Let's get drawing more often.

Some people know my drawings as the cartoons I make once a fortnight for the "Handmade In Europe" Blog. Here is poor Steve putting up with Wendy's obsession with crafting.



Still more people know my drawings as t-shirt and card designs on Zazzle.com. This is my Andy Roarhole dinosaur t-shirt.

But I have recently got myself a fun book full of drawing excercises. This took a whole week to get here from Amazon. This is pretty awful when you know that the main warehouse for Amazon is Swansea (less than 30miles from my house) I really wish they would get themselves a drive-thru like McDonalds - I'll bet it's possible

Anyway, drawing excercise 1 was to draw a page full of cats. I wasn't very comfortable using a sharpie pen; my drawings are usually drawn in pencil (lots of rubbing out), gone over in ink, scanned into the computer and then coloured with the graffics download paint.net But it was fun to do

If you look, you should be able to find a pretty lady cat, a scardy cat, a mean cat, a cat made from just straight lines, a circular cat, a triangular cat, a wicked cat, a cat wanting his belly scratched, a cat that looks like a mouse and lots more

Some I did from an abstract line, some I did quick and some I took more time on. I wanted a good mix of realistic, cartoon and abstract - what good fun

T-shirts for pups on Zazzle

oh yes, do tell all your friends. Zazzle now does shirts not just for humans but for your pup pal too! Lots of sizes from the very tiny to huge woofitts. Come and see. At Draw Upon Your Dreams

Amazing Givaway By the ACT

The wonderful Artfire Cafemom team is having a major givaway this week.

There are 15 prizes to be won including a baby knitted ox made by me! You know you want one!

If you don't love that there are 14 other prizes including gift vouchers to buy whatever you want from any of the Artfire cafemom team's shops. Find us via the link on the blog page or by typing Artfire Cafemom Team (with spaces, no commas) into the Artfire search box.

find out about the givaway and how to enter here; ACT Givaway Quick, You only have a few days!

Artfire Cafemom Team Sale.

Hey it's not just me having a sale at Artfire this week. As part of their "Open house" promotion; nearly all of the Artfire Cafemom Team is having some sort of sale. Here is the whole list...

Jemz – 20% off , free shipping on orders over $30

http://www.jazzyjemz.artfire.com/

Bows for Baby: 15% off items in store, not on custom orders. Free shipping on orders over $20 before shipping.

http://www.bowsforbaby.artfire.com/

Stitch’N Love : 10% off all orders

http://www.stitchnlove.artfire.com/

Spirit Essence Art: 20% off all items, Free shipping on orders over $30

http://www.spiritessenceart.artfire.com/

Creations with Heart: 15% off all items

http://www.creationswithheart.artfire.com/

JewelrybyJanzia: 15% off all items

http://www.jewelrybyjanzia.artfire.com/

Chantilly Lace: 15% off all items

http://www.chantillylace.artfire.com/

Totally Tyra: 15% off all items

http://www.totallytyra.artfire.com/

Diecutz: 50% off all items

http://www.diecutz.artfire.com/

Bittersweet Design Studio: Free Shipping

http://www.bittersweetdesignstudio.artfire.com/

Francisbel Boutique: Free Shipping

http://www.francisbelboutique.artfire.com/

Waters Girls Crafts: 15% off all items

http://www.watersgirls.artfire.com/

By Coco: 15% off all items

http://www.bycoco.artfire.com/

SW Designs: 20% off all items

http://www.swdesigns.artfire.com/

Eddy’s Pressies: Free shipping on all goods over $25 worldwide

http://www.eddyspressies.artfire.com/

Soft Shell Body Shop: 15% off all items, free shipping on orders over $30.00, after discount

http://www.softshellbodyshop.artfire.com/

DJ Storeroom: Free international shipping, international airmail, delivery confirmation and insurance for all items.

http://www.djstoreroom.artfire.com/

Vestque Creations: 50% off all items

http://www.vestque.artfire.com/

SubEarthan Cottage: 10% off all items

http://www.subearthancottage.artfire.com/

Handmade with Love: 20% off items in her store

http://www.handmadewithlove.artfire.com/

Click this banner to see more of our goods

week 16 - knitting challenge

'Aint she sweet? hee hee. She's a prototype or a test piece, if you like. I was asked to make a set of little cheerleaders for one of the students at the University of Maryland. Their team is called the terrapins and so the cheerleaders are the "Terps"

I made this little one to test if I could reproduce their contest uniform well enough. The actual ones to be sent will have longer legs, slightly longer skirt and better hair/lettering

I do love a challenge; and this little beauty brings my total of completed goods for this year (since January) to 23

23? Have I missed something out? lets see

20 was the sailor top -which has it's own post

21 was Billy and his crochet bag and goodies - the post before this one

22 is the Terps cheerleader

and 23? Oh yes, I did another test knit. this time for Befriendmantic. It was an Easter bunny all crocheted. He was sweet.

