Sunday 27 July 2014

Handmade Monday 178

Welcome to another Handmade Monday!  These weeks are just flying by for me at the moment - how about you?

I've been keeping busy with creating new images for the art agency, although I am waiting to get feedback on the direction the agency thinks will be best for sales.  It's still all very new and exciting.

Most of the work I'm doing now starts off as a line drawing on plain old paper...


which I then scan and complete with colour digitally. I like how I can create a pattern to fill an area of the drawing and how I can change things so easily.

I'm enjoying the challenge of learning new digital techniques, but I think there may come a point where I feel the need to get my paints out and just get messy!  At the moment, my personalised gifts fulfil that need to a degree - but there are so many ideas buzzing around in my head and messy paint techniques are at the heart of many of them!

Speaking of getting messy, that's exactly what Guide Dog puppy Quentin did this week.  Alongside all the training, people often forget that Guide Dog puppies are just like all other puppies and they still need to play.  He had lots of fun with my daughters' two dogs this week at Carr Mill Dam.  The water is irresistible to Molly and Max...


and it didn't take Quentin long to join them!  I only have one photo of him actually in the water, and he's obscured by greenery


but he did thoroughly enjoy himself!


It was a lot of fun, but a great opportunity to practise his recall too - distractions like playing with other dogs make it harder to call him back but he did pretty well.  He does keep checking where I am when he's off lead, which I'm sure is a good sign.

That's it from me this week - it's your turn now.  Leave your link to join in with Handmade Monday and enjoy visiting the other blogs.


Sunday 20 July 2014

Handmade Monday 177

Hello and welcome!  It's time for Handmade Monday again.

This week I've had a welcome break - my daughter has a small caravan she keeps on a quiet farm site in Aberdaron (on the north Wales coast) and I've been there for a few wonderfully relaxing days.  The weather was mostly superb and we didn't do much except walk, eat and relax.  The caravan was probably about the size of this one...but with an awning it was plenty big enough for two people and a dog!


This was the morning walk for me and guide dog puppy Quentin


which led down here (you can just make out his rear end and tail here!)


and then here - miles of empty beach to enjoy.  We were the first ones on the beach each morning and it was such an amazing way to start the day.


It was Quentin's first ever visit to a beach and he couldn't believe his luck when he was let off the lead to enjoy himself!  It was such a joy to watch him having fun.


He was wary of the waves at first, jumping away from them as they crashed on the shore


but he soon got used to them and enjoyed a paddle!  He only went for a swim once, when he was playing with another dog, and we think that may have been accidental!


There were lots of opportunities for training as well as playing for Quentin - he got to do a lot of lying down under tables when we were eating out, and even lying on the beach while we had a picnic was good practice for him.  He found himself all the shady spots...


Back home, I'm still putting together images for the art agency, who will then provide me with some advice and direction, which I am sure will be valuable.  The caravan image (above) was one of the images they liked in the sample batch I sent!

Anyway, it's over to you now for Handmade Monday...what's been going on in your world?

Sunday 13 July 2014

Handmade Monday 176

Hello and welcome to Handmade Monday!

A celebration is in order this week...the art licensing agency I sent some images to last week is definitely interested in working with me!!  As you may be able to imagine, I'm completely thrilled about this, BUT they need a full portfolio from me so I have to get quite a lot of images together in the next few weeks - but that feels really exciting rather than a task.  I can't wait!


This week also included my birthday (I've stopped counting though!) and a lovely visit from my daughter and granddaughter who live in London.  This is a video my daughter took - it includes a two-year-old, a puppy and some bubbles.  And a lot of cute toddler giggles!  I've never uploaded a video before so I hope it works!  It's only 49 seconds and I'm sure it will make you smile!


What has your week been like?  Let us know...

Sunday 6 July 2014

Handmade Monday 175

Hello and welcome to Handmade Monday.

It's been fairly quiet on the handmade front here this week, but I have been working on some art.  One of my long-term plans is to look into licensing my art for use on products (anything from cards to tea cosies - I really don't mind!) and I've started to put together a portfolio which I can send to agents.  I've very tentatively approached two art licensing agencies so far... (it's surprisingly scary stuff!)...

there had to be a campervan in there!

... and I've had a glimmer of a breakthrough already, in that one of the agencies has emailed back to say they really like my work and think it's saleable BUT...

and a beach hut!

... the creative director (who makes the final decision) is currently on holiday!  I can't help but feel excited - but I am trying hard not to! The creative director may just decide she doesn't like my work at all.  Secretly, my fingers are firmly crossed while I expect the worst (then I won't feel too let down).

There's been a lovely distraction in the form of the local village celebration, Croft Carnival yesterday...

my granddaughter Emily with her mum on the float for the local pre-school

The whole village community and beyond comes together for Croft carnival (this year it celebrates 40 consecutive years) and it's lovely to see and be part of (although the traffic is a nightmare).

the tractor pulling the pre-school float

The procession - with many tractors in evidence (there's a lot of farming around here) - ends on the playing fields where there's attractions, stalls and lots of fun to be had.

bagpipes

Guide Dog Puppy Quentin was very interested in the bagpipes and brass band!

And here's a shot of him proving how well he responds to the stay command - you can barely see him!  Sorry, I didn't get any of him watching the carnival parade!


How's your week been?  Join in with Handmade Monday and let us know...