Dolly Daydreams!

Yesterday I was busy prepping my workshop for this Saturday at Pickleberry Papercrafts. I do like to be organised... me? organised...not much hope of that! But I thought I would show you a little peek of my Dolly Daydream! She is a vison of Autumnal beauty, and for those of you coming to Saturday's workshop, the world is your oyster...lots of alcohol inks, distress inks, sticky back canvas,  grungepaper, craft plastic, and shrink plastic! This was probably one of the most difficult pieces of mine to photograph, and with the absolutely gorgeous weather we had yesterday, I had to wait till the sun went down to photograph! Loving this heat!!

Here is the sneaky peek, and there are still a couple of places if you fancy a day out getting inky and messy with me! I promise I will show you the full mannequin after the workshop :))

Have a very creative day

WOYWW and.....Winners! Winners! Winners!

Today is Wednesday and with no exception I am blogging my now not so very tidy desk for What's On Your Workdesk..., and  I thought I would announce the winners of my blogaversary giveaway as well... combinations are always good! The desk is in the throws of preparing my dress Up Doll workshop for Saturday, sneak peek tomorrow...:))) and the tag from yesterday's post using the new Autumn Seasonal distress inks... so yummy.... 

With apologies to the delightfully accommodating Julia who hosts WOYWW, here are my winners of my blog candy, chosen by the ever faithful random integer here are the winners!
This birdie is flying to

Gabrielle

One of the goodie packs goes to

Emma's Blog,

and the other goodie pack to

Jozart,

and finally my workshop ( or goodies if you cannot get to one) goes to

 Salamanda!

Congratulations to everyone, and thank you to all who joined in ... always appreciated :)) Please email me your details so I can send you your candy!
Have a very Creative day today...and a Happy Woywwing too!

Distressability!

Yesterday some of the Autumn Special Edition Distress inks arrived with lots more coming soon:) Of course I just had to have a quick play with them to see how the colours were, and ooh I am in love!  This is a very quick tag using the Tattered Leaves die ( cut out in chipboard, a tag ( what else did you expect!) and some of , (well almost all of the charms) from the Idea-ology Halloween set. I only used the Autumn colours, and they are just perfect together. The leaves are stamped on top in the same colour with the sequin waste, dots and mini dots.. and the ruler is from the Ephemera set.

I do still have some sets left , if you are thinking of pre-ordering them. The second batch are due in , in about 3 weeks
Hope you have a creative day.
Hugs

A short interlude.....

I had every intention of blogging while I was languishing in the hotel room after the show at Ally Pally, but... my feet hurt sorely, and I got tempted out for a long cocktail with some friends...lol, so I saved the pictures for today!
These are the most wonderful pieces of artwork from our very illustrious Creative Team, which are now on display at the shows which we do. Thank you girls for providing them:))



The show was great as always, and I met lots of friends and made new ones, and saw some gorgeous artwork ( thanks for showing Debs!), and even had my photo taken...eeek were they sure!!!???? The van is now unpacked, and it is back down to the business of running a rubber stamp company...that is until the next time.....
Hope you have a very creative day.
P.S. it is the final day tomorrow to win blog candy from me...here
Hugs

woyww...it's a halo time!

It's that day again..you know the one in the middle of the week, that is spelt

W E D N E S D A Y....and

W O R K D E S K .

I have a halo ( well almost!) this week because after last week's showing of my drawers, I spent the best part of Sunday clearing up my

M E S S!!!!

and all the boxes by my desk are are away and decanted into my new drawers, and the carpet underneath the desk is now free for me to move, rather than be cramped in one tiny spot! I never said I had done underneath the desk! Just in front of it...need to leave something for another day! The underneath is getting a makeover when DH has finished the bathrooom.. (he doesn't know this yet...)

 Now the patch on the carpet is black water where I dropped a jar of painty water, and it won't come out! Anyone got a washer vacuum I can borrow?!
Anyway, why am I waffling on? Well today is What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday held by the delightful hostess with the mostest- Julia ... so if you have never been there, I would definitely recommend a look at all the other crafty spaces around the world... I am hoping to get time to look too!
Have a Happy Wednesday

Too little time..too much to do...

Hello! I had so intended to create this week, but time sort of ran away with me, so I thought I would show you one of my videos . If you have never seen them , then prepare yourself for a laugh! Mal always films them and we often end up in fits of giggles, and then I have to start again! More often than not, I then have to edit them to try and take out the laughter , and the swearing! LOL It is a while since I made one, so I am scheduling time for us to make a couple more.. that will be in 2012!

