Day 84: Orange cake

Day after being sick as a dog, I tried to make something in the studio, then I gave up and went to do some baking instead...Good thing is I didn't burn it (that much) on the other hand it was kind of average, didn't taste of oranges enough and could definitely bean more soaked inside...But I was sick and quite pleased I made anything at all. I did some knitting too but it's just a beginning of a cardigan so nothing much to show...

Day 83: A severed head

Yesterday I tried to make a friend to scrappy but then I got migraine that lasted all day and ended up being very unpleasant. I haven't been that sick for years so not a great weekend over here. Hopefully that will be it for few months. So to reflect my migraine; here is a doll with severed head. I made the body and then I made the head (with red hair) that didn't fit the body at all, so I undid that and started another head and then gave up...

Maybe one for monday...

Day 82: fox in flowers

Thursdays are normally oil painting days for me but since the weather is so good that had to go on hold. Now you probably are thinking that I am having some time off, having tea in the garden, watching birds and the river...oh how mistaken you are..how I wish it was so. 

Nice weather means hard work on the boats. I have been scrubbing and painting for last three days hence i am exhausted. I spend two hours cramped in a tiny cabin so my legs hurt so badly now that I was contemplating throwing myself down the stairs this morning rather then having to take steps down :)

It's all good though, I am learning new skills and that is always a bonus in my book. 

For today I managed to scribble a fox...now i am going to thr.. I mean go downstairs for a cup of tea before bed..

Day 81: Bird-Woman Totem Sketch

The ambition for this little sketch is to become an icon-style painting with gold background. If I ever get round to it...

Day 80: Water color snow owl

Day 79: Rock Llama

Today was the day I thought I would get ahead a little and maybe make two things...Before I spent half a day on FB. Anyway, I often make things I see, this little lady comes from Mollie Makes craft magazine. But even though I am making something using someone else's idea I try and put my own spin on it. Hence instead of pretty pastel colored fluffy llama I made a fuschia rock llama sporting an earring. Still very cute though.

While I was stitching away my husband went to the garden and made THIS!

I could have cheated there and just pretended I made that too, but that would be only flower arrangement I would have made so clearly suspicious. I can't put any flowers together. Please observe how it hangs over on one end to create a pretty spread :) 

And below is just a picture of my one-eyed cat Poppy, who is usually creamy white but from now until autumn rains will permanently be dirty grey due to her love of rolling in dirt :) Also she is not allowed on the bed when that dirty but they obey as long as I am in the room. As soon as I turn my back the rules are scratched out and we start from zero, me going no, no, no and they looking at me like I'm crazy...

The Liebster Blog Award - Thank You Rebecca and Frances

Within the blogging community the Liebster Award is given by individual bloggers to up and coming blogs which have less than 200 followers. 
I have been nominated by Rebecca Borowski, a person spreading true love and hence making the world a better place for all of us, here is her blog: http://rebecca-365daysoflove.blogspot.co.uk/, but especially have a look at this particular post that really moved our hearts: http://rebecca-365daysoflove.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/day-70-love-strand-of-emotion-photo.html
The other thank you goes to Frances who always says right things in right time. She is making a sun for every day, spreading positive energy and sunshine to all of us. Here is her work: http://frances-suns.blogspot.co.uk/


So the rules...

1. Choose FIVE UP AND COMING blogs to pass the award onto.

2. Show a BIG THANKS to the blogger who gave the award to you by linking back to them.

3. Post the AWARD on your blog. List the bloggers you are giving the award to with links to their site.

and here's who I've chosen for the award: 

1. Kenneth Provine at http://365creativecreatures.blogspot.co.uk/

Kenneth makes a creature per day and they are clever, inspiring and funny. When I feel like I need a break and a laugh I go to Kenneth's blog. 

2. Monique van Nieuwamerongen at http://tabsolute.blogspot.com.au/

It is unbelievable what this woman can turn out from something everyone else throws away. This is a blog to visit when you want to be inspired to how to produce quality objects.

