Season's Greetings!

I'll be taking a blogging break now (we're off to Australia to visit our younger daughter for Christmas!) - I will be back again in January. In the meantime, I'd like to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and my heartfelt thanks go out to all my blogging friends who have left me such wonderfully encouraging comments throughout the year!

Too wit, too woo, x two

'Owl II ' - Collage


This week I've been making more collages with the relief prints I made from a lino cut of an owl. This one has quite a wintery feel. I used mount board with texture paste as a base for the papers. The owl was printed on thin rice paper.

'Owl III' - Collage

I really must try to find more descriptive titles! This owl has been printed on what I like to call 'speckled- egg' paper. I've teamed it with printed papers that have arabic script and patterns from a little catalogue of Islamic artifacts that I've had for several years, just waiting for the right project!

I'm really enjoying making this series - I might make some prints of these later. If you're interested, you can find 'Owl I' here.

Illustration Friday - Hatch

Hatch is the word this week. Two for the price of one here - a hatch to the hen house and those eggs are probably getting ready to hatch. This is chalk on black paper - a study I did for a woodcut some years ago. Cheating a little with this as I've posted it before, but with no time for IF this week thought I'd give it another airing!

Another Travelling Books Page

This one is for Marianne whose book is all about her little black cat Sjimmie who is travelling the world. He arrived here in KL a few days ago and has been having a great time sightseeing and learning all about life in Malaysia. He sent a postcard back home and put his photos in an album - they're all attached with photo hinges - the postcard has a message for Marianne on the reverse. I used watercolour pencils, ink, paper and batik fabric to create this page.



This is the front and back of the postcard - click to enlarge if you want to read the text.

Do something

From last year, but I like it! Remember the wildlife.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces/

Travelling Books page

Here's another page for one of the ArtySoulSisters Travelling Books . This one if for Soulbrush - hope you like it Joss! The book has taken on a 'flying' theme and my contribution features a collage created from a relief print of an owl I made from a linocut, on handmade paper which was then applied to coloured japanese papers. The second half of the page is similar paper stamped with a feather I carved from an eraser, plus other papers from my stash!

Illustration Friday - Entangled

Well, here I am posting last week's IF just hours before the next word comes out! This little illustration was made by pressing plastic wrap into wet watercolour and ink. When it dried, I thought the markings left by the wrap looked like a thorny thicket and when I looked more closely I found lots of different faces in there which I then developed with coloured pencils - I hope you can see them too and it's not just my imagination!!

Thankful Thursday!

First, I want to thank everyone who left me such wonderful comments on my last post, Oliver and the Apples! They made my day!! Thanks also go to Oliver, Debra Kay and kj for giving me the opportunity to paint that picture!


This week I've had a mail box full of goodies again - this time a surprise from Marianne in the Netherlands. Marianne makes the most beautiful Mandalas and I just love this greetings card she sent me which is hand embelished with sparkles - gorgeous! The little card below is so pretty too - a rainbow of blossoms and dragonflies - thank you so much Marianne!


For the last few days I've known that a package was on its way from Margaret in Arizona. I've been anxiously awaiting this one as Margaret sent one to me back in June which never arrived and we were both very sad about that:( Fortunately, this one landed safely yesterday and just look what was inside!

Five incredible little ATCs and a super printed cloth! Do click on the picture to view all the wonderful details. The coloured ones positively glow - it's a pity that this photo doesn't really do them justice. Margaret works wonders with pen and watercolour!

She also included two gorgeous cards (the one on the right is from one of her stunning paintings)
and the print at the bottom shows the beauties that went astray - sigh! Thank you so much Margaret - you are so talented and I feel very fortunate to own some original art by you! I love everything and am now completely hooked on ATCs!