Monday 28 February 2011

CCC - layered fragments

Monday again and another Compendium challenge- I mis-counted last time so there is one more after today - and this week Linda has sent us to page 63 - dimensional collage fragments - which do what they say on the tin!

I made up the fragments according to the instructions in the book, and then had to look for a project to fit them on!  If I had thought it through better I could have themed the fragments better, but that's me all over!!

I also wanted to try out my new arrivals - the QVC TSV from last week when Tim was here in the UK and which arrived at the office moments before I left for the day - and I have tomorrow off, so how handy is that!

So, the tag - used crushed olive and forest moss inks, (here I did plan a bit as I had used some crushed olive on the book page I backed the fragments with) and the full size brolly man - there is such a cute little version in the stamps that were in the TSV -which were exclusive to that offer, how cool is that! but the rest of the stamps I used here are from the set. 

Once again, there is a wonderful prize on offer by the sponsor of this week's challenge - so get over to Linda's blog and check out the entries and what's on offer. Good luck!

I hope to spend a lot of tomorrow playing with all the new bits and pieces I've got recently - I have taken a day off (the boiler is being serviced "between 8 and 12" so knowing my luck that means 11.55.... ) and so I thought I'd have a play day!!  It also means I get a lie-in in the morning - but I bet I still wake up at 5.30 though...

Sunday 27 February 2011

Sunday in Paris!

But sadly only in my imagination!! Hels' has set "Paris" as our Sunday Stampers theme today in tribute to Gary Moore's "Parisienne Walkways".  Just love that intro!

So, I used some paper from Craftwork Cards "Ooh La La" set which is very French (and hitherto unused) - and stamps by Penny Black (Eiffel Tower) and Stampendous (cafe)

I aged the card that I stamped the images on with old paper DI and some heirloom gold PP spray, inked the edges of the background paper and the images with walnut stain. It looks quite dark here but IRL it's quite bright and sparkly.  You'll have to take my word for it!

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

Friday 25 February 2011

Show your Stripes - and Thank You

This week Simon Says challenges us to Show some Stripes. Quite by chance I received on Tuesday, the Tim Holtz Retro Grunge paperstack which has lots of funky patterns including stripes. 

It's taken me a while, though to decide what to do for this challenge. 

In the end, I covered a piece of square chip with some of the stripey paper - I chose the green version - and stamped two of the Wendy flower that is lately my favourite flower stamp! on grungepaper. I coloured it with wild honey and then spritzed it with a home made perfect pearl (copper) and reinker (spiced marmalade) combination and the leaves with Kiwi perfect pearl.

Fnished it off with some idea-ology.

I want to say a BIG $50 thank you to Simon Says -or the random generator anyhow - for picking my tag from last week for their prize!!  It may surprise you to hear that I managed to choose some goodies for my prize, from their online store and am now eagerly waiting the postman (again!)

Go and check out the other stripey art on show, one of which will get a $50 prize again this week.

Whilst I am thanking people, I received a OWOH door prize this week from Pia (liquidbrick.blogspot.com) so thanks to Pia too.

Wednesday 23 February 2011

Compendium 33 - alcohol altered metal

We are nearly at the end of the book!! This week with I think only one challenge left to go, Linda sent us to page 56 where we get to play with alcohol inks and metal.

I did a tag (again) and played with a maya road blossom, (it's meant to look like the sun, ok!) a washer and a hinge clip.

I actually made this on Monday but didn't get to post it, and now I can't remember which DI's I used - I think it was pumice stone and tea dye.  The shimmery blue is forever blue PP spray. Stamps are Tim's apart from the birds (stampscapes).  The inks don't show up too well, I used wild plum (hinge) denim (washer) & sunset orange & gold on the "sun"....  Can't get a decent close up so I hope you can see it ok.

WOYWW 90 - more newbies!

Oh well, what can I say?  I am in this really spendy mood at the moment!! I get them from time to time ....

