Turning a sunset into a journal page....

A week or so ago, I captured a beautiful sunset from my bedroom window, on my phone.  My friend Sam suggested it would make a good journal page. I can't get the photo from my phone to my blog (it's on my Facebook page or way back in my Twitter timeline) It's probably just as well you have nothing to compare this to!!!

I am NOT an artist - that's why I love my rubber stamps!!  But this morning, I decided to try.. I can't capture the light properly... but it's ok-ish!

The little bird sitting on the telegraph wire is a die cut that my friend BJ gave me a whole bunch of, and I knew it would be ideal (though not in scale!)

Craft Barn Alpha Challenge - Y (with a twist of yellow!)

The latest letter for the Craft Barn Alpha dictionary challenge is Y. But you have to incorporate yellow into your offering.

Not making excuses, but my dictionary is seriously lacking in Y words (when you consider I painted over some when I did my W word...)  This is what I had for Y and Z

Luckily I have another dictionary I can "borrow" some pages from.  I decided to do 'yacht' but also liked the idea of 'yarn' - so thought, in for a penny - why not use both!

I started by painting the page (yes, over my remaining y and z's!!) in Ice Blue Paperartsy Fresco paint, then stamped some fluffy clouds in Snowflake Fresco paint (stamp is a Texture Mat by Caroline's that I have had like for ever!) across the sky.


I used a Stampscapes stamp (it's called Shimmers) and cobalt archival ink, for the waves and the flying duck formation (also Stampscapes)

I originally intended that the yacht could be sailing on a sea of yarn, (well in my defence, it is very hot today!) and positioned the yacht (stamp by Hobby Art) accordingly.

After it was well stuck down (I tried!) I realised the yarn looks like the sandy beach... oh well, let's pretend that is what I meant all along...

The fibres are from a pack of mixed fibres I got years ago from The Craft Barn itself, plus some mohair that I was meant to be knitting into a jumper.. like that's ever going to happen now!  I stuck them to a strip of microporous tape before sticking that to the dictionary page.   The 'Y' letter is by Dylusions, from her alphabet set, stamped in saffron archival ink.

Thanks for sticking with me (literally, it's so hot!) I really didn't think I'd get there with this letter!

DragonsDream TIO - Vintage, Texture, Flowers

Welcome back for another challenge from the DragonsDream Team - this time it's Trace setting the recipe.

We would like you to incorporate on your tag, texture, flowers, and vintage.  Don't forget to use at least one real stamp.  

To me, vintage summons up slightly sludgy colours, not that there is anything wrong with that, I am a big fan of sludge!

 I started by stencilling some Grunge Paste (Paperartsy) through the mini ledger stencil and let it dry.  Then I mixed a tiny bit of Chocolate Pudding Fresco paint into Stone Fresco, and applied to the tag, with cut and dry foam.
I then added some Squid Ink round the edges, and Treasure Gold (Renaissance) to the tag, hitting the grunge paste and the edges

I stamped the 'dream' girl from the 'One Penny' plate 2 range (Paperartsy) on manilla card, in coffee archival ink and fixed here to the tag with foam pads.

The Cherish stamp is by B-Line designs, stamped on white card coloured with Vintage Photo and Milled Lavendar distress inks. I distressed the edges and swiped some of the same ink round the edges.

The flowers I bought at Newbury last weekend, and I poked a little hole in the tag to stick the stems through.

Added some grungy purple ribbon from my stash.

WOYWW 214 - 10th July

Morning again, welcome to another issue of WOYWW. (If you don't know what this is there are lots of details here - but really, where have you been!! )  I'd like to start by repeating my apology of last week, for not being able to visit many of you, it was a hard week adjusting to the new job, lots to learn and not being able to browse desks at work, even at lunchtime!  I'll try harder this week...

Firstly I'd like to start by sending Cindy a huge thank you for the belated birthday card and gift which recently arrived - it is gorgeous!! (and all the more treasured for being late!)

 beautifully wrapped and decorated

inside (yes I saved the fibres, who wouldn't!) was this stunning gift...

that opens up to this!!

Thanks, Cindy, it's lovely!


On Saturday I went to Artstamps Newbury (nightmare journey home, if you have time it's detailed here )






and - ermmm -   spent a little!!

and yes, there's a bag of Minstrels on the floor too...

Didn't meet any WOYWWers (forgot my badge... oops!) but did meet a twitter!

Oh dear... more shopping since Newbury (sorry, Mary Anne!)  Had to be done, I didn't get any red line double sided tape so had to order some. It seemed silly to just get that so...

