Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and good health... A big huge THANK YOU to all of you, your kind words and support has meant so much and spurred me on. It's wonderful to connect to BlogLand and talk to people all over the world and share creative ideas and hold out a friendly hand. That friendly hand turns into a lovely comment that turns into a smile, that makes life better. The best support group ever...I have met some wonderful people over the last year and some of you I now consider dear friends..... I raise a glass of bubbly to you all.....here's to lots more creativity and friendships..... xxxx
Another of my mixed media cards for the festive season...... am popping over to Sunday Sketches to join in the fun and see what everyone has been up to......
I'm on holiday....two weeks before school starts again.....Yippee! But I have loads to do, commissions to finish by tomorrow.....a Panto to go to.....and generally helping everyone else in the family to finish their Christmas Shopping....mine is done and dusted, just needs wrapping......
Hi everyone... The Christmas rush is starting....my cards are done and most of my presents are made or bought...Christmas Day menu is sorted just about - who's coming, who's not (naughty eldest daughter not coming home for Christmas - first Christmas in 20 years she will not be with us and I keep blubbing - next year if she doesn't come home, we will all be packing our little suitcases and we will go to her, there's no escape, she's been warned!).... School is nearly finished, very busy with making decorations with the children....lots of glue, lots of glitter, lots of fun and lots and lots of mess.... I'm sending you all a big hug, keep the energy going, it's the toughest time of year for lots of people for all sorts of reasons...in all sorts of ways... will be sharing this tomorrow with Sunday Sketches....
Courage doesn't always roar, sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says... "I'll try again tomorrow"...
This was a small journal that I made for my friend B over at Sweetlimes...and you can see the fantastic hand carved stamp she made me. I'd like to share this with Sunday Sketches...
Hi everyone, thank you so much for all your birthday wishes sent to my 98year old Grandmother...she says Thank you....
I'm so glad it's the weekend.... I had a major shock this week when I asked my 5year olds (at school) if they would like a story... they all replied "NO" bar one.... They said "NO" because having a story read to you by some Twerp of a Classroom Assistant (that's me) that reads a story in silly voices and then asks questions about the story to see if you've understood... is just to much like hard work.... I could have cried...
This is the first time that I have had children refuse a story....it's so sad.... My revenge was to the read the story anyway and ask questions to see if their little brains and ears were working... and next week there will be more stories and more painting and more sticking and more cutting out.... Oh the life of a child with me is no fun at all....
Am sharing this with Sunday Sketches...will be round to visit you all later, am now off to build a wall at my farmhouse....
I sketched this the other day while I was keeping watch over Mr Hollywood's dad.... His dad died today after a long battle with cancer....The cancer started in his eye, he ignored the blurred vision that he had... by the time he dealt with it...the cancer had spread... he didn't really get time to enjoy his retirement...
One of my best friends had breast cancer two years ago she is now healthy and cancer free. The doctors got the cancer in time that she didn't even lose her breast....a routine Monogram found it...she hadn't noticed the lump..even though she self checked regularly.
With every sad story there is a happy story too...
So check your breasts regularly go for your smear tests, get your eyes tested yearly, don't put things off...nine times out of ten things are fine.... my breast lumps turned out to be cysts...
My heart goes out to anyone who is putting off going for tests...waiting for results...and anyone battling cancer. If this post helps one person it was worth sharing... x
It's Monday evening, it's cold outside and dark....yuck...winter is on it's way.... I'm a Spring and Summer person... I like warmth....having said that, I do like to curl up in front of an open fire.....
I used this quote last year and my picture was very different.... not sure I like my girlie's face...will live with it for a day or two and may repaint her...
Autumn leaves are lovely,
They rustle when I run,
Sometimes I make a heap,
And jump in them for fun!
Has anyone else tried to redesign their blog using Bloggers new dynamic interface?.... I've been messing about with it for the last couple of days....can not find where the add on bits are.... very frustrating... have a great page but can't add my links to Sunday Sketches etc.... am I being thick?...