3. Jill Gammon Carillo at  http://flora365.blogspot.co.uk/

Did you know there are so many plants around us? and all beautifully photographed by Jill. After I have visited her blog I go out in our garden to have a look to what I can spot.

4. Heather Ingram at http://convozine.com/fujoshi/sections/17083-guy-in-the-life-project-365

Heather photographs sets where someone is wearing a mask of Guy from comic novel/film V. Her photography is amazing, the light, colors and choice of subjects are truly artistic. 

5. Last but definitely not least is Ellen Davis Petti at http://ellensdailyheart.blogspot.co.uk/

Ellen makes a heart a day and they are so inspiring, beautiful and surprising. It's same subject every day but you don't know what to expect, this project is very clever.

Day 78: Origami Crane Ear Ring

Today was about making something together with 365ers Facebook group. As we are all making something for a whole year, the idea is to make something s bit similar every now and then. So today few of us decided to be inspired by  Ellen Katsumoto Fithian who is folding one crane for each day and sending them all over the world. You can find her lovely craned here: https://www.facebook.com/366Cranes, please 'like' her project. 

Myself decided that folding cranes can't be that hard and I could turn this out in no time. Soon I was sweating over a youtube video not being able to make a 'petal fold', cursing myself and my stubborn head thinking that I will never make a tiny crane to become an ear ring. Two hours! later I have managed to learn how to fold a crane and made a little ear ring..pheew..that was close. Origami - not easy!

Day 77: Felty Hedgehog

Finally some nice weather on a day off so of course a day spent working on a boat, sanding away. Quite achy now but still determined to make something so I made a little hedgehog to be made into a brooch when I finally buy some fittings. I also wanted it to have little bead eyes but of course, can't find those beads enywhere. I mean why would I put them with the rest of the beads, that would be so easy...too easy...much more fun having to turn everything upside down.

That's for tomorrow, I'm off to have some cinnamon squares and watch trash on telly now....

Day 76: Granny Squares

Thank god for youtube. Managed to follow a tutorial to make granny squares. i have some nice yarn but not enough to make anything so I will make some granny squares that will eventually become a blanket. I even took my crochet to hair dresser so while waiting for my highlights I got my hook out...Handcrafting is cool! I should make a T shirt or at least a badge - Handcrafting like a granny and proud of it!

Day75: Oil painting Thursday

Today was THE day of fur painting and that went nowhere...I tried a bit on back paws but everything I got is fuzz so I sort of gave up on that point. My painting tutor didn't really know what to suggest either so it will be another day with youtube learning. First I will have to get back definition I lost by my failed attempts. Hopefully I can do that and shrink it back a bit as everything tends to get bigger and bigger with more layers of paint. 

Having made a bad job on that I went on to my second painting - the Queen, as archetype rather then a particular person. I am following advice from a book on old painting techniques so I am adding colors one at time. The face is now ready for skin tones while the collar, the part I really like I am trying to build up from light and shadows. This, by the way, is a fashion photography I am painting from. I have another two photos and if everything goes well i would like to make three paintings.

Day 74: A little crocheted envelope

I am persisting in my crochet endeavours. I happened to stumble across a small pattern of an envelope and thought: here is a great way to both practice and not get bored as I am making something :) It's bit wonky as I decreased it a bit on one end without intending to do so, and it is smaller then the pattern and sewing together is a bit dodgy on one side but still I am pleased, it's sweet.

The base is my mother's crochet tablecloth made in traditional way with white yarn. She actually made me a huuuuge tablecloth, it took several years but it is great. I mainly want to crochet amigurami and it is also easy to take on planes unlike knitting for knitting needles are terror danger....so are small crafting scissors...beware.

Here is the link to pattern if you are a novice, for you experienced folks, maybe there is something else worth looking at there: http://violetbellasworld.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/crochet-envelope-diy.html

Day 73: Home made dream catcher

My sleeping patterns are a bit erratic to say the least. I have been bordering on insomniac for few years but now I am much better, although certain periods it goes back to very few restful hours of sleep. I also get funny dreams, often dreaming about people I don't recognise, watching from the side what they are up to. Sometimes I go through whole adventures like film plots but I can never remember them fully, so no block buster there ...

