WOYWW #281

You may think not a lot has changed since I posted two weeks ago, and you could be right - except I just did a frantic tidy up before I took this photo, I am sure you don't believe me!

The most exciting thing on the desk this time is the set of Kraftin Kimmie stamps (pink), I won a $25 voucher on facebook for showing my stash of KKS and I agonised over which set to buy, eventually settling on a Rachel Anne Miller set which will be good for little boy cards, and I just had to have one of her Christmas stamps and a white paint Sharpie pen! I had to pay for those and postage of course. 

The Crossover is still sitting there, and next to it (hiding next to the Promarkers) is the handle which fell off in my die cutting session a couple of weeks back. I have contacted Samuel Taylors who asked for photos (never been known to happen before - always me!) and have referred the matter to their supplier and I am waiting for the outcome of that.

It's disappointing that this should happen after very little use, and I did try putting the handle back on, can't get it the whole way so it falls off again. It might just need a tap with a hammer by someone with more strength than me!

Apart from that I have some Woodware glue bottles which have faulty pins that turn the glue brown, I contacted Woodware and they are sending me some new ones, and have asked me to test another one with some cheap glue, which I am doing and I can see the pin corroding even if the glue hasn't yet turned brown, so I think the pins are all untreated. Edited to say [Woodware told me there was a faulty batch a while back, but seemed surprised that  mine were faulty because I had bought them from Sir Stampalot and not a local shop (hence the request to test them again with cheap glue).]

The Promarkers are out because - 1, the pen organiser insert came out of the ArtBin again, so I need to take out all the browns, blacks, greys and purples and sort them back in and I haven't had the heart to do it yet, and the green ones are out because I am about to colour an image with them. There are still stamps and stencils out that need putting away and I am not showing you the view from the other end of the desk - I am too ashamed, it is depressing!

I have managed to shift quite a bit of stuff but it doesn't seem to make any difference - is it because I buy more to replace it I wonder?

Anyway in finding some cheap glue I found one bottle had dried up too much to be any use except to be put on with a trowel, so that went in the bin, and today while tidying I realised I have a whole drawer full of large bottles of glitter glue, glitter paint and 3d paints that could be up to 10 years old and maybe are not a lot of good either. If that is the case I can clear a whole drawer for something else to go away!

Why am I telling you all of this? If you really want to know hop on over to The Stamping Ground where the lovely Julia Dunnit will explain all!

Carousel - altered art.

I posted this photo of my partly painted Carousel ages ago, last year anyway. It is a Kaisercraft Carousel that came in white, or off white anyway. I thought it was just crying out for the big white spaces round the edge to be decorated, and I started it - but other stuff got in the way and it stayed on the floor under other stuff until yesterday. I had a kind of life changing moment, which is described in the previous post!

This is the carousel on my desk right now. I can't turn it due to the stashberg next to it, so the next task is to sort that out a little, and I have the pink "Stuff Bucket" which was in that spot before. I went through that and moved a lot of stash over to the carousel, and already I can find it better and organise it better. I found stuff I forgot I had and haven't seen for a long time as well as a couple of mystery objects!

I got my stencils out and "Air Brush" marker spritzer and my Promarkers and Graphit markers and got to work. The stencils are all Creative Expresions ones. I love poppies, and airbrushed them in two colours. I think I need to add a butterfly somewhere, a charm or a stamped one maybe.

This panel has birds on overhead wires and I overstamped with Visible Image feathers, birds and a saying, it is hard to read the saying which didn't work well but it says "free your imagination". You can see the spritzer in the organiser.

This was the first panel I did last year, I didn't have the spritzer then so I used Cut n Dry foam to dab it, then over stamped it with the cogs.

I love this stencilled effect, I used a Graphit turquoise marker to air brush this one. Needs something else.

 Raindrops, I will have to find an umbrella to add!

Finally part of a scene, just the houses.

Then I painted round the rims with some Plaid Folk Art Acrylic paint in burgandy, it doesn't go right the way inside the drawers. The rest of the paint is either by Indigo Blu or Paperartsy. I painted two coats of burgandy then this morning doodled on it with gold Permapaque pen, which was one of two pens I chose with a gorgeous Stampendous stamp as my prize from the Woodware challenge I won.

I think there is more to do to this, more to add to the stencilled panels, more doodling and those drawers look a bit bare now don't they? I am thinking of adding brass charms maybe to the panels.

I have entered the following challenges:

Anything but a card - #38 repeating patterns (Sun)

Allsorts - masking and stencilling #272 (Sat)

Pan Pastels - #20 bold and bright (14th Sept)

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything goes (Aug 25th)

Stamping Sensations - anything goes (Aug)

Visible Image - anything goes with a Visible Image stamp (Aug)

Crazy Quirky Christmas cat lady back again.

