WOYWW #234

I nearly forgot it was Wednesday again, and time to stomp over to Julia's den at The Stamping ground and proudly show your workspaces craft bomb sites , and visit some others (mainly more tidy ones).

Here is attempt number two at a hat for Kenny, from a free pattern I found via Raverly courtesy of  the talented and generous Sarah of Repeat Crafter Me blog, cute I think. This one is in Aran yarn, which I think is what Vanna's Choice is. I had to convert the USA stitches to UK ones, I wonder why they are different? Did the Irish immigrants of the old days get over there and forget what the stitches were called, or remember them but so vaguely they made a few up and changed a few? You can just see a corner of a swan doily that is waiting to be washed, once washed it needs to be pinned out to dry and in this weather not a great idea. I made it many many years ago!

 My first gorgeous model, chocolate ted had a head too big so it was bedtime bear who modelled here!

Sooty also modelled the hat, I think it is deeper than the owl hat that didn't really fit, this looks a much better shape so I am hopeful, it will be on it's way for Kenny to try in a couple of weeks, and if it fits I might make another one or two! The pattern goes right up to adult size, and the eyes were supposed to be buttons but on consulting a colleague who knows from experience, I crocheted some eyeballs again!

For Julia, I bought the box from the fish and chip shop where I saw them, it has never had fish or chips in it, I just liked it! Sort of thought about altering it, but I like it the way it is, at least for now (has been here a couple of years or three).

On the desk, I bought some EZ mount finally, from Paperartsy with a couple of small stamps and my first pot of Treasure Gold, and they sent me a freebie rubber stamp of a double decker bus, how cool and generous, thank you Paperartsy! So anyway, where was I, oh I know - mounting and cutting rubber stamps, but then they need putting away! I should be making Christmas cards!

Now I know I have a few people to return visits to for last week, I got round all the 7's, and a few of those folk who visited me and some favourites, then I got busy working on the Quirky challenge, and now sorting out next year's schedule (or trying to), contacting sponsors and waiting for replies so I can fit them in, and starting off next year's themes so we can get ahead a little for a change.

Crafty Ribbons Advent Calendar starts now!

I love advent calendars of the crafty kind! A prize a day from lots of crafty companies and this is all happening on the Crafty Ribbons Inspiration blog, so hop over there now!

In fact you can win a surprise ribbon package just for telling everyone about the event!

A Quirky Vintage Christmas, altered item

 Monica set us the challenge to alter an object in a vintage Christmas style. I have used images and backing paper kindly provided by our sponsor who is Stitchy Bear. I have a few of these hot chocolate tins - really I do, so decided to make a small gift container, now I just need to find a suitable small item or items to go inside!
I used the Lil Diva Winterville scene on the front of my tin, very vintage. and I added touches of colour with Promarkers, before adhering with Decopatch, and sealing with sparkly Mod Podge.

The top and back of my tin are covered with lovely 3d effect poinsettia paper and two poinsettia corners from the Coosty Collection from Stitchy Bear Digital stamps. I added a length of ribbon to the lid brim and then three gems to match the colours.

The vintage lady is from the Stitchy Bear range and is called Window Shopping, I think she is just stepping into the scene on her way to the church, she is dressed up for church I think. She is 1 3/4 inches high here or 4cm. There are smudges of Treasure Gold in gold here, I just got my first pot from Paperartsy a couple of days ago, with some EZ mount and a couple of stamps, and  free stamp!

On the back of my tin I added the Li'l Angel from Li'l Diva's at Stitchy Bear Digital stamps. I deliberately cropped off the lid because I didn't finish the ribbon well at all!

Now hop on over to Quirky Crafts Challenge blog to see some much better projects by the rest of the team, and come and play with us - you might win some of the lovely images I have used!

I have entered the following challenges:

Allsorts challenge - bring on the bling (Saturdays)

Anything but a card - recycle it - (Sundays) (max 4 challenges)

Crafts Too November challenge - vintage Christmas Polychromatic twist.

Cute Card Thursdays - anything but a card.

Well that's my lot if I don't want to be eliminated from number 2 challenge!

The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge - Q

My question is - where has the year gone? We are nearly at the end of The Craft Barn Alpha challenge, and Christmas is nearly here! It sneaks up on me every year!

The letter is Q my word is Question, simples! I used a Hero Arts clear stamp set on this page, and a bit of doodling, and made it by the deadline, just, even though I planned this a week ago!

