When I Am Old

What do you mean I already am!

Paperbabe have a picture inspiration for their latest challenge, and this is what I've made.

And this is the photo inspiration.

As soon as I saw the photo I was reminded of this poem which is one of my favourites. I once had my hair dyed purple, but I've never learned to spit lol. Anyway I shall never be old because I just keep on moving the goal posts at what old is - saying that the old bird in the mirror is getting on a bit!

This is how she looks next to my other Paperbabe lady in my journal. I've used the same templates and doll face stamps, and her hair has been painted in Colourcraft Lustre paints.

Right it's just a flyer from me tonight as I still have lots to do, like maybe buying something nice in purple. Enjoy the rest of the week, and thanks very much for looking xx

Can It Be Christmas Already!

No of course it isn't, but as I'm making these it's snowing, and it's flippin' freezing!

 Good morning and happy Monday. Now everyone knows that I love Christmas, but I was more than happy to put my stash away late (very late) December. But it's nearly the end of January now, so I've opened the lid again, and made these for the Happy Little Stampers Christmas challenge. The optional twist this month is CAS which I'm rubbish at, but I decided to give it a go.

I love these PaperArtsy stamps, they really did make me chuckle. I know exactly who will get the underwear card, and I should probably keep the chocolate one for myself.

Right, I'm going to go back to wishing for Spring now! Have a lovely week, and thanks very much for looking xx

Always Sparkle

Good morning and happy Saturday, the weekend starts here!

Today I'm over at the Rubber Dance blog, but if I showed you what I've made I would have to kill you, so a sneak peak will have to do.

I'd love it if you joined me over there where all will be revealed.
Have a wonderful weekend, and thanks very much for looking xx

The Greatest Show On Earth

Good morning and happy Thursday. I'm really happy to be sharing my second 'Anything Goes' piece for Country View Crafts, and this time I've gone back to the circus.

I started by covering a chipboard album cover with some Graphic 45 paper. One of my new years resolutions is to use up some of my (many) papers - so far I've managed 2 sheets!

And this is sheet number 2 - lots of circus posters.

Well a circus is nothing without the performers! These are from a Tim Holtz stamp and die set. They've been coloured with Distress Markers and sparkle pens. I've added some words with some TH Tissue Tape.

So now I've got 2 album covers (see my previous post here) I just need Neil to drill me some holes (he's very handy with the power tools) then I can add some inside pages with book rings. Luckily the covers are just a little bit bigger than a die set that I have, so cutting the pages will be easy.

I'd like to enter this into the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge, as this week it's Layer It Up.

You have until the end of the month to join in with our challenge, so I hope to see you over there.

Have a fun day, and thanks very much for looking xx

A Trio of ATC's

Good morning and happy Wednesday. PaperArtsy are currently running an ATC challenge which I have been meaning to enter all month. I've finally got a little bit of spare time, and this is what I've made.

 I started by making a brayered background with Fresco's in yellows and translucent green, then samping this wonderful long stamp from Tracy Scott 10

Then I coloured it with more Fresco's and a white pen. Now what numpty would try out the colours on the corner of a piece they were working on? That would be me! Luckilly the panel was a bit big so I could chop that bit off!

Finally the scarey bit, I cut them all a smidge smaller than ATC size so that I could layer them onto some black card. I've done a bit more stamping with a smaller stamp from the same set, and there's a Tim Holtz sticker to finish, now we're all done!

Have a lovely week, and thanks very much for looking xx

Winter Is Coming

Good afternoon and happy Monday. The second challenge theme at Lost Coast Designs for January is I Am Woman, and for this one I've got my punk on.

It's on the inside of my journal cover, and here's how it looks next to the first page.

There are a squillion more pictures over on the Lost Coast Portal To Creativity, and if you click on the magic link here you will be whisked over there as if by magic.

I'm also linking this to the following challenges

SanDee and Amelie's Steampunk Challenge

Mixed Media Monthly - Ring In The New - new stamps and new journal.