As promised, here are some more variations using Ike's Art Cracka Cat (see previous post). This time the cat is Siamese, and the papers are magazine freebies. Ribbon by Crafty Ribbons. Layers are die cut with 

Spellbinders and the image is coloured with Promarkers.

I tried to make this one a tabby cat, don't think it worked! Tinsel ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, Poinsettia is punched and embossed with Nellie Snellen punch and emboss sets and I added some tiny gold beads tothe centre. Layers are die cut with 

Spellbinders and the image is coloured with Promarkers. The papers were freebies with a magazine and the tree lights are Woodware embellishments.

I used more of the paper inside.

 Last one for now, and this one is supposed to be a black and white cat. Tinsel ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, freebie papers that came with a magazine, and punched silver bells. Layers are die cut with Spellbinders and the image is coloured with Promarkers. The papers were freebies with a magazine and the tree lights are Woodware embellishments.

So that is it for now, I have two more to colour - which colours I wonder?

Hop on over to Quirky Crafts and enter your Christmas cards with die cuts or punch outs now!

These beauties have purred their way into the following:

Art by Miran - anything goes (Fri)

Left of Centre - add sparkle (Fri)

A gem of a challenge - animals (Sat 19th July)

Glitter and Sparkle - anything goes (Sun)

Christmas Card Challenges - Colour/anything goes (Sun)

Charisma cards - anything goes (24 July)

Graphit Markers - Christmas colours (25th July)

Creative Fingers - #43 anything goes (Fri 25th July)

Polka Doodles - add a twinkle (25th July)

Crafty Boots - Christmas in July (July)

Merry Christmas everyone! WOYWW #238

I hope you are having a great Christmas! All I want for Christmas is - painkillers!

A couple of last minute cards, which I had made last year apart from a greeting on this one...

and baubles, ribbon and a fairy on this one!

I then resorted to making up a Forever Friends kit I got with a magazine!

Anyway Yesterday I just didn't stop all day, shopping in the morning for last minute gifts and food, working with my son and his girlfriend to prep as much as possible for today's dinner, ironing, tidying, wrapping presents and making those final cards - my back (which you might already know is in a bad way, have been offered surgery as an option), was so sore!

This morning when I woke up I could hardly move, my knees are also full of osteoarthritis and getting down stairs was painful, and yet I had to clean the kitchen and bathrooms so just got on with it. Then I was cleaning the windows where Shaun missed them and fell over and into the pile of presents and had to shout for ages for Shaun (who was outside) to come and help me up. Some of the presents might now be a little squashed, and my back is even worse than before - hence wanting painkillers! I rang my dad to ask him to bring his drugs when he comes over, he didn't need to take them after his surgery last week!

I have joined in WOYWW at the Stamping Ground, missed it last week as I was just too busy.

Quirky treasures, a reminder to enter the challenge

This is my make for the Quirky Crafts challenge reminder, the challenge ends on Saturday midday and is sponsored by The Cutting Cafe.
I thought this image would be perfect for my treasure, which this time is the Woodware mini light bulbs I found hiding in my biggest Christmas stash box! As far as I know you can't buy these now, I have searched for them without success. I have a little wooden box with 4 compartments holding these, and they are so cute I didn't want to use them up so never opened the pack.
They look good hanging on the Christmas Stocking Laundry line from The Cutting Cafe, don't they!
I coloured the image with Promarkers, and added some stickles for snow, and a bit of sparkle with my Spica pens.
The card the image is mounted on is also quite special, I won it in a Christmas lucky dip from Card Making and Papercrafts magazine and I only have one sheet, I won a second similar sheet but this is the only one that says Love at Christmas.
I used some Crafty Ribbon's ribbon either side of the card, and another card ready for Christmas. I have family and friends cards to make still, and some to post, and it is the last day tomorrow for posting in time for Christmas!

I have entered the following challenges:

Cards Galore - Christmas
Coffee Chocolate and Cards - Happy Holidays (Fridays)
Crafty Ribbons - Anything goes with Ribbons (Thursdays)
Feeling Crafty - Christmas (Dec)
Craft Mojo - Christmas (Dec)
Passion for Promarkers - include a sentiment (Jan 7th)
Christmas Cards Challenge - optional to make words the focal point (Sunday 22nd)
Avenue 613 - Anything goes optional CAS (Sun)

From our house to yours!

 Christmas is coming closer and I thought I better make some cards in in a batch for the neighbours, and I normally end up doing these on Christmas Eve so this is progress! I still have family and friends cards to make though, I might have to go for a similar approach!
I used rubber stamps by Unity Stamp Co. and these are from a set called Winter Tortellini and Spinach Soup by Jellybean.

