Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Sleep well tonight!

I cannot believe that it is the last day of May! Time is slipping by fast! It is also my time on The Creative Team blog too!, and this month we had Mabel Lucie Attwell beautifully created by all of the Team. If you would like to see all of my creation, pop over to the blog, and leave me a comment, and don't forget to check out out the Creative Team's absolutely gorgeous pieces!

Have a creative Tuesday!
 

Monday, May 30, 2011

Grungy Monday 09

I was absolutely delighted when Linda asked me to be a guest designer alongside Kaz at the Little Shabby Shed for her Grungy Monday Challenge! The criteria is to use one of Mr Holtz's techniques that he has shown over the past few years, and make it your own, or if you prefer follow it to the letter! This week it is
I love this technique, simple, effective, and so shabby chic! Often when doing Linda's challenges, I like to think out of the box, and in this case I thought right in the box, and used a set of drawers found in a charity shop yonks ago, and we altered it , so I could add feet ( that is my DH did! lol)
 I used the technique Tim describes so well in his blog post, add his new Papillon stamps, a set of foundation feet and corners, all covered in Dabbers to shabby chic them! I think I went French on this project! lol The base colour is Denim, covered in Juniper, Cloudy Blue, Shell Pink, and Sherbet. I even covered one of the Curio knobs in dabber too ( ok well a little bit of it!)





If you haven't got the products, improvise, and make the technique your own!
The challenge is open to absolutely everyone, and if you join in, please add your creation to All Things Tim Yahoo Group too, where there is a special folder created by Gloria (list mom) for you to upload your creation!
Love, love this technique, and thank you Linda for the challenge, and for allowing me to be a guest designer. I am truly honoured, and humbled :)
To see Linda's Creation of the week, and Kaz's tooo, pop over to Grungy Monday, and get creating!
 Hugs

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Soft and smooth...

like a baby's bottom.. that's how the advert goes! If my memory serves me right those are the words for an advert for baby wipes, or is it baby powder? Either way it doesn't matter, but yesterday I spent a very fine afternoon playing with baby wipes, in between small demos to customers at Pickleberry Papercrafts!
Sarah was there, and she showed me this wonderful technique she had done, using baby wipes. Now I know that if I use baby wipes to mop up, clean stamps, clean my hands ( you are joking of course! ) my hands are always inky!! lol, I just throw them away. Sarah keeps them , dries them out, glues them to clear packaging, (we used Tim Holtz packaging) and die cuts them! Absolutely gorgeous, especially when covered in multi-coloured inks! I especially liked the soft and smooth feel of the underside, or you could make it the top, as the wipes dry out , they become velvety, and smooth to touch, hence the title of the post!
Here is a little card I made using the technique...now off to colour up some wipes with inks and sprays!
Have a Creative Sunday!
 

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Travelling light!

It has been a busy week, with lots going on...and now a lovely Bank Holiday long weekend, (as if you didn't know! lol)  I found time to make a little ATC which uses some of the new stamps from The Artistic Stamper. I distress inked the background with lots of yellows and reds, and a bit more, and stamped the workman's ticket over the map background, and sequin waste background, followed by a clock face, and an altered Bingo charm from Tim Holtz. Add 2 teeny weeny Penny Farthing Steampunk charms and you are travelling light! The words are from the new Travel Word stamp set.

If you wondered why I used the number 20? Well, our offer on the website this Spring Bank Holiday weekend is a 20% voucher to spend anytime you like, with any order this weekend over £10! If you don't receive our newsletter , then do sign up, (the link is at the top of this page) and get our exclusive offers for all our newsletter readers!
Have a great and creative weekend!
Hugs

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

WOYWW 103...and the 600th time!

How  do you start off the 600th post on your blog,and oh how on earth did I get to waffle so much over 600 posts???!! Well a good number of my posts, approximately  at least one a week  for the past year or more has gone on waffling about my desk space.. and showing you the same mess every week!!!! lol I mean, aren't you bored yet? Next week sees the PIF (pay it forward) 2 year anniversary of What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday from the gorgeous Julia, and I could show you a sneak peek of my piece, but it true, time honoured fashion...I can't!!( that's cos I haven't made it yet!! lol) , but never fear I will, we have another long weekend coming up, and I almost always use some of that time to create, and this will be no exception!
So here is my desk, clean , tidy, a little differently arranged....but the same space as always ...and I thought because it is not the usual pile it up, push it back, leave a little one inch space to work in... I would give away to one random blogger who comments, a little something off my desk...3 little bottles of Ranger glossy Accents, Studio Multi medium matte, and crackle glaze in honour of my 600th post!, so you can start your own pile of bottles!
I have included a WIP too! A just for me Smash book, which will always be a work in progress.. I think!
Thank you for popping by my desk.....
edited.. If you are having problems commenting (after all there is blog candy..lol )blogger wouldn't let me in to comment anywhere this morning, using my google login, so I used my name and url instead and that worked!
Have a very Happy What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday!

