A blue day…

A blue day…

Hi there,
Thanks for popping in.
Have been beavering away, doing prep for
Sunday’s TV Shows.
It was pouring outside!
Which is always better than pouring inside, like last weekend!
I was making backgrounds with the blending mat and dye based inks. You know the one: brayer, spritzer, clingfilm…
The blending mat was full of ink too.
Then it occurred to me to use the rain!
Nothing like a shower to get a real even spritz!
So I brayered the Claritycard with Stream Adirondack,
and sat it outside the artroom door!
Didn’t take long!
Brought it in and stood it on its side to dry.
See how the droplets have dropped ?
What does it remind you of ?

Then I was on a roll.
Decided to put the blending mat out there instead.
Spread some Stream over the dry mat and put it outside.
Brought it in when it looked like this,
and pulled a print using our large 8.5 ” x 11″ Gelli Card.
Cool.

Same amount of same ink brayered onto dry blending mat again,
but this time I waited a little longer, and
shook the tree to add more water.

Laid the Gelli Card onto the mat and rubbed the back.
Hoping for a more celestial kinda thing….

Bingo!
So more rain makes it cloudier. That figures.

Chased the remains on the mat.
In other words, I let the drips make tracks by moving the mat around.

Like this one too.

And this one?
I spritzed the card before I place it agin.

So here are my findings:
 Then the sun came out, so I had to stop my R&D session.

Sometimes it really helps to actually make a conscious mental note 
of what I am doing and then registering the result,
rather than just wading in and not remembering what I actually did!
Now I know what to do if I want a really celestial cloudy sky:
I just have to wait for a rainy day!!!
So this blog is not a finished piece of art,
but I think I will go to bed with these backgrounds in my head,
and blog something neat this weekend.
Have a lovely day tomorrow,
love & hugs,

47 thoughts on “A blue day…

  1. Oh Barbara, only you could have us wishing for the rain to start again! It seems your mojo is back – I''d never have thought of doing this. I really like the first one – looks like turtles to me.

    Hope you have a good night's sleep – dreaming of celestial skies – and the prep for the telly goes well tomorrow. Reminds me, must set the box to record!

  2. Hi Barbara
    No rain here today but very windy. It always makes me think of your boy with the birds-such a lovely stamp. Those backgrounds are incredible and I can't wait to see what you will create with them.
    Hugs from Chris X

  3. When I first started reading the blog, I was feeling sorry that you had rain, when over the border in West Sx we had glorious sunshine. As I read further on, I realised I didn't need to feel sorry, as it gave you the chance to teach us a new technique. Now I know what to do when it is too wet to go up in my Den to paint – through the artwork out the door on the patio! 🙂 Mags x

  4. Wow Barbara the first one is my favourite look forward to what you make out of your backgrounds
    Put sunday shows on record so looking forward too watching you .
    Big crafting hugs to all xxx

    1. Hi Donna have you got to craft today ?
      Hi Brenda how did daisy get on with her immunisations?
      Hi Dorothy how was the school run ?
      Hi Diane hope your bruises are fading
      Lots of hugs xxx

    2. Hi Sheila the arnica is working a treat thank you, my chiropractor laughed today when I told her I was comparing colours to ink pads! I adding a bit of squeezed lemonade into the mix today with a touch of cloudy skies! Hope your day gas been good xxxx

    3. Your funny but cute nice to keep your sense of humour.
      I finished a bookmark today for a dear friends daughter as she is 21 in October it was so relaxing using the groovi it's a wonderful crafting tool xxx

    4. Morning Sheila, sorry I was in the land of nod before the blog last night! Glad to hear you managed some craft today, or yesterday! I did a bit of colouring and planned my next bookmark, now when I say planned what I mean is I thought 'I want to make my sister a bookmark, I want to use the peony plate'. That's about all the planning I did! Xx

    5. Morning Sheila and Diane school runs over for another week but it really gives me something to get up in the mornings for if you know what I mean.
      Diane squeezed lemonade sounds like getting better take care you two and don't ban us from the owlets yet…xx

  5. That was pretty amazing, great backgrounds. We'll all be waiting for the rain now to have a go. Looking forward to seeing your show, try not to worry you'll be great as always.xx

  6. Hi Barbara
    Great backgrounds
    I'm sure you won't have to wait long for it to rain again and I'm sure you won't mind when it does as you'll be able to make more stunning backgrounds.
    All ready for your shows TV set for record,they'll be brill as they always are.

