Sunday Stampers - Wings of a Dove

This week's Sunday Stampers challenge is "Wings of a Dove" to use wings of any sort in your art. I've got lots of angels and butterflies and things but couldn't think what to do for this one, Hels' frame is sooo good!

anyhow, I have done this square tag, (crushed olive and forest moss) and stamped the paperartsy moth in barn door and chipped sapphire. I put the tree through the cuttlebug (yes, not the big shot!) on grungepaper coloured with rusty hinge and crushed olive) and added another moth and the Wendy V bird (never used before!) also on grungepaper.  I have highlighted the leaves with a green gel pen.

I haven't done anything today - apart from the dull weather - I have been watching Mary Poppins - still can't resist it even now - I went to see it when it first came out in 1964 (I was 5!) and have loved it ever since.

Two awards in one day.

Crikey! I logged on yesterday just before I was going out for the evening and found this award from Hels', with these instructions:

1 Express gratitude to the blogger who bestowed the award unto you... Copious,grovelling …I am not worthy… gratitudes  - ok, here goes. Hels' is the most amazingly talented crafter I know. AND her blog makes me laugh.
2 Display the picture on your blog proudly.

3 Be nice and provide a link to the person who gave it to you.
well, you all know her but -  http://pinkleart.blogspot.com/

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. I'm not telling which is which :)  This will be hard. I was brought up not to tell lies, and I'm very boring really so there aren't any outrageous truths... or are there???

5 Nominate seven creative writers who might be into doing this. (see below)

6 Post links to the seven blogs you nominate and let the owners of those blogs know. (this will take ages, blogger seems slow this morning))

So here are my Lies and/or Truths....

1. When I was 16 I used to tell my parents I was going shopping with friends but really we'd go to football matches.
2. I have never smoked - anything!
3. I always save all my spare cash and never splurge it on crafty stash.
4. I once got knocked over by a motorbike and broke my collar bone.
5. I can't pass a bookshop without going in and buying a book.
6. I can't stand smoked salmon.

(Told you I was boring!)

I am passing this award on to the following lovely people:

1. Carmen.
2. Kay   
3. Julia D
4. Wendy
5. Lori
6. Paula
7. Linda

and this morning, I have had this award, from Tracy
Beautiful Blogger Award

and I have to tell 10 things about myself and pass it on to 10 more people  - yikes. After the statements I made above, this may be really hard!  Can I cheat? 

1. Some of the comments above may (or may not) be true!

2. I love visiting gardens and taking photos but don't garden myself.

3. There was one year at my senior school when 3 of my cousins and my sister were all there too

4. I've never watched Sex and the City

5. I really do love reading - anywhere except the bath

6. I always do the lottery  - just in case!

7. I wish I lived in the Tardis - for the space, not the time travel (altough...!)

8. I know I don't see as much of my family as I should do.

9. I had a really lovely night out yesterday with 6 friends one of whom I haven't seen for 17 years. Thanks girls.

10. I want to go to New York one day.

I can't single out another 10 beautiful bloggers to pass this on to - you are all fabulous, so please, everyone who visits this blog, take the award!  I know this is cheating, sorry!

2nd post of the day - Stampotique (purple) -SDC8

Back with another challenge - SDC 8 - to use Stampotique and purple to make a card. I love Stampotique stamps AND purple, so had to do this one!

I covered a cardstock base with this purple dotty paper from Craftwork Cards. The Stampotique girls were stamped on white cardstock and coloured (milled lavendar and dusty concord) I cut Maisie right out and layered them on the card.

I don't have any Stampotique sentiments so had to make up my own - this is the title of one of my favourite books when I was little.

I finished the card with some flowers which I added some dusty concord ink to and some glitter.

Scroll down to see my other post today.

Gingersnap challenge - Read

Reading is one of my favourite hobbies and I have thousands of books (to go with the thousands of rubber stamps, lol) and I have been meaning to enter this Gingersnap challenge "READ"  since it was launched - nothing like leaving it to the last minute, it closes tomorrow!

Just a simple tag - inks are stormy sky and rusty hinge DI's, the alphabet script (fresh from its appearance in its drawer on WOYWW!) is also stormy sky, and the 20's style lady is by Oyster Stamps, coloured with watercolour pencils.

