the Deepster's Dizziness

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Belts and bracelets

August17

Inspiration strikes at the oddest times, and after months of poking around for a new project, I found myself inspired by Christy Tomlinson’s terrific “Belt Bracelet” workshop, which is about taking old leather belts and converting them into bracelets.

WWJD

WWJD

I’ve done many of Christy’s other workshops – Art Society, Behind the Art, She Art, New Boot – and Belt Bracelet really grabbed my imagination.

I love practical projects and this one appealed to my love of finding new uses for stuff I’ve hoarded for years and have long since forgotten about.  A practical project like this is also good for using up old embellishments – brads, gems, sequins, etc – stuff I haven’t looked at since my days of making cards, altered books and ATCs back in another decade.

Many of us have old belts that once accessorised a nice outfit, laying unloved and forgotten at the bottom of a drawer or wardrobe.  I found a couple of old belts I could happily live without and picked up four more from the local charity shop, just to give myself a few more options.

Chunky bracelet

Chunky bracelet

Working with the hands of Mary Ann, I looked at the various options and settled on two different leather belts that would “accessorise” nicely – one chunky and one thin. At this point, my main aim was to use up my old embellishments and make some good looking jewellery, but without really thinking about it, a theme of faith began to emerge as we started work on the bracelets.

Once we figured out what to do, it was a lot of hole-punching, sanding and hammering on an anvil, which Mary Ann probably found quite cathartic.  Over the course of a couple of afternoons we finished six bracelets, with three of them eventually going to lucky nieces.

I’m really happy with the way the bracelets turned out.  It was a great way to make something new from old and personalise it in a way that means something to me. I can’t wait to get started on the next bracelet.  If you have a spare afternoon and fancy  doing something creative with your old leather belts, you’ll find yourself inspired – I did.

Belt Bracelet

Belt Bracelet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Yes & Amen…

May21

Pink acrylic paint, washi tape, alphabet stamps and embossed metallic lettering

I got this verse from a website called ‘Yes & Amen’. It’s from 2 Corinthians 1:20, and the whole verse is “All the promises of God find their Yes in Him. That is why it is through Him that we utter our Amen to God for His glory.”

I wanted to make art about this, so took the lines:

“All the promises of GOD find their YES in HIM.  That is why we utter our AMEN”

I’ve been smoking all sorts of things since I was 17, but the year before last I started using e-cigarettes and then totally stopped.  It wasn’t quite that I decided, it was that I just didn’t feel I needed to smoke anymore. Smoking has always been part of my life – I remember being sent to the shops by my Dad to get cigarettes for him.  But when he caught me smoking myself, I was in Uber-trouble. My sisters found out, everyone could smell it on my clothes…but I never admitted to it.

Even now, after we’ve been out for the day, I sometimes think ‘ooh, time for a fag.’ But then I remember I don’t smoke anymore – wahey!  It’s not a craving, but it’s a habit to think about it.  I don’t think I had to work hard to give up.  My friend Mary-Ann disagrees though – she says I showed a great deal of courage when quitting smoking. To make the decision, stick with it and never go back on my promise to myself.

The truth is, God promised me life and Jesus gave up his life for me, so giving up smoking is nothing in the grand scale of things.  But there are other things in my life that are difficult, and there are things that I am truly thankful for.

It’s not always easy to navigate life.

This journal page is about me hoping that I can say ‘yes’ to God.  After I’ve told him I’m sorry for all the awful things I’ve done. Then I say ‘Amen’- thank you.

It feels to me like all of God’s promises find their yes in Him.

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Yes and Amen

January26

Another retrospective blog – I must have been very productive in January.

This one is based on a StencilGirl stencil I got through the monthly membership package with her.  Each month you get a nice video and a bunch of very good stencils.

Yes and Amen is the name of an art website I find very inspiring.

IMG_0738

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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So Green with Envy

January26

I’m doing some retrospective blogging – I’ve been doing the art, just not uploading it to here.

IMG_0740

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is another work with Andrea, I’m quite happy with how it turned out, and it’s another one in my series of pieces that reflect a saying – “Yes and Amen, Felice Navidad, When I’m Feeling Blue, and Hot, hot, hot!”

 

 

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Feliĉan Novan Jaron

January1

Happy New Year, or as my carer Andrea would say, “Boldog új évet”.

I’m not a great one for New Year’s resolutions, but I do promise to keep going with the art and blogging about it as often as I can. I’ve got a few new pieces I’ll share with you all soon, including a Chrimbo canvas I did for dear husbundy.

Husbundy being the historian he is tells me there’s one thing 2014 and 1986 have in common, and its that the dates are exactly the same.  Apparently 1986 calendars are doing great business on eBay.

Thank you to everyone who shared 2013 with me, I look forward to being in your 2014.

Deepa

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Felice Navidad Mon Amore

December26

When asked what he wanted for Christmas, my hubbundy said that all he wanted was for me to make him a canvas artwork. And so I did, plus the odd trinket or two.

Felice Navidad Mon Amore

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this painting I used Jane “danger” Davenport’s stencils for the two faces.  At the bottom of the canvas I found three bags from an old stash of embellishments.  People kept asking me if they represented frankincense, myhr and gold, but no, they represent the three other presents I got for hubbundy.  My husband says they represent the mountain of  Kipling bags I have (ha ha ha!)  My carer, Andrea and her daughter came up with the tree and the stars.

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LONG Time, NO Blog

November10

I hope you’ll forgive me for not sharing any art since my last post in July – I’ve busy arting, but not necessarily blogging, so lots to report.

