Attacking the Stash!!...part 1

 ... its an ongoing task - to attack/use the stash I've accumulated (all part of 'reduce, reuse, recycle') - and over at Banana Frog today I've created some 'scrappy' cards

Thanks for stopping by

Well where do I start?!?!

It seems ages since I last blogged (bad blogger, bad blogger) and now that its been.. ahem.. 19 days since the last post I don't quite know where to start! So maybe I should keep it short, brief with bullet points & random pictures along the way...

* We haven't moved... House fell through at exchange - turns out banks don't like lending against houses where the vendor has only owned it for less than 6 months(something to do with potential money laundering blah blah blah)... and our vendor only had it for 3 weeks when they put it back on the market.  So that was that - back to square one... but its OK we've now found a much nicer property (as everybody said we would) which is going through at the moment.  We REEEEAAALLY like this one so I'm not saying anything else in case it jinxes it, and am keeping fingers crossed.

* I'm still destashing 'stuff', gave notice on my studio space which meant that everything there had to come here (that was 'interesting' - the shelving units cleared the ceiling by about 2cm - that was eeeek moment! lol) but its now all in and sort of unpacked and sorted but I've stopped that because I'll only need to do it all again when we move - I seem to have spent the last 4 months packing and unpacking...
* I'm growing plants which is 'fun' (the seeds are not growing nearly fast enough), and I've planted flowers in pots in the garden - some lush dahlias - LOVE dahlias - such 'juicy' blooms:

The bungalow we're in is rented and we have no idea what plants are in the ground and so we can't take the credit for any of the interesting plants that keep appearing - like these:

So pretty... I might have to take a cutting/dig one (or 2) out before we go...
But the bind weed that keeps coming up is NOT PRETTY OR INTERESTING - it is relentless - I asked my Dad how do you get rid of it and he said 'you move' lol  I've checked the garden at the new place - no bind weed (actually there were very few plants)

I think that's enough rambling for one day - I might remember some other things that have happened or interesting bits that I've unearthed in the big tidy up and if so I'll be back tomorrow (hopefully not another 19 days - it would be plain rude to leave it that long again!)

ooh - there is one more thing - September Craft Stamper - my project is the main image.. *skips off doing a happy dance*  in the shops now...

ooooh I do love a box canvas!!...

... but I'm not fussy - I think canvas (any type) may be my new favourite surface to work on...

Back in June I showed you this:

and teased you that I'd made something else but couldn't show you what it was... well I think that was a bit rude of me! and so here is what I created..... 

Its a box canvas created with Claudine Hellmuth's Bloom stamps - clear and foam. Love these stamps.  Paints are PaperArtsy's Fresco Finish.
It makes me smile each time I see it - so summery and pretty... and I think, judging by the amount of rain we've had recently, this is as close to summer as we're going to get at the moment! lol

When is a tshirt not a tshirt??...

... when you've read the latest copy of Molly Makes ( @mollymakes ) and it inspired you to turn it into a scarf!! (and possibly wrist warmers/cuffs):
Before, tshirt's nice but was going to charity shop as sleeves were a bit short (you know that point when they're not 3/4 length and not quite full length (annoying!!))

After, cut up as per instructions - can be worn once around neck, or twice... not too bad for a first attempt!

no tshirt is safe! lol  I was left with 2 arms from the tshirt which I'm thinking might make nice wrist warmers - bit of gathering, some buttons.....

Good Luck!!

... is the theme of my Project of the Day over at Banana Frog.... Click HERE to go there.

A little bit of Sherlock does you good!

Loving the look of this - shame we have to wait until December!!

Get inky painty with me...

... at my next set of classes at Imagine That (Upminster)...
I have 2 classes this term - not as many as previously - had to factor in some time for a house move. (fingers crossed! lol)
Damsel in Distress is a class using the ooooh so lovely Distress Stains (did you hear that Ranger/Tim Holtz launched 12 new colours at CHA this week - be still by Distress Stain loving heart! lol) - we'll be making 3 cards with several techniques, this time with a much 'daintier' finish....

In Fresco Finish we'll be using PaperArtsy's Fresco Finish paints to decorate a frame (and card)... we'll be working with the Crackle Glaze - this is a fantastic product that gets great results every time... LOVE it!

The classes are on July 27th & September 22nd - hope to see you there!  Contact ImagineThat to book your place.

x

Exciting Plans...

Back in May I went to Spain for a few days to discuss teaching residential courses at Artizan...  This is a new venture, run by the lovely Karen Dawton, to offer a variety of residential courses based in Gerona (in Catalonia, Spain).
The venue is a fabulous Spanish farmhouse set in a valley of lush forest where the only noise is birdsong - seriously - no. other. noise!  Apart from, when classes are in session, the sound of a good time being had by all! lol 
The venue is easily reached by air - only a short flight (2hours).  (I travelled with Ryanair who were good but don't get me started on the 10k of carry-on luggage - 10k!!!!!!!! imagine me pulling 'the scream' style facial expression... lol)

The farmhouse has been beautifully refurbished - 12 rooms most with en suite - and when its time to relax after (or before) a 'hard' days crafting a quick dip in here will do wonders...

