Hi I'm so honered to be asked to have a spot in lous blog and hopefully il be back to add more, I first met lou when I found her Facebook group junk journals and mindful mixed media I had never really joined in with groups I always just watched other people's posts but I decided to give the weekly competition a go and I won I really really won! I was over the moon and then lou offered to help me with the Royal talens oils she demos on hochanda then

we got talking and asked me to join her design team which I thought she was just being nice at first but nope again I was really really part of an amazing team of very talented artists (I still can't believe it).

Then from there Lou just kept helping and pushing me and then she recommended me to be on studiolight design and again I got picked! Lou really is my fairyart mother! I have never met this lady in real life and yet she goes out of her way to help anyone in anyway she can, she really is a very special woman and I can't thank her enough for all her help because I would never have had the convidenece to put art work forward of she hadn't of pushed me.

I am also a part of a mdf design team for Samantha k I used the golden products and talens with the studiolight on her substrates I feel like the luckiest person alive doing what I love and working with so many talented people who really are the best of friends to have.
Here is some of my work I have done for lou over the past year.

Thank you Louise Withers you are one in a  million xxxxx

 Hello everyone (4 of you )
I have been having a de-stressing time with the lovely Pink Ink Designs. I have a huge love for all crafts, beading and embroidery being one of them so after my Large piece for Indigoblu I wanted to continue and do some smaller ones for Cathie and Mel.

 Fairy Mouse,

 Detail of the flowers, I used the Amsterdam Binder and water as a fabric stabilizer so i could cut them out with out fraying.

This is me, the ugly duckling, tries hard to get it right but never does lol

the Diva Bee lol
When i have been sampled out for my Hochanda Tv shows I have reached for these and chilled, using my pens and embellishing the lines.
Please have a look at the PINK INK products they are AMAZING.
Lou

HELLO......

Hi everyone. My names Tamara from Scotland and I love to get messy and create art.

I have been asked by Lou to do a guest spot on her amazing blog and I am so honoured to be asked.

A little bit about me...
I'm a proud Mum of 2 - Cody who is 12 and Frankie (Boyle) who is 3 going on 33. I never done any sort of art at school unless I was forced to. Always thought you had to be good at drawing and painting to create Art - how wrong was I!

After having Cody I decided to go to college to do something with my life. I chose Fashion Design and Manufacture. I absolutely loved it and done very well in my NQ and HND and got 17 merits which I was proud of. Decided to apply for University and zi got in ☺ I was so happy but that didn't last long. Uni was a 'fun sponge' and sucked every part of enjoyment out of fashion for me. I wasn't allowed to be be creative and was told my designs wouldn't sell in commercial shops and had to rein it in. 
Left uni after my honours degree hating anything to do with the fashion industry.

A few years later I fell pregnant with Boyle 😍😍😍 I loved being a Mum but needed something for ME to relax and help me mentally. Just over a year ago, I seen a video on YouTube of art journaling and search for a Facebook group and found Junk Journal and Mindful Mixed Media Art (JJAMMMA) and had been a lifesaver for me - literally. The admin were so welcoming and encouraging for me to give it a go. Louise Withers started pushing me to try to techniques and helped me much. She is my YODA and I am her PADAWANT 😍 I haven't even met her yet but I have such a strong connection with her and I love her to bits. She even believed in me so much that she asked me to be part of her Design Team for her shows on Hochanda with Royal Talens and Golden products and worked her magic for me to get me in touch with Studiolight and I am now part of their amazing Promo Team too ☺ She even made me part of her amazing group that I love so much. She truly is a diamond. This women is amazing and I am so thankful she is my Yoda 😍😍😍 (my cheque better be in the post Lou 😉)

So because of the amazing JJAMMMA group, I have found me Happy Place - creating ☺☺☺

I don't think I have found my "Style" yet as I love trying new things all the time. I love doing Mixed Media girls and get inspiration from Tamara Laporte and Suzi Blu 😍😍😍 Recently got my sewing machine back out after years when I was encouraged by the talented SuzeJo to give textile art a go ☺

I will be doing a weekly post for Lou and will be sharing some of my work with you all and maybe just have a little natter ☺

Sorry this is long.... Thanks for reading.

See you next week ☺

Love
Tamara xoxo

Great believer in Learning something New Everyday!

Hello there, Lou has let me loose on her blog so I thought I would start off with a quick introduction and show you a few photos of the latest samples I created for Lou's Royal Talens 'Pastel' show's last week. 

Now I first met Lou about a year and a half ago at an IndigoBlu Training Weekend and as soon as I met her I thought, this lady is someone I could really get on with and I was so right. She is so full of enthusiasm you can't help getting swept up in it. 
One of the first things Lou was doing when I met her was setting up a FB page for like minded crafters, Junk Journals and Mindful Mixed Media Art (formally JJJAMA) and I was asked to become an admin for the group, then when she was asked to go on Hochanda she asked me if I would be on her DT.
So in that time I have created many samples for her shows, watching her share her fantastic art knowlage and becoming an inspiration to hundreds of people including me. I was even invited to go along with her to help set up things for one of her ODS shows on Hochanda.
So why the title of this post? 
Well Pastels and I have never really got on. Now after watching Lou in action on her shows demostrating the Royal Talens mediums I have learnt to use them in interesting ways and have found a place for them in my crafting.
I'm sure Lou has been an inspiration you and the one thing I know she often says is to 'experiment'! You never quite know what will happen but I bet you have fun trying. 

Starting to lay down Soft Pastel colours

Finished piece after many layers beining sealed with a spray fixative and acylic sealer on top.

The school age way of using Oil Pastels. Colours covered over with Gesso, then when dry scratching off the gesso. An oldie, but still fun to do!

Finished off with embellishments using a stencil and Pumice Paste.

Pumice Paste through a Gears Stencil and Oil Pastels to colour

This Tin was fun to create using lots of RT's meduims and Oil Pastel colours.

Create your own pattern blending 3 contrasting colours of oil pastels and blending them together in sections.

Lastly, why not Die Cut a Journal then Dry Emboss and highlight with Pastels. 

Happy Crafting 
Sue xx
http://birdcagecraftstudio.blogspot.co.uk/

SAMPLES COMING OUT OF MY EARS

Good Morning all, its VERY been busy and only gets more so as I have 2 shows on Hochanda April 10th 10am and 2pm, with Royal Talens, working with pastels.
I am trying to finish samples for the Lovely Ladies of PINK INK using Ecoline pens.
And for my bff Kay Halliwell Sutton of Indigoblu, finish my beloved Jane Sample which has been a labour of love with sewing, beading etc
 I also have had the chance to meet the people from PEAKDALE Products and have created a couple of pieces using their amazing metal and cork products, So  Ive had my HEAD DOWN, trying and experimenting with   Van Gogh chalk and oil pastels on the cork pieces mixed with other products,
I love the results and need more time to work on them.
i have also done a FB LIVE Master class on Collage, so i think i can be excused this time
So will try to be a better blogger and be more frequent.
Love Lou