Monday, May 23, 2011

I am shrinking!

It's true, the older I get the more I shrink.. even my son says I am getting smaller, and I ain't that tall! But in this case this weekend, I shrunk a whole lot more! Saturday saw one of my Shrink Plastic classes at Pickleberry Papercrafts. It was a small intimate class, with lots of silence while everyone concentrated, but such fun :)) I loved every minute, thank you Rosemary, Carol, and Beth for putting up with my madness!
Everyone made bracelets using a very random technique, and then we made canvases ( no pic 'cos I forgot to take any of the canvases , which were so creative!) but I did take a "show me your hands" picture!
Love all the different bracelets, even though everyone used the same technique!
Here is my take on a shrinky bracelet using Tim's Alterations, and one stamps (the open sequin waste background) and printable shrink plastic, which is so versatile as you can use any ink on it at all even distress inks!

Have a very creative day!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Have you seen....

...our Creative Team blog lately? Over on The Artistic Stamper Creative Team blog,
we have a Mabel Lucie Attwell month going on! All of the girls have been busy creating wonderful artwork using the nostalgic Mabel Lucie Attwell images.... I often hear how these stamps give stampers that " oh it takes me back to my childhood...."
If you haven't seen any of the gorgeous artwork that the Team has done, pop over and say hi, we love comments :)) and followers :))) Don't forget to scroll down to the older posts too!
Here is a little taster for you....

I am off to teach a class in shrinking plastic today, so should get a move on or I will be late!
Have a sunny creative day!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Saving Daisy --the world's biggest raffle!

It isn't often that I read something and think ooh if that happened to me, what would I do? A facebook friend has a huge dilemma, and a very expensive one, and a friend of mine, Kirsty Wiseman has decided to help her by holding a raffle, and by a raffle I mean the biggest raffle that probably has been held in the world of crafting raffles!!! A ticket is £2 and oh what you could win, is amazing, and you can help Janey Pye and Daisy !

 All you have to do is pop over here to Kirsty's blog, get the details, and a whole load of goodies could be yours!
I am off to get my ticket...
Check it out!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

woyww 102... a challenge indeed

eeek! only 2 weeks till I have to have a pif ready for the What's On Your Workdesk , hosted by the delectable Julia .. a challenge indeed for me, seeing as the state of my desk looks like I have come in, dumped everything on it, and walked away! You'd be right!!! lol... this week, been to a crop, worked (often do that!) been to France for a brief interlude ( such fun with some of the best people I know!!!) working all day today, and working on new stamp designs on Thursday! So when will I fit in the several pieces of artwork that must be done, including the PIF? I will find time, but first I think I have to tidy up my desk....lol


I hope to get round to some of your wonderfully creative desks this week (I can do it with my eyes shut, and a great deal of coffee!lol) , but if I don't please don't be disappointed , it won't be from lack of trying.
Have a very creatively woyww day!

Monday, May 16, 2011

A Happy time had by al!

Twice a year, we hot foot it up to the North, past Watford, to Happy Stampers North West Stamping Festival at Port Sunlight. It is probably time for me to stop driving so far in 2 days, as I am absolutely exhausted and these days it takes me so much longer to recover, but I love seeing everyone up there, and I would miss out on my pickles from Annie P!!! Thank you Annie.. yummy as always!!In defence, though we do have a great time, and I love everyone I meet :)) Hi to all the UKStampers who popped by to say hello :))  I demoed as always, my meltpot, no surprise there then? lol. I used the new Glassine papers to make roses, and covered them in clear UTEE, stunning! Here are a few of the samples that I gave away, and yes I managed to photograph them... always do that: make, give away, have no record of what I made!!



