The Coo's Tail

Not only is today the last of The Craft Barn's Calendar Challenge, it is also the last day, of the last month, of 2015! 

Talk about just scraping in by the skin of my teeth and the seat of my pants!! Phew!!

Here is my December page using the prompts, Gold and/or Silver and Christmas Trees.

Once again, I am delighted to say that I used my gelatos; in this case, my gold and silver ones. If you can't tell, I have done two silver trees with a gold one in the centre. I added the illusion of snow with a white Posca paint pen. The lettering is done with a silver pen.

I would like to thank Jane and everyone else involved with this challenge on The Craft Barn blog for the fun prompts every month. And I would like to wish all of my visitors a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2016. 

Now I must push on and visit all the fabulous artists showing their final pages too.

Until next time, 

Take care, 

Be Happy and Be Well

{{hugs}} Mo :o)) xx

Happy New year everyone

from 

Wee Man :D

The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge

November

Hello everyone

With only a few days to go until the end of the month, I have finally got around to doing my calendar page for The Craft Barn's calendar challenge. 

The words for this month are Grey and Owl and if you have been following my calendar progress you will know that I have been determined to use my Gelatos each month, so having grey as the colour posed me a bit of a conundrum. 

After much mixing and testing, I couldn't come up with a suitable colour that would also show up on my black paper so I gave in and bought the metallic gelato set, which includes silver. I hope that's not considered cheating; I honestly think it looks like grey on the black paper. 

I added a smudge of light colour in the sky for a moon and wispy clouds.

I am looking forward to finding out what our December words are; but can hardly believe we have reached the end of the year so quickly!! 

Many thanks for visiting, and until next time

Take Care

Be Happy

{{Hugs}} Mo :o)) x

New Art Play

Hi Everyone

Yesterday, I had a play-date with my acrylic paints,

and taking instruction and inspiration from Betty Franks Krause of Mystic Tulip Art  and Robert Burridge I created my first ever, two pears.

Pear number one I did on scrap copy paper, just to see if I could actually paint a pear without wasting any of my good paper or card. 

And being quite happy with the result, I set about pear number two.

This time I used watercolour paper, and although not so colourful as the first, I do like this one too.

Do you use masking tape around the edges of your paper to hold it down and/or to make a white border? What make do you use? Does it catch on the paper and tear it? Does it let paint underneath?

I used blue masking tape that I was told is low tack; however, it did stick at one spot and ripped a skim off the paper. It also let a couple spots of paint under, (top right side and bottom left side), but after a couple of people suggested gesso and a small brush, I soon covered them up. 

Well I am quite happy with my foray into acrylic painting and shall try it again. In the meantime I am going to try pears in watercolours.

Have you tried something new recently?

Until next time

Take Care

Be Happy

{{Hugs}} Mo :o)) x

T for Tuesday

Hello everyone, it's Tuesday again, and we're in November already! Hasn't this year just flown by?! And even faster than usual in my opinion, but, hey-ho, that's life in the fast lane, hehe.

Now, as it is Tuesday, it's time to share a cuppa with the gang over at Elizabeth's.

I went  out to meet a friend last Thursday, but unfortunately something cropped up at the last minute and she couldn't make it; so there was I, 'Billy no Mates', wondering whether to just go home or go into the cafe on my own. 

The call for caffeine grew, so in I went and got a nice seat by the window.

I enjoyed a lovely cappuccino and a fresh scone with butter and raspberry jam as I watched folks pass by outside.

Wishing you all a Happy T Day, whatever your favourite tipple may be.

Take Care

Be Happy

{{Hugs}} Mo :o)) x

More Holiday Snaps and a Little Tea for Tuesday

Hello again everyone

I would like to share some more photographs from mine and Wee Man's Edinburgh holiday.

I don't know about you, but when I'm on holiday I like to have the odd treat or two, and Edinburgh was no exception.

There's a fabulous Cafe called Mimi's and on the recommendation of my son and his girlfriend we met them there.

I completely forgot to take any photos at all of our lunch or cakes as I was so in awe of the place.. But I did capture this one on the way out. I had a slice of the lemon meringue cheesecake on the top shelf there. It was so light, it was almost a mousse! 

Oh, and I did get this photo of my coffee to show Elizabeth and the T gang (phew!)

 The whole place is beautifully decorated and has cosy nooks with soft lounge seating and low tables.

I definitely recommend everyone to go there! 

After lunch we went for a walk along the 'shore' and saw lots of swans. I can't say I've ever seen so many in one place before. Quite a few of them were still cygnets, but practically grown.

I also saw this quite near our hotel

And on another day we went to a place called Dynamic Earth

Dynamic Earth is a 5 star visitor experience which invites you to take a journey through time to witness the story of planet Earth. Through a series of interactive exhibits, state of the art technology and even a 4D encounter you will feel the heat of a bubbling volcano, face the chill of polar ice, fly across the globe before crash landing in a tropical rainforest. As if this wasn’t enough, Dynamic Earth is home to Scotland’s only 360 degree full dome film theatre. (from their website) 

It is one of the most interesting places I have ever been, and much to my delight, Wee Man enjoyed it too. 

