Without fear...

Well it snowed!   It was supposed to start at around 11 a.m. yesterday morning, but it started at around breakfast and just kept on coming.    I'd miscalculated how much milk we had so had to go to supermarket where I was amazed to see it quite busy,  that was in spite of the howling snowstorm outside.

By lunchtime we had icicles on the windows,  and it was still snowing.   I was very happy to stay put.  I got on with my clock, which has turned into a project and then some.  I have been dithering over ideas and colours.  This could be the finished article, or not,  the colours are decided.   It is now stuck together, the bits aren't yet stuck on,  I may still change my mind about how it is to be decorated. 

My rub 'n buff came today, that was fast, and especially given the terrible weather.  Delighted with it. 

I do want to use this Angel on something as she is so beautiful.  She was a fridge magnet but was far too pretty to stay on the fridge door.    The lettering, such as it is, was made by the Slice,  using the Findings card, which also allows you to make shadows, or mirror images. 

I did venture out again today,  just to our corner shop.  I've got some of those snow grippers,  even so I took my time.  The main roads are now clear,  luckily the buses kept running yesterday which helps to mix in the salt.   I couldn't believe how many idiots were driving without lights,  along with those who hadn't cleared the snow off their windows properly - and then they wonder how accidents happen!   Always amuses me when a news report says a car swerved into a tree... but fails to mention that it required help from the human being behind the wheel.  

Another giggle was at the supermarket,  I picked up a pack of tomatoes which were labelled:  Classic Round Tomatoes...  what other shape to tomatoes come in?   Have Sainsburys plans to grow square or oblong tomatoes?    What next, white milk?   

Not sure if I will complete the clock tomorrow, may have a break from it and then decide on the decoration.  Feel the need to do something different,  hoping there will be something among the challenges that will get the mojo going.

A little bit rusty...

I've been working on my clock this week.  My aim was to try and make it look like rusty metal.   Having no idea how I just had a go,  I first painted the frame with some gesso.  Then gave it a coat of black poster paint, a layer of PVA glue and some umber paint.  I was sparing with the PVA,  didn't want the crackle look, but rust!    After a blast with the heat gun I began to get what I wanted as the glue began to bubble nicely.  I applied a few layers of TH distress markers, brass, copper and silver, and kept on blasting away with the heat gun.  I left it dry overnight,  then today I added a very thin coat of  light brown poster paint.  Would have been nice to have some rub and buff,  but some perfect pearls did instead.  And this is the final result!  I just kept on making the PVA glue bubble up till I got a rusty looking effect.   I have to say I am really chuffed with this.   I did eventually find a Youtube demo,  will put the link up over the weekend.

Here is the whole clock frame.  My next task is to of course add the decoration.  I've got some bits and bobs I can use,  and have worked out what will be going in each panel. I've still got the back of the clock to do,  it will also be rusty.  Oh and cut some numbers out. 

It has been freezing cold here, now we are waiting for the snow to arrive!  It is due tomorrow.   I've already got the shopping,  went to a supermarket I generally avoid, but felt like a change then remembered why I avoid it - cos of the idiots that go there.  It isn't a very spacious supermarket,  but that doesn't stop the idiots from blocking up the aisles.  I was hoping that the DIY store may have had some rub n buff,  it tends to be a bit of an Aladdin's cave, but no such luck.  It was just too darn cold to hang around too long.   I picked up a few basic supplies on Tuesday from The Range,  still needed the U mount and some cheap PVA glue.  I discovered that Papermania do their own cling on for unmounted stamps, and it was bigger and cost a lot less than the Umount,  and I like it, not just for the cost it just seems nicer.  The large bottle of PVA cost me a whole £1,  at craft shop it was 3 times as much.  

Another up and down week,  I've noticed how mum is not only becoming more dependent on me, which is what I'd expect, but also very needy.    She's only been out once this week,  so I think it is time for me to suggest a day centre as I now definitely need some real 'me' time.   Got my BP check tomorrow, think it will be sky high due to stress - that's if I can get there,  won't be going if the white stuff is coming down. 

It will be more crafting tomorrow,  get the back of the clock sorted and the decoration.  Also picked up a copy of Stamper, and there is some stuff I'd like to try in there.

Stay safe and warm

Not one flake of snow...  but it hasn't got any warmer.  

