WOYWW #181

Well now Julia, wonderful leader of the weekly desk snoop, I have a little surprise for you this morning. Known generally for having a tidy desk, look at it now:

It's completely cluttered and I can't move.
I've been busy decorating papier mache boxes, making a little gift card wallet courtesy of Hels tutorial, making my DT ATCs and challenge entries and generally having to do more work on the computer than when I actually went to work!!!
I now have another Xmas project which is just visible in the photo above. A red tree inside a box. It's going to be a little Xmas scene and will replace a card for my hairdresser who now expects something exciting each year. I made her a star card some years ago and she still brings it out each Xmas. Warms your heart to know you made something that bring pleasure like that. Whilst using some distress stains though, I now find that the dusty concorde one is now a lovely green colour. I've already had 4 bottles replaced by Ranger and now it looks like I will have to contact them again after I've gone through every one this time that is. Just ordered the 12 new ones so I hope they will be ok.
Well today should have seen my little car have it's MOT, but last night the rear n/s wheel ceased up so we had to cancel it. I need to get it done because I don't know whether this will be the decision time for it to carry on or be scrapped. It's now 15yrs old but still lovable. Just hope that my DH can get it done within the week so I know whether to cash in the tax disc, renew my insurance or whether to just sit and cry.......
Ok, see you next week.

WICKED WEDNESDAY #57 SNAILS OR STRIPES

Guess what? I won the WW challenge last week. A $10 voucher for Stitchy Bear digis - and I've already spent it. So, THANK YOU once again to the wonderful DT at Wicked Wednesday.

This week their theme is snails or stripes. I knew at once what I wanted to do and whilst I haven't really used stripes, I have incorporated some lines:

2 snails having a fun game of noughts and crosses. The big snail is leaving 'slimey' crosses whilst his mate leaves 'slimey' circles. I wonder who will win?? hehe
Simple ATC. I just used a quickie glue pen to draw the board lines and embossed them with black powder. The snails were stamped in Archival and carefully cut out, coloured with distress markers and mounted on 3D foam on the base card. I also used a distress marker to colour the border. The circles and crosses were made with picket fence distress stickles.

WOYWW #179

I'm up a bit earlier this week in practice for a very early start tomorrow in order to travel down the horrid M6 to the NEC show. I wonder whether our leader of the Wednesday desk hop, Julia will be there or any of you fellow woywwers. If so, give us a wave.
I've actually been crafting my little heart out this week although some of my work has been on the computer and to do with my DT slot. However, I've made Tim's tag, a couple of ATCs and am now working on a birthday card which I hope to finish today. So this is the state of my desk:

Obviously taken last night but it is still the same this morning except for the banana. I ate that! Lots of distress stains and ink pads together with a few leaves, die cut from the Autumn strip die. The rest is probably the same as always.
Right then, I'm off to start my travels and hopefully leave a few comments, that's if Blogger doesn't play up like it has for the past 2 days making my life so difficult.

WICKED WEDNESDAY ATC #54 - BUTTERFLIES

Last week, over at Wicked Wednesday ATC, was a celebration of their 1st birthday and there were umpteen prizes to be given away. Guess what! I won a $12 voucher to spend on Just Some Lines digis - which I have, whoopee and a big thank you.
This weeks challenge is a favourite of many I guess, butterflies. I am having fun using gesso and bits of paper, ribbon, grungepaper, etc. so this is my card:

The base is mountboard rather than just card because using both gesso and inks/paints on card makes for a disintegrated mess! I stuck little material butterflies together with hand - cut diamonds from grungepaper and scrap pieces of card border to the base before giving it the once over with white gesso. Once dry I used various green distress inks over the top. I have a gorgeous luscious green ink spray that has refused to spray from day one but it does make the most wonderful 'blobs' of colour which is what you can see in places. Finally, I distressed 2 card butterflies that have been waiting in my stash for years to be used on this ATC, stuck them together, added flower stamens for antennae then some seed beads for it's body. Another little punched butterfly and some darker distress to the edge of the card finished it off.
I enjoyed making this and it was so quick. Enjoy the different colours that my butterfly tea light gives and I'll see you next week:

WICKED WEDNESDAY ATCs #50 - CIRCUS FUN

I have been very short of time this week so my entry is a bit (a lot actually) cheeky. Not wanting to miss out on a Wicked Wednesday challenge, I finally made this:

The images were a freebie I found some time ago and have been sitting in my image file just waiting for this week's challenge. I couldn't pick just one so used all 8 by making this little concertina fold, double-sided ATC.  I hope these cheery little clowns bring a smile.
I have been 'beavering' away at my Grande project and apart from waiting for some special glue to arrive, I am well on with it. Sticking awkward shapes of metal in equally awkward places on glass and plastic have proved too much for my Cosmic Shimmer, Multi Matt Medium and Glossy Accents, so let's see what this other glue will do - if it ever gets here.
Today's tease then:

Hmmh!

