busy busy busy

Phew its been a busy couple of weeks on the crafting front! A couple of great weekends helping out at the ArtsyCrafts weekend in Newport Pagnell - hard work but these were brilliant events run by Leandra Franich (PaperArtsy) and Linda Brown (LB crafts). Working with metal and stamps, and meeting some lovely people.... And in between those two weekends I went and taught at Card Inspirations for a day, and worked at the college. So yesterday I was quite pathetic and just loafed around all day to recover! Lola & I were very comfortable on the sofa! Caught up on TV series I've taped, crocheted a bit (its an on-going learning thing) and dozed (a lot) but with my condition its what I should do to recharge and so I'm not apologising! lol

Aaaaanyhoo - here are few photos.....

Firstly here is the StarCard that was made at Card Inspirations, - these had a spring theme this time - turned out great - bright, fresh and with a lovely punched edging at the top and bottom...oh, and lots of punched embellishments.. lol


(apologies for the dodgy photo quality)

and here is one from the AC weekend - one of the FOUR projects that was taught.... (more photos to follow - when I find my camera!)


Here's the card I made for my SIL, love the retro feel of the BasicGrey papers I used (offbeat)... and see how well I'm doing with my 'no-white card blanks' plan :o)


OOOOh and did I mention that I have Spandau Ballet tickets for the 21st October!!!!!!!!!! you can't see me but I'm doing my excited dance! lol its been 25 years since I last saw them live - how scary/shocking is that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stamping School at Banana Frog...

Yesterday was my turn to host Stamping School over at Banana Frog - I have to do it twice in the year - my next one is in December so something nice and Christmassy for that one I think - but for this School its quite spring-like, and Banana Frog gets resisted and distressed (in the nicest possible way! lol) - one of my favourite techniques.

Take a look....

This made me happy....

Spandau Ballet reforming and playing live again!!!! (you can't see but I'm doing my 'excited' dance! lol sad but true)(ha ha ha 'true' get it? ...ok sorry, thats enough already!) Who'd have thought - Spandau reformed!
Its quite exciting but scary at the same time: everyone has a band they LOVED in their teens and Spandau were mine. But what if they're not as good anymore - should these things be left in the memories of my teens! NO of course not! Now all I have to do is get some tickets! ....

Cards!

I'm really on a roll with this 'no white card blanks' idea! (even if i do say so myself..lol). I'm really enjoying it - it seems to make creating a card much 'easier' - maybe because the background is already dealt with - white seems to need work before anything else gets added. (got to give it colour, or texture or... something...)



The card on right above has used all the die cut machines I had to hand - the cuttlebug and the slice - the Slice is great for creating big letters and numbers. Its a great little machine - compact, lightweight - but I don't use it to its full potential or use a lot of the designs on the cartridges - something I'll have to work on.... time allowing.....

The card above was created using some of the elements from the die cut sheet that comes with the paper packs by Basic Grey..... I'm not normally a big fan of using these because the pieces seem geared up for using on scrapping (a 12x12in?) - so are sometimes a bit 'heavy/big' but I'm quite liking them now - little, often & sparingly seems to be the way to go when using them on a card! (it helps that these cards are all about 12.5cm /14.5cm square. And yes, those are peel-off flowers peeking out from under the paper-flower - again, something I'm coming around to with the same approach - little, often & sparingly! lol

I've also made some others (see what I mean - on a roll!) but can't show those because they haven't been sent'n' recieved yet.

Another 'this n that' posting....

MMmMm Nice! American Crafts felt motifs! I think these lovelies may fit into the 'too nice to use' category! lol I ordered them 'cos they were made out of felt (!) and I wanted to see what they were like - they're very nice. 'nuf said.









I really like Momiji (small) and Kokeshi (larger) dolls - their really simple lines and dress detail. So imagine how chuffed I was with the new Hero Arts stamps featuring similar dolls - and when I get the chance/time/space (!) I may even create something using them! (they've been sitting in my studio space in their packaging for the last 2-3 months) lol I'm thinking that they'll lend themselves nicely to ATCs.....