I also get nightmares, often I am back in a space where I have perceived myself as happy but in the dream becomes a place of nightmare. Mostly I tend to forget my life at the moment and think I am back in time. And then there are some rally bad ones but I'm not going into that. Anyway, when I woke up this morning after night of half sleep, I got a thought in my mind, saying dreamcatcher. I took it means I should make one, so I have.

Not one afraid of improvisation I rounded up stuff from my stash, some old ribbon (£1.50, I knew it would come handy), half of an embroidery hoop (the other half is missing), some paint, a piece of yellow string I had forever, rose quartz a friend given us and some feathers collected from walks.

YouTube being my crafty friend I saw a tutorial and turns out, not that hard. Colors are blue and yellow for sky, red for earth, stone is for earth as well and channeling of dream energy and feathers are for trickster, Hermes, messenger between earth and sky. Thanks husband for helping me with wrappping string around feathers and sorting the stone out.

Day 72: A whole crochet spiral :)

Having mastered, erhm, technique of single crochet as demonstrated below...don't ask, at least I managed to get same number of stitches on each row and figured out where to stick the needle in...ANYWAY, as mentioned, having mastered single crochet..

I decided it's time to make something out of it. here below you can see a single crochet spiral :) I'm sort of proud, I had no idea what i was doing but it turned out ok. Good day today.

Posting a link to the super easy to follow crochet video, even I can so it:

http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/video.php?id=198&sort=2&thumbnails=on

Day 71: Crochet flower...I wish!

I keep getting crochet stuff so I reckon it's a sign to learn how to crochet. Yesterday I got another little kit in one of crafting magazines and it look really easy. Hrm:( Not for me, see with knitting you can count stitches really easily but with crochet where are you supposed to stick the needle in??
Anyway, below is the picture of what I was supposed to make and what I made...I am practicing on making just single crochet now, at least it seems I am getting same amount stitches in every row but who knows?

After I swore at crochet for a bit and wished my good friend Kajsa was here so she could teach me I decided to bake for a bit, Made some nice naan bread and was about to make orange cake but oven thermometer packed it in...so I guess I'll go and paint for a bit..or something..

Day 70: Cheese Cake

I have gone into another one of my bad sleeping periods and are having terrible time with very little quality sleep so my creativity is not at the top. I find it easier to go into the kitchen and make something then in the studio hence mini-cheese cakes with goats cheese, lemon and blueberry. Really nice, actually, I don't like shop bought cheese cakes so I was really worried mine was going to taste similar but no it was lovely and delicious and super easy to make - bonus:)

Day 69: A really good drawing of fox cub:)

Well I was determined to come back with revenge on my own drawing. After the horse drawing disaster ( although people have been really kind to me about that one) here is a drawing I am really happy with. Instead of assaulting the paper with B pencils and smudging, I was following advice of an wildlife artist and drawing with H pencils from left to right so not to smudge, using a brush after eraser rather then hand to keep a crisp finish. Happy with that:)

Day 68: Oil Painting Thursdays

Really had good fun today with my painting, it os getting on. Today I have worked more on surrounding, putting in dark shadows for the grass and stones. Also worked on far back so it is more interesting. I get stuck every now and then and think omg I just don't know how to do this but then I get going again and it sort of sorts it self out. Fur is next on the list and then finally the grass and then it should be finished. My first oil-painting:)

Day 67: Art studio for ipad, so much fun

Decided to get an app for drawing on ipad. Turns out it's childishly fun but hopefully i will progress beyond silly cat:)

Day 66: Just a crappy drawing:(

But a friend dedicated a post to me and that made my day so much better! Thanks Rebecca :) http://rebecca-365daysoflove.blogspot.com/

But to be fair to myself I don't draw often enough to make visible improvement, I am a bit stuck in my style as well so I trotted off and bought an artist magazine with some drawing tricks in it so I will make another attempt tomorrow. This one is titled: 'Tired mother and two ugly aunties' :)

