Blog Candy at the Craft Barn

I have to thank Julia for putting this on her blog,  so I popped over to the Craft Barn Blog and I started drooling the moment I saw all the goodies up for grabs.

 Sadly the Craft Barn  is too far away for me to visit in person,  although if I were able to visit my bank account would probably be empty!

For your chance to 'fill your boots',  visit the Craft Barn  and follow ALL the instructions.

I now have all fingers and toes crossed that I'll be a winner.

One of those days!

I was looking forward to some peaceful crafting, had the flat to myself, so I could do what I liked!   Pity the craft fairy seemed to be in hyper mode, had me darting from project to project,  and getting nowhere fast.  The thunderstorm we had matched my mood,  in the end I put the altered art project to one side, didn't seem to be working, or rather sticking!   I decided to have a play with the new stamp,  using proper clarity card I did some brayering then stamped... spot the er, deliberate mistake?   Yep, forgot to remove the mask!   This die cut was lurking nearby so I popped him on just to see,  now I think it works in a quirky way!   All needs finishing off, and die cut needs to be trimmed to fit the circle. 

Think I was in a tizwoz because I want to change my bedroom,  would like to put the desk in a different place and make a proper craft space,  but there is an awful lot of stuff in this room!   I'm not going to be happy till its done,  it also needs decorating, so guess I could get both jobs done at same time?     Wish I could wiggle my nose like in Bewitched (which dates me!) and it would all be done. 

This could be 'guess what I am' photo.  It is actually a box,  the box that is home to my singing bowl.  Thought I'd have a bash at the stamp man challenge to alter something,  but really wasn't sure if this was going to work as the box is a bit hairy and the card didn't seem to be sticking,  it has now - phew.  So it may yet be finished!   I used one of the embossing folders, then painted it with some black acrylic paint, then versamark and perfect pearls.   Of course it all needs to be trimmed down,  and lots of other stuff put on the top. 

This is a singing bowl in case you aren't sure what one is,  it does sing but you have to 'play' it. You cup the bowl in one hand and run the stick round the outside,  and from that comes this lovely, lovely sound, so clear and pure, and so relaxing.    It came in handy this afternoon as it calmed me down.   It is very good for meditation. 

No doubt that today was challenging,  but a few things did come out of it, even the 'mistake' turned out to be usable.    And after the thunderstorm the sun reappeared - hooray!   Nearly time for the opening ceremony of the paralympics,  a good antidote to the Olympic hangover.

Summer is back... briefly

Take a blank piece of card,  two adirondiac inks,  Eggplant and Lettuce,   use a mask and...  you get this!  Boring?  Yes,  very boring.   So add to the mix a few stamps, some die cuts,  flower soft.      Mess with cuttlebug to see how many pieces of card I need to emboss,   found the cost of the no shims mat a bit on the expensive side,  and for the sake of using bits of card...  So die cut was cut,  one from a piece of copper coloured card, and one from silver mirri.  Arranged all the stamps,  itsy bitsy stamps,  really fiddly but worth it.  Then stamped the large image,  used some holographic embossing powder to add some depth.   Looking good!   Time for a cuppa and reflection, was it all going to work?   I thought so,   I then arranged the flower soft,  the pic still needed something - a few birds?    Flying birds, or birds on a wire?   Oh the decisions, another cuppa while I ummed over which birds to use...

Ended up with birds on a branch.  Stuck on the bike, my new die,  stamped in some trees,  a bit of ink blot stamp going on with them - and it was done!  I like quirky okay, hence the lamp post in a field...  well it could be a park?    Think this will be transferred to the other piece of canvas board. 

I couldn't wait any longer to get the bicycle die,  well I might have done had the price been in double figures, but it wasn't.  Sadly yet another Indigo Blu stamp fell into my basket, never sure how that happens - LOL.   And I got the shim,  had a look at a few other bits and bobs,  but really not a lot was tempting me.  The manager was there and said she had ordered some dylusional stuff...   she was trying to get me to look at the Christmas stuff, but I resisted,  not interested in the C word till nearer the time,  and then there is all the stuff in my Christmas box of stash.    I almost bought the free Kanban kit on CnC, for club members, you only pay the postage.   But instead I got some TH stamps for a Fiver on Ebay!    My friend who runs a shop took a look at the other canvas I'd done and she was all for selling it in her shop :-)    Played fetch with Poppy her Jack Russell,  while we enjoyed a cuppa in the sunshine, yes summer was back!

Tomorrow I'll be playing with the new stamp...  !   Might be more brayering methinks.    All in all a satisfying day, it started amusingly with the geese flying over,  making a right racket, then right at the back was this smaller one making an even bigger noise and flapping like mad, I'm sure he was saying 'wait for me!',  it was just so funny.   And even the district nurse turned up,  we discussed when she would come again,  we decided it would be Thursday, so you can imagine how surprised I was to get a phone call from her to say they were going back to the monthly visits!   She has at least ordered glove, more dressings etc for me.   This is because mum has refused to have any invasive treatment on the wound,   the consultant thinks mum is allergic to the implant,  so he'd have to remove it,  since mum is in end stage cardiac failure it isn't a risk worth taking as she's unlikely to survive the operation.   So obviously the view of the district nurses is that they can't 'treat' the wound,  it won't heal so they are just dressing it,  now I thought that was their job?   

And thanks Julia for the tips, will try those out,  as if I'm not already getting messy enough!    Tomorrow I have the flat to myself, bliss. 

What a washout!

