Sunday Stampers - Halloween

Good Afternoon, stampers!

Hels' theme for this week's Sunday Stampers is Halloween/bats.  Now, I don't really "do" Halloween although I do love lots of the tempting stamp sets and bits and bobs around... only I haven't got much.

So it was a quick and basic tag that I got made, plus I am still not really back in crafting mode yet, probably understandably.  But, I did want to try and push myself into something this afternoon, so....

The tag is the one that was hanging around from when I tried out the seasonal distress inks that arrived recently - I don't have a stamp or Tim's spiders web mask (was going to buy it at Ally Pally last month, not sure why I didn't in the end.... drat!) so I had to draw one.... the spider is from Wendy's stamp set "Botanical Art" and the picture at the bottom is from Tim's seasonal paper stack. 
The funeral went as well as these things can, and it was a nice sunny bright day, so....  thankyou all again for your words of comfort and support.  It means a LOT.

DragonsDream - Planes, Trains & Automobiles & WOYWW

Welcome to another challenge from DragonsDream Tag it on - my turn to choose the film title this week and I went for Planes, Trains and Automobiles - with a travel theme. 

I used some Rubber Stampede vintage stamps for the train and the plane - don't have a vintage car so used Tim's small car, together with Wendy's man (stamped and cut from grungepaper) on the roof!  I was going to try and sit him on the bonnet (hood) but couldn't make it work. So he's hitching a ride that way instead....

Well, it IS a comedy film......

Hope you get time to join us and have a go at a tag this week - don't forget you need to use at least one real stamp on your tag, with the theme.

So, you're thinking, where is the desk... or even the untidy floor.... well, they're not here... Not got anything to show you... nada, nothing, nil. Not been crafty at all this week - finishing the arrangements for Friday and haven't felt at all like putting ink to - anything.  Which is a shame as there are some challenges out there I want to have a crack at.. But - if the mood don't grab ya, you can't do it! I didn't want to miss a WOYWW though, so here I am... deskless!

So for a load of people who HAVE got desks to share, check out Julia's here and be amazed. See you next time!

Grungy Monday & Sunday Stampers

Morning, all!  I didn't think I'd get time to do an entry for Grungy Monday this week - my brother and I have been finalising the details for Mum's funeral which is this coming Friday..... but I found time this morning for a little "light relief"!

It's my first go at the returning Grungy Monday - Linda wants us to make a card in 10 minutes with at least one Tim Holtz product.... no problem there, just which ones to pick...!! Click the link on Tim to his website and all his fabby products/blog for ideas.
Also, Hels Sunday Stamper theme today is Autumn or the colours of Autumn, so I combined the two.

I don't usually plan my cards to this extent so that was a new challenge in itself!  I used distress inks wild honey, rusty hinge and the fab new ripe persimmon on the card for the layer and the tattered leaves.  The leaf border is Dylusions, everything else is by Tim so I have met that challenge. (text, tattered leaves die)
The timer went just I was getting the layer fixed to the base card... phew!! 10 minutes isn't long....
Thanks for looking.
(Just loaded some photos from Kew yesterday - take a look for some more autumn colour, for once I'm rather happy with the results!)

DragonsDream TIO 101 - WOYWW?

Hello again and once more I am thanking you all for your wonderful words of support, cards and good wishes last week.  It's been a tough week, lots to sort out, but we're getting there!

So, it's Wednesday and you're here to see my desk (I wish!) my craft space on the floor - well, there's new stash (don't like to disappoint!) in my new, limited edition Timmy Distress inks - not a shade of wee wee among them, Julia!  Head here for the rest of the desks to snoop at!

Haven't had much of a chance to play, they just arrived in time for their big reveal here....

This week at Dragons Dream we are onto a new series of themes for Tag it On - we're going for film titles this time round and my teamie Elizabeth has chosen The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.  I couldn't get the ugly in, and I'm not really happy with this but it was all I could do.... go check out the others, I'm sure they will be cracking!

Coloured these tags alternately blue - for the angel in heaven (clouds are by stampscapes) and red for the demon in the other place! (couldn't find a stamp with flames... )  Used Marci (stampotique) with wings (a dragonfly stamp) on parchment paper, coloured with a gel pen and (very badly) drew some horns on her alter ego! Reminds me of the rhyme my dad used to say to me about the girl with the curl on her forehead, "when she was good, she was very very good, when she was bad, she was horrid!" I had very curly hair when I was little - but I am sure I was always good......

Hope you have a good week and enjoy snooping at desks, don't forget to check out the Tag it On challenge too. Why not come and play?  We'd love to see you.... Just make a tag, use at least one real stamp (not digi) and the theme - and that's it....

SSSS - Things with Wings

Hello.  I didn't think I'd get time to join in the Simon Says challenge this week "show things with wings"  but I needed to get inky today!

There isn't much more to say other than show you the page in my journal - I actually wrote on this one!!
To those of you who stopped by on Wednesday, thank you all for your lovely comments.

We're not really the kind of family who express our feelings much - but that doesn't mean to say we don't have them.

The angels are Denami, the sentiment is on the back of a pack of paper chains I bought at Ally Pally.

WOYWW - haven't we been here before?

This isn't actually a photo of my workspace on Wednesday, but Monday morning - had to clear all the crafty stash out of the way for the phone socket AGAIN.... hence, the title of the blog post....

