Strength

okay, i'm back again, wanted to share this with you: over on the Suzi Blu forum we were challenged to make are own Oracle card, now, i know nothing about Oracle cards really so i did a little research and through some link i found out that my personal card based on the answers i had to fill in, would be STRENGTH, now that got me thinking of course and i must agree, strength is something i have had to have the last years, well many years really, so i joined in the challenge and made my Oracle card STRENGTH, it was kind of good to sit and create and think about life, life as a mother to five( the birds represent my kids), life as an artist supporting her family, anyway, here is my card, 5x8 inch, nice big size, i like! just good to work on i think.

i'm not saying she is a work of art or she is a real beauty or anything but i like what i did and it was good doing it, so here you have it! STRENGTH, i wish you all strength in these uncertain days

dark but happy

Dark but happy, someone said that yesterday

and i thought it was a pretty wierd thing to say so i had to think about it

and ohh dear, today i'm feeling kind of dark but happy, at least i hope i'm happy,

i generaly feel a bit down to be honest, this leg is getting on my nerves! really!

it is getting better mind but i'm becoming extremely impatient, enough is enough!

my physical therapist warned me today not to want to rush things! it won't work he said!!!

i know i know, i'll be good!!!

but really i wish i could just get into my car and have a drive through the countryside i live in,

all the colours are changing and i'm missing it all! it gets me down!!

i love to take long walks this time of year! kick the leaves with the kids, we love doing that! warm clothes, not too cold, no need for hats and gloves just a trendy scarf maybe and off into the woods, kicking the leaves, they make such a wonderful noise, we love it!

we are missing it this year, damn i hate it!!

we are missing Halloween at their favourite themepark, we go every year, collecting pumpkins on the last day, making loads of pumpkin soup and pumpkin fries we are missing that too! the pumpkins are sooooo expensive this year! a tiny little pumpkin, barely big enough for one tiny pot of soup cost me 2.5 euro last week! outrageous if you ask me!

next year i'm getting my own pumpkin patch, that's a plan!

anyway, yesterday i didn't do much artwork, i worked on a petite doll piece for a short while but had to wait for a layer to dry and put it away,i started reading, i'm reading "The pillars of the earth", i bought in New Jersey together with Sue! great book, i had read it many years ago but had forgotten lots of it, i'm older and wiser now haha!

i haven't had a good read in ages, i love books, i used to read all the time, my dad called me anti-social!! apparantly i'd rather sit in my room reading than playing outside! humm sounds like me!

so i am enjoying some reading time, this being a positive note to my discomfort!!

ahhh i got my MOO cards today! Minicards 2.8cm x7cm small, printed at MOO prints in London, go check them out at http://www.moo.com/, it cost me a little over 13 euro to get 100 cards made, all with a different photo on every card, photo's of my own artwork, it was a job uploading 100 pics and then cropping them to size with the Moo software but it was worth the time, they are great! and all my details are neatly on the back of the cards. it took a little over a week to recieve them and they are such great quality, they have a lovely soft sheen and smooth feel to them!

i love them (thanks Inge for the idea!)

so if anyone wants to exchange Moo cards, just mail me wattstanya@skynet.be

same goes for ATC's, if you would like to do a swap, just mail!

here are some of my latest ATC's, looks like i was in a pink mood when i made them!

very rare haha!

okay for today! i think i'm going to sit down at my work table and see what comes to mind, i don't know if i'm feeling creative today but i'll just to let it come to me...or not!

i should get started on some Xmas cards!!!

and i'm making all handmade gifts this year!

of course the kids will get other stuff too but in general for my friends and family it'll be all custom and handmade, that's the idea anyway! must get started! gotta run (limp!)

big hug!

my Ranger U collage!

busy as a bee

i've been as busy as a bee these last few days, i painted another petite doll, just have to beeswax the piece and she's finished, i enjoy doing these dolls, they are my playtime and i get to experiment with colours and mixtures, i love it! i love Claudine Hellmuth 's new Studio paints from Ranger!!

i altered a brown embossed journal i bought in the US, i painted it with pebble and black Dabber, Ranger and rubbed on some kiwi Perfect Pearls, Ranger and then waxed the whole thing with natural beeswax, Ranger and buffed it for a shine

i also altered a very old shabby work agenda for a friend, i painted it with black dabber, stamped on some wild flowers, covered the stamped image with kiwi perfect pearls then beeswaxed the whole cover using red, copper, gold en natural beeswax and buffed for shine! it looks way nicer in reallife, i couldn't get this picture any better with the nice shine :-)

i altered a beermat, made a little collage, stamped, inked, rubbed Perfect Pearls, added some little objects and Grungboard! i love Grungeboard!!! then beeswaxed it! i'm so loving the whole beeswax adventure! seeing Micheal Putmans works of art has got me jumpstarted on my own beeswax fun!! ( see blog Jack & Cat!!! in my links)

i also made a little present, one of a few i'm sending to a special lady, this is a sneak peek for her :-)

i got these two little kids dressed for their Halloween party at school! a mummy and a corpse bride

and i've been the perfect mam! i've been preparing fresh veggies everyday! leeks, cauliflower, sprouts, my kids love brussel sprouts! i made pumpkinsoup, i started baking our daily bread!!!

