Wednesday 30 December 2015

WOYWW #343

This is WOYWWednesday - checkout the tab at the top of the page for further info - and our thanks go to Julia for hosting again.

Shocker of a desk to share today!!!  I have gathered the aftermath of a good Christmas onto my desk to sort through.

Starting at the top left of the picture ....

Empty Chinese Restaurant Calendar boxes - useful for Chinese New Year ATC swaps.
Ephemera from our recent trip to Paris, underneath which is a few card making goodies,
underneath which is a selection of 'hit 'em with a hammer toffees'  - family joke!
underneath which are several Christmas gift bags to put away for next year - recycling is fun!
To the right are peeks of my latest ATCs  - Christmas Spirit swap.

So there it is .... remnants of Christmas past .... it's not sad really as I have a couple of presents to enjoy and when all is put away..... there's always next Christmas to look forward to!!  lol

One more day left in 2015 which hasn't been a bad year for us here, ups and downs but we are still here and as I always say .... every day's a bonus, Praise God.

Thank you all for your friendships, laughs and sharings this past year, you all make my Wednesdays a day to look forward to.  Thank you for all the comments that you took the time to make - I enjoyed reading them and they made me feel very loved.
THANK YOU JULIA FOR HOSTING SUCH A WONDERFUL GET TOGETHER OF DESKERS.  YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF YOURSELF, WE'RE PROUD OF YOU!.

Here's to many more meetups in 2016.  May you always walk in the light of God's Love, be blessed by Him in many ways and be a blessing to others that you meet along the way.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!           HAPPNEW YEAR!            HAPPNEW YEAR!

Friday 25 December 2015

Christmas Wishes

So here it is - Merry Christmas Everyone!

My tree is not completed but I am happy, especially with the pressie from PJ sitting at the bottom right of the tree - the only house to be unpacked this year.  The blur at the bottom of the picture is my train - chuffing around the Christmas Tree .... let the Christmas Spirit ring .....


 ... and this is what I wish for you all this Christmas .......

Wednesday 23 December 2015

WOYWW #342

Desk Sharing Day - details on the WOYWW tab above - Thanks go to Julia for hosting... Short and sweet!
First off - thank you to all my visitors last week.  You made me laugh so much, especially the comments about my photo - that's how I really felt about having/publishing that birthday - so many of you guessed my correct age - 35 years old!!

Here is my oasis, sorry - my desk.



This will be my first swap of 2016 and the theme is 'Mugshots'.  I have chosen my subjects, sketched out the basic designs and now waiting for inspiration as the the actual 'crime' sheet.   The Ginger Cat is finished,  I think Snow White will have something to do with an apple, Baa Humbug speaks for itself but the 'Mummy' .... all ideas welcome .......

Oh! did I hear you ask if I'm ready for Christmas - am I ever?  Never!!!!  But we will enjoy all the celebrations - as I hope most sincerely that you will.  
Between opening presents, eating food and ...... crafting (of course!) may the Peace of the Christchild enter in, warm your hearts and stay with you throughout the New Year.
God Bless

Friday 18 December 2015

More November Swaps ............

It's lovely to be back creating again ..... 
Noobie Swap 


I am using this card (courtesy of Helen) for my swap this month, it follows a sketch back in September.

The sentiment is cut from the same card as the main folded card which is plain and shows off the patterned paper a treat. 


I searched through my paper book to find a pattern that would be suitable for the envelope ..... perfect!




I received this outstanding card by return ...........

 the photo does not do it justice!  Thank you Carol




Technique - use Peel Offs




I attached these two roses to the lower right corner and then applied the sentiment.




Alphabet Swap - K for Kite



Another Craftee card kit - I was so happy to hear that there is a buyer for the Company and they are starting to produce the kits again!!!  Yeah!  go Craftee go!  ahem!  Sorry!  The card is a patchwork card with a tiny bow and a silver cord and lovely colours.