Got another couple of challenges I want to get done too, so I may be back sooner than you think.



Oh, and the Big Shot is in the building!  It arrived at the office yesterday afternoon, in a BIG box (as those of you with one will know) and then I had to carry it home on the bus -  by the time I dragged myself up my road (I have a 15 minute walk from the bus stop) my arms were aching big style.

Once I unpacked it of course, I realised if I'd opened the box at work, I could have used the ever so handy carry handle..............!!!!!!!!!!  'nuff said!

All I need now is some dies (tattered florals on order, yippee!) so I can use it for something other than my cuttlebug embossing folders!

How do you distress?

The amazing Tim H has found some of those wonderful (discontinued) storage tins for his inks and has a competition running on his blog to give them away!  You can either comment, and/or email him ONE photo of something you've distressed - but hurry, needs to be in by tomorrow. I[m sure you've all seen it.

This is what I've sent him.  It is a large tag (from Paperartsy) to which I have stuck a copy of a page from the Times newspaper from 1882 (Ann, The Flutterby Crafter) was given the real thing by a friend to use - but obviously couldn't bear to use the genuine thing so has uploaded copies for anyone to use!  Thanks again, Ann - knew I'd find something for it one day!

Anyhow, I've used scattered straw, brushed corduroy and dusty concord inks.  I stuck the page to the tag, tore it randomly, added various Tim/Wendy stamps including a grungepaper heart (rock candy crackle paint) and butterflies (perfect pearl/DI reinker shimmer and bling bodies) and some idea-ology.

By the time I finished it was dark so it has been quite hard to get a good pic to send Tim.   This was taken on the living room window sill with me balanced on the arm of the chair (fortunately the arms are (a) upholstered and (b) quite wide - and the other foot was on the radiator.... (and the battery was running flat) ....The things we do for Tim!!!
 I'd really love one of those tins so am keeping my fingers crossed. Judging by the number of people commenting each day, there is rather less than little or no hope but - hey, if you're not in it, you can't win it....

Oh, and the Big Shot is meant to being delivered to me at work tomorrow - what fantastic service - hope it does, then I can play at the weekend. 

Big Shot update

Well, you knew all along, didn't you!  There was never any doubt. I have no will power. I was only giving you the option to say, NO don't do it!!!!
Big Shot has been ordered - Yay!!  Will let you know when it gets here.  I promise to still love my Bug though!

Thanks for all the suggestions and recommendations. 
Hope to do something crafty tonight when I get home from work.

Oh, and I've done something for WOYWWAC too....  may need a tweak or two before next Wednesday though!

ANOTHER WOYWW????? already??

So, here we are again then! One week to go to the WOYWWAC (no, still not done anything constructive for it...) - what?  You don't know what I'm talking about?  Check it out over at Julia's . I warn you, it's addictive and will take a long time (enjoyable, entertaining, the best day of the week.... but long!!)  I haven't got anything crafty made this week yet, cos I've been watching the tv coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show!  If you've checked out my other (photo) blog, you may have spotted my obsession with gardens!

Anyhow, what is on my workdesk-on-the-floor today? (ok, you know me now, Tuesday night?) Not a lot, not a lot. My lovely craft spinner is just off to the top right, there are some gaps in it, need to buy more blending tools! But I've been good this week, not bought anything new at all!

Ok, back to the "desk".  A couple of reject bits of torn paper from Hels' Sunday Stampers challenge and a half done coaster I was going to use said torn paper on.... no, twas no good so had to start again.

The newspaper cutting I saw in the paper this morning and I thought I could use it for - something - so cut it out to bring home.  Now it's all crumpled (you may well ask why I didn't leave cutting it out till I got home - yes, I thought of that, but also knew I'd just forget and chuck the paper in the recycling before I remembered.... call it old age!)

So, as there isn't anything very interesting today, I've opened another drawer I don't think has been famous before - my script stamp drawer (apart from  the ones that don't fit and are on the (one of the) overflow piles on the floor workspace!

I love the one bottom right in the drawer - it's gorgeous! (it's by A Stamp in the Hand).



