Wednesday 29 June 2011

NORTH SOUTH DIVIDE - WOYWW

Whilst the south of England has been sweltering in above average temperatures, here in the north west it's been somewhat cooler and as I type, it's raining - again!!
However, I must admit to being able to craft outside for the last 2 days.
That was lovely especially as the breeze was light too so nothing blew away. But, that is now a memory and it's back to having the doors closed and the windows open just enough so that the rain doesn't come in. Hey Ho!
'T' and I decorated the living room over only 2 days last week. My pictures look fine. I've put them on the wall but I still need to work on the borders as some of the paint got under my improvised masking. A job for another day though.
So, I've waffled a bit there and not shown my desk today. Our leader Julia would not be impressed if I don't, so here it is.
Hey hey, bet you didn't expect that. Actually, that's the low bit where the light is bad and where I use my computer. When I'm in the middle of making a project, it's the 'dumping' ground. I always have to keep putting things away so I can search through the next lot. Must have been one of those moments 'cos here is the action.

Under the gorgeous orange velum is a birthday card. Can't show that yet though. The dark craft sheet shows signs of some flowers that I was colouring with paint dabbers outside the other day. Should have cleaned that at once - bad girl. You can also see my latest buy, a set of Lindsay Mason's 'I Dreamed of Castles' stamps. I have plans for these beauties after Lindsay's fabulous samples last Sunday.
OMG!
I've got to share this with you - news as it happens here folk.
Hubby just had a phone call from the hospital. They have booked his operation for  - da da
19 JULY
He's only been waiting since last October!! Ooh! Lindsay, you won't forget your birthday this year eh?
We are jumping for joy now because at last he can get his full health back and our lives back on track.
Yippeeee! What a wonderful WOYWW today is.

Tuesday 28 June 2011

IS THIS CLASSED AS ART??

Is this art or just being silly??
Answers on the back of a postage stamp!!!
xx

Friday 24 June 2011

MY CLEVER PAL, SONIA

That's very true, Sonia is more talented than she admits. Her cards and ATCs are always so very neat and full of imagination. She's a child of the sixties, like 'T' and I, so we have a lot in common and we chat online when we can. By that, I mean when Sonia is not jetting off to Spain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL.
Anyway, before she does just that again on Sunday, she managed to make me some ATCs and post them off to me.


Love and Peace

A torn piece of K & Co paper over coloured mount board topped with a peace symbol. The gems are so neatly placed and the 2 words perfectly stamped.















Create


This card made me giggle. The image is Paper Artsy I think, which Sonia has stamped onto coloured card and then cut out!!  She has hand written the words onto acetate and stapled them to the side. Really effective.











From My House.......

I love this one. Grungepaper houses die cut from Tim's on the edge Townscape die, coloured , some fancy paper behind the windows and then mounted on the previously coloured base using 3D foam. The grasses are from some oriental stamps.









See, I told you Sonia is clever.

Wednesday 22 June 2011

CAN'T GET TO MY WORKSPACE AND IT'S WOYWW

Just look at my space this week, what a mess.
This is where I use my computer. It's a bit lower than the bit to the left where I craft, but it's also darker so I stand up by the window so I can see better. However, it's full of dusty crystal glasses from the cupboard in the front room, removed because 'T' and I are decorating. The feathery thing is part of the top of my 60th birthday cake, made for me by our Susanna who is a master at making fantastic cakes.
The bit to the left I mentioned, looks like this:
I've put Toby's scrapbook albums there for safe keeping.

You can still spy the washer but it's days in my workroom are numbered. We hope to move it back to the kitchen in the next few weeks following a bit of work in there to replace a couple of base units.
Well, I'm still having problems with leaving comments on rather a lot of blogs, so please don't give up on me 'til I get the chance to act on the advice I've been given to rectify the situation.
Once the front room is finished - another couple of days I hope - then I shall be popping round to yours for a catch up. We have our Julia to thank for this  wonderful opportunity and I'll pop over to hers first.

