunnies

Today, I glanced out of the window at work to a field that usually has three horses nibbling the grass.  By mid-afternoon, the horses had vanished and ten wild rabbits ‘binkied’, hopped and sniffed around.  Every one of them was a character that I could bring into a story.  However, having just got a baby bunny rabbit two weeks ago, I can’t stop drawing her!  She hops up and down from the sofa, scoots around my rainbow rug and loves having the run of the lounge!  

She is going to be a character in my children’s story I’m writing, so I guess, the more I sketch her, the better!  Can’t wait to do the proper illustrations, but first I’m jotting down the bones of the story.  Maybe I should start a new blog dedicated to the adventures of Willow.

   
     

Black and white

Copyrighted images.  Please do not copy or share without my express written permission.  Thanks 🙂

Trees have always fascinated me.  My DH and I had a discussion about what makes a perfect tree.  Does it have to have evenly spread branches, be covered in snow or blossom, or should it be standing solo, tall and magestic?

Some of the most magical trees I’ve seen have been deep in forests covered in moss.  I love also how in the saddest places such as abandoned cemeteries, among crumbling tombstones, life returns in the form of meandering branches, tree trunks and wild plants.

I took several black and white images the other day and loved the eeriness of them; so what do you think?

   
           

Concertina books … Have fun with squares, rectangles, circles!

Ever wondered what to do with oddments of wrapping paper, patterned envelopes, prints and paper?
How about having a go at making one of these? They’re easier than they look.

The mini one requires 8 squares measured at about 8cm across; the spiral book requires three A3 sheets cut in half lengthwise.

If anyone is interested in a pictorial tutorial, please comment below and I’ll put one together :–). Simples!

The last image, showing the spiral book closed, is part of a pack of happy mail going off to Spain.

Daily Post photo challenge : motion

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/motion/

This was taken while at a vintage fair. I was drawn to the dancer’s dress as she spun around and this made me want to dance too; we were transported back in time :-). While music blarred out and feet stomped, punters popped inside to explore the vast selection of wares from 50s clothing to remnants of lace and waxed flowers being entwined on wire for bridal headdresses.

Sneak a peak at my next project: a children’s picture book

Morning everyone. I’ve finally got round to making a start on a long term project – my children’s book and thought you guys might want a sneak preview of the cover as a WIP 😀

Still a long way to finishing this and need to add a splash of colour, but I thought it an apt time to share. The story is based on a nickname my children gave me when they were little 😉

Best wishes xx

Win a copy of my book!

Hi guys and gals 🙂

Recently, I was delighted to receive limited edition copies of my doodle books and I’d like to offer you, yes you, the chance to win a copy!

The competition giveaway is running on my facebook page and it would be lovely if you popped over there and said hi.

https://www.facebook.com/doodle2ink

all you have to do to be in the chance of winning is to ‘like’ my page by following the link above and comment on the pinned post ‘WIN book’ followed by your name.  Closing date for entries is Sunday 26th April 2015.  I’ll then select 1 winner who will receive a copy of my pocket doodle ink book!

 

Zentangled mini squirrel

2″x3″ doodle on a marble print – my doodles are done as part of a happy mail process.  This little guy is off to Spain shortly 🙂