{ Sneaky Peek Thursday } Possibility
This post has been a while in the making. In fact so long that it's morphed from a { Sneaky Peek } into more of a TA DA grand unveiling!
So here is Possibility, the latest heartfelt moment to be captured and celebrated.
A crossroads in life. Endless decisions, countless outcomes and oh the possibilities, the boundless possibilities.
Where will decisions made or unmade take you next? What opportunities lie over the hill, around the corner?
The most important decision to take? Live life, dwell in possibility.
As always, I was inspired by a fantastic piece of poetry. This time by Emily Dickinson's,
a brilliantly, inspiring place to live.
Thumbnail scribbles, working out the general layout and form of the design.
Various "life size" sketches, looking at different ideas and combinations of flowers and leaves.
Voila, all finished and painted!
Red Nose Day
A HUGE, MASSIVE thank you SO much to everyone who made a donation to Red Nose Day in exchange for one of my special edition Grow Old screen prints. Together we managed to raise £195!! I've been blown away by every ones generosity and I only have one lonely print left!
I've been promising to have a giveaway for about six months but have never got round to it, completely rubbish I know! So.....since Red Nose Day is still a whole 11 days away (it takes place on Friday, 15th March) I thought that a raffle in aid of Red Nose Day with this beautiful papercut as the prize would be MUCH better! Hang it on your wall and enjoy it forever whilst getting a warm, fuzzy glow from knowing that your hard earned pennies are making a REAL difference to someones life.
All Will Be Well, a fantastic uplifting sentiment to remember when it seems as if the whole world is on your case. The words are surrounded by delicate, lacy leaves, birdies, hearts and stars in a lovely deep green with a hint of teal.
To buy a ticket, hop over to my giving page http://my.rednoseday.com/sponsor/louisemclaren and leave a donation, there is NO minimum ticket price, just give whatever you can.
I would love to get as many people as possible involved in raising money, so this is how YOU can help! If you're on Facebook and share my status about the raffle I'll give you a bonus ticket (just let me know you've shared by leaving a comment as FB doesn't ALWAYS tell me!) Same goes to Twitter, just retweet any tweets about the raffle and I'll give you a bonus ticket. Again let me know that you've done it, just in case!
I've been promising to have a giveaway for about six months but have never got round to it, completely rubbish I know! So.....since Red Nose Day is still a whole 11 days away (it takes place on Friday, 15th March) I thought that a raffle in aid of Red Nose Day with this beautiful papercut as the prize would be MUCH better! Hang it on your wall and enjoy it forever whilst getting a warm, fuzzy glow from knowing that your hard earned pennies are making a REAL difference to someones life.
All Will Be Well, a fantastic uplifting sentiment to remember when it seems as if the whole world is on your case. The words are surrounded by delicate, lacy leaves, birdies, hearts and stars in a lovely deep green with a hint of teal.
To buy a ticket, hop over to my giving page http://my.rednoseday.com/sponsor/louisemclaren and leave a donation, there is NO minimum ticket price, just give whatever you can.
I would love to get as many people as possible involved in raising money, so this is how YOU can help! If you're on Facebook and share my status about the raffle I'll give you a bonus ticket (just let me know you've shared by leaving a comment as FB doesn't ALWAYS tell me!) Same goes to Twitter, just retweet any tweets about the raffle and I'll give you a bonus ticket. Again let me know that you've done it, just in case!
excited.com!!
What a busy few days I have ahead of me! Not complaining........just sayin'!
Tonight I'm off to Aberdeen to the lovely Claremont Gallery for the launch of their Artisan Winter Exhibition which features some of my work.
VERY excited about this, I was a student in Aberdeen so it's full of very fond, somewhat hazy memories! The exhibition opens on Friday, 23rd November and runs until the 19th January so if you're visiting any relatives in the North East over the festive season, pop along and have a look!
Friday I'm going to be framing, collecting, packing up and organising for Saturday when I'm taking part in Creative Heartland in The Albert Halls, Stirling.
This is a brand new event with art, craft, live music, storytelling, design and debate. EXCITED......again! There is going to be some fabulous work on display and I think it'll have a fantastic, buzzy atmosphere!! I'll have a selection of work for sale and be giving papercutting demonstrations. So if you're in Stirling and are in need of some inspiration for Christmas presents come along and see us!
And as if ALL that wasn't enough, I'm off to the Country Living Christmas Exhibition at the SECC in Glasgow on Sunday! Can't wait to see all the lovely stuff and start getting in to the Christmas spirit!
Tonight I'm off to Aberdeen to the lovely Claremont Gallery for the launch of their Artisan Winter Exhibition which features some of my work.
