the 50's B Movie Swap (what I sent)

vampire kit needle book

My partner for the 50's B Movie Craft Swap was Juanita who is utterly fabulous and I was in a terrible tizzy over what to make her for the swap. I was full of ideas and inspiration, and the swap was my idea in the first place so I wanted to make something that was fantastic. OK maybe not fantastic but something that Juanita would be happy to own and not hide away in a dark corner with only a 5 legged spider, a dead fly, and a dustbunny for company.

inside the needle book

Ok I probably made up that last bit about the dustbunny. I doodled in my sketchbook, and decided to make a needle book with a vampire theme, I sat down and figured out what I wanted to do and then I made the needle book, its a bit wonky (mostly the stamped words are too far to the left to be perfect) but I loved the wonky black lines and the gingham drop of blood. I really wanted to keep it for myself, and I may just have to make another one for my etsy shop (do you think you might be interested in that dear readers?) The next thing I made was a painted page of a B-Movie Scream Queen, the illustration turned out better than I dreamed it would.

B- Movie Scream Queen

And because I'm a dunce I forgot to photograph the the third thing I sent, a little felt alien head pin that I stuck on a headband/alice band. That little alien was a complete bugger to get made as I had never really used felt before and it is rather small, but the hairband was simple to make, its really just a piece of ribbon sewn together with a hair tie. I may have to make another one or at least a little tutorial, but I'm all out of ribbon at the moment.

everything I sent Juanita
(I forgot to take pictures so snagged this from her blog)

I'll show you what Juanita sent me tomorrow as the pictures I took don't do it justice, but if you can't wait you can have a snoop on the flickr group for the swap.

The Button Thief

button thief illustration on vintage book paper

The Button Thief
by Apryl Lowe

Once there was a pair of blackbirds, with shiny black wings and a beautiful song in the hearts. They had a little nest swaying high in a willow tree. Inside the nest, a pale blue egg the colour of the summer sky.

The egg soon hatched a tiny little bird, as blue as the sky. Mother Blackbird kept her warm in the nest, and Father Blackbird found a button to give his lovely daughter.

A fledgling bird Skye learned to fly, but fell to the ground. A woman dressed in Sunday best, with red buttons on her coat, rescued poor the poor little bird. The little chirped and hopped on the woman’s hand, she pulled a shiny red button from the woman’s coat and flew off into the willow tree.

One little bird feathers bright as the midday sky, she found a wee mask and became a thief.


The button thief she stole a button shining silver in the sun.

Then she stole more, and more, from the men, women and children that walked in the park, from the shops in the town, a treasure trove in the haberdashery.

Round buttons, square buttons, wooden buttons, shell buttons, plastic buttons, metal buttons, cloth buttons, none were safe from the Button Thief.
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Red ones and blue ones, yellow ones and orange ones, shining pearl and carved oak, bright silver, tarnished brass, each shining, button a new treasure to steal.

She sat and preened up high in the willow tree, and admired the beautiful buttons in her nest. Her eyes were keen on the ground, and on the people all around, for the beautiful buttons they might wear.

The end


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the button thief illustration is on a vintage book page from a battered copy of Alice through the Looking-glass, black tea, acrylic paint, and ink were used in the illustration, along with one vintage red button. The light was a bit off when I took the photo but paint shop helped to some degree, I will attempt to photograph the illustration again when it has finished drying and flattening.

a little birdie

a little birdie in a tree

vintage book page illustration for Gloria. The birdie has been a little doodle in my sketch book for ages and until yesterday when I prepped some pages of Alice through the Looking-Glass with black tea and decided to make Gloria a little painting to go along with the bracelet she bought from my etsy shop. I didn't know what to draw but the little birdie called to me so I just had to paint her. Cute isn't she? I have a few more book pages in the works at the moment and I will try to get them finished tomorrow.

the water nymph

water nymph

Beautiful and alluring, she lurks in the depths, hair green as the sea, and a heart just as cold. Don't listen to her song my friend, her lyrics may be sweet but death lurks behind those smiling eyes. Don't listen to the siren's call, cover your ears and turn you ship from the rocks. She's waiting my friend to take you in her cold arms, wrap you in her long flowing hair and drag you down into the depths of the sea.

so er yeah anyway I have had my paints, and book pages out today. this is the first finished one, the rest have details to be added later tonight. But the water sprite/nymph/mermaid is my favourite. I think its the long flowing hair, I can imagine it floating on the current, or as a dark mass as she hides among the rocks singing her mournful song. Time for a warm up and a spot of coffee I think.

Good Spirit

Gilbert the Ghostie

I'd like you to meet Gilbert the Ghostie, he is a little bit shy and tends to wear his heart o his sleeve. Well he would if he had sleeves that is. He is a bit rubbish at being scary, in fact he is proably more afraid of you then you would be of him. He loves musicals, spagetti westerns, hot cocoa, and popcorn. You can often find him wandering round the forrest singing show tunes to his friends the trees.

onyx, orange carnelian, and sterling silver, bracelet

I know its over a month until Halloween but its my favourite holiday of the year, candy, coustumes, monster movies, more candy whats not to love about it? The bright orange carnelian faceted bades arrived in the post yesterday from Bobbi and I couldn't wait to pair them with some black onyx for a scintalating Halloween treat.