Tuesday 21 June 2011

HAPPY SUMMER!!!!!

Could someone tell the sunshine that it's time to appear. It threw it down most of the night and this morning sees a dark, grey, blustery day - again. It's the 21st June for goodness sake. Tomorrow will start the shorter days back to winter. Come on sun, let's see you.
After a half dozen days away we finally got home yesterday ready to start a few more jobs at home. I did all I could to the pictures I took with me and they just need the borders and frames altering now.
This one now looks like this

Quite a transformation and all for a bit of paint.

I really enjoyed myself for the first couple of days, as you can see, and managed to complete all 4 pictures in that time.

This is the other big picture and below are the 2 small ones.



I'm going to make a start on the front room now but have a little craft project on the go in my craft room for the times in between painting walls and ceilings when I get fed up!!!

Sunday 19 June 2011

Friday 17 June 2011

MY NEW CRAFTING SPACE!!!!!

Don't tell 'T' I said that, he thinks it's his afternoon kip space!
This awning is much bigger than the last one so there is room for a table and chairs plus the 2 loungers with space to spare.
I set myself up in there yesterday to start altering the wall art from my front room in readiness for decorating when we get home from the model flying show here at Weston Park near Telford.
I managed to give each of the 4 'pictures' a base coat and will today, alter the bases a bit more before adding the final branches and leaves which will match my new curtains.

I really had a fun day.

These are the pictures so far. It's due heavy rain today so I'll get busy with them again. The show starts tomorrow and it's always fun watching the campers arriving and then wondering around the show area to see which traders have come.
We were given a little display by a full-size plane yesterday which I presume will form part of the show over the weekend. We are parked right on the boundary of the flight line and hope to get some good photos of him taking off and landing - at least.
Bye for now.

Wednesday 15 June 2011

WOYWW - IT'S JUNE BUT NOT SUMMER!!!

Yesterday was gorgeous though, but having looked at the forecast for the coming days, we are in for rain - again!
Off down the dreaded M6 this morning to Weston Park near Telford for the model flying show that 'T' (note the new name as his knee is fine now) loves to go to each year. It's where I fell out of the motorhome last year hurting my leg. It still hurts if touched and I have a dent where I bashed it. Hope all goes well this time.
I will be painting the front room when we get back and proudly displaying new curtains, rug, cushions etc.. I have some cheap pictures (if you can call them that) on the wall - well they are cheap it's whether they can pass as pictures that's the issue. They won't match the new colour scheme so I am taking them with me along with acrylic paint, distress inks and stains, stamps, plus a few other bits, and will be trying to alter them.
So my workspace is showing the stash ready for packing.
I hope to be able to link with our wonderful leader Julia's post before we set off. I have tried to comment on several posts for a few weeks now, but Blogger will not let me. Therefore, please accept my apologies if I have not been able to contact you. I have had some advise on what to do but haven't had the chance as yet. I will however, try harder when we return.
Enjoy your trip around the world today, much better than the M6 south!!!!!!

Sunday 12 June 2011

A CUTE CARD

Not very often I make a 'cute' card but this one happened because I toyed with the idea of applying for another DT. Third time lucky I thought. Anyway, I haven't really got round to doing it and for me, that isn't the way forward. I thought if I can't get on and DO IT, I have no right to be thinking about it. Something so important needs commitment and I don't seem to have that inclination this week.
I had a rummage through my pretty paper drawer, found a lovely little digi image, pulled out the DIs that matched, picked out some coloured brads and found some tiny Prima flowers. This was the result:
The deep edge Martha Stewart punch matched the gorgeous embossed red paper to a 'T'.
I used a water brush and DIs to colour the image so the little girl's skin is quite patchy really. However, as she has been in the garden all day picking flowers in the sunshine, I thought she looked a little tanned!!!
She is printed onto thin card so I could cut her out and mount her onto the card with 3D foam.
The little flower brads match perfectly too. I cut off the prongs and stuck them down with Multi Matt Medium.
Finally, I stuck the Prima flowers to the bottom of the card, leaving the stems long apart from those at the edge.
It all worked out really well. I think the moral of making this card was to stick to the same pallet for all the items. Maybe cute isn't that bad after all.

