A Crafting Journey

Expect No Sense from me Whatsoever!

2012-05-21T05:00:00.000+01:00

Seriously ... I am too excited to talk sense! We have finally SOLD our house! Yay! The people that are buying it are totally lovely and I feel even more excited knowing that someone else is going to LOVE it just as much as we have!
Anyways ... I will try really hard to make sense of the new theme at Simon Says Stamp and Show ... this week we are asking you to share your Summer Holiday Art. Tricky I know when it has n't stopped raining for like for-ages ... but if you look out your window right now ... we ordered some UK sunshine to get you all in the mood!
The challenge runs from Monday to Monday ... and our wonderful site sponsor ... Simon Says Stamp gives us a $50 shopping Spree to give away every week.

Did I mention the fact that we have SOLD our house!
My summer holiday tag was inspired by the countless hours I spent as a child ... sitting and chatting with friends while making Daisy Chains in the sunshine. I used Dylusions Pure Sunshine and Squeezed Orange sprays ... Paper Artsy Hot Pick 1203 ... and some Lord Tim of Holtz Idea-Ology and text stamp. You know Tim ... the man that individually paints all the butterflies wings while combing the tangle out of the mane of Wild Lions with just a Distress tool and the lid of some Glossy Accents!
I must away ... so much to do ... packing and ... erm ... packing ... did I tell you we SOLD our house!
Laters!

Simon Says ...

2012-05-14T05:00:00.000+01:00

A quickie post from me today ... I know ... I know I am a terrible blogger ... I have no clue where the time goes ...
Talking of time ... clever link huh???
Who said "No!"
My project for the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge this week is a archy wood thingy covered in Metal and decorated with lots of Lord Tim of Holtz goodness! You know Tim ... the man that daily polishes the moon while organising the stars with just a pair of Tonic Studio Scissors and a long legged brad!

The theme of the challenge is Anything Goes ... which is great ... it means if you make anything at all ... and I mean anything ... you can share it here and be in with a chance of winning a $50 Shopping Spree at Simon Says Stamp! What are you waiting for?
I told you it would be a quickie post ... I have gossip ... really really exciting gossip ... life changingly exciting gossip ... which I am not allowed to share just yet and if I stay here any longer ... well ... it might just slip out ...
Have a good week people ...
Laters!

Simon Says Stamp and Show ...

2012-05-07T05:00:00.000+01:00

... Your Favourite Stamp! Yup ... the new theme over at the Simon Says Stamp and Show blog this week is indeed your Favourite Stamp! Simple ... you would think! But not for me! In fact I found it decidedly difficult! I just could n't make my mind up! I was torn between Lord Tim of Holtz's hot air balloon ... The Wendy Vecchi's butterfly and then of course you have the delectable Dyan's Dylusions!
After much debate ... internal obviously ... I did n't walk around the supermarket openly arguing with myself ... I decided I would think outside the box ... so ...

I have represented Dylusions with the vibrant backgrounds on these tags by using the Dylusion's sprays! I have indeed used The Wendy Vecchi's Botanical Art set for all the stamping! And Lord Tim of Holtz is covered by adding his Distress Inks and Gold Dabber! You know Tim ... the man that walked across the Masai Mara to feed any hungry lion cubs and baby Monkeys while catering for all the Queen's birthday events with just the lid from a single Distress Marker and a paper pricking tool!
So ... hands up who is sick of the rain ... I mean May Day Bank Holiday and it has n't stopped raining!! Enjoy your extra long weekend people ... Oh and before I go ... a BIG Thank you to everyone at the CraftBarn ... and to all the people that watched me demo on Saturday and all the lovel peeps who did my Suitcase class with me on Sunday!
If you are stuck in because of the rain ... Why not make summink using your favourite stamp ... enter it into the challenge ... who knows ... you may win a $50 Shopping Spree to spend at Simon Says Stamp!
Laters!

Keeping it Simple!

2012-04-30T04:00:00.000+01:00

A quickie post from me today ... really sorry ... but I have a window for about half hour before I go out ... or ... I could get up before 4am and post then! Oh yes boys and girls ... it took me all of a nano second to make a choice on that one!
I had a fabulous day demoing at Coleman's yesterday ... it was great to be working with the lovely Karen again and all the staff were so friendly and eager to help ... LOVED it! And talk about a LOT of people ... oh my goodness ... great to see lots of faces ... old and new! A BIG Thank you to everyone from me!

