What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday? 173

Tis Wednesday again! Don't they come round quick? (Even quicker cos I always prep this on a Tuesday night!!!)  Anyhow, it's time to meet at Julia's for another world-wide peek at crafty places and desks - what have you been doing since we last got together?

Well on Saturday, I had a lovely day at the Ally Pally (Alexandra Palace for those not in the know) show and had a little (or not) splurge.... I had to, didn't I?! it was a great day and I spent most of it watching Lin and Leandra and their amazing demonstrations... and shopped...

I wrote about it here and as some of you have seen, came away with quite a haul of goodies!

Anyhow it's about time I showed you my desk this week, or I'll be in trouble with Julia!

Most of my new supplies have found a home (such as any of my stuff ever gets put away!) but the pots of Treasure Gold and my newest Fresco paints are still there, along with a big pack of buttons.

The tag is sort of meant to be for Hels' Sunday Stampers challenge but I'm not totally happy with it so may not enter it.... we'll see!

Hope to get round lots of your desks this time (but not promising!) - have a good week.

Tag based on yesterday

Am enjoying playing with some of my new stash (see yesterday's post) and trying out some of the fab techniques Lin and Leandra were showing us... as ever I start with a tag!!

Apply some white puff paint with a palette knife to the tag, and heat to allow the paint to puff.

Spray with watered down Fresco paint (I used haystack and mermaid)  Dry.  

Apply some Treasure Gold to the raised puffed paint with your finger (you can use a brush) - this is great stuff - Leandra says it's designed for use by furniture restoration etc - it's a wax based product - smells of shoe polish!!! Anyhow there are lots of scrummy colours to choose from - I got Spanish Topaz (a rich gold) Aquamarine (as it sounds, but shot with gold) and Indigo (this is beautiful!!) Already I can't remember but I think I used Spanish Topaz and Indigo
Painted the button (black Fresco mixed with inky pool) and then used both Spanish Topaz and Aquamarine TG on top. The centre button is from a pack of Artemio embellishments I got yesterday, added some TG to it (the Topaz and then it was too goldy so painted a little mermaid Fresco paint over the top again) This was a technique shown by Lin yesterday.

The stamp on the piece of fabric is part of a Paperartsy mini and used some distress cordination paper and some scrunched up Glassine paper which I used Aquamarine and Spanish Topaz paste on. Some lace and ribbons from my stash to finish.

Sorry it's a bad photo - it's been raining here since mid-morning and so gloomy I have had to put the light on as a result I can't get a decent picture, with or without flash!!

Ally Pally - in a new hall

Well, today I went to the Big Stamp and Scrapbooking Show at Ally Pally in London. It was moved into a different hall this time ('elf and safety reasons) - the Great Hall.  I got there early, (queued for an hour!) before getting through the doors at 10 am...

 the view from the top of the hill - it was a lovely clear day.

 the Palm Court entrance. it is such a beautiful building, inside and out.

inside the Palm Court area.  This is where we used to queue, but no more!!

 The queen of demos. Leandra (left) and Lin. I spent hours watching them today - they were so inspiring. Leandra has tweeted some of her fab work, but I took some pics of what she was doing too, and they're at the end.

 the old organ, high up, behind the Paperartsy stand.

Gorgeous stained glass at the other end of the hall!

my stash - bit of a splurge, but it had to be done!! I needed a treat after a tough few weeks... it's not quite as bad as it looks as the orange stickers on the Tim Holtz stuff is all half price...


Now for Leandra's demo's (I didn't take any photos of Lin's demo's not sure why!)

 Leandra was demo'ing with puff paint and spraying watered down Fresco paints - I can't wait to give this a go...

and you get this!

This was based on her and Lin's recent visit to Ireland for classes with Finnibar (sorry, don't have her web-link) but this is Leandra's blog about it

You embellish first, then spray paint and then put the accent stamping on.... back to front but SO effective.

just stunning! Can't wait to try this too!



Thanks to Lin and Leandra for some amazing demo's today, I had so much fun, and it was lovely to catch up with some other old friends and some new ones too.









This is the fabulous tag Lin made and gave me - I have such a wonderful collection of these now, one day I will frame them and put the on the wall!!