I sponged Distress ink on the pages.

It seems The Craft Barn has a new blog, I think everything has been copied across, but I can't find any tags to click on yet, wonder if there will be tags?

I have really enjoyed this challenge, and I wonder what next year's will be? (Another question).

Oh, I nearly forgot to tell you, I made it to the Wall of Fame for my N for night page!

WOYWW #233

 The Stamping Ground has has a makeover! It looks like Pudsey bear went decorating, it is very bright, and if you go over there you can join in the madness that is WOYWW! You didn't expect to see this did you! We visited my Son and Daughter in Law and little grandson Kenny on Sunday, and stayed over until Monday afternoon. While I was there I made this owl hat from a Let's Get Crafting, knitting and crochet magazine, the yarn came with the mag as well as a hook and knitting needles. To my Son's amazement I had this completed in one evening.

 The toy dog modelled the hat....

...... and Sooty modelled the hat.... Kenny wouldn't keep it on long enough for a photo! It was obvious that this 2 to 5 year old size hat was a bit small on one 18 month old Kenny though! Normally my tension is fine, so what went wrong? There was no tension piece given, the yarn is fairly poor quality, I don't know if going up half or one hook size would do it, or maybe different yarn. I am looking for different patterns now! (Sooty and Alfie had baths before they visited, they needed them!).

Here is the desk, covered in stamping and some interesting looking drawers, and a fish and chip box - that is where my latest Little Claire stamps are until I can find a bigger folder to put them in.

Did you guess what the drawers were? This is on the floor, was on the desk, but I needed to stamp. I love the look of these organisers and when I sold some of my big clothes on ebay I used the money to buy one. I like them plain white, but when it arrived I felt it needed some decoration. I am over painting some of the sections, I started with Fresco paints and they haven't covered well, and I am going over them with Indigo Blu paints, which are covering better unless it all just needs two coats! One panel experimentally stenciled and stamped, I am sort of wishing I hadn't started because it is turning into a long job and I can't use it until I have finished!

Oh and I have a poorly mouse, the computer kind! This wouldn't be a problem, I have a couple of old meeces somewhere, but I now use an air mouse, in the air, and don't leave a space for a mouse mat, besides using a conventional mouse hurts my hands and arms. It is so difficult trying to navigate with the mouse in semi normal mode, and semi not working mode! I remember that years ago when home computers and even work computers came on the scene, there were no meeces! We managed!

I should Quirky cocoa!

Here is my example for the reminder post for the Quirky Challenge, and you have until midday Saturday to enter. All you need is cold weather, Winter or Autumn, and a hot drink on your project to enter!

I used Cocoa and Lil Snowman Star from one of our sponsors, Bugaboo, and some exclusive to Crafty Ribbons winter-scene ribbon, and Crafty Ribbons are also sponsoring so you can win a £10 voucher or some great images.

I made Cocoa into my backing paper, and coloured the mugs and snowman with Promarkers. The snowman and mat are cut out with Spellbinders dies.

Inside the card I used fragments of my backing paper on sparkly paper that matches the card on the front, with a plain panel to write on.

I hope we don't get snow this week, but if we do I will be making cocoa!

I've entered the following challenges:

Stamping Sensations - Christmas (Nov challenge)

WOW (or white on white).

This is the card I would have entered in the Just Rite challenge, if only I had finished it a few minutes before the challenge closed last night!

Baubles are stamped with Just Rite Deck the Halls stamps and die cut with Spellbinders Heirloom ornaments. I used three different types of white card, did it work?

I die cut the frame with Resplendent rectangles, and I used an edge die and infill for the panel. The poinsettia die is Spellbinders, my newest die. The snowflakes are Spellbinders too. The branches are from Deck the Halls and I hand cut them. All stamped images are stamped in clear ink and embossed with White Pearls Stampendous embossing powder. I used a couple of different white ribbons from Crafty Ribbons, and finally added some flat back pearls and gems. There is at least one challenge I can enter, when I find it again.

I have entered the following challenges:

Allsorts challenge blog - white Christmas (Saturdays)

Coffee Chocolate and cards - monochromatic (does white count?)

Crafty Ribbons challenge - anything goes with ribbon (Thursdays)

Creative Card Crew - Pearls (Tuesdays)

Stamping Sensations - Christmas (Nov challenge)

WOYWW #232

As well as being the day for crafters to share their workspaces for all to visit (thanks to Julia Dunnit at The Stamping Ground), it is Riverford Delivery Day. This was last week, "Sooty!" what are you doing???