First Cream Fields was cancelled then the Music Fest in Liverpool was called off, well the outdoor stuff,  I've never known such a soggy bank holiday.  I got a soaking at the supermarket,  just the short walk from car park to door!  Then just to top things off the computer chucked a wobbler,  it is only a few months old,  had it not worked it was going to be taken back to PC World!   Luckily it sorted itself out once it had gone through safe mode,  restore and who knows what else. 

I returned to the picture I'd started yesterday and wondered how to finish it off.   So as usual, while looking for something else I came across a flower soft kit...  mmm,  so i cut out a couple of the urns,  gave them a coat of crackle varnish, and some enamel, then went a bit bonkers with the flower soft.

Made a few more flowers,  just trying different shapes,   this looks rubbish in the photo, but it is much better in real life,  the colour is richer and the enamel shows up much more.   This one got popped onto a box, and I then finished off the last four boxes,  I am sure they were multiplying as I never seemed to get to the end.   My friend is pleased with them all,  and she has sold quite a few, all in a good cause for a charity she supports.




I did take a look around some craft shops online, feel itchy to get more dies.

Two weeks till pay day,  so I guess I'll just have to hang on till then.  I think some flowers will be first on the list,  along with the lovely bicycle die I saw at my local craft shop,  it will go perfectly with the lamp post.   I also discovered that two of my stamps are damaged,  all have been cleaned and properly stored, and since it is just two, and of the same make then I can only conclude that the fault must lie with them,  I won't name them, but I am disappointed as they weren't cheap.  One is still useable,  it has a split in it but it doesn't show, the other is beyond repair.   Very annoyed about it.

Well it is tippling down again!   Tomorrow is supposed to be better, hope so as I have a ton of washing that needs doing.    Wonder if the district nurse will turn up?    Mum has also booked a mobile hairdresser to come tomorrow,  what is the betting that both arrive together?  

That's all for now folks.

 

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

A Dunking good time!

Found this little box amongst my stash,  but wanted to give it a unique background colour, so...   using the lid off one of my organiser boxes,  some cold water and alcohol inks - this is what happened.   Just dunked the whole lot in,  lid and base,  then left it dry on top of TV, well it is warm there! 

I was so chuffed with this effort that I then did the same with some card, and a few flowers,  I was  having great fun,  card took a while to dry but it is now being flattened out under some books.  Will be using it tomorrow.

 I cut some shapes using the Slice,  for the top I coloured it using some ink, then dabbed it with a versamark pad and added some holographic embossing powder.

To finish off the lid I added some of the cotton lace,  with some ribbon underneath.  Discovered that the lace didn't quite fit, so added a few jewels to cover the tiny gap!    And added a bit of stamping to the sides.   The advantage to dunking the box in the inks was that the inside also got decorated.

It is an hexagonal box, so on the other three sides I cut a fleur de lil shape,  used the versamark pad and covered in silver embossing powder.  And that was that.

I'm also hoping that someone can help me. I've got some Jewel Enamel powder,  so far I've not had much success at melting it using the heat gun, well rather I can melt it but can't get it to stay on the card.  I'm using a versamark ink pad, and have tried heating from above and underneath.   Any ideas folks? 

Finally, bit of the hard sell...   For sale, one Sizzix Boutique embossing machine, with folders and the pads and one shim.  It is on ebay.  I'll take a minimum of £15,  as it is very new,  no damage,  it has its original box  and is in perfect working order.  It will take most embossing folders,  lovely machine,  not too big, fits nicely onto your craft desk.   I'm selling it as I've upgraded to the Cuttlebug.

Got more goodies to sell, amongst them a make your own stamp kit which was featured recently on Create and Craft and some stamps,  not yet got round to taking photos of them yet. 

Thanks for stopping by, and for all the lovely comments about the canvas,  I really did enjoy making that.  A few remarked that it was a good idea to lay it out first on some paper, I did it that way as I knew I'd only get one go at it when it came to using the canvas.

Enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend - and stay dry.

Sunday Stamper 219 - Steampunk

Apart from entering the Sunday Stampers challenge I set myself another challenge: to decorate a canvas.   I got a couple of canvas boards from The Range,  opted for them as its easier to stamp on something solid.   I'd been toying with entering the Steampunk challenge,  and had a couple of practice runs.   But today was the day!   

First I laid everything out on a piece of copy paper cut to the same size as the canvas (10x8),   then I added some stuff and took away other bits.  Crafts Beautiful came to my rescue, their freebie was some metal sheets,  exactly what I wanted.   I cut some more shapes,  used the metal sheet,  chose my stamps. Then wondered how to colour the canvas,  I could use the sponge,  or paint,  I would have used dylusions if I had any,  so settled for the brayer and some Frayed Burlap from the TH distress ink range.  It worked perfectly,  got exactly the effect I wanted,  which was a splodge in the middle of the canvas. 

In this pic you can see the plain white canvas,  plus some flowers I made, and the embossed metal sheet,  plust some stamping,  which was one long stamp simply cut in half,   well sort of half!  In the end I abandoned the flowers I made and went for the roses,  which a friend kindly sent me (have to get those flower dies.)

So this is how it all came together, used the two silhouette dies of the man and woman,   stamped the lamp post,  also cut the car die.  Then it was a case of arranging everything,  I also used two metal leaves tucked under the roses,  which were versamarked and dunk in perfect pearls.   And there it is,  my first ever craft canvas. 

It was a really enjoyable afternoon,  the time just flew by.  I've got another canvas to fill with something,   and we're in for a rainy bank holiday weekend!     I also started to rearrange things in my bedroom,  I do have a large computer desk,  but never got round to using it for crafting, just need to rearrange things.   Right best get this published and entered.