I'M HAVING SUCH A HAPPY CRAFTING TIME

This is a must 'go see' for all crafters who want to be amazed. Pop over to Laura Carson's blog here.
Throughout October, Laura held a trick or treat giveaway for some of her Halloween ATCs and I was so very lucky to have won a treat. Here it is:

The photo has come out a bit blurred but I hope you can see how special this card is.
Laura does not just make ATCs (which by the way are spectacular as they seldom conform strictly to the measurements), she also produces the most amazing domino books and complete scenes, the latest being a circus and toy shop. Absolutely incredible stuff.
I am off now to add this winner to the previous 2 I have won from Laura. Oh Happy days.......

WOYWW BEFORE A LITTLE HOLIDAY

My craft is packed -

Just need to add my Copics, scissors etc. Decided to take my mini sewing machine with me and have a play 'cos I just can't use the thing. It's so fast that it sews the card I want to sew plus everything else within 3' of it before I get chance to stop it!! So I thought I would have time to get the better of it during these next 12 days in York and Lincoln.
I did however, have a little crafty play yesterday so these photos of my desk are from then. You won't mind I'm sure -

Out came the box with some paper roses in -

I coloured 3 of them with a black Copic pen -

Found an ATC already-prepared piece of card and began to layer up. This was the end result -

My first Halloween ATC - The Bone Collector. I've had to put him out of sight though because he frightened me LOL.
Well, I am going to be really busy today. Hairdressers first then shopping and packing. I will try and pop round to yours, courtesy of Julia, but please forgive me if I don't see you this week. I will be on the dreaded dongle for a while although the first 8 days stop is supposed to have wifi. We will see what that's all about when we get there. Enjoy woyww. x

WOYWW AND I WON AGAIN

The incredible artist - Laura Carson - from Artfully Musing blog fame, hold a draw every month to win her art. I was so lucky that random org picked me at the beginning of the year and I received an amazing winter scene ATC. This time, I have won this one:

Another to deck my walls.
Well today being another Wednesday of What's on your Workdesk Wednesday fame run by desk-hopper extraordinaire Julia, means we get to do a bit of travelling and poking around other like-minded crafter's space. Mine started off like this:

A couple of packets of dagger beads and some beading thread. to the left of these are the 3 packs of stamps I bought on Sunday at Lindsay's workshop:

The 2 larger packs are some of Andy Skinner's new stamps. I adore the trees which cane be used for all sorts of projects and will also mix and match with that pack of Lindsay's stamps.
Left again are all these:

Little packets I have made up from my odds and ends drawers of children's beads, confetti, tags etc. This is the start to my major clear out (which may take months I hasten  to add). I need the space!!! How many of us have said that then??
Anyway, the tiny bit of space I generally work on look like this this morning:

The beginnings of more Xmas cards based on the ones from the weekend workshop using Lindsays stamps. I think that little elf is so cheeky.
Well, the sun is shining today so it's time to get some washing done because I have no doubt that the rain will be back again tomorrow. Have fun  today and watch out for me calling round.

WOYWW AND WHAT A WEEK

Since last Wednesday I have been away for 4 days, I painted preserve on the wooden garden furniture, heard some sad news from 2 crafting friends and our Susanna has sold her house and managed to get another about 6 miles from us. Phew!
I took some images and my Copics away with me but only managed to complete 3. The show was really good this year although the model flying was not, so I've been trying to catch up on some projects I need to have done within the next couple of weeks. What's on my desk is not one of those but a technique I wanted to try.

I have used tissue paper, matt medium, gesso, sprays and ink pads to make the bird images and decided to cut the whole thing up and make 4 ATCs.

