WOYWW June 30th

If it's Wednesday it's WOYWW!
What's on my desk today is a right mess - most of it having been there for weeks :-/  Centre stage is a canvas I did for the Sunday Stampers challenge over at our Hels place (if you'd like a better look see prev post) just to the left of that is my beautiful easel courtesy of Julia and Mr D :-)  Well that's me for today, short and sweet :-)  Now all you need to do is pop over to La Maison de Julia and join in the fun :-)
DD's 2 have chicken pox :-/
EDITED JUST TO SAY I FORGOT THE EYES - JUST OUT OF THE PIC. DON'T WANT PEEPS TO SPEND AGES LOOKING FOR THEM ;-)
A creative mess is better than tidy idleness - Michael J Fox
EDITED AGAIN bit of an emergency so won't be round anymore today, don't know about tomorrow

Sunday Stampers and Christmas Club

I haven't done a 2 in 1 just posting 2 together.  Firstly Hels' Sunday Stampers challenge.  The theme this week is Pearls.  I've used the canvas that I won in the SS challenge some weeks ago.  I painted the background with white paint, coloured with a liitle Stream Adirondak colour wash - not painted all over, just patchy.  I used Dyan's Lime colour wash with 2 stencils in the corners and colouredsome Golden gel medium which I've used again with stencils in the opposite corners, (in some places it's not so thick so the colour underneath shows through)  The image is called FaeAway but I can't remember where it's from.  I've used some hessian and threaded it through a 'thing' cut on the Robo, which has been triple embossed with Key Lime Pie and a bit of Ebony (from Once Upon A Stamp); I've threaded a painted cocktail stick through.  I've stamped with some of Tim's stamps - butterly and floral in pink on left side - not showing up too well; and a flourish stamp in green.  I've stitched some pearl beads onto the canvas and finally edged it with gold leaf pen.

I've used an image of my grandson on the Christmas card, and though it's not exactly 'arctic'; which is the theme for dcdchristmasclub this week, the conditions are arctic to me hehe.  The 'snow' and greeting are computer generated.

;-)

This is what I've been up to this weekend

I've had a fantastic weekend doing a character painting workshop with Dyan at afth There were 5 of us doing the workshop and everyone produced a unique and totally different character.  As usual I liked everybody else's better than my own :-/ But as I can't paint or draw I don't think it's too bad, I am happy with it - she's Miss Goody Two Shoes and she's got a really big head; that wasn't intentional!  There is more colour on the background than is showing here.  We all had a wonderful time, Dyan is marvellous I love the stuff she produces and her workshops are ace!  Dyan has brought out her own range of dye-based colour wash sprays, they're fab colours so if you like the Adirondak colour washes check out Dyan's.
Not sure about the crown, may take if off and make her a tiara.

WOYWW - June 23rd

It's that day again, the day snoopy crafters go round snooping at other people's desks/workspaces to see what they're up to; or just to see what their crafty space looks like.  It's great fun and if you haven't joined in yet take the plunge today!  Pop over to the wonderful Julia's to find out more.  Mess, as most weeks, on mine ;-)   The black floral thing on the right is a Heidi Swapp mask.  The paper trays at the back of the desk have become a dumping ground!  I've been intending to sort out my desk all week but obviously not trying hard enough.  I thought I'd show the fabric thing I was working on.  It was the meeting of our doll group last Saturday, in York, and we had to cut up the fabric piece and sew it together again but not to the original shape, and now we have to hand embroider it. - not something I've done much of except x-stitch!  Eventually it will become a vessel :-/  I'm also showing my BIA book which I completed some weeks ago but hadn't embellished the front.  I took the pic of this yesterday pm hence the shadow.  The paper is 7 Gypsies.  I've added stars and numbers using stencil embossing paste, coloured with mica powders and a hessian flower, cut using Tim's Tattered Florals die.  I did one yesterday for my Sunday Stampers entry (prev post) but had painted it with acrylic paint.  This one I just coloured slightly with DIs.  A word of warning if you try using hessian with the same die, the 3rd layer on the flower needs very careful handling and either painting or spraying with glue or something straight away.  Yesterday's was ok (though one petal came apart) as I painted it straight away so that held it together.  See you at your place ;-)

