Christmas gifts

Napkins, placemats, and two shawls - all gifts :)

A bottle and a votive

I don't feel 'ready' to start on my Christmas gifts yet, so I'm messing about with old things I find around the house. The first is a little bottle I take with me to French class. It was on the table, so it was 'captured' for painting! Hahahah!

One side...

... the other side...

... and its cover.

And the votive, above and below:

My poinsettia and holly

I love poinsettia, and nowadays they can be found in a myriad of colours: from the traditional red, to gold, and silver, and even pinks and blues!

Here I've tried my hand at the traditional red. But, something's happened to my green, so I'll need to see how to fix that :(

In the practice round, it was ok. And that is where I tried my hand at shading for the first time. That's why you can see the outer outlines of my shading strokes. A big no-no - but first timers will do nonsense, won't they?

When I'd finished the poinsettia and holly, I felt that the arrangement looked a bit bare - so I added in some conifer fronds. Yes, needs more work, that, eh?! ;) Hahahahah!!!

See what I mean about the 'shadows' on the practice-sheet?
Aiyo, and what's with the green lah?!

I'm quite happy with this one, actually :)

Practising for Christmas

I have gifts to paint for Christmas, and some of them are on fabric. Not easy. At least not for me. Most of the techniques I use for paper and glass don't work at all :(

But, there is nothing like trying - to find out what you can, and cannot do.

Here's what I did this morning. I couldn't find many colours for fabric, and so: DO NOT LOOK at the colours, or the colour combinations I have used here. Many times, when I'm in practice-mode, I use whatever colours I have on the palette, rather than squeeze out more of a different colour, just so that it would look right. I'm more interested in getting the shape and strokes right, than I am about colour. So that's why, many times, the colours you see all cosy-ing up togethersee are so scary! Hahahah! But on this day - All Hallow's Eve - surely I can be forgiven?

What possessed me to even look at the purple, let alone put it in my basket and then pay for it? I thought it would make a 'less drastic' shadow for the red, than black would. Plus, there was no black to be found :(

Yennyways, with the colours I have, I plan to do a few simple but pretty things. And you'll find them here before Christmas. Fingers crossed ;)

Here they are, altogether, because they don't merit a place all alone!

Missy's house

Missy was meant to join us in Port Dickson last weekend, but it was not meant to be. At 9, she was 'old' for an English bulldog, and she was too ill to come to us. She was laid to rest on Sunday, 24 October.

In his spare time, my DH, Chuan, put together this house for her - little knowing that she wouldn't be here to see it, or enjoy it.

So, since it was completed, I decided that I would go ahead and paint on the flowers that I'd planned to do. The only difference to the design being this heart, to remind us of the happy girl who spent some time with us:

Toffee, above - my long-haired one; and Jolie, below:

I just finished the painting today, so tomorrow, I'll spray on the sealant, and it'll be good :)

See you at the Rainbow Bridge, Missy!