Crayon/Oil Pastel/Watercolour Resist

This is one of the simplest techniques ever! Just doodle with crayon/oil pastel, brush on liberally with watercolours and let the magic reveal itself. Very therapeutic for yet another rainy day! ;)

peekaboo : : self portrait on a plate!

What started out as a simple colourfast experiment on an old plate soon took shape, sprouted wings and actually became 'something' that i'm quite chuffed with! I used my trusty sharpies for this but I'm sure i should have used porcelain paint instead. Ah well, I'm not going to eat off it just glance at it from time to time. I might try my hand at creating one of those fancy shmancy plate walls i've been seeing all over pinterest. Which will mean lots more rummaging at car boots and thrift shops seeking out battered old plates for my project, the more retro the better. Sounds like fun to me! :)

gettin ready for dads day! ;)

a little present we made for Da, i may be recycling a few more cereal boxes from now on. A very simple recipe for this one if you fancy having a go...

---> take a cereal box, paint it white, let your little one doodle on it then smoosh and smudge the colours around with a baby wipe, trace hands on tissue paper, cut out and adhere (plain old pva does the trick) let dry then write your special message on top (i picked up this one on pinterest, thanks to DoodleLove for the inspiration)

i finished off by wrapping straws with magazine strips and fixing to the edges. I then added a  little detailing with marker to finish! tadah its done! Now we need a heap of fudge to make his belly smile too ;)

Catch you next time! x

more examples of cereal box art

deconstructing the doodle....

So I found myself doodling at the kitchen counter last night - not my usual style at all, just lots and lots of angular stuff going on, lines, squares, triangles that sort of thing. I wasn't too happy with the finished result (I'm definitely more of a circle kinda girl) so i snipped it up into pieces and randomly stuck it together again to create a doodled collage. I must admit i hated it at first, but then it started to grow on me as these things do. It's a new style and technique for me (i really enjoyed the snipping part) so i wanted to make something from it rather than chuck it. So here's the finished result - a birthday card for my bro, i wonder will he like it? The little fingerprint chick was another surprise discovery - i just have too make more of those little fella's ;)

rainy day blues?

Nah! Not a chance...we've made biscuits, lots and lots of them....butterfly shaped with lots of messy icing thanks to the little man. He managed to wolf a few down before nap time, and now he sleeps...finally he sleeps :)

to the art studio Tanya, tip toe as you go to your paint splattered oasis!  >>> 

Comic book wreath

i love comic books as they are so bright & bold. Last Christmas, I made a couple of comic book wreaths, one for Gezza and one for me. I still have mine on display in the dining room  and it may well see christmas 2012 too, i can't bear to put it away! Thanks goes to Jenna deAngeles for the inspiration and very entertaining how to, she was soo right about the chocolate! ;) enjoy...

a springtime surpise....

Look what we made for Granny G over the Easter break! Honestly this cherry blossom tree is so easy to make an 18 month old can help (see above for evidence). Good old Martha stewart gave me the inspiration. Basically you get some tissue paper circles (roughly 2-3") crumple it a bit and stick to a bunch of twigs with a dab of pva glue then plonk it in a pretty vase. I gave charlie some tissue paper to scribble all over with crayons beforehand and the end effect was so so pretty. We finished it off with some pastel coloured eggs and placed it in front of a nice big mirror.

The flowers are made from cupcake wrappers and straws, stuck in old beer bottle with a fringey bit of green tissue and pink ribbon. from humble beginnings beauty is born ;)

Happy friday!
Tx

Butterflies in the belly.....

...and flutterby's on the wall!

Yeah, I know they look pretty 'playschool' but i think the dimensional wings and colours will help keep the little one entertained while i change all those dirty nappies. Oh we are all so eager to meet him/her - even the teddies are getting bored waiting! ;)

What a Hoot! ;D

I just thought i'd show you some handmade goodies made and purchased for the little one's nursery. Let me first of all introduce you to The Twits! These cheeky little owl cushions were designed and handmade by Geraldine, my super talented mother!  You can find her on Flickr. I have a feeling I'm the daydreamer twit in pink polkadots with the rather sleepy expression! Aren't they fabulous???

Next up we have some funky toadstools made by my bud Sarah from www.redpossum.etsy.com and the cute froggie amigurmi hat/handpuppet is by the talented Ying from www.Lannying.etsy.com - i also purchased matching froggie bootees and they are the cutest little things i've ever seen and so so well made! By now you'll probably notice a bit of a woodland theme goin' on here? ;)

I'll be needing a comfy and cosy zone for me & baba to nurse and what could be nicer than some homemade cushions in owl and peace prints. This trio were made by the lovely Johanne of www.matoloki.com! The daisy garland above the bed is by me...

So whats Tanya up to??.... well I'm obviously busy creating the baby but i'm working on a leaf chandalier style mobile - I'm looking out for a huge embroidery hoop at at least 10" preferably more so any shop/website suggestions are welcome! I'm also creating a funky patchwork to hang on the wall. Please bear in mind that I've never made a quilt in my life! I should have really started out with squares but i went for retro hexagons instead. Here's a little glimpse of what i've been up to;

I've still got a long, long way to go and only 8.5 weeks before baba is here! hopefully everything will just fall into place? ah we'll see... its an adventure of a lifetime and I'm just going to go with it! ;D 

Repurpose, Reuse, Recycle - Bubble Mailers

I try to avoid buying brand new bubble mailers (i.e Jiffy bags) as much as I can and recycle the old ones instead. They work every bit as well, just as secure too and all you need is some magazine pages, a sewing machine and some address labels (I made my own from waste paper). I just think its a sin to chuck away stuff that can easily be reused and people seem to love the alternative packaging - this parcel is for a lovely bride to be! ♥

N.B

I picked up that super gorgeous little pencil case at the Crafty Market last weekend - it was made by Sarah from Red Possum! The next Crafty market takes place next weekend on Sunday 16th, from 12 - 5.30 in Shebeen Chic, South Great Georges Street, Dublin.