My crazy hayfever ridden left nostril.........

... has kept me awake since around 4.30am - it itches, causes me to sneeze and makes my nose run (ok, I realise that may be slightly too much information!) - so in the end I thought I might as well get up (5.30am) and do something constructive.

So far I have:

Ironed Matt's shirt for work (don't normally do this but I thought I should seeing as I was up, it'd be rude not to!)

Photographed some items that are being sent to PA (was going to put the package in the post yesterday but had a creative spurt and so delayed sending it so I could include the 'love' hearts)

Cleared up my work room a bit more - little and often ('flylady' baby steps!) - this has got to be done as all the stuff (scary amount of stuff) from my home work room is going to the Studio so that we can turn it back into a dining room. (Mammoth task - didn't realise how mammoth until I started!) (quite inspiring/useful though - I keep getting side tracked when I re-discover papers and embellishments I'd forgotten I had).

Contemplated moving and house prices.

Read news headlines on internet - Wondering whether the Spice Girls getting back together is a good idea.

Updated my blog........

'Sewing' was the theme for this month's ATC swap on ArtyATCs.

I collaged some pattern pieces for the base, added a stamp of one of Paula's Kit Club's 'Pattern Girls' and sewed around the sides... hopefully that ticks enough 'sewing related' boxes.... and that its 'sewing' without being too literal... (or maybe I took it too far and now its really literal???)

The triangular thing in the front is a random purchase from Lakeland... 'Greeting Card stands'. They were in the sale and I bought them to see what they were like (£1.99 - can't go wrong really can you at that price?) Aaaaaanyway - the little size is perfect for ATCs! How good is that! ... so now I can display the ATC's standing up (the ATCs standing up, not me standing up...)

Piccy's of decorated chipboard hearts, they're being sent to Leandra for DT pieces.

and now I'm going to have my breakfast and watch 'Gilmore Girls'!

There comes a time when you've got so much paper you forget what you've got!!!!!!!

So I spent today cutting a strip off each 12x12 sheet of patterned paper I have. This task was:

1. Scary - I didn't realise I had quite so much paper! - It looks a lot more when presented like this (left) than it does in boxes in my workroom!

2. Useful 1: It reminded me what paper I have.

3. Useful 2: Now its nice and easy to flick through these strips to sheets to find 'perfect' sheet for a project (rather than trolling through lots of boxes)(once I've dug them out from under the desk!)

4. Useful 3: Showed me that paper looks different when its cut smaller - the 'snapshot' of a piece can make it look really different and so throws up more options!

I feel I achieved something useful after I'd done this - getting my creative mind going (by getting organised)


I've also been to Ikea and got a couple more of their HUGE (& fab) cookie jars - one for buttons (a girls gotta have a button tin - this is my version!) and one for paper flowers.... Oh the prettiness!!!

Smell the Hambly!

Someone said that when you get Hambly papers that they smell nice - and they were right!!! They smell really good! Like vanilla/ popcorn/ sweets....
I got a delivery a few days ago and I'm keeping them away from all my other papers - keeping them in the bag they came in so that they can retain their smell and so I can keep going back to them and just smelling the loveliness!
And not only do they smell good but they are fantastic designs too! (another paper range that is just too nice to actually use - they are there just to own and be looked at!) Gorgeous!

NB - this does not make me wierd! - Don't knock it 'til you've tried it! ;o)

Nice Hat Mr Young!

An afternoon in the I-L's garden, and we were just sitting chatting.............. and then I noticed this.

Has there ever been a more perfectly positioned plant!!!!! (he looks a bit like the Statue of Liberty don't you think?)

Sorry M, I couldn't resist! - it would have been such a nice piccy if it wasn't for the plant growing out of your head. love you!

Today's creation....

... but only a sneaky peak because its an entry for the competition at PoTG....
(it was a challenge because you can only use what has been provided and I was pleased with how it turned out. It helped to have such a cute photo to scrap. Thanks Denise (and Nell and Finn!))

The results of a drunken night out?

I saw this sign while driving into Leigh - made me chuckle. whoever did this has made such a good job of it! (childish maybe but funny all the same!) (they could have changed it to be a 'Tart' trail - or maybe thats on another sign somewhere!)



(just in case you don't live in the area - its supposed to say ART trail!)

Classes

Those of you who are lurking out there (you know who you are (R) ) and those who had signed up to do the Scrapbook class at the College: It won't be running (you'll receive notice in the post)and so I'm going to run it as a private class - If you are interested please contact me by leaving a comment on this post or by emailing me at jo@jofy.co.uk

The provisional dates are the week beginning 18 June.


