My *Marmite* Ebay listing :)

A while back I bought a pine square chunky coffee table, which was very orangey yuck....

I gave it an undercoat of pale bluey/grey paint and 2 top coats of cream,

I then added a long stemmed rosebud along one side of the top. This was done as a black silhouette, it was then all sanded and distressed to give an aged worn look and I love it but I know it really is a *Marmite* item.

If it doesn;t sell on Ebay I will be quite happy to keep it ...though where it would go I don't know as I have other coffee tables around the house waiting for a makeover. lol 

My Gorgeous new friend 'Missy' and latest commision :)

A couple of posts previous to this I wrote about  having wanted a ragdoll for years but never quite finding one that I wanted well...............a lovely friend, namely Bloomin' Myrtle came to the rescue saying she would make one for me and she let me list my likes and dislikes and let me choose fabrics etc...
and from that 'MISSY' was born and what a truly delightful loveable treasured addition to my family she is...I totally adore her...see for yourself :)...warn you there're lots of piccies.....

Isn't she just beautiful...

I am now going to be commisioning a boy to sit with her ....so excited.

You must all visit this wonderful ladies blog shop Bloomin' Myrtle her work is amazing and her prices soooo reasonable I'm sure she must work at a loss ...she makes absolutely everything ..dolls, aprons..doorstops...hearts...cushions anything infact that you would like and she is an absolute treasure ....once you buy from her you will be addicted as I am :)

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LATEST PENCIL PORTRAIT

Now to show you my latest commision which was of a gorgeous 1 year old boy whose birthday it was this month and his grandma wanted a drawing of him :)

This was on A4 paper and was £35 + p&p

Thankfully she was delighted :)

The winner of my giveaway is .......

A lovely blogger and crafter who goes by the name of Rachael Neale . You can find her work here at Made with Love she truly has an eye for a good design and I love her work as there is always something different from other sites, any way Rachael has won my little ballerina and I hope she likes it :)

Also today was a bitter sweet day as our cross border bearded collie had to visit the vet and neither DH or myself thought she would be coming home esp as she is 18 yrs old.
She is suffering from dimentia, peeing in the house and also collapsing alot as there is something wrong with her back legs.
So this morning before work I had tears as I said goodbye to her and emailed DH from work for updates, he had to take in at 10am and he emailed me at 11 to say she was home.
She has a urinary infection but is in no pain and for such an old dog is in good health, her back legs are weak because of old age, I can relate to that.
She is now on 2 lots of tablets one for the infection and one for her legs.

I really hope they work as it is so sad to see her keep collapsing as once down she can't get back up without our help and as much as I try not to after picking her up for the umpteenth time in so many minutes I start to feel annoyed....must try to be more patient :(

Trying to find 'My Rag Doll'

I adore Rag Dolls and would love to own one but finding one I truly love is difficult....I will know it when I see it but don't think I've seen 'The One' yet.

The following is a selection I really like......

MY  Rag doll will, I think, have plaits with ribbons, a mop hat maybe a gingham type dress over bloomers with a cream pinafore, perhaps striped tights and lace up shoes and I would like her to be holding something and so shes not lonely I'd like her to have a brother like the photo above, with freckles and glasses.

MY  Rag doll is out there somewhere I just have to find her ....I am willing to compromise a little in her style but she definitely will not be in a lacey pink party dress lol.

If you see one that you think I may like please leave a link on here ....I will find her one day, of that I'm sure :)

Painted Patchwork....

Well if you can't sew it .....paint it :)

My attempt at a patchwork heart for a friend Lissylou, off the SCC forum

who posted this.......

This year i am going to take part in Red for Heart to raise money for the British Heart Foundation, a cause very close to my heart (hee hee)

Red for heart day is on Friday 26th of February as February is National heart month.

I am going to hold an event at my house for family, friends and school mums/children on that Friday. Everyone who comes must wear red, we will play games, have a raffle and all the food provided will be red.

I had an idea to have a stall where people can buy little crafty bits.....and this is where i need your help if you would be so kind.

I will not have enough time between now and then to make all the things i want, so i was wondering if you would be able to make and send me a little something to put on my stall. Something that people would pay just one up to four pounds for to help raise money.

It would need to be red and/or heart themed.

So I quickley painted this wooden heart for her

and I hope it goes towards making alot of money for the foundation.

I first posted a photo on my facebook fanpage and it made me smile as not everyone realised it was painted lol.....anyway I may do some more as they were fun to do.