Oh, I'm thinking of buying a Big Shot - of those of you who have one, are they worth it? Are they easy to use? (I won't be getting the electric one!) Would love to hear your thoughts.

Okey-dokey, that's me for today. Can't wait to see what you all have got on show today, so I'm off for a hop! Happy Wednesday, girls.

Sunday Stampers - Rip it Up

Sunday Stampers today is going back to the 80s with Hels' inspiration coming from a song I didn't actually remember, "rip it up and start again" till I Googled it. Anyhow, the theme is Ripped/Torn so I have done just that for this card.

I used as my starting point the remains of the sheet of Crafty Individuals paper I used to cover the numbers in my Tag Tuesday tag last week.

I ripped the paper using a "grip and rip" ruler I bought - I think at Newbury LAST July and which I've never used before.... which has serrated deckle edges - into strips.  I took another of my fave cream coloured scalloped edged cards and smooshed a bit of shabby shutters DI across, stamped the script stamp across the corners of the card using forest moss DI and then placed the strips until I was happy with the pattern and then stuck them with a glue stick.  I had a couple of the large Wendy V butterflies stamped on some white card but it was too stark so I coloured that with scattered straw DI and cut them out, and glued them down the middle only so I could bend the wings.  I added some ordinary stickles glue (star dust) along the butterfly bodies where it's picked up the yellow ink below.

I know that the bottom strip is upside down (you can tell I never mastered reading music!!) but i was going for the ways the colours had to overlap, not the pattern on the paper.....

Ok, I am off out now to pick up the photos I took at Kew (yes, I know, Kew again!) yesterday - but it was a glorious morning so hopefully they'll be good - catch them on my other blog later!  Give me a couple of hours!

String - take 2

I've had another go at the string background technique today (I went back to find the tutorial for it - you can see it here - from the incredibly talented Jo Capper-Sandon)

This time I've used an Adirondak colour wash - this is stream - and it worked much better - mainly I think because the colour is so much darker.
I have 4 or 5 of these washes but haven't used them much - if at all - and certainly not for ages - I had a real struggle to get the pump primed to spray (in fact the first colour I was going to use, wouldn't spray at all)

I've added the paperartsy flower which I stamped in silver metal, added a green button to tone with the background, and a Wendy sentiment.  Taking Lori's comment yesterday as a serious suggestion, I used the string that made the background, for the tie at the top.  (I did rescue yesterday's from the bin, Lori, but the shimmer I'd used didn't show up much becase it was quite pale!)

Ok, nearly time to watch the last Ashes to Ashes now so have to go!

Tag Tuesday - 52

I have only discovered this challenge a couple of weeks ago - and here they are celebrating a whole year of Tag Tuesdays. And yes, I know it's Thursday!!

Anyhow, the theme this week was suggested by a blog buddy of mine, Lori - 52 - so out came some numbers!

I apologise now for the photo - the artificial light is dreadful tonight and I was ducking and diving to keep my shadow out of the way!!

Lets see if this scanned image is any better (now the glue's dried!) Hmm ok, but not straight!

Anyhow, I used bundled sage and crushed olive DI's and then tried a technique I read about some time ago that haven't had time to try before - using the ball of string that was on my desk in WOYWW yesterday.

I draped the string round the tag a few times and then sprayed over the whole tag with a perfect pearl/DI reinker mix.  I think possibly the string wasn't held down on the tag tightly enough as it doesn't really leave as defined an image as I thought it would - practice obviously makes perfect with this one!!

Anyhow, I dried the shimmery spray and then stamped the Tim H numbers across the tag (crushed olive) stamped the small Tim heart on a scrap and cut it out close to the heart.  I covered two chipboard numbers with some patterned paper (Crafty Individuals) and added them, and some prima flowers, to the tag. "celebrate today" is by Wendy V.

Happy Birthday, Tag Tuesday!

(EDIT.  The string technique is detailed properly here by the uber-talented Jo Capper-Sandon)

Updated WOYWW

I'm so excited!!  I know lots of you have already visited so may not want to come back again, but just LOOK what was delivered to me (at work, cos there's no way this was going through my letterbox!!) today

Oh yes, a craft spinner for my blending tools and some new idea-ology bits and grungepaper!!

and this is what it looks like put together (bearing in mind I walked through the door 5 minutes ago!)

