About Me

Monday, June 25, 2012



Tuesday, August 23, 2011


THE CURSE OF THE TOXIC FRIENDS




I have just read an article in a national newspaper about TOXIC FRIENDS, written by Tamara Abraham, and how maybe 8 of 10 of us put up with people who cause more harm than good. Even though we automatically think that having friends should be a positive thing they can also be a hindrance, your best friend could also be your worst enemy in disguise !!!!! The things we tell people in confidence whilst in a friendship could also be used against us when friendships end, as I'm sure most of us have a Pandora's box of secrets or should I say gossip !!!!!

The paper listed the top 5 toxic friend personality types:-

1) SELF ABSORBED
2) EMOTIONAL VAMPIRES
3) OVER CRITICAL
4) BACKSTABBING
5) UNRELIABLE

Can you see any of these in your friends? But most important of you can you see any of these in YOURSELF ??? !!!!


I began to see one of these in myself and decided I needed to change and also to change the circle of friends. I have also downgraded some friends from seeing them regularly to only occasionally and some I have just cut completely out of my life, especially those that are, what I call liars.


Nobody or nothing is 100% perfect should we take that into consideration? Should these faults be overlooked as I'm sure some people are born like it and it's second nature to them and they don't realise any different, for example those people that never have a good word to say about anybody !!!

Why is it so hard for many to end friendships? can we compare it to be more or less on the same level as ending an emotional relationship or even a marriage ?

I prefer toxic clean out to toxic waste !!! maybe I'm just one of these hard cold people that can do it !!!
What about you?



Monday, August 15, 2011






hand drawn and watercolours






images from lisa's altered art



collage using images from lisa's altered art

Saturday, September 25, 2010



HER HAND
A mixed media zetti gothic chunky art page.
This is for a swap on Illustrated ATCs.
This page represents the fact that we always seem to see what other people have, do , look like etc but we don't often take a look at what we have, do , look like etc.

Thursday, September 23, 2010



ATCs for ALL swap, theme:- use newspaper on your ATC. I used it in my background.







ATCS for ALL swap , theme :- Fairy Gothic Arches
background , spray mist, alcool, distress ink, vintage images

Friday, July 30, 2010



'Matrioska', this is from a mixed media workshop kit that I bought. I still have to finish it , so far I've done part of the background on a wooden panel using vintage book text, tissue paper from the kit, I added some white cellotape, gesso, acrylics, homemade glimmer mist spray, rubber ink .I made sure that I didn't put any paper layers under where I'm going to put the matrioska so she won't be showing any lumps and bumps from the paper layers. I still have to glue the matrioska onto the panel, once done I will do a little bit of rubber stamping and when I finally get round to finishing it I would like to use some cheesecloth and paperclay on it to add more depth to it so it won't look so flat.

I also have to finish the matrisoka. I didn't use the pencils in the kit as I just couldn't work with them I just didn't find them creamier enough to blend well as I could see my colouring lines and were smudging the ink lines on the matrioska, so I used my old faithfuls prismacolor and derwent drawing. I was first introuduced to prismacolor when I took my first online course with Suzi Blu a couple of years back and for me they are just greyt for coloring, shading and blending so creamy soft.

I get my prismacolor pencils from here 1buy1pencil .

Once I had finished colouring, blending and painting I put acrylic gesso on the back of her as a protective layer, dark colours don't bleed through and also to help adere better with the gel meldium to the background layer.

Hope to finish this soon otherewise she just may become another UFO.......a darn bad habit of mine....
have a greyt weekend
joan

Wednesday, July 28, 2010






This is an MMA Arch Pat on illustrated atcs com the size of the arche is 6" X 4".
They have been done using different mediums and techniques.
I chose the group Zettis, here are two arches the first one is for ERASERQUEEN and the second one is for ARTYIAGIRL.
Have to make another 2 and yay I'm finished

Saturday, July 17, 2010



ATCs FOR ALL swap ...red, white and black

Thursday, July 15, 2010



BELIEVE IN YOURSELF ATC

A simple ATC, using acrylic paints, rubber stamps and a hand drawn and painted gal
ciao
crafty joan

Wednesday, July 14, 2010



ADMIRE STRANGE REALITY

A 4" X 6" mixed media post card art.

This I will be sending out as a RAK with a little quote on the back for the recipient.

here it's RED HOT.
ciao
crafty joan







Friday, July 02, 2010



MIXED MEDIA MONDAY challenge use something blue in your art this tied up just right for my ATCs FOR ALL swap, theme CHUNKIES 4 x 4, 2 - COLOR CHUNK CHALLENGE.
For this swap we have to choose a combination of 2 colours and 5 different art techiniques to create a chunky mixed media page.

Images used are from ALTERED ARTIFACTS

Can you guess what techniques I've used ?

have a greyt weekend
crafty


ATCs FOR ALL swap, theme freakish, functional and / or funny faeries.
Images used from LISA'S ALTERED ART
backgrounds done using the melted was crayon method, acrylics, and stamping pad.

Thursday, June 03, 2010

JOURNAL BLISS.

Questo libro vorrei vendere non ho mai utilizzato o guardato da quando è stata comprata per me in 2009, e proprio come nuovo., mio e.mail è in alto a destra di questa pagina.
Fra poco anche altri libri che vorrei vendere che non utilizzo piu.



by Violette

check her out, has a lot of tutorials, videos and links to be had.

This was bought for me but unfortunately It's not a book I would have bought for myself given the choice. It's been sitting in a cupboard looking sad as it's never been used or read since it was given to me in 2009. The person who gave it to me knows and agrees that I should sell it if I can and buy a book that really appeals to me.
Nice one friend.........you really rock.

If anyone's interested pls e-mail me in private, email address top right of this page-

I'm having a clearout as I'm just not doing so much mixed media work and craft work at the moment so I'll probably notify you of more books soon.

Trying out new things at the moment with techniques that I already know, will show you soon.

joan

Friday, May 28, 2010

MAT = Marie Antoinette Tag



This is a tag I've made for a surprise swap .She's now winging her way to my secret partner.
ciao
crafty

Thursday, May 06, 2010

BRING ON THE SHOWGIRLS



ATCs for a swap on ATCs FOR ALL hosted by Mandy, each ATC has been done with a different technique.

Top left with acrylics, inks and watercolours and gesso.
Top right with melted wax crayon method and gesso.
bottom left collage with collage sheets and gesso.
bottom right done with paper fabric technique and gesso.

Looking forward to my returns
ciao
joan

Sunday, April 25, 2010

WINGED WOMEN CHUNKY PAGE S



These are my chunky pages for a swap on ATCs for All, with some greyt artists participating. We had the theme of WINGED WOMEN to interpretate, I went for a Zetti style page