Saturday 11 June 2011

BOO HOO!

I had 61 followers the other day, but now I only appear to have 59.

Have 2 left me or is Blogger playing up again??????

Friday 10 June 2011

SDC #32 - CLEAN AND SIMPLE

The Stampotique Designers Challenge this week is a non-Stampotique stamp week, which means you don't have to use their stamps if you don't want to. As I only possess one together with some stamped images given to me by a very generous crafter, this challenge is 'up my street'.
Having said that, the theme Clean and Simple proved harder than I thought and my little card took me 2 days to do!!!!
I used a 6"x6" white card base and stamped the swirl with Archival black. The image is so clear from the La Blanche stamps. I then stamped Dream, again in black Archival, let it dry a few seconds before using a water brush to colour over it with weathered wood DI. Three black gems in the corner and job done.
I really like the effect of this simple look despite my pondering - used to grungy and layering!! - and may just make some more.
Why not pop over to the Stampotique challenge blog and have a go yourself.

Wednesday 8 June 2011

WOYWW #105

After such an exciting week of celebrations following the 2nd anniversary of woyww, I had an early night last night and a lie-in this morning, hence I'm somewhat late posting. But, the photo of my pif is more than worth waiting for and boy, was I excited when the postie brought it.
I just could not believe my eyes when I opened my parcel from Sue. Just look at this fabulous pressie.
It's so lovely. A great big thank you Sue. You certainly made my day.
I was above JoZart in the list so my pif went there.
Not much crafting at mine this week. I've been 'gadding' with my neighbour a few times around various shops, making the most of the weather. I did manage to make a cute card which is still on my desk, but there's nothing else.

If you peep at my computer screen you will notice that I really did just take that photo of my desk as this post is visible to the right.
Well, that's it for this Wednesday. However, after the exciting time last week and the lead up to it, I am in a happy crafting mood and just want to 'play' with my stash now. Going away next week for a few days though so may have to plan some quiet crafting.
THANK YOU Julia once again for starting this phenomenon. Long may it continue.

Sunday 5 June 2011

I HAVEN'T BEEN CRAFTING THIS WEEK

I've been making the most of the sunshine, which incidentally, has now had enough and disappeared.
Apart from some lovely papers, a few distress inks and a couple of MS punches, my work space is clear.
So, I thought I would show you my most favourite tree in my garden, which at this time of year, sprouts gorgeous yellow new growth at the tips of it's branches.
Together with the big tree next to it, it keeps the winter bird visitors stocked with food. They are both 'happy' trees.
My little garden also boasts a place for the summer birds (I do feed them here in the winter also, but it looks bright and cheery just now).

However, this morning the path looked like a gang of hooligans had been round as there was soil and chipped bark everywhere. Who did it? Mr & Mrs Blackie, our friendly and almost tame!! blackbirds. Mrs Blackie calls to me when there is no food and literally waits at my side 'til I put it out for her. It's so amazing and quite humbling. I love it.

Wednesday 1 June 2011

A VERY HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY WOYWW

What an achievement, 2yrs old today and above all, what immense fun.
A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to our leader, Julia, for thinking up this Wednesday fun, and another thank you to everyone who, like me, looks forward to every Wednesday when the crafting world comes together for a good old natter and nosey.
So what is on my work desk today?
My little anniversary make ready boxed and waiting for the name of the person on the list below me.
As soon as that crafter lets me know their address, it will be in the post to them.
I am now looking forward to the next year of crafty sneaks and a few more techniques from all you lovelies out there.
See you. xxx