Sunday Stampers - Metal

Yippee, so far I'm on the ball this week ;-)  Have already done my entry for Die Cut Dreams Christmas Club (see prev post) and have now completed my Sunday Stampers project.  The theme for this week's SS is 'Metal'.  When I saw what it was I'd already decided to either do a heart or use my Tim's Ornamental die, but when I saw Kay's 2 lovely hanging birds it inspired me to use some fabric with texture 'cos I thought it would work so well with metal.  I decided on hessian which I already had but it was au naturel and I wanted it brown, so just painted it with acrylic paint.  I cut the flower using the Tattered Florals die. The little tag is wood (which was part of the candy I won a few weeks ago from Hels).  I've used UTE on it then stamped into it, the flower attached is from a light shade fitting and the heart is a charm from 'All My Memories' which I've had since one day - from QVC.  I coloured it with Krylon gold leafing pen.  The metal hanger I coloured with alcohol inks which I also used on the metal on the 'Ornametal' shape xx

2 In 1

This is the first time I've entered 1 item into 2 challenges.  This week's challenge over at Anything Goes is to use monochrome and include buttons and bows.  The challenge over at Susie's Christmas Club is to use all white but a dash of colour is allowed.  I've just stamped the image and greeting in blue and just edged the fancy shape in blue also, everything else is white (just a touch of gold at the edge of the ribbon).  The glitter on the top and bottom of the card is either iridescent or white but looks a bit creamy here.  So entering this into:

1. Anything Goes

2. dcdchristmasclub

Am just working on my entry for the Sunday Stampers challenge and hopefully will be able to post it tomorrow ;-)

Sunday Stampers - Numbers + Linda's last tag

I've done another tag for the SS challenge over at Hels, just for a change LOL This is one I'd coloured a few days ago with Adirondak Colour Washes.  I'v added some 7 Gypsies paper and houses from Dyan's downloads.  The 3 is from Tim's number stamp in the Fairytale Frenzy set and the last 'snap' is We R Memory Keepers - I've added one of my almost ubiquitous felt flowers hehe.

I know Linda's already left for Ranger U but I hadn't done my last tag till today, so I'm still posting it.  I'ts not really wonky, I was just holding it at an angle when I took it.  The metal is coloured with alcohol inks after running through the Big Shot using a Cuttlebug embossing folder.  Do you like the pink Statue of Liberty? I'd like to say I did it like that to tone with the metal but actually the colour ink cartridge has run out :-/ but I thought it worked well anyway hehehe.
Edited - Have changed the pic for Linda's Countdown tag so it's no longer wonky but have chopped a little corner of the roof off :-/

WOYWW June 16th

I thought I'd show what's on my sometime other workdesk AKA the dining table.  As you can see it gets as messy as my craft desk.  I've got a few things on the desk that need altering slightly.  The rubber gloves are there 'cos I've been doing a bit of free machine embroidery and as you have to move the fabric yourself it makes it easier to grip and move the fabric round.  The fabric piece is for a project we are working on at the cloth doll group I'm a member of.   My free mahcine embroidery skills are sadly lacking.  I keep practising but when I do something like circles a few go fine then the machine just cuts right across one of the circles - I'm sure it does it on it's own!  And I get a few angles in the stitching and when did you see circles with angles! but heyho.  I've just done a kind of random stitch on mine but even that has anlges when it was supposed to be nice curves!   So now if you want to show us what's on your desk pop over to Akela Julia's then dive in, it's just for fun :-)

Have decided to post my tag for Linda's countdown here ;-)  I've used some lovely green felt with a  bit of free machine embroidery round the edge (as I said above doing circles is not my forte :-/ so if you're experienced don't look too closely hehe) the number 2 is free machined too and I made the flowers out of the rainbow organza.  Just to say in my defence here though I made the mistake of doing free machine embroidery on a small surface - not easy!
It's a glorious day here, hope it is where you are ;-)

