Appearances are deceptive

Everyone thinks I am sooooooooooooooo tidy but just look at my ribbon box, is that tidy or what. If anyone can come up with a solution to store this mass I would be very grateful. Back to my desk that isn't so tidy today as I am in the middle of doing a double page spread in Clare's journal. This is a circle journal that 12 of us are taking part in, organised by Dyan (AFTH) and Dy's friend Bezzie Su, actually I think Su is doing all the hard work ( sorry Dyan) organising and co-ordinating the circle. So on my desk are journal pages that I am in the middle of doing, lots of goodies we use in our journals, a large roll of sequin waste, 2 new blue DI ink pads. There is also a Kaiser tag box waiting to be decorated and put together. If you could see underneath my desk that's not very tidy either. The more I buy the more storage space I need, DH shares part of this room with me, I need him to move out I have suggested the garden shed to him or even a house up the road which is for sale but he didn't appreciate it ROFL.

Gezzyb's note pad with green ribbon

Hi for those of you who wanted to know what Gez's little note pad looks like with the green ribbon attached here it is.

Is it meant to be?

I have been altering 3 coasters for a swap, closing date tomorrow but I didn't finish them until 5pm today. Yesterday I arranged to go somewhere with my friend Ann and when I looked on the Google map the place for the swap is just down the road, so I can take them with me and deliver them by hand on the correct day, how lucky is that! At 3pm today I decided to check the details of the swap and found out the theme is "Time" 2 of my coasters by chance just happen to have the word Time and one I had stamped and used a Tim's mask clock. So the third one was all wrong so I had to start a new one but I bought a new stamp last night at the Craft Den and it was just meant for the coaster and I did not buy it with the swap in mind, again how lucky is that. The photos do not show the true colours and yet I took the photos in daylight. One is a combination of Tim's new Barn Door and Rusty Hinge. The second one is covered with Button paper and edged in Rusty Hinge and my dress pattern is coloured with chalks and edged in the same distress ink. The third one I painted the coaster with Juniper Dabber, cut a piece of cream card using a nestabilities which I glued to the coaster. The Sugar Nellie stamp I coloured with Copic Markers both from the Craft Den and attached her to a piece of "My Minds Eye" paper. The coffee time label I printed on the computer and secured using one of Tim's new Memo Pins.

I enjoyed this project.

Only Just Made It

Well what a day rushing here there and everywhere almost forgot about WOYWW. I have just got back from a lovely crafting session with lovely friends at the Craft Den and we were talking about what's on your workdesk wednesday which reminded me. I missed last week too, so here's mine this week. A beautiful birthday card from Paula Gale, a wonderful note pad from Gez, an altered CD which I got in a swap and lots of half finished projects plus some new papers which I bought on Sunday at the "Great Northern Papercraft Show" Oh and the body thingy a friend bought for my birthday last week I didn't know what to do with it so I am hanging ribbons on it. I could go into more detail about other things but time is runnning out.

Quirky Craft Challenge

Another ATC what makes you think I like "small". This one I have made for a challenge over on Quirky Crafts, anything goes but buttons had to be included so here's mine.The little dancing fairy is a Mabel Lucie Attwell for those of you who are as old as me lol, I coloured her with a mixture of Copics and Sakura pens and attached with 3D foam pads. The card itself I coloured yet again with Distress Inks, Victorian Velvet and Spun Sugar I just swiped them across the card then used a piece of Crafty Individuals paper from the Springtime book. The little bee is one of Lavinia's stamps which I cut out, coloured with gold Sakura pen and attached with 3D foam pads. The buttons are very tiny flower buttons. The Mabel L Attwell stamp is from the Artistic Stamper, she has quite a few and they are really cute.

Challenge on Something Completely Different

Over on Something Completely Different the challenge this month is to make Trinchies, a different one each week. The theme this week is "Men". I have used Tim's new stamps and Distress Inks. I stamped each ink pad on to my mat using Victorian Velvet, Tumbled Glass, Stormy Sky and Chipped Sapphire, spritzed them with water and then swished the 3"x 3" card in the inks which gives a mottled effect. Using the black Archival ink I stamped the quote , the bike and the man. I cut the man out and used foam pads to attach him and then stitched wonkily all the way round the trinchie twice. The connection is that he can get on his bike to find out who he wants to be which is the quote.