How could you not love this little face? lol This is Lola inside a 12x12 pizza style (scrapbook paper) box. she does love a cardboard box....
She is a cute cat but much more independent than Fredd was, she doesn't seem to 'need' us. She got herself shut in the bathroom last night (she hides under the zinc floor cabinet) and she was quite happy (apparently!) - didn't cry to get attention to come out or anything.. I only found her because she dashed out when i went in to use the loo... FOUR HOURS she'd been in there! If that was Fredd he'd have meowed himself hoarse after about 15 minutes! lol

Project of the Day over at Banana Frog

Its my day over at Banana Frog so please take a look - I've created projects using their stamps and Perfect Pearls - lush!

Its 8.15am....

...and so far this morning I have:

.. ironed 2 shirts & 1 skirt
.. machined embroidered 2 panels ready for my machine embroidery class today
.. checked my emails
.. fed the cat
.. finished (boring but essential) house bits and pieces
.. and found this on Etsy: Its from ShibaNgDesign's shop and if I can produce anything half this gorgeous on my machine embroidery course I will be a happy camper! I'm trying very hard to resist buying it!.... it's soooooooo hard to choose which of her lovely bits I'd most like to have.... :o) and if I did buy it would I actually want to use it - or would it be too lovely to potentially spoil by using (like my lovey purse by Bridget Davies? - again too lovely to actually use - its just there to look at and admire! lol)(and occasionaly touch - but only if my hands are clean! lol)(this is all starting to sound a bit wierd isn't it - but you get what I mean...)(hopefully lol)

All this AND I worked last night (so normally a little more tired)! I realise that some of you may be reading the list stuff I've done this morning and are thinking 'lightweight, its not much at all' but I can assure you I'm not really a morning person (part of my condition I think) and so this for me is good*! Its all to do with the sunshine! (and that I have SHED loads of stuff to do! lol)

*also this is me getting myself used to early starts ready for working in a couple of weekends time when I have to be up, fed, perky and ready to go by 7.45! Eeek! lol Its all going to be good!

quick card...

... sometimes things just come really easily - like this card. I had to rustle this card up quickly for a neighbour and it all just fell into place.. Yeay!** it helps that I seem to have most of the contents of my studio space in our kitchen & workroom at the moment - sorry M (you are very patient*! love you).
So out came the Basic Grey, Bazzill, Peel-offs (yes, peel-offs!), the Slice, the Cuttlebug, the pens, the bling stones and of course a button! Phew! and not a stamp in sight! (maybe that's why it was so quick?!?)
(re the paper button flower - this was inspired by Evalicious over on Etsy. We both make embellishments from felt, paper, stitching and buttons.. and I've punched flowers from text in many shapes but this is the first time I've used this punch with text so this is me acknowledging her! :o) )

*though, for the record, he wasn't quite so patient when we managed to lock ourselves out of our flat on saturday afternoon! I thought he had keys, he thought I had keys - yep you guessed it - neither of us had keys! I laughed - a lot! Well what can you do?! Its not like we were on our way somewhere and we had to be there at a particular time - we were just popping into town..... I saw the funny side of it, M however did not (for a while anyway!) Its the first time he's locked himself out (apparently) but not for me - and I've learned that as long as you've got money and a mobile phone you'll be ok! lol (and an obliging Dad who will bring spare keys and let you in! thanks Dad you're a star!) (more spare keys will soon be distributed amoung family and friends! ...just in case... lol)
M - don't even think about leaving a comment about it being my fault...... ha ha ha I know you too well!!

** I've just delivered the card - the neighbours great neice is going to be NINE (!) not eight! lol (his mistake not mine - phew!) Luckily the number was easily replaced - and lucky it was a die cut and not a stamped number!

Definitely a this'n'that post...

This week I've been...

...really enjoying the machine embroidery course I'm on - really good to get the machine out again. Here are some shots or a piece I made with the intention of cutting it up to make something else - but I like it too much to cut it up so I'll have to make another one to cut up!

... realising that its not just me that multi-tasks - its my kitchen too! lol (under all that stuff in the picture on the left is a hob... somewhere! lol)


... cooking with goose eggs - look at the size of those lovely things!!!! and they taste good too! The shells are REALLY hard - can't just wack the egg on the edge of the pan like you would a chicken egg - the pan would come off worse! lol

..... been dying fabric ready for using with machine embroidery.

... getting ready for a busy few months at work.

... enjoying the sunshine - everything seems so much better, easier, achievable when its sunny doesn't it?!