ART JOURNAL

After attending 2 of Finnabairs classes, Bevlea & I decided to make a "Finn" style Travel Journal to chronicle the places we have visited on our long weekends away.

Here is mine:

Our first trip was to Lakes Entrance.
We did lots of art, also travelled by boat to the fabulous place that I call HEAVEN, but real name Metung

Bevlea got lots of great pics of birds etc and, even though the weather was not great, we had a FANTASTIC time & then & there decided that we must do a trip every couple of months.
It is sooo nice, being BFF's, talking, arting, drinking, eating, taking photos etc. with not a care in the world.


This pic is of my husbands childhood home in Bairnsdale, though when his parents lived there the gardens were beautiful!
Not so now sadly.

WOYWW

WOYWW

This is my first post for WOYWW.

I have wanted to do this for a while. Just had to summon up the courage to expose my very messy work desk.

My name is Lucy &; I live in Melbourne Australia.

I love making art, love the colours red &; white(as seen in things on my desk), and just enjoy life!

At the moment I am working on a travel journal.

My BFF(Best Forever Friend) & I take off every 2 months for 3 fun filled days of arting, sight seeing, lattes, 

photography, food & whatever comes our way.

So, we have been  working on an arty travel journal, adding photos we take at every place.

OK, thats all for now. If you read this, please leave me a comment, I will be chuffed!

Hugs Lucy

Studio Makeover

Last December, Bevlea and I took a visit to Wagga Wagga to visit the demented diva Barb Thomas and help  put together her new studio, that had been built over her new garage.  Over three days.. .we emptied her very, very, very, full front room studio, and carried the goods upstairs (all seventeen of them) many, many times and deposited it on the ever disappearing floor of the new room for her to put away.

At the end of our three day visit.... the front room was still 80% full and the studio upstairs.. while stunning... looked very full too.  We drove back to melb... probably the longest time we had sat in three days... talking about our visit ..and inspired to make over mine.

Bevlea and I talked about it all the way home, all  FIVE HOURS of the drive (while relishing our seated position) so that, by the time time I got home I had the studio all planned.  Much to the angst of my hubbie.. it took many, many trips to Masters (and that's the ones he knows about) for it to come together.

I have always loved red so that was the colour I chose.  Lots of white and red. My old room had a large corner desk, and lots of brown bookcases.  Lots of stuff had to go.  (Picture hubby sobbing while he calls his therapist)

The "Before"

  

We purchased white cube bookcases in various configurations from Masters and lots of red fabric baskets to go in them. (hubby felt we should have got a wholesale discount)

Lots of cubes... boxes.. and all my pretties from various swaps now have a lovely new home

Corner desk is gone.. and replaced with folding table.... the drawers at end of table were raw MDF that have been painted white and covered with paper that my engineer hubby designed and printed on a laser printer for me (where are all the red and white striped paper when you want them... thankyou hubby coming to the rescue)

Bevlea found these glass apothecary jars in a shop near her.... I bought several in all three sizes and they how hold my Finnabair bits and bobs.. buttons, and lots of other loot that was hidden in boxes

Little wooden house ... I painted it white and it is home to the trinkets I brought back from London, Paris, Italy and Ireland ... Glass pen is from the Murano Glass Factory in Venice....

Birdhouses from several swaps... love any swap with houses or birds

Pride of place on my desk is my Ikea 'snudda'.  Bevlea saw this on Pinterest and we both liked it so much we made one each.  It holds lots of stuff handy to where I work, and looks neat and arty at the same time.  

My peg board of pin dolls... from my time as a cloth doll maker and the swaps I did with them.... 

love my new studio.. and have been much more creative since I completed it.... would love to have your feedback.... and Barb Thomas.... WHERE ARE YOUR PICTURES!!!!!!!!!

Classes with the wonderful Finnabair

A few months ago, Bevlea, Glenda & myself were lucky to attend 2 workshops with Anna Dabrowska, or Finn as she is better known. They were held at Scrappy Hollow, where the girls there went" above & beyond", to make sure everyone had a fabulous time.

