Day out

I had a day out yesterday with the 'goat' at the dog show.  we just love the dog show events - we have been a 'fixture' at the Lune Valley Agility show for - phew - must be over 8 years - we started before we had Henry.  We got into it because I was working our William (and he must be 11 about now).  It is such a fantastic time - the County Showground is block booked for 10 days by the Lune Valley dog training club - and people arrive from all over the country to take part.  There is a mini 'village' of tents / campers / caravans / and mobile homes to die for - a couple of local catering vans, the milk man, the Tesco van, the camping gas man, the local brewery ;-) all visit every day to keep everyone going with the basics.  There are toilets, water taps and showers there for those that need it, and several doggie suppliers have tents.

We were going to go on Sunday - but the weather was just not practical - and hubby is well over swamped with other work - so the only day we managed this year was Monday.

so here we go - all line up for a picture

William did the 'meet and greet' to settle any doggie nerves at having a picture done

this is what the dog portraits look like (these are old examples)

I took my ((Christmas)) knitting

I took the boys to see how 'proper' dogs behave 

and now they are totally flat out 

peace at last

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Day off

Monday is kitten's day off

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Fabric bag

Who's the muppet that ver carefully and securely sewed the velcro fastening on back to front - and then wondered why it did not work - that would be me then!

I made an envelope bag to fit in my Gansai watercolours and a colouring book to carry around.  I measured so carefully where to put the second piece of velcro type fastening - and I put the hookie side down instead of up - see - we all do it ;-)  I very carefully unpicked it and turned it round.

Don't ask me for sizes - I just used to box as a template for the big front - then cut envelop shaped flaps for the back.  It is lined with some fabric that was gifted to me about 3 years ago - the bias is from the pattered bundles we have in the shop - and the red pompom is from the the felt trimmings that I am selling off

It takes my box and bits very comfortably. 

And I have actually used them this week

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Saturday Journal

I have no head today and I just wanted to doodle about with out having to think what I was doing.

The background is Dylusions inks painted from my water brushes - I just fill them with the ink and use them like a paint brush (I have one for each colour and keep the ink in them all the time).

Then I just kind of doodled zened all afternoon.  Big thick black lines for a change - I wanted them to really stand out.

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

New video

This is my first 'how to' - and it's the really useful mushrooms that I draw.

So many people have asked me for the stamp and it's so easy to draw.

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Day off

Monday is kitten's day off

;-)

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Tidy up

I m getting on really well with my tidy up campaign.  At the moment the contents of the box room shelves are all over my bedroom ;-)

It is improving - really - I am having a good blast over of all the kits to get them streamlined and consistent.  And I will be able to get finished the ones that have been hanging about since before the builder's upheaval.

There is a new kit for yo - the Darling Dragon pin cushion.  He stands about 3 1/2" tall and he is based on something I made for my needlework exams about a million years ago.

The felt pieces are already cut for you - and as it's one of my kits  - everything y ou need to complete the project is in the little plastic work box (well it's a takeaway tub  - but they make brilliant little project boxes).

He is on the website and in the shop.

I am also in the middle of making up some more of the Nellie Ellie knitted elephant kits which have been out of stock - should be ready next week as I am re-organising the system.

Right - on with my journal - and I might jus draw today

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

I finally made a video

It has taken me loads of attempts - I kept messing up one of the elements - then when I thought I had finally got it all - the audio gave me problems.  But it's done at last.

I so admire the people who have channels and do amazing stuff with their videos - I will never be that clever.  And I will never be that tidy or organised to do a long run at a project.  I hope to do short 'how tos' - I will show you how to draw a mushroom this afternoon.  Well I will record it - it will probable take me another week to get it fit to be seen!

Anyway - here is my video - a short tour of the shop - it looks huge in this ;-)

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

It's a beautiful sunny day here in the Auld Gray Town -

And seeing the sunshine always makes me want to Spring Clean.

I have had a good old clean and re-organise iof the front boards

I do love my little shop - I feel I am making real progress now after the move upheaval - finally getting things organised, clean and tidy - and all labeled properly.  It has taken me a little while to find my style and look - but I think that has been down to circumstances beyond my control.

I have sorted out  all the cross stitch and tapestry and put them on the door trellis panel - looks really pretty.

Right - now my housekeeping duties are done I can spend the afternoon colouring.

This evening's work will be starting on Posh Dog jumpers for the coming winter.

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

First 'proper' youtube how to

OK chaps - this is the first 'proper' how to do video on the princesskitten channel on a you tube video - now - this is my first attempt - and the lighting is not 'spot on'  - but it's a very easy and practical drawing that you can all do and use in your projects.  

I am using Videopad to do the editing - which for the less techie endowed of us - I find really easy to use - then uploading to you tube and adding a free music track for the background

Any tech advice is always welcome

and anyone with a local (Cumbria / Kendal) band / singer who would like me to use their sound track (with credits of course) - know idea where this will go - but who knows ;-)


Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Day off

Monday is kitten's day off

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Journal pages

Several different journal pages to share today - some in my bible and some of my Gansai watercolour

I did this cute little birdie - acrylic background - stamped bird coloured with Gansai watercolour

Then I did this paint effect - it is much prettier than it looks and there are bronze clock faces embossed onto it.

