Fairy Magic and Chatty peeps!

Hello everyone again!!

The lovely Rachael Carver of  binkyroo dolls and crafts who is the very talented lady who designed and developed the Cd-Rom for Creative Crafting World 'At the Bottom of the Garden' for which I did all the artwork for,  gave me a lovely interview which she did for her blog  http://binkyroo.blogspot.co.uk/

And here it is! Please do try to ignore my fizzogg with it's simple grin! ha ha! 

Away with the Fairies - An Interview with Suzie Sroka

Since this blog is for arts, crafts, and pretty much anything design related, I decided to do my very first interview. So I sat and thought for a moment who would I love to interview and the answers I came up with were all impossible, most are no longer in the land of the living - Clovis Trouille, Cary Grant, Vincent Price, and Elizabeth Taylor to name just a few, and the others, well, I'm far too unimportant for them to want to talk to little old me. But I did have one woman who is just as fantastical and spiritual as the above mentioned and that's Suzie Sroka, the lovely lady who drew the wonderful images for the Crafting CD-Rom I designed for Creative Crafting World, At the Bottom of the Garden.  

Interview with Suzie Sroka

Suzie Sroka

Q. What are your favourite things to paint?

A. I love painting children and people in general, although I also love to paint the occasional dog or animal, and I really love painting whole scenes with all of the above in them!

Q. Who/what are you inspirations?

A. My childhood is mainly my inspiration. I have many memories of that time, and can remember vividly how I thought and daydreamed. I think because I spent some of my childhood in Nova Scotia in Canada, and the rest in England, I remember it so much more as it was so varied. I just remember the magic of being a trusting, believing child, open to magic. I absolutely adored reading Enid Blyton's 'The Faraway Forest' and 'The Enchanted Tree', I used to want to believe those things could really exist! I also used to love nonsense verse too.

Q. Which of the 12 featured designs is your favourite?

A. Well that is hard to answer! Can I have 3? The sunflower pixie, the sleeping fairy and the kiss, but at a push I would choose the pixie with the sunflower.........or the sleeping fairy!! I used to be indecisive, but now I am not too sure.. ha ha!

Q. How long have you been drawing and painting? 

A. As long as I can remember, from the time I could pick up a pencil and scribble it has been there. Years ago I remember a teacher showing my Mum a picture I had done, it was of a ship, it was very detailed with portholes and people looking out of them, deckchairs.. everything, and the teacher said that I was excellent at drawing, but that it was a shame I had to spoil it all by painting it! I never forgot that, and still feel nervous and terribly lacking in confidence whenever I pick up a paintbrush! 

Q. Do you remember your first commissioned piece?

A. Yes, I do, I was asked to draw and paint several children wearing billboards. Each bill board was from a deck of cards, it was for a card club. I enjoyed that one! 

Q. Crafting CD-Roms are a completely different format to a print of book. How does it see your artwork on cards and boxes, does it have the same impact?

A. Well, it is completely different, but it is still a thrill to see my artwork on anything! I am pondering having a go at writing a children's book myself, and that would be a challenge.. I have a few ideas swimming about in my imagination right now! I also have a little Etsy shop and am working on some digi stamps for that at the moment!

Q. Do you have a studio or a specific place you draw/paint in?

A.Well I have a studio which doubles up as a dining room too when we need it, this is not ideal as I need to tidy everything away when we do! I also love the breakfast room which is just as well, as I was actually stuck in there with four dogs when I was working on the artwork for 'At the Bottom of the Garden', as we had workmen in the rest of the house at the time! Sometimes if it is a really lovely day, the garden is rather appealing too, as I can watch the butterflies dancing and the bees buzzing!

Q. Do you have any guilty pleasures or a routine that you go through before you sit to paint or draw?

A. Not really, but I do love to listen to music when I am drawing or painting, it takes me into another world and affects mood. My guilty pleasure I suppose is that I like the music to be quite loud! I enjoy a varied choice of music, it would be hard to find something which I didn't like to listen to. I also love to eat midget gems and Licorice, I have loved licorice since I was a small child!

Q. I know you have several dogs, do they let you paint in peace?

A. Most of the time .. yes! On occasions no!! Generally they are quite good, and get on well together. It was a bit difficult when I was drawing and painting for this CD-Rom as being locked in the breakfast room with 3 Jack Russells and A large Old English Sheepdog puppy is not ideal, but we all managed!

Q. Most importantly, do you believe in fairies?

A. Ha ha, well of course!!! I used to look for them when I was a child, and was tired out often in the day, as I would lie in bed with my eyes very barely open, trying to fool the fairies into thinking I was asleep, because we all know they won't appear if you are looking for them! I was convinced if I waited long enough I would catch them flying about my bedroom and tiptoeing across my bed!! Nowadays, I believe in most things that should not be there! I have never given up on that childhood magic. In fact as a child I disliked magicians, as I wanted 'real' magic only, I wasn't about to be fooled by someone pulling a rabbit out of a hat! I have a strong spiritual side, and am always open to possibilities, after all just because you can not see something, does not mean it is not there!!

