Textured to taste

Hard to believe but a few weeks ago I was sitting at my craft desk and wondering what to do, or if I even wanted to craft!   Since doing some blog travel and seeing the various challenges my mojo is once again energised.

Yesterday I spent a while on Youtube looking at various craft videos, found 3 that really took my interest, first was the one on brayering with embossing folders, found here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH-Xd8n2MXA

And the other was on paper flowers, found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYEm3bB44fE&feature=fvwrel    Both proved to be very useful for todays craft session.  I even had a go at folding my own paper rose,  first attempt isn't bad, just needs work! 

This tag has both new techniques,  although the background can't be seen much.  The flowers really did please me,  spent a bit more time on them,  following the video,  but substituting the Slice Flowers,  cut in different sizes,  the large one is 3" going down to 2",  and the smaller one is 1.5 " to 1".   I cut them, then inked them with them,   then stamped using a versamark black inkpad, then some holographic embossing powder, they then got painted with crackle glaze and dunked in the jewel enamel powder.  The last bit was an experiment on my part, but it worked,   if you look at the close up of the flower above you can see the enamel - just!   A bit more dunking I think!    Then it was more inking and stamping,  and the spare bit of metal,  embossed with the musical stave.  Added the die cut butterfly, now it just needs the ribbon.

That pretty much took me a couple of hours, with drying times, cutting and gluing.

Then I looked at the Sunday Stampers to see what the next challenge was, the theme is Green.

So out came another embossing folder,  the brayer, green and yellow ink pads...  and: ta da!  I deliberately brayered into the edges, wanted it to have a grungy feel,   the folder is a bit wonky - it did come like that, really I should have returned it, but it seems to work.   Still felt like it needed a bit more ink on it,  too much white space!

That's better, more ink!  And out came the lamp post,  think I need a lamp post die!   

Stopped there, sort of, cut a few more things that may get used, or they may not.   Think I may brayer a further background,  you'll see why tomorrow  hopefully, well the forecast is for torrential rain, now isn't that a surprise - NOT.

This is the summer that forgot to arrive.  There has been far too much gloom and rain.  There is good news, since the delivery of the dressings I, yes ME, has got the wound back under control.   On Thursday, a full 24 hours before she was due to arrive a District nurse appeared,  told her I'd only just changed the dressing late the previous evening,  she dithered and then said she'd be back on Tuesday...   !    Good thing that I was blessed with common sense,  meaning that I do know when a dressing needs changing and not to bother phoning District nurses!    Further confusion earlier in the week when I did phone them, using the number we always used,  left message on answering machine,  ten minutes later they call back, well a receptionist does telling me I had used the wrong number,  she then gave me the number I should have rung,  I wrote it down carefully, then compared it to the number I had rung and guess what, it was the same bloody one!     I don't want to rubbish the district nurses,  last year they were fantastic, came when they said they would, always made sure I had plenty of dressings, gloves etc - now it is chaos and I can't help but feel that the cut in services has something to do with it.  We hand out billions in aid,   to the likes of India who has a nuclear bomb and is planning on a space programme, meanwhile we can't fund our NHS properly!  

No dramas this weekend either,  same old rubbishy weather, only last week it was the other way round, Saturday was our good day and Sunday was the rubbish day.    My new craft space is working,  sorted out my stamps,  got them in order,  and my inks.  Next for a tidy is my toolbox,  which is your bog standard toolbox,  bought for a tenner at B&Q, do I care if it isn't pink - no!   I've also realised that my desk tidy can be turned into a craft holder for my tools.  

That's all for now folks,  thanks for stopping by.   Will remind myself to take more pics and make notes of what inks I am using, well the TH ones all have odd names. 

Take care