Journal play time

So I had to use my new Wildflower die by Tim Holtz - the Bigz one...  the individual flowers measure about 6 inches so quite a bit bigger than the regular images.

I cut a few from different papers from my rather large stash (still taking care not to use favourite stroking only pages...)

 I started by sponging lightly some brown shades of distress oxide to get a bit of rough colour on the page, I didn't want total coverage.

I then added some Dreamweaver crackle paste through the Crafters Workshop brick wall stencil and let it dry.  I didn't think it's crackled much, it's a very subtle crackle but it is there

 I added some distress oxides to some of the die cuts (I had done one on plain card stock but added some extra colour to some of the patterned paper too)


 once happy with the layout I glued them down (at least with the Bigz dies they are a whole heap less fiddly to glue than the thinlet wildflowers






Added some stamping (Kaisercraft script) in Peat Moss archival ink and some rings using ground espresso on a bottle top

 Used the smaller of the tattered butterfly die, this was on a different sheet of paper to the flowers that had some mauvey script in the print, so I smooshed the butterfly in some purple distress oxide

edged the border with ground espresso DO and added chitchat stickers for the sentiment

WOYWW 481 - happy mail

Another week of no crafting... but lots of happy mail!
First let me introduce you, should you need it, to the link for WOYWW (What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday) 

the first lot of happy mail came last Wednesday, of course, couldn't have arrived in time for last week's desk share!

 some stencils.... cos a girl can never have too many stencils.  (France Papillon designs)

the next happy mail came  on Thursday, I think it was, the Paperartsy stamps.. prettily wrapped in an old sewing pattern and tied with ribbon
(edit -  I got the stamps from The Artistic Stamper.  not direct from Paperartsy)

oh look I took a pic before I unwrapped!











but the best was yet to come.... yes, finally!!


Introducing....




the third and fourth sets of Distress Oxides..

just yesterday (at time of writing)  - Monday - to work so no messing about collecting from the sorting office - 

somewhat carelessly slung in a large jiffy bag, but luckily they come individually sealed!

Looking forward to getting them unwrapped and played with..   watch this space!

Hopefully with this coming weekend being a Bank Holiday, playtime will be found.

Last weekend's Kew trip as ever is here 

final photo - tonight's sunset (we've been blessed with some beauties this summer, even if I don't get to sit on a beach under a parasol to watch it)



Looking forward to visiting your desks soon.

WOYWW 428

Hi, fellow deskers..  that week went quick, I can't believe it's Wednesday again already!   Time for another WOYWW  with Julia

The wedding last Thursday was fantastic, we had a really good evening.  (if anyone loves a good wedding, even of total strangers, the pics from the evening are here ) which I wrote and published at 1.30 in the morning.. as you do!  but the bride and groom did see the post before they went to bed and loved the photos, so that was lovely to hear!
Here's a quick photo of the happy couple with his work colleagues!

l to r Kirsty, Monica, me, Lesley, Kelsie, Joshua, Phil, James, Jo (James' girlfriend) Kerryn (married to) Shaun. For some reason Phil's girlfriend isn't in the photo...

I don't have a desk/floor photo to show this week as it has nothing on it (except a new SD card for my camera which is really boring!)   so I'll share the 21st birthday card I made for my nephew's 21st birthday which is this week (he won't see this so it's safe to share)

the card base is by Craftwork Cards, and I used some of Elena's monster stamps for Paperartsy
I coloured the images with a mixture of distress oxides and Stabilo felt tip pens
The monster house was stamped onto distress oxide coloured book paper although I added so many layers of distress oxide the book text has disappeared now.

I will have new stuff to share next week though, as I am off to the Stamperama show at Stevenage on Sunday so will no doubt find something I "must" have (and will be getting a gelli plate after last week's workshop!)