Craft Stamper - TIMI challenge
Happy Little Stampers - Anything Goes With Dies

Have a wonderful day, and thanks very much for looking xx

Getting Beach Ready

Good morning and happy Sunday. I'm sharing another of my Creative Dyary pages, and hopefully preparing another one later today 'cos next week starts tomorrow! I often (very often) start things with the best of intentions and never finish them, so I'm trying really hard to do my journal pages each week, and to write in them.  This is this weeks.

This was the week that I went back to the gym. I've been going all over Christmas but only for a swim, but Monday was D day. So off I went, and had my body fat analysis done, and yeah I've got some, quite a lot in fact! This just made me think of the advert that caused all the fuss last year, hence my beach bod!

This is the left hand diary page, all ready for writing in. The words are the Dylusions equivalent of Chit Chat stickers.

My girl is a combo of a couple of stamp sets. She has a bit of an attitude 'cos I had to fit here head on and didn't leave much room. Anyone would have an attitude if they had their head rammed onto their shoulders at this angle!

I hope you're having a lovely day whatever you're doing, and thanks very much for looking xx

Another Dyary Page

Good morning and happy Friday. This year I started to keep a Dylusions Creative Dyary. This is the second page that I made.

I've not really scribbled in it, that's just where I've covered up what I've written in - not that it's anything exciting, I just don't want you to see how dull my life is lol

This was a grey page and I decided to keep it that way. I tried to tye the two pages together with stamps and stencils.

I made some more bunting for the other page.

Then I've used Dylusions paints, inks, stamps, and stencils to decorate my page, along with a sticker for the date.

I now need to crack on with next weeks page as this month is flying by.

Have a great weekend and thanks very much for looking xx

The Noble Tree

Good morning and Happy Wednesday. Happy Little Stampers currently have an ATC challenge which is 'trees'. Here's mine.

I started with a watercolour background, and then stamped my PaperArtsy tree stamp from JOFY15. Mmm looks a little bare!

So I used 2 of the tiny stamps from the HLS Mix Mash to add some foliage.

And finished off with some paint spatters and sequins. I really enjoyed making this, so nice to get something started and finished in a day lol.

I'm also entering this into the Happy Little Stampers watercolour, and 'anything goes with HLS challenges, and PaperArtsy's ATC challenge.

Thanks very much for looking, and have a fun day x

Learning To Fly

Good afternoon and welcome to my second post of today.  We have a new challenge starting over at Lost Coast Designs, called 'I am Woman', and here's what I've made.

I started out by gessoing a tag and then roughly painting with Deco Art Media acrylics. 

Then I rubbed through a stencil with a wet wipe to remove some of the paint.

Once dry I used a different stencil and went through with a fuchsia Portfolio pastel.

I stamped the Feather Diva With Face onto vellum and coloured lightly with pencils.  The Carmen's Veranda Fly clear stamp has also been stamped and embossed onto velum, torn around, then held in place with brads.

This is a really fun challenge and I hope that you join in. You don't have to use Lost Coast/Carmen's Veranda stamps (but we love it when you do)

Have a very happy Monday, and I'll see you later in the month xx

Roll Up, Roll Up

'Cos the circus is back in town! Good morning and happy Monday. Can you believe that we're half way through January already, it seems like this year is going to go as quickly as last! As you know, Rubber Dance is combining the colour and theme challenges into an either/or/both, and this months theme is 'Vintage' I had to put on my 'big girl pants' for this one, but here's what I've made.

I started by covering a chipboard album cover with some Graphic 45 paper and gessoing over to knock it back a little.

Then I grunged it up a bit with lots of rusting paste and crackle medium. It's looking quite vintage now - or should I say old and messy!

The lovely Elephant has been stamped three times as I wanted to dress him up a little. An elephant should always look his best in public! 

And here he is! The words are from the same paper pad, and I've given him a ball to balance on. To say I wasn't really sure what I was going to do for this challenge, I'm really happy with how it turned out, and they don't call it a challenge for nothing!

These are our lovely colours, and you have until the 31st January to join in.

All of our stamps can be found here, and as always you can have them winging their way to you with free P&P by quoting SDFreeShip on all orders of 15 Euros and above.

I hope you join in with our challenges, and have a very happy January. Thanks for looking xx

Hello...