 All cleared out of the way...

And some time later, all put back again!  I decided to leave all my distresss inks & stains and paperartsy paints on the tray to say time next time - cos you can bet there will be a next time!! So it's tidy now (ish!)






As it turns out Monday was not a good day - got a call on my way to work from my brother & his wife to say that Mum had deteriorated over night and the Dr's had called overnight and wanted us to go in and talk to them.  Complications (not from the surgery as far as I can gather) meant that she wouldn't have long left - at best days -we spent some time with her before leaving with a view to going back later - and in fact as I was getting off the train back in Epsom after waiting for the phone to be fixed, she died, but my brother was there though, with an aunt and a cousin.

Thank you all for your support over the last couple of weeks - it means a lot - and hard as it is, I know this is the best outcome for Mum.  She would have been 88 this coming Sunday and apart from the last couple of weeks, never ill, so we are blessed.

Oh, and as it is Wednesday (nearly forgot why I'm doing this!) not only is it WOYWW but Dragonsdream Tag it On (I got this made at the weekend, thank goodness)  The theme was Frankie's before she fell on her holiday and ended up in plaster so can't craft - based on the Beatles Ticket to Ride - tickets being the theme. 

Used stamps by Tim and Wendy and distress inks and stains in blues (various - can't remember which!) and aged mahogany.  Now I come to think of it, there is a bit of a spooky thing here - the ticket at the bottom, with the date circled - for today's date of the challenge - the first one I did, I circled 10th October instead of 12th... (was looking at the date of the scheduled post on TIO - being American and "back to front" ) - 10th being the day we lost Mum.... oooohh!
Anyhow, we hope you can come and play!

Sunday Stampers - This Wheel's on Fire

Happy Sunday to you all. 

Hels' had some help setting her theme for Sunday Stampers this week after she was lucky enough to attend the Dina Wakley class at LB Crafts the other day.  Using the colour wheel the theme -chosen by another blog buddy Gillian - is Blue and Orange.

So, had some time today to splash some colour at a sheet of watercolour paper (7x10) - spiced marmalade distress stain, partly watered down and the sunset orange spray by adirondack through a circles mask, and distress inks in faded jeans, chipped sapphire and dried marigold.

Stamps are by Dina Wakley, Dylusions and Tim. I think it needs something else, but I'm not sure what yet! Pity I wasn't able to go to the class, it sounds a whole load of fun and would have helped me!

(for those of you who've been following the story, Mum had the operation to remove the small tumour (for it was a tumour) in her bladder on Thursday, but can't go back to the care home till she is able to be up and mobile - 2 weeks in bed have taken it's toll!  The hospital are hoping to arrange some physio to help and we'll see what happens soon!  They don't think she'll need any more treatment though which is good)

WOYWW 122 ? TIO 99 - Moon

Hello, to another Wednesday. 5th October sees us celebrating the weird and wonderful workspaces of the world, co-ordinated by the lovely Julia at the Stamping Ground - thanks to all of you for your visit last week and your kind words of support.    Mum is still in hospital - they are still trying to stop the bleeding from the mass on her bladder but think now they will have to operate to remove it without waiting for that to happen.  She has to be moved to a different hospital for that and we may hear soon when that will happen. (Transport to transfer and a bed being the latest issues...it was going to be Monday. it was going to be Tuesday....)

So my workspace is feeling neglected at the moment (I have been doing bits and pieces but not much) This is a tag I've been fiddling with for a while! (some of my new Ally Pally stash)








5th October also sees Dragonsdream TIO celebrating the moon - the choice of one of our new DT members, Blackdragon. Her song choice was not known to me - the Waterboys "Whole of the Moon" but when I googled it I thought it was fabulous. So, here is my "moon" tag.

I used faded jeans distress stain to colour the tag, then the picket  fence stain onto the stamp (stampscapes "rising moon") and stamped it onto the tag.  Added some inka gold in Haematite and Steel Blue round the edges and some more picket fence stain.  Was rummaging in my stamp boxes for some suitable words - couldn't find what I wanted so used a Hero Arts alphabet set to spell out "moonlight" on a scrap of tag, then found an old and unused set from the Stamp Bug with the "mystical" and "magical" which seem to fit the moon theme.  The bauble is from a cheapo junkie neclace I bought ages ago in Primark specially to use for things like this. Felt it needed something else, then thought of the mini flock of birds from the Tim Holtz tiny set (last year's QVC special)

Thanks for stopping by, and welcome to my new followers!

It's Wendy Week at Simon Says

I was thrilled when I saw the theme this week at Simon Says Stamp and Show - it's Wendy Week!! So I had to make time after visiting Mum, to Make Art, as the Lady says herself.

Broke out the art parts - it's my last frame - yikes time to go shopping! 

Coloured the frame with walnut stain distress stain, (note to self, colour it before sticking it together or the glue will heat and the frame come apart....) the flower art part is a mixture of aged mahogany and fired brick with some shimmery spray and the leaves/stem are forest moss. 

I found a bauble on a cheapo necklace I could use for the centre of the art part flower and some tattered leaves I had left in the scraps box.

I've used a dictionary page for the centre piece and as vintage text paper is the theme for challenge 28 at the yahoo group Everything WendyVecchi, this is doubling there too.

Thanks for looking.