Welcome along to another Wednesday hop around the world's crafting spaces, courtesy of head girl Julia . Thanks for all your lovely comments last time about my corkboard. I may need another one....!

So, the newbies then.... well, on Sunday - just Sunday - I was just looking (!) at some of the new ranges that Tim is launching this year and some of which is already on it's way to the UK. And I decided that I DID need the paperstack you see on my desk today.  And once again, it fell into my online cart.... as they do.  So it didn't feel lonely in transit I got some new stamps...

At least I only bought one set....
When this paperstack came out, I thought I didn't like it - well over the last few days I have seen some blogs and tweets using this paper and what can I say - I am a convert!  SCRUMMY!
Also, Wendy at the Stamp Attic has it for a very good price.
It arrived (at work) on Tuesday - two days after ordering it - as I say, on a Sunday. What service.
So last night, whilst watching QVC's craft day (don't ask....) I played with some tags.

I was only going to do one, as there was something else I wanted to do (a challenge piece) but I decided after stamping the tag, to put it through one of Tim's texture fade folders.... Once I put the acetate on top, I decided the embossing was too much, so I did another one and left the tag "plain".
Much prefer the one on the right.
Stamped the butterflies with stazon and then used alcohol inks on the other side to colour them.
There is one advantage of working on the floor - you can do this to apply pressure to a large stamp to get an even impression!! 
Actually, with the second tag I didn't bother, the stamps are good enough not to really need it, but sometimes I do it this way!


These arrived on Saturday.... (well, they were a pre-order so they don't count, do they?!)  And we won't talk about the trade show that was on at Birmingham for the last few days - and that my sister in law went to (she runs a craft business from her home, see the link in my side bar) and - erm - ordered some stuff for me along with hers.... told you I was in a spendy mood...



And yes, I did buy the TSV from QVC on Tuesday - despite going to bed well before the launch at midnight; I wasn't going to, honest - but something woke me up on the dot of midnight and I just had to check it out... before I knew what I was doing, I was on the phone, credit card in my hand.... it's Tim's fault, he is too good a salesman as well as crafter! And I'm not going to the Artsycraft session later this week, so ...... Those of you who are - well, enjoy!  Really really wish I had signed up for it now.
Anyhow, I have rambled on long enough and you have desks to visit, so - until next week, TTFN!

(Edit, Wednesday morning - my tag for the Simon Says challenge got the randomly drawn prize - more spending, ROFL!   Thanks Simon Says and the random generator!!! and congrats to the other winners this week)
My heart also goes out to everyone in Christchurch, NZ who is affected by the dreadful earthquate.Sometimes, "real life" is more important. Blessings to you all.

Sunday 20 February 2011

It's all just numbers

Hels' Sunday Stampers challenge today is to use numbers.

After yesterday's flurry of activity with my new stamps (yes, more!) I didn't really know what I wanted to do for this and was going to leave it for another day.

Then, I was messing around with a Tim H stamp (from Stevenage, that I realised I hadn't inked up yet) and settled on a card.

The base card is about 4 1/2 inch square, I used Wendy's numbers background in pine needles on a scrap of paper and layered it on the base. The new Tim atc-sized image "flutter" is stamped on glossy cardstock in crushed olive.  What a gorgeous stamp this one is.....

I had to write the "age is just a number" but I would love this as a stamp!!  Someone must make one....


I did also make another birthday card yesterday but can't show that yet as it hasn't been sent, let alone seen.... you'll have to wait!

Saturday 19 February 2011

Destination - unknown

So I took a more lesuirely approach to the second set of stamps, lol!

