ARTYADVENT: 24th December

CHRISTMAS MAKES AND BAKES.....

Hellooooo ArtyAdventers!  I have been neglecting you!  

Thank you for your kind messages that you sent in the absence of ArtyAdvent.  Fortunately I didn't meet an apocalyptic end on Friday, although there's probably still time yet!  I  did eat far too much cake and mince pies, just in case The End came........and fortunately The End didn't come.

So - where the hell have I been, you ask!  Well........I have been very very busy trying to finish off, and  actually, start from the very beginning and finish, the Christmas gifts I've been making.  O yes, why be prepared when you can leave it all to the last minute and have a whole load of stress.  O yes indeedy, it just wouldn't do to have had everything made gradually, in a more gentile atmosphere, free of stress, a few months ago.  Hell no.  So I've been partaking in some extreme sewing, painting, drawing and quilting.

And I have to say, it's not like you see on the santa films - all the wee elves going into overdrive to get all the christmas toys made!  That's all just made up nonsense.  It's not real. 
I am all the elves.  It's just me! 

But what IS true of course, is that all elfs need fuel to frantically make all these lovely makes!  And so, today's ArtyAdvent is a HUGE slice of cake.  Which I made myself.   

There was a bit more of it earlier.............some of it appears to have disappeared!  I presume so that you could all see better my lovely granny plate!  I do love a lovely granny plate.  They look so good with an almighty chunk of cake on them!

And of course, no ArtyAdvent would be the same without a close-up:

What a splendid continental shelf sized cake this is!  It calls to me.........come eat me..........I'm delicious..............eat me eat me eat me........You can see that I've aleady given in to temptation!  And I can't concentrate on all the extreme and rapid fire sewing and painting and drawing and quilting and so I have to go and eat some more cake.

I hope whatever you do today you get some time to eat some cake and relax.  Even if, like me, it's in between frantic creativity!

I will post pictures of all the makes after Christmas, so as not to spoil the surprises!  There won't be an ArtyAdvent tomorrow but I will be back at the end of the week with pictures of the Christmas Makes for you to see.

I wish you all a very merry, peaceful and joyous christmas, folks.

Wendy

ARTYADVENT: 21st December

Well hellooooo ArtyAdventers.

Today marks a very special day.  It is the winter solstice today - the shortest day of the year and longest night of the year.  At 11:11GMT, the sun will be at its furthest point from the earth.

The solstice is also known as yule.  Yuletime celebrates the birth of the Sun God and the rebirth of the sun.  Love, creation and rebirth are significant at this time. 

Today also marks the end of the Mayan long count calendar, which has an apocalyptic end.  Doomsday!

Many believe that there will be devastating earth activity such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, major storms.  Some believe that there will be an almighty alien invasion.  Others believe that the enlightened will ascend into heaven.

I guess we'll find out soon enough what, if anything, happens...... 

And so, given that my time here on earth may be finished in just over an hour, I'm away to consume as many cakes, crisps and confections as I can.  O, yes, well, just realised that I do that anyway.  So I guess no, I'm not doing anything unusual to mark The End!

Thanks for stopping by.  See you tomorrow for more ArtyAdvent. 

ARTYADVENT: 20th December

Hellooooo ArtyAdventers. 

Some days it's kinda hard to get into the Christmas Spirit.  Today is one of those days.  Not necessarily a grumpy day, just a kinda dunno-whit kinda day.

So here's a self portrait of me looking festive.  Reindeer ears and a santa jacket.  Ho Ho Ho.  And yes, I am smiling.  That's me smiling...........!!!!  And that's as smiley as I'll get today............

It doesn't get much more festive than this.  Does it?

Har!

See you tomorrow for some more ArtyAdvent, when I'll hopefully be in a more festive humour..............Don't place any bets right enough.........

Ha!

ARTYADVENT: 19th December

Helloooooo fellow ArtyAdventers.  I hope you are well today.

Today's ArtyAdvent features a lovely angel created using mixed media - watercolour, acrylic and pencil:

 

 

Here's a couple of close-ups:

 

 

 



I will definately be creating more of these angels.  This one came out lovely! 

I believe there are angels among us, and that we can be angels ourselves.  From acts of kindness, or strength to get through hard times, I believe we have assistance when we need it.  Sometimes we don't recognise them, or appreciate the gestures or guidance at the time.  We might be too harrassed, too busy or too fuming to notice.  But they are there.  Always.

See you tomorrow for some more ArtyAdvent.

Wendy

ARTYADVENT: 17th December

Hellooo dear ArtyAdventers. 

After Saturday's rant, I thought today we should have something more colourful!

So, for your delectation we have a lovely quilted wallhanging, full of bright colours, a cheery santa and snowman:

This is quite an almighty quilt, being about 1m wide and 130cm tall!  It's a printed panel that I have quilted.  I got the panel from Las Vegas years ago.  It's really quirky and festive!