The only thing is, I made a mistake when making him up and so you will see a series of decreases across his chest. They should not be there, they should be under his arm!

Well no one is perfect. He is a twisted bunny but I love him anyway. I'll make another when the corrections come through.

23 for week 16 is pretty good going I think. I'll soon have those 52 items in 52 weeks.

Boys will be boys

"I'm no Easter turkey, I'm the Easter bunny!"

The canteen staff at my son's school are so terribly fed up with 8-14 year old boys giggling uncontrollably every time someone asks for chicken breast.

That they have actually changed the menu board!

Now it reads "Chicken belly"!

Personally, I'd rather have turkey!

Knitting Challenge: Week 3: DPNs mastered!

OK so I told you last week that I was having a go at the long procrastinated DPNs. Wicked needles that are pointed at both ends and are used four at a time to produce a tube shape thereby making hats without seams.

Well, i did it! It took an awfully long time as I found all those needles very cumbersome. I'm rather proud of the resulting hat.

Here I show my hat on one of my daughter's dolls; her head is a bit smaller than a real baby so it is a good fit even though it might not look it.

I also made a few of these this week. I gave one as a present to my local

Chinese Takeaway as a new years gift and so I have been making more of them for all her relatives.

I can't complain, she's giving me £3.50 each for them.

I even made an extra one for my dear friend Tricia. She's an artist friend of mine from Nevada, USA. She's awfully clever. she has her own blog full of printables and sweet piccys at http://triciarennea.blogspot.com/

But she's not getting it for free. Oh no! She has to work for him.

I've told her when I sent him off. Monday, 19th at 11am my time.

She then has to tell me when he gets there and in what condition, so I can work out whether I need to upgrade my packaging or postal rate on my artfire site

Next week I'm hoping to make a doggy cushion/pillow. We'll see how that turns out! or not as the case may be!

Happy knitting

An Interview with Elvis

Elvis listens (sometimes)
Originally uploaded by Eddy_G

Elvis is my newest puppet. He's bright red and totally crazy. He's spent too much time near the TV and radio and so answers everything with a song or a well-known TV saying or advert!

So what kind of parrot are you?
"I 'aint nothing but a houndog baby" (song by Elvis presley)
Really? and where are you from?
"Somewhere over the rainbow!" (song from wizzard of Oz)
Do you always sing your answers?
"No, no, no, no; there's no limits!" (song By Cookie crew)
Ok so what do you like to eat then?
"What's for dinner today mom? Beanz,Meanz heinz!" (famous TV advert)
It was lovely speaking to you Elvis. Perhaps I'll interview you again sometime.
"We'll meet again" (song by Vera Lynn WWll)
See you soon Elvis.
"Do you feel lucky, punk?" (Dirty Harry movies)
Cheeky Parrot!

Do you love him?

Do you want him?

He's for sale at my Artfire shop. get there by clicking this link; Eddy's Pressies

My newest puppet

Best friends
Originally uploaded by Eddy_G

Elvis loves his operators especially when they are very young. He wouldn't dream of biting. What a star!
Elvis is a lovely red parrot. But his cage was left too close to the TV and radio. Whenever you ask him a question; he will answer with a song or a well-known phrase from a TV show.

He's my newest creation. a red furry parrot with the mouth re-inforced with foam. His wings lie freely by his side; so a quick flick of the wrist will make them flap.

He's now on Sale at my Artfire shop come and see

Make something absolutely crazy!

Ok so my Mum's birthday is coming up.
she has a huge collection of novelty tea pots.
So I decided to make her a novelty tea cosy to go on them
Thinking of Christmas dinner coming up made me think of a cooked turkey!
So yes, I made a fully functional tea cosy
added wings and legs
and well, you can see the rest.

Merry Christmas everyone

Hope Santa Paws brings you something nice.

Here is a message from my dog Misty Blue