Well ... tis Monday ... so a new theme at Simon Says Stamp and Show ... and this week is all about colour! I had a play with some Faber-Castell products ... which were so simple to use ... great on textured surfaces too ... and I added water with my new big fat and chunky Ranger Water Brush ... LOVE that too! As always the super wonderful people at Simon Says Stamp have donated another $50 Shopping Spree for us to give to a lucky random person ... so do join in!
The stamps used are THE Wendy Vecchi Botanical Art and the flowers are Lord Tim of Holtz Tattered Florals ... you know Tim ... the man that designed every flower known to the most expert of experts while making a scale model of the new Olympic Stadium on the top of a pin head with just a Distress Marker Pen and a swoosh of Distress Stain.
I must away ... My half hour is up ...
Have a great week y'all!
Laters!

With Regret ...

2012-04-23T04:00:00.000+01:00

First things first ... Monday is here again and this week the theme over at Simon Says Stamp and Show is your Favourite Word! Well ... with the Olympics and the Queen's Jubilee ... London is my favourite word right now! So I got all patriotic with my Artistic Outpost stamps and some PINK ... I know ... not like me at all ... but it gives a different feel to these wonderful stamps me thinks!
So why with regret I hear you ask ... well ... basically ... Queen Liz was a bit tardy with her tea party invites ... so I have had to RSVP the whole with regret thing! I did tell Kate ... the Duchess of Cambridge ... only the other day that if they arrived any later ...myself and The Wendy Vecchi would not be able to attend! The Wendy had flights to book for heaven's sake and our Ranger Pinnies don't clean themselves ... Hey Ho! Liz's loss I fear ... but at least she will learn in time for the next one!
So ... what did I miss? Who else went? Were there Cucumber sandwiches and sausages on sticks? If you did/did n't get an invite ... or had to decline ... do tell ... and if you have some spare time why not join in this week's challenge and then you may have reason to celebrate yourself as there is a weekly random prize of a $50 Shopping Spree to spend at the amazing place that is Simon Says Stamp!
Right ... I must away ... I have a to do list that is full of references to other to do lists ...
Have a great week everyone!
Laters!

Delicious Dylusions!

2012-04-16T04:00:00.000+01:00

Blimey ... I am getting really really bad at this blogging lark! Not only have I not updated it ... but I have n't even checked in this week ... not once ... so my poor blog is feeling very neglected! Even my side bar is about twenty years out of date! I really MUST make more of an effort!
In my defence ... I have been really really poorly! Nasty head cold ... and when I say nasty ... I really am not exagerating! Could n't do any crafting ... because every time I put my head down ... I thought it was going to fall off!

Anyways ... by this morning I started feeling a gazillion times better ... so I have gone a bit mad! Yes people ... there is a small chance I will actually be blogging every day this week ... coz I have been playing with Delicious Dylusions and a whole pile of manilla tags!
This first tag is my Design Team sample for Simon Says Stamp and Show ... the theme this week is Anything Goes ... so you can join in by making ... erm ... anything ... for a chance to win a $50 Shopping Spree to spend at Simon Says Stamp!
I must away ... I am getting a rather irritating error message keep popping up and I am not entirely sure this post is actually going to ... post! Maybe I have been away sooooo long that even Mr Blogger has forgotten me!
Laters!

Lord Tim Technique!

2012-04-09T04:00:00.000+01:00

One of the perks of running the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge blog is ... that I get to pick the themes! So ... what could be nicer on a Bank Holiday weekend than playing around with a Lord Tim of Holtz technique!
Nothing I reckon!
You know Tim ... the man that makes all the chocolate eggs in all the world ... while attaching all the fluffy tales on all the bunny rabbits with just a small piece of Ranger Speciality Stamping Paper and an Ornate Frame.

Don't give me that ... you know ... the ... I am not sure how to do a Lord Tim Technique chestnut either! Just sign up for the Creative Chemistry 101 online class ... and trust me ... you will be amazed by how much you learn! And you get lifetime access!
I am loving the new speciality stamping paper too ... you need to try embossing on it ... I used Versamark ... and it made the most delicious slurping noise as I pulled the stamp away! Blending is a doddle and the clarity of the stamped image is second to none!
Righty-Ho! Please join us this week for the challenge ... you could win a prize of a $50 Shopping Spree at Simon Says Stamp ... then you could get some paper too ... simples!
I must away ... I had the most yummy delivery of Dylusions stash on Saturday ... I neeeeeeeed to play! What you doing?
Laters!

Inspiration Studio 490!