I decided I'd try the background technique I used on my heart piece on Friday but with different colours - this time, I also dropped some reinker onto the wet gesso too, (wild honey) and used heirloom gold PP spray. Love the puddling before you start to dry it:
I wasn't too sure where I was heading with this one from here, but the stamp set came in handy as you will see!
Took one of the sentiments from the Destination Art set. (couldn't get a very good photo, it says "it started as an art adventure with the destination unknown" if you can't read it properly.
Stamped the car on grungepaper and stuck it to the chip.  It needed something else on a journey/travel theme, so in the end I used a post mark stamp (this one is Paperartsy, as my Tim one was too big)

I also have a tip for you......

When your gesso lid is very stiff (stuck in dried paint) and you tip it to loosen the lid ...... remember to upright it before taking the lid right off. Thank goodness for a craft mat!!!  (and yes, I did wipe my fingers before reaching for the camera....)  Good job gesso isn't TOO runny....

Seeing speedy stars

The postman came half an hour ago - not a minute more - with these lovelies

So I grabbed a tag and some distress inks and............
This is what you get (so far!)

The shine is sunflower sparkle perfect pearl spray - love that colour!

Ok, now I will draw breath and do something a bit more considered.... see you soon!

Friday 18 February 2011

EWV challenge 3

This week we have another challenge  set by Lori, over at the Everything Wendy Vecchi yahoo group, from Wendy's first book (page 14) - we are to use a heart and a piece of junk jewellery.

My heart is a Maya Road heart chip - I punched a matching hole in the second side so it would hang, using my japanese screw punch - I find this much easier than anything else I've got.

I painted the heart (both sides) with white gesso (or is gesso always white?!) and gave it a partial dry with the heat gun, before spraying it with forever blue perfect pearl spray &; then heat dried it - this is something I have had in the back of my mind to try for a while - I wondered a) if it would lighten the colour (yes!) and b) what other effect it may have if I sprayed whilst the white base was still wet - I love the kind of swirly pattern it created as it dried.

The stamps are by Wendy (well, it IS a Wendy challenge!) and are all from the set called Seriously Art.  Probably should have tried to get the words where the "mouth" should go and then the jewellery in the "nose" space....!!!



My "junk" jewellery is a mother of pearl piece from an old bracelet that I hardly ever wore and certainly not for years - so cut it up!  I found 3 - now I have lots of bits to use on various things!
I've only cut the elastic on the middle one so far - just in case!

Look how fab it is before I did anything else to it! It's like crackle without having to crackle! I can't wait to try this again. I was tempted to leave it like this!!








Now, being a bit of a numpty I had a quick look at the original in the book, before I started - only tonight when I'd finished I went back to it - and found I'd been looking in the wrong book!!! No wonder the page 14 I saw wasn't a heart piece.... still it meant I wasn't influenced at all.
Have a good weekend - I hope my new pre-ordered Wendy stamps will arrive from Lin at LB Crafts (they're on the way!!|) tomorrow - I so NEED some new stamps to play with...... ahem! See you soon, thanks for looking.

Thursday 17 February 2011

Stylish blogger? Me?! and some cards

I was lucky enough to be given a Stylish Blog award today by Elizabeth, (http://silverscrappers.blogspot.com/) - thank you!!

I have to tell you some interesting things about myself. Yikes. I hate this bit. Not sure what there is left to tell!!  OK I think in about 18 months of my blogging, these facts have not yet been "out there"!

I had my left collar-bone broken when I got knocked down down by a (very small) motorbike when I was about 25 (such a long time ago...)  I was on foot, not on the motorbike.  Still got a scar on my knuckle where I hit the ground!

The first time I took my driving test I tried to get through a gap too small for the car and nearly hit a milk float. (eventually passed 3rd time - maybe that is why I don't drive now...)

When I first started supporting Liverpool, my parents thought it wasn't good for a bunch of 16 year old girls to go to matches on our own (not safe the theory was) so I used to make up stories (ok, lie!) about where I was going and we'd go anyway... Only to the London games, we didn't go as far as Liverpool - more's the pity! We saw some great games. In those days, you didn't have to buy your ticket in advance, you could just turn up - even as "away" fans - and just queue to get in.... that was ALSO a very long time ago....(like the mid 70's).  Still got all the match programmes somewhere  (up in the loft probably).

