WOYWW #210

Hi every one and welcome…
it’s Wednesday which means thanks to the lovely Julia at THE STAMPING GROUND  we go blog hopping around the world to see what you have on your desk. To join in the WOYWW fun aka 'Whats on your work-desk Wednesday' check out the info over at Julia’s place. 

So whats on my desk?  well there is an ATC as sadly I missed the WOYWW anniversary blog hop and although I sent some to people who I promised, I still have one left (at the front of my desk) if any one is interested I'll send to the first person that asks.

Further down below are some lovely ATCs and cards I received from Heather and Ria  which I just have to show you as they are so amazing - thank you so much for them xx

I have a wedding and a silver wedding anniversary card to make for July, so have just started getting some bits out to play around with.

I was playing with the Marianne butterflies I punched out - they work nice to make frames - that was just using 4 of them, but with more butterflies you can get varied shapes. 

I also have some new boxes and blank photo frames to play with. I decorated one box with some Tando Creative chipboard pieces that I recently won.

Over on the right is the tag and 2 ATCs given to me by Ria - aren't they gorgeous?

Far right is an IndigoBlu clock blank - but that's going to take a bit of planning first so I don't mess it up LOL. Also shown are the beautiful ATC and card from Heather and also some fabulous chipboard locks, which I will be saving for an extra special project - thanks Heather x

my lovely WOYWW 4 surprise from Heather

my lovely WOYWW surprise from Ria

the box decorated with rabbits and butterfly from Tando Creative

Thanks for stopping by today. Have a good week and happy crafting x

Some Bunny Loves You

Well I am ashamed to say that I hadn't heard of Tando Creative  until recently - what?...I know, it's awful to think that all this time I have been missing out on these fabulous products.
I was very lucky to win some Tando mini chipboard pieces from a challenge over at Out of a Hat Creations -  thank you to both for these.

So here at long last is my first project, a wooden box, using just a few  'Tando minis -Rabbits' and a butterfly from 'Tando minis - Butterflies'

I primed the wooden box with gesso first, then painted it with a 'Soft Green' all purpose acrylic paint from Do Crafts.

Then punched out a frame on white funfoam using a Spellbinders die for outside and a Marianne die for inside. Inked the frame using lettuce and aqua alcohol inks.

Used the Marianne die on card too to stamp the words using Dovecraft alphabet stamps and inked it with shabby shutters and tumbled glass distress stains. 

Stamps used were from 2 sets by Elusive Images called 'Autumn hedgerow' and 'Nature table' and stamped with Stazon.



Flowers coloured with coloured pencils then glitter glue added over top.

Butterfly and Rabbits coloured with distress stains and alcohol inks and glazed with Glossy accents. I used a piece of wire saved from a bottle of wine ( which was covered with it) and made it into an antennae for the butterfly.

Glittered small bits of flowers too.

Used Glossy accents over the recess where the words are.

Once again, many thanks again to Tando Creative and Out of a Hat Creations for the lovely prize, they were a real pleasure to use

and such good quality x

Thanks for stopping by....happy crafting xxx



Surprise again

 

 

Good morning - it's lovely and sunny here today hoping its the same wherever you are too....

 

I always find making mens card so difficult. This one was for my husbands birthday on the 3rd -

he said not to bother making one but since he does all the cooking and never moans about all my crafting stash I buy - it was the least I could do LOL

 

 

 

 

I started by cutting up a sheet of patterned paper from a collection called 'Sucerie' but have no idea from the box who it is made by...I think possibly from a code on it that it could be by Brenda Pinnock (apologies if not).

I cut the paper into 8 different sized squares to fit on my blank card and then stamped on them.

 

 

 

Stamps used: message stamp in circle by Paula Pascual, Keys by Prima, Hinge from an Anna Griffin set....also used 'Antiques' by Andy Skinner, 'Vintage Illusion' by Creative Stamps and 'Bird Print' from urban collection by Papermania.

Put some foam pads on one end of hinge and some little to gems to accent it.

Used glue pen and gold foil to highlight parts and X-cut large rectangle parenthesis die and flowers nesties to layer the message on to.

 

  

Here are some more digital layouts made with the new kit from Algera Designs 

The digi-kit is called 'Surprise' and I made the layouts using Serif Craft Artist as its so easy to use

and so easy to alter colours of things and do all sorts of other effects and blending of papers.

papers blended and some elements colours altered using Serif Craft Artist software

 



I recoloured the flowers, heart, swirl and bow to match the band of colour on the hat

Lots of recolouring here - but it was so easy to do with the software

 

Click here to see more about Algera Designs





Thanks so much for stopping by and looking x

 

Time Flies...

I don't know where the time has gone since I last posted a couple of weeks ago.
Have had to do some gardening stuff as next week have men in cutting down some trees and putting up new fencing.
Spent last Friday moving my craft room around - its no where finished yet as just using the existing furniture at present, but I think at least I now know the layout of what I want.
Where I had a makeshift desk before, the afternoon sun was in my eyes so not very ideal.

Its a horrible blustery day today so going to make up for missed time and probably do a couple of posts today..or maybe this will just turn into an extra long one - sorry.

Last week when I was gardening I snuck in a quick dig-scrap page when having a coffee break using a lovely kit called 'Autumn Delight' by MLDesigns and I thought this was ideal to show off my lovely little feathered friend.

Also I found time to have a quick experiment for some male cards.

I always have trouble thinking of ideas for men and boys.

Next below are some digi-scrap pages I made with the latest kit from

Algera Designs called 'Projection'

 

 

The image used on 'Star Quality' page was from 'the Graphics Fairy' and all others from 'The sum of all crafts' other than 2 of my own photos on Christmas and 4th page down.

