Sort of side by side by Linda

The very clever Linda Elbourne has posted a tut on how to paste pics side by side so lets see if it works.


It's only partly worked - due to the blog template I'm using I think, the sizing must be different to Linda's - but it's a start and I can probably play with it...

These are two more journal pages - the one on the left is the shades of green one I was working on earlier this week and the one on the right, in orange is kind of done - the white I used to blend between the shades of orange looks much starker here than in real life.

anyhow this was an experiment to see if I could follow Linda's instructions so I'm heading back to Masterchef!

WOYWW 143 Leap Day!

Ok, so how many of you are proposing to someone on this Leap Day?!! Not me, that's for sure - there's only room here for me (and that's debatable, given the fact that I haven't got room to swing a cat)

Anyway, welcome to another WOYWW hosted by White Van Driver herself, Julia. Check out the hundreds of tidy/busy/pushed back/downright untidy (you pick!) desks (or gaps on the floor like here...) where we work. It's a virtual globe-trot each week.

I didn't do very well at visiting you last week, so hope I may get round more this time. Long gone are the days when I can visit everyone.

At least I can post some photos this week now that blogger/Google have fixed whatever went wrong last week... this time it's the comments that are showing up differently. I ask you!! (something to do with whether you have them set to "pop up" or "embedded" ...)

Couple of magazines arrived on Monday. I am going to have to stop getting these as I am running (have run!) out of room to store them...

 Few bits and pieces arrived at work on Friday... played with some, not others yet!  Some of you have already seen these!





And I have been messing about in my journal again. This is Monday's work (depends if I do any more to it on Tuesday if it looks any different...)
You should see the mess I made in the journal with the stencil in the background - but being acrylic paint I washed it off and painted over it..
The cut and dry foam pieces are drying ut (I washed them out cos they were getting a bit claggy!)

Got to get you into my LIFE

Hels' Sunday Stampers challenge is "life" based on the above Beatles track, for the late George Harrison's birthday. The theme being 'life' I turned to some Tim stamps and my journal and Fresco paints (claret and autumn fire)

I am ecstatic this afternoon as Liverpool overcame Cardiff after penalties in the Carling Cup Final and before it started I was working on this, then during when it got too tense to watch.... but not the penalty shoot-out, for that I had to hide outside the living room peaking round the door...you know: can't watch, can't NOT watch!

Used some of the Tim H tissue wrap, stamps and some stencilling with a Hero Arts alphabet set for Live and Life stamped in the circles (magenta archival)

off to celebrate some more now!

Sewing - without a machine

I was keen to try out my new texture fade (pattern and stitches) that I received yesterday and got out a canvas to paint - for a change from my journal!

I went for distress stains to colour it - mustard seed and scattered straw, as it has been such a sunny day today I thought I'd celebrate the brightness outside, inside too!

I die cut the sewing room images on sticky back canvas and for the mannequin itself, on a piece of grungepaper as well, and fixed the two together.  I used brushed corduroy DI for the mannequin and sprayed the body only with perfect copper spray.

I cut some strips of rusty coloured mulberry paper and embossed the stitches from the texture fade and fixed them to the canvas.  The top corner looked very bare so rummaged around for some tattered floral die cuts from my stash (see, save everything!) and added a button.

As I was starting this, I saw a tweet from Sarah Hurley reminding me of a challenge on her challenge blogsite, that closes tomorrow - to use die cuts - how perfect is that - so I'm entering it there.

More journal pages

I can't think of anything witty to call this one!  Blogger is fixed hurrah so hopefully I will be able to load the pictures I want to... let's see!

So, broke out the Freco paints again - inky pool and limelight. Inky pool is such a gorgeous colour...Applied it randomly with cut and dry foam

then went in with some stencils and baltic blue,  vintage lace  paints and tumbled glass DI with the harlequin stencil.  Had a bit of a splurgy problem with the bingo stencil, the foam was very wet and the blue paint puddled...

Stamped the leaf randomly (Dylusions) and added some colour with portfolio pastels, sealed that with satin glaze.