"Me, I'm just doing my stretching exercises", ho hum.

This week, Alfie checking out the boxes, Sooty has already checked them out and sauntered off nonchalantly to come back later to see if he can steal anything!

Last night he really outdid himself, I let him out before I went to bed, we went upstairs (he normally takes yet another toy up), and he was behaving oddly, looked really sorry, and I as I undressed for bed I noticed a pile of something black on the carpet, bit of dirty stuff he brought in? He went over to it and was about to pick it up, I told him no! More guilty looks - I took a closer look - IT WAS A DEAD MOUSE!!! So I had to get some tissues, pick it up and go out to the bin dressed for bed, in the frost! I am certain it was dead, didn't see any signs of life. I told Sooty (who is over fond of our bed) he was sleeping in the dog bed, and to my surprise he went straight there and stayed put all of the night, only hopping up onto our bed in the morning!

Here is the desk, much tidier than usual, see I did do a lot of tidying, can't see it yet.....

......then better check out the other end, where I have managed to put the trimmer back out on the table!

On the far side as you can see is my dictionary awaiting another page makeover, and on this end you can see a Bugaboo snowman waiting to leap onto a card. In the middle is work in progress on a card for a challenge, if it works it will suit three challenges - if they are still open.

There is a pile of cards waiting to be bagged or have insides finished, and I still haven't put those stamps away!

On the chair is some sewing waiting to be done, can't find my needles at the moment - where is my pin cushion? Also an apron crying out to be decorated. The floor is now more messy, I am not showing you how bad!  Please excuse my big head shadow!

My favourite colour combo

With only a few hours to go I spotted this challenge, and my favourite lime green and purple colours! The challenge is the Sprinkle of Imagination challenge ending in minutes now!

The Bird of Paradise flowers on that cake reminded me of this Hero Arts stamp, which I coloured with Marvy Wet Looks and heat embossed with clear powder. I used my Spellbinders dies to cut out the flower which I edged with green ink, and mounted on a die cut purple panel. The sentiment is a Penny Black stamp, stamped in purple and heat embossed with clear powder. The ribbons are from Crafty Ribbons and the final touch was some flat back pearls.

I stamped on this sort of sage green card first, so I have the two versions, the first one looks very bright, I like that!

Here they are side by side.

Challenges entered:

Sprinkle of Imagination - colour challenge.

Daring Cardmakers - all the other reasons (not Christmas)

Simon Says Wednesday Challenges - clean and simple (is as clean and simple as the examples)

Creative Card Crew - pearls

Baby it's cold outside, so let's make Quirky cocoa!

It's my challenge over at Quirky Crafts Challenge blog, and I set Baby It's Cold Outside - so let's make cocoa (or a hot drink), makes to feature cold weather and hot drinks! Because it is me I like to add a twist if I can!

We are sponsored by Bugaboo (who have a freebie every week, this week a Christmas one), Crafty Ribbons and a special extra prize from our Guest Designer Gloria (for USA entries only).

I used Poppi Xmas Cocoa and Circle Sentiments Warm Winter Wishes from Bugaboo, both coloured with Promarkers, and the Poppi image is die cut with Spellbinders, I made the sentiment the wrong size to fit any die so hand cut it. The papers are so pretty, they are by Dovecraft.

I added some liquid pearls to make the cream on top of my hot chocolate, and some stickles to the penguin's hat. The gorgeous purple grossgrain Let it Snow ribbon is unique to Crafty Ribbons, I just bought the "want it all" deal which is a metre of each colour.

The inside is finished with more of the same pretty paper.

Okay, I know this video doesn't have any sign of cold weather or cocoa, but I like it! If you want the cocoa and snow pictures (and a bit of Buble) there is one on the Quirky blog which has stills of both! There is also a lot of great inspiration by the rest of the team.

I have entered the following challenges:

I love Promarkers - all that glitters.
Craft Mojo - anything goes.
Cute Card Thursdays - Animal Magic.
Winter Wonderland - for a child (Fridays).
Stamping Sensations - Christmas (Nov challenge)

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

This is an Itty Bitty stamp set from Unity Stamps who have a great 50% off offer this weekend. I used my Spellbinders book die to cut the image and sentiment and mats. The image is coloured with Promarkers. The paper was free with a magazine, the tinsel ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons (I also have it in gold) and I think it is in the clearance section so I better get some more, it is great!

