Apologies, no art stuff to show. I have been busy renovating, had some electrics work done, gas fire ripped out and I have been plastering walls. I have also been teaching myself Romanian and baking more cupcakes.

Not much happening this week, I decided to draw a giraffe for the G page of my A-Z book, so I have been researching pics of giraffes online. Had a lovely day out with friends from down South yesterday and started a new dance class. I already do one tap class a week and one jazz/freestyle class, on Monday I started a latin/ballroom class. I used to this style of dance years ago, did all my grades and competed but at the time I hated it. I was forced to dance 4 times a week, and it was seriously uncool lol so i stopped and vowed i would never do it again..well here I am and Monday night's class was brilliant.

anyway last night I picked up this photo that was taken of us and 2 friends a few months ago by their daughter. I have never been any good at drawing real people, but thought I would have a go .


















This is as far as I got, it's just a prelim sketch,if I decide to carry on working it there will be lots to do to it. Not entirely sure about it.

This is my very first art journal page...done! Many thanks to Dyan for both inspiration and her step by step methods. I really don't think i could have got past the blank white page without them lol.

So I made an art journal from newspaper, with bamboo skewers in the spine a few months ago, see 'art journal' links at the bottom for photos. I intended to fill it with images from magazines ...and still do, at some point..but then one night I drew a picture of a poppy girl, with my trusty promarkers. She is just short of A4 size, and once finished I wasn't sure what to do with her. So,away went the bamboo journal, and out came the newspapers again, and I made another set of art journal pages..A4 size, so pretty huge really lol. I then got busy making the sock monsters so poppy girl had to be put away. Last night I decided to get her finished. This art journal will be an A-Z.

I painted the background, aded pennents at the top as per Dyans method, with this being a 'P' page, they fitted well. I then stuck down poppy girl, she had already been cut out from the drawing pad. Then I started the scary bit of doodling and so on. Finally the journalling,i am not one for opening up to many people, and didn't really know how to go about this, so I made a huge list of 'P' words that applied to me and then just went through them explainning each in a sentence.

I am so pleased witht he way it turned out....now what letter next?

P.S this is going to be such a long project as I intend to do a hand drawn image for each page, which in itself takes me a week or so

Today I finished off this accordion album. A friend had a birthday BBQ last month that I was unable to get to, so i waited till she put pics up on facebook, then printed off a few to pop inside here. The papers are all K&Co, and the tags pull completely out, they have photos on one side and journalling areas on the other side, so she can fill in all the details herself.

Just made these, and damn they are flippin yummy.

Beetroot Muffins.


8oz SR flour
2tspns baking powder
5oz sugar
4oz sultanas
2-3 med beetroots,peeled and grated
1/4pt oil
2 eggs
1 tspns cinnamon
zest of 1/2 orange
juice of 1/2 orange

Mix flour,baking powder,sugar,cinamon.sultanas,beetroot,orange zest.Beat eggs,oil,orange juice- add to dry mixture.Spoon into muffin cases. Bake gas 4 for 25mins or firm to touch.

Frosting.

2oz butter
4oz icing sugar
4.5oz cream cheese(philadelphia)
a little orange juice

beat all ingredients together , pipe onto cooled muffins.Top with a little finely grated orange.

Eat.

Here are the final 6, that's 40 monsters in total. I am pretty much all monstered out lol

Here is a family shot of all 40, they have now all been packed up in the van ready to set off for Bulgaria in the morning.

A lovely lady that I know, Sue Nicholson, and her daughter Sarah,made these 2 monsters to add to the convoy..how lovely is that. This makes 42 on their way to the orphanage.