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This is intended to be mainly about my crafting stories, as a personal record of what I do. However, I interpret crafting quite widely, not just paper crafting but other things too. I have a butterfly mind and like to change from one thing to another depending on what I feel like on a given day - knitting, crochet, cross-stitch, cards, baking and several others, including my favourite right now, parchment, both traditional skills and Groovi, very relaxing and calming to do.

I have decided to put some structure into my blog so that each day will have something of a theme.
Monday- for Mindfulness; Tuesday - Tidy Up Day; Wednesday - What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday; Thursday - Technique and Tips; Friday - Finish Off Day; Saturday - Start Something New; Sunday - Anything Goes
These themes are not hard and fast and will be changed if I feel the need.

Wednesday 28 January 2015

WOYWW 295

 On this WOYWW day I do not really have a desk photo here at the moment, largely as it is no different from last week and my camera batteries are both flat.  Sorry Julia.   I will do better next week.    However, I did promise to show the results of what I was doing last week, so I hope you will forgive me today.

Several of you noticed this fairy hiding on my desk.  She is unrepeatable in this format as her background is just a piece of watercolour paper used to mop up excess ink on the mat at the end of a workshop.  I did two and thought the first one would be the better bet, but in the end, I was wrong.  This second piece just jumped out at me the other day as being the perfect background for this Lavinia fairy.  Then I mounted her on black and then pale cream and left her alone.


The second piece of work is a canvas, following on from the lovely card made at Pink Tulip a couple of weeks ago.  It is an A5 canvas board which I then mounted onto the next size up once it was finished.  Most of this went well until I just took it one stage too far.  I could hear Barbara Gray shouting at me to leave it alone but I stupidly ignored her and messed it up.


I had done the background, dried it out and added the shaped leaves, when I thought it would be good to have a branch to hang the leaves off.  Sounded a good idea to me, but I chose the wrong ink and it became very harsh and in your face.  I thought it was all over and it was headed for the bin.  In that position, it did not really matter what I did and overnight I decided to get out my trusty Coloursoft pencils and see what I could do.  The lightest of the skin colours proved to be the saving of my disaster when I added it on top of the dreadfully dark tree branch.  At that point, I did actually put my signature on it and breathed a long sigh of relief.

I hope that if you have arrived here by surfing the internet you will come back again.  Also, please make sure you visit our Julia at Stamping Ground, who will be very pleased to see you and pass you on to all the wonderful desks on show.

16 comments:

Debbie Rock said...

As you know already I love both these and having had both in my hands and seen them For Real I can confirm how lovely they are. The fairy is my favourite and one of those backgrounds that was a wonderful result of "mopping up" and proof of how we should never just wipe our mess away with a cloth, but take a print and just see what happens! Most of my backgrounds are done by splodging ink on my craft mat, spritzing with water, and then mopping ... just one of my favourite things to do! The canvas is wonderful Maggie ... very well done to you! Love Debbie xXx

Queenie Jeannie said...

Oh, so pretty!!! Both are perfection! Have a great week!

Happy Crafting!
Jeannie #5

Lunch Lady Jan said...

I love the fairy! She's made even better by the fact that you used an old piece of mopping up paper for the background...that's just great :-)
And I like the leaves...think the branch is just right!
Hugs, LLJ 20 xx

Laura said...

Two lovely pieces of art x
Happy Deskday
Laura
38

House of Bears said...

I tend to always go that one step too far in my journalling. My head will shout stop but my paws will ignore it!! I love your canvas though, it doesn't look like it's a save.

Horace @ no. 46

Fiona@Staring at the Sea said...

The fairy is very pretty, but the canvas is just gorgeous. Love the leaves with their little droplets.

PaperOcotilloStudio said...

I do love that fairy...I said do last week. I hoard all my mop up paper and baby wipes and well everything..just in case :P You can see that I do use it on my blog today. I agree the leaves needed a branch and I am glad you were able to save your piece :) It is beautiful! Shel#55

glitterandglue said...

These are great, Maggie. Well done.
Take care. God bless.
Margaret #33

Princess Judy Palmer said...

I just hate that when everything is perfect, but you don't realize it so you add to it and the... disaster. Luckily you had a fix on hand and could make it into a lovely piece of art. The fairy is nice too. Those mop up pieces are useful aren't they?! Judy #64

Anne said...

Love the fairy Maggie. I also love backgrounds created this way. Anne x #32

shazsilverwolf said...

Hi Marg, I could not count how many times I've stamped something, then thought' that was a mistake',lol. We all do it, I'm just glad you managed to rescue yours. Its amazing how we can get the most incredible backgrounds by accident, yet if we tried to make that, it would never blend so well. Love, Shaz xx

Julia Dunnit said...

Yep, sleeping no to may be old fashioned, but it so often works it out! Usually I cock up by trying to add something after its all stuck down and lumpy etc...then it is ruined..I don't learn!

Helen said...

the fairy is fabulous!! mop ups make some of my best pieces, usually in my journals. sorry I'm late, had a headache yesterday and didn't spend much time on the pc after work
Helen 4

Di said...

Oh so pretty Maggie - I adore the fairy piece!

Great to see you in the Playground!

Hugs

Di xx

Darnell said...

Oh, Maggie, both of these works of art just made me sigh, they are so lovely! The fairy is beyond words and I'm so glad you were able to save that magnificent canvas!! Hugs, Darnell

fairy thoughts said...

hi maggie...... so self critical...... see tbe lovely comments you ha e .. sometimes you have to roll with it and sometime ..... well you hav to leave it alone ..... lol at the thought of barbara shouting at you in class
janet @19