and i even found time to do a little pumpkin arrangement on my front steps!!

so, there you have it! that's what i've been up to! and now i'm off to school in a rush! just got a phonecall! Robin got a frisbee thrown in the face and apparently his eye is looking ugly! so off i go! supermama!!!

talk to you all soon!

if the boot fits!!!

pfff the boot is still on my foot! i had hoped to loose the boot today when i went to my surgeon for my check-up! but no such luck, my ankle is healing but not a quickly as he had hoped...
so the boot is on for at least another three weeks! i can take it off to sleep however , yeah for that! and... i can take it off 3 times a day for 15 minutes, well twice a day and once for the therapy and massage and exercises, starting tomorrow for 4 weeks! hopefully after all that i'll be okay to walk without crutches and maybe be able to drive my car again!

this isn't fun! i'm quite an indepentant person and not to be able to drive and go wherever i want is driving me up the wall!!!
however, i am getting alot of time to play and design and that is precious time really so i should be grateful, maybe my tendenitis is a blessing? yeah sure!!! i'm not that la...di...da... haha! it totally sucks!!!

but hey, a day at a time and before i know it i'll be on the road again!

this is Sue!!
I'm busy making presents for a great lady! someone who i met at Ranger U! she sent me goodies from her shop in Spain , yes! you SUE!! and she really put soooo much thought into what she sent me! all things i love or needed! i was overwhelmed really! it felt like Christmas come early!
so, i'm making presents and enjoying it because i know they will be accepted in joy.

oh and Sue also sent me lots of my lost photo's of New York, we were there together so they are almost like i took them myself! i'm so happy!

Lindy Andersen and me outside of Ranger

Sue and me waiting for the train to New Yorki did take pictures!!!!hoestly! 560 pictures! still stuck on my coffee-smelling harddrive!!New York
here in New Jersey they had wonderful lemon merengue pie!!!!

Scrapping Away's blog candy

hi, take a look at Julie blog, she has inspirational things to show and you also might just win the blog candy she has to give away
http://scrapping-away.blogspot.com/2008/10/blog-candy-will-post-worldwide.html

photo's paperbag journal

hi!
this post is especially for the people who made this paperbag journal with me yesterday! I had a great time with you all and i hope you all had fun and that you learned alot!!

i promised to put these pictures on my blog so you can all have another look when you are in need of inspiration, if you have any questions please mail me! and when your journal is ready maybe you could sned me a picture so that i can admire your finished project!

i'll be seeing most of you in November! i have a great workshop planned, you'll see!

deze post is speciaal voor de mensen die gisteren de paperbag journal met me gemaakt hebben! ik vond het leuk gisteren jullie in mijn workshop te hebben en ik hoop dat je het leuk vond en dat je veel geleerd hebt.
ik had beloofd om de foto's van mijn paperbag journal op mijn blog te plaatsen zodat jullie nog eens goed kunnen bekijken wanneer je nood hebt aan inspiratie, als je nog vragen hebt mag je me gerust mailen en als jullie journal klaar is mag je gerust foto's mailen en kan ik jullie werk bewonderen!
ik zie de meesten van jullie terug in november, ik heb een hele leuke workshop gepland! jullie zullen het zien

my first real petite doll

I think i'll call her ruby
maybe you like her maybe you don't! probably all a matter of taste. and that's fine.


i kind of love my little doll! my first attemp to draw on wood, i couldn't find the wood i wanted so i went with what i could get, it wasn't easy getting the face shading right! i did it a million times up to a point i had to stop so not to ruin her little face all together! i haven't got a blending pencil yet so it's a bit difficult, but one is on it's way!!!
i was getting all anal about it and then decided, hey! it's my first, it's not perfect! and that's okay! we are happy with that, tim would say! embrace the imperfections, tim would also say! get over yourself, mario would say! (tim's wonderful, beautiful assistant!) so i did !!!
i got over myself and feel happy with my petite doll!!

you can tell i've been to ranger!!! i used claudine's paints! they are soooo wonderful mixed with glaze!!! they keep their colour! don't go all light and pastel on you! they become translucent and wonderful! i like i like!!! t hey are not just another paint!!! they are beautiful!! and i'm not just saying that! i was sceptical about them at first i really admit!!
but believe me they are worth trying in mixed media!!!
i also used ranger inks of course, when do i not use ranger inks??? anyone who knows me i use ranger inks!!,perfect pearls to mix and i used them on their own, so much detail they gave to my piece!!, stamps, dabbers, i used suze's bedazzles!!! love the tiny little sprinkly thingys

the hearts om my art are with gold dabber, i simply dabbed them through a stencil, pretty thick dabbing and dried with my heattool to keep them all bubbled and textured, as tim taught us to!!!
i think they are really neat (awesome for the US readers!)

