WOYWW #245

It's Wednesday and time to go snooping round desks at The Stamping Ground.

My computer is semi working now, it is so much easier than the tablet, which one day would let me upload photos to blogger then minutes later or the next few days it wouldn't play at all! So I got there very late last week and only because Julia added me and I haven't gone round even the few people who stopped by.

I think my desk is looking much tidier now, There is still a pile of stamps on cling foam on the left side under the digi images, I need to split sheets somehow to keep brands together and I need to clear a shelf to hold more folders (not worked out where the stuff on the shelf is going yet), but I was pleased I did so much and probably because I had no computer to distract me!
In the middle is a Valentine's card I was working on, I will post the finished card next. Then there is the paper pad I used and a Really Useful Box that is full of images coloured and die cut ready to go and other die cut bits.
At the back, on the far right the rotary trimmer and standing on that is a stamp that arrived today, and a tub of cards that might go for charity or to the shop, well some of each maybe. I had a pile of aperture card blanks, I suppose they are for tea bag or similar, but I finally saw an idea - using up scraps of ribbon!
Next to them the grey basket is full of cards finished and awaiting something like an insert or just bag top. In the green basket is paint, then the pink basket is full of adhesives, and then there is the box Shaun gave me, now full of Distress refill inks, on top of that is a small crate full of Fresco paints.
The pink net bin is full of foam bits for inking, and now some ink dusters I bought at the Exeter show, we went there then stayed in Torquay for a couple of nights where we were expecting really bad weather, I think they are getting it now. The floods and damage is so awful, those poor people, and the rain isn't stopping yet!
I was going to show you what I bought at the Exeter show but I can't find the photos I took now, will look at the tablet later. (Found them, I took them on a phone I was trying out but they were still in the cloud, see next post).

These two were ill for a few days, they look a bit sorry for themselves here. They kept being sick.

This is a kitty hat I made using a pattern from Repeat Crafter Me, it was the puppy hat but the little girl this is for is cat mad so I made up some ears, hope she likes it.

Bedroom makeover complete, this is the bedroom with the black out roller blind up and I found the perfect colour valanced sheet (after buying two valances in error which I washed so can't take back). I searched online and couldn't find teal, but in a shop in town I found it, and it fits better than the old ones. I need to go get another now.

When you look out of the window and see this - you have to grab the camera!

Unity Be Inspired challenge

I used the colours for the Unity Be Inspired challenge for this card. This is a very 70's tree I think! Image coloured with Promarkers, die cut with Spellbinders Nestabilities, ribbon is grey satin from Crafty Ribbons, and some grey buttons from stash.

I used the Blossom Stackers stamps for the shapes behind the sentiment, the tree and sentiment are an Itty Bitty set Thought of Who.

I have entered the following challenges:

Unity Be Inspired - see above for details.

ABC challenge - E for embellish.

Feeling Crafty - dies or punches.

My Time To Craft - buttons and bows.

Quirky New Year Wishes - reminder time.

 Phew, the computer is working at the moment so I can blog properly! I am continuing with my journal, which is all about my weight loss journey. I made a page for each of my certificates and each one has a blank page to add my thoughts, pictures and photos. I want to be able to draw inspiration and encouragement from this journal to continue on my journey and reach my target! All of my certificates were pinned to the fridge freezer, I was running out of magnets, and they were getting tatty at the edges, so putting them in a book is the best thing to do. I punched holes with the Bind it All, but haven't bound it yet or made covers, there will be lots more pages yet - unless I do this in two volumes!

This was my first certificate - slimmer of the week! Pretty amazing, because I didn't know if I wanted to take up the offer of 12 weeks paid for by the NHS, and when I did decide (having been a total slimming club sceptic) I wasn't sure if it would work for me with all of my intolerances, allergies and thyroid problems, I decided to journal my thoughts, here in a Squigglefly freebie journal frame and some journalling spots I stamped with Unity Blossom Stackers set. Fat Mouse from Bugaboo and scales from Squigglefly.

The plan is all about healthy eating, it fitted in with my normal diet just fine, a few adjustments, and here I am on a super healthy eating plan, not a diet! I can still eat treats, but I count my chocolate in squares per day now not bars per day! Peaches, Nibbles with carrot and scales from Squigglefly, and chocolate from Bugaboo.