I am entering the following challenges:

Inspired by Unity - colour and or sketch inspiration.

I Love Promarkers - all that sparkles.

Papertake Weekly - anything goes.

Well Done WIP

Somebody wanted some Well Done cards a while ago, and I finally got round to it, although these are a bit of a work in progress. The one above was the first, and it took me all morning to make, but that was due to having to find the rosette die, then seaching through all of my stamps for a Well Done stamp, and this one is from a Kanban set and is meant to be a car number plate! I am amazed there isn't a Well Done in any other congratulatory or general set that I own! The celebrate circle is from a little MSE set. The rosette is a Tim Holtz rosette die by Sizzix, and the sentiment and scalloped circles are Spellbinders.

I embossed the background with a folder by Cuttlebug. The reason I haven't made these before is the eBosser, it just wasn't cutting with Sizzlets, until after a year of owning it I bought the metal shim from Oyster Crafts at a show and now my Sizzlets cut beautifully (one problem solved then), the shim is now alarmingly bent so I guess I need to alternate the side that goes through like the cutting plate is alternated to preserve it. Anyway I digressed, I could have got the Big Shot off the shelf to make these, but if you have seen my desk photo below you will know there is nowhere to set it up right now!

I started on blue versions, I haven't added the Well Done yet, need to stamp and heat emboss some in silver. The next one is on a maroon card which looks better, no picture yet!

WOYWW #231

It is time to go a snooping round other folk's work spaces at The Stamping Ground, now famous for this Wednesday event started by Julia Dunnit.

I don't know if you will believe me when I tell you that tidying is in progress, I decided I must have some space on this desk to create properly. I put the trimmer down under the desk to get out when I need it instead of leaving it permanently taking up space, and get it out when I need it which was a good theory which assumed there would be enough clear space to put it on the desk and use it! I use my trimmer a lot, and now it is balancing on top of "stuff" and doesn't perform that well on a seesaw!

Looking back at last week I think the desk actually looks tidier in one photo, oh dear. I have put away some of the new wood mounted stamps, and the ribbons, and stencils, I have run out of box space for the wood mounted stamps now and might have to buy another box, or try and part with some stamps!

On the left side, nearest to you, is a pile of stamp sets and stamps on mounts waiting to be put together then put away. There is a Slice cart I need to test so I can leave feedback - need a space hence the tidying! in the middle are three pairs of scissors out of my collection of ?? no idea, but a lot! and on the right side furthest from you next to the scissors a pile of Little Claire stamps and newsletters, I joined the club but haven't got round to using the stamps yet. Then there is a Really Useful Box full of bits of die cuts and images coloured in ready to go on cards but it has a pile of sheets of images to colour on top and they are under my Ideology alcohol inks caddy which was out to use the blender tool on my dictionary page - see the previous post. So that can go away and maybe it won't look so bad!

I am waiting for the dishwasher engineer to arrive, have been washing up by hand for over two weeks, and there is so much washing up! It took me several days of having to change after washing up to realise I needt to wear an apron, and the floor always looks flooded afterwards! The part should be fitted today and I won't have so much hand washing up to day. I am also waiting for a food delivery, my Riverford boxes, which came really early in the morning last week and I was hoping they would today so I could have yogurt for breakfast with my fruit, then I hoped he would be here before lunch so I could have some lovely salad - didn't happen! At least I am feeling a lot better, though I am still bunged up so I guess the virus got into my sinuses.

The Craft Barn Alpha Challenge - N

The Alpha Challenge at The Craft Barn is on N, and I chose night in the English section of my dictionary. There was only one other option here for me and that is now glued down between pages! I don't think there was much in the French section either. See the stars at the top of the page? I wanted to stencil stars and the only stencil I had was sequin waste, and I used clear ink and holographic embossing powder which was heat set before applying distress inks to make my sky.

The owl on a branch, bats, sentiment and cat are by Cherry Pie Art stamps (and have featured before), the row of houses is a Hero Arts stamp, the branch on the right is Crafty Individuals and the moths are Paper Artsy, big moths don't you think, rather Dr Who like, the invasion of the giant moths!

I used various colours of Ranger Distress ink to create the sky, and finally I die cut a moon and stars from an Accucut Zipeslim die.