Added some die cut numbers, edged with a white pen. Used Tim's stamp Enjoy the journey - but I only inked the 'enjoy the' from that stamp, and used the larger 'journey' from the set called 'travelling friends' and I then doodled some white dots over it.

I'm hoping to have a play tomorrow or at the weekend with my new die 'word play' which is a bigger alphabet (a new Tim Holtz die) it looks fab... but you'll know that if you saw any of QVC's craft day earlier this week!

Dragons Dream TIO #110 - Birdsong

Having some blogger issues tonight so hope this will be ok! can't get the layout how I want.

Our Dragons Dream Team-mate Wanda chose this theme - Birdsong, by Sebastien Faulks. I loved the book (and the tv adaptation recently).

I used a jumbo sized tag, and Paperartsy stamps. Coloured the tag with bundled sage and tumbled glass distress stains.

Found an acetate bird under a cushion on the sofa when I was cleaning the other day and decided it would be a great accent, he's coloured with alcohol inks.

I used some red gel pen in the grasses at the foot, to symbalise poppies - I loved the last scene of Blackadder goes Forth when they superimposed the poppy field over the battleground and that was my inspiration for this. Keeping it short today cos of the blogger problems (I had to change setting to the old editor to allow me to write this, hope I can change back and it will be ok when it posts!)

WOYWW 142

Having real problems with blogger tonight (could only post if I changed back to the old editor and my photos will appear where they want to)

So hot-foot it over to Julia's at the Stamping Ground and check out some proper desks and I'll hopefully be back next week if blogger sorts itself (apparently it's a known issue they're looking into!)

Edit, looks like blogger is fixed, hope I can remove some of these spaces!! When  I get home I may try and add some more pics!!

 

Simon Says - show us London, Paris or New York

This week, Simon Says is challenging us to show London, Paris or New York.

Well, as a London girl - well I live in a London borough so it's close enough! I had to choose London (and sadly I've visted neither Paris or New York, much as I would like to!)  I went for a journal page (there's a surprise - it's taken over from my tag obsession!)

I love London and don't spend enough time exploring and I only have a couple of London themed stamps but enough to create the look I wanted.  

I started by sticking a London tube map to my journal page and giving it a light wash with white paint/gesso and then blending some tumbled glass distress ink over it.

I stamped the Big Ben and Tower Bridge stamps (B Line designs) on scrap paper and cut out - tearing the bottom of the Tower Bridge piece to look like the flowing water of River Thames - and inked them with tumbled glass and vintage photo respectively.  At the top I have fixed a Union Jack cut from an envelope that arrived at work today and the 'when noon' stamp- also B Line designs - representing the time line at Greenwich.
Check out Simon Says for what are bound to be some amazing entries - and one lucky entrant will win a $50 voucher for Simon Says Stamp - good luck!

Lonely Girl - pages in my journal

I have to start trying something different in my journal but today I was drawn again to the Lonely Girl & Silhouette Script stamps by Dina Wakley.

The Fresco paint is Pansy (by Paperartsy ) and I've used paint through stencils again, the bumping doesn't really show up now - when I first did it, it looked more prominent - is old paper distress ink over the white paint. I think maybe its got rubbed off whilst I worked further on the pages, even though I heat set it...

I coloured round Lonely Girl here with the portfolio pastels (which I also used over the tissue tape strips)

On Silhouette Script I used old paper distress ink to match the vanishing bumping/shadowing!!

I really don't do Valentines!

I have like so many people, been following Tim Holtz and his 12 Tags of Christmas for some years - so when I saw this week that he wasn't doing them any more, I was sad.  Until you realise instead he is doing them throughout the year - one tag a month - enabling us to sample different seasons and themes rather than all Christmas - and also, how much less pressure is there at a very busy time of year (I may even get my Christmas cards done early this year!!)

So, February - the month of love. Valentines.  Well, it may be from living on my own too long, but I don't "do" Valentine - so don't have the stamps/embossing folders/dies that Tim used on his tag (which is gorgeous!) and my white dabber is a pain in the butt - despite diluting with water it won't flow... so much improvising was called for!