I'm also taking bookings for the class - 'scrapbook/concertina book in a tin' - again drop me a mail if you are interested.

Me? Messy? No...............

Come in, sit down, relax, converse
My desk doesn't always look like like this
Sometimes its even worse!

It's a creative mess though - so it's excused!

But look how pretty the paints and inks look together......

(I've managed to keep the pile of stuff on the left hand side of the desk out of the picture!)

NB - Its worse in real life! I keep turning round and looking at it - so between now and 11.00pm (then its Grays Anatomy and I have an appointment with Dr McDreamy!) I'm going to have some Fly Lady time and put everything away ready for tomorrow.

Anyone for Dominoes

Here are another set of dominoes that are slightly easier on the eye than the first batch... I'm putting them in the cabinet in the Studio for the week and then sending to PA as a DT piece. Really pleased with them, and I've altered a tin to keep them in.

(nb: instead of numbers the dominoes are printed with PA images (mainly from Minis) that have to be matched up)

The jury's still out on this stuff.....

can't decide whether its a bit twee or a potentially interesting 'embellishment'... I'll have to try and find a funky way to use it - hair maybe! lol

Light Bulb Moment!!

I don't mind when the Postie arrives at 7.15am (!) when he brings me nice things like these:



People have been talking about these Adironack 'Acrylic Paint Dabbers' and Leandra at PaperArtsy did a lovely piece on their blog using them - great punchy, vibrant colours so I thought I'd treat myelf to have a go. the colours look great and really nice dispenser that you can 'smoosh' (as Leandra puts it) all over the surface. I was disappointed with the grungy colours of my Dapper Men book and so I may re-do it (or do another one) using these......

And Postie also dropped off these: Some great Basic Grey papers (that I've put with some blank cardstock I already had) - I'm going to use thse for Charlotte's book.



So yummy I'd like to paper the walls with them!

And last but not least - a CD of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra - I heard a radio programme about them - gotta love Radio 4 ! The CD is really good background music.

Stroke the flock!

Dropped Matt & Paul at Gatwick airport on Saturday to catch their flight to their windsufing holiday... oops sorry... ahem apparently/they assured me its not a 'holiday' (yeah right!) its a week of 'windsurfing bootcamp/ hobby development' ... so to clarify I asked Matt:

Will you be at work? No

Will you be abroad? Yes

Will it be sunny? Yes

Will you be doing something you love? (not that he doesn't love his job but you know what I'm getting at?!) Yes


Am I the only one that thinks that sounds a lot like a holiday? and if not, I don't know what would!!


And have I mentioned that this boot camp is in EGYPT!!!!!!!!!! I'm sure he's having a dreadful time - NOT!

Only joking - I'm glad he's got the opportunity to go on this week as he loves windsurfing and we can't always guarantee the weather/wind/tide (!) here in Westcliff. He's worked really hard in the past year on our 2nd flat and so he deserves this week away.

When I spoke to him last night - day 3 of windsurfing all day (!) he sounded EXHAUSTED (well they did say it was a 'boot camp') but he's having a cracking time "Epic!". (A lot of the guys on the course have blisters - some are covering them with duck tape - how in hells name is that supposed to make blisters feel better? OUCH!)(something to do with the tape being waterproof)

Anyway what was I saying... yes.. right... I dropped them at the airport - for 7.30am (ouch!) and then on the way home I paid Artbase a visit - well it is sort on the way home - slight detour - I got there so early I had to sit outside and wait for them to open! :o) I was slightly wired on caffeine by this time so it was a very enjoyable visit - bought lots of lovely stuff to play/ create with... though by the time I got home (via HobbyCraft in Basildon - well thats on the way home too!) I was too knackered to do much!

Anyway here is some of the loviness I came home with:




These patterned papers are not only gorgeous but the patterns are FLOCK!!!!!!!!!!!! so completely fab! I just want to keep stroking them!

I'd better do something with them soon or they will end up with bald patches! lol

'Dapper Men' board book. PaperArtsy Design Team Piece

Its a work-in-progress - it would have been finished earlier in the week but BOTH my Xyron machines ran out aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrght! how annoying was that - I was on creative roll and it completed halted my progress! HUMPH!
Anyway - the book measures 9x9cm, and I have 1 more spread to do.......

UPDATED: 06.06.07
Here is the final spread of the book.

Cards made from the packs shown on an earlier post....



(I like the challenge of working with these pre-made card embellishments - trying to use them so they don't look like I just stuck them down... mixing them with other papers, embellishments and a few rubber stamps seems to help)(too much yellow on them for my liking but hey ho got to work with what you're given)