Gilbert on a small recycled paper notebook

And here is Gilbert again, gracing the cover of a tiny recycled paper notebook that has been floating around various boxes since well before the move. all items with any luck should be uploaded to etsy later this afternoon.

The Masked Girl with Butterflies

the masked girl with butterflies

This is my latest illustration that I'm working on, although not complete she is coming together nicely and has a certian twinkle of mischief in her eye. I drew her on Saturday while picinicing at Rowsley Park around the corner from Caudwell's Mill while H ran around hyped up on fairy cakes and watermelon. It was the first time I had properly dragged my sketch book out in somewhere close to forever and I felt so perfectly happy and at peace, the smell of warm grass, and freshly sharpened pencils mingling on a bright sunny day.

Later that same evening M and I watched the most beautiful, quirky and sweet movie King of California. The movie stars Michael Douglas and Evan Rachel Wood, in an unconventional father daughter relationship . It was very funny, sad, and lovely story of slightly broken people, and fufilling dreams. M and I both agree that its a little gem of a movie right up there with house favourites Empire Records, Amelie, and Waitress as one of our favourite quirky movies.

Sunday was spent at Frizbe's house sitting watching the children play, argue, and splash each other in the paddling pool, enjoying that rare and elusive creature known as English Summertime. H had a blast but was thoroughly shattered and ready for his bed by the time we dragged him home again. I think he would have stayed and played all night if given half the chance.

update: there are a few days left to sign up for the Fairy Tale Swap!

Burnt Coconut and Other Follies

Little White House II

This is the second little white house I have painted. The first one went to live with Annie of Overmilkwood fame, as a gift for being so sweet, and for being my biggest jewellery customer. Thanks Annie!

Sigmund the squirrel

I didn't like Sigmund when I first painted him, but somehow he seems to have grown on me.

the masked woman

I'm not sure about the masked woman yet, she just doesn't match the sketch I did which I prefer, perhaps she was just meant to be the sketch, to be in ink and pencil without any fussy bit of acrylic paint.

I know its a horrible horrible picture, don't look at it too long or you may cry, but this is the first mail label design I have come up with that I really like. I may go back to the drawing board though if the quality of this image is anything to go by. Before I ask M to scan it for me.

I bet you are wondering about the burnt coconut bit in my title? maybe just a little.. we I managed to almost burn a batch of coconut cookies. rescused them just in time, before they became burn to a crisp. Its how today seems to be going, nothing over the top bad, just a teensy bit off.

its your last chance to leave a comment on my illustration giveaway, I will draw the lucky winner in the morning, I would say bright and early, but the only one that is bright and early in the morning here is H, I need several cups of coffee before I'm even halfway human.

Red

Red Riding Hood

The Button Thief and other Characters

The button thief is now hiding in a willow tree. I think she is perfect now... the willow branches fill the rest of the page and compliment one very cheeky pretty little thief. I shall be adding some prints of the button thief to my etsy shop tommorow, along with the original multi-media illustration, and things are in the works to get some button/badges made, and possibly some cards as well..oh and some jewellery too. so keep an eye out.

the contessa

The contessa is greatly displeased with me, for reasons known only to herself, I have messed about with this painting four times she has gotten better but something isn't quite right yet. And the 80's chick was inspired by an ad in a magazine, the add didn't look anything like this, and it wasn't from 1985 either but apparently she just couldn't live without permed hair.

80's chick

Classics for the Modern Consumer

Starbucks hunts the great white whale

Moby Dick

Yarn Woman

the un-knit woman

Having yarn for hair might bit a bit high maintanence, jsut imagine the needle expense, and stitch markers are not cheap these days.

My inspiration for this piece was the box of yarn that I have been staunchly ignoring in favour of painting, playing with beads, and baking up a small storm. Sorry the image quality is a little poor the light was bad.

Don't Fear the Reaper

Death and Instructions

Where the Wild Roses Grow

wild roses

flapper

espresso

fairy sketch

This mornings crafting, I love how the roses turned out, they are actually on my rose bush in the front yard, if you can call it a yard. I think they might be called dog roses, but I really don't know, they are pretty though. Yesterday we went to Lichfield and I got to potter around the charity shops, where I found absoloutly nothing that I was interested in for my crafts, but I did get to spend a very happy 15 minutes alone in the Spellbound Beads shop, I didn't buy much two focal beads, one green one orange, and a few silver beads too... hopefully I will get a bit of beading done later and see what I can make with them.

Happy Father's Day!

Follow the White Rabbit Neo!

Neo the rabbit

I first drew Neo a few months ago and have kept him on his little pice of scrap paper in one of my many notebooks. Today in my crafting time I serched through my notebook for inspiration and I found Neo, so here he is in painted page form.