Now, I am off to cook my dinner (chilli con carne tonight) and I'll be round the rest of you (got quite a few done at lunch time!) later. TTFN

WOYWW - 19th May

Welcome back again, WOYWW'ers.   At last the weather here seems to be warming up a little - about time too!   At the moment the forecast for the weekend is quite good so I will be going back to Kew Gardens again (I've checked the trains, there are no engineering works to disrupt my journey!)

I've had quite a crafty week since we last met, as some of you will have seen from my posts at the weekend. I have to say, I did have fun with the grungepaper roses again, although getting the glue off my fingers is a bummer! No matter how much I wash them, it seems to come back again, and again.

However, at the moment, there are some bits and pieces on my workspace (edit - what I call my workspace is the patch of floor the size of my craft mat - the rest is just the floor!!)  for my Rulerz book again:

The red flower (more grungepaper) isn't for the book, but I'm not sure what to use it for - I had made it a while ago and was going to incorporate it into my Sunday Stampers challenge, but thought it might be overkill!  So I'll keep it for something else. The fibres have now been plaited and stuck to the other side of the purple page which is waiting attention!

The book - which is sitting on a ball of string is hiding my so far very feeble attempt at my WOYWWAC. The string is for a background technique I haven't got round to yet!!

I have used some glossy accents to highlight the words "art" and life" from this dictionary page stamp (Hero) but I don't think it shows up in the pic; and the flower was coloured with a Marvy brush marker. I've accented the middles of some of the flowers with buttons.

I have used part of the torn out map from an old diary I showed you a few weeks ago, and some Wendy and Tim stamps and a grungeboard arrow (it's pointing to London on the map) which I've coloured walnut stain DI and covered with rock candy distress stickles and let dry overnight - I always knew I'd find a use for these maps one day!  The book page is coloured with crushed olive and forest moss DI's.

When I was rummaging for the flower stamp I realised I hadn't opened this drawer to the camera before - they're mostly Rubber Stampede stamps.

I really want to sort out my Idea-ology stash and keep it all in one place, but need to find something suitable.  I can't decide if I want to take the things out of the packets or not, I know it would make it easier to grab them to use, but I kind of like them in their packets too.  I guess it depends what I find to store them in - and I have no idea when I will do that!! At the moment most of it is chucked into this box - I know I showed it to you a few weeks ago, but I thought some of you (Linda!!) might like to see it again - and the new stuff is still on the floor next to me.... (nice and close!!) If I keep them in their packets, I just need a box.  Otherwise -  any suggestions? To be honest, this box is too full and I have to rummage madly to find anything.

Well, there will no doubt be loads more desks to get round so I had better stop burbling and start hopping! Hope you enjoyed your visit today, see you all soon. Check out the rest of the desks/washing machines/cupboards here or in my sidebar to see what the fun is all about.

SS 103 - RED, red and more red.

Well, red is one of my favourite colours - Liverpool play in red, after all!  So I was pleased to see Hels' Sunday Stamper theme today is "red" .  After yesterday's hangy piece, I have gone back to tags for this - a square one this time.  At the last minute I have turned it into a card, mounting it on a black 8x8 card base.

Here's how it started. Barn Door round the edges of the tag, a smidgen of Spun Sugar in the middle (under the text) I added Barn Door over the sequin waste and the Tim H alphabet at the bottom.  The text in the middle is stamped on a scrap which was distressed with the paper distresser.



I made up a grungepaper flower using the 3 sizes of the Wendy V roses, Barn Door again and the dotty lines background  and this time left them whole, layering them up, offsetting the patterns and using 3d foam for some height. I used rock candy distress paint on the top layer and chucked some glitter in it whilst it was cracking.  For the bottom right, i stamped another Wendy flower on vellum (this is the second attempt cos I used the wrong ink first time and it wouldn't dry - this is stazon. I cut it out and used a touch of crushed olive ink for a bit of contrst.