Now my lovely bloggy readers these are so easy to paint you really need no artistic ability at all, the overall effect may look difficult but if you break it down and enlarge mine you can see how basic the pattern is ....
really ....go on have a go :)

Latest commision

Completed this last night , emailed some pictures to the buyer and she loved them , made her cry, hope thats good lol...she commisioned a portrait of her grandson as a present for her daughter and son-in-law

This was a portrait drawn on A3 paper and I loved doing it though I hate doing hair.....well thats until I've finished then its always ''well it wasn't too bad really''

I have another portrait to carry out but have some hearts and canvasses to do as well which I am looking forward to as it is quite a while since I did any painting ...and it is far more relaxing than drawing.

The Incredible art of....

Leaf cutting......

I saw this on another blog and was just amazed at the intricacy in the work, that after hours of patient cutting, if not sprayed with a preservative, will just turn to dust.

I can only admire this truly beautiful craft.

Link here for more  Leaf cutting

I don't think this is a craft I am EVER going to attempt :) 

Leave it to those carry it out so beautifully.

1 year Blogversary

Sheeeeesh where did that year go then????

Blogversaries usually call for giveaways but that unforunately will have to be put on hold for the time being until I have time to sort something out for you special ladies as I am still painting away ;)

In this last year I have mades some very special lasting friends which I know non forum/blog users just cannot understand......

The lovely thoughtful gifts/giveaways/swaps I have recieved take some explaining as most ''outsiders'' just cannot grasp the concept lol.

This past year has held some surprises to me that I never thought would happen...I have now got a blog shop and Facebook fanpage which I so enjoy ...I just didn't think I would ever have an online shop ..it's so great I love it...infact the FB fanpage is by far the easiest to get out there....after networking for about 1 1/2 hrs yesterday I woke this morning to find I have 21 new fans , growing by the hour .....lol how good is that ??

So to all those thinking of having an online shop/fanpage GO FOR IT!! :)

Happy New Year to you all xxxx

Thought I had better post this now as I have just started drinking, my first being a Whisky and Dry which I haven't had for an age , it was my mums tipple really but as a young lady, I was one once honest, not sure of what to drink I used to ask for Whisy and dry....this progressed to Rum and black which at the tender age of 18 made me vomit on the upper deck of a bus and was never to be drank again...

My friends and I on half price Tuesdays would then drink Barley wines which were apparently the equivalent to a dble Whisky but quarter of the price.

I have since had various tipples Gin and tonic, Vodka and britvic O, Martini and lemonade and the the assortments of house wines thank goodness there were none of these shots that they drink now lol

On a serious note I often wondered what made an alcoholic as when I was younger, approx 16 to about 25ish I drank alot, infact that was our aim on a night out to get drunk...not fall down drunk, though I have been there but what I would call a stage further than tipsy.  Now I would say I drank almost everynight whether at parties or clubs sometimes as much as 20 shorts but never of a morning .....and I did it consistently through my late teens early twenties...now why didn't I become an alcoholic ....

I basically think alot of us just grow out of it and move onto lifes next stage but why??????

Anyway OH has just topped up my glass so cheers to you all and I hope you all have a fantabulous year ahead wherever and whoever you are mwah xxxxx

EDIT....Just to add I had 2 whiskeys then I went on to coffees...just can't hack it anymore, but I'm honestly not complaining :)

My latest commision & I treat myself :)

Last night I finished this commision of a lovely dog called Molly, it is a Christmas present from a friend to a friend.  She really loved it, thank goodness and has commisioned another 2 dogs in the NY.

This is the first portrait I have done since the ones I showed you of my son, which I did about 14 years ago, sheeeesh I didn't realise it was that long ago, no it can't be...think I must have just made that up lol.

I very rarely buy items from blogging friends, in fact I have only ever done it once before and that was these lovely items from Lalabibaby

Gorgeous hanging heart which is now in my bathroom and....

These adorable cats which are looking down on me as I type as they are hanging from my shelf unit in the kitchen ...I just adore them, fell in love at first sight lol...

Anyway this morning 2 packages arrived from Bloomin Myrtle and the contents were just precious and I fell in love all over again with my 2 new friends

My Sleepy Snowman and...

The gorgeous Snow Angel...they are exquisitely made and are just scrumptious

and thats not all I also got this lovely Bedpost bag that was supposed to be for a work colleagues 8 yr old daughter but..... sorry sunshine no way no day I'll get her something else :) evils my middle name lol

Elaine attaches the prettiest of tags on her items

so am now off to pick her brains and ask her how :)

Well I think thats all folks signing off now

Stay safe xxx