Thursday 17 December 2015

November Swaps

This month I am back to full time swapping so here are my first cards ...........
1 to 1



I embossed my rose stamp with a dark rose embossing powder onto a pale pink card.  I folded a teabag medallion and used one of the squares cut in half for each corner.







Colour My World - Green Card with Blue embellishments 




I just love these images from Rick St Dennis!  They are rather naughty but ..............
So I coloured this image in blue and gold with an added blue feather for interest!!!  One diecut background and my card is sorted.





Make a Card with ... Leaves


 On this tri fold card I have used some of the leaves from our theatre trip  - can't believe it was nearly three years ago!!!!  The leaves are carefully stored in their little box waiting ....... so this was the time .... I pasted one of the leaves onto a separate piece of card and fussy cut round it, attaching it to the right hand side of the card.  I printed out an insert with a border of leaves to fit inside the centre of the card.


Wednesday 16 December 2015

WOYWW #341

Thanks to Julia I can share my super duper desk this week - more info on the tab above.

Just love my desk this week!

Never thought I would make it but .....

One box of cards ..... written, stamped and ready to post.  Ta! Da!






There has been a lot going on round here ....

.... and the Christmas cards just kept on being put back and back but now ......

.....THEY'RE DONE!








This is how I really felt about this birthday .....









Don't ask me where the years have gone 'cos I have no idea .... I certainly do not feel this old ..... think the records must be wrong!!!!

You all have a great week and I will try to visit as many desks as I can ...

Tuesday 15 December 2015

Lots and lots of cards!!!

This is what I am looking at in my lounge at the moment  ......  reckon the big one has run out of lives now!!!!

I have received cards from family, friends and Cardmaking Groups ....   oh!  and the DH!  Guess which one he sent!!  lol

Wednesday 9 December 2015

WOYWW #340

Desk Sharing Day - details on the WOYWW tab above - This get together is organised and hosted by Julia with all the knowhow here.  Thank you Julia....

Yes!  I know it looks the same but there IS a subtle difference  - Christmas pressie now on top of the Birthday pressie!!!
When I saw this stamp I thought how brilliant to use with my gelli plate - as you can see ....it will fit almost perfectly.  Then there is the brayer - think I will need this  ...
Ignore the price ticket on the stencil - I bought this and the rubber stamp at silly prices so included it in the pressie - I like to be good to myself sometimes!!!
Since arriving back home from Paris I have been a tad busy - I am still in 'recovery' although did manage to get the all clear from the Doctor earlier - so maybe later today I will get round to playing .......... watch this space!!!

Have a good week, thanks for all your good wishes last week - much appreciated.xx

Wednesday 2 December 2015

WOYWW #339

Good Morning!!
It is a good morning for me as it is the first morning I have been out of bed of my own volition since last Friday!
I had a tickle of a cold last Wednesday evening, which developed into a streaming cold on Thursday and, to be honest, I don't remember much of the next few days.  In the early hours of Tuesday morning I had to call 111 who sent a paramedic, who after two hours managed to get me breathing and feeling well enough to go to my GP.  
Turns out I have an infected lung which aggravated an asthma attack.  There I was sleeping in bed day after day!!!!
Upside is I AM UP AND ABOUT, QUITE CLEARHEADED, SO WATCHOUT WORLD!!!

My desk is pretty much the same as last week except for an early birthday present - way early but I don't mind!!
I won't get round to using it this week as I now have to catch up on 'stuff' - a 'Mr Potato Head' costume to make, clothes to sort and pack for a trip to Paris ...... so much to do and so little time!
I shall enjoy myself don't you worry, I feel so blessed to be up and about!

A belated thank you to all my visitors last week, I hope you will forgive my tardiness.  Thanks to Julia for hosting a great get together although I may not visit many desks this week (just a tad busy you understand!)





Wednesday 25 November 2015

WOYWW #338

I am late today as I have been 'shopping' with DDC and that meant early out and late in!!!  We have had a very successful day though so I am not complaining .... just worn out.  Not too tired to join up with my fellow deskers (see the WOYWW tab at the top of the page for more info) around the world though - I am sure it is morning somewhere ......

