Wednesday 29 June 2011

Celebrations at Dezinaworld!!

Over at Dezinaworld, June is getting ready to celebrate reaching 500 followers with a prize draw.
Not only can you be in with a chance of winning this glorious Shabby Chic background set...

but she is also adding 3 beautiful collage sheets !!!
If June manages to get 550 followers before the draw date, july 15th, she will draw 3 lucky winners instead of 1!!! How generous is that??
So why not pop over to Dezinaworld and take a look for yourself?

:D XXX

Tuesday 28 June 2011

Altered box AND a card!!!

First up today I thought I'd make a card(as I haven't made one for a week)It was inspired by the following challenges;
Anything Goes Challenge Blog#44 Letter D(die cuts/deckle edge/dickie bird/distressinks/distress stickles/designer papers/door hinge)
Oldie But Goodie#22 Anything goes (stamps over 6 months old, Angel Company hinge stamp +Crafty Individuals bird)

My next project is for this weeks Altered Art theme at Try It On Tuesdays, who are sponsored this week by The Craft Barn
We were asked to alter a box, any box, any way we liked. So I took the opportunity to make a second volume storage box for my journal pages :D

The purple dp is from Crafters Companion Fairyopolis cd, while the buzzy bee background is a scrap of paper I clean my stamps on, cool huh!

Inside is lined with another paper from the Fairyopolis cd......

and these too pics are to show the depth.
The image is me again( a digi I made using the photo/sketch method I showed in my last post)
I would like to enter this project for the following challenges;
Simon Says Stamp and Show# a word(all the text is stamped)
Dezinaworld Spot Prize challenge# Treasure( a box full of treasured thoughts)

Monday 27 June 2011

Why Not??

Lots of people comment that they would love to have a go at drawing their own image......so why not??
Here is a fairly simple way of producing your own characters :D
Search through you own collection of photo's( I have literally hundreds), til you find one with a pose you want to use. I want to make a pirate image, so I chose one where I was holding something(so the arm is positioned to hold a sword:D)

Now I am confident enough to draw freehand, but you could crop and print your image onto cheap paper(the size you want the figure to be,then trace the image)

Yes that is a real tattoo....
Once you are happy with the pose, start to build your characters outfit...

Then work on the features and hair, using your original photo for guidance.
If you work in pencil you will be able to alter your piece as much as you want til your happy with the result.
Now start to draw over your pencil lines with ink. This makes the image stand out more(gives clearer lines when scanned or photo copied)
Continue until your figure is complete
Though don't be in too much of a rush to rub out your pencil marks......like I was, as the ink will take a while to dry(or you smudge it...)
So why not have a go!! You might surprise yourself, and this technique is fabulous for making images of your pets or fav landscape :D XXX

Saturday 25 June 2011

This weeks page at the Craftden

Had a lovely evening again this week scrapbooking at Craftden with Lynne :D
I know some people struggle to put boy pics with flowery papers, but my boys love nature so no such problem for me :D

This is my eldest "Shorty"age 19, planting trees for a local community project he volunteers with. He had dragged his best friend along(because it was cold and raining!!??)
The papers are from Bo Bunny.
Enjoy :D XXX

Friday 24 June 2011

I know I'm a little cracked.....

But my world still rocks!!
I've been looking forward to this post all week! Just looking for things that made me smile to talk about, made me smile all week ha!
I've really enjoyed looking at the 4x4 canvases by Noah at Skull A Day, and wanted to make a skull image of my own.
Then yesterday there was Darcy's journal, that featured a Zentangle page,mmmmm....? Never tried this technique/art style before, but always a joy to try something different. I combined the 2 inspirations to make an opening page to my art journal.
Now I don't know the rules to" zentangling", but it seems to me like obsessive doodling, with geometric shapes and 60's psychedelia(generally black and white).
I highly recommend having a go, time really flew by and my brain really relaxed.

