Working on it

There's so much to do... But I'm working on it.
This is a mock design for the new poster for the Spring Show... If you live in the GTA and have some things to sell... We love anything new and handmade!
Hope you'll forgive me if I don't stick around too long today.
Hugs
Char

CRAFT it FORWARD...

Let's play Craft It Forward?

 

I recently saw on Kerry's SeventyTree blog was hosting a "Craft it Forward" opportunity...I of course missed out as there had already been 11 readers who had left comments before I could even play.
 

SO...now it's my turn to give a little and start another "Craft it Forward"

Here's how to play?
I will send something handmade (by me) to the FIRST FIVE people who leave a comment on this post.
They must then post what I have sent them on their own blogs and pass it on (send something handmade to the first five people to comment) and so on. It can be anything, as long as it is handmade by you, and must be sent out by the end of 2011.What do you think?

Want to Play?

I'll confirm my five craft buddies tomorrow, that's if you want to play!

Hope you're having a great weekend...

HUGS

Char.x

Wordless Wednesday

hugs
Char.x

Come and see...

We've been busy again this week...but I thought I would stop in and show you some photos of our weeks.
The kids have been amazing...and have been loving our Nature trails and scavenger hunts along with our trips upto the girls school where we work on morning projects in the shade.

Apologies for not having had time to visit your Worlds...I look forward to very soon...tomorrow should be a slower day.Then back onto week 3 of ART Camp on Monday.

Happy days in the Sun...
HUGS
Char.x

RE-vamping

I don't think that when they said they wanted to PAINT...they realized

how long it would take...2 hours later...Miss J was feeling jayded...

Miss A was hanging in there...they did a GRAND old job! I am a proud

Mama! 

This is my first Photo Mosaic...but I just used Photoshop...is there

another application I could use which doesn't take so long?

HUGS

Char.x

beautiful JAPAN

 Hello Friday readers...I know...I missed Thursday all together(oops...time's flying away from me)...I won't babble on with my excuses as I have some GORGEOUS Japanese paper which HAD to come home with me from the Art Store I go to to treat myself...I think it may be landing it's self in the next few books I am illustrating...

Have you ever touched hand printed Japanese paper? If not...you should...it's soft and almost feels alive...
I really do love it, and think it's a love which my mother has past on to me...she and my father LOVE Japan and all the ceramics,landscapes,artists and fabrics which go along side the everything JAPANESE...

I mean, seriously look at the simlicity of each of these hand printed papers which I had chosen...and there were SO many I could have chosen...all beautiful...the colours marry so well toegther...and I love how they incorporate gold and silver to the designs...

 This one up above almost reminds me of abriginal art from Australia...and makes your eyes dance around the paper...when paper makes you want to touch it...when it captivates your glance...this I think is special...

 I really thought this one was very versatile...I see trees...and seeds...the pattern seems so randon, but we all know it's not!
I hope to be using them very soon!
 



Another memory from my childhood was seeing this packaging of "DAS" clay...my Mum would always have some in our home...so I bought some as I am planning on making more Pins for our Spring Mamas and Chicks Show which is coming up at the end of April.

AND...finally...I am SUPER excited about the above objects...I have always wanted to try making my own stamps...so this is another project I will be embarking on.

MY HEAD IS FULL...of creative ideas...it may even *pop* over the weekend ...which means you may see some new projects happening very soon!!!

How was YOUR week? I feel like the computer hasn't been on much this week...apart from this past Monday I spent hours on it returning mail for our Show....

So I promise to pass by soon and say hello...until then...hello and thank you for stopping by today.

Have a wonderful weekend!

We'll see you back here on Monday.

My hands are itching to get started...

HUGS

Char.x



Tell ALL Tuesdays :: Andrea from ANDREA CREATES

HURRAH...it's Tuesday again!!
These Tell ALL Tuesdays are so special to me...we get a glimpse of our Fabulous Readers and they have all been great with me and responded SO positively to letting go of their daily ongoings...so that all of you (and I) can enjoy their stories.(Thank you!)


So...without further adieu...let us introduce you to the the lovely Andrea, from one of my fave blogs (I have been following her progress and evolution for a while now)...Andrea Creates... make sure to go over there and say hello.

Tell us a little about the Town you live in... & have you always lived there?

I currently live in a suburb of Ohio~ we just moved here but I was born in California, and also grew up in France. I spent over ten years there.


If you could move anywhere tomorrow, where would it be?
I would probably move back to California~ I miss the warm sunshine in the Winter!
But ideally, I would love to be able to spend time in several places throughout the year. Maybe even Europe again. I have family in several states and countries!

How structured is your day usually?

I think of my day as fairly unstructured as my schedule's pretty flexible, and changes from day to day. I am always willing to jump in the car and go somewhere fun :)


Really, it mostly revolves around getting the kids to and from school, errands, household chores, then creative time.


What did you do today?
I had breakfast, checked up on emails, orders and such, got the kids off to school…next up, I’ll be sewing!

Are you a breakfast, lunch or dinner girl?

I’m a dessert girl, lol.
Morning coffee is one of my favorite times of the day. I don’t usually spend too much time on lunch unless I go out (which is probably too often). Dinner is nice too.


If you had 6 friends over for Dinner what would you make for them?
I would make dessert ! How about a chocolate cake?!
My husband’s the chef. I would probably ask him if he could make his famous lasagna!