2012-04-02T04:00:00.000+01:00

Oh My Giddy Aunt ... Don't even ask me where I have been ... I am more stressed than a stressed thing! I have a gazillion and three things on my to do list and literally no time in which to do them!
Yes folks ... the week just vanished ... vanished I tell you ... one minute I had a whole week ahead of me and the next minute ... well ...it was behind me! I really need to organise myself a bit better I can tell you! Any good organisation suggestions would be very gratefully received!
Anyways ... I am pretty darn sure you did n't pop by to listen to me whinge ... so I shall stop myself this minute!

The theme over on the Simon Says Stamp and Show blog this week is Inspiration Studio 490 ... we are indeed paying homage to the lovely and amazing THE Wendy Vecchi! It has been a while since I got really mucky colouring Grungepaper ... and I had a fabulous time in the process!Lots of lovely Wendy things ... some Kaiser mini book covers ... lots of Lord Tim of Holtz Grungepaper ... you know Tim ... the man that successfully designed a machine for time travel while feeding 5000 penguins with one loaf of bread; a Peeled Paint Distress Pad and a Paper Piercing tool!
Do join in the THE Wendy Vecchi fun here ... Simon Says Stamp have once again donated a $50 Shopping Spree for one very lucky entry! I must away ... I have pages to fill! So sad that we are saying goodbye to one of the original SSS&S crew ...Nancy ... she is an amazing inspiration and I am reeeeeeeally gonna miss her! Wishing you the best of everything Nancy!
Laters!

Buzzing ... Literally!

2012-03-26T05:00:00.000+01:00

When you get to a certain time of life ... you are kind of torn! Oh yes people ... torn between celebrating your birthday and getting loads of presents ... or ... just keeping it to yourself and hoping no one notices you are rapidly creeping up on that 50 marker!
Torn as I am ... I do like to let everyone ... and ... erm ... their dog ... know it's my birthday ... and boy what an amazing day it was! So a big THANK YOU from me ... my smart phone buzzed all day ... literally all day Friday ... it hardly stopped with Birthday wishes ... with Facebook and Twitter greetings ... over 100 times in total ... it was wonderful!

In addition to that I got lots of yummy presents ... a hooooge chocolate cake and I was thoroughly spoilt into the bargain ... so what if everyone knows I am a year older ... it was definitely worth it!
Even the sun shone ... which is quite unique in itself for March ... for the last two years it has snowed ... not this year ... oh no ... John and I went walking in the local woods with the dog in T-Shirts ... Flip Flops ... the works! I think I may even have got a bit of a tan!
Still ... that is enough about me ... How are you? It has been a while! Nearly a week since my last post and here we are on Monday ... time for a new theme over at Simon Says Stamp and Show! This week we want to see your tags! Talking of tags ... Lord Tim's Creative Chemistry 101 is fabulous ... you can still sign up if you have n't already ... every day it just seems to get better and better ... and because Lord Tim ... the proffessor is doing it nearly live ... well ... it feels really interactive and students get lifetime access to the class ... I mean lifetime access ... does life get any better?

I digress ... I made a chain of tags for the challenge ... Started with a background of Wild Honey Distress Stain ... bet that surprised you ... Huh? Then I used some Lord Tim of Holtz stamps to give the background depth ... you know Tim ... the man that can educate the world in the blink of an eye while discovering previously undiscovered Fossils in the Galapagos Islands with just a pair of Tonic Studio Scissors and a small strip of Tissue Tape.
The images on my tag chain are all Dylusions ... coloured in with Letraset Promarkers ... then some doodles ... all good fun and very relaxing!

If you fancy joining the team and I this week ... just pop here to see all the details ... who knows ... you could be the winner of the $50 Shopping Spree donated by the wonderful guys otherwise known as Simon Says Stamp!
I must away ... I just know as I type this on Sunday night I am really gonna miss that hour we lost last night with the British Summer time saving ... I am not much of a morning person at the best of times! How about you? Are you a morning person or a night owl! C'mon spill ... you know you want to!
Have a good week y'all!
Laters!

Getting Very Inky with Lord Tim!

2012-03-20T14:58:00.000Z

You will be amazed ... possibly shocked when I tell you that I ummed and arrhed over whether to participate in Lord Tim's FIRST EVER online class ... NEVER for a second did I think I would n't learn anything ... but I was a tad concerned I would n't find the time! So after a very short conversation with the amazing Heidi at Simon Says Stamp ... I thought ... what the heck ... I will make time! How did I make time I hear y'all ask ... well ... simples ... for the next two weeks I am getting up an hour earlier than usual!
Today is Day two of Creative Chemistry 101 ... and if you have n't signed up yet ... well ... there is still time! I know I am beginning to sound like an advertisement ... but it would be such a shame for you to miss out! I promise ... you will not be disappointed. Tim knows his products inside out ... upside down and backwards ... if you are already a Ranger expert ... you will still learn from Tims' passion, focus and knowledge ... he not only knows how the products work ... he know Why they work like they do ... and if you don't learn ... well you will be truly inspired!

