WOYWW - March 31st

What is WOYWW? Well pop over to Joyful Julia's to find out, then join us - simples!
I've gone for an aerial view today.  Mine really is very very messy but somehow it never looks quite so bad in the pics; a good thing perhaps!  I've just dumped stuff on the desk and left it as I've been making a Viking outfit for my granddaughter for school.  I just managed to finish it before keep-fit yesterday evening.  Quite a bit of time was taken up on Monday trying to blog stuff, but as I'm sure many of you will know, Blogger was playing up.  I did a fabby workshop at the weekend at AFTH in Harrogate, if you'd like to see what we made, scroll down 2 posts.  The canvas in the pic is one of the things we made - I used a piccy of DD in a Halloween outfit including a wig, her own hair is extremely curly
:-)
xx

OMG! These are even better in 'real life'.

I won a fabulous prize from Maddy and it arrived this morning.  I was so chuffed to win as Maddy is a very talented lady, she does the most wonderful Fimo creatiNs as well as beautiful cards - the Calvin Mouse logo on the right hand side is one of hers.  She also occasionally does tutorials and did one for Herbert so why not have a go.  I'm going to attempt one with the grandkids over Easter, ahem!  Can't imagine what it will look like! Anyway here's my prize, even better in 'real life'; just look at the detail on Herbert and friend.  As you can see Herbert came complete with his own little home - just need to get him some carrots or Maddy will report me to the FSPCA (Fimo Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).  The beautiful card was also part of the prize :)  I did have some in for him honest Maddy, it's just that DD needed some for tea yesterday.  Oh just remembered I need to post a piccy of him in his new home for Maddy too, but as Blogger's been playing up (took me 4 goes to post the previous post) it'll probably be tomorrow now ;)
xx

(FOR PICCIES OF FABBY DABBY WEEKEND SEE PREVIOUS POST)

Fabby Dabby weekend

Blogger was playing up yesterday so I couldn't upload my pics.   I did the Fabby Dabby workshop with Dyan at Art From the Heart in Harroagte.  I stayed over 2 nights 'cos I didn't want to get up early to travel and also it made it a mini break which was great.  We learned how to draw vines 'cos this was going to be part of the canvas we did we had lots of practice on paper first, then before committing to canvas we painted some card and drew a couple of vines.
We scrunched some tissue paper and stuck it onto the canvas then painted the canvas with Claudine Hellmuth's paints using a babywipe.  The dress (also legs and shoes, which are hidden by the flora and fauna) were stamped onto Claudine's sticky back canvas then coloured.  The wings are Grungeboard.  We stamped the flowers and butterflys onto some of Dyan's 'Blonde Moments' papers.  I've used a pic of DD in her Halloween costume on the canvas.  The wig was red as were the horns, but I decided to use monochrome.

The tin was covered with 7Gypsies papers and stickers.  The 2 tags were made using 7 Gypsies rubons and Dyan's downloads after colouring with DIs and using the faux bleach effect.  On the tag with 'Joy' I used the letters from the download sheet and outlined them but using an unbroken line (on the 'life' I used a dotted line) but for some reason the pen developed a mind of it's own and went too far round the 'y' which I wasn't happy about, it looked a mess.  So I took the letters off and filled in with some doodling.  We did quite a bit of doodling over the weekend; it seems to be very popular just now.  The little book was a zig-zag book but we stuck the pages together at the back and covered the spine with some paper.  We did other bits and pieces including UTEE.  We did make another book which we painted, sprayed using stencils/masks and stamped, then stamped and cut out some Stampotique images to use.  But mine just looks a mess so I'm leaving it out!

This is the stash I bought hehe. In case you can't make it out, that's Grungepaper at the top left of the pic.
xx

Susie + Vikki's Christmas Club - Christmas Food

Firstly, had a fabby dabby weekend, that's what it was called too ;)  OOh it was bloomin' fantastic, got all inky and painty.   Will blog about that tomorrow.  For now I'm posting my card for Susie + Vikki's Christmas Club My card was chosen as the winner last weekend.  Thje theme for this week is Christmas Food; I chose Christmas pud.  The background paper was a free download from Summer Designs for Christmas 2008.  Summer puts together fantastic free kits so pop over if you'd like to see more of her designs.  The border top and bottom was made using a MS punch, the Christmas pud and holly I initially cut on the Robo but then cut round the pud and used different card and mounted on a Robo frame, the 'sauce' was cut from a 'Glitter Sheet' by Craftime,  these sheets are lovely and glittery if you love your glitter ;)  The pud is decorated with sequins.  I cut the top of the greeting with 'Bubbles' fancy edge scissors by Dovecraft . OOps just noticed one of the sequins has fallen off!
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Just a quick one