WOYWW 172 - TIO

Morning, lovely people!! Hope you are all well and ready for another Wednesday (not to mention the rest of the week!) hopping round desks and crafty spaces hosted by the divine Miss Julia  for WOYWW

My desk is looking a bit neglected today, so I have forsaken shame and am showing you the pile of already blogged tags and bits that sit atop one of my stash storage boxes....and regularly annoy me as I have to move them every time I want to open it...must find somewhere to store or even display - them instead!!

the notebook is the one I try to keep track of my DT  (all two of them) work and other challenges I have good intentions of entering...

Talking of DT pieces, today also sees DragonsDream's next challenge for you - set by the lovely Elizabeth,  and a new round of challenges - we're sticking with recipes as they were very popular, but as always there is a twist!

The theme today is "Autumn Misty Glaze" and your recipe is - to use mists (mica or ink), autumn colours and a glaze of some kind.

I used Dylusions spray mists (red, oranges, yellow and lime) and a Ranger Perfect Pearls mist (pearl) on the base of the tag.  The stamps are from the Paperartsy HP1203 plate.

I had trouble with the photograph - I wanted to show the shimmer and glaze so took this one at an angle.

The glaze on the butterfly, is glossy accents.

Stop by DragonsDream Tag it On later today to see the other fabulous DT samples - and come join in. Don't forget to enter, you must make a tag, and use at least one real stamp.

Have a good week!!

Crafty Boots - Stories and Rhymes

It's time for another Crafty Boots challenge, and the theme this fortnight is Children's Stories or Nursery Rhymes.

Now, not having children I don't have a lot of suitable young stamp images so I was properly stumped for a while.... then happened to spy a packet of stamps in a box - 'Dance' by Sioux Jenneys for the Artistic Stamper - and my story was chosen!!

I don't remember reading Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield, but I certainly remember the impact of it in the film You've Got Mail with Meg Ryan - I love that film!

I decided on a card - and some masking.  The ink is the shaded lilac distress ink.

I had to do lots of practising with my masking as it's been a while since I did any, and experimenting with the colour for the ballerinas too!  I knew it had to be something soft, but the squeezed lemonade wasn't right. I used the same ink to softly blend the edges of the card too, before mounting it onto a card blank.

Hope you enjoy this theme and come and join in.... we'd love to see you.

Artful Times Challenge 13 -Trees

In an effort to force myself out of my creative lethargy, I had a go at this challenge from Artful Times - it's been too long! The subject is "A tree as the main focus" and when I saw it published on Friday, I knew immediately which stamp I wanted to use - it's one of my favourites, by Paperbagstudios.

I took to my journal for it and some material as the base for my stamped image.

I used Paperartsy Fresco paints on the journal page and on the stamped image to colour it, which isn't quite as orange as it looks in the photo - the colour is Haystack which is more yellowy.... well, haystack coloured!!  (They aren't daft, those Paperartsy magicians!) I used Toad Hall and Honeydew as the other colours, and a little Pesto on the journal page. 'remember' is by Dylusions, and the leafy branch by Stampscapes.

One lucky winner will be chosen for a £10 Oyster Stamps voucher.

Thanks, ladies for this challenge and for sparking my imagination!!

WOYWW 171 - gifts

Thanks for all your kind words and wishes last week.  But it's time for another WOYWW (what's on your workdesk Wednesday) again already! Queen Julia wants us to bare all - desks, chairs, floors - wherever you craft - show it all here 

My patch on the floor today shows the results of my previous post (here) - journal page and the 'cheer me up' gift that I wrote about from Leandra (look at  the cute smiley face on the packing, hmmm it's about time I threw that away!)

 I haven't done any more since Friday though, as I was down at Mum's house again on Saturday with my brother - I spent the day tidying the garden - filling 10 sacks in the process, which we took to the dump on the way home.... shattered or what! Still a fair bit to do, before we can either rent it out or sell it.

Hopefully I'll get crafty this weekend though.... !!

Anyhow, sorry I didn't get to visit many of your desks last week, I will try harder this time, promise!