I am getting ready for The Big Stamp And Scrapbooking Show at Alexandra Palace this weekend, so it is a mad frenzy of packing and pricing new goodies. btw we are not on the exhibitor list for some reason, but we are The Stamp Connection stand no 52, I think....but don't quote me on that!  If you are coming please drop by us, say hello, you have to tap me on the shoulder ...or at least introduce yourself...I am the one getting inky fingers! LOL
Have a great Tuesday and let me know if you have watched the vids.

Have you ever been...

inspired by something, and then thought love the idea, but I can't do that? Well Nicky's so simple, so creative project for the Creative Team, so inspired Kate from Pickleberry yesterday, she made her own, and I sat down this morning for a few minutes , and made my version of her version of Minxy's version! How to get your creative juices flowing! Wonderful!



Stamps used Tim Holtz Mini Halloween  & Mini Halloween 2 , Mini Labels
Tissue Tape used Hobgoblin
How to make and do is here, and to Minxy , thank you for the inspiration! It has started my day off gloriously!
Have a creative day and if you get to try this technique, please show us.. we love to see what you have done :)
Hugs

woyww... a change of image!

The caption says a change of image... well you can decide for yourself:) Today is Wednesday, day of desks, held by the delectable Miss Julia in her haven of tranquility, presiding over a large number of desks from crafters around the world! Welcome to What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday.
Now although you don't often see it, my desk has been surrounded by boxes piled high, and spilling their contents onto the floor whenever I create! Now the carpet is almost clear... well a girl has to have some foibles..lol, and the boxes have been decanted into drawers, a whole two tall large sets for them!! Pull out a drawer...distress inks, pull out another drawer.. alcohol inks.. you get the picture?

Seventh Heaven! all because of a set of drawers!! LOL
You can hop over to Julia's and take a look round everyone else's perfect workdesk, or you could jump here to add yourself to my blogaversary candy, and be in with a chance to win:))
Now hop back to Julia's...
Happy Woywwing!
 

Autumn camouflage-this birdie is flying your way

Today at exactly this time, 4 years ago, I started my blog, which I thought not many people would read, or be interested in... I was prompted by Hels, who started hers the same week, and was my first commentator! Thank you Hels :)
Today I am writing my 650th post!!! who'd have thought it! Sometimes the posts I write are complete rubbish! Sometimes I like the posts, and not often, but sometimes, I write about stuff other than crafting!
I have never forgotten about YOU, who reads it, and follows my forays into workshops, creating, and my trips, and to everyone who follows , and to everyone who comments. It is what keeps me going , and continuing to show you my art, and my stamps. THANK YOU! I feel that I am writing to friends that are worldwide, and some of whom I have met, some of whom I email, and some who I would love to meet!
For you today I have made this to give away, one of my wooden birds , ( told you I was addicted to them! lol) adorned with my favourite products, printable shrink plastic, and alcohol inks and of course stamps! I used The Tattered Leaves Alterations die to cut them out, and added holes for the mini brads before alcohol inking them, and punching holes for the brads. A little bit of stamping on the leaves with black Archival ink, and a whole pile of hot glue ( mind those fingers!) to attach them to the black gessoed bird.

 and these to win,

and these....

and this is for one special person ....a workshop with me.. anytime ( of course you may not want to win this....LOL!) If you live too far away , we will work something out :)))

So FOUR giveaways, one for each year and open to all.
If you think you could bear to share, please post on your side bar for an extra entry!
I will draw this on Thursday 22nd September.
Sadly today is another anniversary, and when I started my blog, I truly didn't realise the significance for the date... so thinking of all 9/11 victims and their families, may peace be in this world.

Happy Blogging to all, and stay Creative
Hugs

In my Drawers!

Happy Saturday to you!A little while ago, I took a workshop with Jane Dean at Pickleberry Papercrafts.. not often I do that, but it was great fun to be taught, and not to teach. We made lots of inserts for a 7 gypsies library tray, using a sewing machine and papers, and a little bit of stamping..lots of ribbons and other bits :)) I am not sure if I have shown these before, but this was my interpretation of Jane's teaching :))
Take one of these:

and add these ....