Obviously ... from my perspective ... anyone that does n't sign up is completely bonkers ... I mean ... I get Tim in my living room ... all to myself ... every morning ... for the next fortnight ... my idea of heaven ... then ... I am so inspired ... I actually will him to stop talking so I can go and create ... I know ... I mean ... can you imagine!
I can't tell you what we have done so far ... if I tell you I would have to kill you ... needless to say ... my tag incorporates a couple of the techniques so far and I have three handy reference cards all completed too! I am having a ball!
Righty Ho ... I must away ...
I have other stuff I should now be doing rather than rabbitting on here ...
Laters!

Where Did That Week Go?

2012-03-19T05:00:00.000Z

Blimey ... Where did that week go? One minute it was Sunday and I was posting for Simon Says Stamp and Show ... then the next minute ... it was Sunday again and here I am!
This week the theme at Simon Says Stamp and Show is Handmade Backgrounds ... I decided on some ATC's with lots of Dylusions stamps and sprays ... with of course ... some Wild Honey Distress Stain and lots of Lord Tim of Holtz background stamps! You know Tim ... the man that named all of the planets during breakfast while building an scale model of the Statue of Liberty out of an ice cube with just a swipe of an Aged Mahoghany Distress Ink Pad and the lid from a bottle of Glossy Accents.

So ... what have I been up to with the week that flew by I hear you ask??? Well ... I popped over to see the Birds in the Barn in Colchester to chat over a demo day and a class ... lovely ladies ... and a lovely store ...more details of that soon! The lovely Karen booked me for a couple of days demoing at Coleman's ... that will be fun ... I went out for a Curry and shot some Pool ... I think that is the correct terminology ... and that is about it ... well the edited highlights ... I won't bore you with the domestic duties I fulfilled ... as for this week ... it's my birthday on Friday ... so I am hoping to get very spoiled indeed!
Okay ... if you fancy joining in with the challenge this week for a chance to win a $50 Shopping Spree at Simon Says Stamp then just pop over here to see all the details!
Have a good week y'all!
Laters!

A Lot of Tim and a bit of Wendy!

2012-03-12T05:00:00.000Z

I had a fab time last week designing this piece for the workshop I taught in Olney ... they asked for a Lord Tim style Configuration ... and that is pretty much what I gave them! In amongst my collected beads; trains and Maya Road Spools ... there was lots of Lord Tim of Holtz goodies ... you know Tim ... the man that can walk across the channel while repairing the wings of a Red Admiral Butterfly with just a long legged brad and a 1" length of Tissue Tape. Of course I had to pop one or two THE Wendy Vecchi butterflies in there too!
Anyways ... this is also my submission for the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge this week ... the theme is anything goes ... so if you make anything ... yes people ... anything ... just link up here for your chance to win a $50 Shopping Spree to spend at the fabulous palace of stash otherwise known as Simon Says Stamp!
I must away ... I am determined to get caught up this week and I am off to see a lovely lady tomorrow about teaching some classes in her store ... so watch this space!
Have a great week ... whatever you are doing ...
Laters!

A Spot of Hidden Journaling!

2012-03-11T12:56:00.000Z

A quickie from me today ... I have been exploring more options for hidden journaling and was thinking about my love of Aboriginal Spot Art. Then it dawned on me ... the symbolism would be another way of adding hidden journaling to my scraps journal. So ... to cut a long story short ... I started with the turtle. The turtle represents Common Sense and Love ... I am sure I could have thought of a far more original way of incorporating the turtle ... but I kind of got carried away with the whole white pen spotty thang! If you have any other ideas ... please share ... I would LOVE to hear them and maybe even try them all!
Told you I would be quick ...
Laters!

A Lovely Day!

2012-03-07T19:49:00.001Z

First up ... I thought I would tell you guys that my mini book is appearing over at the Craft Barn blog today ... so if you wanna know how I get the beady bodies on my butterflies ... head over there now! Oh ... but don't forget to come back ... coz I have n't told you about my day yet!