So instead I embossed the Tim sentiment for the resist technique, (couldn't find my white embossing powder either!) and used Wendy's heart stamped on grungepaper in vermillion archival and spritzed with forever red perfect pearl - it makes the grunge look almost silvery where it's caught the shimmer..
I do have the seasonal paper stack so cut some of the small valentines phrases.

this is possibly the worst tag I have ever made - but I don't intend to let the 12 Tags of 2012 defeat me at the first hurdle...

Check here for what the Master has made. You have till the end of the month to load your own version.
It can only get better!

Journalling - a new addiction!

This messing abut in journals is so addictive! I've got two to show you tonight - one from yesterday and one from today.

This one is done with distress stains (bundled sage, tumbled glass and mustard seed) and portfolio oil pastels applied through one of Sunday's stencisl (it's called mini fence frame) in blue-y greens.  I stamped Tim's butterfly text background in coffee archival and his small butterfly round the edges, after applying a very thin white wash over the background.  it wasn't looking quite right, so I stamped the butteflies again on white scrap and cut them out to lay them over the background ones - they show up more now!



On to today's - I painted the entire page with Fresco paint in claret (so love this colour!) and used the mini flower frenzy stencil and antique lace fresco paint.  I decided not to do any shadow bumping today but did sand the dried page which really does make a difference (we bow to your knowledge, Leandra!)

I stamped the Dina Wakley sillouette image on thin white card and stuck her to the bottom of the page, then stamped the long text from Tim's 'stuff to say' set, cutting it into individual pieces - due to my lack of planning/spacing I ran out of room for the last little bit! But I like this page.

WOYWW 141

Welcome to another WOYWW (What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday?) brainchild of Julia Dunnit (now a  proud White Van Driver for Mr D's business)

As promised I have stash to share (some of you saw it after I got home from the Stamperama show in Stevenage on Sunday) :

Just one bag.... doesn't look much, does there?  Shall I let you see what I got...

OK then, here it is!!   Stencils, wooden bits to alter, bits and bobs, stamps, dies, paint...
The show was fab (see Sunday's post for details) and I met some blog friends who now ARE friends!!

This was the view from my cramped perch at the computer (yes, it IS uncomfortable, if I sit here too soon after dinner I get terrible indigestion!!) and that's yesterday's journal page on the "desk"

and this is Tuesday's (yesterday's technically, as I write this on Tuesdays) which I'm not happy with - it's too dark IRL but looks ok here where the flash has lightened it.... maybe I need to go over it with a pale wash or something if I can do it without ruining the stencilling...  Anyhow I shall keep fiddling with it!

So do tell - and show - us what you've been up to - can't wait to come and see!
I shall schedule this as always and link it when I get up - wonder what time Julia will post this week!

More bumping - in my journal this time!

Well, this "bumping" technique is certainly addictive!! Couldn't wait till after I'd eaten,I had to start whilst it was in the oven (tuna pasta bake if you're interested). It nearly got burnt...

This is the result.... fresco paints used are rusty rose, inky pool and claret, with snowflake to bump and tone down....

Leandra also told us yesterday (us being her stalkers of Jo Myhill, Gabrielle and I)  that you can stamp trhough the stencil too - I used a Mini Paperartsy stamp - don't think the minis have names, this is some grungy looking little numbers...  I carried the theme through by using the "roll part of the stamp on the page" method.

Made the separate image (Dina Wakley) on some scrap paper painted with rusty rose again.

and a couple of step by steps....

what a mess on the craft sheet!! Now I really DO need some more cut and dry foam...!


Because this week at Simon Says Stamp and Show has an "Anything goes" theme, I am entering thsi there.

New stash - time to play!

I had a great day today at the Stamperama show in Stevenage - not such a lovely train journey there (unexpected engineering works en route caused a delay of about 40 minutes - luckily by the time I came home it was ok and I was home in 90 minutes - the trip there took 3 hours all told!)

