new lino print cards

Last time I showed you some gouaches I'd done, and here is a lino print that developed from one of those gouaches. It's a two plate print, which I haven't done before, tho I've done lots of reduction prints.

Here they are on printing day looking a bit patchy. When I'm doing a 'serious' print to go under glass, I use proper printing ink and a beautiful holbein roller - not too hard not too soft! But when I'm making prints for cards or collage I use acrylic paint and a foam roller, and treat it more like a stamp. The results are not as clean and dense - but it doesn't matter because I work back into them with coloured pencils and paint, or cut them up and collage them. I think the fact that they're not 'perfect' makes it easier to be playful with them.

Here's a finished card, I'll have some of these at the Saltwater Craft Fair at the waterfront on  23rd Nov!! and hope to add one to my etsy shop this week...

I hope your November is going well, it's the hot and steamy build up here, also luscious mango season, and looking forward to the pineapples ripening in our front yard.

Saying it with every colour!

Here are the finished birds that I started back in July, they'll be on my stall at the craft fair this Sunday at the Darwin waterfront.

Also on my table is this doll in progress (the 3rd one for an exhib coming up in Oct), in some way it feels like drawing, cutting out the fabric is just drawing a line, and the same with the embroidery, a row of stitches is another way of drawing. They also remind me of paper dolls that can be decorated a hundred ways...

Last week was my birthday and I just had to share this creation made by my daughter...

I know the boys love me too, but it's so lovely to have one who expresses it in every colour and texture she can lay her hands on!

I hope your week is going well, come and say hello if you can on Sunday.

April is flying

April is flying past, weeks ago I'd planned to write something about poetry month. April is poetry month in the US, or anywhere in the world you can get online!There is a poem a day challenge here, and you can read a poem a day here, but I've barely had time to look at these - I've been busy with choir (a little concert last Saturday) and I'm busy making cards, flags and fridge magnets for a craft fair at the end of the month.

I managed to squeeze in time for one little painting for Don Whyte's wonderful (fundraising) Off-Cuts Show. Here are some photos of the painting in progress.

I lliked it a lot at this stage!

Almost finished!

I'm reading two books at once - 'The hare with amber eyes' a memoir by Edmund De Waal, I heard him interviewed on the radio a  couple of months ago and it made me cry!! so the book has been on my to read list ever since. Also reading 'Mindset' by Carole Dweck (psychology, which is blowing the cobwebs off the old brain!)

The mornings are getting cooler - here comes autumn that feels like spring!! Time to get oustide and tackle the weeds and plant some tomatoes.