VERY excited about this, I was a student in Aberdeen so it's full of very fond, somewhat hazy memories! The exhibition opens on Friday, 23rd November and runs until the 19th January so if you're visiting any relatives in the North East over the festive season, pop along and have a look!
Friday I'm going to be framing, collecting, packing up and organising for Saturday when I'm taking part in Creative Heartland in The Albert Halls, Stirling.
This is a brand new event with art, craft, live music, storytelling, design and debate. EXCITED......again! There is going to be some fabulous work on display and I think it'll have a fantastic, buzzy atmosphere!! I'll have a selection of work for sale and be giving papercutting demonstrations. So if you're in Stirling and are in need of some inspiration for Christmas presents come along and see us!
And as if ALL that wasn't enough, I'm off to the Country Living Christmas Exhibition at the SECC in Glasgow on Sunday! Can't wait to see all the lovely stuff and start getting in to the Christmas spirit!
I know it's only October, but...........
Do you ever have one of those days when everything almost goes brilliantly?! Well I had one of those days today!
Anyway........on the plus side I know it's only October, and I'm normally one of those ranting about getting Halloween and Bonfire night over first, but in the interests of being slightly organised!............I did get a whole load of Christmas cards screen printed today......
............do note my very high tech and heavily customised drying rack.........or the piano!!
I'll post some proper photos when I get ALL the designs printed. (and yes, this is part of the almost brilliant day story!)
And in other news I've reached 300 liker-ers on my Facebook page so to celebrate and say thank you I'm going to have my very first GIVEAWAY!!! Stay tuned for further details....soon.....I promise!!
Anyway........on the plus side I know it's only October, and I'm normally one of those ranting about getting Halloween and Bonfire night over first, but in the interests of being slightly organised!............I did get a whole load of Christmas cards screen printed today......
............do note my very high tech and heavily customised drying rack.........or the piano!!
I'll post some proper photos when I get ALL the designs printed. (and yes, this is part of the almost brilliant day story!)
And in other news I've reached 300 liker-ers on my Facebook page so to celebrate and say thank you I'm going to have my very first GIVEAWAY!!! Stay tuned for further details....soon.....I promise!!
Fab Friday!
I can't believe that it's the last weekend of Open Studios already, the week seems to have flown by.
As this was the first year I've taken part I really didn't know what to expect. How many people were going to turn up and was anyone was going to buy anything?
Grow old, original paper cut......
off to a new home.
My home, original paper cut.........
off to a new home.
Birdie, original paper cut.........
off to a new home!
My greatest expectations have been far surpassed on ALL counts! I've had a steady stream of visitors every day, all of them have been lovely (I'd love any of them to pop in and see me......anytime!) I've had quite a few commissions and I'm delighted with what I've sold!
Tuesdays' sneaky peek!
We were away this weekend for a well earned break on our boat, which we keep in Tarbert, Loch Fyne. The weather was good. Dry and pretty sunny all weekend........but it was a bit windy! Well, too windy to think about sailing with two wobbly small people! We just "caravan-ed it", didn't go sailing, hung out, rowed round the bay in the dingy, ate ice creams and sweeties and walked!
It's recharged my batteries after the battle to get my studio emptied and decorated and I'm raring to go!
I thought I'd show you what I'm working on at the moment and how I go about making a papercut.......
Here it is about 1/3 cut out, with a few more scribbles and "re-thinks"! I tend to keep revising the design right up until it's cut out, changing the position of leaves and where they connect, adding more hearts or birds......
It's recharged my batteries after the battle to get my studio emptied and decorated and I'm raring to go!
I thought I'd show you what I'm working on at the moment and how I go about making a papercut.......
 |
| Grow old with me papercut, initial design sketch. |
This is the initial design sketch for "Grow old with me", complete with a few "re-thinks"! I draw each leaf in outline only, not showing the detail that I'll cut out, and don't show the thickness of each branch.....mainly out of laziness!
 |
| Grow old with me, 1/3 cut out, right side.
|
 |
| Grow old with me, 1/3 cut out, wrong side. |
This is the back of the cut. It's much easier to see how it'll look without all my scrawls! I use white paper and draw the paper cut as it'll be seen, the right way round. Then after I've cut the whole picture out I spray paint it. Some other papercutting artists use coloured paper and draw the cut on the reverse of the paper, back to front.
 |
| New paint delivery! |
This is the range of colours that I'll use to paint the paper cuts on show for Perthshire Open Studios (note the chubby 11 month old hands desperately trying to pull the cans out of the box!)
Paint-y, paint-y, sand-y, sand-y!
I've managed to get the studio emptied (mostly!) and the ceiling has had a coat of paint. Now I'm doing the boring bit.....sanding all the skirtings, door frames, the door and around the window. It'll all get done eventually but it's sooooo dull!