Linda's Countdown, Tag 3

I was planning something a bit different for today's tag but it didn't work :-/  So back to inking and stamping.  Again I've used colourwashes on this.  Sometimes the colourwashes can be a bit dark which may be fine but if you add water in some way it makes them lighter and brighter.  I wet this tag all over before spraying with 3 colour washes and let the colours run.  I've used Raisin, Butterscotch and smidgen of Lettuce.   The aeroplane (stamped with Archival Maroon), case and postal stamp - on the bottom half 

(stamped with Pumice DI) are from a set of travel stamps by Artemio (couldn't find a name on the set), this pic isn't very clear 'cos I just scanned the acetate sheet.  Bon voyage stamped with Studio G alpha stamps, the wings are German Scrap; coloured with alcohol inks; I used Anita's clear gloss on the case and little tag and the little border on the bottom is metal cut with a MS punch and coloured with alcohol inks :-)

Check out Linda and Anneliese's blogs for more 'Countdown Tags'.

Linda's Countdown Tag 4

I'm up-to-date now with my tags for Linda and Anneliese's countdown.  I've cottoned on to the fact that people are including appropriate numbers in their tags to denote which day it is in the countdown :-/  Well I knew Linda was but have realised other people are too.  I've just put a ring round number 4 - as you can see hehe  I've used Adriondak ink for the background for a change.  The stamps are Tim's and the flower is a Robo file ;-)

Linda's Countdown Tags - 6 + 5

Linda and Anneliese are off to Ranger U in less than a week now - lucky girls ;-)  They thought they would mark the countdown by making a set of tags.  It's just for fun but I thought I'd join in.  I've gone for mainly simple colouring and stamping in monochrome with these two with just a little embellishment - sometimes that's all that's needed :-)  I've used Tumbled Glass DI on the rose one.  The rose (Grungepaper) and corners (which I just cut out of card) are painted with Jacquard's Lumiere Metallic, Pearl Blue.  On the other I used Dusty Concorde DI.  The heart I cut out of card and triple embossed with Sweet Orchid Iridescent embossing powder (it's not UT but the colour was right) from the Blonde Moments range at Art From The Heart and stamped with a PaperArtsy mini stamp and the flourish from the Art Journey 'Writing' set.  The large 'snap' is from We R Memory Keepers ;-)

Linda's countdown tags 8 + 7

In case  you're new here check out Linda's blog for an explanation of the countdown tags.  As I started late I've had to do 2 at a time - well I didn't have to but as I wanted to play along I wanted to catch up, and now I have ;-) so here's my effort for 8 and 7.   I've been using the Adirondak colour washes quite a bit lately and am really loving them.  I've used a stencil and some of Tim's number masks on the time one and more of Tim's masks on the bird one.  I've used some of the felt flowers I'd cut using Tim's Tattered Florals die which were initially meant for my felt vase.  I'd cut one of the larger flowers up and put little tucks into some of the petals to make the middle layer here
:-)

Blog Award Day - mine that is! And Bird

Firstly just want to show a piccy of the bird I made for Julia to celebrate WOYWW's 1st anniversary.  Julia's showing it on her blog, but just in case I get some visitors that don't pop over there ;-)

Just to say, the muck on the verandah is due to DD's dog digging up and eating my one and only cauliflower (I had it in a large plant pot) that I'd been nurturing for weeks :-(  I do have some others that still need planting out but one of the reasons I didn't put some in a patch of the garden was so he wouldn't dig them up!

I've received several blog awards recently so decided to post them altogether

The first one I received twice - here are the rules:-

1 Express gratitude to the blogger who bestowed the award unto you... Copious,grovelling …I am not worthy… gratitudes - ok, here goes I 'm not worthy to lick the boots of Lyn and Kay (thankfully I'm not that worthy!)

2 Display the picture on your blog proudly.

3 Be nice and provide a link to the person/s who gave it to you.

a) Lyn - http://spyder-spyderscorner.blogspot.com/ Who is a wonderfully talented artist and also kindly gives freebies of some of her art, also friendly and very funny ;-)

b) Kay http://makingthingsfromstuff.blogspot.com/   Another blogger with a great sense of humour, very friendly and makes wonderful art stuff - just read her porfile to see how she named her blog, always makes me smile when I think about it :-)

4 Tell up to six outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one outrageous truth, or switch it around and tell six outrageous truths and one outrageous lie.

