lollipop lane folio !

Hi, i have finally finished my decembers online class workshop ! i know it's almost february but life just got in the way ! I loved this workshop i mentioned it in an earlier post that i was doing the workshop with Shelagh Folgate  http://shelaghfolgate.blogspot.com/ its a fabulous workshop and i have learned so many techniques. It's not to late to join !
well this was our first one making a folio called lollipop lane and i used transfer painting, making my own stamps and printing, free motion stitching, wool top lollipops soluble paper lollipops and making machine lace, her instructions are so easy to follow and very detailed with pictures and there is a yahoo group where we post pics ask questions etc and its such a fun group of people very inspiring !
 I am going to post this on three creative studios Shelagh happens to be the guest of the month and the one who is demonstrating the transfer painting techniques so hop on over and learn a cool technique !
http://3creativestudios.com/

back from Jamaica ! few pics to share

I had such a fanatastic time it was just amazing !!!  The people were so much fun and so laid back i enjoyed their company so much and they all said the same  NO PROBLEMS only SITUATIONS what a great way to look at lifes dealings !!
The wedding was truly beautiful my friends daughter looked like a princess. It was just so hot our hair just flopped lol !! it was hard trying to keep cool with the wedding being outside. They said it was the largest party they had ever had go 120 of us !!!

beautiful beach !

 hotel !!

 Jessie and Markus

 Me on my balcony

 Me, hubby, Sophie and her friend Brittany

 Sophie in the crystal clear ocean

The hotel was huge 860 rooms and it was full it was like a small village !! it was so clean and the food fabulous especialy the jerk chicken !!  Beach was my favourite place the ocean was so clear i found a fossil wall it was so cool !! so sad to be back in this cold weather ! been trying to catch up with my online class will have pics to post soon !

Fossils

Jamaica here i come !!

I am leaving for Jamaica on friday for a week and i just can't wait ! i am so excited that i can't get anything done lol !! We are going with a large group actually about 120 of us ! its my best friends daughters wedding it's going to be a blast !! I am almost packed and just have a few more bits and pieces to iron.
We are staying in ochos rios have any of you ever stayed there before !!
will let you know how it all went when i get back !

happy creating !!

Look at this giveaway !!!

Just look at this fantastic giveaway at 3 creative studios ! they are having a new blog and website launch giveaway to celebrate their new look !! I have participated with a few of their challenges and it has always been great fun ! check it out for yourself and play along ! you can find the details HERE !

happy new year !!

happy new year hope its a healthy, happy and creative year for each and everyone of you !! I have learned so much this year and enjoyed making new friends and being involved in the many swaps. I really look forward to 2011 and hopefully beeing more creative and sharing more projects.  Thankyou to everyone that stops by and takes a little interest in what i'm sharing and for all the lovely comments.

take care everyone
michelle  xx

silk ribbon christmas tree !

Merry christmas everyone !!  i finished my silk ribbon tree, it is my first attempt at silk ribbon embroidery and it was a workshop offered by my embroidery guild ! I really enjoyed making this little piece of art !! I also want to  share some christmas mixed media ornaments i made at a little workshop with Sandra Spagnuolo what a breath of fresh air that lady is !! so much fun !!  I really want to thank you all for taking the time to stop by and i love receiving your comments !!  well have a wonderful christmas i hope santa is good to you all !!
love and best wishes xx

Fabric dyeing and an Online textile workshop !

Last saturday i took a fabulous class with Elaine Quail on fabric dyeing ! what a lot of fun and i just loved my results ! we dyed a 12 step colour wheel and then 4 fat quarters of mixed colours. Elaine was a wonderful teacher and a lovely lady i would definately take more classes with Elaine ! you can check out Elaine here
http://www.elainequehl.blogspot.com/

here are my fabrics  the colours do not photograph to well !!

I have signed up to do Shelagh Folgate's online textile workshop ! It is a series of 8 workshops and the first one starts tomorrow but we got our first lesson today and it looks like so much fun !!  check out what it is all about for yourself  http://shelaghfolgate.blogspot.com/    There are artists from all around the globe signed up so should be very interesting and a lot of fun !!  Can't wait to get started just have to gather my supplies and maybe finish off a couple of ufo's and i am already to go !!

Talking of finishing it was my last embroidery guild class today till january and i really had a great time with my classes mixed media stitch with Donna Funnell   http://fibrejournal.blogspot.com/  we did a lot of fun projects stitching on painted peltex, lutrador, and assorted papers and on fabric. I have them all started but not one finished (smile )  i am hoping to get them finished over the next month, a couple of them or very close to being finished ! Today we had a little play !  making small purse books they were so cute here is mine

Look what i got !!

I know it's been a while but i don't know about you but i have had a hard time with blogger trying to post !! Anyhow i so have to share this wonderful encaustic piece of art that my friend Lucy gave me a good couple of weeks ago !  I love it and will cherish it ! The colours are wondrful !!

Next just look at my wonderful zentangle postcard i received from Judy and she also was kind enough to send me a christmas ornament and two magnets so sweet !!  Thankyou girls !!!!

I have been crafting but i have quite a few un finished projects and i realy want to try and finish them before i post so keep watch as i have a few things on the go ( story of my life hee hee ) .

Zentangle postcard for Judy !