Should be posting my effort as guest Designer for Susie + Vikki tomorrow but I'm at a weekend workshop at AFTH Was going to do pre-post thingy but I had a terrible migraine last night and just a hint of headach today so no time to faff  sorry.  Hope you all have a lovely weekend.  See you all Sunday ;)
xx

WOYWW or Yes it is Wednesday already Julia hehe

If you're not with the programme yet pop over to mine host Julia and get with it.  It's all about showing what is currently on you workdesk, messy or tidy we don't mind.  On mine are the stamps I received from Susie + Vikki for winning the Christmas Club challenge last week and some lovely stamped Christmas images.  There's a card in the making for my nephew, the first aid box I'm in the middle of tarting up which has various bits pieces piled on top.
I'm including a picture of the finished tree complete with apples; whadda ya mean they look like cherries! xx

Susie + Vikki's Christmas Club - Baubles

The theme for Susie + Vikki's Christmas Club challenge this week is 'Baubles'.  The background paper is from Trend Line stack by Kars, the blue layer is self-adhesive cardstock by DCWV,  the flourish and embellishment dies were cut on the Robo then glittered.  I used the MS doily punch for the lacy strip and the bauble is cut from AC (American Crafts) foil Specialty Paper.
I won the challenge last week and received my goodies this morning, but will have to post later as I'm off out shortly ;)
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Yippee - Christmas Club Challenge

I'm made up (delighted - I say that 'cos in Liverpool that's what it means, but in Yorkshire, or hereabouts at least, it means 'bunged up'!!) 'cos my card was chosen as the winner this week.  If you want to get a steal on your Christmas cards for this year pop over to Susie + Vikki's and join in. See Christmas stocking 2 posts dow. Winning means I get to be guest DT for this week; great but ...........ooer!
xx
I'D LOVE YOU TO LOOK AT MY PREVIOUS POST WHILE YOU'RE HERE ;)

I didn't make the little green apples, but I'm sure there is such a thing as Dr Seuss and Disneyland

This is the first completed apple for my tree (scroll down to WOYWW) - I have made 6 others but they don't have the stalks on yet.  there are leaves to be made too.  For an apple it makes a good cherry don't you think? hehe  It's made from felt including the stalk, well for those into felting I feel I have to say the outside layer is some synthetic fibre which you can't wet felt but you can needle-felt it (needle felt, needlefelt needle-felt - take your pick).I think the apple is fine but not sure about the placement of them on the tree as I may not actually make any mor so think the placement will be important as there will be so few.
I thought I'd take this opportunity to show you a felt vessel I'm making.  I did this in the early hours of the morning as I couldn't sleep, the only bit I've done today is the stitching on the rolled edge.  I think I finally dropped off about 6am! only to be woken by someone knocking on the d**n  door at 8am grrrrr!  I've stuffed it with paper to help shape it.  It needs a bit of embellishment yet.
If you don't understand the title but would like to know what I'm on about look here xx

Spam or anonymous comments

I've had a couple of comments recently that have been in Chinese and Anonymous ones advertising some website or other so for a short time I'm only allowing comments from people with Google accounts and have also enabled 'word verification'  I aplogise to anyone who'd like to comment but doesn't have a Google account but I'm hoping this will deter unwanted commentors.?  If anyone can advise what other option there is - eg Registered users (not sure what that means) which would make it possible for genuine comments for those without a Google account, please let me know.
xx
EDTED - My concern is that if it's Spam it may cause problems.  But Jane has said it is Spam and can bypass 'word verification'.  So I'll wait and see.

Susie + Vikki's Christmas Club - Presents & Gifts

A bit later than last week but better than the previous week hehe.  I've finally finished my entry for Susie + Vikkie's club this week.  It was mostly done a few days ago but I wanted to cut some snowflakes on the Robo and only managed to do that yesterday.  I may also enter this for Christmas Cards All Year as the challenge for March is to use mainly green.  But I've got another 4 cards to go for that one!
xx

WOYWW 17th March

I'm currently trying to finish my tree before Saturday.  I'm a member of York Dolly Birds which is a cloth doll group, we meet once a month and in the main make cloth dolls.  We do lots of other stuff too one of which was making a tree using a toilet roll holder for the base.  This was painted then we wrapped wire round to form the trunk and branches.  This was then covered in pre-felt, or in my case a felted wool jumper.  We made some felt which was then needlefleted onto the base.  I've just checked and actully posted the unfinished tree in Nov 2008 :0 !!  At the time I ran out of felt to finish the tree and ordered more online, but unfortunately it was a totally different colour.  I only discovered yesterday that at some point since I'd bought wool tops that were a near match but obviously had forgotten about it.  As many of the members of the doll group were working on a project, the lady who runs the group set us a challenge to finish one of our UFOs. This is going to be an apple tree; I realise it may not look a lot like an apple tree and it started off as a generic tree but I've decided to make some felt apples to put on.  The foam is there so I can lay it down while needlefelting near the ends of the branches.
If you'd like to show us what's on yoour workdesk pop over to Jovial Julia's to find out what it's all about ;)