5 Nominate seven creative writers who might be into doing this

1/ While on holiday in Cuba a few years ago I whiled away one evening drinking Mohitos and swapping funny stories with Fidel Castro; what a blast!

2/ I once dug up a dead donkey

3/ I'm a natural blonde but like to dye my roots a mix of brown and grey just to keep people guessing.

4/ I went jet-skiing and quad-biking on holiday in Tunisia

5/ I won a knobbly knees contest at Butlin's many years ago

6/ I can do up to 4 back-flips in a row

I'm passing this award on to:

Pat - http://patacake-patcrafts.blogspot.com/
Heidi - http://thecraftygoatgirl.blogspot.com/
Maddy - http://patacake-patcrafts.blogspot.com/
Linda - http://acraftingjourney.blogspot.com/
Wilma - http://craftygran.blogspot.com/

Helen - http://stampingbyh.blogspot.com/

Bee - http://nannabeeshive.blogspot.com/

This Award I received from Bee 

The rules are that I have to tell you 10 facts about myself

1 I have 4 beautiful grandchildren and 2 beautiful children

2 I love crafting and all it entails

3 I love books but when it comes to reading I can't resist a bargain and love to find books for £2 or less :-)

4 I love dancing and currently go to linedancing and tap dancing 

5 I'm a bit of a slut when it comes to housework! (I do do some of course but as little as possible)

6 Not sure if this counts as fact, but if I win the lottery I'm going to buy myself a canal boat ;-)

7 I've got a pair of quad roller skates which I had every intention of using when I bought them but don't know how to stop :-/ (I wish there was somewhere to go that wasn't full of kids so I could practice without feeling self-concious - and never mind knee and elbow pads, how about something to protect the hips LOL)

8 One of my best holidays was to Cuba about 4 years ago

9 I love cake

10 I will be 64 next month (argh! I dont mind saying it but seeing it written it sounds old and I'm not)

I'm passing this award on to:

Ann - http://flutterbycrafter.blogspot.com/

Cardarian - http://cardarianshappyplace.blogspot.com/

Elizabeth - http://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/

I was going to do all the awards here but need to get off the PC for a bit so will do the other one over the weekend.

Linda's Tag Countdown - 10 + 9

In case you didn't know Linda is off to Ranger U in just 8 more sleeps ;-) And if you didn't know, where've you been?!  She and Anneliese (with whom she is going) decided to mark the countdown with 10 tags.  I'm a bit behind so am just now posting 10 and 9 (should be number 8 today) but hopefully I'll catch up tomorrow.  It's just a bit of fun and I do love making tags.  If you popped by on Wed you will have seen these 2 before completion.  I coloured the backgrounds with Adirondak colour washes and as they can be a little dark I'd sprayed the tags with a little water first.  On the one with the flower I then used a Heidi Swapp mask and oversprayed with a Crafty Notions spray but for what I wanted the colour was too deep so I washed a little off.  The lace for the flower was white and again I used Adirondak butterscotch colour wash on it.  The leaves I cut using the Robo.  I've stamped with Tim's stamps apart from the dotty one which is from The Artistic Stamper The wings on the Stampotique girl are German Scrap the crown (which I cut down a bit) is Grungeboard.  I tried stamping the numbers and butterfly onto the tag but 'cos I'd embossed it, using a Cuttlebug folder, it hardly showed up, so I stamped onto a layer of paper napking then glued it on using Mod Podge went over any remaining white bits with the colourwashes.
 ;-)

Anything Goes - Week 2

The theme for the Anything Goes challenge this week is 'Lace and pearls', using the colours cream and pink.  I've used a stamp from the 'Art Journey' Precious Moments' set and an Anna Griffin flourish.  In case you can't tell, the tag is cream with some pink paper on one side (wasn't sure it showed as cream)  I'm glad the rain had stopped for a while so I could take the pic outside, I do find with my camera the colours are much truer that way x