One of Suzie's paintings from At the Bottom of the Garden

That was fun Rachael, thank you!  If you pop over to Rachael's blog, and go to her last blog post before our interview, you will see that she is involved in a very worthy cause,  just click on the link below to be magically transported there! She is indeed a special lady!  

http://binkyroo.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/charity-sponsored-sew-fighting-cancer.html

Right, off  I go! Until next time, keep happy and much love! Suzie xxx

Exciting News.. My artwork on Create and craft TV!

Hello Peeps!

Well here I am with some very exciting news!  I have been working on a lovely project with the wonderful Lynda Chapman from http://www.creativecraftingworld.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=61 and have been a very busy bee drawing and painting fairies, pixies and embellishments galore until sparks were flying off my pencils and my paintbrushes were wilting with exhaustion!

All for a brand spanking new Crafting cd rom 'At The Bottom Of The Garden' which is to be featured on a four day deal on the Create and Craft TV channel, starting on Monday 13th May.. so watch out for that!  The crafting cd will have all sorts of goodies, including backing papers, templates and digi stamps too! The lovely Rachael Carver ( http://binkyroo.blogspot.co.uk/) has been working like a whirling dervish  to develop the crafting cd and the marvellous Elaine Wheeler (http://wheelerscraftiness.blogspot.co.uk/?spref=fb)  has been creating some gorgeous cards using some of the digi stamps.  Here are some of Elaines cards she has made using this very versatile cd..... I love the way the embellishments have been used to give a 3D effect!

This digi stamp can also be found here http://www.creativecraftingworld.co.uk/downloads-and-printables/digital-stamps-digistamps-a-kiss

Lynda has been working her socks off getting all the demos, etc., ready for the show next week, I am not sure that she has actually had any sleep!

There are fantastic reproductions of my original artwork in crystal clear 300 dpi (which means good!) and so much much more!

Lynda will be showing my originals on TV

Digi stamps which allow you to paint them, crayon them or whatever you want to do with them! You can re-size them too, just think of the possibilities! Use the embellishments to bring your cards to life and give them form and dimension.  Let your imagination soar like a bird!

A digi stamp! 

So peeps put that date in your diary... Monday the 13th May for four days on Create and Craft, check here for times  http://www.createandcraft.tv/tvSchedule.aspx?mediaId=10, and you can even watch it on your laptop or pc too!  Pop along and see Lynda, she is highly watchable!

Love to you all! Suzie xxx

Coming soon to my Etsy shop! Digi stamps! :)

Hello lovelies, hope you are all well and happy?

When our mutinous house behaves itself again, and we can find our possessions once more (or even reach them!), I intend to concentrate a tad more on my Etsy Shop. I am afraid to say it has been really difficult getting on with anything in a thorough way in the chaos of a building site!

Anyhow, here are a couple of digi stamps which I have been tweaking for my shop.  Digi stamps are a very versatile tool for a crafter to use as they can be resized as desired and of course can be used as many times and in as many ways as you can imagine! Not just for card making at all, as you will see in my photos, I have used one to transfer onto calico and then embroidered it. This will be mounted in an embroidery hoop and popped onto a shelf in my shop soon!  http://www.etsy.com/shop/thecockeyedartymiss

As you can see, I need to do some work with my watermarks! Anyway, until next time Ta Ta! :) 

Suzie xxx

Hello Chaps and Chapesses! :)

Hello all you lovelies! I can hear you saying "who the heck?"... I know I haven't posted for an awfully long time and have most likely faded from blogland's memory as a faint dot of mist, soI must try to write a post a bit more often from now on! I used to do one every Friday, no fail.

What have I been up to? Hmmm let's see.. well.... I have just finished a new needle doodle for my Etsy shop 
but it just needs the backing put on before it goes on.. here is a little peek of it....

I have been a busy bee this week as I have also painted two ACEO's for my shop too, and once I have tweaked a couple of bits and bobs I shall be putting these on too. These are only diddly little things and measure only 2.5 x 3.5 inches each.

This must be my shortest blog post ever, and anyone who remembers me will know that I waffle a tad on occasions! Before I go out into Poulton for a meal with the long suffering George, I shall leave you with a picture of our latest family member, our 12 week old Old English Sheepiedog.. Dollie Dottie Daydreams or Doris as I sometimes call her! She is cute hey?

Next time I will put a pic of our other doglets too.. Bertie, Peggy and Edwoof, or Eddie or Ted as we call him.
We have also been sooo busy doing up yet another house, and this one is a mess believe me!

