WOYWW TIME AGAIN

Most of my little space is reasonably tidy because I am in the middle of the 'thinking' bit between episodes of 'doing'.

Must admit, there hasn't been much 'doing' lately. I finished another chunky page on Sunday and had every intention of having a break from them for a few days, but all of a sudden, an idea for one of the others came to mind whilst watching the ice dancing final, so I jumped up and wrote down some notes. That was it though. Nothing more since then! The picture shows my recently acquired stash of mountboard offcuts. Just need somewhere to store them!

We had a lovely morning yesterday. A certain little someone in our family was 2 years old. How refreshing to see happy little faces together with all the excitment of opening presents. Magic.

I've tried to upload the WOYWW gadget but my computer problems are escalating since I installed Internet Explorer 8 - twice! I have now lost my scrolling ability apart from other things. However, if you click on the letters at the top of my sidebar and follow the umpteen links, you eventually reach the right web page. What a coffuffle - is that spelt right??

A VERY SPECIAL DAFFODIL

I generally enjoy watching Gardener's World on a Friday night. Last Autumn, Toby Buckland led a programme which included the planting of spring bulbs, my most favourite bulbs of all.

He was planting daffodils, one of which was called 'Toby'. I just had to have some of these. After searching the web, I found some from the nursery De Jaeger. They promptly arrived and I planted them in a big pot by the front door.

Today's gorgeous sunshine brought the first bulb into flower. Although the photo is not very good, I just had top capture this flower and share it with you.

A little continuous floral tribute to our precious pusscat.

DREAM

I made this little card for this weeks Copic Colour challenge #57. The colours are:

G99 - Olive

BV08 - Blue Violet

E59 - Walnut.

The walnut number isn't a ciao so I used E57 - light walnut.

The lovely image is a Pollycraft digi image, the paper is Basic Grey Wisteria, flowers are Prima, the leaf ribbon, brads and dream stamp are all from my stash. Oh! and I used walnut stain distress ink round the edges of the paper and bundled sage around the image.

Check out the blinkie in the sidebar for the link to these exciting weekly challenges and have a go. You don't even have to use the same colours, just Copics.

REQUESTED TO SHOW

I have received a few requests to show you a picture of the 'heavy metal' page I made yesterday for Heather's chunky book swap. Hope you like it.

I took inspiration for the back from a gorgeous piece Hels Sheridan made.

SUCCESS AND FAILURE

I have crafted all day today so I suppose I had better do some housework tomorrow, yak!!
Yesterday I upgraded to Internet Explorer 8 after trying to change my blog background for the second time in 2 weeks. When I switch on and log onto my blog, the new background works like a blinkie before reverting to the old one, and the instructions advised this upgrade. However, I now can't alter the size of the font, I can't copy and paste anything and I have to keep clicking to open other blogs etc. That isn't the failure bit though.........
Having been on a Suze Weinberg melting pot workshop and finally amassed a stash of UTEE, flex, etc. I am now in a wonderful position to start making embellishments and the like. Today was the day. But..... my melt pot element has given up the ghost and I've only used the thing a couple of times. I think Ranger may just receive an email.
The success bit was a weight off my shoulders. I have been thinking about another chunky book page both whilst awake and asleep!! Today saw the 'heavy metal' page finished - front and back.
yippee!!!! No pictures though. I'll save that one.

WOYWW

I wasn't aware that anyone could join in with the 'What's on your Workdesk Wednesday' 'til just now. So, in for a penny in for a pound, here is my current mess.

I am trying VERY hard to come up with designs for Heather's chunky book swap and after making copious notes whilst in Knaresborough, I made a start today. However, after only a few minutes, I have hit a hurdle and had to ask for info from a superior crafter. Just awaiting her reply so that I can either get on tonight or have to wait longer as I may have to buy something for this particular page.

I am having a go with some metal sheet which I have managed to emboss, so you can see that in progress together with the shaped page. You may also note that my slatted shelves are completely covered with alsorts of stuff and therefore the light can hardly shine down onto my little work area. Must have a clear up tomorrow.

SUCH A BAD GIRL!!

A little thought entered my head around 3pm yesterday, why not go to the craft show at Harrogate - so I did!

Infact, both DH and I are now in the motorhome at Knaresborough (staying a couple of nights) and I have been to the show.