I'm going to be teaching mixed media classes - the first course is planned for September.  This residential (all inclusive) course will be for 3 days (4 nights) and among the projects we'll be creating is a box canvas, and a masterboard to use as a base for other projects. 
A trip to the nearby beautiful Mediaeval town of Besalu could also be factored into your time at Can Jan - its well worth a trip!

Here are some sneak-peeks of the canvas options to wet your crafting tastebuds :o) 

 If all the above sounds tempting go to the Artizan website for more information about the courses, venue and area http://www.artizanonline.com/
I'm really looking forward to teaching these courses - hope you can join me!

PaperArtsy Fresco Finish....

... so just in case you haven't seen all the lush Fresco Finish paints in all their rainbow glory here's a colour wheel I made for the demo weekend at the Craft Barn. 
I made it by using the PaperArtsy Large Oak Leaf die to cut lots of leaves from white card and then painting them with each of the colours (its better to do it that way than to paint and then die cut the shape - avoids white cut edges).

Apologies for the slightly grainy image - hopefully it doesn't distract from the loveliness of the all those colours!

I found these...

... when I was looking for something else.. and this happens to me a lot! I lose ItemA, can't find it, I lose ItemB and while looking for ItemB I find previously 'lost' ItemA - I lose and find items in rotation!  Like yesterday when I was looking for a moneybox I found a pair of trousers I thought had been taken to the charity shop! yay! - OK so they didn't fit and I still haven't located the moneybox but I still found something that I thought I'd lost so Yay!! (in JoLand this is a good thing! lol) (and bearing in mind we are still living out of 1/2 unpacked boxes this is good!)

aaaaanyhoo that isn't the 'found' that I wanted to show you - I was looking for a photograph (which I'm still looking for) and I found these which I should've shown you much sooner:

These are samples I made for PaperArtsy earlier in the year using the PA Metal Card & Fresco Finish Paints - love the flowers with their 5 layers of metal - an idea that Leandra had for flowers made up of stamped, embossed and painted (with Fresco Finish) layers. Lush! (made into brooches)
The birds on hearts are based on my brooch (seen here) - where I've die cut a heart (PaperArtsy die - obviously - lol) and added stamping and embellishments.  The birds are cut using the new(ish) small bird die. The birds: L to R: Stamped, details embossed onto metal, wiped with Fresco Finish; stamped onto black card & brushed with Perfect Pearls; stamped onto metal, outline embossed - again made into brooches.

Hope your day has been sunny not rainy - mine has seen a bit of both!

x

Plants & Postcards

Art Trail in Leigh last week - the Studio gets cleared, prettied up and ready for the public to come and look at the work that's been produced over the last year... Tricia, Tessa & Bronwyn had some really lovely work on show.

Bronwyn, as well as her gorgeous photographs & prints (go here to see more), has these adorable little plants planted in vintage china (tea cups & saucers)... I really like the colours and the layers of the 'leaves':

I think the bottom right is my favourite - the way the colours fade from green to that aubergine/lilac colour.....

(and the way the leaves are just the right size on each layer- the repeats are almost perfect... aaaagh my neat and tidy side rears its head again!)

We take it in turns to sit in the Studio while the public visit.. and during my time there I sat and coloured, wrote and doodled these - they're just little experiments - postcards measuring 4x6in - and I just tore things and stuck them down, coloured on top - it was just about freeing up how I do things - not being concerned about whether its right, wrong, straight, smudged - just seeing how it goes....

Each one led to another - kept me quiet for a few hours! lol

I'm off to Chelmsford today to teach, shop, and then back home for a Hen Party - all of which are going to be fun in different ways! lol

Whatever you're up to - have a good day!

A little bit of sewing does you good...

... don't you think? I find it really calming: sitting and sewing - whether its mending or something creative...
I'm teaching a 4 week class sewing class at the moment with a 'reduce, reuse, recycle' theme - and so have been playing around with this and that ....

This isn't something we'll be doing in class (all though if they want to we can), it was just something that I'd been wanting to try for a while - a simple twisted rag flower.. cute.. and following the theme of upcycling things this one has been made from an old skirt of mine - one I wore on my honeymoon - and its nice because everytime I look at it I think of our honeymoon, and in my head I can see the picture of M&I where I'm wearing the skirt.  Its important to keep memories like that and why its nice to create something that prompts (and preserves) the memory - whatever the 'something' is - a scrapbook page, minibook, patchwork.....

I'm off to play with fabric, interfacing, bondaweb and buttons - not necessarily in that order! (because I have to find at least 2 of those items before I can use them!  They're in a box somewhere......)

Whatever you're up to today have a good one!

Say it with Flowers....

Flowers, flowers, and more flowers.... seems to be the theme of my projects at the moment!  and over at Banana Frog my Project of the Day is no exception.. head on over HERE to see more..

Thanks for stopping by... or hopping by.. get it?..  frog .. hopping?!   oh nevermind...