a bit late, I know, forgot to post

Bird in a Cage, IF & RS 34-36

This was created using 2 pictures from The Graphics Fairy, the bird and the cage. The background is one of my creations using stamps and handmade rolling stamps.

The challenge this week with Illustration Friday is the word 'Influence'.

I saw the picture of the penguin in a magazine which I cut out, and I was influenced by it to create the page to stick it on.

More rolling stamp ideas for you to try

RS35 uses shop bought fun foam shapes stuck to a gravy carton

RS34 is another one cut from a wine cork

and RS36 is a cord wrapped around a container

Sketchbook No 9, p11,27

oodles of doodles

Creature

The original doodle above has been placed on rolling stamp backgrounds below.

Sketchbook No 9 - p1, 3, 5, 7

More pages from sketchbook 9

brush pen drawings

Beaded Monoprints & Rolling Stamps [30-33]

These mini canvases were pressed into thick green acrylic paint, then while the paint was wet I fixed on the beads. It seemed a good idea at the time, although now I'm not so sure..... I don't like them.

More rolling stamps - No 30 was made from a piece of ....? ...the fabric that keeps little [wall] tiles together. Keep your eye open for textured fabrics, they make great rolling stamps. If you are throwing something away, think before you do, you maybe able to recycle it for a rolling stamp. And save empty bottles and other round containers.

No 31 - this fabric I acquired from a friend

No 32 was made from pipe insulation

No 33 is a wine bottle cork, just simple lines cut from the edge

IF & SC

 The Illustration Friday challenge this week is 'swell'. {click to enlarge}

This was a very quick sketch so its not anatomically correct [he has a very strange arm] but I thought I'd keep him anyway. 

For the Sketchbook Challenge the theme for August is 'everyday objects', and I chose to sketch cups. I saw a photo I liked which I copied, but I changed the decoration on the cups.

Sunflowers, Echinacea & Rolling Stamps 26-29

These are photographs I took in my garden the other day, between the rain storms.

I did actually put them on a post yesterday but then the power supply to the internet blew up just as I was about to post, so it didn't work. I could imagine a fire starting from that incident so I'm glad we were in the house when it happened. Anyway all fixed now as you can see.

Rolling stamp 26 is made from fun foam in the shape of buttons

for the pattern below I drew on paper first, although I don't always do that.

The stamp below is made from lace wrapped around an empty paint bottle.

I'm off to the Birmingham quilt show tomorrow, anyone else going there?

Spiky flower doodle on painted backgrounds

the original spiky flower doodle above was put on a rolling stamp painted backgrounds below

Two more Tortoises, Imperfect & Rolling Stamps [23-25]

Two more tortoise paintings for the 'shelter' project.

Below is a flower you have seen before but has been altered for the IF challenge - imperfect

[the original]

Three more hand made rolling stamps

Stamp 23 is a very large stamp made from fun foam

Stamps 24, 25 are made from textured wallpapers

click on images to enlarge

Rolling Stamps [17,19,20, 21 22] & Pen Drawings [Faces]

More rolling stamps

Rolling stamp 17 above  - cut from pipe insulation foam

Textured fabric [forgotten what it is called]

A zip

Fun foam

Curtain heading tape

and pen sketches below - practising drawing faces found in the TV magazine

Day Out at Seahouses

Just checking my photos from a day at the coast. I like the flags on the photo above. We went to Seahouses, Northumberland and from there we went on a boat tour around some of the Farne Islands to see grey seals and birds.

If you look closely on the photo below, there are some seals, but they blend in with the rocks. [click the image for a larger view] And every time I tried to take a picture of a seal in the water it went under.  I'm afraid I don't make a very good wildlife photographer!