Right ... my day ... a few months ago I was contacted by a lovely lady called Susie ... she asked if I would teach a private class for her and a group of friends at their annual retreat in Olney ... to cut a long story short ... I agreed and designed a Lord Tim of Holtz style Configuration project for them! You know Tim ... the man that can perform microscopic heart surgery on an ailing Goldfish while individually colouring the ickle biddy pieces of mica in each bottle of Distress Stickles with just a Charm Clip and a Jump Ring.
Well ... today was that day ... and I had a fabulous time ... found them straight away ... which was a good thing really ... because rather stupidly ... the only form of contact I had was an email address! We had a great time ... everyone was really happy with their project and the house they rented for the week ... well ... it was GORGEOUS! And what a great group of ladies ... we chatted and laughed ... a few of them consumed alcohol .... I know ... alcohol ... in the middle of the day ... we ate cake ... it really was a fabulous even ... my Thanks go to Susie for the wonderful job she did organising it ... and to the rest of the group for being so nice!
Right ... I must away ... apart from being very tired ... the Lovely Karen and the wonderful Lin are coming tomorrow ... I need to bake a cake or summink ... I know ... me??? Bake ...but I need to compensate for the lack of tidying I did in my Craft room on Monday ... it is a tip ... a real tip ... where to start????
Laters!

Doh! The Post I Forgot to Name ...

2012-03-05T05:00:00.000Z

It's that time of the week people ... A whole new theme over at Simon Says Stamp and Show! This week we want to see you Bottle it! I spent a lovely few hours on Sunday making my Pixie house ... complete with Pixie Dust. All coloured using Distress Inks and Distress Stains ... with a vast array of delicious The Wendy Vecchi Stamps ... Art Parts ... A Dylusions Spider and of course Idea-Ology and that gorgeous little hand from Lord Tim of Holtz ... you know Tim ... the man that runs up Mount Everest daily while providing life saving medical aid to the entire population of Pixies with just a spot of Coffee Archival and a speck of Peeled Paint Distress Stickles. To join in the challenge all you need to do is post your bottle art to the challenge blog here and you could win an amazing $50 Shopping Spree to spend at Simon Says Stamp... all from the comfort of your own home!
I am on a mission today ... to tidy up the room with no floor or desk space formerly known as my Craftroom! No search parties necessary ... I may be some time!
Laters!

Prepare Yourself for Some Pen Nib Envy!

2012-03-03T13:01:00.002Z

If you don't like showy ... boasty ... bragging type people ... then look away now ... coz I am here solely to gloat and brag today!
In an endeavour to pretty up my outragious bragging exploits ... well ... erm ... I have included my latest Scrap Journal page! Oh ... yes ... and the results of my White Pen survey are in too!

Firstly the page ... a base of Mustard Seed Distress Stain ... Lord Tim of Holtz Distress Stain no less ... you know Tim ... the man that added all the colour to Disney Land while standing bare foot on the pointy spire at the top of the magical castle with just a lid from a Distress Reinker and the safety cap from a pair of Tonic Studio Non Stick Scissors. I then added Fuschia and Hot Pink Dylusions Ink Spray ... through stencils from the Julie Fei-Fan Balzer range. Lots of doodling and bits and pieces of Dyan Reavely's gorgeous Dylusion's Stamp range! As for the results of my White Pen survey ... I have to be honest ... the Sakura Gelly Roll in medium wins hands down ... I have used them all a lot this week ... and I mean a lot ... well you will see in the next few days ... the Gelly Roll has not let me down once! And has been used in abundance on my page.

Okay ... now onto the shameless bragging ... a new Antique shop has been opened in the neighbourhood ... totally cool ... I would question the use of Antique ... mainly because most of the stuff in there reminded me of my childhood ... and frankly I am not prepared to be put in the Antique category for a while yet ... so it is more like a Vintage shop! Anyways ... I found this box of pen nibs ... over 100 nibs in there ... so cool ... bit shiney I know ... but nothing either Adirondack Alcohol Inks or a bit of Black Acrylic won't cure ... well ... guess how much I paid ... go on guess!
Just Three English Pounds ... I know ... Three ... yup ... I said Three ... I feel like it's my birthday ... well it is soon ... but I feel like this is an extra birthday ... what a delicious bargain ...
Hands up whose got Pen nib envy then????
Okay ... gloating over ...
I am off to eat a fry up ...
Laters!

It's Bean a while!

2012-03-01T07:00:00.000Z

Just a quickie from me today ... over at the Craft Barn it is gift week and my turn to post a tutorial ... so I went for an up-cycled Steampunk bean tin! Don't you just adore those Tando mini cogs with Lord Tim of Holtz images stamped on them? You know Tim ... the man that chose the colours for the first ever rainbow while carving a scale model of the Eiffel Tower in a grain of rice with just a Paper pricking tool and a spot of Aged Mahogany Distress Reinker. If you want to see all the details of the tin ... just click here and you will arrive at the correct destination in the blink of an eye!
I must away ... I am off to see how many sweetie shop sized jars of sweets I can persuade John to buy in our local Cash and Carry ... what do we think? One? .... Two?... Ten?
Have a good day people!
Laters!

