Sand castles

1. DA VINCI SAND SCULPTURE, 2. The Lion and the Mouse, 3. Paparazzi, sandsculpture Scheveningen 2005, 4. Sand Sculpture -A Visit to The Denist

I used to build sand castles when I was a kid, filled up a bucket and then turned it upside down. I also remember digging huge holes in the sand, not sure what I was looking for! This is something more ambitious than a sand castle, but I wonder if they had as much fun making them as I had making my little castles.
You can make your own mosaic here and join in Artmind's blog!

Byzantine museum

This Sunday I visited the Byzantine museum with my friend Genny. I'm not very religious and things concerning religion generally don't appeal to me but I was pleasantly surprised. The museum was rather interesting and we spent nearly two hours looking through its collection of ceramics, paintings, mosaics. I loved the old books and some frames were so beautiful with such vivid colors! My photos unfortunately don't do them justice.
The exhibition we wanted to see was called archetypes, a photographic comparison of Greek huts and sheepfolds with modern architecture and art. You can read more about it here.

Handmade stamps

I had bought a piece of cork sheet many years ago but never got around to using it until yesterday when I decided I wanted to make stamps with it.
1. What you need is a piece of cork sheet, some bottle caps, PVA glue and some small scissors.
2. With a marker I traced the outline of the bottle cap so I knew exactly how big my stamp would be. In that space I drew my design, a cute little starfish!
3. Cut your design: you will need small and pointy scissors to do that.
4. Stick it to the bottle cap, leave it to dry for a while.
5. Make many many more!
6. Stamp away using ink pads or
7. Experiment with watercolors as well!

Lots of work to be done

I have been painting these balsa squares, I'm not done yet and I still need to decide if they will be magnets or pins. I'm also making some felt pins for the shop since I sold my last two!
See what other creative minds are up to at Kootoyoo's!

Combination

1. Orange Koi ~ Turquoise Tile, Um Hmmm!, 2. blue orange turquoise, 3. MagicPond, 4. Orange rose on turquoise plate

While painting some journal pages I was using a paper napkin to wipe of excess color. I only used it twice, first with a turquoise color and then orange. When I finished with my pages I looked at that napkin and it looked amazing, I discovered my new favorite color combination by accident!
Check out more mosaic's at Artmind.

Glass

My sister took vitraux (stained glass) classes this year. These are some of the things she made, not perfect yet but she is learning! The shell is her favorite so far, I really like its colors too.
A friend send me this: Red Nose Studio, stunning 3D images. Edgar Allan Poe is so amazing, loved the raven on his head!

Mobile

This is pretty easy to make, you need: air drying clay, cookie cutter shaped like a flower, skewers, ribbon and smaller beads. Flatten a piece of the clay with a rolling pin or your hands and use the cookie cutter to cut out two flowers. Use the skewers to make two holes on opposites ends to each flower. To make the round beads: you can vary their sizes, big as a hazelnut, bigger and smaller (mine are about twice as big as a hazelnut) and again use the skewer to open the holes. Leave them to dry, it can take a day or so. Paint them with acrylics (you can put the beads on a skewer it's easier to paint it whole) and seal with an acrylic varnish. Put the whole thing together and tie the ribbon in knots to secure the position of the beads. Hang it in the house for everyone to admire!

Findings

I find little treasures in my garden, this is what I found this morning. A perfect (but dead) butterfly and two almost white snail shells.
This is also a great find: Gary, so beautiful I don't think I have enough words to describe it! Just watch it and you'll be amazed!

Water

1. sprinkler kid, 2. Summertime, 3. Sprinkler Fun, 4. Cattle Dogs and Sprinkler _R5W1842

The first heatwave is here, too hot to do anything but play with water. On days like this I wish there were sprinklers on every street cooling you as you walk by!
See more mosaic's at Mitsy's blog!

A set for my wall

The embroidery competition was just the beginning, I'm hooked! I have started another teacup in orange to match the other orange teacup. The two of them will look great on my bedroom wall!
Have a lovely day :-)
Aleka

Toys

1. An Ice Cream Cone, A Boy, and His Dog, 2. Day 130/365: Toothbrush, 3. At full sail!, 4. day 232
Being the aunt of a three year old boy has reminded me how it was when we were kids. So many toys scattered around the house, under couches, under tables and under your feet when you least expect it! He is a boy so most of them, well actually ALL of them are ugly dinosaurs and big trucks, cars, airplanes the list is endless ;)
All the photos are from a group in flickr: The secret life of toys, makes me want to take photos of his toys and their secret lives!
There are more fabulous mosaics to see at Artmind's blog.

I am not what I am, I am what I do with my hands. (Louise Bourgeois)

I was hoping to take some photos today but the sun is playing games with the clouds, I have to wait until tomorrow! The clay exhibition is going pretty well, I hope tomorrow I will take some photos of that as well. Tomorrow seems like a busy day!
Louise Bourgeois passed away on the 31st of May 2010, there is an exhibition of her works here, I hope to visit it soon.

My creative space

Is quite messy, I've been painting like crazy. Everything has to be finished by Saturday morning so I've been in a painting spree all week!
More creative spaces at Kootoyoo!

Emptiness

1. Numb, 2. Empty, 3. Alone - Belleville, Paris, 4. Square VIII - /ï

This week there is a theme for my mosaic, emptiness/loneliness and I think black and white photos really convey those feelings.
For more mosaic go to Artmind's blog!