I've been wanting to make this picture for a while now.  The inspiration is the little owl, which was a present.   I used a piece of canvas board,  and the PM chronology papers,  a bit of lace,  and a couple of grungepaper flowers.  I got the verse from the internet.   Owls are my favourite birds,  and I now seem to be acquiring a collection of them.  In fact I was at the garden centre and noticed some lovely stuffed cloth owls,  was so tempted to buy one!   This pic is for me, so it will be going on one of my easels. 


Also had a sort out of the desk... it was a tad crowded!   I heard one of the CnC demonstrators say her workspace gets gradually smaller, so does mine!    It would be nice to be organised, but that isn't ever going to happen.  I also watched the CnC shows from CHA,  I did fear for Nigel's health as he didn't seem to be coming up for breath!   But it was a little too manic.  They've got the launch of the new Indigoblu stuff so will tune in for that. 

On the homefront mum's health continues to deteriorate.   I'm trying to encourage her to move a little bit more, she says she is very sore and stiff,  which comes from doing too much sitting around.   It was too cold for her to venture out yesterday,  even in the house she is complaining of being cold which leaves me sweltering as the heating has to go up.   There is also her annoying habit of wanting a cup of tea in the middle of of the night,  which wasn't an issue till now,  she's just not able to do it - may tell her to buy a teasmade! 

Not sure what I'll be doing crafting wise this week,  got the clock to get on with, may see what some of the other challenges bring.   The craft sort out is still waiting to happen. Perhaps I just ought to just do it and see what I have,  there is an awful lot not being used. 

Wherever you are stay safe,   and have a lovely week

Things with Wings...

Looks like Jack Frost is about - definite nip in the air.

A frustrating crafting week.  I've been trying to come up with something for the Craft Barn Dictionary challenge,  the letter was V, plenty of choice, but my idea just didn't work.   I will return to it next week as it runs throughout the year.

So instead 'Things with Wings',  for ABAC and Sunday Stampers.  It was also an accident!   I was so fed up with the CB challenge that I was rummaging and found this round background I'd made ages ago... so I set to it.  I made the heart using the fran-tage, first a lot of UTEE

Then some blue and green glass,  some bluish powder and bit of silver.   All got plonked onto craft mat,  got it nice and gooey and then in went the stamp.   Once it had cooled I dabbed on some Radiant Rain and it nicely picked up the relief pattern,   it also got a bit of silver rubbed on here and there.

The flutterby was made out of grungeboard, I cut round a template.  Gave him a good coating of TH distress silver distress stain,   once dry he was embossed using versamark and a flourish stamp, plus silver powder.

The heat gun curled his wings,  there is a fair bit of Pinflair holding them up,  just a row of pearls for his body,  and some flowers.   I decided to add some lace, which was dunked in cold tea to turn it cream.

Then I went hunting for a nice quote and found this one which is really nice.  I used some clear self adhesive labels,  sticking it onto a piece of inked and stamped card,  then on to a chunky label, which had also had a liberal coating of Radiant Rain, and a faux screw.

It was nice to achieve something after a week of frustration.    I also had two vouchers to spend at the craft shop...  so got two more TH distress stains, brass and copper,  and some Do-Crafts Chronology stuff,  a few papers, tags and the brads. 

The temperature is dropping so best go turn the heat up.  Stay safe and warm.

Chuffed!

I had a nice surprise today,  I checked the ABAC challenge blog to find I'd made the 'sensational seven'!    That really cheered me up as there hasn't been a lot to smile about lately,  it was my Christmas tag,  on which I worked very hard.  It is so nice to have some recognition. 

So with my mojo rejuvenated I set to work on the carriage clock which is pictured here.  It is quite large,  and will be fully functioning by the end. It was when I was mucking around yesterday with some embossing powders that gave me the idea of how to decorate the main body of the clock,  the rest I want to be a mix of pictures and cogs, maybe a few watch parts as well.

So I gave front and back a coat of radiant rain, using the copper and gold.  Not yet finished the front, but I can say I like what I've done so far, which has been a mix of embossing powders and frantage, with some UTEE chucked in.   It took a while just to complete the top bit,  lots of sponging of versamark to get the base layers down which were gold, silver, copper and black.  Then came a thin layer of UTEE,  to give the frantage something to adhere to.   I also plan other stuff,  but more of that in the coming days! 

