31 Things to Create with Recycled Materials - Ultimate Blog Challenge - Day 1 & 2

Welcome, Welcome, if I haven't yet wished you a HAPPY NEW YEAR, glad you could make it.  It is so weird that we are at the start of the year so soon.  Time seems to be moving faster the older you get, and we try and hold on for longer looking back to those times when time seemed to be limitless.

Any how, this month is seeing me get involve, plan, put in place lots of things that I hope will be a blessing to you.  I will be taking part in the Ultimate Blog Challenge which started yesterday on the 1st January 2017.  I am not sure quite what happened, well yes I did - Family happened and I didn't get my act together before hand and upload my post for you to get into the action yesterday with me, so you get two posts in one today! (smile)

31 Things to Create with Recycled Materials

Over the Christmas and New Year there seems to be a lot of waste generated and I have found quite a few ways to do something about it!

For the rest of the month I will be sharing 31 Things to Create with Recycled Materials, these are things that I have made and use in my studio.  I have found so many uses for the things that readily get thrown away (if you don't have the recycling facilities in your area) and I have also found great ways to create the things that help with storage that you would normally purchase and costs sometimes and arm and a leg when it comes to storage for art supplies.

I will also be sharing many of the creative tools and techniques I have been able to use, make, that serve me not only in my studio but also around the home, some of them are really cool, and I hope you like them.  Check out the videos that I will be creating alongside these posts on my YouTube Channel. 

By the end of the 31 days you will be looking at those things you recycle with new eyes, and you will also be thinking about the things that you can make. I will be creating some 'How to' videos and tutorials for you, so if you see something that I have shown you that you would like to make then let me know that you would like to learn that specific thing.


Why not be part of the creative solution to doing something about our environment and see what you could create with the things you have around your home - and it means that one less bag goes to landfill!

So here are the first two things that you can create:

Day 1: Supplies holder made from Toilet Rolls and paper

The sections are made from toilet rolls card board and then wrapped with rolled newspaper.  It all makes for a very sturdy storage container and can be made in a variety of designs.

A handy loop is created at the back to allow the container to be hung up or stand up.

The only other materials that were used was gesso, paint and glue.  This container was also part of my Creating on a Budget posts and I did a video for you to get a better look.  It can be further decorated with doodles, or embellishments.


Day 2: Weaved paper storage container

This was a lot of fun to create, and I would love to try bigger things to create.  I have seen some cool baskets and rugs weaved from these paper tubes.  They are very sturdy once rolled and can be shaped into a variety of things - worth a try!

This container is made entirely out of rolled paper that is glued together.  A combination of the rolled paper and the weave technique gives you a very strong storage container.

I painted it white once I had put it all together and then added some glitter paint.  It does the trick and holds some of my scissors and other tools.  

Do check out my YouTube Channel to see some of my videos created .

Come back and join me tomorrow to see what else I have been making.  Stay blessed and be a blessing.

Review of 2016 - It is good to see how far you have come!!

I can't quite believe that we are here already and there has been so much happening that I have hardly had time to keep up.  And now we are here again launching ourselves into the new year, new beginnings, fruit, challenges, changes and more.

This month we were visited by relatives from England and the States, and some are still here as we see the new year in.  I thought I would share some of the moments and highlights that made 2016 for me and I hope to fulfill more dreams and be more of a blessing...

Relatives visiting from abroad, great to see them and spend some time

Say 'flying fish', or Barbados

 Friday night fish fry

You can never get tired of this view!

Chilling and making the most of the time

Birthday outing for Josh in Oistins

Out and about in Bridgetown

Teacher on an online Class

Winning Awards at NIFCA Art Exhibition, Barbados

Meeting up with fellow Artist Ron Cumberbatch .... (Phil you are included!)

Trip to Montserrat - Amazing time will share soon 

Fellow conference speakers in Montserrat

The plane ride to Montserrat in a 7 Seater !

Plane ride over Antigua on the way to Montserrat 

 Barbados 50th Independence Celebrations kicked off in Independence square

 Working on New Art Work and sculptures

Made the decision to get a compost bin to really begin to grow my own

Collecting seeds - got quite a collection now!

Planting some beans - growing quite nicely, will be harvesting soon

Did a talk with Kiala Givehand

Open house - Alzheimer's Association - Arts Exhibition

Barbados Alzheimer's Association - 'Remember Me' Conference

National Union of Public Workers, Barbados talk

Spending time with my mum

Picturesque Hideaway in Norbury

There are so many more moments that were special that I haven't yet written about, but I will be sharing during the New Year.

What ever you do to see the old year out and the new year in, stay safe and remember that within you have a multitude of gifts waiting to be birthed, go be a blessing, use your gifts and see what amazing opportunities come back when you take that step!

And the Awards goes to.......NIFCA Visual Fine Art Exhibition

I won three awards in the NIFCA Compitition

I recently took part in the National Independence Festival of Creative Arts - Fine Art and Craft, here in Barbados and I submitted 4 sculptures.  The exhibition yielded some amazing art work by very talented artists and I was blessed to be selected to have my work on display among them.