 So here is my desk ....


.... as you can see, blank cards, a few paintbushes, torn sketches from the newspaper and my box of paints.  Really exciting intit?!

I am about to start a few handpainted ATCs - for this swap the theme is Mug Shots.  I have thought hard and long about this subject, sourced it out with my friend Google and then went shopping at Waitrose.  Waitrose??  I hear you say ........ well, while perusing the shelves I noticed a free newspaper which, when I looked through it later at home, had several sketch photos which would be perfect for me to sketch and change.  All being present and correct I will make a start tomorrow ...... results on my ATC Blog. 

I will try to catch up with you all later, but in the meantime - have a good week.

Monday 23 November 2015

November Birthday

I actually have a card to show today!!
I made this card using a topper that I recently acquired as an afterthought to make up the order to 'post free'.
I love the little folks on these toppers so expect to see them often on here.
I folded a piece of brown card with a left hand fold, and added my topper to top half.  Among my stash I found a scroll peel off which would be perfect for this card.  I added a 'Happy Birthday' peel off to the banner and attached the whole to the lower half of the card.

I managed to find a piece of cream paper with a textured effect on one side which would be perfect.  I folded the paper and cut to size, then used a floral punch to decorate the corners of the insert.  It is cream paper although in the photo it looks white.  I didn't have an envelope so used one of the papers from my book to make the envelope, using the pink side as the inner lining.

Happy Birthday Helen!

Saturday 21 November 2015

A Christmas Wreath

I know that this is not a card but, with WOYWW in mind, I thought it might be of interest .......
At our last CRUNCH meeting one of our ladies showed us all a wreath that was quite a few years old yet still looked good.  She had made the wreath from plastic food bags - can you believe that!!!
This I had to do!!!


I bought some wire coathangers from our local Wilko - white coated how about that! - and a roll of plastic food bags.  

After dinner we settled down to watch some tv so I started off.  

Remove one bag, clip off the bottom sealed end and then knot the 'bag' round the coathanger - continue in this manner until the hanger is full.

I separated the sides of each 'bag' so that it could be 'fluffed' up a bit.  That was my evening - pull, cut, tie, fluff, pull, cut, tie, fluff ....... and so on.


I shaped the coathanger into a sort of circle but once full of of 'bags' I shaped the hanger part into a circle. 


The bags float and 'flutter' in whiteness, b e a u t i f u l.

I gave this one to DDC, she was really pleased with it, amazed but pleased.  She will decorate it and hang it on her door, just what she wanted for this year!

I am now going to buy another roll of food bags .........


Wednesday 18 November 2015

WOYWW #337

Desk Sharing Day - details on the WOYWW tab above - This get together is organised and hosted by Julia with all the knowhow here.
My desk is in an 'organised' mess this week as once again I am about to make some ATCs. Can you guess the theme?!?  lol  
Lots of Christmassy items, obligatory hieroglyphic  card!  I am still using up the Panettone  card - may have to go buy some more cake methinks!!!


I have two swaps to complete with a Christmas theme - the first theme is 12 Days of Christmas, 12 cards of which one to be opened per day leading up to Christmas.  The second theme is to make, decorate and fill a matchbox - this is my first swap in the matchbox world.  I am hoping that I will enjoy this last swap, it is an entirely new area of creation, and I am looking forward to working in miniature.
I intend to make the 12 days ATCs first so to see what happens you will have to check my ATC Blog.  The Matchbox is a different kettle of fish - do I file under Card or ATC?  he! he!

Enjoy your week and thank you in advance for visiting.

Wednesday 11 November 2015

WOYWW #336

Desk Sharing Day - details on the WOYWW tab above - This get together is organised and hosted by Julia with all the knowhow here.  Thank you Julia for letting us all 'meet up' at yours! lol

I am trying to get organised.
I am!  
Honestly!  
I also feel like I am fighting a losing battle but ..... it is in the small things that I have success.

My desk............an organised area ...............

