who said romance was dead

I got home from work today and my husband presented me with a bunch of flowers ( he is rather good at flowers) from the garden and a homemade valentines card.  We have been together 17 years now and this is the first time I remember getting anything for Valentines, even in those heady days when we first met.  So it was a lovely suprise.  He got nothing from me and my daughter has told me off and says I must make him something.?? I shall have to put on my thinking cap.

I can't even imagine where he got the idea or the technical know-how and materials to make this card.  The girls said he had a bit of trouble finding ten things that he loved about me and some family brain-storming was required, ha ha. I am only allowed to peel off a heart a day, I shall have to be patient.

beautiful prints

These beautiful prints are by Clare Makwana. There are more on her web-site Miss Print.   lino prints, wood-cuts and a bit of stitchery as well.  lovely stuff.

 above, I was lucky enough to get one of these for my birthday.

birth of an island

This book came from a school gala last weekend.  The birth of and island by Millicent E Selsam, Illustrated by Winifred Lubell.  1959.  It's about the island of Krakatoa near Java.  There are lots of lovely illustrations in this style but these are the ones I liked the best.  I thought they would make nice cushion covers.  My daughter said that we had too many cushion covers already but she doesn't know what she is saying, because I'm sure there is no such thing as too many cushion covers.

 above, the arrival of fruit pigeons, which brought figs to the island.

beautiful

Million Dollar Design

I have just come across Million Dollar Design, they are an illustration duo from Amsterdam who love to mix different materials like paper, fabric, photography and drawings to give their illustrations a rich and layered look.  They have some beautiful fabric designs which I have my eye on.  Pretty fabulous I do think!  Also other news is that my computer is messing me around and hence the pictures are not lining up properly and are being like naughty children and ignoring my commands and just going where they feel like going.  So I apologise for the slightly dodgy layout.

fun with paint

We have a nicely painted off white wall where there was once a bright yellow one.  It is a bit bare so we decided to paint some big pictures on brown paper and news print to fill up space.  I painted my girls with some flowers and hearts and clouds, inspired by many things and artists and styles.  It is probably going in the utility room now.

 It is about 100x80cm. I didn't really capture the girls, this is the second version, I had already papered over their heads once, the joys of papier mache!

 but i love how the big flowers turned out

 and the hearts

And then I couldn't resist playing around on spoonflower again, with repeats and colour changing.

This was the original version, I like the new one better!

Alice Apple

on my obsessive Spoonflower searching lately I came across Alice Apple and her vintage inspired fabric, reminiscent of 60's and 70's table cloths, Scandinavian coffee pots etc. It takes me straight back to my childhood. in a good way!  She comes from Totnes in Devon and is a busy girl by the sounds of things. She has a gorgeous blog also which makes me feel very lazy (which I possibly am).

I would like to buy all of them and furnish my house and children and even possibly myself in them.

 There are many more of her fabrics if you click on the links.

repeat fabric repeats

As I wait impatiently for my Spoonflower swatches to arrive in the post I can't leave their site alone and have been trying out different things, playing with the colour changing thingymig etc.  I have had a fun day cleaning out the gutters which get so full of next doors leaves they are almost like a compost bin.  I scraped them into a bucket and then drenched myself with a hose and also managed to rinse the gutters a bit too.  

above came from this dollie that I made for my daughters friend.

These were illustrations from an AA Milne book about children.  Thought it would make nice summer dress fabric.

above was simplified from a photo I took 

as was this, of tree branches and scenery.  And there were more but the computer decided that they were not pictures and wouldn't let them on the blog?

beatriz milhazes

I hope I have spelt that correctly.  I am at my mums house and she has kindly let me cut up magazines that she has finished looking at, like six years ago.  These were called Modern Painter,  and had loads of really good stuff in them, I also found out through all this that my 79 year old mother is rather keen on Banksy.  I am intrigued by this, as although she has just great taste in art I didn't see her getting into urban art.  She is a sweet little old lady, but my sister and I are never convinced that she isn't really a secret agent, or mercenary, soldier of fortune etc and could kill a man in un-armed combat quickly and quietly.

Anyway I am getting side-tracked, I came across Beatriz Milhazes and I loved her paintings. So me and the girls have been doing some art and I had already started cutting out flowers and circles from some magazines ( not Modern Painter) and was given a extra kick of inspiration by this lady. I felt like I was in art therapy, in a non-threatening activity of PVA glue and coloured paper.  Ha Ha.

 here

here and many more on google images.

And I have got this far in my production.

 It needs more layers and textures and paint and possibly a match.  But I have enjoyed it so far, I will continue today, once I have stopped drinking tea and eating too much.

my little girl has started on some "scary owls" 

cute!