Have you noticed .. (rant .. dont look if ya dont want to hear me sound off )

Ok gonna have a bit of a moan now. (takes deep breath ) Have you noticed that it doesn't matter how hard you work at blogging and when i say blogging i dont mean adding your own text, views and work etc, I mean real blogging where you go to be inspired by other bloggers - where you go to give others some support, interest and love, where you exchange views, share ideas and give of yourself a little time in exchange for knowledge and inspiration and friendship.
So have you noticed that no matter how much of your precious time and thought and care you take to visit and comment on other blogs ..... the lack of reciprical response you get ?

I am proud to say i really 'care' about blogging, about other bloggers, their work and their efforts to share with the rest of us and i do my best on an almost daily basis to visit,read, admire and comment on as many blogs as i can. I belive that the work, the art the thoughts and feelings of my fellow bloggers matters and I will keep on doing this as long and as often as i can.
That being said, not everyone has a lot of time on their hands and i certainly don't expect a response from every comment i make as i DO have the time so i can do that and not everyone can. BUT .... what i find upsetting is that i see some of the blogs with many, many comments from the same people who ignore my own comments. I begin to think maybe my blog is rubbish, maybe my art is rubbish and i get stupidly paranoid .... Yeah i know ... stupid ... and it is but it still happens and it still hurts.
Sooo if you are out there and you find someone has taken time to comment and care about you and your art ( i don't mean me, but anyone who takes precious time out for you ) then when you do get time ... instead of just blogging along with the popular blogs ... pay that person a visit and say hello ? .... go on it will make someone smile and lets face it ... we all need that.

Ok Rant over !!! You can look now hehehe !!!
IN HONOUR OF ALL ACTIVE AND CARING BLOGGERS ....

This new one of mine is dedicated to you

Sunglasses at the ready

This one is sizzling orange and black just to wake you all up hehe
A card i made just for a change. I was in the mood to ink up and layer and tear ... nothing more strenuous than cutting and stamping for me today. I know you all need sunglasses now !!!

Sowwy hehe !!!

If you Love vintage and would like a chance to own something beautiful .. pop over to Cindy's blog and see her wonderful giveaway

Altered Frame

This is my altered frame which i finished yesterday. It includes acrylic and crackled painted surface and has all kinds of embellishments all recycled including old jewellery and watch part, Some gorgeous glass flat mottled stones and handmade paper beads from some scraps of paper I had lying around.

Plus i added some images i had printed using transfer technique of angels and a mermaid creature. The swirls and colours are just hand painted free style as suited my mood.
I had a lot of fun making this one

Anything goes

I made this atc to swap with a friend and i want to say thank you to my lovely friend Cassie as the background on my atc has part of a scanned pic from the lovely Postcard art the Cassie sent me.
Cassie thank you.
This is the atc which also has inks, stamps etc added and layered.
This is for the Daily art stop challenge - anything goes .. hope pink and chocolate does hehe!


















To Celebrate spring i also thought i would share one of my poems with you all. I hope you like it.
I Dream of May
(c)J. Macfarlane 2007

In the gloom of winter, I dream of May,
awaiting her touch as she passes this way.
A whisper of warm breath in my hair,
as the May breeze, caresses me there.

Blooming May, like an expectant mother
brimming with beauty, unlike any other.
Softly and suggestively she delivers hope,
of fresh beginnings and new ways to cope.

Earth in May, sports a velvet green gown,
shimmering with dew under a misty down.
Trees are bursting , proud fat and healthy.
Magnificent Oak’s are once again wealthy.

A square field of corn, like buttermilk on gold,
guarded by wild hedges, soldiers, bold.
Hide and seek rabbits playing at dawn,
darting and weaving at the edge of the corn.

May blesses with a kiss, the mysterious wood,
carpeting where once, winter shadows stood.
She sprinkles her magic in most vibrant blues,
with delicate little bluebells in lilac tone hues.

Oh how I dream of May’s maternal embrace.
To bathe in the warmth of early sun on my face.
To walk barefoot and feel the grass on my skin,
inhaling moist woody aroma, deeply within

Bird in the mirror

Just needed to play with my newest stamp and made the bird in a mirror with acrylic square

Make it Monday Silver

I thought i would have a go at a challenge while in the mode for art and having an hour to spare so here is my entry for make it monday - Silver silver trimmings plus i used acrylic white and also recycled hubbies old fish tank thermometer strip lol
Image courtesy of Sum of all crafts

experimenting as usual

This one doesn't photograph well as it has a high gloss finish but this is highly textured then finished in gloss with mica pigments in it to give an unusual distressed rust underneath the gloss.
The celtic stamp was done in stazon (black cherry ) on background. BUT also i used the stamp over melted red wax ( careful if you try it as it clogs the stamp so dont use a good one and be sure to clean immediately ) This gave a wax seal effect. I also scored and scratched the wax to get more movement.
Another of my crazy experiments but it was fun. I was quite pleased with the result but maybe will choose a more neutral colour base next time

Something a little different

Art is my usual contribution to this blog but I also write a little, although it has been a long while since I did any writing at all. I have a few poems that were published around 5 years ago and keep being drawn to the art of writing more and more yet my muse is not strong enough yet to put pen to paper. Anyway I just thought it would make a change to share a poem or two in between my art work here at my Arty retreat. I very much hope you all won't mind me sharing them.

Beckoning Memories
(c) J. Macfarlane 2007

Yesterday called tonight, a voice born on the breeze,
as it swept across the prairie under the cherry wine sky.
Oh how it hurt her heart with its beckoning call,
conjuring up thoughts that were buried in the day.

Standing at the fence watching a pink sun sink low,
her bare feet itched to pursue it beyond the horizon.
Liberty bound with the wind aiding her escape,
towards yesterday,tomorrow fading with each step.

A sound awakened her, the sharp needful call of her present,
dispersing the magic and returning to her, a weary spirit.
She turned slowly,relinquishing dreams that did not belong,
and yesterdays that were long gone.

As the sun bid farewell, Yesterday said goodbye

Lots to Do challenge & thanks

Had time to play today for the first time in a week and enjoyed myself doing a couple of projects. One is a swap i am doing which still needs a little more done but i did manage to start and finish this fat page for the theme of 'ART' in the challenge over at Lots to do

This one includes : background distressed wallpaper plus stamps and embossing and then added a mounted square of embossing pasted background that i made then painted in gold and then added collage images i have which were then painted lightly with h20 pigmented paints
















For everyone who has prayed and helped me to get through the last couple of months ....
Adam is doing ok and things are picking up a little. I thought you might like to see a pic so here he is with his two little ones at my home recently. Thank you all for your continued support, advice and friendship, its been so much help i would find it impossible to put into words how much it has meant to me.

Incredibly busy

I have five mins on the net this morning and no time at all this week but hopefully tomorrow i can spend a little time
In the meantime i made this last weekend ( seems like ages ago now lol )
Hugs to all my blogging friends