WOYWW 464 - more stencils??!

Once again, we find ourselves at Wednesday.  Julia is gathering the troops as ever at The Stamping Ground 
We are approaching the 9th anniversary and our annual ATC swap, not that I've done anything about that yet!  Perhaps I'll get time at the weekend, the weather is forecast damp so I'll probably be at home.

Anyway, desk time...

 I was watching You Tube on Saturday morning in bed before I went to Kew Gardens (amazing photos here if you're interested!)
and saw some gorgeous stencils which then fell into my shopping basket (along with some Dina Wakley collage tissue sheets that I've had my eye on for a while) 
They arrived in time to star on this week's desk, how kind was that!

 this week's theme for the Facebook France Papillon challenge is "friends" and I am workingat this at present.

base layer was paint brayered on a sheet of 12x12 tissue and glued to the journal and trimmed. I used about 6 or 7 different colours, blues and greens and some yellow.

the hearts are all stamps - the little white ones in paint, are France's own design, and the others are Dina Wakley and I used archival ink in Cobalt and Thistle (love that colour!)

We've had some amazing sunsets the last few nights (well not tonight - writing this Tuesday - it's been dull and grey and turning a bit drizzly) this was from a few nights ago.


Looking forward to seeing what you've all been up to this week - Happy WOYWW !

WOYWW 463

Wow, it's time for another WOYWW already!  where did that week go to....  WOYWW??  head here to Julia's The Stamping Ground to find out..

 so the stencils I ordered before Ally Pally - they're designed by France Papillon and made by Tando Creative. 

The JoFY stamps for Paperartsy go with the stencil I used when I did that impromptu demo at Ally Pally and sort of fell into an online basket a few days ago...





I put the stamps to good use on the journal page I'd been using the stencil on that you saw last week -

I was waiting for the stamps to finish it - although it needs some words of some sort,  I don't really think a page is finished without words - and whilst I won't actually journal them, I'll find something to go on it. 

 I've also been making up some birthday cards- can't show you in great detail as both friends read my blog and I don't want to give the game away....

I took this picture the other day standing up looking down at the craft mat.






My boss went to Vienna for Easter and brought us back a scrumptious Sachertorte to share at work... It came in a gorgeous plywood box..   

 She knows me well!! 

it's just too shallow for what I had thought to use it, but I shall enjoy decorating it (not promising to do it any time soon) so will eventually share it with you!  I do have some ideas of what I think I'll do to decorate it - time will tell! 

But what a fabulous box (and what a wonderful cake it was too!)
I think you'll agree.



Oh, and to answer Neet's comment last week, re the reinker techniques - it was Leandra at Paperartsy - and the good news is, she was talking about a video of them in the future! 

WOYWW 462

Welcome back, it's Wednesday again already! (or will be by the time you read this)... time for another desk sharing around the world...  Julia has the news here

Well. Ally Pally craft show has been and gone... all the info and pics here
It was a great day out, met up (but failed to get any pics with) Cindy, Shaz (and Doug) and Erika, and my non Wednesday desking friends too... Spent way more than I intended to but - hey, who needs food anyway?!
In case you don't have time to read the whole review post here are the "what did I buy" pics again for you.

oxide reinkers (saw some great ideas for using these) , tags, journalling pens, prima mechanicals, ink pads, stamping platform

 stamps, stencils, gems, packs of ephemera,

papers, packs of tissue, more stencils...
packs of flowers...



some of these goodies were bargain discounted goodies from Paperartsy but yes, it does look as if it cost a lot!! 





I spent Sunday not quite knowing where to start with any of this but did have a quick play with some of it, no real projects finished - just a bit of playtime

 middle left, this week's journal in progress for France Papillon challenge, centre, square journal and tags

closer look - the offcut of card is with one of the great techniques I saw with Oxide Reinkers - you put white paint on your craft mat, a couple of drips of reinker, spritz with water and smoosh your card through it. . mine isn't a very good example, but then I tried out some new stamps/inks on top.

the journal background is done in similar fashion, white gesso and reinkers dripped along the top, then spread out with old credit card,
the tag in middle has a new stencil and the Lavinia hares (I love these,  LLJ you would too I am guessing!)   and the tag on the right, is the one I did in my spur of the moment demonstration (read in the write up about that!) 
I'll leave you to get on round the desks, or Head Desker will be rebuking me! 

Ally Pally craft show - Paperartsy's last show...

Just got home from a fabulous day at Ally Pally, even though it was tinged with sadness as it is the last time Paperartsy will attend in their own name at a UK craft show.... needless to say, pounds were spent...

Met a great many friends though the WOYWW ladies weren't around when the camera was out!  I did meet and catch up with Cindy, Doug & Shaz and Erica...

 was there early so after a coffee and pastry whilst waiting for Lin, I took some photos in the main entrance

 then it was time to go through to the show..

 only one place to start!

 it was busy!

 bit later on, went for an early lunch , view up the hall from the seating area

 loved these clock kits but they'd all gone...

 got back to Paperartsy and found Hazel had come on a surprise last minute visit, we got Hugo (young Paperartsy!) to take a group shot - l-r Claire me, Lin, Hazel, Leandra and Jo.

Alison and Kirsten were there too but not around for the photo...

 time for some demos...

this is infusions over wet grunge paste...

 fab effect!

 and an earlier one on the same lines from Leandra

 Hazel chatting to Leandra, Claire and Jo examining the contents of Jo's basket just behind...

 Leandra went to take a Make and Take and said if you want to demo, do... so I had a play.

Gave Claire the camera (thanks Claire )

 did some grunge paste stencilling and then added Distress Oxides and infusions...

then Claire had a go, showing us a tag she and Jo had made in a make and take earlier...

 involving distress oxide reinkers in white paint... fab effect

 then Raquel finished her make and takes and came to demo... by now the crowds had thinned out a lot.


Lin, Alison and I joined the Paperartsy team for a quick drink in the bar before heading home..

the end of an era, thanks to Mark, Leandra and her assorted family./helpers over the years - and a huge spend up once again!!

 part one...

some of these were Paperartsy bargains, others not.. lol.  Yes, that is a Tim Holtz stamping platform at the bottom.... not from PA but a good price so had to be done...

 part two.... a few more stencils.... some staps.... some bits and bobs...

part three... more bargains, more stencils (you can't have too many!)


and my tag from my impromptu demo...


Great to see everyone today, thanks for your company!

WOYWW 461

Following the long Easter bank holiday weekend, my brain is confused as to what day it is... but it is time for another visit to WOYWW with Julia for some desk hopping. 

I confess that my desk (floor space) today is staged...

If you saw my post from Saturday and my visit to Kew, you will know that I treated myself to a new toy.. 
my long awaited macro lens for my camera

and the results can be seen here 
my square journal is sat on top of the jars of mediums and pastes, not that you can see the pages - but then, nothing has happened to them since!

I did finish last week's France Papillon FB page for the "secret garden" prompt... I can share that!

 behind the garden wall, a secret lies...

it's been a while since I did such fussy cutting












This Saturday is the Ally Pally craft show - I know a few of you are going, so I hope to see you all there.... you  may also have seen the Paperartsy blog post from Sunday announcing that the April show (and the Paris one a couple of weeks later) are their final ever (for now) shows... now I thought that when Leandra told us at Stevenage in February, they would still be doing Ally Pally and Paris, but it seems not... she hopes that other companies, already stockists for their stamp products, will step into the breach and promote and demo them in future... we'll see! 
I am gutted, as Paperartsy are the main reason I go to shows - apart from catching up with friends, which is always good - so I don't know if I'll bother in future.