Ok,that's enough about me.
I also need to pass this on to 8 other bloggers. This is pretty hard too - last time I was lucky enough to get an award, I cheated and gave it to everyone.  Today I will play the game properly and pass it on to these deserving people. Thank you for brightening up my days.

In no particular order:
 Eileen - http://artsaveslives-paperqueen.blogspot.com/
Lori - http://ibeenthinkinboutinkin.blogspot.com/
Alison - http://craftytrog.wordpress.com/
Ann - http://flutterbycrafter.blogspot.com/
Jo - http://jocappersandon.blogspot.com/
Julia - http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/
Elizabeth - http://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/
Vodoo Vixen - http://scraphappenshere.blogspot.com/

And, because my sister-in-law and neice have had their birthdays, I can show you in full the cards I made them and sneak-peaked a few days ago!

This was for my sister-in-law Lynne, and started as the second tag I made with the rusted enamel technique - told you I loved that one so much.
Made it a long time back now, think the colours were wild honey as the base layer and weathered wood for the "rust"!  The stamp is Penny Black, called "efflorescence".  Background paper is Tim's swirl & sentiment are Wendy.
This was her daughter Rachael's - so love that stampotique girl!

Hope you liked them - I know you read my blog so here they are!!


Now, will Liverpool please get on and score a bloody goal or several......

Wednesday 16 February 2011

WOYWW 89

Happy Wednesday fellow desk travellers! It's that day of the week when 100's of us gather at Julia's to check out each others desks (or other workspaces).

This week there isn't anything much on my desk (floorspace)  apart from this abandoned canvas that was totally frustrating my Sunday.
Everything I tried with it didn't turn out how I wanted - so abandoned! 

I will probably paint over it and start again one day!!

In the background is a lot of the other clutter that lives around me in my messy living roomcraft space! Looks bad here, but I'm used to it ...
 A few weeks ago I bought a corkboard to hang on the wall to display some of my favourite tags and things I've done - and at the weekend I finally got round to pinning some of them up. I didn't dig very far down the box they sit in once I've blogged them, so will probably change them every now and again!
It's in the hallway (and obliterating the Liverpool poster that probably should come down now as it's from 2001.... and I am a 50-something woman!  But they make me happy too (most of the time...)
That's all from me today - have a good blog hop - and I will try to visit more of you than I think I managed last week - I did ok on Wednesday but didn't get time after that to go back and see who joined in later!

Monday 14 February 2011

Buy one, get one free

Challenges, that is!! I managed to combine my two favourite challenges this week - Simon Says Stamp  - a tag (the more discerning of you will know I do a few of these so that wasn't going to be too hard!!) and Linda's Compendium of Curiosities wants us to use Tim's Inking and Stamping Masks technique from page 59 of The book.

As today is Valentine's Day - even though I am not celebrating it - I used some hearts as my theme - from Wendy, of course!


I used my trusty old favourites, fired brick and dusty concord on the tag with spatters of water for the distressed look, stamped some hearts in the same colour inks and then "did" the technique with a custom made mask of said hearts.  Used a Wendy script background and added a couple of embellies and some shimmer spray (heirloom gold, perfect pearls).

As always, there are some great prizes for one lucky winner on each challenge.
Happy Valentine!

Saturday 12 February 2011

I heart TAGS

Well, after tweeting first thing this morning that I was going to play all day - I didn't start till late afternoon!

The paper took longer to read than I intended, then I  - er - had a little snooze (to make up for waking on a beep beep Saturday at 5.30 am (same time as work days...) Anyways, I played with some tags.

