Wednesday 30 November 2011

WOYWW 130

Ok, Wednesday is here again... so we can all get together at Julia's place to snoop at one another's crafty spaces.... What have you got on your desk today? Do tell - and show....  Here's mine...

 A Christmas present to myself - a bargain box of goodies from Lin at LB Crafts from her closing down sale... I am so going to miss Lin - I never got to see the shop in person but I have made up for it online and at shows; lol!  Now all I have to do is make myself not open this before the big day!!

Haven't bought any presents for anyone else yet, something else that needs to get done!!
Still busy with Christmas cards - this one  is with those lovely Tapestry stamps - I don't use them enough....
And these are stamps by Tim... I haven't counted up lately (it's not that many more than last week) but still have a lot to do - and Tim's "12 Tags of Christmas" starts on the 1st December - OMG that's tomorrow!!! - so I really want to play along with that.. there won't be enough hours in the day, lol. 

I was looking for a purple card for a mount for a card tonight, why is it that the box you want is always at the bottom of the pile???!

Anyhow, do go over to Julia's and catch up on some more desks to see what everyone else is up to.

Tuesday 29 November 2011

I'm seeing stars...

A quick post from me tonight, I am still in the midst of Christmas Card City.... but this one - quick and simple - fits a couple of challenges so I thought I'd better get it posted!!

The theme for both SimonSays Stamp and Show and Hels' Sunday Stampers is "stars" and I used the Stampotique star designed for a Craft Stamper cover stamp by Jo Capper Sandon, and a small Paperartsy star, the 'Merry Christmas' is from Hobby Art.  I stuck with one colour - Iced Spruce - oh I LOVE that colour... so much more than I thought I would!!!

Sorry about the photo, the light in my living room is not good, and the flash is bouncing off the card! The card is white, honest!!

Thursday 24 November 2011

Simon Says - show some tickets

HI, and Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends!   This week's challenge from Simon Says - is to show some tickets - and that means Tim Holtz!  ......Wish Upon a Star......

I had to incorporate this into a Christmas card because I still have plenty to make and there's only a week of November left, yikes! 

The base card is a 6x6 card and a sheet of pearlescent blue paper then the scalloped edge mat - you may have noticed I've used a lot of these this year (I'm running low, will need to change my theme soon!!) with Wendy's stars stamped twice in chipped sapphire and twice in stormy sky (second impression stamping, to get a light colour)   I lightly inked the adage ticket with the blender tool and covered it with rock candy crackle for a bit of shimmer.

It's been so long since I managed to take part in this challenge, what with one thing and another, and it's nice to be back at it!!

The stamp in the centre is a Crafty Individuals one, only I trimmed off the "jingle bells" bit from the bottom, stamped on a scrap of card.

Wednesday 23 November 2011

WOYWW ? Leonardo, that's who - Da Vinci ..

Happy WOYWW everyone - can't believe it's Wednesday again already...........

Well, I've been cracking on with Christmas cards - got quite a few more done at the weekend but only a couple since... 28 down.... not sure how many more to go!!

Here they are, teetering on the "scraps" box... along with some bargain Ten Second Studio tools from Lin's closing down sale at LB Crafts (am I going to miss her shop!)
So my desk tonight shows my Tag it On tag - theme - the Da Vinci Code - but inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci - hence the blog post title....

and my pile of Tim stamps that I used for the tag.

Check out loads more desks at Julia's here
And here is the tag itself.  I used Iced Spruce on the tag - I LOVE this colour more every time I use it - and the words were stamped on a reject tag that  I saved - can't remember now what colours I used for it, it's from weeks ago!! Apart from the "art" (make unknown) all stamps are Tim's.
As he was a man of great invention (Da Vinci, although Tim's not bad either!) as well as an artist, I used that as my source.

Check out my other team mates tags here at DragonsDream - and why don't you join in this week?

Sunday 20 November 2011

Snowmen - double challenge!

Hi again!!

Two days - two Sunday Stampers in a row! Hels has chosen Frosty the Snowman ths week for her challenge and PanPastels challenge is Frosty and Bright so this card is fitting for both of them!

Hels' is giving her tag away to one lucky winner, and PanPastels have a great prize too from their sponser Your Creativity Store - a twin trial Pan Pastel kit - so go theck them out .

Similar style to yesterday's cards - the snowflakes on the black mat are done with picket fence distress stain picked up from my craft mat. The ink is iced spruce again.... and the snowman has then been sprayed with perfect pearl mist in pearl for some added shimmer, but it doesn't show up in the photo.

I'm on a bit of a roll now with my Christmas cards, must get back to them...

Saturday 19 November 2011

Sunday Stampers - Trail of the Lonesome Pine

I was busy making Christmas cards again today and suddenly realised that some of them fit Hels' soon to close Sunday Stampers challenge from last week inspired by "the Trail of the Lonesome Pine" which is to use pine colours or pine trees/branches.  And I am now in love with Iced Spruce, that fabby new winter DI.... although I do love Evergreen Bough too...

Anyhow, here tis...

the scallop edged mat is from Craftwork Cards and the background stamp and 'make it merry' are by Wendy Vecci, the deer and pine branch are Tim's
You get two for the price of one for this challenge - a version in Evergreen Bough, the trees are by Judikins and I love this stamp!

Got to go, more cards to make (and my DT tag for Dragonsdream for which I have NO ideas at all....)
Talking of which, a couple of weeks ago our film inspired theme was Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium which I didn't know at all, but I see is on TV this afternoon so will watch it whilst I'm card making.... TaTa for now!)

Wednesday 16 November 2011

WOYWW 128? I think we're turning - Asian?

Hi, all welcome along for another mega-ride round the world's strange crafting spaces. (well, mine is!) .. hosted by Julia here.