WOYWW - June 9th

Well what a fantastic first anniversary we all shared along with our guru Julia for WOYWW ;o)  If you still haven't taken the plunge why not make this your first week and show us what you're working on or just the space where you create.  It doesn't matter whether you're a tidy or messy crafter we're non-judgmental on that front ;o)
I've gone for the aerial shot this week, I do like it.  My desk is a right old mess and as you can see I haven't put away the felt flowers I initially made for my felt vase, though I have used some this week.  I've got a couple of tags on show that I was working on in the wee small hours ('cos I couldn't sleep).  I had intended to do one for Linda's '10 Tags', which she's doing as a countdown to her trip to visit the maestro of craft Mr Tim.  However after faffing long enough and getting stuck for ideas I gave up :-/   I'm also showing my vase and flowers now residing on the windowsill just to the right of my desk mainly to show another project peeking out from behind, can you make it out?  Well time for a cuppa and a snoop - no cream cakes this week alas :o(

BTW if you spy dental floss I used it to sew something (it makes wonderfully strong thread) onto the green thing slightly visible last week, which is winging it's way to it's destination so I can't show it this week ;o)
xx

Susie + Vikki's Christmas Club - Snowflakes

I haven't made anything for Susie + Vikki's Christmas Club for a couple of weeks but have managed it this week.  The theme this week is 'Snowflakes'.  I don't know what the DP is as it was a piece I got free with my Big Shot.  The plain paper is form a HOTP book I've had for yonks.  I stamped the 'snowflakes' with a Studio G set and just cut the banner out by hand.  The fancy border is a MS punch ;o)

Anything Goes - week 1

There's a new challenge blog - Anything Goes.  This is the first week (well the end of the 1st week really, new challenge tomorrow).  The theme is "Wings and colours - Blue, Brown and Yellow".  I'm not sure about the beads on this but was struggling to think of something yellow to put on.  And though one of the colours looks a bit peachy it is in fact Vintage Photo
:o)

Sunday Stampers - Letters

I'm quick off the mark this week with my entry for the Sunday Stampers challenge.  The theme this week is 'Letters'.  I've used DIs to colour the background of the tag and just used a very cheap plastic alpha stencil for the letters.  I've used one of the Crafter's Workshop stencils at the bottom of the tag.  I've sprayed Adirondak 'Raisin' colourwash through both stencils.  I really like the raisin with this background.  I've added a Stampotique image and a little metal embelly (which was included in the stash I won a couple of weeks ago from Hels).  Why don't you pop over to Hels place and join in, the only requirement is that you include the theme of course and some stamping.  And while you're there check out her blog which has fabulous work to delight the senses and to get your juices flowing ;o)

Sunday Stampers - Wings

At last!  I've just completed my project for this week's Sunday Stampers challenge.  The theme this week was 'Wings'.  I cut the shape with my 'Ornamental' die and the bird with the 'Caged Bird' die.  Both using thick card, which I've painted with Lumiere metallic paints.  The flowers are felt, cut with the 'Tattered Florals' die and also painted with the Lumiere paints.  Initially I'd cut the shape out of card and metal and glued them together, but ended up messing it up :-/ so after faffing and trying to rescue it I decided to bin it!

:o)

WOYWW - 1st Anniversary, how cool!

Yes folks it's celebrations time over at the ever delightlful Ms Julia's.  If you didn't know already it's the first anniversary of the cult known as WOYWW so cream cakes and tea are in order methinks.  Mine's white no sugar please Julia and I'll have the cream slice ;o)

For the anniversary challenge I've made a felt vessel with fabric flowers, the WOYWW acronym is sewn onto one of the leaves.  It's on the desk today, but will live on the windowsill just to the right of my desk.  Some may remember the fabric paper I did a few weeks ago, that was intended for bunting but when I saw this fabulous felt I just had to use it.  In the main pic you'll see there are a couple of extra flowers - card with sequins, these were the 2nd lot of flowers, I decided to put them in the vase too rather than chuck 'em.   The first flowers I made were the yellow felt ones strewn on the desk but I finally settled on the fabric ones.  Also on my desk is some card I was playing about with yesterday, stamping with white acrylic paint then colouring with Distress Inks - not for anything in partcular.  I stamped it with an Anna Griffin flourish which I love which is on top of the card.  You can see a bit of green on my new Big Shot; all will be revealed next week, if not before.  Can't wait to see what people have made for WOYWWAC so off for a nosey, a cuppa and cream cake :o)