We learnt to 'Turn off the brain and turn on the hands'... don't think.. just work intuitively Our morning class was a 12x12 page where we layered and layered and sprayed and sprayed and layered some more... using scrapbook paper, dylusions, stamps, flowers, Finns special metal bits, lace and paints.

My morning class featuring my dear old mum when she was 17 (now 93!)

Afternoon class was a reversed canvas that we painted, added a 3D carousel horse (Finns own design) to.. added more metal elements, lace, flowers, sprayed, used Luminarte Silk Acrylics and generally had a ball.

F

Afternoon reverse canvas 

The goodie bags on our tables for both classes were amazing with lots of wonderful bits and bobs and a large Kaisercraft drink container for each class...

A LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG TIME..

since I posted, 'life' gets in the way sometimes.

Just thought I would share a project my BFF Bevlea & I have been working on:

it's a rotating desk caddy.

Bevlea found one like this on another blog, sorry can't give credit as I don't have the link.

The base is a lazy Susan bought from Ikea(called a Snudda), painted, used lots of tins, again painted & papered. added some 'doo dads' and this is the result.

Soooo easy to find all the bits & pieces needed when creating, all in one place.

Tell me what you think, OK?
Hugs Lucy

Precious Metal Clay

A few weeks ago, Bevlea, Glenda & I travelled to Healesville to have a lesson in using PMC. We went to The Whimsical Bead, run by Dani.
She has the most fabulous studio, sigh.......(jealousy here!)
Anyway, Dani is a great teacher & we all ended up making a pair of earrings & some little hearts to use on a bracelet.
So, now I know PMC is not too difficult to use, if a tad expensive.
Let me know what you think.


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ETCHED METAL BOOK

Today I finished an etched metal covered book that I started AGES ago!
Armed with information & guidance from Jan Harris & Bevlea, I finally know how to bind a book, YEAH!!



I added lots of beads etc to the binding & I LOVE it!
Had problems photographing this, but eventually put it inside an old gramophone horn & it is now presentable. The last one I made, I gave to my friend Barb, but, methinks I may keep this for moi!!

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WEEKEND CONTINUES......

Second day with Jan saw us exploring with wax. Now, I have never had any luck with wax before, but, except creating a massive mess, but, once again, Jan makes it so easy.
She has endless ways to use wax, even setting it on fire,to blend the wax & colours.
Here is my effort.


Not the greatest pic, but, I had fun & judging by the marvellous art from everyone, I know they learnt so much & had fun too!
I do hope I get to see Jan again, such a lovely person!!!


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FAB WEEKEND......

A few weeks ago, I attended 2 classes with Jan Harris from the USA.
Jan is a fabulous instructor, with a wealth of knowledge.
Her quiet demeanor immediately makes you feel comfortable, no pressure and raring to learn.
The first day was making two journals. Jan provided the most wonderful supplies, including paper to die for.


Here are mine....



I am so proud, even learnt how to stitch them together properly!!
Please let me know what you think.
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ANOTHER FUN LONG WEEKEND!

On Friday Bevlea & I together with Bevleas doggie, Maggie, headed off to Ocean Grove for another long weekend of art, sightseeing, photo opportunities, talking, laughing,eating, drinking etc. etc......
Ocean Grove is a lovely little seaside town, with great coastal views.
Bevlea got some great photos. The one below was taken at Barwon Heads surf beach where there were so many of these amazing kite surfers.


One of them saw Bevlea with all her photo gear and really played up for the camera, rolling, maneuvering, dipping up & down, waving, smiling etc, such a show off!! They were a sight to behold though, free as a bird!

Bevlea took heaps of photos, even made me drive up a very bumpy single lane road to take photos of Canola fields!
Amidst all the sightseeing, lattes, shopping & click click click of Bevleas camera, we did make some art.


This is a name plate for my desk, in Steampunk style.
I really like the way mine turned out, even my DH was impressed!
All in another wonderful get away, can't wait till the next one!
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