The Owl and the Pussy Cat has been popping into my head all week...hence while I was sitting in the Eye Doctors' waiting room (just a check-up) I sketched this... I don't think Pussy Cat is to happy about Mr Owl sitting on her head or is it Mrs Owl and Mr Pussy Cat. Wouldn't it be wonderful to sail away in a boat...never mind the colour....and be back in time for tea....and all the problems left behind be sorted..... High seas and Pirates are ok in teeny tiny doses...coz I get sea sick...so set me to sail on a mill pond.....
Mr Hollywood and I had a wonderful weekend with our friends in Biarritz... we nipped over the border to San Sebastian in Spain for lunch in a Cider House.... wow, the steak was mouth watering, the cider good and Rioja wine ...heavenly.. then wandered along the promenade till it was time for Tapas.... then back home for dinner... the following day spent in Espelette for chilli pepper festival... Basque festival with a few Basque games like Bare hand... Main Nue... which involves to teams of two men each whacking a cricket type ball with their bare hands at a wall... (it's a bit like squash - with no rackets- just bare hands) sounds odd...but it was knicker gripping.... Back home now...have to say we are so lucky to have all this just three hours away from our doorstep... San Sebastian is well worth a visit if you get the chance...you will not be disappointed....
I little something I whipped up this morning.....while I was waiting for Mr Hollywood to bring me a new battery for my car that decided to die this morning....seems like it's having hot flushes too...
Thank you everyone for your lovely comments and get well wishes... I'm much better.. The sinus lurgy hit hard and fast...I started taking the antibiotics that the Doctor gave me and at the same time I started having hot flushes...no problem, put it down to all the medication I was taking....that was two weeks ago, medication is now well and truly finished and I'm still having the hot flushes! My Mum and Daughter keep laughing at me and saying that it's the Menopause.. OMD! I'm far to young...and I swore that it wouldn't happen to me....
It's like a mexican wave of heat that starts...slowly and then before I know it I'm on my feet doing a peculiar limbo dance where all of sudden I have to take most of my clothing layers off, I flap about like some demented scarecrow...and I puff...fwooo fwooo.. like that's going make a difference... Mr Hollywood just looks on sympatheticlly... he's obviously thinking he's got himself a right old chook.....
Meet Winifred Broomstick and her friend Catnip.... I have a story all mapped out around these two characters...but I've been struggling with it all week...there is another story that keeps popping into my mind...Grrr Mexican Wave...
This is my last homework piece for the Supplies Me Course..
Here is a sample of some cards I had made of my little characters...(sorry the photo is rubbish) I put 8 into a local shop and yesterday she told me that she had sold 5.... spurred on by happiness and hot flushes...don't have anything more to lose so plucked up the courage and I went to another local shop and she took all my cards and asked me for some Christmassy ones..... Whooo whoo Mexican Wave....in a good way...
I'm off this weekend to Espelette near Biarritz for the Chilli Pepper Festival...like I don't have enough heat in my life ....so have a wonderful weekend.... hugs to you all.....
My lovely friend Jenny Blair of Love and Peas has setup a bright and breezy website.... go take a look. Her site makes you forget the horrid weather outside it's full of gorgeous eye candy... an absolute delight...she is one talented cookie....
Opps! looks like my little witch has messed up Cinderella's carriage and shrunk Prince Charming... Oh what a t'do!!!
Thank you everyone for your positive thoughts and lovely comments.. I'm feeling better and just soldiering on..that's what Mum's and Wives do...we have no choice.... have to say though I've whipped out me Winceyette pyjamas and wheat bag and early to bed...
Hi everyone...I'm still fighting off this Sinus bug...
Here are a few pictures I've been working on this week.... while the drugs were working.... am off to bed again and will pop over and see you later at Sunday Sketches...
I've spent the last few days fighting off a nasty Sinus Infection... so I'm drugged up to the eyeballs, not sleeping and can't wait for half term holidays next week..... I just want to flop in a corner and do nothing....fat chance of that....Oh well, here's hoping you are all well.... ta ra for now....
