INTOXICATED

Hi to everyone,
Has been a while since I last posted and here in Italy Public Holidays one after the other................I don't even know which day it is !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Well, I had a peaceful pleasant Easter and didn't even eat a piece of chocolate...........a miracle .....how I did it I don't know !!!!!.

My friend Martina, who I met over the internet and then in person for the first time last year, has come down to Gatteo-Mare with her daughter Carlotta (4 1/2 )for a mini break. She has been lucky with the weather and Carlotta has been having a whale of a time playing on the beach. Matina is a great scrapper ( scrapbooking) and rubber stamper so I've taken the opportunity for free scrabooking lessons at home......crafty !!!!!!
She also explained to me how to work with shrink plastic / poly shrink as I was forever having disasters working with it.
Actually we have been exchanging techniques...............I've been teaching her how to make ATCs, make ALTERED BOOKS, and we tried working with tyvek for the first time. So we have been having an INTOXICATING time, in the sense of fumes and becoming addicted to working with the stuff.

Wednesday evening was spent at Lara's another scrapaholic, together with her better half Andrea ............who is a fantastic photographer. Lara is a great with graphics and computers and her scrapbooks are just fantastic. Her cooking is great too !!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

the photo is of a necklace made with shrink platic / poly shrink and hand made tyvek beads which were painted with metallic acrylic paints

DEA

Hi yer,
Today's not so nice so I decided to clear out some of my art and craft boxes. I came across some pre-made goddess body forms that I had previously made and also FLORA my DEA ( =goddess) of plants, trees and flowers, now she took me ages to make .. sewing all those little beads onto her body.

I entered her into an Italian hobby site online competion for BEADED FLOWERS AND TREES. I decided I wanted to do something different to the usual beaded flowers, bonsai trees and bead crochet, but I was unsure as I knew she would not be to the typical Italian style . I was really surprised when my DEA was placed ninth in the category of the most voted on-line.

After finding her I've decided that if I find some time over the Easter Holidays I'll try and make some more, this time I would like to try stamping or painting the body form first and adding beads afterwards. When done I will post a photo of it.

Have to decide what to cook for the FEASTIVE holidays...............think I'll do lasagna.

ON THE BEACH ATC

Here is my ATC 'ON THE BEACH' . It's been painted in watercolours.

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY

Here it is a wonderful day, blue sky, sunshine and warm. I've been sitting outside listening to a U2 Cd and having a nice cuppa tea and getting some sun, during summer it's just impossible as I have very fair skin which burns very easily, so I might as well make the best of itwhile I've got the chance.

If it continues like this hopefully we will get the chance to go for a walk along the beach and have an icecream over the Easter holidays. I'm not a great lover of festive holidays as everyone seems to go crazy doing the festive shopping, too many people pushing and shoving , buying more than what they really need as everyone is worrying ' will I have enough till the shops open ?'.

I wanted to include an image but the system won't let me at the mo, so I'm posting the blog instead

AMERICAN MAGAZINES

Today, after finally managing to upload an image with my posting, it's been a peaceful lazy day. My American magazine CPS ( cloth paper scissors) and Legacy arrived , so I made a nice cuppa tea, plonked myself down on the sofa and had a nice read and be in awe at the wonderful images that jump out from within the mags, they have contributions from so many wonderful artists . Cloth , paper, scissors is a magazine relating to mixed arts, fibre and paper married together with great finished pieces of art, Legacy on the other hand is a magazine that relates to heritage using a mixture of techniques great for artist who are tracing the family tree.

I really love the American arts and crafts scene, it was by chance that I stumbled upon the mixed media sector. I started joining different on-line groups and surfing the web for information and looking at the maze of links to be visited....................24 hours in the day were not enough for me!!!.

The American and Australian artists have been really great to me, being so kind and helpful giving out tips where needed even sending me surprises in the post , as some things I just can't find here in Italy, I have made some really great friends over the years but there are two that really struck a cord with me...............one day I hope I get the chance to meet them....
their names are STACIE RIFE of www.baileysbliss.com and TRACY ROOS of www.tracyroos.com, apart from being the sweetest and kindest of gals they are also really talented artists who have inspired me.... and still do, I read their online journals daily.

I might as well say hi to them HI STACIE, HI TRACY.

Ah well I suppose I better go and get on with some housework otherwise I'll be in the dog house.
My artwork is done in watercolours and is titled 'STRAWBERRY FIELDS' .

ciao ciao
crafty
joan

I DID IT !

I DID IT! Yes , I actually did it...........did what?...... I actually managed to upload an immage together with my blog..................don't scoff ...... for me it's a miracle.....there's hope for me yet!!!!!

Not much to say as I'm lost for words for what I've just achieved

I've uploaded an image of one of my ATC s ( artist trading cards ) that I made a couple of years back, titled 'WHEN IN ROME'.

Now that is what I call SERENDIPITY..


ciao ciao have a great day.
joan

BEAUTIFUL DAY

Here in Cesena it is a beautiful spring sunny day. This morning I decided to go to the town market to buy some new clothes , I'm a little on the large size so it's a little difficult to find something that is fashionable in my size...... and not too expensive ! I was amazed at the prices... who said markets are cheaper !!!!!!!!!!!. After walking around and around for some time I eventually came across a stall with reasonable prices.....the stall owner was pleased to find out I was English, as she is frequenting an English course for adults, so she was over the moon that she could try out her English with a mother tongue speaker., needless to say I received a very good discount from her !!!.
I then decided to go to my friends shops, one has a shop where she sells beads, charms, findings etc for making bijoux..........she is so creative with such wonderful ideas , her dress jewelry is to die for. She loves to try and imitate my English accent....but I get my own back by doing the same with her Italian romagnolo accent (Emila-Romagna is a region in the north east of Italy, Bologna is the regions capital city ). Next door to her is my other friend's shop has all conected to the world of paper...entering his shop is majic, you feel as if you are being transported back in time, he has fountain pens , the old style writing exercise books, hand made albums made from handmade paper and much much more He's even caught the SCRAPBOOKING bug which is sweeping through Italy, the Italians have a tendancy to follow the latest fad ...this goes for all sectors, we have been going through a period of decoupage and bijoux for the last couple of years, so it's nice to see a change .
I could stay all day in these type of arts and crafts shop all day I just feel so relaxed and feel as if I don't have a care in the world. ah well tomorrow off to 'PLANET CREATIVITY' a craft fair for retailers only.......roll on sunday.
Tonight I'm off to have a pizza with some off my friends who have come down to Planet creativity as demonstrators...............and I complain about outsize clothes !!!!!!

Serendipity blogger

I've become a SERENDIPITY blogger...........it all happened by chance. Everything that I will write will be SERENDIPITY , by chance, it will entirely depend on my mood of the day. I'm useless at using the computer .........so hoping that I will be able to post every now and then....I'm brain drained just opening this blog................ah well ...what will be will be.
ciao ciao
joan