Is thepapersac village a Portas Pilot ?

Hi Everyone
weather great again - sun quite warm already (its 8.30am) - sky is blue.

I have a few photos of yesterdays paintings - just a little addition to each project. Need to change a few things with Mary - I don't like the flower brooch - she needs another style of brooch - have a few ideas.

The papersac village stuff is making slow progress and still not quite right but I am moving it on - I thought the green colours were wrong but I'm not so sure now - much more of a layer thing (not enough layers yet).

 I've added some hills and given a base for the houses and the green is not so bad ? - I need to grade the colours today. I think more little houses too - different design of house would be good.

What we need is shops and a High Street - Mary must have a role here !!!!

 Also added more dimention (in sketch mode) with fields and more houses. Will again add lots of layers and more patterns.

The last thing I added here was the pathway - have some plans to make a garden infront of the house. I need to allocate each of these houses to one of my dolls. I need to move into thepapersac village myself - its always sunny !
I also started to decorate the little wooden houses - not sure if this one will stay with the colours - it will ned to match one of the houses in the pictures.


I have lost the plot with filling up my shop today. My review has decided to concentrate on pictures but will still aim to fill up to the required (my target) target items (in the Folksy Shop) I think we are are up to 16 - best get working.

Bye for now.

Tilda dolls and how long can a birthday last ?

Hi Everyone
weather is looking good... again !!! We have had about a week of very good weather - over the last two days its been fabulous sunshine and very warm. Great.
I've been busy celebrating my birthday for the last few days. Thank you to everyone that sent a message - lovely to get these messages. Had a great day yesterday. The weather was brilliant and Richard and I spent a glorious time in a walled garden having  a very sophisticated lunch ! Lots of other treats and a 'the' very pretty - mustard (colour) lace dress arrived too (look back a few days for pictures) . Had a great time. I also visited a new shop (to me) and found a very helpful and inspiring place for fabric and ribbons etc. Its a shop called 'The Fat Quarter' online shop . I found my way there via an address in a Toni Finnigan book about Tilda Dolls.

my book about Tilda dolls

I'm always thinking about making my painted dolls into fabric dolls. Now, I think I know how I would like them to be. I bought some stuff and will start with making a Tilda doll (will try and follow the instructions - not easy for me !!) - then will try a few of my own dolls. This will be a hobby so will take some time. I'm still focussing my time on painting. Am so relaxed today ,can't get going at all. Will ease myself into the day. I feel in holiday mode.

some 'eye' work done

added an eye (by the bird)

eyes are much wider here

a new Miss Mitchell print

However, house things loom and I am going to paint some more today - will get the twins updated and Mary needs a bit of time too !

Will get a few 'side by side' photos of The Twins in the eye thing. I do feel the faces are more expresive with the new eyes. My whole approach (when designing the dolls) is developing into an emphasis on eyes and a relatively small body. I feel quite happy with this (at the moment). It gives a confidence to my 'style' - I think !
Also , a quck photo of a new Miss Mitchell print - for the shop. Will be doing more of these. I like the chunky wood block - the block will have a ribbon to hang.

I'm going to offer a personal message option too.

Musy get on.
Bye for now.

Altered books and more dresses

Hi Everyone
weather is lovely today - bright sunshine and feels very warm. Been warm all weekend. Love this kind of weather - living outside during the day - especially breakfast on the deck - magic !
Been busy with family things - kids sport mainly. Only one week and its school holiday - for two weeks. We are off on holiday (a few little holidays rolled into one) so will have some relax time and some interesting places to visit.

I'm having yet another big review of work. I will get it right in the end. This year is all about the process of developing thepapersac into what I hope it can be for the future. So, its OK to have this kind of review often (I do consider with each change -  have I made too many changes !). Its a considered tweak rather than a huge change in things. The production of the shop stuff is clouding things. My solution is to concentrate on one item (FOR SALE) but have five of them eg produce a print but have five variations. I passionately need individual things in the shop - each item must be different from the next. For example, with prints - I make changes  during the 'handfinishing phase' - often the handfinishing amounts to a 'alterations' in colour and/or highlighting, sometimes additional items/accessories are added. My plan is to concentrate on my painting and multi media techniques which will produce better quality pieces ie more interesting, creative and develop a variety of skills used to a higher level. Big idea ! Lets see how it goes.