This was my half stone award, that is 7 pounds!

I decided not to bore you with every page, besides I haven't filled them in yet! I hope to add more thoughts, images and photos to each page. Sassy Gal Angel is from Bugaboo.

She accompanies my latest certificate for 2 and a half stones weight loss, that is 35 pounds! I always worked in kilos before this, but have to think in Imperial again! I could have had kilos if I had known and said at the beginning, but then I would be different to everyone else - and how would they work out the certificates?

This page is the start of my ongoing wishes for 2014, I want to lose the same again - I know now that I can do it! Then I will be able to play with my little grandson as he gets older, and do everything else I want to (well not everything, that would take a miracle - but more than if I don't do this), and improve my health too! I used Girlz get your craft on, and beach boy brat from Bugaboo, and there is room for more.

I only wish they had sent me years before this, and maybe I wouldn't have so many health problems, hindsight is a wonderful thing! 

I have seen very large people sitting in wheelchairs in the hospital, waiting for transport, minus limbs, not able to walk, looking awful, on oxygen and I don't want to end up like that if I can help it!

Anyway on that morbid note, don't forget to hop over to Quirky Crafts and join in, you might want a new car, new baby, new house, holiday - show us what you want during this year in any project you like!

The Craft Barn Quotes and Lyrics challenge

The Craft Barn challenge for 2014 is Quotes and Lyrics (Q&L), and I did manage to do my first page well within the timescales, but couldn't load the photo into blogger with the tablet (some days it will, some it won't and even when it did I couldn't load it into the post I created - which has now mysteriously vanished anyway). I will add that first page later, it isn't downloaded onto this sick computer yet, I have it on the tablet too....

The challenge is set every two weeks, and we are given two words, this time it is Silence and Dazzle, and you can use one or both words if they feature in a quote or lyric. I found a few lyrics but this quote from an online paper really appealed to me.

"Vänskä’s balance of the ensemble was disclosing instrumental colours that are usually washed over by the razzle-dazzle of the piano.... from the examiner.com

I didn't know what I was going to do for this challenge, a journal, a box of cards perhaps for inspiration you can dip into randomly? Then I saw this kraft notebook and decided to use that. I made the mistake of getting paint on the binding wires during my first page and now it is difficult to turn pages and I can't seem to get it off! I used Crafty Individual stamps, some images are heat embossed. I have adhered pages together to make pockets so I can store the remaining quotes and lyrics I gathered, not sure how well this is going to work - I might have to rebind the pages with a bigger non paint covered wire or come up with another solution.

Anyway due to the internet going down on me just as I was going to blog this last night, or it could be the sickly computer playing me up, I missed the deadline! So that is two chances the computer has spoiled for me!

Here is my first page, I got it onto Facebook a week before the deadline but couldn't get it onto blogger!

Penny black stamp set, and the quote is A Smile is Just a Frown Turned Upside Down from Undisputed Truth - Smiling Faces Sometimes by The Temptations.

Quirky new year wishes or resolutions

 It is so difficult managing without my computer, sometimes the tablet will let me add photos and other days it won't play at all! Today it is working. The challenge set by Doris is about wishes for this year, and I decided to make a journal to record my weight loss journey so far and to encourage me to reach my target. The Page above is the second page but I won't attempt to move it, or I might lose it.
We have two sponsors at Quirky Crafts this time, and I apologise to them for mixing images, I need to do it. This Page features ice cream sundaes and scales (called "the moment of truth") from Squigglefly, and a fat cheese mouse from Bugaboo.

Page 1 features a great sentiment and freebie frame from Squigglefly with chocolate bars from Bugaboo.  At the beginning of 2013 things were bad for me, already suffering from a number of health issues my cholesterol went too high, I ate healthy food but I was addicted to chocolate, ate too much cheese and adored ice cream. I was much too heavy, and got referred to Slimming World.  I have lots more to show you next week, maybe my computer will be back and I can add photos to the journal, that and some thoughts. 

I don't know if I will be able to add links, but you can find them in the sidebar and hop over to Quirky Crafts to see some more great projects and join in!

WOYWW?