My box of sticky gems is in a right 'ol mess as you can see.
I received my bookmarks yesterday from Heather, but will blog a separate post on those. My swaps are just gorgeous.
I'm in a rush this morning as I'm off to the hairdressers to get this bird nest on the top of my head sorted out. After that, I intend to pop over to Julia's and then take the woyww express around the world to yours. I'm also hoping to get this Blogger comment thing finally sorted in the next few days when computer Dave comes to make some changes to 'T's' computer. Maybe then I will be able to comment on your space.
Until then, have a wonderful WOYWW.

A BETTER WOYWW THAN LAST WEEK

By that I mean my DH is feeling so much better than last Wednesday which, after all, was only day 1 after his operation. He has been to some very dark places this week suffering awful pain, but I am glad to say, he now feels so much brighter although still having to be very careful. He isn't allowed to lift anything for 2 months for example, so this summer is out for doing any jobs. We will catch up one day I suppose - oh! a few pigs just flew overhead LOL.
Can we both say a great big THANK YOU for all the get well wishes. They have been so appreciated. Can I also say thank you to Julia, our leader of the Wednesday desk hopping brigade, because had she not come up with this wonderful weekly event, I would not have made so many 'crafty' friends and therefore, not had the good wishes from all over the globe.
I have made a few ATCs this past week when 'T' has been in bed (see previous posts if you want a peep) but thought it was time to cut into my Kraft Glassine papers yesterday, and make a ragged flower. So this is my little space this morning.

I very roughly cut shapes almost like circles (I say almost like because they could not possibly pass for the real thing!!). I then cut into them, scrunched them up, tried to colour them - didn't work so will have to practice that, then gave them a quick blast with my heat gun. I then stacked them and you can just about see the result. Actually, it looks ok.
There's nothing much else to see I'm afraid.
As with last week, I can only hope to get around to your desk, but one thing is for sure, I'll give it a good try.

FEELING BLUE

After making steady progress since his operation, poor 'T' has taken several steps backwards and spent most of today in bed. I suppose it's a natural glitch and just hope he feels better tomorrow.
I made this ATC the other day actually but have only just gotten around to blogging it. In view of how my DH feels I thought an apt title for it is FEELING BLUE.

FREE N EASY

That's this weeks challenge over at the Allsorts Challenge blog.
I seem to be making a few ATCs this week whilst 'T' is recovering from his operation, and as he has just gone for a lie down, I thought I would pop on here and enter this #113 challenge.

I just love the gown this lady is wearing. A few gems and a bindi enhance it's beauty. I coloured the roses with Copics, the butterflies were painstakingly cut from a free download and everything is stuck to a pre-inked ATC-sized piece of mount board.
I had fun with this one.

HOT FLOWERS

Whilst the invalid is having a sleep, I thought I would pop on and enter this ATC into a couple of challenges.
The first is the Stampotique Designers Challenge - FLOWER POWER
Next is the Artistic Stamper Challenge Blog - HOT COLOURS

The flowers are made from Tim's lost and found stash using mainly the warm red sides. The base card is mopped up DIs Fired Brick and Pine Needles over stamped with brushed Corduroy on Tim's acrylic stamps.

WOYWW IT'S ALL OVER

'T's' operation that is. He went into hospital at noon yesterday, had his double hernia op at 1.30pm and was back home at 8.00pm. Last night was a bad one due to the awful pain making any movement almost impossible, but between us, he managed to get in and out of bed, drink a bit of water and swallow one painkiller at a time, cut in half. It's now 7.40am and he's sat at his computer!!!
May we say a great big thank you to everyone out there who has sent good luck wishes. They are very much appreciated and bring a big smile instead of painful winches.
Whilst I was back home yesterday afternoon waiting for the phone call to go back to bring him home, I played a little bit with some ATC backgrounds which I had already made by mopping up spare ink from other projects. My workspace therefore looks like this:

Here are the cards I was trying to get inspiration for:

I only managed to make 1 complete ATC.
Well fellow woywwers, I doubt I shall get round many of you this week. Our lovely Julia always says that it doesn't matter whether you manage one, all or even none, just have fun. I'll do my best to visit though - mainly 'cos I'm nosey.

IT'S CHUCKING IT DOWN

..........so I decided to do this:

That's right - I got my hands covered in ink. Stream colour wash to be precise. Trouble is, I also now have a large and small jar and bottle of multi matt medium which is also coloured Stream!! Oh! and the right hand corner of my printer is the same!!!!