I hope you continue to enjoy ArtyAdvent.  Please do keep your comments coming - they keep me going!

See you tomorrow for more ArtyAdvent!

Wendy

ARTYADVENT: 15th December

Well, dear ArtyAdventers, today is GRUMPFEST:

Need I say more?

It's a rather grey day today.  And today is, in my opinion, the start of the decline of our fellow humans acting in peace and love and sharing these sentiments with others, at least until closing time on Christmas Eve. 

Folks will be starting the Christmas Run on the supermarkets, in the shops, on the roads. 

The debates over what to cook, bake, make on Christmas Day are probably nearly finished and a decision, unanimous or not, reached.  Folks'll be stocking up on all sorts of foodstuffs - to feed the 5 thousands guests they're having over on Christmas Day or Boxing Day - and also to ensure they minimise the chance of starvation for the 2 days that the shops are shut.  It can be touch and go on those 2 days.......

The supermarket sweep begins today.  It's like a scene out of the olympics, only with all sports being done in the one venue.  Folk hurdling over shopping trollies, display stands and small children.  Folk bulldozing their way through the throngs.  Folk pole-vaulting to the ice cream cabinet.  Folk rowing their way over the sea of heads to get to the bread isle.  The scrabble for the brussel sprouts.  The scrum for the turkeys. 

And not only will the shelves be cleared of vegetables, poultry, meats but folks are also going mad buying things that they don't usually eat and probably don't like, but it'll look good on the plate and folks'll be well impressed.  They won't have seen anything like it in their lives.  They won't have tasted anything like it in their lives.  Taste sensations!  Visual feasts!  Tuck right in.  You's had better tuck in.  You don't know what I went through to get those dauphinoise potatoes braised in pomegranite juice with a sprinkling of chocolate all the way from jupiter.  Tasty!

And of course, folks'll be hitting the high streets and shopping malls to collect, or, if they've not been that organised, hopefully purchase the very gift that will stave off an early death of a friend or loved one (the I'll-die-right-off-if-I-dont-have-this gift).  And woe betide the person who gets the last one on the shelf, the last one in the shop, the last one in the country.  They'll be mobbed by the Angry Disappointeds who didn't get to that shelf, or shop or had the forsight to hijack the delivery truck on route to said shop.

And of course, the roads will be busy - folk in a goddarn hurry trying to overtake and run off the road the folk who are just out to get some fresh air, or who are a bit lost and don't know what lane they're meant to be in.  And not forgetting the other folks who are just doddery, doddering along, in la la land, completely oblivious to the chaos and impending doom around them.  And yes, these FreshAir Folk  and the Lost Ones and the Dodderers were ALL born for the VERY PURPOSE of slowing down the Hurry  folks.  They know fine well what they're doing.  O yes they do.......

And the car parks - well, that's an experience all unto itself.  O yes indeedy - peace and goodwill to all EXCEPT the horror who just nicked that car parking space that you've been sitting here patiently for, holding up all the traffic for, cos you NEED to park in THAT VERY car park space.  No other parking space will do.  None.  It HAS to be THAT one.  Why should YOU walk further to the store than them in the red car?  

Ahhhhh, the joys. 

Peace and goodwill to all........who, exactly, and for how long....?????

Bah humbug. 

I'm staying in bed..................

ARTYADVENT: 13th December

Helllooooo ArtyAdventers.  I hope you are all well.  I have been inspired by the wonderful skies at night - the stars are so bright.  So for today's ArtyAdvent we have a collection of stars, created using watercolours:

 

 

Here's a close up:

 

 



I love a bargain and got a HUGE set of Sennelier watercolours for a ridiculous price and have been wanting to test them out for ages.  And boy o boy are they lovely paints!  It took a whole load of restraint and a bag of crisps (o, and a crunchie) to restrain myself from eating them!  The colours are sumptuous!

This painting took a while to make today, as I was building up the layers of colour.  Some folks reckon that watching paint dry is a rather boring pass-time.  I absolutely disagree!  I love watching all the colours blending and flowing across the paper and seeing how it all turns out when it's dried. 

DID YOU KNOW...

Stars start their life as clouds of dust and gas that accumulate to form a mass.  This mass is mostly hydrogen.  Gravity causes the masses of hydrogen to collapse inward towards its core, which results in nuclear reactions - the thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium which releases huge amounts of energy.  This is partly why stars are seen to "shine" in the sky. 

I believe we are all stars here on earth, that we all have a light to share with the world.  And I hope that ArtyAdvent is helping to add some light to your life!  And so, Dearest ArtyAdventers, may you all Shine Bright.

Thanks for stopping by.  I'll be back tomorrow with more ArtyAdvent. 

Wendy