Wintry Woods

Hello all, long time no see!  Apologies, I just don't seem to be able to get my act together.  So in the hopes of kicking myself back into blogging action, I'm going to do some very quick posts, just sharing some of the tag backgrounds I've been making.

That's really all I've been doing craft-wise - backgrounds seem to be as far as I get at the moment.  There are too many other things needing my time and energy.  But I am enjoying the backgrounds themselves, and that's really the point, isn't it... to enjoy oneself?

So just a few photos for you of the first pair - lots of lovely inky watery splotches - but I shan't keep you long!

So, if I ever get around to adding anything to these, you'll see them again, but for now the Chipped Sapphire/Stormy Sky combination is enough to keep me happy.  (I think there's just a hint of Wilted Violet in there too.)  I've always loved those Tim Holtz trees, and they layer up beautifully to create a wintry forest to go wandering in.  If you want to see the snowy landscape which is inspiring me at the moment, drop in to see my Bohemian home on Instagram.

I'll try to do better with blogging and visiting (and with crafting too)... it's all a bit of a balancing act at present, but I do hope you're all doing okay.  Stay safe, stay well, stay creative, and I'll see you again soon.

Go to the winter woods: listen there, look, watch, and "the dead months" will give you a subtler secret than any you have yet found in the forest.

William Sharpe

Some good things in 2020!

What a strange and extraordinary year that was, and it doesn't look as though we're out of the woods yet, though there is light on the horizon as far as some things go (and a pretty certain bleak worsening for some others).  So let's look back at some of the good things, specifically in this post the projects I've really enjoyed this year, and the things I've learned on my creative journey.  It's pretty much a Baker's Dozen and a half... I lost the will to whittle things down any further!

They're approximately in chronological order, and remember you can click on the links to visit the individual posts for making-of details...

Romance in the Ruins

Hopes of Spring

Rusted Hope

Spring Greens

Collect Beautiful Gelli Prints

The Skype's the Limit

Happy in her Heart

Double-sided Acetate

Change Your Life

Corrugated Cards

Leafy Watercolours Part IV

An Aura of Menace

Speckled Egg Combinations

To walk beside you

Rusty Tin by Candlelight

Inktober Week 4

Dreams, Thoughts, Moments

Thoughts and Tidings

I'm so pleased that, despite moving house to a new country and all that entailed, especially in the midst of lockdowns and border closures, I managed to complete two whole months of challenges this year - World Watercolour Month in July with all my leafy grasses and the daily line and wash work for Inktober.

The first of the new Distress Colours, Speckled Egg, released a much-needed flow of creative inspiration.  It's a colour after my own heart just by itself, and I had a joyous time playing to see how it fitted in with my favourite colour combinations.  And of course I was thrilled to have six new sets of word stamps launched by PaperArtsy in two separate releases during the year. 

That's plenty to be going on with, don't you think?! I wonder if you agree with my choices!

I'm on hold with unpacking the craft room boxes, though I do have a temporary set-up with a few supplies, but I really hope that maybe by February I can be fully back up and running in my brand new craft space.  I'll try to keep you posted on that too.  Thanks so much for stopping by today and good luck with all your creative journeying in the year to come.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad, I simply remember my favourite things and then I don't feel so bad.

Oscar Hammerstein II

A New Year's Day Walk

Hello all and a very happy New Year to you!  Let's hope that 2021 is an improvement on 2020 (and, really, that doesn't seem like a big ask!).

A couple of my Rustic Wilderness tag backgrounds have made their way to (very simple) completion - the result of me finally sitting down at the craft table this morning after way too long a gap.  But supposedly the things you do on New Year's Day you will end up doing every day that year, and crafting time is something I'd like to encourage.  Best not to do any housework though...

These children are all wrapped up against the frosty chill, and more than ready to go out and enjoy a New Year's Day walk amongst the snowy greenery.  After all, as they say, there's no such thing as bad weather... just the wrong clothing.

I think they're probably going to be fine with those warm-looking coats...

... and boots, hats, scarves and gloves.

The Tim Holtz Sketch Greenery stamps (which I was lucky enough to win) are layered up in Speckled Egg and Rustic Wilderness Inks and Oxides...

... with some touches of Peeled Paint here and there for the glossy leaves in between the pine needles.

The Paper Dolls in the new seasonal pack are simply enchanting - I adore both this sturdy little chap...

... and this joyful sisters all bundled up against the cold.

The embellishing is as simple as simple can be... the wooden snowflakes and a Typed Token, and some white twine to wrap it all up together.

The Clippings stickers, again from the seasonal pack, provide additional words.  I always like to have some words with my pictures, and the paint-filled tokens weren't quite enough this time around.

I hope you're still enjoying your 12 Days of Christmas.  These gentle days after Christmas are a period of hibernation for me, and I always enjoy them to the hilt before the tree comes down on 6th January after Twelfth Night.  Stay safe, stay warm, stay creative, and I'll see you again soon.

Oh, and just to let you know, the final Pinworthies and Farewells have just been published over at A Vintage Journey - do hop over and say your goodbyes if you would like to.

When there's snow on the ground, I like to pretend I'm walking on clouds.
Takayuki Ikkaku