I also planned the inside,  cut loads of cogs so I have a good selection to choose from,  some were also dunked in embossing powder and UTEE.  I cut some in silver, but think they may be a bit 'bright',  may tame them down with some alcohol inks.  Not yet selected the pictures, but I really do feel excited by this project.

This is a practice for the inside background,  more radiant rain,  then a crumpled up plastic bag and black soot dabbed on, then pressed onto card.  I then embossed it, but now I think I prefer it plain,  and there will be enough interest with the cogs and pictures.   Also spotted the new challenge on Sunday Stampers which is wings, I've got an Owl here that I've been dying to do something with. 

Not been a bad day,  CnC had Barbara Gray this morning, with lots of new stamps.  I just love watching her work,  I really have learned a lot from her.   I'm planning to save up to join her club for my birthday.  And it has been our 3rd dry day!  Okay so it was cloudy, but it was dry.  Just hope the dry weather carries on for a while longer,  think we've all had enough of the wet stuff!

Thanks for stopping by,  have a lovely week.

Long-winded crafting...

This craft lark can really become a bit involved! I started this on Wednesday,  took an age to choose the paper,  then the stamps.   I decided to make a fan,  so more fiddly folding, then glueing, waiting for it to dry.  Needed smooth cream card,  could I find any - no!

Yesterday the fan was dry and well stuck.  Found cream card, hooray...  found lace,  double hooray...   So it was then a case of what went were, and choosing a sentiment.  I was thinking of Hels challenge at Sunday Stampers, so may enter it for that.   I can't say the fan idea was original as I spotted it on CnC, that jogged my memory.

I do like this sentiment,  though I am having a few problems seeing my 'vision',  as the brain feels fogged up. 

The stamps do need a sort out,  and it is time I put away the Christmas stuff.   But first things first I need to clean the oven...   I've given it a good spray with some cleaner, so tomorrow me and it have a date!   Not my favourite job, but then does anyone like cleaning the oven?

It's also stopped raining...  even caught a brief glimpse of some blue sky this morning.  The weather lot are being all doom and gloom, but then last year they said we'd have a drought...  and look how wrong they were.

All for now folks, thanks for stopping by.

Happy New Year

Here we go again...  2013 is up and running.

So to start off this is a picture of a new piece of frantage,  with the Arc de Triomphe stamped into it.   I melted the UTEE onto some card very thickly, then added the frantage powders,   melted them and then stamped into it.   Now I need to make a suitable background for it.

In the meantime I am getting on with my journal. A friend on an FB group posted a 'vision' statement,  it represented all she wished to happen in 2013, quite a few of us were very impressed and have adopted the idea.

 This is the start of mine,  used the French themed tag as the base,  then stamped some tickets, and the car which was embossed then I used a black pen to highlight some areas.  There is lots of stamping on the page as well, but I was frayed burlap so it isn't showing up. This will be a two page, or 3 page spread,   just now gathering ideas for the other pages which I hope I can put together tomorrow.

It's been something of a busy day today,  mum hasn't been very well,  so I found myself helping her to get a shower and getting dressed.   She's pretty much slept all day.  My sister came over for the weekend and there has been a lot going on so think it all caught up with mum today.  Of course this is what the family never see,  pity as they may then just reign back on their inane plans.  The latest has been  to give mum one of those electric scooters - no discussion, they just arrived with it.

I do marvel at their ability to sidestep both me and mum and just attempt to foist anything on us.  I got so angry with the electric scooter farce (that it had been crammed into the bin shed, so the recycling boxes were inaccessible) yesterday that I took myself off for a drive before I lost my temper.   I was happy to see the back of them all,  then I learned from mum that they'd decided she would be better off in sheltered accommodation, which left her very upset,  and then said that we didn't need our small garden so it could be given over to storing this blessed scooter!  The garden is staying put as I enjoy pottering around in it, and mum also enjoys it,  and our neighbour always contributes a few bedding plants.

So it wasn't a very happy end to 2012.   Well it was as they all went  home. 


Last pic,  not sure what this is going to be,  it is a bit of everything at the moment,  just used all my new stuff!   Still need more U mount for the stamps, and crackle glazes...  and... it never stops!  LOL.

Here is to a better and drier 2013...  I mean it can't keep on raining can it?