We will go again. 

Perhaps the most amazing thing there, for both of us, was a real iceberg!! 

Not a giant one obviously, but real all the same.

Well now, I hope you have enjoyed seeing more of our holiday snaps, and you haven't fallen asleep by now, hehe.

Thank you so much for popping in.

Do take care, be well and be happy.

{{Hugs}} Mo :o)) x

ORANGE and PUMPKIN or FRUIT

They are the words given for The Craft Barn's Calendar Challenge for October.

Hi Everyone :D

I am entering the craft barn challenge almost at the eleventh hour. 

But in my defence, (should I need one), this month has been extra busy and subsequently flown by faster than this year has already done so! 

Anyway, here is my offering:

Again I used my gelatos, and achieved the colours I wanted by mixing on an acrylic block and I used my silver pen for the outlines and lettering.

The tape above the dates has little spiders and webs along it. Cute huh!

Thank you for visiting and for all your lovely comments, I DO appreciate every single one of them!

For anyone interested in more holiday photos from our recent Edinburgh trip, I will post more later today.

Until next time,

Take care, Be well & Be happy

{{Hugs}} Mo :o)) x

Tea on Tuesday and some

 Holiday Bits n Bobs

Hi everyone, Wee Man here :D 

Me and granny are back from a few days holiday in Edinburgh, so we would like to share a few photos with you.

This is where we stayed. The staff were really nice and friendly.

Granny liked the tea and coffee things in our room. 

One night granny had fish and chips and I had

Pizza.

We really enjoyed going on the trams

and we went past the depot. 

There are 26 trams in Edinburgh and we found out that they can travel at 43mph (70kmh).

We went to a Build A Bear Workshop

where I made Goldie the Golden Retriever and High Springer the Springer Spaniel.

I loved seeing this bus; we didn't get to go on it, but we might next time.

I also enjoyed diving into the ball pit at Gambado's soft play centre.

Well that's all for now; I hope you enjoyed these pictures. 

Granny will share this post with Elizabeth and her tea friends and she said she will do another blog post to show you some more photos of our holiday. I hope that's ok.

Bye for now

Hugs, Wee Man

and granny too :D

Something....

a Little Different

Hi everybody

I hope you haven't forgotten I am here; I know I have been a non-blogger for a few weeks, but life takes one like that sometimes doesn't it? I have been busy crafting and taking some art workshops, I just haven't blogged about it. 

Anyway, I wanted to share some photographs with you that I took while I was out and about the other day.

The Blue Angel Cafe 

A bug hotel 

Three beautiful houses 

A Lily pond 

And this escapee was as big as a computer mouse. I almost missed him at first because he looks so like the Autumn leaves that were laying round about. 

I realise I have also been quite lax in my visits, for which I offer my profound apologies; I promise I will try to get back on track once the school holidays are over. Two weeks of adventuring coming up, beginning on Tuesday with a trip to Edinburgh. Wee Man has been doing his countdown duties and we are currently on 4 Sleeps to the off. 

Many thanks for your visit; I truly appreciate your taking the time. 

Wishing you good health and happiness

With Love

((hugs)) Mo :o)) x

The Craft Barn's..........

...Calendar Challenge

Hello everyone, the words for September are Brown and Trees/Leaves

I have been determined to use my gelatos for each month and September is no exception. I admit to worrying initially about how to make brown show up on my black page, but I pulled it off and I hope you like the results.

I mixed my Tangerine and Grape gelatos with some water to make the brown for my tree trunk and used some of my other gelatos for the leaves. 

You can click on the link above in order to check out what the other entrants have created for September.

Thank you for popping over and until next time,

Take Care and

Be Happy

{{Hugs}} Mo :o)) x

PS - I would like to say a very big thank you to all my followers for your continued support and encouragement and for visiting and leaving such lovely comments. I truly appreciate each and everyone of you {{Hugs Hugs Hugs}}

Café Olé or Café au lait?

Hello Everyone!

The other night my husband went to see his sister, (his Friday night ritual), and came home with a coffee maker. She was replacing it with a new one, even though this one is still in excellent and working condition;

but not being one for looking a gift horse in the mouth, I was excited to try it.

Now isn't that pretty :D And if you'd like to pop round I will be happy to make one for you too. 

I'm delighted to be sharing this with the lovely ladies over at Elizabeth's for Tea on Tuesday. 

Even though I haven't participated for a few weeks I have popped in and out when I could. 

Now craft wise, I have been having some more fun being, 'inspired by'......

Number 7

Mondrian meets Modigliani.

Inspired by Kandinsky.

Inspired by Hieronymus Bosch.

Many thanks for your visit, I truly appreciate it.

Until next time, do take care,

and be happy.

{{Hugs}} Mo :o)) x