Take Another Look

For the first time in weeks I have felt like creating something - it started with me being so hooked on the Olympics, there wasn't time to do more than watch that! Then I got down in the dumps about the work situation (not resolved yet, but did get some of the missing pay today, to my immense relief!) so tonight I decided to play in my journal again.

The ever so wonderful Leandra (Mrs Paperartsy) sent me a "cheer me up" present the other day of two stamp sets - and I decided to use some of them here.  Once again, Leandra - thank you. Crafty people really are the NICEST!!

 I started by smooshing some Paperartsy Fresco paint (limelight and pea coat) about on the gesso'd page....

and toned it down with some white (snowflake); added some stencilling - this reverse chicken wire is SO my favourite stencil, and to think when I bought it and realised it was a reverse chicken wire I was disappointed... anyhow, used blue archival ink for that.   You'll see why I needed the horizontal white areas in the next picture...

...So the eyes look more natural!!

Added some stamping - used the blue archival for the script, which I stamped every which way randomly, and black for the eyes - love these, with the "take another look" between them.

Stamped the "you are jealous" text twice on some of the Paperartsy crackly tissue paper; tore it out roughly and added it to the page, with matte medium.

(I knew it wouldn't show up enough if I stamped direct over the painted background, and ordinary paper would be too opaque - this paper is perfect!!)

I really hope this kick starts my mojo now, and if I can keep positive whilst looking for a new job, then all may be well!  I wish I could do something crafty but there isn't anything locally so it looks like it will be another office job - but we'll see! Still hoping for a lottery win, but then aren't we all!!

Thank you all so much, more than you will know, for keeping me sane with your tweets and comments on the blog over the last few days!

In a Heartbeat - TIO

This fortnight's recipe for Tag it On  is set by the talented Trace, 'In a Heartbeat' and the ingredients for your tag are - a beating heart, a weathered timepiece and a bit of grunge. Don't forget to use one real stamp.

 I used distress stains for the background, aged mahogany - I wet the tag then pulled the tag though the distress stain on my craft sheet and sprayed it again to puddle it. Blotted it to reduce the colour and dried it, before adding a little vintage photo and faded jeans on the edges.

Stamped the weathered clock (middle size) (Tim Holtz) a couple of times in archival ink onto the tag before sanding it to distress it and move it into the background more.

Took a watch face from my stash and sanded that also, to add further distressing .

the little hearts are Dylusions stamps, the sentiment is a Tim Holtz stamp.

The large heart is cut from grungeboard (and actually ripped off another piece - it is done with Tim's Shattered Stains technique from his Creative Chemistry online course)

Hope you pop over to Dragons-Dream to check out the other amazing DT pieces - and do join in!

WOYWW 170

Well, I've done a couple of DT bits since last time but nothing much else (there is one peaking out here - you'll be able to see it properly later!)  - I just haven't been in the mood.  I don't want to blather on here about my woes but things at working are coming to a head - so this is my offering for What's on your Workdesk today...

My CV in progress (thanks to my lovely friend Gabrielle for helping with it and making some invaluable suggestions) and some tips I got from the local paper's job pages above CVs - and the freebie stamp from the new Craft Stamper which just arrived in the post!  

So head over to Julia's for some proper interesting desks and who knows, maybe next week the back wages will have been paid and I'll be a bit happier.. hope YOU have a good week and I'll try to visit you soon. 

Crafty Boots - "ONE"

Hallo, welcome to another Crafty Boots challenge.  This time the theme is "one".  Must admit I wasn't really sure what that meant - but a bit of a twitter chat resolved - The Crafty Boots DT is one - so use one anything, just ONE.  I went for one colour. My colour I chose was brown, in various shades (of distress naturally) I made a tag. Somewhat predictably!!

The early layers (the flash doesn't show them too well) The colour is much more realistic in the top photo.

 

I used Tea Dye for the base layer applied with a blending tool to the tag and then also through the reverse chicken wire stencil (I love this stencil so much!!)
I then applied various Paperartsy stamps - little dots (tea dye again), some script (walnut stain) and then went for the main stamped image, also in walnut stain

Scuffed the edges with the tim holtz paper distresser and then inked the edges with vintage photo

The text is also by Paperartsy, just cut in half to fit to each end of the tag. Which makes me realise as all the stamps are Paperartsy, that is another one - one company!