It wasn't on purpose...

...to lazily skip a week of blogging.  It was entirely due to yet another computer operator fail when I attempted to download the latest version of Microsoft Outlook.  I managed to mess it up so badly (I thought) that I lost contacts, calendar and my carefully constructed files.  The truth was that the 'new' Outlook doesn't have those capabilities, and may not for some time.  The repair shop was badly backed up, and it took ages to sort it all out.  Microsoft is, once again, on my 'What in heaven's name were you thinking?' list.  😖

In the meantime, I hosted a Bodacious Bookmarks morning for some artist friends.  We crafted some 40+ bookmarks to gift the local library, who offers them on a donation basis to their patrons.  As you know, any money in the library coffers is a boost for education, and who could say no to that?

We had a blast, and I'd be happy to use any one of them to mark my place.  Here's are photos of the fun, and the end results!

We've another one of these fun mornings coming up in February, so the library will score.  Incidently, so will I, as we're using up some scap papers of mine, and that means I can make some more.  That's a favourite passtime in the studio on both scores.  😉 

Last week, I mentioned...

 ...that I was playing with my new Gelli plate, and learning the ropes all over again.  Here are some photos from the sporadic sessions.  Some need another layer or two, and some work just beautifully the way they are.  

This one is a fave; the first print was luminous opera and Hansa yellow, followed by a second one of liquid medium, and then a layer of Alizaron Crimson using a  hand-cut Typar stencil. Washing the excess paint from the areas covered in medium is always such a fun process.

I always love the feeling of lace-printed paper, and this is no exception.  A pale green and yellow background was overprinted with a turquoise layer that had been imprinted with lace.  The lace is really pretty now, too, not that it will stay that colour long. 😉

This was printed with several very pale layers, and then over-stamped with a fun foam plate.

I worked with all sorts of toys including fun foam cutouts,

fun foam plates (and my favourite open acrylics),

and my hand-crafted Typar stencils, 

until  the 'extra' shelf and much of the studio floor was covered.

John's favourite one was this print, in the green and gold of his beloved Norwich soccer team. 

My favourite was the first photo above, but I do like this one as well...more to come on it, I suspect. 

This brown one should actually belong on next week's 'brown' post, but goodness knows whether it will remain even close to brown given it's got a ways to go.

And as I'm hosting a bookmark making party this month to reduce my pile of 'scraps', you're probably wondering why I'd be making any more.  Well, it's just because my colour piggery is uncontrollable, of course.  Happy colourful January to you all, and let me know what you've been up to this week in the comments, please.

I've been playing...

 ...off and on in the studio since we returned from our Christmas family getaway (which was wonderful to the nth degree, of course!).

Still working on the December prompt, I've some photos of some of the changes for you.  

Of course, that's not all I've been doing - there's some exploration of the colour brown, both in photos and other forms.  And since I've received my replacement 12 x 14" Gelli plate, I'm hosting a gel print party for myself.  It's been so long since I've done any gel printing I get to learn it all over again, and isn't that a great thing? 🤣  There's more changes to the paint shirt as well.  Those activities are for posts down the line, so in the meantime, Happy New Year 🎉🍾🥂 to you all.  May the Muse drench  you with copious quantities of creative juices throughout 2024.