Here's a close up of the page(and my warped sense of humour)

What really rocked my world this week was the Summer Solstice. I knew I wasn't going to get out of the city to celebrate, but I did get to make some jam(jelly really cos I sieve out the bits), using cherries,blackcurrants and strawberries from my own garden.
I was smiling all over my face yesterday, when I received an invite to my son's school. He is to receive an award for something, I don't care what :D He has aspergers and misses a lot of school when he has bad days(like wednesday, when he sat huddled on the sofa with his head under his jumper just crying), so I can't wait to have some good news about his time in school.
Oow! I really smiled(grinned) twice yesterday, as hubby decided I needed a new phone, and surprised me with one that has a cool camera. in fact he specially asked for one with a cool camera...you can edit your photo's on it and everything(note to self; READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!!!)
And my biggest thank you goes out to all the little birds that visit my garden, and sing and sing all day. It sounds so beautiful, even drowning out the sounds of this busy city :D I have a flock of at least 20 baby sparrows! They hide in my hedge waiting for feeding time :D
So all in all My world really rocks :D
Hope your's does too XXX

and will I was finishing this post, hubby was sitting behind me singing along with Brian Adams "anything I do, I do it for you" (aaaw! see I do have a smushy side :D)

Entered this page for Dezinaworld's FunFriday post :D

Thursday 23 June 2011

X marks the spot!

X is for Xtremely girly!! :D
Got my new stamps today from Simply Betty Stamps :D I won them last month, and have been dying for them to arrive... and just as they did ABC challenge set" X marks the spot/Pirates" How cool was that haha...sorry "Arr,arr,arr!"
This is Bonnie, and must be one of the girliest pirates ever, so I had no worries about colouring her in pink and mauve :D

Other challenges I am entering her for are;
Enjoy :D XXX

Wednesday 22 June 2011

Here comes the Sun....

Meant to call this "My Little Tray Of Sunshine"...

This is my piece for this weeks Try It On Tuesdays challenge "here comes the sun". I decided to make one of those "collection" boxes, but mini. My box measures 4 x 4inches, each little section is just over 1 inch square :D
I did take photo's of each stage, but hubby bought me a new phone "with camera" and I couldn't wait to play with it, so forgot my other pics are still on my old camera, doh!

each segment contains a little treasure that reminds me of sunny days....

Hope you like it :D XXX
Challenges I am entering this in are;
Creative Belli challenge#120 the letter G (glitter on dragonfly/glaze on watering can/gold on gem top centre/ and Gelb, german for yellow?) all embellis over a year old
Wednesday Stamper#Circles (Flower head/metal sun/button, all base papers overstamped and sentiment stamped)
The Stamp Man Challenge#25 Butterflies and Dragonflies(background papers and sentiment stamped)

Tuesday 21 June 2011

Midsummer Blessings!!!

May Mother Earth flourish and be bountiful under the reign of the Holly King!
Blessed Be XXX


The word Darcy gave us this week is ILLUSION...do you show your true face to the world? Or do you hide your true self, creating an illusion to protect yourself from the rest of society?
Well I'm a "what you see is what you get" kind of girl, but I do possess the skills to get my own way when necessary(don't we all?)
I am a VERY typical pisces, wandering through this world making the best of whatever situation I find myself(and anyone else) in. But it has always intrigued me, as to why people think I am a helpless little housewife!! Yes, when I want a job doing around the house, I run to put the kettle on and ply the menfolk with biccies and bacon butties, but that's how it works right!


There are 2 fish in the zodiac symbol for pisces, hence 2 sides to the personality. Pisces do not just have to fulfil other peoples version of the sparkly, skittish fishy. Sometimes the water is murky!!! Some fishies have sharp teeth!!!
So beware when you try to catch this little fishy, as I remind my kids "I'm not as soft as I'm cuddly looking!!"
The image is mine, and the font for the main title is called Angellic Wars, pretty apt I thought :D XXX
Challenges I would like to enter this piece for are;

Monday 20 June 2011

Burtonesque Little Mermaid !

Now the current challenge at Burtonesque Dolls is to take a character and put him/her/it into a Tim Burton Movie....but I wanted to use a mermaid, so I drew what I thought Tim Burtons version of "The Little Mermaid" would look like. If it doesn't fit the actual challenge that's fine, just thought they might like to see it :D

These 2 pics were taken before completion, to show the foiling and embossing more clearly.
I used a cuttlebug folder(bird on grass, bird hidden behind portrait) to give a seaweedy feel, and Tim Holtz distress inks to age the dp layer(though that isn't showing too well on the pics)
The inspiration for the mermaid is this weeks HDH Macabre Mondays Challenge #94 "Menacing Mermaids, although she has been stuck in my head for quite some time ...mwahahahaha...