I had some butterflies left from yesterday, the one on the vellum flower I used a game spinner for the body. For the rest I used some bling for the bodies

Finally I made up a little "with love" scrap using the Wendy stamp, distressing and adding bling.

There's quite a lot of red going on here, which is what made me decide to mount it on the black card.

In between making this, I've cooked a roast dinner and am watching the Monaco Grand Prix (its very exciting!) - never let it be said I can't multitask!!

Sir Stampalot Challenge - Butterflies and Blossoms

The Sir Stampalot May Challenge is a cracker - the theme is Butterflies and Blossoms - and just look at all these goodies on offer for a lucky winner!

I knew I couldn't miss out on the chance to win this so this afternoon - FA Cup Final or not (I was still watching!) - I made my entry:

I have used a Maya Road hangy chip piece in which I punched a second hole so I could hang it - and made some grmgepaper roses and butterflies.  I used my new middle sized Wendy Vecchi rose for the first time and made two small ones, the inks are rusty hinge and crushed olive, which I also used the for chip piece.

I took a small tag to stamp the sentiment on and edged it with rusty hinge ink. some bling for the butterfly bodies and some WendyVecchi leaves finished it off, two swivel clasps to make the hanger.

Here are some other views (I forgot to take any "during" shots until quite late on)

I am quite happy with this piece, hope you like it too. Now I'm off to clean up my inky gluey fingers and make my dinner.

SS 102 - gold - with candy

I've been trying to think of something to do for this week's Sunday Stamper's challenge and as you saw on my workdesk on Wednesday, had a couple of roses made. 

(I had completely forgotten until I came to link this that Hels had done a little box too, but mine is very different.)

I've had this little papier mache style box for ages and not know what to do with it.  I gesso'd it and then covered it with inka-gold paint/paste in gold, (using a bit of cut and dry foam)

I've also had a pack of paper napkins that I bought years ago - I was going to do something arty with them following a Suze Weinberg demo at the Craft Barn (must be 5 years at least!) but they were still in the packet...gathering dust.

So I took one and stuck it to the lid of the box - it's a sunflower but quite big, so I had to position it carefully to keep as much of the flower as I could.

I (very badly in honesty) covered the whole lid (I can't wrap presents neatly either!!) with the napkin, applying glue as I went and drying it with my heat gun to stop the glue seeping through too quickly! 

Then I attached the gold metal rose to the lid. I'm not totally happy with it and the photos aren't very good due to the flash bouncing off the metal and the poor light in my room.

Off to watch Ashes to Ashes now. This post has taken longer than I hoped - blogger playing up with the photos! - but at least with my living room being my craft room, I've kind of been watching it at the same time!

Have a good weekend.

PDCC 29

This week's Play Date Cafe Challenge colours, chosen by Sarah, are lime green, leaf green and very pale blue and are just stunning.  The eagle eyed among you will realise that my card:

uses the tag I had on my workdesk yesterday - it must be a premonition!  I decided that the crushed olive could probably count as lime green and made some paper butterflies with the small Wendy V stamp.  I found some reasonably pale blue patterned paper in my (large) stash of 12 x 12 papers.

I added one of the butons from my haul at Worthing, (which is a lovely dark leaf green!) to cover the hole in the tag.

Now to try and get the Sunday Stamper "use gold" challenge done before the weekend - but not tonight!

WOYWW again

Here we are on Wednesday again! How are you all, fellow WOYWWers? I hope you've had a good week.
I have had a quiet week craftwise, it's odd but often after a show I find I can't get crafting! - but I did make a couple of birthday cards yesterday (see yesterday's post)

I went to the South Stamp Show at Worthing on Saturday and met up with some friends, blogging and non-blogging! I didn't spend as much as usual (mainly cos LB Crafts weren't there, being at their Artsycraft weekend) but here is my stash

I got various bits of bling - crystals in various colours, some ribbons (I have even sorted out the ribbon box - shock!! For the moment it's not just a glorious muddle but when I need something that's at the bottom, it will all change) I got a new bottle of glossy accents, some packs of buttons and a couple of stamps - two wood mounted Penny Black ones, and a set of clear Hobby Art greetings (remember I said in a previous post I didn't have many small greetings?  Well, now I have a whole sheet of them....) Finally, a bottle of dusty concord DI reinker so I can make up some perfect pearl/reinker mixer with purple.

