I've been tagged, it didn't hurt too much!

Earlier this week I had two emails,

one from Jenn at Just add water silly and one from Tracey Fletcher King.

Being the expert blogger I am (cough, cough), I had no idea what that was.

After a quick SOS to Tracey, I found out what it was.

Here are my answers to Tracey's questions.

1. How would you rate your breakdancing ability.... 1 being a demented spider and 10 being a drunken sailor???   20 Extremely drunken, demented spidery, sailor.
2. What is the worst book you have ever read??? The Sundowners, I was made to read this depressing book at school.
3. George Clooney or Brad Pitt???  No contest Mr Hunkybum Clooney all the way
4. Do you prefer Chocolate Eggs or Bunnies???... chocolate bunnies that is... I mean of course you would eat chocolate eggs rather than a real bunny.... or at least I hope you would.... Anything, as long as it is chocolate, it could look like a do do and I would eat it.
5. What is your guilty TV watching pleasure???  Dr Who, but only when David Tennant is the Doctor
6. If you could change your name, what would it be???  Never really thought about it, I've always liked Lucy
7. What is the worst.... and I am talking the absolute worst present you have ever received???? My dear husband gave me a pair of stretch jeans, that were covered in the brightest blue and green ferns(yes the plants) on a white background.  You needed sunglasses just to look at them.  Mind you I was in my mid forties and much as I like to paint with bright colours, I don't tend to wear them.   I wore them just to spite him.
8. What song do you sing at the top of your lungs when no one is listening??? More than a feeling by Boston (and stop saying who are they, one of the greats in the 70's).
9. Mummy/Mommy issues or Daddy issues????  Love them both dearly, dad's a bit of a hypochondriac though.
10. How good are you at parking a car.... 1 being you could reverse park blindfolded in the world's smallest parking spot and 10 being any car in a three spot radius is in danger of being bumped????  Being rather short and driving a big car about a 30.  I drive out of my way to get an easy park.  In my defence however, when I owned a Celica, I could put that baby anywhere.  Had to sell it when Audrey made 5 (boo hoo).
11. The perpetual catered function dining question.... Chicken or Fish?? Fish, they never cook the chicken enough.

 
 Here are my answers to Jenns questions

1. Coffee, tea or me - What's your FAVORITE drink?? I would have to say coffee, but I do like tea too. White and two sugars of course.
2. Where does your inspiration come from? All around me, but lately from Tracey and bloggers.
3. Where is your favorite place to be? In my little office where I paint.
4. Did you have a stuffed animal when you were little that you loved to death? Bunnykins, a stuffed rabbit, I still have him in my bedroom drawer, he is 50.
5. What's your weirdest trait? My husband says I never grew up, so being 50 and acting 12.
6. Tell me something no one else knows about you but you wish they did! If I still had a secret like that, I doubt that I would want anyone to know about it.
7. If you could buy a new pet right now, what would it be and what would you name it? We were at a pet shop today and I saw a beautiful Indian Ringneck parrot, I wanted to bring him home.  I would name him Fred.  Couldn't do it though as I already have a 22 year old Long billed corella and he would not appreciate competition.  Plus , so no room.we have a guinea pig, three chickens,  a tank of mixed fish, a fish pond inside the house (yes inside), pond of fish outside, heaps of wild birds and a wild lizard, so there is no room for more.
8. Are you vain about something? I used to be podantic about my hair. It was past my waist, long and blonde.  Then I had it cut really short and I don't care now.
9. Have you found your niche, in other words, would people be able to recognize your artwork without your signature? How did you find that comfortable place? I am still looking and it is driving me crazy.  Just wish I could find it.
10. What style of art do you WISH you could do but don't or can't right now? Realistic but really bright colours in water colour.  I'm hopeless at watercolour.
11. Favorite kind/brand of art supply? Unfortunately, just the cheapest, wish I could afford the good stuff in any brand. 

 

 

 
Now I have to do the same thing to more people.

Here are the rules:

The Rules

1. Post the rules for playing along in this game of tag! 
2. Answer 11 questions the tagger posted for you. 
3. Create 11 questions to ask the people you tag. 
4. Tag 11 people who you think would love to participate. 
5. Let your tagged bloggers know you've tagged them! 

Caveat - If you don't want to participate in this game of tag, no worries, or if you can't come up with eleven people you think would like to participate, just tag as many as you want, lol.

 

So here is my list of victims.

 

1.  Blue Chair Diary Illustrations (Creator of Morris the Mouse)
2.  Julia over at The Stamping Ground
3.  Elizabeth at Altered Book Lover
4.  Robin at Robin Panzer Art Studio
5.  Bridget at Photography and Me

I won't annoy anyone else.