Good evening and happy Saturday. I've had a bit of a play day today. Loads of things that I should have been doing, none of it got done, but I had a really fun day. This is what I made.

I've had these Paperbabe stamps and stencils for a couple of years now, but I've only used them once. They're the mini's, but they're a really good size - this is an 8x8 album. I'd seen what the lovely Tracey had made at New Beginnings, and it made me want to have another go, so after spending 45 minutes trying to find them (they were exactly where they should be, and where I looked first grrr) I had a quick You Tube recap on how to use them.

I stamped and drew her onto watercolour paper, as I wanted to use my watercolour pencils. Then I put clear gesso over the top to give it a bit of tooth. This sealed it perfectly, there's no budging the 3 dots that I'd left for the eye, nose, and mouth lines. Grrrr number 2!

I used my Inktense, and the 4 Albrecht Durer watercolour pencils that I own lol.

I made the background by die cutting some patterned paper. It's a bit of a new years resolution to try and use some of the mountain of paper that I have. I used up 4 here - result! I liked how it looked, but thought it was a little bit boring.

Sewing machine to the rescue - I much prefer it now! I showed it to Neil before and after the stitching and he couldn't tell what I'd done. This is the man who notices if I've moved his glasses a millimetre to the left!

I've made her a dress out of more paper (that's 5 now) and given her a sentiment and some sequins to cheer her up a bit. I had great fun making this, just 'cos I wanted to!

I'm entering her into the following challenges
Paperbabe Stamps - Anything Goes
That's Crafty - Feeling Blue
Simon Says Stamp Monday - Winter Blues
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Use Patterned Paper
Happy Little Stampers - Watercolour
Happy Little Stampers - Anything Goes With Dies
Craft Stamper TIMI January

Have a fun weekend, and thanks very much for looking x

Love This Life

Good morning and Happy Wednesday. It's my turn over on the Rubber Dance blog and this is what I've made.

Actually there's rather more of it there, and I would love it if you would pop over and have a look. It's really easy, just click here.

As always if you would like any of these fabulous stamps, just quote SDFreeShip on any orders of 15 Euros and above for free worldwide P&P.

Have a wonderful day, and thanks very much for looking xx

Down With The Fishes

Good afternoon and happy Thursday. I'm over at the Lost Coast Portal To Creativity with my 1st Lost Coast/Carmen's Veranda piece of the year. The challenge is 'Oodles of Doodles', and here's what I've made.

The are lots more photo's and a step by step over on the Portal, so transport yourself, as if by magic, by clicking here.

I'm entering this into the Simon Says Stamp Monday, and also Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenges, as they are both 'something new' and this is the first page of my brand spanking new journal. I'm also entering it into the Thats Crafty 'anything goes' challenge.

Have a lovely week, and thanks very much for looking x

Happy New Year

Good morning, happy Monday, and welcome to 2018! So, we've survived Christmas, hopefully only put a couple (I wish) of pounds on, and now it's a brand new year. Now it's back on the diet, back to the gym (groan) and time to make the ridiculous superwoman/domestic godess' type resolutions that last about 30 minutes before I'm back to eye rolling with attitude!

On a more positive note, it's also time for a new challenge at Country View Crafts, and to break us in gently this month, it's Anything Goes. Here's my piece

I've had the Dylusions Creative Dyary for a little while now, and I've been torn between wanting to use it, and wanting to keep it 'safe' lol. I'm not a journaller, and the thought of 'spoiling' it terrifies me.

 It's so beautiful just as it is!

I wanted to try and blend the two pages together so I sponged Dylusions paints across them both.

Then I added some stencilling, and finally stamped the birds and sentiment. A selection can be found here.

I've used the sentiments and dates from the Dylusion sticker book, there's a full range of accesories here. I've even added my 'things to do' for the 1st of January. The next thing to go on will be my weight Eeeeeeeeek!!! I have so much weight to lose, but I made a start at the end of 2017, and 2018 is going to be my year!

So please join in with our challenge, what could be easier than Anything Goes, and don't forget there's a £20 certificate to spend in the shop.

Have a wonderful 2018, and thanks very much for looking xx