Anyhow, once there I made a beeline for the Paperartsy stand where Lin and Leandra were doing a great double act of demoing fantastic Paperartsy products - thanks for the tags, ladies I love them!

So, here is my stash haul (twitters have already caught sight of this!)

Some of it was even on the list of things I wanted to buy!!!

And this is my first go at the "bumping" or shadowing technique that the ladies were demoing so beautifully....

I think actually I prefer the tag before I added the cut out flower - may try and unstick it and do something else....

However it was my first play - maybe I'll just make another one!

And these are the fab tags from Lin   .......

....and Leandra - this is a whopper tag!   Just love all that stencilling

I had arranged to meet a couple of twitter/blog friends at the show - the lovely Gabrielle (and her gorgeous daugher) and Jo Myhill who both produce fabulous art and seem to have the same taste in "must have" shopping as I do, lol!! It was really great to put faces to your names, girls! 

Right, I think I need to put my feet up - it's Sunday night so it's nearly time for Call theMidwife! But the joy of playing in my living room (even on the floor) is I can watch at the same time.... hope I don't fall asleep.

Tag it On - Time

Hello, and welcome to another Dragons Dream Tag It On. This week, it is my turn for the theme and I have chosen the title of a book I loved so much when I read it when it came out a couple of years ago- The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. An amazing love story about a man who time travels involuntarily. When I was writing this post I found this review which tells it much better than I can!  Long gone are the days when I thought I would write novels!  It's since been made into a film, which I've not seen - I never think my favourite books convert well, I prefer to remember the story!  (EDIT. since writing this I have seen it as it was on TV at the weekend - and I think they did it quite well!)

Anyhow, I loved the book, and the theme for my tag this week, is "time" Here is my tag...

I covered a tag with paper from Tim Holtz Lost and Found paper stack, covered it with white gesso to tone it back, added some texture (viva Terra paste) painted white.   Embellishments are idea-ology pieces and a small watch face from a bag of bits bought at a show sometime.

Time flies stamp by Paperartsy.

WOYWW 140 ? a book to alter

Happy Wednesday to you all - happy What's on your Workdesk Wednesday, even! Don't know what that is? (What planet are you from?) check out Julia's for all the info

Thank you for your comments and visits last week - nothing looks very different here today so there's no wide angle or airial views this time!

I am really hoping to take part in Elizabeth's Altered Book free, online course that she's running - Elizabeth is a keen and regular WOYWWer and I have wanted to do an altered book for - just YONKS!

So I needed to look out a suitable book - I have thousands of books, but most of them are rubbishy paperbacks and so no good.  However, I think I've found something that will do.  So that's step one sorted - can't wait for the next step!  If you fancy having a go, Elizabeth would love to see you join in - click the link above for the details.

So that's me today - short and sweet (for a change) but next week - unless we get another load of snow - I should have some new stash to share with you as I'm hoping to go to the Stamperama at Stevenage, run by Stamp Addicts.  I love this show as it's busy but quite small - and I am meeting up with some blog buddies to put faces to names!  It's on Sunday and the details are here

Come back around 2pm (UK time) for the latest DragonsDream TIO challenge!

Sunday Stampers - Hearts

Hels' has us all getting in a Valentines mood today with her "hearts" theme for Sunday Stampers.  I actually started this page yesterday which is quite spooky!! Means I had something ready to enter without really trying too hard - just needed some finishing touches.

 Painted the pages white for the ink to grip to better - used the Magenta archival ink pad again (see yesterday). I wanted a patchy slightly uneven ink coverage.

The heart stamp is the giveaway from last month's Craft Stamper magazine and I have been dying to use it.  Stamped it in clear ink and used perfect pearls powder on it for some lovely lilac shimmer.  It stamps beautifully and is a lovely image.

Then today I hand wrote some of the lyrics from Love Is All Around randomly over the pages.  Can't get the song out of my head now!!! I love it.