It will sit on my desk in due course with all my completed artwork in, bearing in mind I only made it a couple of months ago!!
I have to say a big thank you to everyone who commented on my blog yesterday and on facebook about my steampunk birdie... in answer to one of the questions, I sort of placed them , rather than threw them into the glue... so it was thought about, but I have to say I could make lots of birdies all day long.. they kind of speak to me... so watch this space :))
Have a very creative day, and don't forget to come back to0morrow for giveaway goodies....whispering this so you get a chance to win!
P.S. the new Tim Holtz Alterations are now on the website , in anticipation of them arriving on Monday!
Hugs

Watch the Birdie!

It's that Friday feeling here at Artistic Towers, and with my eye very slowly getting better , I thought I would create a little no stamping piece today. Actually it did start out with stamping, but because I am not thinking straight, I messed it up! So I started again, and came up with this!"
This is one of those gorgeous hanging wooden birds that we sell, painted with the new Black Studio Gesso from Claudine Hellmuth and then covered in Studio Multi Matte medium, and lots of watch bits added to it. When the multi medium dries it is clear and will stick metal, plastic, material, in fact anything....wonderful stuff!



I really enjoyed making this piece, and praise indeed from my DS, who really liked it!! Wonders will never cease.....
Have a very creative evening

Butterflying!

Hello!
It isn't often I say hello. Do we say it on blogs or just launch into the tirade of this is what I made, have done etc etc? This week as always seems to fly by, and apart from the fact that I am seeing this through one eye ( conjunctivitis has reared its ugly head! grrr) , I wanted to share with you my little red tag with a gorgeous one off butterfly that I made during a UTEE class! It is a one off , as you pour your colours of UTEE in a circular motion onto the non stick mat and place a cookie cutter into the UTEE. Wait till it cools,and lift it off. To make sure the cookie cutter lifts off, don't forget to add a little smear of embossing ink inside the cutter!
I added one of our new background stamps lightly to the tag over my favourite new product Distress Stains!

Now if you are a regular reader, you may have spotted that it is my blogaversary very soon....should I celebrate it...I mean I have waffled for almost 4 years about this and that with the odd piece of art thrown in! Should I??? Of course, what would be a Jennie blog without some sort of giveaway??!! Watch this space!
Have a very creative day.. I am off to lie in a darkened room with a chamomile teabag on my eye! ( doctors orders! LOL)
Hugs

woyww...the French edition

For those of you who read my blog, you will know that on Sunday I went to the biggest flea market in the world in Lille , France, and wow! what a wonderful time was had! Now I had planned to tidy my desk, and arrange all my goodies on it in an arty arrangement, so you could ooh and aaah over them! But in time honoured fashion, not much hope of that!! Too busy resting my poor overworked feet, and now it gets dark so early, and the light is awful for photos, so even if I had tidied my desk, you wouldn't have been able to see it! So I plonked probably my best buy ( for altering that is) on the desk, took an angled photo, and hoped for the best. Actually there were 2 of these, and I bought them with a friend, so she had one, and I the other. DH has cleaned it up for me ( a little rusty it was) so I can alter it... I feel an alcohol ink moment coming on.I did buy lots more " stuff" and am saving that for another day!

Now if you think that this very strange picture of my very untidy desk with a vintage stamp holder on it is peculiar, then step into the world of Mrs Dunnit and her wonderful world of Desks at What's On Your Work desk Wednesday!
Have a very creative Wednesday :))

ooh la, la!

Bonjour mes amis!
Day: Sunday ; Time: 4am,  Place: Braderie de Lille, France! Company:  6 gypsies set off to travel under the sea to tramp the streets of Lille, France in search of the elusive treasure!
What a wonderful day it was! I was in seventh heaven....it was like being in the biggest junk shop in the world! It is undescribable....thousands of poeple (they say 2 million visit every year), thousands of stalls, all selling this and that and even a bit more! lol I certainly didn't take enough photos...

We were there early enough to park near, so not far to walk ( well that is an understatement, but not far to walk to the beginning, whenerever  that might be, as the whole of the centre of Lille is shut off, and there are just streets and streets of antiques, and bric a brac and food, and treasure!

Walk; buy; walk; coffee; walk; look; walk; lunch: the traditional moules et frites; glass of rose!

Walk; more treasure; walk; amazing sites; new made to look old!

Walk; supermarket; cheese, bread; goodies for home!

Back under the sea, and time to collapse!
Thank you to the best 5 gypsies I know,, Jane ( thank you for driving)  Kate, Julie, Helen, and Charlotte  it was pleasure to be with you, and I am raising a glass to the next one!
jusqu'à la prochaine fois!