Spring has decided to pay a visit to Scotland - beautiful suuny day and I got my perennials all planted. The earth was so hard to dig though, had to have 40 winks afterwards. Anyway, another 4x4" (now that we're gone metric in the UK, that should probably be 10.5x10.5cms. but what a mouthful - I always notice that the Americans have the knack of abbreviating things so well) here's today's:
I stitched a scrap of fabric to the card and sewed on a transparency, then cord and wooden beads.
Here's today's 4x4" - I had a really tiring morning. Had a few things on the list and got them all done and waited for a taxi to pass by. Well, I waited and waited, so I started to walk home thinking I'd get one on the way (had a very heavy shopping buggy to pull) and all uphill. Eventually arrived home on foot and dead beat. Thank goodness my mother had cooked the lunch so all I had to do was sit down with a glass of 'red' and eat!! It's not all bad is it LOL.
I decided that I was going to have to concentrate on the rest of my projects and ease up on the 4x4"s but you know I couldn't - there were some blanks on the table and some paint scraps and the rest is history. This is no.17 and that's an unlucky number in Italy, so there will have to be another tomorrow, so hope to see you.....
Here's a fabric postcard I made today for a private swap - as with all of our work it's much nicer in reality.
Well, since no-one spotted what my question was about (see March 25 'can you see') I'll tell you -- at the left-hand side there's a WING almost the length of her body. See it now??
I just can't let a day slip past without doing a chunky page and I don't know if I have a caffeine rush on but I'm full of pep and will start some other swaps I'm in. Here's today's:
Today I heard about a 92 year old man who, whilst a student at Dublin uni, was short of funds and had done a series of paintings of street life there but hadn't sold any. This year, 70 years later, he'd been asked by Irish/American visitors, nostalgic for the old Dublin of their youth, if he still had them and he sold the lot. AND he still paints!! So take heed, never ever give up!!!!!
I have finished my spread for the transparency round of the Colour Play RR and will be mailing it onto the next artist tomorrow. The originals always look bette
r than the scans though! 
I love using gold paint.
Well, here I am still making daily 4x4"s and I have to say that today I also almost finished a spread for one of my RRs, looked at some paintings which are works in progress but didn't actually do anything to them, thought about tidying up my art mess but didn't LOL, went into the garden to make the border wider as I've bought new plants but got into conversation with my neighbour and after that decided that I was icy cold and went inside to have a coffee. Sooooo here's today's chunky page:
I searched and searched for the missing matchbox but couldn't find it, so I made another to be sent out to the winner of March Art Lottery on Art-e-Zine - here it is:
Altere
I'm so pleased to be doing this daily challenge - I also have loads of other things littered around my artroom and also (unfortunately) my dining room. As soon as it's all put away, I'll do some "chez moi" photos so that I can occasionally glance at what used to be!!!
AND I've lost my altered matchbox which has to go in the mail asap, so the clean up might be tomorrow (oh what a thought).
I went to switch my laptop on this morning and thought 'Oh no, I didn't make a 4x4" ye
sterday' - I just couldn't believe that I'd completely forgotten (senior moment!!). So here's no. 13 -- lucky for some LOL.
P.S. I'm working on a new swap outline and hope it'll prove to be too tempting to resist!!
Did anyone get Bernie Berlin's new book "Artist Trading Card Workshop? It's given me renewed interest in making ATCs and of course now it's 4x4"s. So today I made the string technique and it is different!
I had a dried up bottle of walnut ink which was resurrected with water LOL.
I need to learn how to link to Amazon from here....
I've joined an art group and last month we had a demo 'flowers in acrylic' - I'm not sure if I mentioned it before but this artist used a house painter's brush and did huge sweeps of colour - wonderfully liberating - so tonight they're doing watercolours - my favourite artist is Shirley Trevena -- I wanna paint like her!!!!!
Here's today's 4x4" - it's got a bit of everything on it: tissue, stencils, vintage image, pencils and more!
The background is quite strong and was wondering what to use as a focal point - hope I chose the right thing...
Here's my daily - I'm getting quite used to doing these - who knows where I'll end up LOL.
I picked up my snazzy new sunglasses today, and was told I looked like a film star -- certainly made my day!!
... you thought I wasn't going to do my daily 4x4" -- here it is. I honestly threw this together in about 15 mins. When I make art for myself, it's relaxed and I don't have to worry about glue showing and things like that, you know what I mean?