Now for something more trivial -
Seen another lovely dress in Modcloth

Unfortunately, its out of stock. Love the colours and simplicity of the design.


I've also been thinking about my idea for a small book to hold the Miss Mitchell Story. There are lots of books out there showing how to make books. I've decided I'd like to 'alter' a book - very Miss Mitchell - so will get an old book to alter and make into a painting - to hang with the story inside. Watch this space.
I was inspired to choose this approach from a Kelly Rae Roberts book (I've had this for a long time) and often think about the image.

Its in this book - will get a photo from my book to share the idea later.

Not sure what today will bring but will aim to tidy my studio and my mind. Must get busy.


Bye for now.

The Twins and Miss Mitchell Necklaces

Hi Everyone
very dull today although mild again - I'm hoping the sun will shine later (its forcast).
Its Friday again ......... ! where has the week gone ? Its also Fill Up Day in the Folksy Shop. I failed to get things updated for last week so am promoting 8 items today. This weeks focus is on The Twins Painting and associated stuff. Here are a few images - I have a few cards ,some gift pockets and some tags. The two photos give a few views of all the items for this week.

The Twins stuff

 Will eventually get them in the shop for sale. You can contact me direct via this blog if you would like them earlier. At some point I will get the prints of the Twins in the shop too.

I've been (almost) buying a camera - eventually. Not exacxtly pressed the button yet but ..... ! The thing is, the photos from my phone (using the tripod) are so much better. I read all the time about people saying a tripod is the most important thing to improve their photos. This is so right. I can't quite believe the difference. I'm not saying I
take great photos but they are so much better than they were before using

The Twins stuff

the tripod.
Last weeks shop offer is here too (just for the record - I did say I would put it up today. last week it was all about frames with Miss Mitchell.

Frames Miss Mitchells

Miss Mitchell necklaces

I find getting the stuff in the shop very difficult because of the time it takes. My idea is that I have a bigger stock to give me some cushion for developing my new paintings. I think I need this to broaden the access to seeing my stuff. I've had another re think this morning and am considering having my printing done elsewhere - so much better and less time consuming  - could be economically sensible in the long run ? am still pondering. Its worth doing some initial research and projecting.

Need to get to work - enough time pondering for now.

Bye for now.

MOO Cards and painting progress

Hi Everyone
weather is lovely today - bright sunshine and almost 'warm' - Hurrah !!

 Today, I'm trying to paint again - I managed some yesterday and although have made progress with all the paintings - still a way to go on all of them. Miss Haversham (Mary) is going well. I have blended the skirt into the painting and added colourful flowers. Next, the flowers need to be integrated into the painting and I need to get some 'people' on the chairs.

Mary Haversham with a boquet

But, the thepapersac village is not so good - I've 'lost it a little' and need to redo a 'trio' piece of work - I've tried to go with green as a main colour but its not working, Here is a before. I will do an 'after' to share - when the piece is showing improvements.

before @ thepapersac village

 I also started a new painting - just the very first images and colours going onto canvas. There are many more stages to go - will try and get a photo at each major stage to show progress. Here it is so far :

stage 1 of new painting

MOO Cards with Miss Burton

Also, very exciting - have taken order of 50 MOO cards - free offer via Folksy - they are great - what do you think ? I love them - the card is a lovely texture and the print very vibrant (despite my photo !)

Not sure what else will be done today - other than
I would like to get the Miss Mitchell Story published somehow ? I will get it into digital format today and will keep thinking about the best way forward. A little book would be nice - a summary. But, I would also like to get a childrens art book into it somehow - perhaps with some little projects to try with an adult or share with someone ? More thinking needed here. My imagination can run with this - I love applying ideas.

The Folksy Shop offer has suffered a little this week - will aim to do a double week update tomorrow ie 8 items to go into the shop. I need to get some little packaging going - decided against a box for the necklaces and am keeping with Gift Pockets/tissue. Here are the two necklaces again with their ribbons and beads.

Will get on and create.

Bye for now.