I have a very busy day catching up on Friday's work, and sorting out stock, and uploading new products to the website ( please be patient..there are a lot!) ...we have a delivery due in today of new Sizzix Alterations, and some more steampunk charms too!, oh and Wendy Vecchi Art Parts too!
Off now to return the truck... love being a white Van Man!! rofl
Have a creative day!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

WOYWW 101.. a cropped edition!

Welcome to my cropping edition of What's On Your Workdesk! Last night I spent a very pleasant evening in the company of some gorgeous girls at Pickleberry Papercrafts! So, this week for the 101th edition of Julia's show us your desk, here is mine from last night! Gorgeous and tidy and not a bottle in sight!lol I took this just before I started anything! Did I finish anything? nah! but I had fun :))


If you have never taken part in this glorious phenonomen, then hop, skip and jump  to Julia's Queen of desks and show us yours!
Have a woyww of a day!

Monday, May 09, 2011

Melting,shrinking art weekend

What a fab weekend I have just had! I am totally and utterly exhausted , and today was hard going just to get through it, but always, always worth it! I taught a shrink art class on Saturday, with 4 wonderfully talented ladies, and on Sunday I indulged in meltpot, and lots of techniques with even more talented ladies and a young man as well! Thank you to Nina at It's Crafting Time for a great weekend, and to all who took part, I hope you enjoyed it :))
Here are a few snapshots of the workshops, see how inky the hands are!! lol


Love the tablecloth too! lol
Hugs

Saturday, May 07, 2011

on my travels....

I am off up the M25 ( just my favourite place! not ) this morning to Cambridge, to teach at It's Crafting Time! I love it there,  a lovely airy workshop space, with lots of room to move, and the hostess with the mostest...Nina who always makes me laugh lots!! This afternoon is a shrink plastic workshop, and if we can cram it all in, a bracelet, and a canvas too.. here is a sneak peek.

 Tomorrow is my masterclass on UTEE, by far , my most favourite of all the techniques and products that I use! I have remembered my camera, and if I get time I will tweet too!
Have a very Creative weekend :))
Hugs

Wednesday, May 04, 2011

woyww...hanging in there!

It's that day again! you know the one where I show you my messy desk... where it seems I have done very little to it since the last time you saw it! What's on your workdesk, hosted by the Lovely Julia, happens each week, and each week, you would expect my desk to be filled with ART! this week has been as lazy as last week in that respect.. well not really as I have been busy working , and doing other stuff (like watching a certain wedding, and hosting a street party!..lol) , so I thought as the desk hasn't changed much I would show you a close up of my hanging light! Well it hangs, and is a light, and from the amount of stuff on it, I am totally surprised that it isn't lying on the desk! I sort of hang stuff on it , just in case I might use it someday, but some of it I like too much to use ( you know the touch it feel stuff!!!)

Anyways enough waffle, why don't you jump over to Julia's and say hello to a few other desk hoppers!
Happy woywwing!

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Core'dinating!

I have to admit, I have some core'dination papers from way back when, and have I used them?... no! But when the new Ranger Core'dinations appeared in the office, I just had to touch and feel them , and wow what an amazing amount of colours! This long weekend, has been a very lazy one for me.. should have done stuff.. haven't.. will suffer for that..but I did get out the Vagabond, and the new Brolly man alterations die, some texture fades, and the Distress Stains and had a play with the new Core'dinations, and I am in love...!! I layered them all onto the Kraft Resist Paper. Mr mojo has kind of been taking a holiday too.. why when you stop creating do they think it is a holiday too? But this piece is more an experiment than anything else, and it definitely needs stamping down the sides, but nothing came to mind, and I didn't trust my hand to draw today!!


Hope you have had a good holiday weekend, back to work for me today!!
Have a Creative one!

Sunday, May 01, 2011

I am Shrinking!

One of my favourite products of all time , excluding UTEE, Alcohol inks, distress inks..lol is Shrink Plastic! It has been around ever since I can remember and I often forget about it. It is a brilliant medium to use for embellishments, and jewellery. I have a couple of workshops using it, one coming this next weekend at It's Crafting Time near Cambridge, and one later in the month at Pickleberry Papercrafts, near Faversham kent.  Here is a little snippet of one of the projects we will be making....

If you fancy creating with Shrink Plastic please contact Nina at It's Crafting Time  on 01763 262417, and Kate at Pickleberry on 01795 597757
Have a fun and Creative day!