I saw an unusual bird in the garden, first of all I thought it was a Thrush and very excited as I haven't seen one for years, but when it moved I could see a stripe near its eyes and under the wings. So I emailed the RSPB about it, it was a Redwing, member of the Thrush family and spend the winter in the UK escaping the harsher climate of Scandinavia where they breed. And there was me thinking I'd discovered a new species LOL.
I'm a bit ahead of the game with these tags but, as I finished them last night, thought I'd send them on their way. The theme is 'My Secret Garden' and in case you're wondering about the fishy one - imagine there's a pond!! 
Some are padded and some not - most have some beading and hand stitching -
This is today's 4x4". I can see these bound into a nice little booklet so can't give up yet LOL.
I found a beautiful book at TK Maxx (those of you in the UK will know this shop no doubt) with the most stunning photography and vibrant colours. I had started a new painting and needed something to put in the foreground, and found the perfect budgie in the book. This painting is far from finished but just wanted to ask what you think I could add to the expanse of water. I think the arches should be longer but didn't want to reduce the feeling of distance. In a quandary.... 
I made this 4x4" today using handmade paper dipped into UTEE, stamps, buttons etc. but I now have a pile of things to do -- 3 RR journals, fabric tags, altered bandaid tins, ATCs made from fused fibres and painted paper towels, so might have to pause for a bit - I'll see....
The altered bandaid tin swap is hosted by me for Art-e-Zine, come and join in the challenge, sign up by 22 April and tins due to me end April.
I tried today to pick something out of my scraps box and then use it for the 4x4". But I have to feel good about what I'm creating, and that didn't work! I used lovely bouncy silver paint on this but it shows up as grey - you'll just have to use your imagination LOL.
I found this rubber stamp this morning for 10 pence - isn't it nice.
Here's today's 4x4" - I felt like using fabric today and stitched on a piece of cotton that had paint on it from a clean-up. Then the Renaissance lady is a favourite of mine. The 'determination' in the title refers to me not giving in LOL.
Well, my entry for a CPS challenge didn't get chosen, so I can post it here. The book is made of felt embellished with stitch, beads, metallics, fabric paper etc. and skewers inserted so as to make it zig-zag and stand up.
I didn't think I'd manage to do one today - been having an off day. BUT here I am with a new 4x4", that's a pressed orchid behind her head, and the stamps are from a vintage grocer's set.
I know that Kari has taken the challenge, would be nice to know if anyone else is doing this so as I can see what you're up to!!
I made this today but have to say that the background was already made ages ago (I ask myself is that cheating??). It's stamped pelmet vilene with tissue paper stitched on in leaf shapes, then you tear away the excess tissue and rub a bit of PVA on to shine them a little.
I feel such a dope and gave you the wrong title - the painting I've entered in the Saatchi competition is 'The Tree of Life' and you can see it here:
http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/showdown/index.php?showpic=3712
thanks again!!
I don't know where my second last post went to, and without it the last post doesn't make sense. So I'll try to write it again:
Been working most of the day on a new painting but didn't want to neglect my daily 4x4" so I did this in about 20 mins.
This was lying on my table and you know 
what -- I like it just as much or even better upside down!!!
Sorry, folks, got the dates mixed up for the Saatchi competition - The round I've entered my painting in is 12-19 March.
I've entered this painting into the Saatchi Gallery's Showdown for the week 19-26 March. the painting with the most votes wins £1,000 and runner-up gets £750. I'm not twisting any arms here but if you feel like it - vote fo
r mine!!!! See here to vote:
http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/showdown/ (this round starts on 19 March and paintings are displayed then) can't remember if I called this 'still life' or 'vase with flowers' - the name is ZACCARDELLI - thanks folks!!!
Well, here's my 4x4" for today . I don't know how long I'll be able to keep this going but I hate to give in too soon -- will have to see. And it's also my March chunky book page for a swap.
It's been one of those days today as my bus which usually takes 10 mins. to go to town, took over an hour as it got jammed between parked cars on a corner. And it was freezing with a few isolated snow flakes.... but the sun was shining too!!
I've been reading about creating a piece of art every day, something small about 4"x4", it's not too demanding and a great way of loosening up and also a great way of acquiring art as they could be swapped. What do you think? Want to join in? I'm going to start right now although I have loads of projects to finish, but you know that feeling - paper, paints, fibres - hehehe. I'll post the first as soon as it's dry.
When I first saw Inchies on a few sites, I thought they were amazing but too fiddly for me to make. But I then had a change of heart and joined a swap. I enjoyed making them but have to say that the lines of text were really difficult for me - teeny pieces of paper - I even used tweezers LOL. But they turned out fine and now I need to make some for me to keep!!
