Even Mummy's can have fun with water and crayons. . .

My lovely teenager gave me some watercolouring crayons for my birthday.

The other day I had to pick her up from school. So whilst I was waiting in the car for Missy, I whipped out my new crayons and water brush...and sketched away and painted...have to mention I had the car windows open, bright sunny day...thought Spring had sprung, it was so warm.....we are in Feb...mid winter..so great..but not really for the plants.....

Anyhow, these crayons are great fun...handy to keep in your bag and the water brush and holder don't drip or nothing....can't be doing with drips and mess....Missy eventually found the car, why is she always the last one out....then all I had to do was pop everything back in the tin...here comes the clever part....plopped my sketch book on the back seat to dry and drove off.....

So easy, it's child's play....

What I did today. . .

My beautiful youngest daughter and I went for a walk, well we got as far as the thingy that sticks out into the Estuary... at Port De Vitrezay at St Bonnet sur Gironde.... it's the Estuary that comes by Bordeaux and finally finds it's way to Royan and the Atlantic coast.......French side....

The weather this afternoon was magnificent for early February...about 18 degrees...and no wind... we sat at the end there..... Youngest daughter munched through half a packet of chocolate biscuits..(she's a teenager = hungry)...we chatted about this and that....a perfect afternoon...just me and my baby girl....(I know, big baby - but she's mine - I made her...love her to bits)...

View to Royan...somewhere in the distance...a long way off (my teenager didn't care either)

view towards the Medoc I think....need to look at a map (didn't really care...it was peaceful...warm and sunny...no noise...just me and my girlie....)

The tide was out...hence the mud...

 back up the inlet....

 view from inlet to estuary...are you still awake or have I bored you all to zzzzzzzz

you don't really care that, that's way to Bordeaux via boat...or fishing trawler...no I couldn't give a monkeys either....

 Reed grass stuff...but don't it look pretty.....

 more...lets be arty farty....

 artistic prickly thing...photo op...

 yes, marsh land...goes on forever and ever and ever...lots of birds mooching about...in there somewhere...had lazy teenager so didn't go adventuring in marsh wet land.....just looked from a distance and munched chocy biscuits 

 That dot is a little trawler boat chugging along......

and it got closer and closer....

 Till it was right in front of us...if I'd had me thermos I would offered him a cup of tea...French trawler man so..probably would have said ...Non!....have absolutely no idea what he was fishing...he was not alone...there were other dots (boats) trawling the estuary.... you can see the nets in the front there.....they dip in and out....well I was impressed....

Lots of birdie footprints in the mud...before the tide came in....

That's it...then we went home....great afternoon....back to school for both of us tomorrow..

Postcard Swap

Beth over at Do What You Love is having another Great Stitched Postcard Swap.  Time to get out your supplies, stitch up some lovely postcard art, send it off and receive some love in the mail from somewhere else in the world.   Last time she had 85 people from 13 countries on 5 continents stitching up a storm.  I missed the last one and it looked like a lot of fun...some great ideas going on...pop over, have a look and hopefully join... I have...

Baby Girls . . .

My friend had a baby girl last week....so I just had to create something for the baby and her older sister who is 10yrs old.... Mr Hollywood has been sick, so we haven't been able to go see them...can't wait for a cuddle... (obviously with baby)...I can cuddle Mr Hollywood anytime...

this is for baby...

this is for big sister....who, if you haven't guessed is into Judo...

framed and ready to be wrapped.....

Ruby Brown...

I drew this during the week, for Sunday Sketches and Creative Everyday. I'm also going to link to this new site that I found yesterday which is packed full of arty info, take a look.. Art Journal Everyday ...

Ruby Brown just popped onto my page like so many of my characters....I love her....I hope I can turn her into a story and lets hope for a happy ending... the ideas are floating about in my head, just need to find time to concentrate on what my ideas are saying.....could take awhile (a faith healer once told me that it was complete chaos in my head...at least he didn't say it was empty)....hehe...

The other girls laughed at Ruby Brown's colourful woolly tights, 

the ones her Granny knitted on a Saturday night....

The little dancers tut tutted while Ruby Brown,

pirouetted, wobbled and tried not to fall down...

Finally ! my Big Girl phoned home . . .

Finally, my big baby girl, who will be 20yrs old this summer phoned home.... I'm so happy... As some of you know, she's at Uni in England... apparently she has £4 till the end of the month...she's happy and she and lovely boyfriend have food.....so all is well....     