Toot ... Toot ... Blogging Pictures Side by Side in a Blogpost!

2012-02-29T20:05:00.001Z

Okay guys ... as you all asked so nicely ...

1. Start your new post as normal.
2. Click on the HTML tab as shown in this here very clever screen shot!

3. Now cut and paste this next bit of code into the draft post:-

<table border="1" width="150"><tbody><tr><td>FIRSTPICTURE</td><td>SECONDPICTURE</td></tr></tbody></table>

4. Now click on the picture icon and upload the first picture to your post ... put it a little way down the page ... you will see why in a moment.

5. Highlight that complete code and cut it and then paste it carefully over the bit in the script that says "FIRST PICTURE"

6. Repeat step 4 and 5 ... only this time paste over "SECONDPICTURE"

7. Now click on the Compose tab.

8. Your post should look a bit like this ... only with your own pictures :0)

Your mission should you choose to accept it is to follow this toot ... then come back and link your post in the comments so we can all admire your handy work!

Good Luck!

Laters!

A Bit of Dylusion Reflection!

2012-02-29T13:01:00.000Z

The 28th of February is always a day of quiet reflection in our house! It is the anniversary of the day we lost Tia ... a beautiful vibrant and very brave little girl who died when she was only five... eight years ago yesterday!
If you are in any doubt what her favourite colour was after looking at my reflection pages ... well ... erm ... it was purple. I spent a peaceful few hours making these pages for my scraps journal ... I doodled and spritzed and sprayed and scribbled all my happy memories around the stencilled clouds ... I cut and coloured and made a purple angel from Dylusion's stamps and parts thereof ... I just generally lost myself in happy ... and sad memories and consumed a family pack of chocolate buttons in the process ... a fabulously therapeutic experience! If you have any devastating and tragic days in your calendar ... you really should try it ... this kind of play HAS to be good for the soul! I know she was sat beside me at least some of the time.
I have taken the unusual step of disabling comments on this post ... I feel the love people and I just know you will understand.
Laters!

Happy Dance!

2012-02-28T00:01:00.000Z

I grant you ... you guys may not get the whole "Happy Dance" thing ... but ... ya see ... the pictures above are indeed side by side! You know like ... side by side ... side by side ... and it has taken me a millenium trying to work out how to do it ... and yeeeeeeee ha ... I have finally done it! Will I ever be able to do it again ... erm ... I am not entirely sure ... but hey ... I have done it at least once!
So ... what are the pictures??? ... well they are pages from my 7Gypsies A6 journal ... I did n't really plan to share them ... I am not even sure they are finished ... but to be perfectly honest ... I did n't have four pictures of anything else ... and I really really really wanted to post four pictures!
The backgrounds are all Distress Stains ... with some Dylusions Sprays ... and a bit of Distress Ink! To be honest ... I am a bit of a bad journal type person ... because I like to write and doodle so much ... I kinda rushed the backgrounds in this mini book! Note to self ... Must try harder!
I keep getting asked what pens or stamps I use for my lettering ... I use a Black Sharpie Marker and a White Gelly Roll Pen ... no alpha stamps ... all handwritten ... but if you want to know how I do the lettering ... well ... let me know in the comments and if there is enough of you ... I will do a mini tutorial ... might even do the piccies side by side :0)
Well ... that is it from me ... just wanted to share my new technical blogging ability ...
Laters!

Idea-Ology Bonanza!

2012-02-27T05:00:00.000Z

It is the early hours of the morning as I type! I am not entirely sure how much sense I am going to make ... but here goes ...
I could n't get this project right and I am still not happy with it ... and you just would n't believe the mess I have made in my Craftroom ... bomb site is an understatement! But that is definitely gonna have to wait until I have actually been to bed!
I have no clue what happened either ... I mean the theme of Idea-Ology over at Simon Says Stamp and Show this week was music to me ears!
Right up my street ... Lord Tim of Holtz Idea-Ology ... you know Tim ... the man that can win an Oscar without even appearing in a film while balancing barefoot on a pin head over the Grand Canyon with just a long legged brad and a swipe of Aged Mahogany Distress Ink.