My workspace today finally shows signs of Christmas - yes, at last! I made a start at the weekend - clambered behind the first row of boxes to get to the Christmas stash - dug out some of my favourites - Christmas = Penny Black here!! It's the only time I do "cute" .....  so my space has out some of the stamps I'll be using this year

and the first few off the run! I got the chance to use the new winter limited edition distress inks - oh, I LOVE that evergreen bough - the 3 trees and the background behind the hedgehogs.  Love it, think it is my fave fave DI...  Trouble is, I haven't done any more since... oops!
And at DragonsDream Tag it On, we are dreaming with an Asian theme this week and the film that inspired my teamie Silvia, is Chinatown.
I nearly ran out of time with this one so it's a very basic one layer tag - used distress stains in scattered straw and bundled sage and the fans are on a Judikins cube stamp.  The Asian script is from a Paperartsy plate.  Found the oval picture in a book of ephemera bits and bobs. Check out the rest when the challenge posts around noon. We enjoyed seeing your romance last week!

Wednesday 9 November 2011

Letters to Juliet - TIO #104

This week's Tag it On tag film title is Letters to Juliet - so romance seemed to be the order of the day.  Once again (I don't watch many films, have I mentioned this?!) I didn't know it - but from googling it, it sounds worth looking for and watching!

I started by stamping my script stamp (Just for Fun) onto the tag twice, and then painted over it with a thin layer of gesso to make it recede into the background. 

I overstamped the tag with the cityscape (Judikins) which here represents Verona.  'Juliet' is from Impression Obsession
I used some antique linen over the gesso'd tag and walnut stain round the edges.  Found a scrap of paper for the sentiment and added the idea-ology.  Make sure you come to check out the other DT entries and have a go - don't forget you have to do a tag, and you must use at least one real stamp.  Have fun.

WOYWW - new stash

Life is trying to return to normal here - almost succeeding sometimes! - and Wednesday means it is What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday, thanks to Julia for co-ordinating it so perfectly.  
I decided I needed a little treat last week and indulged in a few (!!) bits and pieces, so here they are... (see, told you I was trying to return to normal!!)

Some Tim stamps, some new Paperartsy Fresco paint colours (I'm in love...) and some mega bargain cookery books from WH Smith - already both reduced by at least 50% to £9.99 and THEN - as you see from the sticker - 2 for £10... so the 2nd one (that I wasn't going to get) was only 1p.... it would have been stupid not to.... and as I didn't fancy Cheryl Cole's "autobiography", River Cottage was the winner.  But the Baking book (from the TV series) is fabulous... I may even start baking again...!
The Winter limited edition inks look a bit out of focus, sorry!  But boy are they fantastic colours.  I LOVE Evergreen Bough (a fab bluey-greeny-turquoisey colour) Festive Berries is a real red red and Iced Bough is a cool bluey-grey sort of colour... I blasted off a quick tag on Saturday afternoon

It's not meant to be fantastic, I just had to try out the inks.... if you didn't see it then, here it is again!

Anyhow, if Julia hasn't slept through the alarm again (sorry Julia!) head over to the Stamping Ground for some fab desks/floors (I'm not the only one!)/ironing boards etc to see what the rest of the world has been up to.
And don't forget to stop by Dragons-Dream later to see the latest Tag It On challenge (mine will be here later!)

Saturday 5 November 2011

Journal page

When I saw Lin had some of the yummy new Paperartsy Fresco Paints in on Thursday, I had to order some straight away (and just as well, as I see she's sold out already...) here they are nestling in their box - don't they look fab?

I "only" got 6 - had to draw a line somewhere... aren't they gorgeous colours?!  Those two orangey red ones are different colours, they haven't photo'd very well! One is Autumn Fire and the other Smoked Paprika... such fab names!



Anyhow, today I took Autumn Fire and covered a page in my journal and started to play....

Used some (new!) Tim Holtz and Wendy Vecchi stamps, and my Dina Wakley's.... the tag is coloured with the limited edition ripe persimmon.....















My Winter seasonal inks arrived today - whilst I was in the middle of having my highlights done so I had to go to the door covered in bleach filled wraps.... so I had to play with them too....

LOVING the evergreen bough.... and the festive berries is a great red!!


Hmmm think I've been shopping a bit too much this week... may have to stop a while!

Wednesday 2 November 2011

WOYWW 126?

Welcome to another Wednesday's snooping at desks thanks to the lovely Julia - check them here .

I've still got a bit of a block on creating but hope it's on the way soon - I really must get into Christmas card spirit very soon!! 

When I got back from my brother's (where we had the "do" - obviously I don't have the space - ahem!!) on Friday after the funeral (it went ok, as well as you can say for these sad occasions, at least it was good to get together with lots of the family) I found some lovely things had arrived in the post - look!

the new Craft Stamper, a couple of sets of Wendy Vecchi stamps (on special offer here because the lovely Lin is retiring at Christmas so I had to, didn't I!) and a gorgeous Hels' tag that I won in a blog giveaway! 
I haven't used any of the stamps yet but hope to very soon!


So, that's my desk.









I must also show you the Dragons-Dream tag for this week's Tag It On challenge - we are challenging you to go Steampunk today - here is my tag.  The film title that inspired Wanda's choice is Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium. (not one I know...but I don't watch many films - I did google it though and found a trailer!)

I covered the tag with a piece from the Tim Holtz Crowded Attic paper stack and used a selection of stamps from Tim's set handily called "steampunk".   Added some washers from my stash (from the hardware store - B and Q to the Brits!) and some jump rings under the gentlemen.

Anyway, I hope you'll come along and have a look at my teamie's work and why don't you join in?  We'd love to see you...