Just a quick one...

Hi you, I have spent all afternoon doing a step by step for you, and I have spent all evening editing the photos. I am now, giving up for the evening, as I am struggling to keep my eyes open

I will however post all the step by steps tomorrow and include  news of a giveaway. Ooooooh !!!

Heres my Daily Outfit.

These were taken quite late in the day, which will, hopefully explain the tired and disheveled look.!!!

Dress...altered, from the high street
Cardi...high street

Can you see what I am standing next to in the studio...???

Yesterday's thrifting bargain of the day. Its a Parker Knoll chair in fabuolous condition. Well the seat cover is naff!!!! but the rest is great. I'm going to find a really modern Retro fabric and recover it. And the best thing about it is I have TWO of them.!!! And not only are they fab but they were a gift as well. Fan frikkin tastic.

I'll leave you with a journal page fom my Ledger..

Have a fabulous rest of the evening...I have to dash as my pillow will be expecting me.!!

Enjoy xx

Tags and Thrift.

Thought I would start this post by showing you two of the Taster Workshops I taught at our 10th birthday weekend.

The first is all Dylusions...paint, sprays and stamps.

Curious Corrin has been ensnared into the freely swinging cage, with a rather forlorn look on her face.!!

Here are the reverse of the tags.

The second tag was all about Ranger.

We used Distress Stains, Perfect Pearl Mists, and Archival inks.

Love my frogs head from the Pondering Petunia set.

And heres the reverse of the tag's

One of the DT, the gorgeous  Bezzie Su made these fabulous tags.

Here she decided that the frogs would make marvelous chandeliers, lol.

And this one is my fave...skull and crossed legs, lmao. Frikkin hilarious...

Here's a couple of thrifting bargains.

I have had my eye on this book in my local charity shop. It is used as a prop and I am always asking if they would sell it to me. Well yesterday I struck gold. I think I actually wore them down, but hey ho.!!

It is a fabulous John Bull edition of the New English dictionary, and is about 4 in thick.

I also picked up this little beauty.

 It is a Japanese book, and it starts at the back and reads forward. How frikkin cool is that.??

On to Daily Outfit.

How good am I at the moment, managing to keep up.?? Ooops do you think that is tempting fate a little..??

Repro 50's style dress
tomato red cardi..thrifted

spotty tights
and ever so faithful Dr Marten boots

Well I love it.!!!..lol

Oh and battered old fluffy jacket.

 Did you spot the Union Jack hanging from my window. ??  It is an original from 1914, and no, you don't need to know how much I paid for it, lol. Suffice to say I wasn't buying any boots that month, I can tell you. But so, sooooooo worth it.!!

I'll leave you with a journal from my ledger. This one I completed in class on Tuesday. The challenge was to use an image someone else had chosen for you.

Enjoy xx

Studio news...

Thought I would show you some of the first classes in the Winter Workshop Schedule.

The first one is a canvas class. We will be taking a canvas and learning paint and ink techniques to decorate it. Adding effects, stamping and doodling, and a carefully chosen quote. The image is taken from a magazine, transferred onto card, and then the fun begins. We will be painting directly onto the image, using the outline as a guide, creating weird and wonderfully wacky outfits. Then adding a photo of a family member. This is The Goddess...loooking good babes. Just need to complete one for each of the other kids, lol.

If you fancy joining me and quite honestly, who wouldn't lol. It is on Tues 27th Sept and you can book it HERE. Please note this is the only canvas class left this brochure, all the others are sold out already.!!

The next class in line is my tribute to Dina.  We will be creating an accordion book from watercolourpaper and swathering it with Rangers Colourwashes, Pearl Mists and Dabbers. You will be learning ghosting techniques, gesso resists and reverse stenciling. We will be hand stitching little inserts and flaps for quotes, covering the edges in your choice of Tim's tissue tape. And for the piece de resistance we will be stamping with Dylusions stamps and ...wait for it..Dina's fanfrikkintastic range of signature stamps.

The covers are thick plastic embossed through the Vagabond, and given an antiqued finish

If you fancy joining me, it is on Tues 4th Oct and you can book it HERE

So onto Daily Outfit.

Today is a fabby blue and camel, polka dot little number, which is actually only about a fortnight old.

 And teamed it with my battered old suede boots, long may they live.

Retro scarf courtesy of Primarni

And my updo is ala Bet Lynch, leopard skin...

Enjoy xx

The A - Z of Me..

Saw this on Miss Indie designs BLOG.

It is the A - Z of me, and gives you all a chance to find out a bit more about me.

I changed some of the questions to suit me, lmao.

A. Age: 48

B. Bed size: King

C. Chore that you hate: Hmmmm don't really hate any of them, just run out of time a lot.!!.

D. Dogs: no animals at Reaveley towers.

E. Essential start to your day: Cup of tea, of course.!!

F. Favorite color: It used to be black, but now I would say it has to be. Hmmm can't decide between hot pink or turquoise. Oh go on then...Red.!!

