Flowers, Bees & Pretty Leaves & Whacking Holes in Bark

Day 145 of the Doodle Olympics - This week I experienced a few days of cricket bat to the back of the head headaches. I didn't really feel like drawing. My heart wasn't in it but I lay on the sofa and took the pencil by the very top end, and tried to draw something. I quite like that it is all very loose and loopy, and lacking in control.

Day 146 of the Doodle Olympics - Headache day 2. This time I closed my eyes so I could draw the bees, I opened them to decide where to draw each bee, and also opened them the draw the dashed lines and the shopping bags - What are bees without shopping bags?

Day 147 of the Doodle Olympics - Another loose drawing, that turned into a swirly wall adorned with frames, with pictures of birds inside. No I don't know why either. :)

Day 148 of the Doodle Olympics - Well it has been a bit hot hasn't it? :)

Day 149 of the Doodle Olympics - As well as having various Eurovision songs in my head, I have also had 'Let's Go Fly A Kite'.

Day 150 of the Doodle Olympics - Decorative leaves.

Day 151 of the Doodle Olympics - Decorative Mushrooms


Other things I've been working on this week include bark lanterns. I have found whacking holes into the bark quite satisfying. I had a little ebay shop for more copper wire, organza, and polystyrene balls, and continuing on from last week, I've melted more bits of organza, this time yellow/gold and copper. I've also started to make notes on the 'Bag for all Reasons' book, but didn't get far with all those headaches, maybe next week ;) . 

Found - Beautiful Items Online

I took a trip into town yesterday but came away from the charity shops empty handed. I was hoping to find a pretty plate to eat cake from or some more books, but any plates were drab, and the books were all fairly recent paperbacks and I want old ones! Never mind, I decided to share with you some of my favourite items, from some of my favourite online creative types. 

Just click the links to take you to individual items. Of course, some of the items are 

unique, so they may sell out. Have a lovely day! 

Aqua Starburst Porcelain Dish - by Seaurchin

Birds (digital print) - by Lizzy Stewart

Pegasus Locket - by Bonbi Forest

Mink Brooch - by Silk Purse, Sow's Ear

Circles and Dots - Embroidered Wall Clock - by Mason Bee

This Week... Solo, Snog & Giant Sausage Rolls

This week... We spent some time over in Norfolk at the beginning of the week. We were supposed to have our engagement shoot but it was cancelled due to horrible grey weather (you wouldn't think it now right?). Instead we went with my folks for a meal at The Feathers in Snettisham and had a delicious roast beef dinner, and a wee bit too much wine. The restaurant room was just lovely. On our way home the following day, we swung by Swaffham and called in at Cocoes cafe and deli, where we picked up some cake, that we had as we swung by Rob's parent's house, and two giant sausage rolls, that we had when we got back home. Delicious. My third volume of Solo by Lizzy Stewart arrived and made me very happy. On Thursday I went for a wonderful sunny lunch with Anna from Sakura Jewellery, and after, as we spent the afternoon chatting away, she gave me the book "Snog". It was like she read my mind, I had only said to Rob the day before that I would quite like to make frozen yogurt, and this book has it! :) Have a great weekend!

So When She Tired Of Drawing Birds She Turned To Camels

Day 138 of the Doodle Olympics - I decided I couldn't keep drawing birds, so decided to turn to camels instead. I admit the reason he has a fez on his head, is because I wasn't sure what the ears were supposed to look like. 

Day 139 of the Doodle Olympics - Camel number two. I love that this chap looks like a proper rocker, with his goatee and studded collar!

Day 140 of the Doodle Olympics - Camel number three. I had to google camels sitting, I've never ridden a camel, and have never really paid attention to how they sit down, it's all a bit awkward... how they sit that is, not my lack of camel knowledge. 

Day 141 of the Doodle Olympics - I was going to draw a garden gnome, and then decided that I wasn't sure how, so went with a little toadstool house instead. 

Day 142 of the Doodle Olympics - I was trying to decide what animal to draw next, because animals really have to be the best things to draw, you can put them in clothes and give them moustaches, and it's always highly entertaining. I decided I hadn't drawn rabbits in a while. 

Day 143 of the Doodle Olympics - Continuing with the rabbit theme, I got my Beatrix Potter on! In so much as it is a homely rabbit doing some kind of baking activity, and not (sadly) that I'm in any way as talented as Beatrix Potter.

Day 144 of the Doodle Olympics - I wanted to decorate things in straight lines again. I do love having a straight line phase.


Other work... I've been melting organza flowers, giving them a bit of shape, so at some point I can layer them up into flowers and pop them on a copper wire stem. I also had another book arrive in the post, so I need to start reading that too, ready for review. It occurred to me, that I only ever linked to one of my book reviews from here. If you are interested here are the others so far...
Turn Your Talent Into A Business
Pop Party
Homespun Style
Hand Spun
DIY Couture

Found - Basket... Cases...