And Autumn is here to stay...... so goodbye summer.... the brief was a blended face with markers... plus lolly legs and arms.... Messed my poor girls face up so she got a tattoo........
Plus the roof is finally going up on the barn and Mr Hollywood and I successfully demolished a stone wall.... have to rebuild the thing now.... what fun..... hope your all having fantastic weeks.... xxx
Sorry I've not been around much.... work and life in general is taking over from play at the moment...
Here's my homework for Jane's class....am in the middle of doing more...will show and tell when I finally get time to finish it....
Must dash, house to clean, me to clean and shopping to do....friends for dinner tonight...then back to the farm house tomorrow morning to rebuild a wall....old stone wall the decided after two hundred years of being up that it wanted to be down....ugggg....
Here is a little lady that has been popping into my dreams over the last week.... she finally made an appearance today... she's also part of my homework for Jane Davenport's Supplies Me course that I'm doing...
I'm totally in love with this little girlie... will have to find her some friends to play with....
I'm bringing Little Miss Clown to Paint Party Friday see you all there.....
Grrr... two weeks back at school and I have one almighty cold. The works, runny nose, feeling hot and cold and so darn tired.... a tishooo, atishoo non stop.... thankfully today Wednesday is a no school day... so I've flopped about all day. I've done a bit of drawing and painting mainly for my on-line course that I'm doing....
This is the page that I did for last weeks mixed media homework... I couldn't resist a little story.. Missy mermaid is wondering if her bum looks big... "No Silly" says the little fairy "I've bought you a dandelion flower to cheer you up.... you have to blow on it and make a wish"...
Will upload this weeks homework later on in the week....
I re painted the spare room and turned it into my art room... my gorgeous daughter Rebecca said that I should give my room a name... her boyfriends Mum has a creative room that she calls her "Pod" which sounds cosy and cool. I couldn't very well pinch her name "Pod" so I've been wracking my poor sick befuddled brain for a name for "My Room", work station isn't right, coz it's not work, studio didn't sound right either - far to grown up ... then it came to me...
"The Dolls House"
because it's where magic and make believe come together, where I chat and have fun with my friends. All creative souls out there know that the drawings and dolls that we make talk and have wonderful stories to tell and share... The Dolls House where I go to leave the real world behind......for awhile at least.
Rebecca and Emily Jane...
check out my wonderful daughters' video that she and her friend made for Freshers Week....
Good morning everyone... it's a crisp bright sunny Sunday morning here in rural western France. I'm thinking nice cup of tea and a warm croissant would go down nicely... My bakery lady is on her hols. So hot cup of tea and toast with some yummy homemade plum jam. Pop over I'll put the kettle on and we'll go see what everyone is up to over at Sophia's Sunday Sketches.......
Toogle was burying a bone in the garden and didn't see "Petunia" from No 23 sashay up the garden path and bustle into Boogie Bedhead's kitchen...... - he was too late to warn Boogie to hide and pretend to be out.
"Petunia" went on and on and on about her "Brand Spanking New All Mode Con's shiny Kitchen" that she was having fitted.... and did Boogie want the name of the "Kitchen Fitters" because after all, Boogie's kitchen could do with a major relook darling.....no offence of course...but your kitchen darling is sooooo last century....and it's so you Boogie to have a Kitch Hen in your kitchen.....ha ha ha ha ha..... must dash darling have to keep an eye on kitchen progress..... let's do lunch.... soooooonnnn......"
Boogie can only hope that Petunia will be too busy polishing her brand spanking new shiny kitchen to have time to "doooo lunch darling....!!!"
Let's pop over to Mr Toast's Creative Tuesday and have a peek in everyone's kitchen.... :)
Phew what a week....back to school...... I'm exhausted..... and have started Jane Davenport's class at Artomology brilliant.... I've been a good student and did my homework for teacher.... loved every minute of it... worked late in the night and early in the morning....