I thought I had a breakthrough and the tablet was going to load photos, but then the browser crashed and closed and now isn't playing. I will try again, I managed to zoom (so I have a better chance of connecting with the correct buttons) - now I can't, I was double tapping the screen. When the top buttons decided to work one option was photos from your phone. I don't know how but it did show me the two photos I took last night on the new mobile I am trialling, but loaded a lot of old ones from goodness knows where, and how is it doing this? Should I be impressed or scared I wonder?
Anyway, it is Wednesday and time to snoop round desks at The Stamping Ground.  I may not be able to link yet or show a photo, I will try, and as a stopgap I will describe the desk. It is covered in piles of laminated sheets of cling mounted rubber stamps because I am in the middle of rehousing them in new expanding folders. I have 4 sheets I stamped waiting to be laminated and a healthy more to do. I am hoping my computer will be mended soon, this is why I haven't joined in for a while, and then I can scan some of the a4 sheets to save time. I really miss my computer, I tried to fix it with a new PSU but that didn't do it.

 Yay! Did it, made the buttons extra big, selected the right photos, so here they are, rubba mountain....

All of this for £10 from our permanent market, look at those pretty scissors - they are really sharp and cut ribbon beautifully, and lace, and buttons!

Glitter here, glitter there......

.....glitter everywhere!

Whoops, had a glitter accident, it seemed like a good idea to sprinkle a little glitter on my frame to stick to stray glue as some lines were a little wider than others, then it looked nice on my image so I decided to get the Art Institute glue out, which took some unblocking but once it was done the glue (long neglected) was perfectly good. I was using a pot of Nirvana glitter which is a lovely blend of blue and gold, and it was going well until I thought to add pearls and before I had the lid on properly, in my haste to finish my card, I turned towards the boxes with the pearls and whoops, dropped the glitter pot. It is safe to say that there is glitter everywhere, I had a whole tub of it, I only managed to recover about half! I used my little dustpan and brush, then my specially purchased glitter vacuum, and then had to get a tea strainer to get the bits out. Shaun vacuumed me, I vacuumed the rug! The rug is covered in bits, it should be vacuumed but I don't want to lose any treasure, I need a big sieve! I drop gems, pearls, tiny stamps from sets, lids for things, all sorts, and there are bits of die cuts, ribbons, all sorts!

I decided to colour this gorgeous Fairy Fae by Delicious Doodles from Stitchy Bear Digital stamps in blue and yellow, and I have a couple of challenges in mind to enter, I hope I am not too late! Blue hair, I hope it worked! I used my Atyou Spica pens on the butterflies and her eyes and lips, then added the glitter to the butterflies and some to her hair. Unfortunately in the photo the glitter doesn't look glittery, it looks like grit and it is much better in real life!
All die cuts are cut with Spellbinder dies, the butterflies are some of the very early dies and got glittered too. As mentioned, flat back pearls were added, and some ribbon from Crafty Ribbons with some glittery cord that was free with a magazine, and a bead. The sentiment is a Debbi Moore stamp, the butterflies are from an unbranded set, I had several attempts at stamping and heat embossing and despite an antistatic bag, I ended up with stray powder that set, even though I heated from below.

This is my reminder project for the Quirky Crafts challenge, I have really enjoyed using these gals, and have taken a lot of time attempting to get them right. So hop on over to join in the Quirky Challenge which is Eyes Wide Open, and all you need is eyes (wide open) on your project, and you could win Fairy Fae and more images!

I have entered the following challenges:

Feeling Crafty - Butterflies (January)
Graph'It Marker challenge - Yellow and blue springtime colours  (Fridays)
Allsorts challenge - Use ribbons but not bows.
One Stitch at a Time - New beginnings
Papertake Weekly - anything goes/New beginnings (Tues)

Meljen's Otter

I love Meljen's otter, and I meant to use it as soon as I bought it, but just didn't get round to it. When we go to Devon we try and visit the otter sanctuary and butterfly farm at least once a year, the butterflies are so calming, I found a peace and relaxation sitting in the steamy manufactured jungle and watching huge beautiful creatures flying round me, and then to go outside into whatever the weather throws at us and see the otters being fed and playing. I saw a pair of otters playing like this under water. I coloured the otters with Graph'It pens, I only have brown and I wanted to enter two challenges (at least), Meljen's and Graph'It's challenges.