I loved using this digi-kit as it has so many useful elements in it and could be easily used for both female and male themed projects.
I made the pages using Serif Craft Artist software and some items have been recoloured and effects added.

For details of 'Projection' kit and other Algera Designs click here

In between gardening, my lovely husband also found some time to make these or this?
You could slice it up or tear it into rolls.
It has Stilton on top and was very tasty along with the homemade he made too- yummy!

Thanks for stopping by... sorry for the long post today..

have a lovely day x

WOYWW #202

Hi and welcome - unless you are here via the  Stamping-ground blog you may not know that WOYWW is  ‘What’s On Work desk Wednesday’ and involves lots of blog hopping fun by lovely folk from all around the world. All this is thanks to the lovely Julia over at Stamping Ground, so for more info and to join in the fun do check them out.

So whats on my desk?

 There's a small journal where I'm just finishing off some doodling.

Had a sort out recently and found some forgotten things to play with like the fancy free stencil from a magazine, an iridescent medium (now used on my MOO-mania number entry) and some Fimo glaze - no Fimo but sure it'll be handy.

Two new stamps not tried out on the left - one is that lovely 'IndigoBlu' blazing poppies that I've seen on  lovely inspiring projects on so many of your blogs. 

 

this is my other usual little space on top of the cupboard. In front is the card that's going to be for my Great Niece who is soon to be 2. The lovely card and ATC at the back along with the goodies on the right was a lovely gift/prize from The House of Bears - thank you again.

Ted at back (he's a bit shy sometimes) with the lovely card from The House of Bears

and a fabulous wooden file folder crying out to be decorated soon. They were so pleased with their prize they wanted a picture for their album.

This is the card Ted instructed me to make for Podgy and The House of Bears

Lots of other fun this week playing with a  lovely new digi-kit from Algera Designs called 'Romantique'.

I added a free Tube lady to layout and applied some effects in the software to change to this greeny tone.



That's my lot for now - Thank you for you visit, will try to get to as many desk as I can soon... have a lovely day... Gill x

Thank You Podgy and The House of Bears

We had a lovely surprise earlier today when the postman delivered a lovely parcel from Podgy and his furry friends from The House of Bears blog.

I was lucky to have my name paw-picked out of a hat by Podgy on the occasion of the Bears bloggerversary challenge. However, my furry friend 'Tedlitz' aka Ted Bear has already laid claim to everything when he beat me to the door, and is refusing to give it back.
Ted dashed to the door while someone else put their paw out and I of course tripped over. There was lots of laughter, followed by the  rustle of paper and scissors frantically cutting open the package - with no sympathy for me lying on the floor.
I did manage to snap a photo of him with his friends, with Edgar holding a lovely paw-made card by Podgy and Ernest holding a fabulous wooden file folder album. They were all arguing about how to decorate it and what to do with it and I wouldn't mind but they aren't even crafters.
The little horrors have now also hidden the rest of the contents from me.




'Tedlitz' aka Ted at back, then left to right; Ernest, Tommy and Edgar

So this is a little thank you to  The House of Bears from me and my furry friends - except they wouldn't let me put my name on it as they said its all theirs... but thanks from me too, we loved all the lovely goodies ....thank you so very much xxxxx

WOYWW #200

Well it’s Wednesday which can only mean one thing, Happy WOYWW… and for anyone not knowing - WOYWW means ‘What’s On Work-desk Wednesday’ and involves lots of blog hopping fun by lovely folk from all around the world. All this is thanks to the lovely Julia over at Stamping Ground   

so for more info and to join in the fun check them out. And today even more to celebrate - it's the 200^th  one  – Congratulations  Julia and thank you. I’m so sad that I’ve only discovered this in January.... but I’m addicted now!

So what’s on my desk?



  

This is my cupboard top work area and at the front is the card from last week that I asked if I should add the dark butterflies (over on left) or leave them off – well firstly can I say thank you for all your comments about that, it gave me lots to think about.
Yesterday I tallied them up and there were slightly more ‘leave it on’ - however the things said that hit me were; Butterflies too dark and large and takes the eye away from the fairy unless they are the focus of the card which they weren’t. Maybe try just adding one, or make them lighter and maybe iridescent.
So I punched out a couple of butterflies with a Martha Stewart punch and covered them with iridescent glitter and just laid them on the card to get a feel for how it might look and yesterday I sorted out a couple of sets of stamps with butterflies in to have a go at adding something smaller and lighter. I think something is missing and that maybe the answer-thank you x.
Also at the middle back is the now finished frame from last week and if you would like to see more of that, the full post is here

  

 

Haven’t showed this before it’s the cupboard opened up to show one of the places where I keep my stamps - yes I know needs better organising to find them LOL





  

On my main little desk there’s not much going on as found a box with some ink re-fills including a black Stazon which I didn’t realise I had.  Not having much surface area to work on things tend to get putinto cupboards and if they are tall and I can’t reach over back, things get forgotten. So having a sort out. Also found some ‘Radiant Pearls’ – remember them? Haven’t used these for years – not even sure if they still make these embossable paints.

Also been sorting out leaflets and books with techniques in to refresh my memory on what things can be used for…like the great ‘Liquitex’ little booklet and ‘Marvy Medium’ leaflet..

Also on desk is some small silk bits I was trying to get Inktense pencils to stay on after washing, but that's an ongoing experiment.

right that’s it for now – So thank you again for your butterfly help, I’ll be off trying to visit as many of you now.

Thanks for stopping by and any comments are very much appreciated.

Have a good day……. Gill x