Havin' a cuppa for APR

I've been away from the Artists Playroom for a while

as I thought I had lost my artist mojo.

It turned out that it wasn't my mojo

that was broken,

it was my eyes!!

The whole sorry tale is here

if you want to see what happened,

but for now, I can see with my new glasses

and so I decided to play this week.

The theme for the Artists Playroom is to paint a cup or mug

and when I saw that I started to get excited.

 I love cups, big, little, silly, ornate, no matter

what it looks like I just love to have it.

I have cupboards full of them and glass cabinets

to show off others,

so I painted one special one 

and a few everyday cups.

This cup and saucer is part of a full set with coffee pot, sugar and creamer still in tact and it was bought when we were on holidays in Wales (before I became an Aussie), in the early 1960's (I was only little).  

It's not the prettiest of sets but it has great memories

of summer holiday camping trips.

I can tell you that painting this, even with my new glasses,

really did my head in.  I used the gloopy stuff on the rings,

thinking that it would be easy to rub off and

 I would have lovely straight rings (you know what I mean).

Well, when I peeled it off, it was all over the place,

all wibbly, wobbly and

I had to sit there and try to straighten 

(or is that benden) the rings by hand.

My new glasses have changed so much that my eyes and brain

don't seem to be on the same page.

I would put the brush where I thought it should be 

and I would get a line over to the side of it,

 boy are these glasses going to take 

some getting used to. 

As long as you don't look too closely, it looks alright.

I also did some quickies in my journal this afternoon.

     

I usually paint onto dry paper

but I thought I would try slopping water on first 

and then dropping the paint in.

It worked pretty well but it's hard to get the lights and darks where you want them.

 This cup is from Stefans, a big hairdresser here in Australia.

I have to fight little miss for this as she says it makes her 

hot chocolate taste better.

This cup I don't use as much,

I'm sure you can see why.

It says Greedy Little Devil

and my cheeky hubby bought it for me.

Personally I think it looks more like him than me!!!

If you want to see the best ever cup in the whole

universe, have a look here.

It's my latest aquisition...

eat your heart out people.

 Well that's it for me, now why not

go on over to Jenns Artist Playroom

and check out some more 

wonderful cups.

Blurry Eyes for WOYWW

Glasses, glasses,

where fore art thou glasses?

Ooh this is sad,

I am waiting for my new glasses to arrive

and now my blurred vision has gone to my brain.

I keep going in verse!

I want to paint,

I want to draw,

but my sore eyes

 are hanging on the floor.

Oh, there I go again.

Quick, here's my desk today,

before I rhyme again.

Not a lot happening,

just a lot of work pending.

Still waiting for three pairs of glasses,

which can be a pain in the a.....

Since mines a little boring 

why not go over to the Stamping Ground,

Where lots of interesting desks are sure to be found.

I'm stopping while I can!!

If you're wondering what's happened to my eyes have a look here,

(but only if you want to)

 

it tells a sorry tale of woe.

 Here's hoping my glasses turn up soon,
cos I'm feeling like quite a baffoon!

argh!!

The eyes have it, well, maybe not.

Which of these glasses are more useful?

(Answer at the bottom of the post)

For pretty much the whole of this year

I have been struggling with my painting.

I've blamed loss of mojo,

lack of ability,

lack of inspiration,

lack of just about everything.

My work was wonky and just not right

and this weekend I had an epiphany.

I was sitting in bed trying to read the sunday paper,

with my eyes streaming tears and terrible

stabbing pains in my right eye ,

dang this rotten hayfever I was spurting.

Then it happened,

I closed one eye and couldn't see a thing,

then I closed the other eye

(yes, I opened the other one back up)

and couldn't see a thing either.

A trip to the optometrist on tuesday

confirmed my suspicions,

I need new glasses!!!!

 (These are my nasty old readers and if you noticed the nose thingy on the right, it isn't painted backwards.  It is on the wrong way and I never noticed until I just painted them).

The optometrist was amazed I could see anything at all,

she must have seen my quizzed look

and explained that I had not updated my reading glasses since 2006,

my sunnies since 2008 and my normal glasses since 2010.

OOPS.

Now I have never been a normal person,

just ask anyone who knows me,

and I have always had one long sighted and

 one short sighted eye.

Now I have two shortsighted eyes but they aren't the same 

short sightedness.

Hence, I have trouble with perspective

and that's why my paintings have been so off

and why the walls keep jumping out in front of me.

By the end of next week

I should have three new pairs of glasses

and a new found 

excitement with painting.

I'm sure that knowing the facts,

you will excuse the wonkiness 

 of this painting.

The answer to the question is:

The drinking glass!

At least I can enjoy some booze

 while wearing a pair of these

useless glasses.

Come to think of it

my sight would be the same

drunk or not!!

 

Hurry up new glasses!

 

I'm linking up to paint party friday

for the first time in ages.

WOYWW 4th Anniversary

With thanks to Julia and Nikki

 Happy fourth anniversary to Julia

and all participating in

WOYWW

or

 What's On Your Work desk Wednesday.

To celebrate this special occasion

the wonderful Julia is doing an ATC swap 

and try as I might, I haven't quite finished my ATC.

I've had to keep going out

and I'm trying something new, using spray inks,

so it took longer than I thought.

