Redbubble Shop and … Hares :-)

Hi there.  Hope you’re all well.  Haven’t posted on WordPress for a while but I’m still adding to my portfolio of work.

Yesterday saw the launch of a range of my art on a variety of products from mugs and phone cases to leggings and greeting cards!  Why not take a look and see if there’s something there for you – perhaps a unique throw cushion or a scarf.  I will be uploading a few more images over the next few days, but it’s so nice to think that others will be able to enjoy some lovely creations I made with lino, on the gelliplate and while doodling highly patterned nature designs.

Best wishes to you all xx

http://www.redbubble.com/people/jacquesart
   

The above print on recycled fabric was created by cutting an image in industrial lino (I had some offcuts) and then printing a texture using corn on the cob.  Sweet corn is fun to use as it makes a perfect shape for rolling in the ink without getting too messy!  I turned the design into a cushion cover with ties down the right hand side using small pieces of ribbon 🙂

Note to self: Read the instructions! Marble printing

Hi all 🙂

I haven’t posted for a while; there are many reasons for this, including working full time and ferrying kids about, going on holiday where there was no WiFi and yet, I’ve still been busy creating!  So what have you guys been up to?

I recently purchased a marbling kit, but didn’t read the instructions passed the part where it informs you how to mix the floater solution.  I made my solution up and cleaned out a 2 litre bottle to store it in, left it overnight and then transferred some into a smaller rectangular dish.  Pippets allow you to add ink to the top of the solution in small droplets, but I didn’t read the fact that you’re supposed to dilute the ink – oops.  Problem: the ink, if it’s not diluted just plops straight through the floater and onto the bottom rather th an ‘floating’.  It also didn’t spread like it was supposed to because it was too thick.  To solve this problem, I worked quickly and managed several fairly successful prints … Until my OH came along and thought the best way to solve the problem was by stirring the solution.  It’s now one big murky mess like you get when you paint and mix all the colours together.

The ten hares have been sketched onto the marble prints, which are 2 x 3 inches (ATC size) using Derwent fine liners which I picked up recently for an international project..  Love these pens.  I’ve got quite a collection now of different sizes , but my favourite is a 0.1 as you can do really fine details, especially on these small pieces of watercolour card.

As you can see from the photograph – the marbling can be done on most surfaces, including clothes pegs, but be warned … The cat might just get in the way!

And the winner is …

Congratulations British Chick Across the Pond; your name was selected by the random name selector to win a limited edition print. Sophie, aka British
Chick is not only a WordPress blogger, but entered my competition giveaway on Facebook.
Thanks to everyone who entered. 🙂 it was exciting as I had no idea who’d win!
Meanwhile, here is another of my handcut printing blocks: an everyday, easily accessible eraser carved ready for my Christmas gift tags and a silk tie I printed using it last night 🙂

Tree silhouettes

I did this tree silhouette this evening as the wind is howling outside. Hope it cheers everyone up.

Christmas Free Giveaway!!!!

Hi there everyone! Today, we set up the works’ 7ft 6″ Christmas tree in the foyer and it really put me in the festive mood. I thought this would be a good opportunity to offer one lucky person the opportunity to win a limited edition lino/gelli print of a hare that I printed this evening (the paint is still drying!!!).
To enter, all you need to do is either visit my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/squarebird.co.uk and comment after the relevant post beneath the hare print OR if you don’t use Facebook, comment at the bottom of this blog post why you think you should win it and whether it would be for yourself or a gift for someone else by midnight Friday 12th December (all time zones). Please check back Saturday to see who has won and it will be posted hopefully for you to receive it before Christmas. Yay!

Happy days!! 🙂

Oh, and here is a picture of the lino cut in progress and its first inking 🙂

The inked up plate just before I took the first ever print of the hare 🙂

Call for Jane Christensen! You won a print from my free Gelli giveaway!

Hopefully you will see this post Jane. You may have missed the announcement that your name was selected (I decided to choose two lucky winners as I had entries both on this blog and through Facebook). I’d love to hear from you – or of any bloggers know Jane and could get the message out to her, I’d be really grateful. Thank you 🙂

Gelli Elephants blowing bubbles :-)

As well as making some stamps today out of clay, I found I was inspired to make a print of an elephant on my day off. First we went out for a scrumptious meal as we knew that our daughter wouldn’t be able to eat for a couple of hours after having some teeth out to prepare the way for braces. Obviously she wasn’t that interested in food today, but did manage some prawn crackers.

On our return from the dentist we considered watching the movie Water for Elephants – I love the fact that the elephant responds when the circus crew realise she doesn’t understand English. After a discussion, we opted instead of a James Bond movie starring Daniel Craig. It gave me time to do a bit of sewing and printing.

Don’t you just love those toe nails!

And the winner of the blog hop free giveaway is …

Because of the amount of entries and me feeling generous, there are two lucky people winning prizes today! My daughter pulled one name out this morning and I pulled a second one out this afternoon. So well done to

And well done to

Well done to both of you and thank you to everyone who entered! There will be another free giveaway in December ready for Christmas – something extra special and printed of course! So, watch this space as you may win the next prize giveaway 🙂

Emily Slater (who entered through the Squarebird Facebook page – please send my your address so I can post you your prize and Jane Christensen – who entered via the blog – please send me your address details so I can post you a lion gelli print. Yay!!!

Still time to enter free giveaway!

Just a quick reminder that there’s still time to enter my free giveaway as part of the October Gelli Blog hop. Please comment whether you would like to win the turtle or lion original gelli print that I’ve showcased this week. There is also a mystery prize for the winner, picked at random after Friday’s closing date. Thank you everyone who has entered so far.

Also don’t forget to check out the other participants of the blog hop as there are some more freebies! Why not enter them all?

Meanwhile, here is an ATC (Artist Trading Card) I made and sent off recently to Australia as part of Be Creative Swap. I made it using a plaster rose and an attempt at quilling a rose bud. The brief set by Myfanwy Hart was to incorporate a tag in some way as part of the ATC.

Here is what I received in exchange 🙂

Birds on Gelliprint

Another bird Gelli to add to the collection with textures produced from leaves, scrunched up paper and layering of watercolours

The difference with this bird study and the others is that this time, I didn’t mask out the bird shapes first, but became inspired by the shapes I saw in the print when I pulled it off the plate.
You can see from this image (of a cat brooch I made and set against the background print) that there appears to be a bird shape appearing.

Similarly, where the hummingbird is, there was also an outline (but I didn’t have a photo of that stage to show!).