Perhaps the picture tells the full story. I was a bit bad!!

CAKE

I should have posted this challenge entry last night but when I looked at my card I realised I had forgotten an element. As the light was artificial - even though I have a daylight bulb - I thought it better to leave it 'til now. The Lili of the Valley #49 is a sketch. Check liliofthevalleythursdaychallenge.blogspot.com for details.

The little duck was a free download and I've coloured him with copics and used a nestability frame to cut him out. The rest is simple, K & Co papers, DCWV ribbon, Prima flower, some little flowers from Lakeland when they used to sell craft and finally, a couple of sticky gems.

It's nice and cheerful and just the job to brighten a rainy today.

TOTALLY COPIC SHOPPING!!

Alright, the heading is my feeble attempt at saying that this card is my interpretation of an entry to 2 challenges.

The first is for the:

Copics Colour Challenge #56- click on the blinkie on the right hand side

BV02 - prune, Go2 - spectrum green, B32 - pale blue

The second is for the:

Totally Papercrafts Challenge #8 - click the link on my blog list

this weeks challenge is a sketch - luv these!!XXX

I've used some lovely lilac pearlised card for the base and added K & Co patterned papers as per the sketch. The lovely image is a digi design coloured with the required Copics and cut around using a Nellies frame. The matching fibres came with an order from Craft Obsessions, received this week.

Had fun with this one, but then, I have fun with most of these challenges.

CAT WOMAN

This weeks Copic Colour Challenge #55 uses the following colours:

W-7 - warm grey 7

BG96 - bush

C-7 - cool grey 7

Check out their challenges here . If this doesn't work, click the blinkie in the side bar.

Whoohoo Hels Sheriden taught me how to link challenges - thank you clever girl.

Anyway, this card is another little thanks to Hels who made my day with some Stampotique goodies. I adore these stamps because they just remind me of myself in years gone by when I was a bit of a rebel - at heart if nothing else.

This image is called 'Newt with Lunch Box' - funny name for a girl!! I used the 3 challenge copics to colour her plus some skin tones and a bit of lighter grey for her hair. The rest is easy to make out, a bit of stamping, a bit of torn card, a bit of fibre, a few flowers and brads and a lovely little pusscat.

All fun which is what this crafting is all about eh girls??

BITS AND PIECES

I really don't have a clue how to add a link to a post. I always include the whole blogspot name just incase. However, I know there is an address bar under the post title so for this one I have typed in the following:

http://pinkleart.blogspot.com/ (notice my backup here just incase the above doesn't work!!).

Sunday stampers challenge for this week is - Bits and Pieces - and yes Hels, I did start singing the 60s song when I read that. Being my age, those old songs are the only ones I remember!!!

Anyway, here is my entry. Actually it's one of the pages I've made for Heather's chunky book swap - Vintage Journeys, so hope it's ok.

I've made some distressed fragments, some stamped grungeboard pieces and some distressed grunge, oh! and a crackled bit of grunge. The piece down the left side is torn from my map book - better not go to the Orkneys!! and the bits I've used are; a coin charm, a key brad, a metal buckle with velvet ribbon, a couple of metal corners, an Ideology pin (with the word vintage on) holding a metal tag. It looks like some of the pieces are held together with staples but they are all stuck to a card base.

I just have to make the reverse for this page but am stuck for ideas just now.

WHAT A MESS

I have been trying to create some of the 9 pages required for Heather's 'chunky book' swap.

When I received the brief, I was quite happy with the titles of each page, thinking I could probably manage each one. However, once I gave them some thought I began to panic and my mind went blank.

I am a Tim Holtz fan and quite unashamably admit to having a rather large amount of both Ranger and Tim's signature items. Using them all is another story! - sorry David, but yes I am being a bit negative. However, I have complete 2 pages and the front of a third and have 'til 31 August before the end date of the swap.

These photos show the mess I was in a couple of days ago when my 'all things Tim head' went missing!