This was the view from my (first floor) living room window today... just hope it goes soon!
I don't mind snow if I don't need to get anywhere -
like work - so it will be a wellies morning tomorrow so I stay on my feet!
I had a bad fall a couple of years ago that really shook me up even though I was only bruised; and I don't take any chances now, no matter how daft I look on the bus!

Alter It - Stampotique Designers Challenge 47

It has been far too long since I managed to enter the Stampotique Designers Challenge  - I don't have many Stampotique stamps, which I intend to rectify this year, funds willing!   However, I bought a new one the other day and it arrived on Wednesday.

Today is the first time I've had a chance to play with it - Daniels Hearts...

I decided to alter this beer mat I picked up before Christmas and whilst I'm not totally happy with how it turned out, it's ok(ish)!!

I had trouble photographing it, the sun from this morning has gone now - the skies are clouding over and I guess that means the snow we've been forecast will soon arrive in Surrey!

Anyhow, I started by painting the beer mat white, then applied some tissue tape (don't have the tissue wrap yet!) and sealed it with Paperartsy Fresco's Satin Glaze. Then I added some portfolio pastels but didn't totally like the way they looked, (my fault not the pastels!) so painted over that white again to blend them in more and stamped the hearts.  (archival ink, magenta - it's such a great colour, I forgot how much I like it!)

Anyhow, I stamped Maisie on some white card and cut her out, adding magenta ink to her .  Used a stencil to write her name (I don't have any of the Stampotique text stamps).  The heart at the top is UTEE and fell off something I was given at a show (sorry, Jennie!) but I've been saving it and the colours are just right for this.

Off to link up now at SDC - there is a voucher prize for one lucky winner and the challenge runs a few more days.
(this one is without flash)

Inspired by Donna

A highlight of my Wednesdays - apart from WOYWW of course - is Donna Downey's Inspiration Wednesday video/art journal.

This week it really "spoke" to me and I started this straight after I watched the video.  I realised whilst watching it, that I had a Hero Arts jumbo cling stamp, solid and outline version that I could use...

 It took me a while to finish it off, as I was struggling for some text/words to go on the page, but yesterday I settled for these by Wendy Vecchi.

I used dusty concord distress stain on the stamp before overstamping black archival.

the background is Paperartsy Limelight paint (lightly diluted) and the leaves 7 the border stamps are by Dyan Reaveley. Used portfolio pastels inside the leaves, whichI outlined with a new item that arrived yesterday - my white pen that actually shows up white. 

 Starting point, with some partially stamped images too.

The flash has caused over-exposure but the limelight paint looks more realistic here!   I've been tweaking for days  - tonight I used a circle stencil and the black portfolio pastel to add some dots!!

Now, I must away and play with something else new - my 7 Dots fab fab papers (from the Stamp Attic) oh and yes, Daniel's Hearts (Stampotique) blame Hels...!!

Thanks for looking.

WOYWW 139

Pinch, Punch, first of the month - February already by Jove!!   So, Wednesday again finds us congregating chez Julia's for the desk marathon that is WOYWW. 

Last week saw me prevaricating about decanting my Tim Holtz idea-ology into these boxes (left, in front of my stamp drawers)... so has she? has she??




Well.... I tried....


 

but no. it is still in here... I took some out of one packet - into a drawer - and back again. Will have to work up to it!
Maybe next time!  Trouble is, there's too much to go in this 3 drawer chest - and I think probably too much for the 16 boxes anyhow...

I am treating you to an arial shot today (no chairs were harmed in the taking of this photo!) to show the true extent of the mess around me on the floor that I work at - but no work in progress today!  The cushion is the one I sit on at my computer....

writing my blog posts!  Amazingly I got back in place before the self timer went off - and didn't fall over all the crap stash on the floor on the way!   This is me in my cozy slob out at home gear!    When I get back to my de-clutter, maybe I'll tackle this space too... (won't be throwing anything away though, just moving it around!) The de-clutter is still stalled.

Well, you'll probably never come back now you know what it's really like here - so I'll leave you to the rest of the workdesks!! Have a good week.