Day 65: A Message

Day 64: A Strand of Emotion - Scrappy

This is Scrappy. She is 6 years old and lives with mum, dad and big brother. Scrappy spends a lot of her time on her own while her parents work and her brother is with his friends. But that is ok as Scrappy learns to amuse her self. She also learns to dress her self, go to school and come home again. She learns that every stranger is a potential friend although you still have to be careful in choosing. If you choose well, your friends might share some cake with you. Scrappy also finds that reading a good book in library kills many hours while waiting for parents as well as opens door to new worlds and even more friends. Sometimes she gets fed up and sad with her parents and silly class mates but life is full of adventure waiting to happen, after all that is how she found  a friend who kept some racoons in his garden. Turns out, they love chocolate...and so does Scrappy.

Scrappy is created as a response to project "A Strand of Emotion", a project done together with other members of Facebook group 365ers - 2012 https://www.facebook.com/groups/292386624157701/
Please check it out to see other great 365 project our members are doing this this year.

Day 63: Some days I turn around

and there is past staring me in the face. 

Day 62: Large-ish Knitted Heart

As I knitted the small heart I saw a larger one so gave it a go but this one didn't really turn out that well. Might be something to do with stitch tension as the yarn I used was a bit similar but not quite right. I might have another go at this heart just to lean how to adapt yarn to pattern. It is a useful skill and one I have not mastered yet, i tend to stick to patterns with yarns I know I can get but it is limiting. So next step in my knitting adventure...

For some really creative hearts visit my fellow 365er Elaine's blog and be amazed http://ellensdailyheart.blogspot.com/

Day 61: Oil Painting Thursdays

Day 60: A bit of progress

I have been working on this piece on and off for last few months and as it is egg tempera it is painstakingly slow. This is an image before and after and several hours of work in between just to add few more layers. I have now finished covering major areas and work on details is about to start. The size of this piece is about 20x20cm and the shiny background is 22ct gold leaf. Hopefully I will get some time to finish it soon as I have two new pieces to start on...

Day 59: Softy Heart

A little knitted heart and another in making:)

Day 58: White deer on felt

Ever since I was a child I have been fascinated by white deer myth. It is one of my favourite images and I have made it several times. This one is inspired by a japanese white deer mandala, you can see some pictures below. 

For this particular piece I half-felted (partially felted) background and deer separately and after cutting out deer shape from white half-felt I put the two together and did a full felt. A bit tricky as felt shrinks with about 20% so hit and miss with shapes. After it dried I machine embroidered deer shape as well as the cloud it stands on. 

I sort of think maybe it needs more work but I can't see what that would be at the moment so I will leave it for few months and then maybe have another look. I would really like to paint the whole mandala but I need to find a good quality print first.

AND I managed to get into kitchen again. I seem to be finding that inner vegetarian cook again. Here we have: a spinach and egg roll with mushroom and creme fraiche stuffing, mm-mmm-mmm!

Day 57: Bake a cake Sunday

There has been very little time for baking or anything else since New Year. This weekend is the first one for a long time I was able to both knit and bake, yay! Nothing much but a simple, delicious banana bread with sultanas, chocolate and vanilla. Husband liked it very much...

Day 56: Months of labour

were going to end on this day as I have been knitting this coat for ages and I am not a very experienced knitter. So I only had edging to do and worked away on it yesterday and for about three hours today and the just as I was about to start the final row...I run out of yarn :(

Now I know there is a skein of this yarn left somewhere in the house, but my cat has hidden it, neither me or my husband have been able to find it...I'm sure she is a monkey in disguise...

Day 55: Not my thing

It is safe to say that pottery is not my thing. This little thrown cup came out of the kiln and it is just bad :( On the other hand I feel quite relieved, it is one thing I can tick off the list and never look back :)

Day 54: Oil-painting thursdays

My first oil painting is getting on. Today i managed to fill in the darks. Apparently this is a very important step before really getting into details.