  7. Wow what great back grounds using rain would never have thought to, we'll have a carport know that goes from front how house to garage bottom of garden so next time rains have to park me self table etc under it and do some prints from the rain wait till the snow comes down that be interesting well night night hope Dave is feeling better you getting some me time love hugs Joy and Katie sends her love xxx

  8. That's brilliant Barbara, you're brilliant. I could use my back door step for mine, where it is situated I feel safe enough to open the back door when my next door neighbour is out. It's a shame you didn't think of this last weekend, you could have lined you're kitchen floor with brayered card and got lots of celestial prints!!!! (sorry couldn't resist 😉 ). You sound a lot chirpier today, hope it's for real and not just your faking it to make it.

    Daisy survived her vet ordeal, poor wee soul she's always terrified of going to the vet. But she gets her extra special treats when she gets back. She's a proper wee diva!!! She just did the usual protest swearing at the vet – huffing and spitting etc. That's as far as she goes with bad behaviour and it's only the vet and my brother and sister-in-law that get sworn at, oh and the bad workers too, she doesn't lash out or anything, except for when it's chewing my arm game time of course!!!

    Love Brenda xx

    1. Hi Brenda, you are sounding chirpy today, great idea with your back door step. Glad to hear Daisy so ok and has had her special treats. Love and hugs xxxx

  9. Rainy days and Mondays always make me blue – now I have an ear worm to take to bed with me! Love these effects, and love how your mind works to experiment in this way. Looking forward to your shows on Sunday, Susan x

  10. Hi Barbara
    Sounds like you have had a great day today- these backgrounds are wonderful. Only you would think of putting the blending mat and card into the rain! I can hear the neighbours now – she's lost the plot again – she's putting her art in the garden! I'm looking forward to seeing what toy create, it looks interesting. Xxxxxx

  11. What a great idea Barbara and that first piece looks like a really heavy snow storm and I love that colour blue too. It shows what happens when we just try to create and experiment. There is one thing for sure, it won't be long until the next rain shower. I wonder what sort of effect snow would have and whether you would see those fabulous crystal patterns, not that I'm asking for snow just yet! x

  12. Hello Barb, what a brilliant idea, although with the first pic, I did wonder if you had lost the plot. However your R&D session has certainly made me wonder if it will rain today. Looking forward to seeing how you use them and looking forward to the show on Sunday. Take care. Bx

  13. Only you Barbara could turn a rainy day into something beautiful! Great backgrounds! I will have to have a go when its a rainy day here….oh and when I can get out my door without getting a) muddy or b) breaking my neck!
    Love and hugs to you and Dave xxx

    1. Exactly what I was thinking last night Donna!!!! While Sheila is looking like she's heading for a promotion!!!

      I'll let you both off, this time!!!! A classroom of children and an early morning school run seem good reasons for falling asleep early 😉 xx

  14. Oh, is it morning already! I was obviously very very busy last night doing very very……………………
    Oh OK I admit it I fell asleep! Nice to see you making good use of the rain Barbara, looking forward to your shows on Sunday. Xx

  15. Hi Barbara. What wonderful backgrounds. Using Mother Nature to help you was such a great idea. I love the first one in particular : )
    You sound like you are in a better place now than you were earlier this week. Try not to slip back to having to do things. I think we are all guilty of thinking the same way so yes, we do get where you are coming from.
    I hope you and Dave have a good weekend. Enjoy the Rugby. Take care xx

  16. Beautiful Barbara and so interesting. I have to say to see the process and development on the different styles of paper was fantastic. Roll on rain for me to try.

    Good news my mum who has been seriously ill after a bad fall looks like she is on the mend. Been a sunny day here all round in the end.

    Big hugs Pen x

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