So, I think I did quite well "only" getting this much!! Like I said, I really missed Lin Brown not being there!

I haven't done any shots of my living/craft room this time, cos you've seen it all now, (if you need a fix on the drawers, you'll have to check back a few WOYWW's.)

I am still trying to do my Sunday Stamper challenge for this week (to use gold) so this is what's on my workspace-on-the-floor at the moment:-
a couple of gold flowers - my first metal one - I found it really fiddly with the metal cost it kept squishing - and a grungepaper one that is inked in wild honey and sprayed with solar gold glimmer mist.

The tag is totally unrelated to the challenge (indeed, so may the flowers be, yet, as I don't know what to do with them at the moment!) but I was playing with the new Wendy Vecchi stamps I got in the post last week. The balloons stamped on the tag are Paperbag Studios and the tag is crushed olive and tumbled glass - I like that combination.

I'm off now to check out what you are all up to on your desks today. See you soon. Oh, and for any people passing through, this is wherre you go to find Julia, our hard working hostess to tell you all about WOYWW - What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday  At the time of posting this, the link to today's WW isn't up yet (it's early!!) but check it out. It'll take all day, (and night!) but check it out!!

Birthday cards

I've had two birthday cards to make tonight - one I was stalled on temporarily but the need to get it in the post tomorrow has spurred me on!

First, for a guy I work with - he doesn't look anything like Eric, but I love this Stampotique chap.

I inked a tag with wild honey and added the Wendy Vecchi background in a brown archival ink before mounting Eric (or is it Karl after my friend?) I've used watercolour pencils for his outfit.

I stamped two of the greetings from a Hero Arts set across a white card before adding the tag, and the sentiment is by Tim H. (Karl is leaving soon to go to a new job, so I thought it was quite appropriate for that too!)

The second card is for..... can't tell you as she does check out my blog occasionally!

For this, I used a new stamp I got on Saturday (you'll have to catch tomorrow's post for the rest of the stash!) by Penny Black. 

The ink pad is Melon Melody by Kaleidacolour, whch I brayered on a piece of thin white card.

I did distress the edges lightly and inked them with wild honey and crushed olive distress inks, but it's very subtle!!

I used wild honey round the edges of the scalloped-edged card and added a Wendy background and sentiment (one of those new ones from last week, but not Saturday....) on a scrap also coloured from the melon melody pad.  I added some crushed olive and wild honey inks to two prima flowers. The flower centres are card candy in gold from Craftwork Cards (as is the scalloped card)

A little bird told me

Amazingly - given that I only started this blog in September last year - this is my 200th post!!   I think it's safe to say, I've enjoyed this blogging lark!!

My two new sets of Wendy Vecchi stamps arrived yesterday in the post - yes, more stamps!! I didn't have time to play much with them yesterday, though I did start this tag.

I coloured the tag with wild honey (just for you, Lori!) and crushed olive.  (I nearly typed crushed grape then, must be thinking about a drink...!!) and stamped the new background in rusty hinge and the leaf border in crushed olive.  The bird is from the new set and so is the text I stamped onto the adage ticket.   I hope I'll get a chance to use the second set of stamps soon (it is Just Word Art so I know it will be used a lot) I cut another wing and 3d'd it and added a rainbow drop for the eye (I know, it's too big!)

I am off to the stamp show in Worthing tomorrow morning, meeting some friends when I join their train at Croydon on the way down - whatever you do, have a lovely weekend and I'll be back to show you what I buy (although, of course, I won't buy too much.....)

EDIT.  Many thanks to Lynn for popping by and alerting me to Tag Tuesday's theme of ticket this week - I've just linked it up!

WOYWW - are there 2 Wednesdays a week??

Hello again, all.  Thank you all for your lovely comments last week.  Another week has flown by. We've had a (mostly wet, mostly cold) Bank Holiday here int he UK and I braved the elements to go to Kew Gardens again on Saturday morning (photos on my other blog, check the link in the side bar) but other than that, not a lot's been going on here.  I've watched Liverpool lose another footie game (roll on next season...) 

