Fancy Clancy!

It's the 16th so it's my day over at Banana Frog and I've made Doris (see previous post) a friend! His name is Clancy and he can be seen in all his Banana Frog fanciness over on the blog.

Clancy - I'll get your best side ... are you ready for your close up? Say 'Cheese'!

M, my dh, is working away at the moment and so he doesn't get to see our new kitten very much and when he does it seems to be the time when he and Lola are racing around like loons and 'fighting'.. .so M this piccy is for you, to show that they do love each other and aren't actually possessed by the devil!! lol Honest! lol

My new little 'friend'

This is a little something I made this afternoon. It started off as my BananaFrog project for this month and then I lost my way a little - got distracted by the fabrics - and in the end there wasn't enough stamping to be my project (just the flowers on her 'skirt' and her left eye)... She's not very big - 14 x 17 cm and made out of calico (of course) and other scraps (the lovely Ikea paisley)
Its my first plushy/stuffie/ softie (whatever you want to call them) - Matt's named her Doris (don't know why) & I like that she looks a little confused - thats why I've made her arms go up in a kind of 'I don't know' way... not bad for a first attempt and I really enjoyed making her.

back to the Banana Frog project......

I took some photos of the cards I've just been teaching but they're rubbish - the photos not the cards (lol) and so I'll try again tomorrow... how hard can it be to photograph cards?!! I might risk life and limb and get the photo tent out but then if I do that I'll have to leave it up 'til M gets home weekend after next (its a 2 person job to fold it down and its not even very big! lol)

I'm going to a Pecha Kucha Night this evening - this is where (quoting from their site): "each presenter is allowed 20 images, shown for 20 seconds each, giving 6 minutes 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter is up. This keeps the presentations concise, the interest level up, and gives more people the chance to show" so should be interesting.....

On another note, Christine Middlecamp (love her work!)(v inspiring) showed the latest releases from Crate Paper on her blog.... how gorgous is this new range!! That is ticking all the boxes on my favourite colours list - and it looks so nice I might even forgive the yellow thats in there......

not completely AWOL!

.... I wasn't AWOL, I was at Card Inspirations for 3 days teaching 4 classes, had a great time - nice classes, nice people, nice projects so all good and I didn't come home too kn*ckered either! yay!
Now I'm properly back into designing 'n' making mode after my little health blip (95% back to normal) and thinking about christmas - yes christmas!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow, once I've babysat little Ethan (a bless of a nephew!) in the morning I'll come home, take some photo's and post some piccy's of what I've been up to.

J

4+ hours in front of the TV....

Yesterday I had my day planned out - appointment with the optician (who said I looked 28 not 38, the old charmer!)(and he was quite old, and judging by that comment may have been the one in need of glasses!) (I'm getting that in before somebody else does!)(matt!) lol .. ..... aaaanyhoo I digress
so my planned day - opticians and then settle down to watch the Wimbledon Men's Final. I really wanted Federer to win - to get the record of most titles etc etc etc and for the fact that he is a joy to watch - makes it look sooooo effortless! But, I wanted to be doing 'something' to justify sitting there for what I imagined was going to be a long final - and in the end it was 4+ hours!!
So here's what I did: We had a bit of a bathroom clear out on saturday and threw away finished/spoiled fragrance bottles etc but I kept the packaging and during the tennis I die cut them.
So over the 4 hours the boxes went from this:

to this:

Lots of shapes for mounting and tags for greetings/ ribbons etc etc etc....

Fantastic match by the way if you didn't watch it.

Craft Stamper

Check out this month's Craft Stamper - another great issue, including a project by me - sneak peek left.

Magazine available in shops tomorrow.

JULY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously? its July!!

Thats all I have! Can't believe its July already!

Oh, I feel I should also post a photo to make your visit here today to my little corner of blogsville slightly more interesting! lol
Here's the card I made my Dad for Father's day, using nestabilities, The Slice, and Basic Grey papers (embellishment sheet).

Bad blogger!

I've had a stern talk with myself about my lack of posting!..: each day I spend a good 15-20 minutes looking at other peoples blogs : why aren't I - and shouldn't I(!?) be spending that time posting what I've been doing on my own blog rather than looking at what everyone else has done!!!!!!!! that would make more sense wouldn't it! lol

I have been doing stuff - honest guv! but not so much as I've had to take things a lot easier in the past couple of weeks - I'd overdone it a bit which took its toll on my health and I needed to step back (and even cancelled work which I hate doing, but sometimes has to be done). So now I'm feeling better - still not 100% but definitely getting there.

Leigh Art Trail is over now and so I'm venturing in to the studio - today is spring clean day for my area (nothing too strenuous! lol)- it needs a bit of an overhaul/ tidy-up / clear out... rumour has it that the BoxMen in a unit a couple of doors down are throwing out a load of peg board - I've been thinking for while that pegboard is just what my area needs! perfect for hanging 'stuff' onto...... (for those of you that may be saying 'what the hell is peg board?!' its hardboard with lots of holes drilled into it in a grid pattern - great for hanging tools'n'bits on with a nail or two)

Would you like a pretty picture to end this post?

This is one of my first dabbles with Tyvek. Its a paper-like fabric (stuff Fed-Ex envelopes are made from) that is fairly indestructable that is until you heat it! You can paint on it, dye it, stamp on it etc etc etc which is all very nice but then if you heat it (iron it, heat tool it etc) it warps and bubbles and ends up looking like this, and then you can sew beads and bits on. How much fun is that!
This piece started off A6 size (postcard-ish) and I sprayed it with Glimmer Mists, and once heated added silver ink highlights, and sewed on some beads) Not bad for a first attempt!

Did you think I'd disappeared?!

No I was just swamped by exhibition pieces! I must have hung around 1200 pieces over the run of the 5 exhibitions I've been responsible for over the last 8 weeks!

....and: Breeeeattthe!

So, aaaaanyhoo - over at Banana Frog it was my day yesterday so here's a sneak peek of my project of the day. for more info head on over to the Banana Frog blog.

So now I'm off work for the summer I'm going to hopefully get some serious arts and crafting done.

And while we're catching up... can I introduce you to the latest addition to our 'family' - this is Bertie (sitting quietly for once! with the now not-so-little Miss Lola). He is into EVERYTHING - much more inquisitive than Lola ever was and he has no concept as to how little he is! and he is very small - little bonsai cat! Hopefully he'll grow into those ears, and I'm loving the everso-slightly naffed off look on Lola's face in this photo! lol

When is a book not a book.......

folding book pages - strangely relaxing! I started off just folding them in half then I got a bit carried away...... no old hardback is safe! (and old books smell so good don't they? reminds me of going to the library when I was younger....) and in case you were wondering (though you probably weren't) the pages are symmetrical front to back....... no cutting involved just folding.
btw - can't actually close the book now! so its a good job I like how it turned out lol