G. Gold or Silver: struggle with both as really sensitive skin, so would have to go with plastic, lol.

H. Height: 5’8"

I. Instruments you play: just the keyboard, as in laptop, but would love to play the tambourine, he he

J. Job title: Errrr Art journaling Drama Queen...!! Oh ok then, Owner, designer and tutor at Art from the Heart headquarters, designer and creator of Dylusions, International Senior Educator for Ranger, giver of confidence, owner of shoulder to cry on, and bane of Our Ben's life.

K. Kids:  Mummy to 4 grown up kiddos, Our Ben, 28, Our Tom, 27, The Resident Bit of Glamour, Jay 25, The Goddess, Emmi, 23 and Mama to the most beautiful grand daughter in the world, Maisie Lilly 5 and a half!!!

L. Live: I tend to split my time evenly between Cuckoo and La La land.

M. Must haves: Art journling time, Soul music, big chunky wedge shoes, Charity shops and Vintage websites.

N. Nicknames: Dylan, because everyone reads my name wrongly.  Dyan Von Cleavage,...for obvious reasons.
O. Overnight hospital stays: Ooh heck , all my births, Appendix, Hysterectomy and last year, the horrible Pylephronitis.

P. Pet peeves: Rudeness. Bad service in restaurants, hotels, etc. Dog owners talking to me when I am out for a walk. I don't have a dog !!! 

Q. Quote from a movie:  "Theres no place like home" Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz.

R. Rhubarb or Custard: both, with a bit of crumble thrown in for good measure.

S. Save or spend: I don't understand the question, what is saving?

T. Tea or Coffee: always tea, with single cream, no sugar.

U. Underwear: always boy shorts, at the moment ones with pics of Grumpy on them. Love to start the day in my grumpy pants.!!

V. Vegetable you hate: Eeeuuugh...gotta be parsnips.

W. What makes you run late: Daydreaming and my OCD.

X. X-Rays you’ve had: tons, fractured my ankle at football, fractured my jaw at swimming.!!!don't ask..lol

 Y. Yummy food that you make: OOOh I can cook most things, just invariably choose not to, lol. Most requested are my stew and dumplings, scrambled eggs and Cauliflower Cheese to die for

Z. Zoo animal:  Not a fan of zoos, but I am partial to a pushme pullya, courtesy of Dr Doolittle.

If you fancy doing your own A - Z, leave me a comment with a link so I can learn all about you.

Here's today's daily outfit.

Pink top....thrifted
Spotty skirt...£2 in Primarni sale
leggings...Matalan

Boots...reduced bargains in Primarni

And what you've all been dying to see, one of my new (to me) winter coats. Just frikkin love this. Couldn't have asked for a better thrifting bargain.

                                                 

Wish I could have found this somewhere. Ah well I can only dream...

I'll leave you with a page from my ledger

Enjoy xx

And breeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeathe. !!!

I have had a fabby 3 days off and feel totally refreshed. I have had a day of sleeping, a day of shopping, a night of Northern Soul and a day of cleaning and cooking. Yes I did say cooking. I think I have turned into a 50's housewife, but don't worry , it won't last, the novelty will wear off again soon.!! But at the moment all I seem to want is nourishing, nutritious home cooked food, lol.

I bought a new slow cooker at Asda, a bargain reduced from £28 to £9 and it is beautilicious. Yesterday it was stew and dumplings, today it is Stir fry. Just look at the spinach. I can feel the iron  feeding me just by looking at it.!

And yellow peppers are my fave

These are simmering away nicely, ready to be made into crumble

and tonight it was home made raspberry trifle. Yummy.

The spare bedroom has been tipped out and completely reorganised, and I have started on clearing under the stairs. All four of my kids have moved out into their own flats, but strangely enough most of their belongings seem to still be residing with me.!!!

As I mentioned yesterday we spent the day thrifting in Leeds and I picked up some fight little corkers.

This was the first and I just couldn't resist it. It will look fabulous in my bedroom filled with tulips, don't you think.??

And this has to be my favourite of the day. A fabulous vintage handbag, which I took out with me last night, and received many a compliment. This is the front.

And this is the reverse. How frikkin cool, or what.!!

And I couldn't resist this. Well they do say beauty is in the eye of the beholder.!!

This hair clip was too delicious to leave behind

 and how about this one, made from an old typewriter key.??  AND it has my bestest number on it...Fancy that.!!

A\nd this little pinny just sort of followed me home.

Good day's work all round methinks...

And that's not it, I'm saving the best treasures till tomorrow, but here's two little sneeks.

I discovered Solanah's blog this weekend, and I am totally in love with this girl and want her wardrobe. Well not just the wardrobe but everything in it as well.

Just check out this fabby tutorial for styling a head scarf. look out for this one coming your way on the blog, lol. You can find it HERE

And if you loved that you really need to check out her whole blog, Vixen Vintage, but be warned you will be there all day...

Can't remember which website I got this next one from but I just adore it. Pure 1950's glamour..

And how frikkin badly do I want these.???

find them HERE. Might need to return the red Dr Martens, lol.
I'll leave you with a journal page from my ledger.

Enjoy xx