First up, I finally got around to Gel Plate printing.  I had tried making my own gel plates with gelatine from the local supermarket, but that didn’t really work very well. The gel wouldn’t set properly, and when it did it cracked and became too difficult for me to handle.  I finally relented and forked out for a proper Gel Plate from Gelli Arts, and with some help from the very creative Edina, we spent an afternoon experimenting with various combinations of colour and texture.  I’m very pleased with the results and I especially like the black and white one which reminds of the streets of Camden.

Black and white gel plate print

Black and white gel plate print

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swirly gel plate

Swirly gel plate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see the full set of gel plate prints on my Flickr page.

Secondly, I’ve even been making some foam core stamps, with help from Chloe and Andrea.  DIY stamps should stop me from buying more as I already have a HUGE amount of rubber stamps I’ve accumulated over the years, and I thought making my own would be more fun.  The rubber stamp is mounted on the foam core.  Chloe was particularly good at cutting the patterns, a skill she obviously picked up doing engineering at college.

Home made stamps

Home made stamps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More home made stamps

More home made stamps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thirdly, it’s taken a year, but I’ve finished my first art journal.  Looking back at the journal, my first spread was my artistic journey and hopes for 2013 for LifeBook 2013.  That piece seems like a long time ago now.  Did I achieve any of those aspirations?  A little bit, yes.  On the one hand I’ve managed to stay smoke free, I practised art, took part in Life Book and Book of Days and, for the most part had well behaved cats.  But on the other hand I’m still struggling with want and need and spending more time on my faith.  I have found some very good art and faith classes at Soul Food and MadeGod, so check those out.

After years of craft, these are the first two art journal entries I did…..

My Journey

My Journey for LifeBook 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Art Mother

Fairy Art Mother LifeBook 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In between I did lots of stuff for Life Book and Book of Days and some experiments that had mixed success.  And this is the last image I did, a birthday spread with Andrea for the birthday girl (me), in my old journal.

Birthday Girl

Birthday Girl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fourth, I’ve started a new journal.  I must have a dozen blank journals on the shelf, and it took me a week to decide on plumping for a Dylusions art journal made by Ranger.  I also have the mini Dylusions journal, but I’m saving that for smaller works of art.  Anyway, I’ve already started work in the big journal with more birthday themed spreads.  Having cake stuffed into your face at a birthday seems to a family theme……Again, you can see the full set at Flickr, so enjoy the cake!

Face Cake

Let Her Eat Cake

 

 

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Institutionalised Cute

July28

I’ve just started working on a number of Jane Davenport courses over at Artomology and Jane Davenport.com.  She has many talents and is a great teacher, artist and self described artomologist.   I think I first heard about Jane through LifeBook 2013 (yes, I signed up to that, too.)  I’ve found her courses to be really comprehensive – and they’ve inspired me to start drawing again.

I next heard of Jane through a Whimsical Faces video tutorial she did for the Cloth, Paper & Scissors magazine site.  This inspired me to check out her online courses and I thought “Supplies Me” was the best place to start.  I have an obsession with art materials and art storage, and in this course Jane showed what materials to use, how to use and in what context.

supplies-Me-220

Meeting Jane through her video and blogs made me realise I’m not alone, and that actually there are people out there with more stuff than me!  And I’m sure my hubbundy would be even more amazed by Jane’s collection of stuff than mine.

She also has a shop – Institute of Cute – in Byron Bay near Sydney, Asutralia.  And thanks to my sister in Sydney, Australia I now have a the new range of Prismacolor pencils, and bunch of ColorBox ink stylus tools and foam pads to play with and some hot off the press new stencils.

So, go on, sign up at Artomology!

 

Taking the time

May12

I’ve finally managed to complete April’s Sweetling, inspired by a mini course from our old friend, Effy.

A Sweetling is a paper doll made on water colour paper and dressed in painted papers or scrapbook papers.  The sentiment for this Sweetling is “Take the Time to Smell the Flowers”.

Sweetling April 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It took a couple of days, with much help from Andrea – who says she’s rubbish at art but has actually owned a jewellery shop and has a sister who does own an art shop in Hungary.  So art clearly does run in the family!

I must’ve had something Spring-like on the brain because I’m going with sunshine and nature in this piece.  The flowers and foliage are courtesy of  stamps from Leandra at PaperArtsy.  I chose the sentiment “Take the time to smell the flowers” because I thought we all need to slow down and take the time, from time to time.  The sun is cut from foam and has a nice flourescent glow to it.  The blue and green background is Nicholsons watercolours.  The Sweetling’s costume is from a bunch of old papers I’ve been storing up for the occasion.

Husband says the Sweetling looks like Edna Mode from The Incredibles or Hetty from NCIS.  You choose.

Effy says there will be another Sweetlings mini in June, so sign up now.

FACEinating Girls

May6

I don’t know about you, but I find drawing faces really difficult – shock horror! – I can never get the proportions right and everything ends up a bit cross-eyed.

So I’ve recently come across a new set of clear rubber stamps by Andrea Gomoll, which hopefully, will help me to get better at drawing faces.

FACcinating Girls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Called FACEcinating Girls, the rubber stamps are designed to go with a three week online workshop she’s also running on drawing faces.  We’re currently on week one of FACEcinating Girls, with two more weeks to go. I’ve found the the videos really informative, and as with everything – I just need to get on with it.  I’ll be be posting the results here soon, so look out for something that hopefully doesn’t look too much like an alien from Roswell.

So go on and check out Andrea’s blog for all things FACEcinating.

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