I am hoping to join an ATC swap with the theme Vintage so I have gathered together all that I think I will need, backing paper, flowers, frames, buttons and ribbons.  The small pieces of Panetonne box in the top right are my ATCs - I cut my cards from all sorts of packaging, cornflake boxes are the best!!!
I really needed to move the painting etc. to one side so that they can dry thoroughly, I used the push-to-one-side method to clear my desk top.  

My thanks go to all my visitors last week for their wonderful supportive comments, much appreciated, and I am still smiling(hic!) when I look at my painting.

I am visiting the dentist first thing this morning so this is a scheduled post.  I am hoping to control my panic attacks enough to have my smile restored - yes!  It's a front tooth to be repaired...............

Wednesday 4 November 2015

WOYWW #335

This is WOYWWednesday - checkout the tab at the top of the page for further info - and our thanks go to Julia for hosting again.

This post is for all the folks who have said 'I can't do that'.  My desk this week is simple .........
'First Steps'



My first canvas.



I have wanted to do this for so long but never had the courage to go and purchase the equipment just in case I couldn't do it and wasted all the money.   This week an old sim card holder was 'found' so I knew it was just what I wanted to apply the paint.
Over the last few months I have been 'collecting' bottles of acrylic paint and storing them in my cat food boxes, the outer neatly covered of course.  
I have a large paper pad in my stash and while I have been stamping and trying out my paints I covered the desk with one of the sheets of paper.  The sheet is a little larger than the box which is ideal, so all the 'wipe offs' and stamp offs are now looking at me!

I remembered buying a canvas pad some time ago but where have I put it?  This morning I sorted out the canvas pad, taped a sheet down to my work top and with paints and card ..... I cannot explain the feeling when I look at this  .............. 
 It is sooo vibrant IRL!   

WHO can't?!?!

Have a good week everyone, I hope you have your own happy dancing moment like me.

Wednesday 28 October 2015

WOYWW #334

This is WOYWWednesday - checkout the tab at the top of the page for further info - and our thanks go to Julia for hosting again.

And my desk?    I am filing my wallpapers in a lovely pale lavender folder, under the pretext that at last I will be able to find them when I need to!
I have several 'styles' now but my latest acquisition is a beautiful wood print, with pale pink roses dusted over it........... it's just on top of the silver books .......

Someone asked about 'wall papers' once .......



I use wall papers in various ways ......


.........fussy cut some images ........


....... cut out some of the details from the paper .....




........ fussy cut an image and then colour with watercolour pencils .........












......punch shapes and sentiments ........








....use as a background ..... punch some flowers ...........






...... use as a background with some fussy cut images and embellishment ....... 




I love using the wallpaper samples, one day I shall use some paint samples to match the paper!!!

Have a good week ........
UPDATED: OOOHHh!  Welcome Marcia, so pleased you're enjoying our desks, all very interesting with a bit of laughter thrown in for free!

Wednesday 21 October 2015

WOYWW #333

This is WOYWWednesday - if you want to find out more then checkout the tab at the top of the page - and our thanks go to Julia for hosting this weekly meet up.

**Happy Dancing**     **Happy Dancing**

The BIG DAY has arrived and I have started on my first journal!   Actually the day arrived yesterday and after the paint dried I have continued ........
DDC has a memento she would like to present to her friend - a reminder of her Hen Party.  DDC has made a start but, now it is in my hands, I have decided to have a try at making a mixed media journal.
I stripped out the contents, ensuring that everything was in the same order, removed as much tape as I could and set to work.
I painted as many pages as I could with two shades of pink, white and black.  I used a dry babywipe and spread the left over paint on some basic ATCs.  I am hoping that on completion of this journal I will have a stack of ATCs with painted backgrounds.
So today I am trying to get some stencilling done on each of the pages.  I am using colours that are in the photos and ephemera so at present this 'idea' makes it all look a bit of a mishmash.
I have added some green and red stencil marks to several pages, a bit of 'this is my happy place', a few hearts, a 'hug' or two, some circles and small dots - punchinello .  I have very few commercial mask so have had to make my own or recycle discovering that I am not very patient when it comes to waiting for paint to dry!!!  