On a slightly more exciting note I also managed to get these two paper cuts finished, framed up and off to their new homes.
Sorry for the slightly duff quality of the photos.....but it was late!
Right......back to the sanding. My consolation is that I'll soon be putting everything back in the studio.
On a slightly more exciting note I also managed to get these two paper cuts finished, framed up and off to their new homes.
 |
| This day I will marry my best friend Doris & John 6th August 2011 |
 |
| One day like this, a variation on the happily ever after cut. |
Right......back to the sanding. My consolation is that I'll soon be putting everything back in the studio.
Hello....I'm still here...I think!
Errrrrrr, well I'm not sure what's happened to May or most of June......it seems to have flown past in a blur of birthdays, gardening and paper cutting with a few sunny days thrown in for good measure!
Fear not though, I've been busy cutting away, making happily ever after cuts and they've been winging their way to new homes far and wide, from London to Florida! I think that I'll do a photo montage of all the cuts I've done, just so I don't bore you with a huge list of photos!
This week's highlight will be J's 3rd birthday on Sunday. It's going to be a weekend full of cake, ice cream and fizzy juice, with both sets of grandparents visiting on different days! I haven't got a clue where the last three years have gone, it just seems like yesterday we brought a tiny bundle home, I'm sure I'll still be saying that when he's 30!
I thought I'd share this new design that I've FINALLY found some time to make! It's been bobbling around in my head for months and been doodled in my sketch book for almost as long.....here is Deep in a wood, carved on a tree - a customised wedding congratulations card and it's available from Folksy and Etsy.
I am taking part in Perthshire Open Studios this year, which takes place in September and as this blog will be listed in the brochure I'm going to try double hard to post a bit more regularly! I attended a marketing workshop organised by the committee and run by Cultural Enterprise Scotland and met lots of fellow artists, it was really great to put faces and voices to people I'm in touch with on Facebook or who I know by reputation! I'm really excited about taking part in Open Studios and I've been sketching away with some new designs and I'm hoping to try my hand at making some screen prints of them!
Instead of leaving you with an Etsy treasury I've put together a Folksy finds board on Pinterest around the theme of British summer, tell me what you think.......enjoy!
Fear not though, I've been busy cutting away, making happily ever after cuts and they've been winging their way to new homes far and wide, from London to Florida! I think that I'll do a photo montage of all the cuts I've done, just so I don't bore you with a huge list of photos!
This week's highlight will be J's 3rd birthday on Sunday. It's going to be a weekend full of cake, ice cream and fizzy juice, with both sets of grandparents visiting on different days! I haven't got a clue where the last three years have gone, it just seems like yesterday we brought a tiny bundle home, I'm sure I'll still be saying that when he's 30!
I thought I'd share this new design that I've FINALLY found some time to make! It's been bobbling around in my head for months and been doodled in my sketch book for almost as long.....here is Deep in a wood, carved on a tree - a customised wedding congratulations card and it's available from Folksy and Etsy.
I am taking part in Perthshire Open Studios this year, which takes place in September and as this blog will be listed in the brochure I'm going to try double hard to post a bit more regularly! I attended a marketing workshop organised by the committee and run by Cultural Enterprise Scotland and met lots of fellow artists, it was really great to put faces and voices to people I'm in touch with on Facebook or who I know by reputation! I'm really excited about taking part in Open Studios and I've been sketching away with some new designs and I'm hoping to try my hand at making some screen prints of them!
Instead of leaving you with an Etsy treasury I've put together a Folksy finds board on Pinterest around the theme of British summer, tell me what you think.......enjoy!
A turquoise happily ever after!
What a day Wednesday was! We were in Oban all day and had a fabulous day, it wasn't exactly great weather (a bit grey and windy) but it was a much needed break from the usual grind! When we got home I switched on the laptop and.......WOW!
Firstly my happily ever after paper cut had been included in this beautiful Etsy treasury.
Secondly I entered it into the fantastic Crafty Loves giving inspiration game and got some fantastic comments from people and thirdly.......it only bloomin' got included in the Folksy handmade wedding list!!!! I've been floating about 6 inches off the ground since!
And since it's Sunday, we have an Etsy treasury! I give you Turquoise #1................I bloody love turquoise I do.....and if that's not a good enough reason.....I don't know what is!
Firstly my happily ever after paper cut had been included in this beautiful Etsy treasury.
Secondly I entered it into the fantastic Crafty Loves giving inspiration game and got some fantastic comments from people and thirdly.......it only bloomin' got included in the Folksy handmade wedding list!!!! I've been floating about 6 inches off the ground since!
And since it's Sunday, we have an Etsy treasury! I give you Turquoise #1................I bloody love turquoise I do.....and if that's not a good enough reason.....I don't know what is!