I can now share the zentangle postcard i made for Judy, i have been trying my hand at drawing a little as you know with the help of Judy but lately i have found myself caught up in lifes happenings so my drawing has been a little at a standstill !  I decided to do a Canada theme for my postcard and i did enjoy creating it ! glad Judy likes it !!

october lace atc

Well i can share my lace atc i made for pauline in the october swap on stitchin fingers as she has now received it  !   I made the lace by freemotion stitching on some water soluble stabiliser.  You really have to make sure you stitch over each shape making sure everything is connected or else when you dissolve the solvy it will also fall apart !! I wanted my lace to look like flowers and i was happy with my result. I layered the lace onto a piece of hand dyed fabric couching it in place and then embroidered in some of the centres.  I also added some stickles glitter which i just love and then just finished the edges with a satin stitch.  I am going to make some more of my own lace it was fun !!

Lace ATC !!

Look what came in the mail from Marylou this adorable atc ! the theme was lace this month on the stitchin fingers site and Marylou created a wonderful piece of art that i am thrilled to have !!  I will post mine when i know they have received it.  I will also post a zentangle postcard when i know it has been received so stay tuned !!

Happy thanksgiving 10-10-10

Happy thanksgiving ! it has been a glorious weekend weather wise been able to get some more gardening done, beeing more careful this week as last week i fell off the ladder cutting my twisty tree i wasn't hurt just a little bruised it was rather funny :)  A quick update on my friend hubby he has had his surgery and everything went great just have to wait till thursday to see if they got all the cancer ! My friend in England is also doing as well as can be she is in great spirits even though she is now having her chemo ! i want to thankyou all for your kind words and thoughtfulness you are all such wonderful people and i am glad to have made friends with you all !

ok enough sad topics i am really enjoying my guild class we are doing mixed media stitch and Donna Funnel is teaching it. The class is inspired by Susan Sorrell from FAMM as Donna has taken many of Susans classes which Donna highly recommends . We are kind of doing a taster and starting new small projects each week so we have something to work on at home here is a little look at what i have done so far fom my week 1 I have not done much embroidery since i was in school  so this has been a little challenging but still enjoyable ! well hope you all have a wonderful week and enjoy today 10-10 -10 !!!!

sad news and a quick update !!

I know it's been a little while since my last post but a lot has been going on with my friends and i have been helping them.  My best friends husband recently found out he has cancer and he actually goes in for surgery tomorrow but thats not all his brother comitted suicide just over a week ago and it blew the family away !  It is so tragic and i can see the pain he is dealing with. My friend is such a trooper whilst trying to mourn her brotherin law she is trying to keep her huband focused and not let this tragedy hinder his well being for his surgery. Her sisiter in law is now on suicide watch as she feels she can't live without her husband so my friend has also been taking turns to stay with her. I have been trying to keep my friend focused and help with the family etc. I am praying that her husbands surgery goes well please pray along side me !!

My very close friend back in England called me last week to tell me she had lung cancer and breast cancer wow i was blown away so much tragedy around me at the moment i feel sadned to the pit of my stomach for them all. I have been checking in on her and she has started her chemo she is such a strong person and she is so positive i admire her strength ! I pray for her well being also !  On a brighter note my dads cancer is shrinking the harmone treatment seems to be working so that is refreshing to hear.

I have started my textile class again though i am struggling to focus i have also joined the embroidery guild so i am being taught some mixed media stitchery by Donna Funnel. The guild i joined is a teaching guild so hopefully i will gain some embroidery experience.  I am also doing a zentangle postcard swap with Judy honestly Judy it is almost complete ! I am learning to draw better with the help of Judy she has set up a blog and she is such an inspiring person i would love to meet her one day as i would all my blogging friends ! here is a link to Judy's drawing blog    http://judymccarthysdrawings.blogspot.com/ .  well thats all for now thanks for stopping by and  stay healthy and happy !!  here is my first drawing of a face don't laugh ha ha she looks a little scary !!

it was my birthday today !

Yes another year older phew the time flies !!  so i realised today was 8/9/10 so how often does that happen ! But i did have a great day and my hubby bought me the most gorgeous diamond ring i  will take a pic tomorrow had too many wines tonight so i think the pic will be blurry ! bet i wake up in the morning and regret writing this post because i tell you the key board looks a little blurry lol ! so please forgive the spelling etc !   I cant believe i am 46 yep 46 flipping eck i still feel like im in my 20s but i definately don't look like i'm in my 2o's   ok talk soon love my blogging friend s

hugs to all xxx

congrats to my daughter !!

Hi everyone, a little bit of exciting news to share ! my daughter got her drivers license, she is so excited !!! she has been taking out my car but i am so nervous as i think it's too big for her yet and it is only a year old .  So we bought her a car yesterday a little black ford focus hatchback she gets it tomorrow.   I can't believe my babygirl is sixteen and driving and she even got herself a part time job i am just so proud of her !!  The excitement and job has really helped to take her mind off the family going back, although she has spoken to them almost every day lol !!!

I am finally getting back into a routine although it is so hot here at the moment that i still dont feel like crafting yet !  i am enjoying beeing outside in the pool too much !   It is in the 30's today and with humidity feels like its in the 40's .  It is supposed to break for the weekend and cool right down !!  I am hoping my momentum comes back soon and my creative juices start to flow because at the moment it's lost in space somewhere !!
I am thinking that once Sophie goes back to school next week then maybe i will get in my sewing room and try and create.
Hope your all being creative and thanks for taking the time to reply and for caring love my blogging friends !!! x here is a pic of my gorgeous daughter !!