 

Here are my questions:

1. What is your favourite craft/art tool?
2.  If money was no object, what item would you purchase for your craft/art room?
3. Do you create better under pressure or when you have plenty of time?
4.  Coffee or tea? (This is very important)
5.  What is your favourite time of day?
6. Chocolate is a vital part of creating.  Agree or disagree?
7. Do you tend to use a particular colour in your craft/art.  If so what is the colour?
8. If you could live in a different country, where would it be?
9. Do you read real books or e books?
10. What is your favourite type of paper/card cutter? (Yes, I know, I just want to know for myself)
11. Glue or double sided tape?

Sorry to do this to you all, but hope you have some fun with it.

 

I'm still trying to finish my journal.

 

 

A busy week on WOYWW

My little miss is at school camp all week

and yes I miss her,

it's so quiet it's eerie.

On a good note

I am getting heaps done in my little room.

Here is my desk right now. If you need to know why I am showing my desk,

go here to the lovely Julia's to see all the other desks

around the world this wednesday.

I am still trying to finish my journal on time and here

is a fish that I have just started, plus the completely

necessary cup of coffee (keeps me sane).

To the left of my desk I am also working on this little tulip

in watercolour. 

This is Mr Fish a little earlier, not much to see yet.

If I get him finished I will add him to the bottom of the post.

I also did another pen drawing

Not my greatest but it will fill a journal page.

On to the most painful piece of art I have ever done.

This weeks theme on the Artists Playground was doodle your name or initial

and dummy here thought she would try Zentangles.

I really enjoyed doing it but I now have bulging blurry eyes.

Be warned if you attempt this stuff, do it BIG not small like I did.

If you would like to see some close ups of this

see my last post.

If I finish these two pictures today, I will still have 3 more pages and the cover

to go in my journal, which I have to post off

friday or monday at the latest, 

so it's all go for me this week.

Finished Groper,  not a great photo, it's actually darker on the bottom.
I would normally refine him heaps more
but no time.

I apologise now if I don't get to many people this week

but I'm sure you will understand.

Little miss returns on friday afternoon

and then she is on two weeks school holidays,

so don't know when the next post may be.

Have a great week.

Doodling for the Artists Playroom

The theme for the Artists Playroom

this week is doodle your name 

or initial,  

pop on over to

Just Add Water Silly

to see all the entries.

After a lot of pain 

and bulging, blood shot eyes

here is mine.

 It's quite small,

only 12cm x 17cm

and I'm half blind anyway

so that didn't help.

Plus the super magnified

glasses I'm using are 2 scripts behind

my regular glasses.

I look like I've been drinking all night,

just without the benefits!

I had heard of Zentangle but didn't really know what it was

and now I love it, but my eyes don't.

I'm sure they were invented by an optometrist 

who wanted more customers.

I'm not one of those people who measure

everything and plan,

I just do things and hope for the best.

So I guess, you could call them

Vontangles

rather

than

Zentangles.

The fish is there

because it is me,

no I'm not a fish,

I just love to paint them.

I am putting this at the front 

of my journal.

 

Here it is next to my Micron pen,

to give you an idea of size.

Well, I'm off to make an appointment

at the optomestrist !

Lots happening on the desk for WOYWW

It's wednesday already

and that means a trip around the desks of the world

at Julia's Stamping Ground.

I have been quite busy this week 

and have actually produced a few things.

This is my desk at the moment.

I am putting my pictures

into my journal.

As you can see

I have given up on glue 

and using double sided tape,

much easier.

The green splodge up the top is 

my painting using the theme of

Green, for my entry into the Artist Playroom,

it is also going into the journal.

I was playing with my ink pens last week 

and came up with some more people.

I'm quite pleased with how they are coming out.

This is a random face, I will add something to the other page.

Don't know what yet.

Here is one I really like.

 

I swapped the sides when I taped it into the journal,

thought it looked better.

Then I decided to scan it in and print it on regular paper

and coloured it with a little water colour.

 The paper was still wet when I took the photo

but it dried okay.

This is my green theme painting

with a daggy poem I made up.

I am now playing with a pencil sketch

for the last ink lady in a hat

I still have to work on the eyes

and the mouth.

Little miss is away at camp for a whole week

next week (can't control my excitement)

so I will get to paint and draw

to my hearts content and

I hope to finish my journal.

Roll on next week!

Thanks to everyone who 

helped me out with that naughty cutter of mine.

Seems the darn thing blunts very quickly.

If my cards start selling

I will invest in a guillotine.

Also, I would like to thank Jenni

at Just add Water Silly

for making my cute button

that is near the top of my side bar.

It makes me feel

very official.

Something green for my first Artists Playroom

This is the first  challenge

for the Artists Playroom.