The tinsel Ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons, and I found some little wooden shapes in my stash and thought they would look cute.

I had these card blanks cut in several colours of embossed metallic card, which saves on adding a greeting. I need to cut more now.

Finally two bauble shapes from a pack of Woodware shaped cards.

I have entered the following challenges:

Stamping Sensations - Free and Easy (Dec)

Craft Mojo - Christmas (Dec)

Christmas Cards Challenges - optional to make words the focal point (Sun 22nd)

613 Avenue Create - Anything goes CAS optional (Sun)

Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbon (Thurs)

Chinese 80th Birthday card

I made this Chinese 80th Birthday card using a Woodware stamp set, image coloured with Promarkers, and die cut with Spellbinders. The papers are by Papermania, and were perfect for the colours I used, I love red and gold together.

I cut out the Filligree Delight largest panel with the oval in the centre to create a frame which I mounted onto red card cut with the A2 card maker set B version, both by Spellbinders.

The numbers were cut with Sizzix Shadow Box die, the ribbon is by Chatterbox. The sentiment is heat embossed in gold and finally I added some red flat backed pearls.

Inside the card, I managed to cover the inside with the same sheet of paper, with a strip of gold card strategically placed over a necessary join! Happy Birthday Granny Tao!

I have entered the following challenges:

Crafty Ribbons challenges - anything goes with ribbon.

Passion for Promarkers - favourite colour combo (Wednesdays)

A Gem of a Challenge - anything with B (birthday, blossoms) (Saturdays)

Papertake weekly - flowers (Tuesdays)

I love Promarkers - bugs - dragonflies (Wednesdays)

Polkadoodles - all things bright and beautiful (Fridays)

Woodware - Girly things

Stamping Sensations - wings and things and a touch of vintage. (August challenge).

Also I finally made a box for the baby word card I made ages ago, and here it is:

The box base is plain and stapled at the corners for strength.

The lid is strengthened by ribbon (from Crafty Ribbons) threaded through punched holes to match the word book (The Cutting Cafe file), and the letters were cut with the same paper used on the word book using Sizzix Shadow Box dies, finally the notches were cut with Sizzix Lollipop die and hammer.

Hot hot hot!

 Here is another page for The Craft Barn Alpha challenge, T for Temperature which is the same in French and English. I had to do this one given the unusual heatwave we have been experiencing here in the UK! I coloured the page yellow and used Tim Holtz stencil letters which are supposed to stick to your paper but wouldn't stick to gesso! So I held them on and dabbed Fired Brick Distress Ink round them. I doodled some bits, stamped some Hero Arts images, and an Elzybells girl with temperature, and some other stamps of Kokopelli and sun faces. I added some swirly bits with a Visible Image grunge stamp.

This is my new Woodware stamp, I wanted this one for ages and got it in the craft shop that is in the motorbike shop the other side of Trowbridge, near Lidls. I bought the Card Candi there too, and I knew I had this matching card stock, perfect. The butterfly was a free die with a magazine and I added gems and flat backed pearls to finish the flower.

I have entered the following challenges:

Crafty Card Makers - 1-2-3 1 Image, 2 papers and 3 embellishments. (19th August)
Crafty Ribbons - Use one or more circles - stamp has circles and the background (sorry peeps I thought I had linked, maybe I didn't save)

Finally I found out I owned another Itty Bitty stamp, and so I made this CAS card, inked the edges with Distress Ink in two shades then spritzed it with water. When it was dry I stamped and heat embossed the image and Hero Arts greeting in gold then coloured the flowers with Stickles.

This card has been entered in the following challenges:

Unity Stamps show and tell on Facebook - Itty Bitty a day, this is the last day, and I only had two Itty Bittys.

Cattitude

I have made a card using the template from the last challenge, which I have decided I really like.

These are so easy to make, and it is a shame we had so few entries.

 Mum has adopted a Tonkinese cat that needed a new home, and she only went to get the mower serviced! So it seemed to me that this would be a lovely card for her. I had some printed cat material I bought at a show, some of it has cat panels, and some has the same cats but smaller scattered all over, so I used the panel and small cat. Both are mounted on lampshade material which can be shaped a little, unfortunately it doesn't want to lie flat for this card so I added two panels of card behind it which makes it a little heavy.

I cut it out with the largest small square Nestabilities die, and used the scalloped one to make the mat behind, then I decided to make a frame to mount on top. I had some catty card which I used for my pull out panel, and I added some to the inside apeture too. I stamped round the card with a cat set, not sure if it is Woodware, I think it might be. I heat embossed with gold. Finally I added some Crafty Ribbons sheer polka dot ribbons to the pull section.