Remember spring, and altered books

playing card, molding paste through a stencil, gesso, watercolour paint, (very messy) decorative machine stitching, lazy daisy, felt backing.

Another brief glimpse into my artbooks, today.

This is a niche, cut into my insect theme book, using layered tissue paper and a cast tissue dragonfly.

and another, layered tissue page in my techniques book, with some decorative stitching on the side of the page.

I have arranged some distressed leaf samples I did a while ago on some paste paper in my leaf theme book.

Here are two little niches, front and back in my leaf theme book.

hereis the page complete, with a metal leaf and a cast made from it mounted.

and from the back, with the distressed leaves showing through.

this page is created using newspaper, gesso, acrylic and then a watercolour wash with salt.

And I am playing with this acetate overlay, but I think I might make one out of stitching to go on this page.

I am very busy with things I can't show you yet, which is quite frustrating, but hopefully next week the pressure will be off slightly and I will be able to get some playing done!

And don't you forget to play every day! 

Don't forget Lisa's ATC

Serendipity and a peek

OK, ATC number 2.

Serendipity, because mine is shiny and molding paste, too.  See Lisa's here.
Playing card, molding paste through a stencil. Starburst moonglow spray (I got it here) and silver marker

Also, today, a peek into one of the projects I am working on.
You may remember these sketches

Which ! posted recently.
Well, they have multiplied and are fast becomming thread paintings

these are simply what i call underpaintings, or sketches.  At this stage I am just sketching in colours and getting even stitches to cover the stabiliser.

And a new one.  This one I did not even sketch in my book!  I just sketched it straight on the stabiliser from a photo taken by a friend.  Not quite sketched out yet.  some water, sky and trees to go

Now this one, I did consider asking you guys if you could work it out, but I decided that right now it is a bit too hard.  It looks like an aerial photo, I suppose, but it will actually be a cross section of an opal.  the centre strip will be full of all the little coloured bits and black and dark blue lines.  The orangy bits are the rock the opal is living in.