Circle Journal

I joined a Journal Circle at AFTH which Dyan has organised. We have to complete a double page spread, however we want and then sign and date the back prepared page and send it on to the next person. So this is my double page done in Annette's journal. It was a bit scary to start with but once I got going it was fine and I enjoyed doing it. I have done it in Dina Wakely method, the wonderful lady who came to AFTH last week to teach us in a 2 day tutorial.

WOYWW this week

I missed showing what's on my work desk last Wednesday as I was at AFTH with the lovely Dina. I am not very good with mornings and having to get up at 6am to leave the house by 7.15 to get to Harrogate in time did not encourage me to take photo's and upload them. I was up early this morning 7am, which is really unusual for me when I don't have to go anywhere, so the first thing I did was take my photos of my work desk. This is how I left it last night at around midnight when I was too tired to put it all away, very unusual for me as I have a compulsion to be tidy. I have lots of things on my desk, an ATC I am doing for a swap about Easter and all the stamps and ink pads I have been using are there. I found this atc difficult to do as I don't have much relating to Easter so it has turned out "cute" and I don't do "cute." There are some Maya Road coasters which I have "Gessoed" is that spelt right? There's a box of Sakura pens which I used on the ATC, some of Claudine,s paints ready for another project and my "Sea grass" box containing my journals and a "Circle Journal" waiting for me to do a double page but I haven't plucked up the courage yet as it's scarey working in someone elses journal.

The Mad Hatter's Tea Party.

Here's another ATC I have made for a monthly swap, appropriate for March as the film is now showing. I used Spun Sugar Distress Ink for the background, edged in Victorian Velvet Distress Ink pad, stamped the background tea-pots and clocks in the same. I put a piece of Tim's film strip ribbon over the clocks, I thought the film strip related to the film itself, I stapled it with the mini attacher. I stamped the wording and images on card which had been coloured with the Spun Sugar and then I smeared Rock Candy Stickles all over the Mad Hatter and Alice.

A First for me

Over on Something Completely Different the challenge is a Trinchie which I have not done before now and not even heard of until now. A trinchie is a 3"x3" piece of art work and the theme on SCD is love and romance. I used Spun Sugar, one of Tim's new Distress Inks, to colour my background the image is from Crafty Individuals. Down the side I have used a piece of Tim's film ribbon and attached the piece of lace using TH's mini attacher. The silver is a piece of German scrap above the banner which I cut from Blonde Moments paper. The letters I cut on my Cricut from Blonde Moments paper and drew round them with a black pen to make them pop. The flowers were white, I coloured them with the Spun Sugar and put a tiny button in the middle of each one. I have edged all the way round with Victorian Velvet another of Tim's new colours.

Alice Premier

I haven't blogged for a while as I have been so busy with Art Calendars, teaching and wonderful workshops at AFTH with Dina Wakely but last night I made this ATC for a friend who I swap with. I got some Alice in Wonderland and Mad Hatters Tea Party stamps from the Stamp Attic this week and as the film came out today I just had to use them. I took the photo this morning so for once the colours are true. I can't wait to see the film my 14 year old grand-daughter asked me why I wanted to see it, my reply was "cos Johnny Depp is in it" her face was a picture, Grandmother fancying JD!!!!

MARCH ART CALENDAR PAGE

Finished at last, this was done very quickly. I hope the correct colours show up on the post as on the camera the pages look pink and they definitely are not. I painted my pages in bright yellow and smudged lime green here and there as these colours represent Spring for me. I cut my letters and numbers out in lime green card using my CRICUT and went around each of them in black pen to make them pop. This time I have used only the initial letter for the days of the week. I have stamped the new Tim Holtz rabbit and grasses stamp along the bottom edge and the birds at the top is another of Tim's. The orange at the top of the page is another of Tim's new stamps and i have used it to represent the sun, lets hope we have some. All my squares are daffodils and I cut them from decoupage papers. This time I have not numbered the squares I might later and I will add to my pages as I go along.