Challenges I would like to enter this for are;
Simon Says Stamp and Show# Metal(embossed background, inside surface of tomato puree tube and brads)
Sweet Dreams MWahahahaha....... :D

A Formidable Woman!!

This is the page I made at last weeks Craft Den Scrapbook class (not the green, that's the box I store them in while glue and glaze dry :D)
The photo is my great-great grandmother Ann Hudson, born 1840, and still kicking with attitude on the 1911 census. I've used an image of the reverse of the photo, as it has handwritten information, confirming the identity of the sitter. The original was found by a relative, in my great aunt Blanche's handbag. Tatty but treasured!!

The paper I used had a hand writing, and a row of nibs, so I added a feather to look like an old-fashioned quill....
softened the "dark" look of the page with a cascade of handmade flowers and a lace trim(forgot to rotate this pic)
and glazed each of the nibs with glossy accents.
I like the faded browns with the inky blue, and used Dark Blue stickles to add just a hint of sparkle. I don't think Granny Ann would have approved of anything more frivolous haha :D
Enjoy XXX

Sunday 19 June 2011

A postcard from dear old blighty!!

Sunday Postcard Art asked for "vintage men", while Dezinaworld Spotprize Challenge want us to "celebrate our Homeland".
Being a "true blue Brit" the 2 went together perfectly for me :D
No matter how we advance in the worlds of science, technology and fashion, we will ever be known for our classically Victorian eccentricity!!

Add to that our veracious need to "collect" and "catalogue" everything on earth and beyond, and I was able to include "Butterflies and Dragonflies" for this months Stamp Man Challenge :D

The background paper and man in balloon are both from Dezinaworld, and I have "aged" the piece with Tim Holtz distress inks in Frayed Burlap, Brushed Corduroy(as worn by any self respecting british explorer) and Aged Mahogany :D

Friday 17 June 2011

What's Rocking your World??

Virginia, over at Celtic House, runs a post ever friday celebrating everything from the week before that made her smile... I finally got it, and have decided to join her!! What better way to start the weekend than filling your mind with those sometimes brief but highly motivating moments? So here goes....
This week, I am grateful to the following people for making me smile;
my youngest sister, for trusting me with the safekeeping of her precious baby daughter(I love baby sitting:D)
I am thankful for the good news reports daily from my blogging buddy Stef (aka Glitterbabe) on the improving health of her hubby, and some of the wickedest jokes online :D
I am glad in my heart for the existence of The lady of The Dreads, Amy. Her infectious "get stuck in and give it ago" nature is so refreshing :D
To Darcy at Art and Sole, for encouraging me to have ago at art journaling, a fabulous way of expressing yourself, just for yourself. It is certainly making me think about my needs more.

This is page 24 of my journal about me!! I know it seems a bit depressing , but it isn't! I chose to be a "facilitator", it's part of who I am, it's just when I look back at my life I wonder "what if?"
But "if" would have left me without my fabulous youngest son, who at 12years of age makes me laugh and cry on a daily basis....
We live in the city, and just sometimes I have to get out!! So... on wednesday, hubby got home early and we grabbed some sandwiches, picked up sonshine, and headed out of town to sit on the roadside in the peak district above Hathersage and have an impromptu picnic dinner. Yay!! The sun was shining, I felt totally freed and hubby was very relaxed :) ....
Then the sheep arrived....
it had learnt to beg from tourists.....
it wanted my sons "ham " sandwich....
My strapping lump of a 12 year old boy was totally intimidated by a SHEEP...with a LAMB....
He stared at the sheep..it stared back, without breaking eye contact he passed me the sandwich saying(in a hushed voice) "I don't want this anymore...the sheep wants it....that sheep is evil!!!"
Haven't laughed out loud so much in ages..:D
Needless to say, after 45 minutes of the sheep playing "hidey boo" with him around the car we gave up and went home, but it was definitely the funniest 45 minutes I've ever spent in derbyshire :D

So what's rocking your world this friday? :D XXX

Thursday 16 June 2011

Tag! Your it!