I was away for a long weekend this week, so yet again, I was unable to get along to my local charity shops. I was in Norfolk, and on Sunday we visited The Granary in Snettisham. The Granary has a coffee shop and gifts for sale downstairs, but I was interested in the antiques and collectables upstairs. There is an odd assortment of wares with the space being rented out to various sellers, but I found a few pieces, mostly to be used as wedding props. The first was a book, to add to the growing collection of old books. It was only 50p. I'll be taking the cover off, but maybe I could frame it, I do quite like old book cover illustrations. Then we found a frame, that isn't for the wedding, we just thought it was quite nice for a couple of pounds. Then followed three wicker baskets. I'm after fairly small rectangular baskets, that we are hoping to use for a sweet bar when we get married. Finally, we picked up two small, old battered suitcases. They have seen better days, but we want them to put the wedding cards in. 

There Is Something About... Heidi ...Sunday

So, if you follow me on Facebook, or Twitter, you may have noticed that I won a wonderful blog giveaway from Heidi McDonald's Scissors and Glue Facebook Page. So I wanted to share my goodies with you! 

The prize included an adorable felt orange owl - he now has pride of place in my orange corner, at the desk where I do all my crafty work - a cute little acorn brooch (which I accidently missed out from the photo - oops), little birdy cards, and three Gocco Screen prints/cards. I would love to have a Gocco screen printer myself, so these are super exciting, and they have turned out brilliantly.

So as an extra thank you for having such a wonderful giveaway, I thought I would introduce you to Heidi, for those of you that haven't discovered her work already. 

Heidi is an illustrator, painter, artist, and creator, living by the sea in Dorset. She creates wonderfully cute and whimsical characters that all seem to tell a story, and are brought to life mostly through water colour and promarkers.

Heidi has an Etsy shop called Little Nore, where you can find anything from ACEOs, prints, cards, stickers, decorative boxes, zines, and brooches. As well as running Little Nore, Heidi works on commissions, and has started the process of creating her first book. 

I have loved reading Heidi's blog, and following her illustration journey. I love that she shares so much of her work, and I've been inspired by her honesty, and admire how she is constantly trying to push her work, and experiment with new mediums and styles, in order to keep her work fresh, and to ensure that she is stretching herself, and developing further. Heidi is currently taking part in an online painting course called 'Paint your Story' where she is trying to recapture her seven year old self. It focuses on taking creativity back to a time, where you did something creative because you could, and because it was fun, and you didn't care what people thought. She is currently experimenting with, and embracing a liberating free and playful style, incorporating collage, and a loose painterly effect. It is a wonderful process to observe, and I think it is something we creative types should all consider, when we are sitting around, spending far too much time worrying about if we are or aren't 'good enough', or fretting over how to pay the bills, it is an excercise that harnesses and embraces your talent. 

Finally, I can't end this post with showing introducing you to Nora, Heidi's cat, aww just look a that face!

Heidi can also be found on Twitter!

This Week... A Prize, Things That Grow & some Earrings

I'm not going to lie, a This Week post can become a little sad when you take out the work element (that will now appear on Wednesday), and those magical finds (that will now appear on Tuesday), but never the less... 

This Week... I received a parcel in the post - it was a prize (but more on that, hopefully, over the weekend). I saw something trying to randomly grow from a wall, I like things growing from walls, there is a little Secret Garden magic about them. I ate some apple and strawberries, don't be fooled that I'm healthy, there were giant cookies too. I think my ginger is trying to grow. I have never thought about growing ginger before, I really don't know anything about growing... anything. However, I have found out that it grows in a tropical climate, but that if I put it in a pot and keep it indoors, it might grow, but it doesn't like direct sunlight, and I might get a problem with spider mites. Trying to decide if I should give it a go? Finally, I have a new pair of Emma earrings listed on dawn bevins design, hopefully more will be added soon.

Bird Bird Bird, the Bird is the Word...

In keeping with my new efforts to be more organised and consistent, I'm going to aim to update the Doodle Olympics every Wednesday, along with anything else I've been working on. In theory it will be called "What's going on Wednesday", but I'll probably stick to more decorative titles, just for fun. 

Day 131 of the Doodle Olympics: So after the last doodle in the last post, I decided that I was quite taken with birds, so began drawing them... daily... :/ I like this guy, like the other bird he wears a jumper, and I like to think that he is flapping out his wing, and saying 'Aww shucks - you guuuuyyyss'. 

Day 132 of the Doodle Olympics: "But I don't want to go in the water"

Day 133 of the Doodle Olympics: This little chap, looks down on people a bit (not literally of course, he's too small). He thinks he is right about everything, but I'll let you into a little secret... he is nearly always wrong, but there is no telling him!

Day 134 of the Doodle Olympics: This guy is looking pretty worried, his wings are all up in the air, and he has got himself into as bit of a flap, maybe he has just seen the peacock below...

Day 135 of the Doodle Olympics: This Peacock is a real lady... or is she?? We all know that the flamboyant peacocks are the males - just saying! 

Day 136 of the Doodle Olympics: Derren the duck, he doesn't dare to swim - What is wrong with him?

Day 137 of the Doodle Olympics: This dashing fellow is Speckled Spencer, he likes tea, crumpets, and a spot of afternoon dancing.


Other things I've been working on... Popping my Zombie Kitty Plays Cupid collage onto Society6, I mentioned that I had finished it last week, but it is now available online. I've also been reading Steampunk Accessories, and making appropriate notes, in order to write a review for UK Handmade. It is proper homework, that is why I'm allowed, tea, strawberry milk, and a cookie! :)