There were different categories, non professional and profession, and a variety of additional awards in each category.

I submitted my sculptures in the professional category and was blessed to have had 3 awards - 2 bronze and 1 silver award.  It is great to have had this and I was very pleased.  It is a great encouragement, especially to think about from start to finish of the process, getting the form to complete, selecting the work (finishing the work!) - I nearly didn't enter.  Thinking about what I wanted to be included had me changing my minds a few times.  I encourage you if you are thinking to take a step out and share your work that you do so.

Here are the four sculptures that were exhibited

The Gift - Bronze Award

The Gift has been inspired by trying to understand the gifts that lay within each of us.  We all have some treasure locked away, hidden from the world, and we need to locate it, dust it off and let our lights shine. I love working in layers and for the art to express something to different people.

The Gift - Sculpture, Amanda Trought

The Gift - Sculpture, Amanda Trought

Angels walk among us - Silver Award

This sculpture is a reminder that there are angels all around us disguised.  The kindness shown by a stranger, someone going out of their way to accommodate another, to the generosity shown by others when you least expect it.  The blessings don't always come packaged as you would hope.

Angels Walk among us - Sculpture, Amanda Trought

Angel Walks among us - Sculpture, Amanda Trought

The Dancer - Bronze Award

The Dancer was inspired by a sculpture  - The Little Fourteen year old Dancer by Edgar Degas, and I was compelled to create one.  My dancer tells of hardships, over coming and breaking free.  Don't we all have something we are trying to let go of?

The Dancer - Sculpture, Amanda Trought

The Dancer - Sculpture, Amanda Trought

The Stilt Walkers Treasure

Inspired by the Carnival stilt walkers it tells of the unusual situations and circumstances we can find ourselves in and how we need to hold on to what we hold dear.  Others may see us in a different light, but it is not how others see us but the treasures that lay within.  This is one of the biggest sculpture I have done so far and is currently being exhibited at The Crane Gallery, Barbados

The Stilt walkers Treasure

Treasures and gifts seem to come out in my work quite a bit, and I guess essentially what I would hope is that when someone sees my work it creates and emotional response in one form or the other and touches their creative spirits.  All pieces are for sale - looking for a good home, and I will be uploading them to my website.

There are some other exhibitions that I visited  this month that deserve a post all to themselves so keep an eye out this week for the posts.

Stay blessed and be a blessing. 

Click HERE to find out more and register

 If you haven't signed up for the One BADASS course, you will be in for a treat if you use my code.  I am giving away a free guide and class to create a mixed media art canvas.  Check out my post HERE to see what they are.

Everyone's a Winner - One BADASS Art Journal - Giveaway winner announced!

Today is the day that I announce the winner for my giveaway on the BADASS Art Journal Course.  We are really looking forward to teaching on this course and you have a fantastic lineup.  Thank you so much to all those who took the time to leave a comment and enter the giveaway, it was great to connect with you.  

We have a winner for the free place on the course, and it goes to Dash Cam (Carolyn) and the information will be winging its way to you.  Well done!

Everyone indeed is a winner, as we still have a great early bird registration (URBADASS) code, which gives you 15% discount off the cost of the course and on top of that I am giving away a couple of bonuses .

When you sign up HERE you will get the following bonuses, for you to keep and work through forever!

Bonus 1

25 Ways to fit Art and Creativity into your Life

Hints and tips to get more creative time into your day

Bonus 2

Art Workshop Canvas Tutorial

Filled with mixed media, layers, embellishments and more - over two hours of instruction!

This is a really great way to start 2017 on the right foot, you will be stretched, blessed, inspired, taken out of your comfort zone, motivated and supported, having fun in the process!

I do hope you can join us

Playing Card Art - Spending Time in the Garden, & Giveaway Update

I love spending time in my garden, I find it a place that offers a time to relax even when you are weeding or pruning some of the plants.  One of my morning routines is to go out before anyone has stirred on my walk and then walk round the garden to see what changes have taken place

As well as spending time in the garden, I have been finding a lot of my work has that element of nature within it, whether it is a tree, the sea, something that for me I find very nurturing.

Playing Card Art - Amanda Trought

This painting is a mini, done on a playing card measuring about 3.5 x 4 and it came in handy when I didn't have much time but wanted to do something in the studio.  There is always time to do something creative, you just have to think about what you want to get done and break it down into chunks.

I kept it very simple, with a limited pallet, this is also a great way for you to clear your mind of the clutter and the need to use loads of supplies, and what often happens is you spend time looking at the supplies rather than working.

I hope you give it a try, I will be sharing some hints and tips to help you stay creative over the next few weeks, and I also have a few challenges coming up in the new year that I would love you to join me in.

Don't forget the giveaway for a place in the One BADASS Art Journal Course finishes on Tuesday 20th December 12pm (EC) and I will be drawing the winner on Wednesday 21st December.  Check out the Blog Hop post to see what you need to do and fingers crossed, it could be you!

Spending time in the Garden - Mixed Media Art

Stay blessed and be a blessing, sign up for my Mailing list to receive downloadable goodies to help you on your creative adventure!