This was my craft sheet after I had added a bit more water and mopped up some of the ink on pre-cut ATC-sized card.
I was spraying this:

It's an 8"x8" canvas. I have mounted this on the front of it which is a decorated piece of stiff board:

What a tease. Can't show you the front as it's a present. Hehe! x

MY CLEVER PAL, SONIA

That's very true, Sonia is more talented than she admits. Her cards and ATCs are always so very neat and full of imagination. She's a child of the sixties, like 'T' and I, so we have a lot in common and we chat online when we can. By that, I mean when Sonia is not jetting off to Spain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL.
Anyway, before she does just that again on Sunday, she managed to make me some ATCs and post them off to me.

Love and Peace

A torn piece of K & Co paper over coloured mount board topped with a peace symbol. The gems are so neatly placed and the 2 words perfectly stamped.

Create


This card made me giggle. The image is Paper Artsy I think, which Sonia has stamped onto coloured card and then cut out!!  She has hand written the words onto acetate and stapled them to the side. Really effective.

From My House.......

I love this one. Grungepaper houses die cut from Tim's on the edge Townscape die, coloured , some fancy paper behind the windows and then mounted on the previously coloured base using 3D foam. The grasses are from some oriental stamps.









See, I told you Sonia is clever.

ALCOHOL BACKGROUNDS

I posted on WOYWW yesterday,  about the backgrounds I had been making following my wonderful workshop last Sunday with Amy and .Lindsay.
Lindsay showed us the most marvelous card - I had admired this card since she showed it on her blog as one of her samples -  and boy, was I chuffed that we were to make it. I thought it would possibly make into an ATC, so I had a go and - 8 atcs later, this is what I ended up with.

A bit nice eh?
The other best bit about these ATCs is the fact that the little tree stamps and words were a Xmas present from Lindsay's sister Heather.
Just keeping it in the family girls.

WOYWW IS IT REALLY 1 WEEK TO GO?

I cannot believe that 2 years have passed so quickly and that during that time (not the whole 2 years I hasten to add - I was a late starter) I have nosied around your craft spaces, poked in your cupboards, drawers and boxes, and enjoyed looking at the amazing creations going on in your space. What an adventure. Long may it continue. All thanks, of course to our wonderful leader Julia, without whom none of this travel would be possible.
I have a little surprise this week. My craft space is not bare. I've been getting inky and enjoying myself following a big dose of a craft workshop last Sunday.

I rummaged through my alcohol inks to find the blues, greens, a yellow and an orange in order to make ATC-sized matts.

Each one turned out different as you can see.

I put them to one side, chopped down an early flowering clematis, made tea, watched the news then made an atc.

Ooops! rumbled. I did all that yesterday. But, my craft space looks like this this morning.

Still in production, but there is a finished card to be seen.
The other day,I had a little request from a friend about how to use 7 Gypsies gaffer tape. I've never come across this product so can't advise her, can you please.
Right, I'm off to do some visiting now. Roll on the very exciting next week.

MEN CAN WEAR PINK - FACT

I excitedly received my 3 ATCs from Heather's April swap, and they are wonderful.

Top left is Heather's card. I love this image as the men look really officious and true chauvinists. They would soon be told in this house!!
Top right is Mel's card. Just love his pink suit 'cos that is really pink. The beadazzles are my favourite and add to the whimsical theme.
Bottom middle is my pal Sonia's card. I have several of Sonia's ATCs and she never ceases to amaze me with her imagination. This made me laugh and immediately think of the story line in Corrie at the moment. However, it also made me remember that Sonia is in Spain at the moment soaking up the sun and atmosphere...................
A great big thank you to Heather for holding this swap. I always enjoy taking part even when the subject seems impossible. Next time though, I hope more join in the fun as I think poor Heather was a little worried at the lack of participants this time.
Well, the weather has spoilt the outside work we are having done as the lads can't do this rendering in the rain. They managed to complete about half of the walls yesterday and it looks fabulous.

This is the wall I showed the other day with all the insulation and black screws showing. The coating is gorgeous now. Perhaps the sun will return next week especially as 'peg leg' has a big birthday on Tuesday - it's his 70th but don't let on I told you!!!