So, now I have taken up so much of your time, I had best send you on your way to Julia's, to catch the rest of the desks on show...have a great day!

Crafty Boots Challenge - Music

Welcome back to a new challenge for Crafty Boots - the theme of Music is chosen by my teamie Sara.

However, I have failed somewhat because when I went to upload my entry on the DT site, I re-read Sara's original instructions.. which read "include your favourite song, group, musical event or musical instrument on a tag or scrap book page" Oh dear....because I made a card... Hope I'm forgiven and you do better at reading than me!!   Perhaps I should have just pretended this was a scrapbook page!  (I have checked with Sara and she's fine with this - so now you have another option to go for along the music theme!)

I stuck Tim Holtz tissue tape to a piece of white card, using Matte Accents glue, and tore the edges, then added Mowed Lawn and Vintage Photo distress ink to colour it.  The composers stamp is an old old stam I've had for years, stamped on white card and lightly inked with Vintage Photo. I mounted this with 3d foam pads.   The piano keyboard is a piece of ribbon I bought specially at the Newbury artstamps show on Saturday (nothing like last minute crafting is there!) and is fixed with double sided tape.  The violin is another stamp I've had ages.

You have two weeks to enter this challenge, as usual.

Artstamps Newbury

What a day..... Newbury Artstamps show was great but the journey home not so...

Here is the picture you all want to see... as you see, I bought one or two bits and pieces.

Lots of stencils, lots of ribbons, some stamps, (and yes, some are Christmas!) some things to alter and so on...






Lucy wanted to know if it was worth going - I hope this isn't too late for you only I have only just seen your comment on the last post, Lucy.

I would say, yes. Although several traders who normally go, weren't there (no Craftwork Cards, no Ali-Craft) but lots of good ones (as you can see!) were there!

I don't know how you are travelling but if you're going by train good luck with Reading it's chaos!  If you're driving then you should be fine.

The crowds were much smaller than usual, and because there were less stands, there was lots more room to look round. It depends what kind of things you really like - but from my haul you can see the kind of things there were there..   The only people who had any Paperartsy stuff were Snazzy's who had a few of the JoFY stamps, but nothing more.

The journey home was a complete nightmare - I forgot to keep an eye on the time and missed the one train an hour back at 3.15, so had to wait an hour.... luckily there is a shelter to wait in, on the Reading direction platform but it was a long old wait!  The train from Reading to Paddington was ok (air conditioning working for one thing!) but the tube across London to Victoria was beset by problems because Victoria underground was shut due to a person falling under a train - so I had to get off the tube at Sloane Square and find my way to Victoria on foot - with a group of other people, we followed the maps at bus stops and so on. Luckily it's only about 10 minutes to walk. (still very hot though!)
Finally got to Victoria about 6.30 and home an hour later..... just think, if I'd made the 3.15 train I could have avoided all that hassle (assuming the tube was ok still then) but there you go....

Just need some energy to play tomorrow, now!!   Hope this helps, Lucy, if you see it before you go, and if you do, have fun!!

Tag Screen - inspired by Sue for Paperartsy

This week has been tiring for me, starting my new job and having to concentrate on learning new systems and processes, and not to mention working all day to 5.30.... got so used to having afternoons off!  Still the arrival (finally) today of part of the redundancy pay perked me up no end and after dinner I had to get painty...

This week, Sue was back at Paperartsy and showed 3 gorgeous projects.  I am not going to have time to try them all however (I am going to Artstamps Newbury on Saturday, can't wait!) but did want to join in at least one.  I decided on yesterday's tag screen (all the instructions how Sue did this, are HERE)

This is mine....

Lots of photos, but I'll leave Sue's post at Paperartsy to explain the methods, as it's only fair being her idea.

 Limelight and Ice Blue, stencil with Snowflake

finished tag (the one I took of it on it's own, was out of focus but of course I didn't notice till I came to upload it...

 Limelight and Bora Bora

 Limelight and Beach Hut.  Instead of blending out with the babywipe I pounced the babywipe to blend.

 stencilling (love this stencil so much!)

and it's finished tag

 final tag, I used Limelight and South Pacific.

Mounted them on black card (thanks to Darcy for helping me with the way to do this using 2 bits of black card even though I still messed it up, I was able to rescue it!!)

I decided to have the two darker ones on the outside and the two lighter ones in the middle.

As it's 11pm it's a bit hard to get decent photos of the finished thing, hope you can see ok

 Sue, I am so glad I got to play along this week, thanks again for some lovely inspiration (I want to have a go at a canvas like your second project but that will have to be one for later!!)

Entering this to the Paperartsy challenge and also to Simon Says as they have an "anything goes" week.