Craftwise, I have got another couple of pages done for the Tim Holtz Rulerz book and they are still hanging around on my desk today.

I 've had these mini jigsaw pieces for ages and not used them before (!!)










I've used DI's throughout so far to colour the pages, but didn't keep track as I went, as to which ones.
The flowers are Prima - I love these pink and white ones (they come from the Essentials Shabby Chic tube - that I do know as they're still in it)

I've ordered some more new Wendy Vecchi stamps (at the time of writing - because I have to prep this on a Tuesday night - they haven't arrived yet) .... yes, I know, I know - but I resisted as long as I could, ok!! AND I will be going to the South Stamp Show at Worthing on Saturday - anyone else coming/going? I quite like this show, it's a small one compared to some but nice and friendly.  It's run by Hobby Art, who as you saw last week are responsible for getting me into this addiction I call a hobby..... My only "complaint" this time is that LB Crafts won't be there cos it clashes with one of their Artsycraft weekends (must go to one of those soon, they sound fantastic) - although that could be good for the wallet.

As I think I've shown you most of my boxes and drawers now, I've done a kind of "front on view" of the wall of my living room with all my boxes lined up along the wall. You are NOT seeing the other side of the room until I've cleared out some old (non crafting) magazines that are kind of taking over that area. I was going to do that over the weekend, but......!!

I still haven't done anything for my WOYWWAC so need to get my thinking cap on...

Last week we got to the magic 100 - wonder how many people will play along this week - pop over here to find out!  Have a great Wednesday, and if the office is quite and I get away with it, I'll come see you - otherwise, it will be this evening when I get home.

Play Date Cafe 27

This week's Play Date Cafe Challenge was inspired by this photo - quite beautiful.

"life" has got in the way of me entering the last couple of challenges, and as it's my brother-in-law's birthday at the weekend (and as I've been late with other birthday cards so far this year!) I was determined to combine the two.

I have however, had trouble scanning this one (tried taking a photo too, that was also unsuccessful) due to it being quite light.

It's also not quite as "dirty" looking as it seems - the edges of the card are coloured with bundled sage; which I've used with tumbled glass to stamp the image. The card scrap I stamped the image on is also edged with tumbled glass. The stamp I used is a Magenta one, (some of my favourites) and I stamped a second image and cut the corner and middle squares to add some dimension. The text is a Wendy Vecchi one, I wanted something small (I have lots of large greetings but not many small ones.... excuse for shopping, me thinks!) and I edged this too in the same inks.

I am fairly safe in posting this now as I don't believe Graeme reads my blog so it won't spoil the surprise.

Brand New Key - Sunday Stampers 101

Well, more of a rusty old one, actually. Hels' Sunday Stampers challenge this week is inspired by the song "brand new key" by Melanie (or the Worzels)

The Key to my Heart!!

This is another page from my Rulerz book - the book page is coloured with victorian velvet and a smidge of barn door.  I stamped one heart on paper and one on grungepaper, which I rock candied and added some Craftynotions rainbow drops.

I took a key from a grungeboard elements set and used the "drunken scotch" technique (cover it with clear glue, add a few drops of alcohol ink and heat gun dry)

Tagging by numbers

I started this tag yesterday evening but got stuck half way through!

I used crushed olive ink on the majority of the tag, with a little pumice stone in the middle.  I sprayed the Luscious Green spray (craftynotions) over the tag, but due to the limitations of my craft space I can't get far enough away for a nice fine spray, so it's gone more blobby than I wanted.  Next time I'll cover the place with newspaper and work further away.

I used two Tim H stamps (the large and small numbers) on the tag and the Tim text on a scrap of paper that I distressed the edges and inked with shabby shutters.  I stamped some Wendy leaves on grungepaper and one set on a paper scrap and cut out, the grungepaper ones I oversprayed with a perfect pearls/DI re-inker mix. 

The barometer face is a paperartsy stamp and the middle which is a small green plastic counter and the maya road frame, came from a goody bag. I inked, sprayed with perfect pearls and over stamped the frame with a script stamp (just for fun). It was just the right size for the stamped image.

Now I'm going to try the Sunday Stampers challenge before the football.