Sunday Stampers - Bits and Pieces

Hels has a weekly challenge called Sunday Stampers with a different theme each week.  As the name suggests there has to be some stamping in whatever you do, even if it's just a little bit :)  The theme this week is 'Bits And Pieces'.  If you pop over you'll see Hels uses songs to inspire the themes - I only remember this song 'cos my older sister used to sing it - honestly ROFL.  This week anything goes really.  I've used a mini canvas - cheapo from 'The Works'.  I've used Perfect Pearls on the background and stamped a couple of flourishes, though they're mostly hidden now.  I ran a piece of metal through my SIzzix using a Cuttlebug folder and coloured it with alcohol inks then rubbed it down slightly with sandpaper, I used my MS doily punch along the edge.  I also used the metal to make a couple of leaves also coloured with alcohol inks.  I had made a Grungepaper flower but it didn't go (if I'd made a rose I think it would've), so just pleated a piece of card I'd previously punched with a MS punch and attached it with a large designer brad from We R Memory Keepers.  The studs on the left were intended for use on fabric and I've had them for years and years.  I made a little figure using wire and wrapped with wool (the arms look as though they are coming out of the midriff hehe), the face is made using air-drying clay and a mould, the wings are German Scrap from Scrapz which were red but coloured with alcoohol inks.  I ripped the saying into 3 as it didn't look right on this piece as it was.
xx

Happy Mothers' Day

Happy Mothers' Day to all the mums ;)  Though my mother died when I was in my forties she was only really my mother for the first 81/2 years of my life.  I was fortunate in that my big sis took over the role when I was 15, not just for myself but also for my youngest sister and my brother. Can you imagine that; at 24 she not only had 2 of her own children but also 3 teenagers to look after! Amazing!  I'm a very lucky mum now 'cos though I've only got 2 children I've actually got 5 cards for Mothers Day, yippee!  I've got one each from the 2 sets of grandkids and also one for 'mother-in-law' from DDs' OH; I think that speaks volumes :) and the usuall choccies - far too many, but I couldn't possibly give them away now could I?!  I'll just have to munch my way through them.  I got a few other little gifts too.

Yesterday I did 180 miles round trip! I went to see DS and two lovely granddaughters, and after dropping them off I went to visit one of my nephews who is quite poorly in hospital and as my great-niece lives only a few minutes from the hospital I thought I'd pay a visit. She had a little boy 4 weeks ago so I got to hold the newest member of the family - my great-great-nephew.  eek! makes me sound ancient LOL I didn't think to take a photo but pinched this off Facebook ;) My greatniece had ordered pizza and garlic bread before I arrived and asked if I'd like some.  As I'd only had a plate of chips (at Playtown in Southport) and a Mars bar I said yes please.  She handed me a plate with 2 slices of pizza then added as an afterthought, 'you're not vegetarian are you'? Just as well I'm not considering she'd just handed me some 'meat feast' pizza hehe.  So not a healthy diet yesterday!
Hope you all have a lovely day ;) xx

Great candy giveaway over at Maddy's

Pop over to the very talented Maddy's blog to find out how to win this fab candy.  I just love her Fimo creations ;)
xx

WOYWW 10th March

It's that time again.  the time when nosey interested bloggers take time to show what's on their desks and have a good look round other people's.  Mine doesn't look tooooo bad but it's just that the mess is piled up rather than spread out and some of it's hidden under that piece of red wrapping paper.  I thought I'd share a card I made using one of the fab sassy gal images from the Sassy gal herself - Susie.   I won these delightful images a couple of weeks ago along with some lovely little gingham bows - just right for linedancing tonight LOL.  No we don't really dress up like that; it's only at classes where they play nothing but C+W music, but most people dance to a little C+W, pop, Latin, Irish and any other music that inspires choreographers.
So that's what's on my desk but if you want to see what was on my floor last night, see the previous post :0 And if you'd like to show us what's on your desk pop over to the Juicylicious Julia's blog to find out more ;)
xx

Aaaarrrrrgh!