I cut out the shapes with a Grand Spellbinders die set, and I the card blank was cut to match in beige rose embossed card. The ribbons are by Junkitz (the worded ribbon) and Crafty Ribbons and the gems are coloured with brown Graph'It pen.

I have entered the following challenges:

Meljen's design's challenge - anything goes

Graph'It  Marker challenge - anything goes optional Chocolate heaven/shades of brown

Allsorts Challenge blog - anything goes (Sat)

Cards Galore - anything goes - 3rd and final entry (Sat)

Avenue 613 - anything goes/optional Winter colours or theme (Sun)

Polkadoodles - anything goes (Thurs 16, winners Tues 22nd Jan)

Blue Christmas - it's never to early to start.....

.....keeping the momentum going is harder!

Here is that Inkadinkado angel again, stamped in white and heat embossed before distress inking the card. die cuts are Spellbinders dies, ribbons are from Crafty Ribbons.

I have entered the following challenges:

Weekly Christmas cards - no colouring (Sun)

I love the cosy hat and scarf on this Penny Black snowman. I coloured the image with Promarkers then covered it with some glitter film from Little Claire before die cutting it with a Spellbinders die. Ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons of course!

I am entering the following challenges:

ABC Christmas challenge - A for Anything Christmas (Wed)

Bearly Mine - colour challenge (Jan)

Pan Pastels - Anything goes/Frosty finish (Sun)

Cards Galore - Anything goes (Jan)

Avenue 613 - anything goes (Sun)

Passion for Promarkers - CAS (Tues)

Papertake Weekly - anything goes/option something new (next Christmas) (Tues)

WOYWW #240 (or "it's Wednesday, I knew it was Wednesday - but IT'S WEDNESDAY!")

Really I knew it was Wednesday, after all I was expecting the blind company to come and quote for a blind, the aerial man, he is here now, and a Riverford delivery, so yes these events were happening on Wednesday - but just before lunch I realised that it is WEDNESDAY today, and I hadn't given a thought to WOYWW!

So here is a photo, not much different to last week except that I am not working on Christmas cards, and haven't yet used the images I stamped and die cut last week, I am working on a Meljen Lyn otter image right now. I haven't tidied up as you can see, and on the desk at the back is an empty tub which held the Christmas lights, the ones that got damaged and have gone in the bin. Hubby offered it to me and when I grabbed it he said "I knew you would"! On top of the tub is a smalll pile of Christmas cards and two Halloween ones I missed, which I was asked to collect from the shop as there is no storage. Unfortunately due to the floods volunteers weren't able to get to the shop and keep it open Christmas week, or I think more would have sold.

Anyway aerial man has gone now, Hubby gave me his old Freesat box which also records (so I can record all the films that I stay up late to watch, all the best films seem to be on late), and plays Blue Ray discs. He only wanted to change it because he had filled the hard drives up with all the stuff he records, but after buying a new Freeview only machine he found how to copy onto disc! Never mind I have a new box, but to use the freesat I needed the cables running round to my room from the old satellite dish, hence the aerial man. My old PVR gave up the ghost years ago, so having this is a real bonus.

If you want to know what WOYWW is all about head over to The Stamping Ground and maybe nosy round a few desks and show us yours!

3rd time lucky - I won on 3rd drawing in Crafty Ribbons Advent event.

I was a third drawn winner of 3 Rick St Dennis images in the Crafty Ribbons Inspiration Advent Event, the first two people drawn didn't claim by the deadline! I am so lucky, these are my first RSD images, and he sent them already!

I won, I won ....YAY

I just found out I was picked as one of two winners to get every new release for the next 4 months from The Cutting Cafe blog! WOW WOW WOW - what a prize, thanks Regina!

The reason for the great giveaway is the 5 year anniversary of The Cutting Cafe! I know there are some great releases coming my way!

Quirky Eyes Wide Open for 2014!

It is the first challenge of the year over at Quirky Crafts, and it is my challenge and all you need to do is make something with big eyes, lots of eyes, the theme is Eyes Wide Open.

I have to say that if anyone enters an image by someone contentious with Stamp Out Stamp Theft, for example Sherri Baldy (if she later clears her name then we will allow her images), they will not be included in the voting.

