Click here to preview the first 15 pages of the book at blurb.com

I just uploaded and ordered a copy of the book I made using my photographs from my daughter's junior school prom last week. It ended up being 94 pages long and is filled with portraits of all the kids who are leaving for high school in September. I wanted to do something special for her, give her a keepsake of her junior school years that will help her to remember all the friends she is leaving behind. I hope she likes it.

"Levity II Iluminarium is a sculpture people enter to be immersed in radiant light and colour. Since 1992 Architects of Air's luminaria have enchanted over 1 million visitors in 25 countries around the world.
Levity II is inspired by the beauty of natural geometry and by Islamic architecture. It features winding passages of small domes inspired by repetitious forms found in the bazaars of Iran.
The luminosity of light and colour inside Levity II is created purely by the daylight shining through the coloured plastic. This material is made especially for Architects of Air and all the individual pieces have been cut and glued together by hand in our workshop in Nottingham, England."

Yes the colours really were this intense. These shots are straight off the camera with no editing at all other than resizing.


 
( more pictures this way... )

It's been a while, so here goes...

Weekend at Ingoldmells.


( Ingoldmells, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Skipton Castle. Manchester )

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

I'm not one of those people who likes to stand up and protest stuff, but this is a cause that I feel strongly about and I would like you to take a minute to watch this video.
You might think it irrelevant if, like me, you are not an American citizen, (or gay for that matter,) but I disagree. I think it is important to sign the petition in support of all the American gay people I know, and love, to let the US government know that there are people all over the world who think their outdated, homophobic, laws desperately need to be changed. They need to allow their own people to share the same rights that we do outside of the USA, to be free to love whoever the hell they want, how they want.

The petition is not limited to those living in the USA, so please, if you feel like I do, go there right now and support this worthy cause. It takes less than one minute and it could make a huge difference to a lot of lives.

Earlier today, I spotted this bottle of really thick gold paint in my craft box, and decided to get some shots of it.


I love the way my home made reflector looks as a background. I might make a bigger one to use as a background for the next time I do some portraits.
( plus five more... )

( Bolsover Castle, Derbyshire. )
Well worth driving through freezing fog, we really enjoyed exploring the castle, despite coming home completely numb.


( Julie )

( Husband )

Two more random portrait session with my daughter. She is enjoying my new camera almost as much as I am!
No, her eyebrows are not naturally orange. She decided to put on make up and tried to make them darker. Much hilarity ensued, especially when her friends knocked on the door and I made her answer it. She stood there with a hand over each eyebrow and asked them to come back in ten minutes. :o)



( Click to see five more... )


( My Grandmother and her dog, Cindy. )
I have a few photo projects lined up for this year, which I am really excited about and eager to get started. I will explain more about them when I know for certain that they will go ahead, but for now, I can tell you that  one involves my daughter, so expect more pictures of her and her groupies, and another involves a glittery friend of my Husband.
Curious? I hope so. :o)

A few more recent photos.


( More pictures this way )

A doodle from my sketch book...
 

Here are a few of my latest photographs, all of which (and more) are available to buy on postcards or magnets via my cafepress shop. Sorry about the blatant plugging but I have to try and sell some somehow! LOL


( Click to see the rest... )

Just a selection of old drawings and digital work I've done over the years, including my most favorite characters I've created; Normus the Giant and his family. They featured in a book I made for my kids as a gift when they were very small, it wasn't great but the kids still love it even now.

( Normus, Neema and Hoogus )

( Fairies )( Stickman and The Huntress )

( Egg & Bert )
Thanks for looking!
:o)

Pictures of recent stuff I've made...
( Book, Russian Doll Painting, Sketch, Bracelet )

As promised here are pictures of the pocket book I mentioned in my last post. I keep calling it 'Curtains' because I can't think of a name for it and it is made from some spare curtain fabric I had lying around. It's a very squishy book and I love just picking it up and crinkling the tea stained pages. 
The book is roughly A6 (4x6 inches) and has about 240 tea/paint stained pages.
The fabric is a gorgeous thick chenille which has a patchwork of different embroidery in shades of cream, gold and brown on it. The inside of the cover is lined with chocolate coloured satin. A brown elastic loop wraps around a brass ball button to keep the book closed. The brown tassel hangs from the button and is purely for decoration.
I really like this book, so much so that I'm too scared to write in it. I will probably either end up giving it away or it leaving it on the shelf to gather dust. Meh. 

front


I made myself a sketch/painting book using a wallpaper sample for the cover. I will take pictures as soon as I get new batteries for my camera.

Here are the pictures of the Jack Sparrow book I made. 
A5, 180+ tea stained pages. Handsewn soft leather cover.

I just finished it this afternoon although I'm still waiting for my tiny 'jar of dirt' to arrive. It will be put on the end of one of the dreadlocks when it gets here. 
I'm not sure if I'm completely happy with the belt yet. I'm thinking I should try to find a battered old brown leather one instead just to break up the black a little bit. Hmm.


The front

More random cutesy stuff that I have done over the last few years... 

 

I designed the party invitations for my neice's upcoming 13th birthday and apparently she really liked them, so I made her a journal using the same design. It is currently winging it's way here from my cafepress shop and I can't wait to see how it turned out. I hope she likes it as much as I do!