Just as I was about to get changed for keep fit I caught my jumper on my sewing box and pulled it off the table spilling practically the whole of the contents onto the floor :(  I didn't want to leave it all till I got back from keep fit; just as well 'cos it took me about an hour to sort it all out!.  It was a lot worse than it looks in the pics 'cos there were loads of buttons, press-studs, safety pins and other small bits.  It took so long 'cos I decided some things needed to be stored in little boxes or tubs and spent time trying to find some, or shifting other craft stuff round to free some up.
xx

Sunday Stampers - Rabbits or Alice In Wonderland

The theme for Sunday Stampers this week over at Hels place is Rabbits or Alice In Wonderland or both.  As I don't have any Alice stamps or a rabbit stamp that I could use on something more arty I've settled for a kid's card this week and used a cute rabbit.  Just a simple card too :)  plus I've used a peel-off for the greeting - so shoot me! LOL - as I think the stamp set with lots of happy birhthays in is buried beneath a mound which I couldn't be bothered going through properly!  Will have to pick up each cars and bit of paper/card separately to find them  The frame round the greeting is from the Anna Griffin flourish set from Craft Day and I may include this card in another challenge for the Crafts by Caroline forum which requires using one item on 10 cards; be it a stamp, image, embelllishment or whatever so I'm going to try using the frame stamp.
xx

Susie + Vikki's Christmas Club

I'm early for this for once as new challenges are set here each Saturday.  The theme this week is Hot Chocolate.  My little reindeer is actually more chocolate coloured than he looks in the pic.  It took me ages to do this card, it was one of those that I couldn't quite get right.  I'd completed it once but just wasn't happy with it though I couldn't put my finger on what I didn't like, you know how that goes!
xx

Christmas club

Very quick post in the hope I just make it. Card for this week's Chrismtas Club is girlie theme.
xx

WOYWW 3rd March

Where does the time go! March already eek.
I used to work with a girl called Sheila Tickle, whose grandmother's name was Theresa, but was known as Tess.  Come on keep up - did  you get it?  'Tis true though ;)  Just thought I'd share that with you LOL
Back to the more serious business of 'What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday'.  If you want to know more, pop over to the lovely Julia's blog and then join in if you dare.  On mine this week is an old first aid box that was a nasty shade of dark green which I'm going to tart up.  i've given it a coat of gesso and one coat of white acrylic paint so far; think it's going to need another 2.  There is also the makings of a card for Susie + Vikki's Christmas Club.  If you want to get a head start on you Christmas cards this year pop over to the CC Also on show is my as yet unopened new magnetic cutting mat and accoutrments from We R Memory Makers.  The light blue thing (under the quad bike piccy) is the back cover to go with the front cover on the previous post.
If anyone pops over here who didn't last week then read on - I am having internet problems, keep losing connection but have to reboot each time!  I've run Ccleaner and Malwarebytes and changed my browser to no avail - any help would be most appreciated :)
xx

"ALTERED" chipboard book cover

Yes I've "altered" a chipboard book cover - the 'altered' bit is for Julia's benefit, she'll understand ;) I bought some chipboard covers ages ago from Ideal World.  They were meant to be used just as one half of a flower but I wasn't happy using that as a shape - if I ever get round to putting some piccies in.  So have joined 2 pieces, coloured it with DI and mica powders.  For the raised bits I used 'Golden' gel medium with a stencil.  I've added Grungepaper flowers and leaves and a butterfly - just card.  I think now I should have left a longer tail of string at the top and threaded a few more beads on.  I used some lovely Anna Griffin clear flourish stamps; bought on last Craft Day :)

xx

Sunday Stampers - Clowns

The theme for the Sunday Stampers - check out Hels' blog - this week is 'Clowns'.  As I didn't have a clown stamp I downloaded an image to colour in (couldn't print out a coloured one 'cos colour cartridge has run out)  As you need to include some stamping, I stamped the background on the yellow card and the happy birthday.
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PRIMA HAS A BIG SURPRISE COMING

See the pic on right side and click for more info :)

An award - how wonderful ;)

I got this award just over a week ago, but unfortunately I've been having problems with my PC - keep getting kicked off internet and having to reboot each time before I can re-connect so everything's been taking ages.  So firstly thank you so much to the lovely Paula who is a new internet pal and fellow WOYWWer - see Julia's blog for more on that ;)  I have to pass this on to 5 other bloggers, write a top ten list of things that make me happy and 5 pieces of trivia about myself.  Here goes:

10 things that make me happy, in no particular order:
1. Grandkids
2. Family
3. Friends
4. Crafting
5. Dancing
6. Sunny days
7. Holidays
8. Playing games
9. Cadbury's Creme Eggs hehe
10. Blogging

5 pieces of trivia
1. I can whistle fingers in the mouth style - 2 or 4 fingers ;)
2. I've been on a jet-ski
3. I went para-gliding once
4. My school was next door to John Lennon's (though he left the year before I started)
5. I know that kangaroos can retract their testicles LOL

I'm passing this award on to:
1. Wilma,  longtime internet friend and she makes me laugh
2. Tracey another longtime internet friend and companion at many craft shows, also a recent member of the WOYWW cult
3. Julia our wonderful hostess for WOYWW, her posts always bring a smile even when she's having a rant
4. Spyder for being a friendly blogger
5. Linby alanother friendly blogger pal