I used Poppy from our sponsor Stitchy Bear Digital stamps, they have lots of suitable images for this challenge and I really love poppies, but it was so difficult only choosing one!

I coloured Poppy's hair with Graph'Its markers, it is the first time I have used them and I love the colours, I only have browns, the only drawback for me is no extra fine nibs like Promarkers - I will have to look into this and see if there are any, my colouring skills improved considerably with the fine nibs and I had to do a lot of correction after colouring the hair. The rest of the colours are Promarkers. I added a little Spica to her lips and eyelids. She is die cut with Spellbinders dies as are the other shapes (except for the poppy), and I added some flat back pearls mainly because I cannot find a rectangle die that fits the fancy rectangle shape, there is a gap each end.

The poppy is die cut with my new Sizzix Bigz Tattered Florals Tim Holtz design die, moulded with a rub on tool and lines drawn in (badly), finally I added a dark green button, and topped that with Ranger Distress Stickles, which I also put round the button. I added some polka dot ribbon before attaching the black mat to the green mat.

The greeting is from a free stamp set I got with a magazine, not sure which one now.

Will the recipient of this card realise it has taken about 4 hours to complete I wonder? No of course not!

So hop on over to Quirky Crafts to see some fabulous makes from the rest of the team and to join in our easy challenge.

I have entered the following challenges:

Graph'It Marker Challenge - Anything goes and any markers allowed. (Fridays)

Allsorts challenge - Anything goes (Saturdays)

Craft Mojo - All things new (Graph'its and Die) (Jan)

Creative Card Crew - Anything goes (Tues 14th)

One Stitch at a Time - anything goes (Jan)

Papertake Weekly - Pick of the Year, I chose Die-ing for a punch (7th Jan)

Stamping for the Weekend - Anything goes - (17th Jan)

Stamping Sensations - buttons, ribbons and bows - (Jan)

Craft All Day - Handmade flowers - (Jan)

Ali Craft - Anything Goes - (Jan)

Cards Galore - Anything goes (Jan)

Avenue 613 - anything goes

Pink Gems Challenges - Something New

I made top 3 at Crafty Ribbons - whoo hoo!

I am chuffed to bits because I just found out I made top three at Crafty Ribbons Challenge blog with this card featuring a Little Claire stamp and Crafty Ribbons (who are having an amazing sale right now) ribbon.

The Alpha Challenge - I for Individual

Last letter, I for Individual! I have really enjoyed taking part in The Alpha Challenge at The Craft Barn.  I have never done anything like this before. This last page features stamps by Lost Coast, Unity Stamps, and Penny Black, birds are doodled by me.

I missed the deadline but you can see some gorgeous entries on The Craft Barn blog.

I'm looking forward to the next challenge for 2014.

The Alpha Challenge - X for Xmas

It is the end of this challenge, only two letters left, we had extra time and still I missed the deadline! This is X for Xmas, apologies if you hate this abbreviation, I hate it but there wasn't much choice in X.

I used Little Claire stamps, some magazine freebie stamps and a Molly Blooms stamp. They had to share the page with Yoga.

My other page I was going to be the better page, this page has been ready for a couple of days but not uploaded, the other is to be stamped!

I also wanted to make a cover for the book, but it is now falling to bits literally so not sure if I can or if it is worth trying! Maybe I can glue the pages with silicone where they have parted company with the spine, lots of the pages are glued together for stability and that might have made things worse.

So pop over to The Craft Barn to see the Alpha Challenge entries.

Happy New Year & WOYWW #239

I got in the mood for making Christmas cards - after Christmas, and that is what is going on here! At the back is my altered dictionary for The Alpha Challenge, and I have one page to complete but just realised as it is New Year's day I have just missed the deadline, I really didn't want to do that but was convinced I had until the end of the week in my head!

Happy New Year to you all, and head on over to The Stamping Ground for a New Year nosy round everyone's desks. I will post my pages, one is ready, has been for days now, so why didn't I load it - well we had a house full of visitors and after they left Sunday I couldn't get back into routine. They are coming back Friday for the weekend too. So the table is still laid up for family and I haven't got the photo studio out at all.

I would like to thank you all for your gentle hugs and good wishes last week, I am a bit better this week, down to prescription painkillers just at night, though I haven't managed to go out walking, and have only been out by car to family parties since last week.