Tried one technique that didn't work so you ain't seeing that! The I used the other side of the tag to play with the muted colourwash version Lin showed us at Stevenage (see earlier post) and sailboat blue and lettuce sprays. Love this combination - will use them again.
Stamps are by Wendy V and Tim. Some heirloom gold perfect pearl spray for some shimmer and this is what you get:

 it's very wibbly-wobbly as there is so much spray/water and re-drying from the other failed side so it's not flat....
But this is why I named the post as I did. inks are pumice stone and bundled sage. Various "art" stamps  - two from Wendy and two don't have the manufacturers name on. I picked them up cheap somewhere...
Sorry about the flash!
A quick sneak peak now -

I made some birthday cards yesterday but can't show you fully till I know they've arrived as the recipients read my blog....  you know who you are!
And finally, I had this circle chip out the other day and was just messing with colourwash (again!) but didn't know what to add to it. In the end, I used some leftover bits of the gold flakes on metal from earlier again, and a new stamp (which I bought before Christmas... its from memory box and I got it at the Stamp Attic - I think it's lovely and it stamps really well)     I sent it to a lady in my Wendy Vecchi yahoo group with an ATC from a swap -  I hope it's arrived so I can show you.
Ok, got to see if the duvet cover is dry enough to put back (no, I don't only have one, but it's my favourite...)

Wednesday 9 February 2011

Challenge for EVW yahoo group - week 2

Another challenge from book one this week, page 23 but if you don't have the book, you can enter (at the yahoo group only) as long as you use one WV stamp, a chipboard flower and the pigment ink resist technique.

The terms of the challenge prevent me from telling you how I did the technique, but you're all intelligent people, I am sure you can suss it out!
I can tell you I used a colorbox pigment ink, crushed olive and tea dye DI's for the chipboard flowers and forest moss for the leaves. the paper is from a pack I bought ages ago and I can't remembe who it's by! I did add some more DI to it, to tone down the white of the paper (though the flash of the camera doesn't help....)

I was going to leave this to blog tomorrow, so it doesn't get in the way of WOYWW but I have something else I want to do tomorrow (it time allows) so am pushing the button after all!

WOYWW 88

Hello fellow desk snoopers! Time to check out the mega hop that IS What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday that the lovely Julia hosts....

Well, as promised I shopped on Sunday at Stevenage but I've already shown the many many goodies that told me they had to come home with me.... ahem!  You can see just HOW much here

I have also continued "upcycling" from the office.... all stuff that wasn't going to be used:


A large box - I thought it would be good to use to do my messy spraying in, to keep my pristine (!) living room clean.....
And an unopened pack of A3 sized photocopy paper - will use it for scrap probably as it's obviously not mega thick.







And now my upcycling is going to ridiculous lengths.  When I was out for a pizza the other evening with a couple of girlfriends, I decided that the soft drinks bottles we had were ideal for "altering" (Lin B of LB Crafts did some fab ones a few months ago, and ever since I have wanted to do something similar - click Lin's name to see one of hers)
I doubt mine will be anywhere near as good - and I have no idea WHEN I will start them..... but it pays to be prepared!

And yes, Julia - that IS a bag of foam bananas in the background - yum!!
Anyhow, that's it from my ever more cramped space on the floor, I'm off to see what you all have been up to!

Tuesday 8 February 2011

Two tags - Two challenges!

I had two challenges I wanted to do tonight, and used tags for both.

Firstly, Tag Tuesday - is to use a tag on a tag.
I sprayed the tag with sunset orange and lettuce colourwashes and used Paperbag Studio stamps from the 'doodles and daters' sheet, and part of a Wendy Vecchi stamp on the small tag. I was going for a "home is where the heart is" feel though didn't have a stamp saying so, which would have been easier!

The second challenge is for Simon Says Stamp and Show - some embossing.


I was keen to try a technique Lin B showed us at Stevenage on Sunday with gilding flakes on metal and which  you then put through a bug or bigshot in an embossing folder - this is a new one of Tim's (new to me) I picked up on Sunday!  As is the Tim stamped sentiment. (well, I had to use my new stuff didn't I!)