It's not a master piece but I learnt some new technique's and even though I didn't know which way to tackle it and what I was going to do.... it just happened.... so here it is...
The whisper of autumn
When I started this is was freezing outside....
However today it is now hot hot hot.....
Will also be sharing this for Paint Party Friday..... I have a load of teenagers over tonight for dinner... my daughters friends....so I will pop by as soon as I can.... have a wonderful weekend....
The new school year has started and I have 5 brand new 4 to 5 year olds..... so far no tears (and that's just me). Can't get over how little they look each year. My class of last year have got so big in the last two months..it's lovely they still want to give me a hug and kiss in the morning..(they're not that big, yet - some of them would like to stay with me and paint all day and play games)... Have also had visits from the big kids who have now gone onto secondary school...It's great seeing them all excited to be at BIG SCHOOL....
So in honour of the the new school year I just had to sketch the playground with the new wall art and one of the hopscotches that I painted on the ground.... the kids are loving the new games..... have a great week everyone....
Good Morning everyone... I've been messing about with my watercolours this week. No clear plan of what I wanted to do... these little ladies just popped onto the page and I just went with it...
This little "Miss Cross-Patch" popped straight onto the page and started yelling about this and that... at the moment she's just ranting, I have no idea what about so I just turned the page... I'll go back later when she's a bit calmer....
I sketched about ten little people and rubbed them out till "Miss No" popped up... and she's here to stay.. she reminds me of my girls when they were little and had discovered the word "NO"....
I was trying my hand at backgrounds.... not happy with these grassy things...but I do like my mushrooms at the bottom.... Missy here, wandered onto the pages looking for something but can't remember what... I told her to retrace her steps and hopefully that would jog her memory.... It's something that happens to me all the time..... Watch out... us girlies are coming over to see everyone at Sunday Sketches....
Boogie Bedhead thought that Spencer Dubs would never speak to her again after Toggle behaved so badly when he went all lunar at the Moon Crater Cafe........ Well, Spencer popped in this afternoon for a cup of tea and said that there was nothing to worry about, he should have warned Boogie that space travel can make dogs a little spacey.... no harm done...
Boogie had just poured a lovely cup of tea for Spencer when suddenly the teapot and teacup started to magically dance about.....oh I say... there's some funny goings on here!....
Will Boogie and Spencer ever get to share a quiet romantic tea time break?
Hope you enjoy my Teatime Fun that I've made for Mr Toast's Creative Tuesday's ... my very first teeny tiny film.....
My lovely teenage daughter helped me with my doodling yesterday afternoon... I sketched this little fairy and Ellen wrote the words (on the opposite page in pencil - "Farty Faced Fairy - Fiona the Fairy has her farty face on"). Mother daughter effort...
Ellen said she looked like she'd just farted..... I did my Mother tut tut, said she was naughty and then we giggled like five year olds..... windy pop noises still make me giggle...
I thought I'd share the giggle moment with you and all at Sophia's lovely Sunday Sketches... I'm posting early as Mr Hollywood is taking Moi and naughty Ellen to Bordeaux tonight for dinner. We'll be staying with friends.. so won't be back till sometime tomorrow...
As many of you know, I work in a rural French school. The school is like a step back in time. In the attempt to cheer the place up a bit, we decided to paint some games on the floor and wall.
So this week I painted a hopscotch...
A twister . . . to tangle the children up . . . that should keep them busy. . .
and one of my girlies who isn't quite finished and lots of circles...
She is of course blowing bubbles...
This wall is the first thing you see when you get to the school gates.
The children throw balls at the wall and hit the circles... large, medium and teeny tiny ones...
helps with hand eye throwing co-ordination.
Yes the wall is yuck but no funds to re-paint the entire wall and someone had decided to paint some circles before I had had a chance to jet wash the wall first..... so it is as it is.....
To the left of the photo you can see three panels... that's the school art room, where I spend most of my days... the inside is a lot brighter than the outside.