oh and i used the great ranger white pen to do the sparkle in the eye! is great for that! i'm so pleased with it!!!
you really should go check out all the ranger stuff, link in my list on the left<<<>

ohh my first little doll, i'm so happy!

never thought i could draw something and be happy about it!

life has so many suprises!

big hug!! tanya

ohhhhh dear!!!

oooh i'm soooooo sad! and mad! my little boy spilt coffee all over my laptop yesterday and all my wonderful wonderful photo's of Ranger U and New York are lost!! my laptop will not connect to the harddisk anymore! i was in tears most of yesterday! sure! i'm a tough woman but also very emotional when it comes to things like this!

i shouted for help to my fellow students at Ranger U and pics are already coming in! i'm so grateful!!! keep them coming! i'll soon have my 350!!! pics back! even if they are from a different angle.

my New York ones are lost but luckily i wasn't there alone! Sue took pics too so i'm hoping to have them soon and get on with my travel journal.

i'm still in pain with this stupid leg, it's getting better, i can walk on it a little better than last week but it is painful, it feels as ik it will burst inside or something, a strange feeling anyway! i'm due at the dr next week for a check-up so i'm hoping it will all be well. i want to be able to drive my car!!!!!! grrrr!!!

in the meantime, i'm busy on my workshops, got some great things planned, i'll put them on my web next week once i have them organized.

i have a workshop this Saturday in Eeklo, distressed journal with lots if ink techniques and collaging, the workshop is sold out and apparently there is already a reserve list! same for my November workshop there!

i'm doing another workshop in December so if anyone wants in, don't wait, contact hobbyfarm

we'll be making a mini album, lots of paints & inks, Grungeboard, Cuttlebug embossing and using the wonderful black magic paper, don't miss it!

for people closer to home, Limburg that is! i'll be starting new classes scrapbooking, stamping, distressing,... at the end of October in Dilsen Stokkem, mail me for more info, i'll have to check with the store owner if there are still spots available! i was supposed to be doing the classes every two weeks but i think it'll be every week because there are too many people on the list! it's on Tuesday evening anyway, starting at 19.00h the shop is Creativo, i haven't got the contact details on hand at the moment but you can always mail me.

i've got another workshop planned at Croptime, have a look on the site under Verwenweekend 2009, the workshop is already filling up nicely so again, don't hesitate if you would like to come

there, i'm of to get some things done that need to be done!

have a nice day!

bih hug, tanya

jet lag

ohhhh dear, so this is what jet lag feels like! i felt okay up to now, i thought i would be back in my rythme in no time but ohh my! last night i just couldn't sleep! so today i've been stumbeling around like a zombie, still unable to take a good nap ( phone, shopping, ...) i think i'm going to install my self in the sofa, glass of wine, light the fire and relax and draw a little, i bought some wod to do my art on and am looking forward to getting back in to the swing of learning the petite dolls by suzi blu, they won't let me go.

i'm still full of Ranger U though, thinking of all kinds of ways to incorparate the new techniques and products in with my own "out of the box" style, i have a few workshops to figure out and of course they will all be Ranger U related, some of them are already sold out! good!!!

i will be designing some worklshops that can be done at my home, evening classes, if you want to be on the list to be notified just mail at wattstanya@skynet.be i will try(!!) to arrange dates and times to suit the people on my list, so sign up and i'll send details once i have things planned
the workshops will be limited to 4 attendees at a time so there will be lots of time for assistance

okay, off to have dinner and a relaxing evening

bih hug, tanya

Ranger U adventure

okay, here goes, i'm back from Ranger, my head totally filled with ideas and techniques, my book filled with comments, my address book filled with new friends, great people i met at Ranger U let me tell you!

Suze and Sue from Art y Fact, spain

Suze and Micheal from Jack & Cat, arizona!!
you must check out jack & cat's blog!!! beeswax art to die for!

i had a wonderful time learning all Suze Weinberg had to show on Utee! i just love ther melting pot!!! i'll be playing with that!

Claudine Hellmuth has the most wonderful paint! i was happy to play with this and i'm going to mix and make glazes for my canvas art! nothing stopping my playtime now!

and Tim, oh Tim! he is such a great educater, they all are, don't get me wrong! but Tim is really something! the way he went on for two full days! honestly, he's good! i learned a lot! i knew alot but i learned alot, i'm more than happy!!!

Tim and me! okay i am tired and it shows!!

we all went home with a beautiful frame filled with Utee examples, a box full of Claudine techniques and 51 tags with Tim's techniques! yes! 51!!! we were all so exhausted after three days! however, we could have happliy went on going, it was fun and we were a big happy family!

i was really lucky, everyone was so helful, getting me my supplies, cups of coffee, bottles of water, sweet(s when needed! i never had to walk around! i had my leg up all day and Jeanne even kept reminding me to take my painkillers :-)

we had a tour of the factory! it was fun seeing how it is all made! respect to the workers there! they are pricless!

we got to meet all the owners and got some of the Ranger history, we even got a look at the very first inkpad made by Ranger back in 1929!!

you know, it is all too much to post in one go so i'll probably come back and tell more when i get the urge

big hug! tanya