A Serendipity craft using cast off clothes and flow ears. A large gnome sat on a chair

Home is where the Gnome is!

Meet our cheerful wicker guardian, who has traveled from Jumble House to join the quirky family here at Serendipity #jumblehouse #serendipity 

Crafted with love he embodies the spirit of every season.
I love Gnomes and I love making them.  I also love upcycling and our guy here was made from a rather tatty wicker basket , a football with no puff, and left over artificial foliage, and tights!  Not forgetting, of course, a mop head for the beard.  
I made him about five years ago and he is aging well. 

He did have a very large ‘friend’, who serenaded everyone  with his guitar. Unfortunately after a  nasty fall he had to be retired.  
#gnomes #umbria #jumblehouse #gardendecor #serendipity  #upcycle 

Another Serendipity make. A large homemade gnome made from upscycled materials sat outside Jumble House. The Gnome is h9lding a guitar.
A large homemade gnome sat on a chair on the patio. Crafted from upcycled materials.

To the right.  Detail of head.  
Head is a football covered in orange electric tape.  
adorned with plaited wool, acorns, leaves, conkers  etc. 

Autumn is such a gift for artists. The fiery colours, crisp falling leaves, harvest fruits and vegetables, and, of course, the magic of Halloween.

I love bringing nature’s bounty into my work, turning the season’s treasures into something whimsical and full of character.

The figure illustrated was constructed around an artist’s easel. I padded the legs by wrapping in bubble wrap secured with cellotape before pulling on the striped tights. These I cut leaving two stockings. It would be a bit tricky using the tights complete on the easel! I wrapped black ribbon around the orange tights to make them more interesting . The clothe’s are cast-offs. The arms are cardboard tubes from aluminium foil, wrapped again with bubble wrap. The simple witches hat is decorated with nuts and£ seeds and leaves. I plaited orange wool to make the hair.


Absolutely! Laughter truly is the best medicine.

"When life gets mooo-dy, just add a hat and some laughter! 

During the Covid pandemic, I found myself confronted with an abundance of spare time. However, I also faced some eye problems that made drawing and painting quite challenging. It was during this period that I fully immersed myself in sculpting with papier-mâché.


Initially, I was reluctant, as I recalled those monotonous art lessons of painstakingly sticking tiny pieces of newspaper onto a balloon. Determined to explore more interesting techniques.  
Previously I had enjoyed success using paper handkerchiefs and white school glue to create texture in my mixed media paintings. Inspired by that experience, I decided to apply these materials to construct animal heads and other whimsical paper sculptures.


As my collection grew, Jumble House started to feel a bit cramped, so I decided to take the fun outdoors.  Not only did this give us more space, but it also provided the neighbours with a reason to smile.

Even now, just looking at those quirky creations lifts my spirits and reminds me of the joy that art and laughter can bring. #jumblehouse #papiermachesculptures #serendipity #fun #upcycle 

 

Upcycled hat and wool used to finish this papier-mâché sculpture of a cow in the garden of Serendipity.

Why should kids have all the fun?  

Shaving foam and food colouring create a delightful, messy experience that’s pure joy! But when you add coffee to the mix, it becomes truly incredible. The rich colors, unique texture, and enticing aroma come together to spark creativity. The resulting pieces can be mounted for display, transforming them into eye-catching art. Plus, smaller sections make fantastic postcards, birthday cards, or even unique bases for your drawings. Embrace the chaos and let your imagination run wild! #jumblehouse #minimalistic #mixedmedia

 

watch the video to see how it’s done.

Abstract coffee painting.

Excited to share my latest project!  I’m creating a series of tiles that beautifully capture the essence of sunsets, perfect for both indoor and outdoor patio. Or simply as indoor decor.  With the addition of felt on the back, they make colourful table centres.. 

It is a creative way to express my appreciation for nature and bring the warmth and vibrant colours of those stunning sunsets into your home.  #sunsetart #decorativetiles #hotgkueart #jumblehouse #serendipity

🌿✨ Dive into the vibrant world of art inspired by the freshest veggies! In my latest video, I showcase how I transform the colorful produce from Umbria into sketches and decorative plates and coasters. 🍅🥕 Each piece is a celebration of nature's beauty and the incredible selection of fruits and vegetables available here. Join me on this creative journey and let the colors of Umbria inspire your own artistic expressions! 🎨💚 #ArtInspiration #Umbria #FreshVeggies #CreativeJourney #jumblehouse #serendipity #gardendecor  

A fun planter for the garden. It is made from a large plastic water container sprayed with paint then details are added using acrylic markers. Featuring a face. A hole is cut in the top. This is filled with soil and then herbs are planted.

 


It has been a long, hot summer here in Umbria and we have used many litres of water in our room coolers to keep comfortable. So this means lots of large empty plastic containers. 
So, preferring to up-cycle, I had a good look at one and decided to make some fun and colourful planters.  
The surface area is quite large so using acrylic markers for the whole job would have been pretty arduous and expensive so I chose to first spray the whole container in bright colours.  Then I used acrylic markers to draw and colour the design.  

Watch the video to see the process.