Journal play with Oxides and Alison Bomber's stamps

Well on Wednesday I included a picture on my WOYWW post, of a journal page in progress..

today I can share it more fully; it's finished.

 so this was the journal page I'd gesso'd and added patches of the new release distress oxides, direct to the page, then smooshed around with a damp paintbrush, and the black soot I used to stencil (imagination crafts)
I threw some water drips on the page pre-stencilling.

 today, I did some stamping with one of the Alison Bomber quote sets for Paperartsy, using the oxides..  they stamp so well...

 added some drips of white Amsterdam acrylic ink, which picked up some of the distress colour from underneath.  I partly blotted the ink, then closed the book to get a 'kiss' on the other side to add to my drips

I added splatters of watered down white gesso (getting it all over the place in the process) with my Tim Holtz splatter brush
before stamping some of Alison's quotes in Oxide, over the background

I then added some stencilling (Donna Downey's poppy stencil) with Little Black Dress Fresco paint,

 I stamped one of the quotes on scrap white card and cut into separate lines, and edged with oxide (frayed burlap and a touch of black soot over the top)  before sticking to one page.

I really love this poppy stencil - had it ages, this is the first time I've used it!!




Really had fun with this.

WOYWW 424

Welcome back... as I write this (Tuesday evening) it's getting dark.. but not dark from being late.. dark as it in might rain... we are forecast heavy thunderstorms... hope they're wrong!  It's very humid..

Anyhow, it is time to assemble for Julia's weekly WOYWW  (What's on Your Workdesk? Wednesday)  and the first thing I am going to do is send you away.. if you want to of course - THIS is the link for the post about my day at Wimbledon last Saturday for the Ladies Final...  I know a lot of you have already been and seen, so thank you.
In case you don't have time to check out the post (there were a lot of photos!) this photo proves I was there...

at the last minute I found a new dress to wear... well, it was a posh hospitality package, we had to dress up!














Anyhows, onto my deak...

 this is actually a cheat, as it's from Saturday night when I got home - my souvenirs from the tennis - the towel (see below) in it's own clear holdall with a carrying strap, very useful (always good to know where your towel is, as every HitchHiker should know...)  - the ticket, the programme, the lanyard and the Karen Millen voucher (read the post for full details!)





I had to open the towel to check it out... not sure I will be using it, it's too good a souvenir to actually use!








I also had happy mail last week, in the form of.....

the new Distress Oxides - all at once, all together, all earlier than I expected.... and yes I gave the same place I got them from last time, another chance to deliver - which they did!




Once I'd recovered from Saturday . I had to have a little play...

these are the Oxides, applied over a gesso'd journal page, direct to paper and then smooshed around with a wet paintbrush.  Dried, and then threw some droplets of water at them...

just realised there should be another colour on there, the Black Soot... which I have used... sit tight a sec....

I stencilled Black Soot onto the background.

Obviously since then, the journal has sat on the craft mat waiting for something else to happen to it....  soon, journal, soon!

Ok, I've kept you long enough... off to the next desk!  Thanks for visiting.

WOYWW 409 - Oxides are in da house!

well some of them anyway... finally!

a package was put on my desk at work on Monday with a comment "what have you been buying now?!"

it's worse than having to hide stuff from a hubby!


anyhow when I got home I unpacked them and staged the desk for you - together with some chipboard letters from The Works I picked up at the weekend, and some fabric washi tape..just because!

Another journal WIP - possibly another entry for the Paperartsy blue and ochre challenge if I get my act together in time

 (full details of this, the previous entry in the post beneath this one)

so whilst Monday's dinner was cooking I had a play with my new inks and a large tag...
just a basic let's see what it does play to start with... but so much so that I leapt onto the website to order some more

I wasn't going to get anything else from Oyster because of their slow service with these inks but the price was too good to miss.. loads cheaper than anywhere else (shows what a markup everyone is making) but they only had another 4 of the colours left in stock.


Saturday sees the bi-annual Ally Pally show (now called Crafting at Ally Pally) - can't wait to top up my stash supplies..............

Happy Desk Hopping Wednesday - see you at Julia's