I use Idea-Ology on just about ... well ... erm ... everything!
I think the problem may have been that I had just two many ideas and struggled to commit to any one of them!
The inspiration for the base of this piece came from a Lin Brown and Leandra Franich ArtsyCrafts project from last year! I have used a 6" by 6" wood frame and covered it with Grngeboard Alpha Soup before painting it ... that sounds simple ... and actually is ... only I went through the entire colour range of Claudine Hellmuth's paints before I finally decided on ... erm ... black!
Do you know ... because I am so tired ... this is all sounding a bit like a moaning mini post ... perhaps I should leave it here ...
Do join in with the challenge for your chance to win a splendiferous $50 Shopping Spree donated by the amazing people at Simon Says Stamp!
I am off to bed!
Laters!

A Spot of Sunday Journaling!

2012-02-26T16:32:00.000Z

Oh My Goodness... it is like a Summers Day here in Cambridge! Absolutely bloomin' gorgeous!
I spent last night wrapped up in the warm coz it was so chilly and treated myself to a spot more scraps journaling! I LOVE this Dylusions spider ... so cute ... LOVE the bats too actually ... and the cat ... oh and the hats ... and the tree ... but my favourite is definitely the text! LOVE that text! It really resonates with me ... I have to tie a hand behind my back most days to stop myself using it on everything!

I have been doing a bit of White pen shopping today too ... bought a new Ranger Inkssentials white pen ... and several others to try ... you know like for research! In fact I spent approximately £15 on white pens! I am loving the Sakura White Gelly Roll ... but their Souffle pen ... does nothing for me whatsoever! What white pen do you use ? I usually prefer the Ranger one ... but the Gelly Roll may ... indeed ... be my new favourite!

Okay ... back to my pages ... made in the normal fashion ... I have covered the background with Tumbles Glass Distress Stain ... then swiped the Broken China ink pad across the page ... before spraying Dylusions Sky Blue through the Tando Circles stencil. All the other colour is indeed my ProMarkers! You will all be pleased to note that I am getting my monies worth out of those babies :0)

Please don't ask me how to spell 'prescious' or is it 'precious' ... I know ... I know ... I have spelled it wrong ... but in true journaling fashion ... I ain't gonna worry about it! I say that ... I clearly am ... coz I have mentioned it ... but what I mean is ... I aint gonna worry about it so much that I feel the need to go back and change it ... or indeed scrap the page altogether!

So ... people ... what you got planned for the week ahead? I have a lot of really dull stuff to do ... you know like invoices and bills and stuff ... so I am going to make a load of backgrounds tonight me thinks ... so I can doodle away to my hearts content in between the dull stuff!

Your comments on my Pro Marker Gate post really made me laugh by the way ... it is so good to know that I am not the only one who wins oh so many competitions ... the best one for me is that well known online auction site ... you know like ... Where did you get that??? ... What this???? ... I won it!!! :0)
Have a wonderful week people whatever you are doing!
I must away ... There is a yummy Sunday Roast waiting ... with me name on it ....
Laters!

Bit of This ... Bit of That!

2012-02-24T19:42:00.000Z

I have been having a bit more of a play in my scraps journal over the last few days ... I love that I can pick it up and put it down and just add to it when I feel like it!
The background and writing for this page were done a few weeks back ... when I was playing in the wonderful Lin's studio with the wonderful Lin and the lovely Karen ... then I kind of just left it ... wondering what bits and pieces I would add.

I spend lots of my "me" time now ... just colouring Dylusions stamped images and cutting them out. I have the teensiest little bag that I keep them in ... as the rules of the journal are only scraps ... quite often I cannot fit in a full image and this often leads to quirky characters and outfits! I think this head makes the perfect cloak for my frog prince! The background is Butterscotch and Lettuce Ranger Colourwash ... one of my favourite combinations ... with a bit of stencilling over the top!
When I am asked what my crafting style is I often say eclectic and this post definitely proves that! You cannot get much more diverse than these two projects ... now can you! Why the diversity?? ... Well ... today I have also been appearing over on the Craft Barn blog where ... this week we worked on a whole Shabby Vintage style ... which of course involved lots of Lord Tim of Holtz product ... you know Tim ... the man that created the tree skeleton's in the Namibian desert while breathing new life back into an ant with terminal heart disease with just a spritz of Dylusion spray and a smidge of Matte Medium.
You can find all the ingredients etc., and some more detailed pictures here!
So ... what are your plans for the weekend? I am going to take it as it happens this weekend ... nice and relaxed ... just the way I like them ... hoping that the sunshine they have promised us will be nice and warm ... whatever you are doing ...
Have a good one!
Laters!