She also bought an old fashioned typewriter for £2.50 ..."coz it's cool Mum".... (I learnt to type on one of those things...yes I'm that old).....

This is the front and back of the envelope that I sent daughter...yes there was something homemade inside...Mr Hollywood and I are off to visit Missy Minger in three weeks...looks like we will be stocking cupboards and bank accounts...well what are Mothers for after all...... am so glad my No. 1 duckling and lovely boyfriend duckling No 2 are ok....they are too skint to go out drinking, so stay in and drink water....yes, Mother was born yesterday......

Toggle, really is a super sniffy dog....if only he could make Miss Minger phone home more often.....

I wanted to try something a little different, so hence the eyes are not as I usually draw them...it was not my intention, but she rather looks like E.T  ....."phone home" ....now where did that come from....have a good weekend everyone....

A 12 month challenge with SweetLimes . . .

This challenge all started thanks to Art Every Day for a Month (November last year) hosted by Leah at Creative Every Day .  I started chatting to B at Sweetlimes . We were both sorry that AED November was coming to an end. Not quite sure how it happened but we decided to make a challenge of our own. We each had to send each other something on the 15th of each month for a year, starting of course in January.

What I sent in December...

I thought I'd be clever and start early, so sent B a little gift for Christmas, unfortunately my gift never got to her, re snow storms..(very rare in Paris)...so somewhere in the world, probably still in the Paris airport is an Angel...lets hope one day she makes it to B in Canada...where they laugh in the face of a snow storm that leaves 2inches of snow behind..

B sent to me...

Well I was thrilled to bits when my first package from B arrived...this is a beautiful collage, the words are so thoughtful and kind, she describes it as a cosy blanket...couldn't have said it better myself....thank you B. It is sitting on my desk and everytime I look at it, I smile and think how wonderful it is to have a new friend.... as some of you know..I love Snail Mail...can't beat it. (only if your a snow storm in Paris).

My postcard from France...

This is what I made and sent to B. It's postcard size. I had real fun with this..I thought afterwards I should have done something more wintery but as I pointed out to B, it's summer in Australia, a place very dear to my heart. Not sure about all of you..I am so fed up of being cold... and well Spring is calling to me, very loudly....

This is the other side....

B SweetLimes and I will keep you posted on our monthly challenge..... hop over and see her blog...she makes the most amazing things, she's a very talented artist and a great Bloggy friend....

Valentine........"This is for you....fought you might like it...."

Looks like Spencer Dubs is sweet on Boogie Bedhead......but is Miss Boogie Bedhead going to fall for his boyish charm?.....Toggle doesn't know whether to doggy lick Spencer Dubs or just bite him..... Mrs Doodledoo is wondering if anyone has spotted Snail.....? Oooooo young love.....It could be soppy smiles and stary eyes....or.....tears before bedtime...... cup of tea anyone... biscuit...?

Questions, questions........

This is my entry for CED and Mr Toasts Creative Tuesdays Valentine....to all you Mum's and Dad's with teenagers in love.....I feel for you...you are not alone.....  

Just 4 you . . .

My eldest daughter is in England at Uni..having a great time and is really bad at keeping in touch..she's living her life...and that's fine...we just miss her (and if you read this Minger...phone home)...oops...I'm always sending her stuff...and she does write occasionally.....anyhow I suddenly thought my youngest baby girl is still here and I hadn't sent her anything...so the other day I sent her this little card in the post....needless to say she loves it and it is now her bookmark......There is something really quite magical about receiving something nice by good old fashioned "SnailMail".....a letter or package that has a stamp on it.....

We sometimes don't thank the people that we see all the time, the ones that in so many little ways make our days that much brighter....

This was the back of the envelope that the card was in....just a little bit of nonsense.... warms the heart and goes a long way to saying thank you for always being there...it's the time we give to others that is precious..... oooh, get me, I've gone all mushy...better snap out of that "tout de suite".......can't think what came over me.....good job Maud's not about, she'd probably give me a slap....   

I have entered back of envelope to Web of Whimsy's Whimsical Wednesday and Sunday Sketches

Today....

What can I say...houses or a particular house on my mind........."If it's meant to be...it will...If not...well, it will be something else..." - Don't you just hate being reasonable?......

This was inspired by Betsy's post Happy Thoughts three boys in matching pyjamas giggling over little birdie footprints in the snow....it made me smile......