Again I used greens/oranges - I can't seem to pick up any other colours just now...

I had fun doing both these, so much so that I didn't watch "Holby City" properly! (a medical drama for anyone here from the US!)

Monday 7 February 2011

CCC 31 - rusted enamel

Wow!! what a great technique this one is! This week's Compendium challenge set by Linda at Studio L3 (and a fantastic prize donated by Tim and Mario themselves) is from page 41 - rusted enamel.

I don't think I've done this one before - but I love it!!

In the rules of the challenge I can't tell you how to do this, you'll need the book, but I used bundled sage and vintage photo DI's, and one of my new stamps from the weekend.  I love the intense green from the bundled sage used direct to the tag - yummy or what, and so different from when it's applied with the blender tool!




I was out this evening with a couple of friends - we had to cancel before Christmas because of the bad weather, and because it was Claire's birthday on Friday we went today.  I prepped the base tag before I left, and had to finish it before going to bed - now very late (well for me, given how stupidly early I get up!)

I will definately be using this technique again.
Night all!

Sunday 6 February 2011

Time to play!

But only very quickly!  Hels' Sunday Stamper challenge this week is "time" and when I got home from Stevenage I had to play with some of my new stash.

I have just done a quick tag for Hels' challenge - but if I get time (sorry) - later this week, I may have a better go!   She has got some candy up for grabs this week.


Lin B showed us a cool way to get a less vibrant background using the colourwash sprays - you spray a couple of colours onto the craft mat and wet a piece of cut'n'dry foam with water and pick up the ink with that - I zigzagged it down my tag.

Stamped some fob watches on my tag (not sure who they're by) and the sentiment which is Paperartsy. 

The colourwashes are lettuce and sunset orange, and then I used sunflower sparkle perfect pearl over the top.
Yesterday night I was just messing (everything seems to be orange at the moment!) with another tag and a whole jumble of things - base tag was wild honey. Used tissue tape, perfect pearl spray, stamps and stencils.  Then tonight I made some sunflowers from the new TSS Kabuka mould I got at Stevenage on a couple of scraps of metal and coloured with alcohol inks.                        I thought it was a bit too much really, but strangely it looks better with the metal flowers on it than without.
Liverpool won, so I am happy tonight!

I shopped - then shopped some more

This will be realy quick, because the Liverpool game is about to start (and my cup of tea is getting cold)

Went to Stevenage today - saw some great things - learned some great new techniques - and - errrm.... shopped a bit... Here are the pics (no way was it all fitting in one shot today)

Some Tim stamps (very good price!)
 A large pile of stash from LB Crafts. ...
 A closer look. 

And some other buys - that tree (stampscapes) is not new though I don't remember ever seeing it before - looks fantastic stamped - it's called a "shagbark hickory" tree....ok,  right!!
Hels was demo'ing with wax and made it look so easy I bought some, and a dinky little heart mould.
And some fab samples I was given. The UTEE heart is from Jennie (artistic stamper) - it made it home in one piece, Jennie!!, the bookmark is from Shirley Barnes who has the UK distribution for Stampscapes - I was telling her I'd never used my wave stamp that she used here so she was kind enough to give this to me.

And lastly, this gorgeous piece from the FAB Lin Brown - this is so lovely, Lin. It is going on my wall, very soon!

Got to go watch the Liverpool game now - so will play with some of this later on. See you then....

Oh, and because I was back early enough, I picked up the Kew photos from yesterday, so there's some of them up on my  "photosbyh" blog.

Friday 4 February 2011

Show me some Love!

I don't have anyone special in my life right now to make a Valentine for, but the Simon Says challenge this week is to "show some love" so I made one anyway!

I took a 5x5 inch card and used spun sugar DI leaving a white space in the centre.
Stamped Tim's large heart from the Rock Star set in fired brick and a Wendy sentiment, and rummaged around in the box of die cut letters (knew it would be handy to cut a few at once!!)