CHALLENGES

Check out these blogs for some exciting challenges:

1. http://dareu2digistamp.blogspot/

2. http://totallypapercrafts.blogspot/

3. http://allsortschallenge.blogspot/

Having just spent hours on the phone over the past couple of days trying to get the modem up and running again, I thought it time for a challenge. The above blogs are running these themes this week,

1. No patterned paper

2. Things with wings

3. Pink, black and white.

My simple little card is made with core'dinations card which I embossed with a cuttlebug folder through my Big Shot and punched with a Martha Stewart deep edge punch. The little fairy is a digi image coloured with watercolour pencils. The pink card is Bazzil, the flower is Prima and the ribbon and brads are from my stash. The lovely little angel charm is engraved on the back with 'made for an angel'.

DONGLE TIME

Just a quick post to say that my broadband has decided to have a rest and not let me on the web this week. I am therefore having to use my web and walk dongle to try and keep up to date. However, it takes an age to do anything so I thought this may be the quickest way to let my pals know that I cannot blog or email.
Hopefully another phone call will sort things out today. Wonder if a call will sort my bad back too?

FAIRY DOOR

I was so tired yesterday after a really exciting and most enjoyable day on Saturday. I met my friend, Sonia at the train station and we 'whisked' our way over to Dawn's for a workshop with the ever so talented, Lindsay Mason.

The theme for this class was 'Fairy Doors'. Lindsay had made some gorgeous examples all of which were different and quite intriguing. The beauty of these little doors is that they can be adapted to suit any occasion and can either be used 'whole' on a card or scrap page, or, made as the card itself. Mine is going to a pal for her birthday in a few days. Hope she likes it.

We began by choosing a shape and then cutting some grungeboard to match. We then used crackle paint on the grunge which we 'tweeked' to resemble wood. Some of us left space around our door to add some rocks whilst others made their door fit exactly. We added hinges, locks, keys, windows, owls, flower soft and allsorts of bits and pieces. It was great fun and again, I learnt new crafty techniques.

I also had a wonderful time nattering and laughing with Sonia and a lovely lady next to me who had come all the way from Nottingham.

CLOWNS

Anyone who knows me, also knows that I cannot draw for toffee! I didn't own any stamps, up to today, that resemble anything like a clown or a circus come to that, so trying to achieve the Sunday Stampers challenge #93 - Clowns, was near impossible. (Check out the Ink on My Fingers link in the side bar).

However, Jennie at the Artistic Stampers shop came to my rescue by quickly dealing with my order for the Tim Holtz Random Gatherings stamp set. I finally completed the challenge using one of the 4 stamps.

I decided to make an ATC, mainly because my swap box is very bare, but I used mountboard instead of card. The new distress inks formed the base before I stamped the image. I then mixed some red Perfect Pearls with water and sprayed all over the card. I went over the word with a gold pen, re-stamped the image on scrap card so I could cut out the clown's faces and the strong man's leotard. The weights are coloured black with Copic and the stickles at the top is gunmetal, the beadazzles are jazz and the middle clown's hair is cut from some fancy fibres.

After problemating since Sunday (is that a proper word?) I've done it. Hooray!

COPIC EASEL CARD

Another whole day to make just one card. I will be so glad to get rid of this cold and clear my head. Better go tomorrow as I have a workshop on Saturday.

Yesterday's Copic Colour challenge #54 was to use these lovely colours:

BG15 - Aqua

B93 - Light Crockery Blue

Y21 - Buttercup Yellow

I used Sugar Nellie stamp, Manga Girl #1 together with some Bazzil cardstock, Basic Grey papers, Prima flowers, Martha Stewart deep edge flower punch and a few embellishments.

Considering the time I keep spending on just one card, I am also entering this into the Lily of the Valley challenge #48 - Easel card .

Please check out the side bar for links to both of these challenges.

PEARLS

http://dareu2digistamp.blogspot/ challenge #32 i s - PEARLS.

I wanted to have a go at this over the weekend but never had the time and now I'm full of a cold and feeling rotten so it's taken me a whole day to produce this entry.

I used a 6x6 cream base card and one of my new distress inks - victorian velvet - around the edges. I also distressed the patterned papers which I bought from the US years ago. The pink paper has been punched with a MS punch but the green lace is a ready prepared one. Again I used my Nellies frames to cut around the digi image which I have coloured with metallic Sakuras. I added a Prima flower which had pearls in the centre, pearls to the punched border and finally, a little key which I bought from Lily of the Valley.

As soon as my pal Hazel (didos) is settled in her new house, she will receive this as a welcome for better times to come.