This week is Tag week at Try It On Tuesdays, and the required element is a Butterfly :D
My tag is made up from K&Co Blossomwood papers, and a pretty tag from one of June's picture tag sheets at Dezinaworld. A bit of matting n layering, distress inking just to highlight the delicate image. The butterfly is stamped onto patterned paper (Anna Griffin stamp) and cut out. The over stamping is also an Anna Griffin stamp.

Challenges I would like to enter are;

Tuesday 14 June 2011

Dog Gone it!

Other Challenges I would like to enter;
Crafty Pad challenge#125 Just because you can(to give hubby a laugh as he gets made redundant next month)
Kenny K's Krafty Girlz#49 Fav colour( I love using browns)
Lothian Crafts Online#15 For a Man(does hubby count haha!)


Well I got round to making another card for HDH Macabre Mondays Kuriously Korroded challenge....
but I couldn't shake the "doggy" thing :D
These 2 krazy characters are from Kenny K Downloads(who happen to be sponsoring HDHMM this week)
I made a jungle themed easel card, using distress inks and various leaf stamps(I have quite a few!!) Punched some more leafy thing to make garland borders as matting and layering, and embossed/sanded/and inked a piece of yellow card for the main background mat.
Couple of close-ups
, and a baaaaad joke wahwahwaaaaah! :D
Now I have to put any other challenges it fits at the top as blogger won't let me type below this pic grrrrrrrr.......

Monday 13 June 2011

Aaaah Bless !!

Now I had started out with the intention of grossing this up for the HDH Mac mondays challenge, but I just couldn't!!! Look at that beautiful little face!!
He is from the Joanna Sheen/Jayne Netley Mayhew collection(Labrador Retriever JNM546) Too Cute!!! So instead I am entering him for the following challenges;
Stamptacular Sundays#115 Dads or Grads(This would make a lovely fathers's day card)
2 Sisters challenge#43 3-2-1 (1 image/2papers/3embellis)
Enjoy :D XXX

Friday 10 June 2011

3 Layouts with Lynne :D

A friend reminded me that I hadn't been posting my finished scrapbook pages since rejoining Lynne's classes at Craftden , so here are the last 3 weeks projects....

The 1st is my eldest up a tree....something you'll be used to seeing if you've caught any of my pages before :D

The 2nd is my eldest again, with his Uni mates last year(one they took for the parents "before" the drinking started!!!) I would like to enter this one for TAKE A WORD CHALLENGE#32 STARS

and this one we did last night. I didn't have a photo with me, but found this one of my youngest(not quite 3 then) and his clothes match the papers perfectly!!! It will be titled "A Day in the Country" That was his fav jumper, knitted by a lovely lady who is no longer with us. God Bless Vera XXX

Just realised I can enter these for MAWTT#102 Anything but a card!

Flutter4 By4 :D

Todays card is made up from lots of bits of stash :D The main elements are toppers from y Anna Griffin Spring Card Collection, while the scrummy textured paper is from the Luxury Oriental collection I bought from Create n Craft (Bought one got one free!!!)

Haven't used a butterfly for ages, so I thought I'd make it the main focal point on this 4x4 card. Just added a few stickles to the colour spots :D

I have made it for the following challenges;
Enjoy XXX

Wednesday 8 June 2011

One for the men!!

There are lots of challenges asking for "masculine" cards at the moment(what with Father's day and all), so I've put this one together using bits from a Creating Keepsakes Kit(QVC 584 400), some Brenda Pinnock dp, and a Johnny Depp stamp from Stamp It Crazy
It is titled "You're no Johnny Depp..."

I'm sure hubby will appreciate the sentiment as he is constantly asking"what is it about J D that women find soooo irresistible?", and I can only answer"He's Johnny Depp!!!"

I would like to enter this card for the following challenges;

2 for 1 day!!

The 1st image I am posting today is a 4x4 canvas I made using some of the collage goodies Donna sent me this week :D When I opened the packet the metalic fabric was scrunched up and looked like a skull, so this inspired me to make the "Skull Appreciation" piece I should have made for SAD's Skull appreciation day on June 4th (we should always be grateful for natures internal crash helmet!!)
Secondly, I have my journal page for this week. I know I am supposed to post it on Friday, but I uploaded it by mistake, and as I believe everything happens for a reason your getting it today!!!