Edged the heart in white enamel accents (wish it dried quicker....) and some glitter in the middle. Not sure how well it shows up in the photo.

Going to Kew Gardens tomorrow (unless it's pouring) as it's the first day of their 2011 "tropical extravaganza" orchid display. That means, loads more photos on my other blog, in the next few days (not Sunday as I will be at Stevenage spending money on new stash at the show....)

A Quickie

I made this ATC yesterday for a challenge over on a yahoo group I belong too - Everything WendyVecchi.  My buddy Lori is organising this using art from Wendy's books, Making Art Studio 490 Style.  It's great fun, check it out and maybe you'll join up and join the fun!

This is challenge 1, and we are to use a butterfly and a scallop.



I found an ATC sized piece of mountboard so it is quite sturdy, and used DI's in wild honey, rusty hinge, walnut stain and black soot.  The scallop is grungepaper, I drew round an art part scallop for the shape. All stamps are Wendy's!

I loved this solid flower so much after I used it recently, I had to use it again.   Sorry it's a bit wonky - I was tired last night when I finished!

Off to fix supper now, then I need to get my "SimonSays" challenge done, so I don't miss the deadline.

Wednesday 2 February 2011

Like the Circles That You'll Find.... Tag Tuesday

This week for Tag Tuesday, Louise wants us to use at least one circle stamp or other circle image. 



I used the Wendy Vecchi bubble wrap background stamp and the perfect pearl resist technique (see Tim's book) with cappuchino perfect pearl powder. Then I used some sequin waste and finally the Wendy Vecchi dotty background .

I love this guy (he's also from Wendy Vecchi) with his "graffiti'd" glasses - it's the first time I've used this stamp!

I cut out the "circle" definition from a cheap dictionary I bought recently, for cutting up purposes.

For some reason I have Dusty Springfield in my head, singing "windmills of your mind" and now I can't get it out - not that I mind, as I love the song!

WOYWW - February already??

Hello again, fellow desk hoppers. Hope you've all had a good week - and sorry, but I just didn't get to you all last time!

So. another Wednesday, another WOYWW?  Check out the links at Julia's and see just how many nosey lovely people there are checking out where we create!

On my desk today (in front of my new TV (see last week) that I got at the weekend - hurrah!) is a prize I won from The Stamp Man during their recent Blog Hop/2010 Award event - a set of 4 Stazon ink pads. I use black stazon quite a bit when stamping on metal and grungepaper, but I haven't used these new ones that come with the re-inkers much and find it hard to guage (or is it gauge?) how much ink to put on the pad at any one time - I know you don't use too much as it dries out quickly, but anyone got any tips??


 At the weekend I was making a birthday card and needed to rummage in my script/sentiment drawers (yes, drawers, you know me well enough by now to know I don't do things by halves, lol!) to find the birthday stamp I wanted!! So I thought I'd share them all with you too!  origiinally one of these drawers was only Christmas, but it's got a bit muddled!






And there's another one!! (with some interlopers... I was running out of drawers..)  I love Penny Black sentiment stamps, can you tell?
I also tried to sort out some of my papers.  I had this paper storage carry bag from my sister in law ages ago, and decided that it would be ideal for my Tim Holtz paperstacks (it's not full - yet - don't worry... so plenty of room for more purchases!) it will save them from getting damaged in amongst the pile of crafting magazines they used to live with!
I am sure those of you who go to clubs and crops and things recognise the sort of thing.  Just need to find somewhere sensible/accessible to stand it now (it's very heavy, even half full.....)


Anyhow, have a great Wednesday, and I will catch as many of you as I can. I am going to the stamp show at Stevenage on Sunday (I know I shouldn't really, with Ally Pally being only a couple of months away) but I can't resist! What I am saying is, there may be some new stash on show next week!!! (some, she says......)