After many boo boos, I've managed to get three

ATCs to almost finished and if it wasn't so cold

right now, the paint would have dried and I would be finished.

So, to the person next in line after me, your poor thing, I will finish it today

or tomorrow at the latest.

 Here's the part of my desk with the boo boos on.

I kinda got carried away with the ink spray and it went 

to smodge.

Here are the ATC's, they aren't finished and

 I don't even know which I will send yet, depends which looks okay.

  Here is the other side of my desk with my cute 

little white laptop sitting with it's big brother.

Before I joined WOYWW I used only paint to make a picture

but seeing all the fun things that fellow WOYWWers

use has given me so much more to play with.

I now have quite a few stamps,  a couple of stamp pads,

some spray inks and gloopy stuff that makes things stand out

on the canvas.  

I might not be proficient in them yet but boy do I have fun learning.

I'm keeping it short and sweet,

so now hop on over to 

Julia's Stamping Ground

and see what is on everyone elses

4th anniversary desk.

I'm hoping to start posting more than once per week now

and so I will add links to what I've posted each week.
Feel free to have a look: 

Happy days

Happy Days

I'm back to painting,

just in a small way,

literally.

I've started on some ATCs

for the fourth anniversary

WOYWW ATC swap.

I'm playing with ink sprays and watercolour

and have quite a few boo boo's so far

but I'm getting there.

However nothing can spoil my day now,

because a parcel just arrived.

A parcel I've waited my whole life to receive,

well it feels that way, waiting, waiting.

I nearly kissed the postman when it arrived,

poor man.

Okay, I've built up the anticipation now,

so here it is....

 

Oh what's that, just a mug you say,

nooo this is not just any mug,

this is a disappearing tardis mug.

Add hot coffee and

going, going

gone.

It's now floating in the galaxy.

Okay, so maybe I'm just a little bit nerdy

but when the painting isn't going my way,

this sure is a pick me up.

And the coffee tastes better

in this cup too.

Hoping to have at least one ATC

work for wednesday,

so I'd better get cracking.

 

I'm back with a new computer for WOYWW

After what seems like forever,

I am back and you thought you were

rid of me (mwa ha ha).

I have a new computer,

two in fact.  It seems that when one computer

dies, the laptop also dies, so sad

but in a way good.

Now I have this little beauty

She's an all in one 23" screen.

There's no more whacking my knee on the cpu

under the desk!!

Here's the old one, complete with knee destroyer.

Even though the screen is bigger I seem to be able to fit 

everything in a little neater than before.

I really like the sleek new keyboard too.

The only trouble I am having is working out this new fangled 

Windows 8.

I had Windows XP before and it's just a little

bit different (cough cough).

I would show you my cute little white laptop too,

but it took me so long to figure out how to get the photo of the big computer on here that I can't remember how I did it.

Bear with me and I might be able to get something by next week.

I haven't done any art since I've been away from the internet,

yes, I know, I'm just a slacker.

 This week won't be any different as I got a 

one hour facial for mothers day from my daughter

and I'm having that plus getting my hair done this week,

so no time for art.

I'll start again next week, promise.

Right now I'm just so happy to be back in the blogosphere

and hope to catch up with all the blogs that I've missed.

Speaking of blogs,

why don't you hop on over to Julia's Stamping Ground

and see what the other bloggers 

have on their desks,

this very cold

 (it's autumn and cloudy here)

wednesday.

PS. My thoughts are with the poor people who suffered in the tornado.
I hope all bloggers are safe and well.

It's official - Computers and anything electronic - suck!!

You might have noticed that I haven't

written a post for a while,

or not, but I forgive you for that.

I have been fighting a losing battle

with my computer and anything electronic in my house.

My computer decided that it just wasn't going to start up

and I had to keep turning the power on and off until

it decided to play the game.

Sometimes it took a week to play.

Now it has decided it will start up but my mouse pen

has gone nuts.

Now some of you may know that I am blonde and as such,

I just can't use a regular mouse.

I drive it all over the place and it never goes where I want it to, 

so my wonderful computer friend set me up with a Wacom tablet and pen

(which doubles a mouse) many years ago and I haven't looked back.

That is until the pen went nuts.  It can be in it's holder and things start

to highlight and move, rather creepy actually.
 I have to hit the pad numerous times before it does anything and then it gets stuck and won't let go of things, argh!!! 
 Highlighting anything is a whole new adventure.

So, I have decided that enough is enough and I'm going to post

with or without the co-operation of this evil being, so if things 

are all over the place, blame the pen.

Here is my desk, it's rather a sorrowful sight.

Although you can't see it, I have been chasing this image all over the place but I thinks it has settled here for now.

 Even my paints and paintings are right where they are month ago.

 I haven't picked up a pen or brush for ages

but now I am determined to get back to it.

From next week I plan to pick up the brushes again

and if this stinking computer will play nice for once,

I might even be able to show you.

There have been heaps more electronic

 gadgets that have made my life

hell lately but that is for another post,

if it will let me.

I hope to be able to visit other WOYWWer's this week,

but please forgive me if this evil machine prevents that.

Now you have read my tale of woe (he he),

hop on over to Julia's Stamping Ground

and see what is on the desk of others this fine and warm Wednesday.

PS.  I've just noticed that the text is a bit weird
but on my compose screen it is fine,
just another thing playing up I guess!!!