I've switched to applying the paint with my latest purchase.  I bought these sponges with sponge holder, from my Avon representative, I think they are supposed to be used with nail varnish, but as paint brushes they are wonderful!!  
I thought I would use each sponge for a different colour but not so, the paint just washes out and I have only used one sponge so far.

I hope to post my progress in stages cos after this journal I have  ....... DDC's pregnancy journal!!

Thank you to all my visitors last week and your kind comments.  I shall visit as many desks as I can this week, now that we have the heating working, I will be able to use my laptop of an evening.

Monday 19 October 2015

August Swaps

It has taken a long time to complete this swap.  There has been a lot of Life intruding on our cardmaking lives but most of the cards are now in.

1 to 1

I covered a centre fold card with paper from Lellibot, colouring in some of the flowers with Promarkers.
I matted one of the toppers on patterned paper and adhered to the left hand side of the card.  I matted a sentiment onto silver card and placed it slightly lower on the left hand side.  
I applied a piece of matching paper to the inside of the card.



I received this gorgeous card by return.  The flower is well worth a second look.
Thank you Helen.







Make a Card with .... Pinpricking
 

I pricked this design some time ago and coloured it in with chalks for the swap.  after adding a ribbon down the right side of the card I used a peel off sentiment on the lower right.

There was no return swap this month.







Follow that Sketch ....


 I used some of the papers from my paper book for this card and then stencilled the sentiment with red paint.  For a first attempt at stencilling, I am pleased with the result.

This is a beautifully stencilled card!!!
Thank you Helen.

Wednesday 14 October 2015

WOYWW #332

This is WOYWWednesday - checkout the tab at the top of the page for further info - and our thanks go to Julia for hosting again.


oooh!  dear!!!! you've really caught me out today!!!
Here is my desk as is ..... paint samples punched ready to make Aster Flowers for last month's ATC swap..... and the next swap all lined up in the Rexel.  Ignore the clutter to the left - I was sorting out my ATC swap for this month ......
 This will be my last item for catching up with last month's swaps. 
 My hand is all healed after being cut with Topiary Clippers (don't ask!) just have a small scar but have the full use of my hand, Praise God!!
Will pop in to 'see' as many as I can .......
Take care and have a good week.

Monday 12 October 2015

More September Swapping - delayed

You may not know this but I had a 'bit of an accident' when gardening so there has been no crafting for a couple of weeks.  I clipped the palm of my hand whilst trimming some bushes but I am completely healed now so back to crafting , yeah!!!!

1 to 1


I made this card from a kit whilst on holiday in a place looking out over the sea.  It seems a long time ago now, thank goodness I have this decoupaged card to remind me.


This is one cheeky little imp.
Thank you Helen.


Colour My World - Orange Card with Green embellishments.


I have some great green peel offs to put on this card.  Knowing this is going to Australia, I thought it would be apt considering it is Spring over there at the moment.




Beautiful card, love the embossing and the diecuts.
Thank you Pat.



Make a Card with .....  Postage Stamps


I have a large tub of used Postage Stamps from all over which I have not yet used.  I chose four U.S.A. stamps, two 'Global Forever', one depicting John Wayne and the other Jimi Hendrix. I found the map background in one of my paper files, it's a map of Yorkshire - one of our most picturesque counties.  As soon as the stamps were in place I added the sentiment, a silver one which I coloured up blue - to match the blue 'Motorways' on the map.


I love this concept - an envelope which has travelled round a bit!!!
Thank you Pat.



Follow This Sketch


I raided my wallpaper sample file for this card as i am really not very good at matching colours and patterns .... have I mentioned that before?!!!
So I cut the large flower design to size, cut the fold patterned paper to size and then cut a slice of the plain border from another piece.
Once these papers were lined up, I needed a sentiment so chose a gold rub on.  A few pearls and a flower - done!!




I love the colours used on this card, so bright and cheerful.
Thank you Helen.