NEW BLOG ADDRESS

My blog updates will no longer be here on blogger. I have been having significant technical difficulties every time I download images as my blog gets bigger & bigger each time I load them. (to be fair, blogger is great, it is FREE, which is a bonus to see how blogging is for you...and it isn't too hard to work out [sometimes!!!]) As a result I have moved over to TYPEPAD now, where I can pay to use more space & I hope to not have the frustrating downloading problems that I have been experiencing with Blogger.

The NEW blog address as of today is:

http://thecolourguru.typepad.com PLEASE UPDATE YOUR LINK as of today, by adding this address once you get there, to your favourites.

For the moment, all of the archives are here at Blogger, I feel as though I can't completely abandon them, and I am not sure how to import them to Typepad...........

thanks for your positive feedback for my work............I look forward to sharing it with you in the future.

Bear Slide Show

Well, it has taken me nearly a full day, but I finally have photographed all my bears! A big job out of the way, that I have been wanting to do for ages. With the exception of 3 bears, (Crystal, Bessie & Nancy) all bears are made from either English or German mohair. They all have glass eyes & Edward, Dr. Bairnsdale & The Wounded Soldier have antique boot buttons for eyes. Most I have designed from scratch from paper & calico patterns & models, but there are about 5 or 6 that have been made from other people's patterns. All of the clothes I have designed and made myself & the cardigan on Nancy was my daughter's when she was newborn.

Theres a Bear in There!

Get Your Own! View Slideshow

WHAT'S NEXT????

Well, as you are aware, (with the posts from the last few weeks being mostly text) I haven't been arting much lately, and I am just BURSTING with ideas. We have our annual Paper Arts show here in Melbourne next week too, so I guess I will be having some new supplies (I can't help myself, dispite my well stocked studio) Some of the things that I am exploring at the moment are:
* a page inspired by 'The Devil wears Prada' (MUST SEE, girlfriend, it is SOOOOO funny)
* 'the secret life of bees' is a term that keeps coming up in some other art posts and it is intriguing me, I feel an ATC series coming on there.........or maybe a journal page...........hmmmmm.............
* I have seen a quote (I am a passionate collector of quotes) that has really inspired me lately by Richard Kamler........'ART is our one true global language. It knows no nation, it favours no race, it acknowledges no class. It speaks to our need to reveal, heal & transform. It transcends our ordinary lives & lets us imagine what is possible.'........WOW, how true.............this requires a response in ART!~ I have found some wonderful 12 x 12 paper with Northern & Southern hemispheres on separate pages, perfect for left & right hand pages.........I am thinking something along the lines of a world map with minatures of art styles from around the globe on it.......hmmm...........that's still brewing.........Richard, it is coming to my journal sometime soon!!!
* I have a plethora of Russia 'stuff' from my newly arrived DH, some more inspiring than others....I think this will end up scrapbooked with photos rather than in my art journal, but you never know...........the pics from red square are really nice.
* Specimens............I am squirreling (thanks Julie) away bits 'n' bobs for this swap, I am looking forward to producing some more cards along this line. For more info on this swap, jump onto over to my swap blog:
http://queenofswaps.blogspot.com

WELLLLLLLL..................no shortage of inspiration, just need some time..........and now, for the real world..........yes, I must go to work!!! Have a great day!

'Tis the Season

It hasn't all been doom & gloom & war!!! I've had fun starting to make my Christmas tags for the 'Tis the Season swap on my Swap blog. It's a fun & easy swap using manilla tags. They were created by painting the tag, applying crackle medium, then painting over with gold or silver. I have then used all sorts of bits 'n' pieces to decorate them. Here's the info on the swap, come one, come all, come swap with me!!! http://queenofswaps.blogspot.com

GALLILPOLI FINISHED

Here is my finished Gallipoli page, it is such a tragic story in Australian War History (one my Grandfather played a part in) that I wanted to record it in my art. For the sake of my overseas visitors, in 1915 Australian soldiers were landed on a beach in Gallipoli, Turkey, & were outnumbered & out gunned by the Turkish. It resulted in the wiping out of a generation of young men from outback & country towns & it had a huge impact on Australian life. (PLEASE...........any war buffs, please don't be offended, this is not meant to be trite in anyway, just a very simplified description) My son has a copper looking 'slouch' hat pin from last Anzac Day, (25th April) which would have been perfect for this page, however he wouldn't SHARE!!!!!.................oh well, it may still get some additions down the track. Everything that I make is subject to change! For anyone who is interested in the story the long version (blow by blow) is here: http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/ww1/1/index.asp
a more suscinct, narative style version is here: http://www.anzacsite.gov.au/1landing/why.html

A NEW LOOK

It has taken a couple of days to get the new swaps blog sorted & we have a new look here. I quite liked the other header, however the formating was rather limiting, so here we have a new look, so that both blogs are in sync. I am working on a page in my 'A Time in my Life' art journal at the moment as a record of my work in Mary's journal........it is all about ANZAC's. I have some of my Grandfather's original records & have used photocopies of these on the page. It is still emerging and feels a little 'raw' right now. I have the key imagery in place, but it needs some 'depth' and I haven't quite decided how I am going to do that yet. I have used my fav. Paper Loft paper as the backdrop to the page, and the imagery is a combination of bits 'n' pieces, I have collected. Stamps are Collections.......those numbers work so well........
http://members.westnet.com.au/collections/
rub ons are 7 Gypsies..........one of my other loves! Have a great day............big day at work then off to see The Devil wears Prada.............should be a fun night.
ps the scan is a bit dodgy, but don't have time to do it thoroughly this morning...........off to WURK (sob)