How old were you when you knew you were on the right path in your Life?

I’m pretty sure I was born with a box of crayons in my hand, so I guess from very early on.


Who /what drove & inspired your love to create?
No one person in particular. Lots of people in my family are artistic and creative. I’ve always been around people that painted or did something artsy craftsy.


As we moved around, and I didn’t always speak the language, I found that art was always a subject I did pretty well at. Language wasn’t really necessary. That was inspiring.

Shoe choice::flats or heels?
Definitely flats. I’ve never worn heels (!) Preferably clogs ;)


What was the last book you read?
The Handmade Marketplace.
I recently read all but the last few pages of Breaking Dawn. I usually only read fiction if I’ve seen the movie.
My favorite section of the library are the arts and crafts and biography sections.

What advice would you give others just starting out?

Be yourself. Love what you do.

 Tell us something not too many people know about you.

Good question. Hmm, that’s a hard one!
I’m one of 5 children. Well, I guess some people know that, lol.

Name 5 blogs you love visiting, and tell us why.

Oh there are so many I love to read but here are a few from my ‘blogs I follow’ list and others I check almost every day.


1.of course, WeblogArtists
2.Audreyeclectic
3.emmalamb
4.posiegetscozy
5.dottieangel

Thanks SO much Andrea...loved having you here...your creations brighten up my day!
SO for all of you...you can find Andrea at her::
BLOG
SHOP
FLICKR

I would love to be able to create as Andrea does!!! I think I need some sewing lessons.
Crafty HUGS...until tomorrow.
Char.x

Mondays mentions...and crafting this past weekend...

 Hello there...before we get to our " Monday's Mentions",I'd like to introduce to you our cat Jazzy...she LOVES to get involved(literally).
She sat (very close by) whilst I cut out ALL 437 hearts for our daughter's class Valentine's projects which I have offered to do with them.

I'm really very fortunate to have 2 lovely teachers who welcome the help within their classrooms.So for this project the Kindergarten class which Miss J is in will write out 7 names of the people they LOVE...and then copy the names on each heart. THEN, the fun part, we will paint the hearts or stamp them...I haven't figured out which yet.

 I have cut one LARGE heart for each of them which will say "I LOVE YOU" on it...and hanging from the large heart will be all the smaller ones.
It'll be a fun project...

 Miss A will be working on the same project, but their class will have 14 hearts to hang from their main one...and they will have to write...14 names of people they love and WHY they love them...a little more challenging, but they are in Grade 1.

 I bagged every project in individual Zip-lock bags...this way their teachers will find it easier to store from week to week. I'm prettyy excited about starting this...I will go in this afternoon to start with Miss J's class.
Here's another fun drawing exercise which the girls did on Friday...they had a friend over for a play-date, so I covered the kitchen table with paper(something I should do more often as it inspired them to sit and draw) and they had fun colouring...

 Miss J always asks me to draw something...this time it was girls(as their very into their dolls right now) so I drew some but without hair...this way their imagination could run a little...

 I love afternoons like this...

 especially when it's -26 degrees out there!!!

 We're getting the true Canadian Winter here this week...and we still went skiing on Sunday...it was only -40 with the windchill!!!

So...onwards with our Mondays Mentions.

*Monday's mentions*
is a Monday ritual to open doors to creative Souls who blog and live the "handmade" pledge...who you may or may not know already... enjoy.

As we're on the subject of "Crafts", I think it appropriate to mention some Crafters out there today whom I adore to visit on a regular bases...some have become great friends.
 
FIRST we have Andrea from Andrea Creates,she's truly a crafty lady who creates wonderful pouches, clips,bags...you name it...she can make it. She's also a very sweet lady...who always encourages us over here at our blog...thank you Andrea!
SECOND I would like to introduce you to "K" from a Bit of PilliPilli...a beautiful Dutch crafter living in Italy...her sewing skills are incredible and I just adore her photography!
Another friend who I have made through BLOGland...Thank you K!(P.S.she's been featured as one of our Tell ALL Tuesdays spotlights....link at top!)
and THIRD I have to mention Sandra from Herzenart ...WOW...I just adore her Viking creations...she's a true crafter and always has an interesting post...thanks Sandra!!

DON"T forget to leave me your link to your Mondays Mentions...I always love hearing about other bloggers who create and make...

Off to clean my house...do Laundry...and run errands...amongst other things...
What are you up to today?

snowy hugs
Char.x

P is for Paper-LOVE

<<<>>

Little miss Ash was home yesterday with a really ROUGH cough...a little Aloe and Honey cured all...but she had to stay in bed for the first part of the day...and then out came the glue...paper...and sewing machine.

such FABULOUS colours...

still working on my TWEETS...I *heart* this one...

and this sleepy Tweet is super shy when awake...you probably wouldn't have gotten a snap shot of her if she had seen us!!

I know we have Christmas coming up...I know these aren't Christmas colours...but want to have the option to be able to show them in the Spring too.

colour-colour-colour

Miss A was actually very creative with her Paper Crafts...

Miss J just wanted to colour...

Miss A loved cutting and sticking...

They both love crafting with Mummy...I LOVE crafting with them...especially when I have mountains to achieve in 2 days!!!

Have a wonderful Wednesday.

HUGS

Char.x

P.S. Only 2 MORE days until the Mamas and Chicks Show!!!