I liked the effect so much I did the cover of my little watercolour book using the same technique.  There are 3 blues and 1 green paint colour dabbed on first - pat all the colours together and dry a bit - then you wipe over with a bit of metallic copper paint and wipe back to show the base colours - I added a bit of very dark red over the top for depth - rubbed a dry Memento Black pad around the edges to age - then I drew on the wings and crown pattern through a stencil with just a black fine liner pen (I did try to use paint but the cover has a canvas effect and the paint kept bleeding under the stencil and making a mess) - then I added the white highlights - wow did that make the image come alive!  I am sure a few more bits and bobs will get added in a while - but I love it so far.

Then I coloured a Lisa Victoria stamp with the Ganasi - the wing colour is one of the metallics in the set - sheer silver (over a light colour tone undercoat) - really pretty

and I painted a tree kind of following along with a youtube video.  It's growing on me - I might try the technique again with autumn colours and remember to leave the tops more 'open' for the branches to show.  Sometimes you have to go away for a bit and then come back to your work with a fresh eye to see what you could improve on.

So that's the weekends creativity so far.  At the moment I am  working in my colouring book to experiment with the watercolours.  A pre-printed colouring book is great for taking the stress out of creating the actual image shape - and it leaves you to just concentrate on the watercolour and how it reacts to how you work it.  

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Ephemera

My new favorite word - - 

EPHEMERA

Ephemera: The term 'ephemera' covers printed items that have been designed not to last ie. bus/train/ride tickets, handbills, leaflets, posters, advertising, packaging, flyers, newspapers, menus

As the Ephemera Society says - 'The minor transient documents of everyday life'.

When you think of all the junk that falls out of our monthly magazines / news papers / handouts everywhere - and we think it's junk - take that 'advert for a cruse' - age it by - say just over 100 years - that could have been the flyer for the Titanic!!  - All those postcards sent from the lines in the first world war - 'ephemera' - not designed to last more than a few days (well months - post!) - and we are spellbound by them.  Those amazing vintage adverts - we all hark back to 'better days' - designed to be thrown away - so beautiful.

So in this big age that everyone calls 'the throwaway generation' - we have never been so documented and saved.

I am going to create a journal page from one of the junk mail flyers I get this week - might even video it and add it to my youtube 

we need a new word for modern ephemera - 'junk that is here now - and will be available for years to come if you google it'

Suggestions on a (ephemera) postcard - or a ( ??? ) email ;-)

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Key hole canvas

I started this canvas an age ago.  It got put aside when I started with Personal Impressions because there was so much to do to start off.  All the bits and bobs were there waiting on the kitchen bench - now I have actually made the effort to get it finished.

The side detail

In its place on the end wall of the shop - and yes - I have spritzed the wall with inks ;-) 

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

bible journaling pages

I am not on my game at the moment - I was so tired and washed out last week that it will take me a bit to get back to full action again.

Not really pleased with this one - the background is too black - and the brain drawing (underneath the vellum tab) really - really should have been bigger - twice the size at least

Happier with this one though.  Sew on a journal page - some times it takes someone else to say - why not try ----

I love the technique of applying paint to your paper with a credit card 

You can get a really lovely 'scrape' of paint - so thin it's almost clear.

I will be more on top of stuff this week

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Viva Chalk Paint Review

Gosh - it was so cold in the night I had to get up and make a hot water bottle - my feet were like Ice.  To make it worse - the book I am reading at the moment keeps going on about the heat in the city - the heat radiating up from the pavement - the still hot nights - - yeah - as if!!

If you pop over to the Personal Impressions blog you will find a quick review I did of the Viva Chalk paints.  I was experimenting in my journal with them - you never know I may even paint some furniture with them ')



Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

New blog for you

I just LOVE this guy!!!

Aaron - known as Imperfect Impulses on the web - is an art journaler who has a very 'hands on' approach.  I love his touchie-feelie way with paints and textures - his pages are very open and versatile. One day I am going to do a page his way along with one of his videos - mind you I think my poor little long suffering journal will fall apart .

There are not all that many guys in the craft world - and this one is such a sweetie pie.  I watch his stuff on youtube - and link to him on facebook - and he has a website too

I just love watching him work and listening to him talk.

I have been trying to set up a youtube channel for the kitten - and I kina think - there are just sooo meany really, seriously, clever folk out there - waaay more polished and professional than I could ever  hope to be in a million years - perhaps the time would just be better spent just watching them.

So drop in on Aaron and see if you like his way of doing things -  - it's different and challenging!


Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Monday

Well it is my day off really

But doing my Personal Impressions stuff there is a blog post from me

a 'how to do ...'

HERE

And I have loads of stuff to catch up on.

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com