If you want to see other entries
just go over to
Just add water, silly
and check them out.

This weeks theme is
Green.

Here is my entry.

I know, how boring

a green leaf

but for me it was a challenge.

I have never attempted to do

a water droplet before

and it shows.

The first one I did
looked like a flat pancake

So I swooshed the paint around and
came up with the one at the top.
In my defence,
I am a horrible photographer
and it looks much better
in real life,
but you will have to take my word for that.

At first I was going to do this in
watercolour pencil
and cut up a bit of water colour paper,
then I decided that it would take too much effort
to colour all of that.
So I picked up my trusty acrylics
and started to paint.
I learnt a valuable lesson
don't use acrylics on water colour paper.
As soon as the paint hit the paper it was sucked in
and that makes it really hard to blend.
Not to be outdone
I had five brushes on the go at once
each filled with different coloured paint
and ready to hit the paper and blend
in record time.
It worked quite well
but now I have
green hair, arms and teeth.
Well I had to put the brushes somewhere!

Anyway, that is my entry,
it's not the greatest
but at least it's green.

Making cards but needing help on WOYWW

For the last few days 

I have been slaving away

making up cards

to take to The Collective Store.

Here are just a few.

This may sound easy for most of you

but for this little

painting person

it is no easy task.

I don't even attempt 

to add the pretty bit and bobs

that most of the people do. 

 All I want to do

is to add a print of

my artwork to a bit of card.

Simple you might say

but no.

A while back I was moaning about my cutting machine

and some of you lovely people 

suggested I take a picture of the cutter

so that I could get some advice.

Well here is that nasty little machine

that I have named evil

Mr Green.

I was taken in by that cute little cricket

smiling at me

but if you look closely

it is an evil grin.

I use the lines on it

but it never cuts straight.

I press hard or soft

but it leaves 

fluffy edges.

I hold on tight

when doing card

but it bends the edges

where it cuts.

The darn thing cost me over $30

and the lady in the card shop assured me

that blondes can use it.

So this is where I send out an 

SOS.

What am I doing wrong???

I've tried holding my mouth in all different ways,

sticking my tongue out and in,

humming a tune,

but all to no avail.

It just won't cut neatly. 

HELP.

Now I have had a whinge,

I did do a little drawing this week.

I used a photo from an ad

to get the bits in the right places

and then did my own thing

with this little ink drawing for my journal.

 Turned out okay

but I did mess the mouth up

at the last minute (typical).

I quite enjoyed this

and might do some more.

If you want to see some fabulous

desks from around the world,

hop on over to Julias Stamping Ground

and enjoy.

A not so creative week for WOYWW

Before I start on my week

I would like to thank Bridget for

helping me to get rid of my 

word verification.

Until she let me know, I had no idea that it was even there

on my comments and of course I had no idea how to get rid of it.

Bridget spent some considerable time

emailing back and forth until the rotten

thing was gone.

If you have encountered the nasty devil on my blog, I apologise

but it shouldn't rear its ugly head again (I hope).

This week has not been good for me, creatively speaking.

It seems every thing I have touched has gone wrong and

I can't seem to think of anything to paint and on top of all that

the jeans I fixed with an iron on patch have split further down.

 Okay, so maybe it's time to get a new pair but with me being short,

they will need taking up and so they will sit in my room for months before

I absolutely have to take them up, so what's the hurry.

Here is my desk today, complete with all the failures for the week.

Yes, that is a teabag in a dish of water.

Probably the biggest mess up this week.

I decided to try and tea stain the picture,

not the best idea on ordinary paper,

especially when you don't know what you are doing.

As you can see, the paper has curled up and the stuck on words

have come unstuck, plus waterproof
archival ink pens aren't waterproof.
I found that out the hard way.
 

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

I will let it dry and try to stick the words down again.

I also tried to draw up some ideas for cards and a painting

This is for the card, supposed to be two ladies at a cafe,

not looking too good yet

and here is my plan for a painting

 It's very hard to see.

There is a groper (fish) and he is 

in the dark water with just a few

water ripple patterns showing.

He will be on a canvas

60cm x 90cm

or 2 feet x 3 feet.

I did do a nice little journal page last week.
I used the butterfly from an IA challenge
and added a poem.

Last of all just a flower for a card

I blame the form slump on my friend Angie who
visited from England.
 
She led me astray for two weeks,
making me go out and have
cake and iced chocolates
everyday for two weeks.

How am I meant to get back to painting,
when I am suffering severe
chocolate withdrawals.

Let's hope I can get over this withdrawal soon,
before I ruin my entire journal. 

To see some people who really are creative,
hop on over to Julia's Stamping Ground and
see what people have on their desks
all around the world.

I'm going to patch up my pants again!!