Here come's winter - again!

 Yes a card!  First for months.  My January swap,  featuring a woodware stamp, glossy black card, perfect pearls and two feathers - freebie from a magazine.   Took an hour to locate all the materials,  and half an hour to put it together.   I have another version as I tried a different sentiment. 

I realised that I really need to sort out the stash,  get it in some sort of order.  The paper and card is all together in one place, but everything else is scattered all over the place.  I seem to be in a decluttering mood,   spent yesterday and today sorting out the mail,  or rather filing what needs to be filed and shredding the rest.   All bills paid, up to date with everything,   but it will soon start again.

And this is my floppy eared bunny drawing.  Yesterday was a complete drawing nightmare, nothing I tried worked.  I'd bought a new book,   drawing animals and could I get anything right, could I heck.   My mood hasn't been good, so think that had something to do with it,  and my back and knee are very painful,  no idea why the wonky knee is playing up.  Today I had to go get more painkilllers,  and oh boy that wind!   It was like an icy knife,  and so strong, I was struggling against it.   I made up my mind to get all I needed as I am not venturing out tomorrow,  it will be just as bad.   Besides I have my new curtains,  my butterfly nets arrived, lovely postie left them with a nieghbour, bless him.   And they are perfect,  the right size at last.   My new cafe curtain is up on the kitchen window,  it looks really nice.

Since the drawing wasn't going well yesterday I did some colouring instead,  still getting used to my spectrum noir pencils.  But they do blend beautifully,  as do the skin tones,  used a mix of the derwent skin tones and spectrum noirs on this.  For Flopsy the bunny,  I stuck to H, F and 3B pencils.  It was very relaxing putting in all his fur,  well it would have been had Harvey left me alone.  Yesterday he was in sleep mode,  today he has been a pain,  he can't go out, rather he won't go out as it is too cold, wet and windy, so he's nagging me every five minutes to take him to the front door and see if the weather has improved!   I chucked him out before, literally,  left him there for five minutes,  it has had the desired effect as he's eaten his food and gone to sleep. 

Final sketch,   which wasn't working at first,  but I peservered with it.   Just couldn't get his eyes right,   semi profiles can be tricky but I used to be good at them.    So you can see why I was so chuffed when the bunny turned out okay.  Think I was just trying too hard yesterday,   my arm felt tight,  which is no good for drawing.

 Best finish off this post!   I was interrupted by a skype call from a friend last nigh, then further interrrupted by Harvey insisting to see if the weather really was as bad as it sounded - it was!   The look on his face last night when I opened the door was a picture,  he was horrified and shot back up the stairs.  

Today, Thursday has been truly horrible.  Started with rain, then sleet, that turned to hail and finally - snow!   Yuck,  plus the icy wind,  quite happy to stay inside, as was Harvey.  So I made myself useful and put up the new net curtains,   they look lovely, so pleased with them.  Then I settled down to watch Murray's  semi final in the Australian Open, he is in ominous form,  looks so confident and comfortable,  a great match to watch.   So I'll be tuned in again on Sunday!  

Sadly no new sketches to post, but have worked on a couple today,  one is coming along nicely, the other, a sketch of an elephant is proving more tricky but I'm sticking at it.   I was talking about a tight arm,   which isn't what you need when you are trying to sketch,  that is due to my silly anxiety stuff.  I feel it at night when I'm trying to get to sleep,  I have to consciously relax my body,  well I try to, I don't always succeed.   It's worse when I can't decide what to do the next day,  my thoughts start racing, and I realise that I'm trying to fit in too much, and fearing I'll be judged on it.    I've got used to waking up in the middle of the night, I try not to let it bother me,  cos if you do then you know that sleep will elude you.    Mind you having a furry dynamo called Harvey doesn't help,  if he can't get out then he uses up his energy in the flat by going nuts, last night he chased all over the flat, up and down the stairs,  around all the rooms and then finally landed on my bed, he flopped down and went to sleep!  

Not sure what tomorrow has in store, all depends on the weather,  have got a pile of ironing glaring at me...    want to go to the art class, but we'll see.   Many thanks for stopping by, stay safe and warm...