The word Darcy at 52 Pages gave us this week is PATTERNS, what patterns repeat in your life? Me, I'm a tree planter. The first thing I do when I move house is plant a tree. I literally "put down roots". Then I got to thinking, do I do this through choice, or am I being compelled to do this because of some previous existence???(yes I am a believer in reincarnation). Or could it even be that I am subconsciously (group memory) making recompense for the expulsion from Eden, and am frantically trying to provide a new garden for all?? (Yes I am that deep!!)

Grief!!! Too many long words!! Better get on with entering some challenges :D
Creative Belli# 119 Branches(old forgotten silver cord on blinds)
Enjoy :D XXX

Tuesday 7 June 2011

Nice day for a Goth Wedding.....

It's card week at Try It On Tuesday and we have been asked to make a "weird" card. I've chosen to make a wedding card with a difference. I know it looks more like a sympathy card, but that's "Goths" for you! :) This weeks sponsor is One Stop Card Crafts

The image is from Stamp It Crazy, who have some really cool(and weird) rubber stamps, this one is HAL98
I would like to thank Tiddly Inks Challenge for the inspiration, even though my card isn't eligible for their challenge(will have to make another :D)
Challenges it is eligible for are;
Oldie But Goodie#20 Lots Of Layers (there are 3 just on the tag topper)
Enjoy :D XXX

Monday 6 June 2011

Wonderful excuse for a rant!!

The ladies at HDH Macabre Mondays have given us a wonderful excuse for a quick rant(we all need one now and again :D). This weeks challenge is "Pleasure and Pain", as in use something you love, AND something you hate!!
Now I have resisted cutting heads off teddy bears, but that means the "sweet widdle puddy tat" has to suffer instead.
Pleasures: Bees(yes I feed them with spoonfuls of honey in the cold spells), rubberstamping and Tim Holtz distress inks, tearing paper, doodling :)
Pains: Yellow card stock(bought a pack of 200 assorted sheets, 100 were this yellow!!!), cats(don't even get me started on that list!!), and "cootzie oochy coochy baby speak"
Now will I manage to find any challenges for this piece....doh! Meant to make it as a tag!!! See, too busy ranting to concentrate!!!

Challenges this fits...ish ;)
Corrosive Challenge#119 Summer colours(don't come any sunnier than that yellow card)
Crafty Anns Challenge#42 Use more than 1 image(made 2 cards for this already but forgot to link them up!!) Lots of different rubber stamps used.

Sunday 5 June 2011

Summertime Fun!!!

Had great fun making this card for todays Creative Cowgirls Challenge #15 Summertime Fun.
I already had a chipboard frame from years ago, and a set of mini shell stamps from Rubber Stamp Tapestry(SAQ 0004)
I glazed the goggles and bubbles with glossy accents(adding glitter to the bubbles)
and attached green raffia strips and string to give the sea weed affect.
The shell and seahorse are fancy buttons with the shanks cut off :D

Our sponsor this time is the super cute Chi Chi Memories Designs

and the image I have used is called "splash of fun Candace"

I would like to enter this card for the following challenges;
Cute Card Thursday#167 Embellish It (glossy accents on face mask and bubbles)
ABC Challenge blog# V is for Variety(shaped buttons/rafia/twine)

Friday 3 June 2011

Failing to Prepare!!!

Hadn't got round to making my journal page ready for todays posting so I had to make one in a hurry. Very apt, as this weeks word from Darcy was "PREPARATION" !!!
Well, I failed to prepare, and so made a nearly tragic mistake....by not testing the main image was stable before painting it with matt medium aaaarrrrgh!! Fortunately, I stopped before painting out her face phew! And it seems to have dried fairly ok.


The central image(which I spoiled by rushing) is from a Dezinaworld collage sheet called Faux Stamps set 1
The dp I have used is a freebie from Jak Heath called "county"(available HERE), and it reminded me of an orange sliced in half :D
The purple orange I drew myself :D Enjoy XXX

I would like to enter this page for the following challenges;
Dezinaworld Spot Prize challenge# Colour Swap(purple orange)