Tag Tuesday -- Quotes and sayings

This challenge gave me the opportunity to do another sewing tag for my collection. The background is a crumbled old sewing pattern with an old advert and sewing printed paper added. I stamped an old
 sewing machine and the saying on card and added that with the rest of the ephemera. I also stamped a few stitches onto the background.

Every Inchie Monday -- Physics

This was not one of my favourite subjects at school, and I still don't understand it very well. I think I have chosen two of the simple ones to do. The sewn one I did with wire and beads, and with my arthritic hands found it quite difficult. Now I see it from the scan it's a bit crooked and it certainly wouldn't work.
It will be interesting to see how the other ladies coped with this one.

Journal page made for one of the Wanderlust lessons

For this lesson we collaged some papers onto the pages and left space to draw the face. We then painted it with white gesso and when dry used watercolours. The watercolours work really well on the gesso as you can wipe it off or lesson the colour with a baby wipe. I can't draw faces but enjoyed doing this. She looks as if she could do with a holiday in the sun, instead of looking out of the window! I might even do another one, but don't hold your breath.

Tag Tuesday -- My Fave book

This was quite difficult as there are lots of books that I love to read. Some of my favourites are those written by Diana Gabaldon. The series is called Outlander and starts with Claire in 1946 walking through some standing stones in Scotland. She disappears and turns up in 18th century Scotland and her double life begins. I now have the new one and will have to reread all the others now to make sure I know what's going on. They are books I can't put down. I have painted the background with watercolours and have listed all the novels in the series in order at the bottom of the tag.

Pictures of open garden June 2016

Here are some pictures of my garden, that was open to the public for the National Garden Scheme. My neighbour and myself made £1612 for charity. It's a bit picture heavy I'm afraid.

 James Galway rose

 Metal sculpture in side border, earlier in the year.

Front of bungalow in early April

Looking to the front from copse of white birch in the Spring

 Alpine boxes in front of fern garden

 Side view of the bungalow with two mature Japanese acers

 View from the balcony

 One of the flower beds

New but unfinished trellis, looking to the front garden and driveway

 My new greenhouse

 Another border

View to the side and towards my studio.

 Front of house

 Fern garden under balcony

  Natural pond in front garden

 A typical sunset from lounge window

 Another typical sunset

View from my studio over koi pond

Flower border

Every Inchie Monday -- Party

Not a very inspiring entry from me this week, as I didn't find it very easy to portray. They are much brighter in real life, the scanner seems to have dulled them off.

For those of you who wanted to see my garden you will find the photos here

Altered Book Box

I have altered this double book box that has been lurking in my studio for approx 9 years. I painted the whole thing with gesso and then used various stencils with texture paste. I then adhered lace,  textured canvas and various time and sewing elements. I then painted gesso over the whole lot and left it to dry for a day. I started at the bottom and painted it with acrylic paints, with a metallic one at the bottom. I am entering this in several challenges.

A Vintage Journey
http://www.vintagejourney.com/2016/06/texture-or-embossing-paste.html

Rhedds Creative spirit
http://rheddscreativespirit.blogspot.hr/2016/06/junes-new-challenge-at-rhedds-creative.html

Our Creative corner
http://ourcreativecorner6.blogspot.hr/2016/06/a-beautiful-mess.html

Sandy & Amelie steampunk challenge
http://sandee-and-amelie.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/june-2016-challenge-mid-month-reminder.html


No 18 texture
http://mixedmediamc.blogspot.com/2016/06/mixed-media-monthly-25-2nd-year.html

                                                      My Altered double book box


The front

 The double spine of the box

 Inside the box filled with special lace

The Craft Barn Dictionary Challenge -- K

Loved doing this one as I have quite a collection of key stamps and ephemera. The background is distress inked and I have used the whole definition as part of the background. I stamped some keys and the saying. I finished off by adding several chains and keys, including a set of Tim Holtz.

http://thecraftbarnblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/alphadictionary-challenge-2016.html

Tag Tuesday- Whatever the weather

For this tag I started off with a black tag and made it grey. I used a TH die cut for the umbrella man and gave him some rain/snow to shelter from. He is standing on some snow (puff paint) and there is a shiny sun and a parasol. I finished off with the little ditty about the weather.

Every Inchie Monday -- Radio

Back to normal after the open garden, and I will hopefully get back into my art again. Here are my two radios.

The Craft Barn Dictionary Challenge - T

For the challenge on the Craft Barn dictionary challenge I have chosen T for Time. I'm a bit pushed for time ( no pun intended) and did a subject that I have plenty of bits for.
The background is distress inked and I used texture paste through a cog stencil. I then added the definition and various clocks and cogs.
The large clock has the word time printed on it.

http://thecraftbarnblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/alphadictionary-challenge-2016.html

Tag Tuesday -- I spy with my little eye.

I suppose this is a do what you want prompt, and although I was going to do complicated by drawing eyes, I chickened out and took the easy route. I have gone for E for elephant. I distress inked the background, and use a stencil for the Taj Mahal. The red elephant is metal and the bottom strip is woven ribbon. I added some gems and trim to finish off.

Every Inchie Monday -- Ghastly

Our first weekend of having the garden open went very well and we had 192 people round. The weather was fabulous and I am burnt to a crisp. I will take some photos and post them later.
Not an easy word to do this week. I made a ghastly spider for the sewn one, and a shrink plastic scull and jar of eyeballs for the stampbord one.

TAG TUESDAY -- FILM TITLE

Not a subject I found easy, but managed to take the easy way out and use some of my Indian stash. The background is a napkin, and the images and saying is from the DVD case.
I'm still going round in circles as my garden is open to the public for the next two weekends and the weeds have been cowering in the undergrowth, not daring to flutter a leaf. I will be back in full swing after this is all over and done with.