Anyway peeps I hope you all have a very Happy Easter and ta ta for now!

Suzie xxx

Da Dah!!! My Etsy shop is now open Peeps! :)

The last of the procrastinators! Always a reason to wait until tomorrow hey? I may move house soon, Oh no this has happened, ,that has happened. I am waiting for this, I am waiting for that.... well not anymore, the time for waiting has past, and off we go into the future with a song in our heart.......

And the song is.... " When the sky is a bight canary yell-ell-ow, I forget every cloud I've ever seen, so they call me a Cock-eyed optimist, imature and incurably green..."

Yes chaps and chapesses, I have finally opened my Etsy shop and it is called.....drum roll here (ha ha ha!!)

The Cock-eyed Arty Miss!      http://www.etsy.com/shop/thecockeyedartymiss?ref=si_shop

Toodle-pip peeps! Suzie! xxx 

I (itch2stitch) am back with a new name!!

Well look who the wind has just blown back through the door! It is me itch2stitch!!! I am back under a new name so please don't delete me! I certainly took taking a break a bit too seriously didn't I? It was only supposed to be for a few weeks. Hmmm, well better late than never hey?

Same blog really just a different name, as let's face it, I am not all about stitching and sewing, and as many of you may know, my stitcheries are from my artwork too (well mostly)! But all are fresh from my day dreaming imagination..

As I am soon to open my new Etsy shop, I thought I had better get my act together and give myself a kick up my own sorry bottom!  I will be selling a variety of hand sewn goodies and needle doodles (as above and below), and at a future date,  prints and original artwork will be for sale as well as a selection of paper crafted items.

I hope you are all well and happy! I have been keeping up with some of you on Facebook, but it is lovely to be back in Blogland again!!

Much love to you all until next time! Suzie! xxx :)

Fed up with blogging. Not sure! Maybe. Hmmmm.....

 Feeling somewhat reflective these days!

Oh dear! I have been AWOL! What can I say? Busy as usual, and other things going on in my life that are keeping me on my toes, so I am sorry for neglecting you all again. Will you forgive me folks? SO! Today I am writing a blog post about not wanting to write a blog post! To be quite honest, I am finding it hard to keep up with the old blog these days, and even worse, I am getting a bit fed up (whispered!)  with it too. Does anyone else feel like this? Then I find myself feeling guilty if I don't get around to reading all your lovely blogs. So somewhere between feeling guilty and feeling fed up, I find myself in the middle wondering why I do it at all! I find myself hankering for a time where there were no computers, no mobile phones and even no Facebook!  I have a keen desire to become a hermit!

Just at  this moment in time I find myself in a nesting mood, I just want to concentrate on getting my mutinous house under control, and get the garden sorted out for the winter. I have been planting some daffodil bulbs, and tidying the borders when I get a minute away from renovating the house that is!


Last friday I made a pissa ( No '-'s again on this puter! Here it is so you can know what I am talking about!  I made the base too, and it turned out quite tasty. The topping had artichokes, peppers we had grown ourselves, fresh herbs from the garden, and plenty of stick on the hips cheese of course! Oooh and tuna, it was delish!

I also made a lemon drissle (!) cake.  See, it is bad, I can't even be bothered to take a photo!   I am in a very ponderous, housey, reflective, quiet place at the moment.

I really actually do have an enormous urge to just walk away from my blog. What stops me? You! yes all of my friends in blogland who I would miss, and wonder how you are all getting on.  And would I change my mind when life becomes more settled again, and my little sun shines again.  After all if my little sun comes out again I will  be all chirpy and full of energy.

 Maybe I just need a darn good belly laughing session!  Chirpy and energetic is waiting for me !

That really is the main problem I think.....I just have very little enthusiasm right now. Lack of sleep and a few things in life which I have to get my head round have left me feeling somewhat depleted, and sometimes after, or during a busy day, when my head feels in a whirl, the last thing I wish to do is to write this blog! Then I worry about the fact that I haven't got to others blogs, and then that just stresses me too!  Does that make any sense to you at all?? Or is it just me?! Do you ever get the urge to press delete? Or have I stood up and blurted out the unspeakable in blogland?

I think I am quite tired though, maybe it is that simple, I never used to feel this way, I used to enjoy it all so much.  Maybe I just need some extra ssssssssssssssssss (!) See I have definitely lost them! Maybe I am just feeling the effects of time, like a creaking old gate. Heres a little funny to show that I am not a complete misery! A few of you will  have already seen it on my facebook page!

Today, which will be tomorrow (!) I will be getting round to reading all your blogs! ( I always post after midnight, therefore Friday, but it always says thursday! Yes, after midnight, after 1pm sometimes, and then I wonder why I am always tired!)

I hope you are all well and happy!  Have a happy weekend!  Lots of love to you all, top of the world to you all!  Susie xxx