ProMarker Gate!

2012-02-22T22:32:00.000Z

Couple more journal pages today! Probably unfinished if I am honest ... but after watching Dyan Reaveley flip back and forth in her journals ... adding colour ... doodles and stamping ... I decided that I would do the basics ... put the pages together in a book and then ... add colour ... doodles and stamping as and when I felt like it! You know like a proper grown up journal type person!
I love this quote from Helen Keller!
The background is made with Worn Lipstick Distress Stain and some Dylusions in Hot Pink and Fuschia ... with a bit of Fired Brick Distress Ink through some Sequin Waste.
The lovely lady is indeed a Dylusions Stamp ... coloured in with ProMarkers!
Talking of ProMarkers ... now seems a good time to share ProMarker gate and the reasoning behind my need to smuggle my new Distress Pens past John!

It was a birthday a few years back when John asked me what I wanted! So I says ... "I want some ProMarkers please" ... he says "How much are they?" So I says "Well ... they range from a few quid each to about three hundred for the set!" He says ... "Do you need the set?" So ... without hesitation ... of course I said "yes!" ... "I will get you the set then ... order them and put them on my card!" Music to my ears I tell you!
Obviously I had the set ordered in about five seconds flat ... played with them as soon as they arrived ... and thanked John! He says ... "Oh good ... they arrived ... let's have a look?" I get them out and the look on his face was a picture ... he went kind of pale ... and the vein in his neck started pulsing ... he says "You are kidding!" I replies "Whaddyamean?" He says ... "You mean to say that I have just spent three hundred quid on effing felt pens!" Course I did my best to explain that they were n't just felt pens ... they were ProMarkers ... he ... to this day ... remains unconvinced! So ... the Distress Markers ... well ... that is just between me and you! He certainly is n't gonna appreciate the finer points of those!
Have a good night!
Laters!

Did n't We Have a Luvverly Time ...

2012-02-21T11:13:00.000Z

... The day we went to Stitches! As promised ... here I am with all the news and gossip from Stitches Trade Show! If you joined me on Twitter yesterday ... well ... step away now ... you are likely to get very bored!

First thing I saw on entry was the Craft Stamper stand ... I nearly squealed out loud when I realised the copies of the magazine were the ones with my project on the cover ... and sure enough ... in the little perspex stand was my project in the flesh ...

I know, I know ... bragging is uncool .... but I was very excited :0)

Next ... I found the journaling queen ... Dyan Reaveley ... I had to try really hard not to drool all over her delicious samples ... the colours and Dyan's passion for her products ... so infectious ... I just wanted to get inky ... there and then! You will find this hard to believe ... but I was having such fun chatting with Dy ... I nearly missed Lord Tim of Holtz demoing the Distress Markers ... I mean ... Really!!!

So next stop ... Lord Tim of Holtz ... you know Tim ... the man that can cross continents without the need of an Airplane while colouring all the little flowers the world over with just a Distress Marker and some speciality stamping paper. I have been trying to convince myself that I did n't need a whole set of Markers ... you know ... just the odd one or two ... but now I have seen them ... I need them! They are going to be one of those smuggled items though ... because John is still getting over ProMarker gate! I am not sure if I have told you that story ... I will be sure to tell you next time! I also know they are not the same thing at all ... but to John's untrained eye ... they will look like just another set of pens!

Anyways ... Lord Tim was his usual passionate, enigmatic and very charming self! An amazing educator who never holds anything back ... one of life's truly unique and generous people!

Of course I could n't move to the next stand without spending some time with the BTS king ... Mario ... I LOVE this guy! You know he works his butt off ... but just takes it all in his stride ... never lets anything phaze him ... and manages to take us all on a "behind the scenes" journey that is second to none! If you have no clue what I am on about ... just follow @mariojrossi ...

The rest of the show was all about the products ...and of course catching up with lovely people and special friends! I would need a whole book to show you everybody and list them ... but it was fab to see them! I have a whole list of stuff I now need ... cannot wait for it to hit the shops ... Distress Markers are at the top of the list ... new PaperArtsy Lynne Perrella releases ... Darkroom Door have some fabulous new stamps this year ... Dylusions stamps and inks are a must have for me ... The Wendy Vecchi stamps ... there was a lot of London themed fabric at the show too which was delicious! Lord Tim's new Sizzix dies ... the new Ranger water brushes ... the new Ranger Speciality stamping paper ... Julie Fei-Fan Balzer stencils ... and so much more ...

I must away ... I have stuff to make and deadlines to meet ...

Laters!