Friday Show & Tell

Source: etsy.com via Marie on Pinterest

There's a little girl we know who is in need of a bit of a pick me up, and so yesterday afternoon I decided to create a special little Matchbox Doll just for her.  I should have actually been doing a special project for my Bishop, (I'll get to that today!) but instead my heart was filled with love for this young girl and I had this idea and it just had to get done.  That is the way art works . . . you must strike when the iron is hot!



I knew the image I wanted to use.  This little girl here with all of the hearts.  I wanted something which would express love a caring and how very much we think of her, so I thought this would be perfect.  I wanted to make this one a little bit different though.  I wanted the part of her apron holding the hearts to be three dimensional so that I could actually put heart into it.  I had to put my thinking cap on.

I worked on it for about 4 hours yesterday afternoon, with Girls Aloud, and Robbie Williams and Lady Antebellum playing in the background.  I like to listen to music when I work.  I wanted something bouncy yesterday.



I tried out a few different ideas to get the apron three dimensional.  I can't tell you how many aprons I cut out before I came up with what finally worked!  First I tried cutting them larger than the actual apron and cutting little tabs all around, but I wasn't happy with that . . . nor with the next few ideas.  Finally I came up with the idea to use a piece of baker's twine, which I glued at the outer edge of it all.  Then I covered the outside of it with a thin strip of paper and then I overlaid another cutting of the apron, but including the hands and bottom bit of the dress sleeves so that I could taper it down onto the actual matchbox and it worked like a charm.

 

(Sorry for the poor pictures, but it's early morning here and my flash keeps going off when I try to take a snap and if I don't use the lash, it shows all blurry and I did want you to see it!)  I was really happy with the way it turned out.  I put some little sparkle red heart jewels into her apron, and there are musical notes all behind her and she is dancing on a field of red glass glitter . . .



And on the back more musical notes and the words from the picture and another little glass heart.  I was really happy with the way it turned out and will be making another one to put into the gallery for the miniature showing in March.

 

I have decided I am happiest when I am creating.  It has been ever so.  Oh, I do love to cook as well . . . but I really love combining that with my artwork and so have been working on an illustrated recipe book at the same time. It's a slow slog though, because I have so much other work to do. (That above sketch is one of the ones I have done for the children's book.  I am now colouring them all in.  They look much, much better in colour.  That cat is cooking, a big surprise for it's human friend!)



I've decided that the cookery book will be seasonal and this is a part of the Spring into Summer chapter.  Those are yellow Primrose and of course a few Bumble Bees . . . the harbingers of spring.

 

I also like to play with photographs and put words on them as well.  This is one I took in the very early morning one day last week . . . through our dining room window.  The air was filled with an autumn mist and a blackbird was sitting on the back gate, whilst the light from a street lamp glowed just over the back of the hedgerow.  I thought it quite nice . . . you can just barely see the rooftops and chimneys of the houses that lay at the end of our garden . . .

I love it in the autumn when the birds come back to our garden to feed.  I am just a nature lover . . . and Todd is too. It is one of the many blessings we share with each other . . .



And then of course there was this one I did last month of a spider in the front garden . . . his web all bejeweled by autumn drizzle . . . I love that quote by Lucy Maud Montgomery, who I have decided is a kindred spirit . . .



Another photo played with.  I had picked some late sweet peas from the garden.  I don't know why I hadn't done it sooner and waited until they were almost played out . . . their fragrance was so beautiful in our home. It  made me wonder why I didn't pick bouquets of them more often . . .

I guess I am a person who just sees art all around me . . . and enjoys creating things in a myriad of ways, be it something as simple as a cake, or as complicated as a little matchbox doll.  I am grateful for that blessing.  And if it is a blessing which allows me then in turn to bless others . . . then that is so much the better! ☺

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul."
President Dieter F Uchtdorf



I'm talking turkey leftovers today in The English Kitchen.

Happy Friday everyone!