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WELCOME to my little arty world! Trying to make art is a huge part of my life ... love nothing more than messing around with inks and sprays and generally making a mess!

Thursday 19 June 2014

Note to self ...

Have bought myself a notebook and am writing out 1000 times ...
I MUST make FLAT Christmas cards
I MUST make FLAT Christmas cards
I MUST make FLAT Christmas cards

Get it?  Yeah right!  So how come every idea I've had thus far (not that I have yet given it a great amount of thought) is for cards with sticky-uppy bits that will incur the horrendous LARGE stamp postage rate - which is ok when you only have one or two cards to send but not when I need to post everso many!

So, here I go again ...
I MUST make FLAT Christmas cards
I MUST make FLAT Christmas cards
I MUST make FLAT Christmas cards

Sunday 15 June 2014

Wedding day wishes

Lil' Sis' asked me to make two wedding cards and these are the results ... she seemed pleased with them so hope the recipients also like them when she hands them over.

Both were replicating designs I had done before so came together quite well ... as usual, not 100% happy with either but hopefully nobody can see the mistakes by me!

First one used the very last little scraps of a very favourite paper of mine ... one by K&Co that I would happily buy over and over again but which is no longer available ... I know, I've searched and searched and searched for hours and hours and hours .. ok, you get my drift!  There was just enough of the one sheet to die-cut the three little butterflies and, oh, how sorry I am to see the last of that paper.  



The paper behind the hearts is VERY glittery ... photo' doesn't really show the sparkle ... really so pretty when it hits the light.


Went totally against the grain with the next one and resorted to the dreaded pink.
I hate pink.
But the white card I used for the background kinda, sorta changes colour as you waft it around and at one angle takes on such a pretty pink tinge.
However pretty it is I still hate pink.
But it did dictate what colour this card needed to be.



Despite being quite a "busy" card I do feel it lacks "something" ... wish I'd put some clear embossed flourishes or something on the background but too late now.
The little tag pulls out and I just added the date.
Have made two cards along these lines now and both times the little tag was missed and I had to point it out ... hope the bride spots it eventually!


Again the photo' is rubbish but the butterflies really sparkle when they hit the light - am not normally a sparkly, glittery person but I do quite like these papers I have to admit.


Made two simple plain white boxes for them with a co-ordinated "label" on the front and they are all ready for the big day!




Wednesday 11 June 2014

WOYWW 262

Now you may be wondering why I am sharing my VERY chaotic crafting desk with you ... well, pop along to THE STAMPING GROUND and our wonderful host Julia to Read All About It!!!

Basically my desk is as I left it to take Nephew Number Four to college tonight and I have yet to get back to it ... was asked to make two wedding cards and the one is almost in the bag and it just awaiting the names printing out for the front but the other card has some way to go yet but kinda, sorta, maybe, know what I am aiming for which is, basically, tweaking the sorry you are leaving card from last week (they both went down well, by the way and were handed over tonight to the friend who asked me to make them) - no more stressing about those two then!

So here it is ... one heck of a messy desk and work in progress ... oh and the can of fly spray!  Was working with both sets of French doors open today and kept getting dive bombed by huge jumbo jets blue bottles and other nasty little critters!  


Happy WOYWW'ing to you and happy crafting!

xXx

Saturday 7 June 2014

Got asked to make two "Sorry you are leaving" cards and I do struggle with "commissions" as I never quite know what the person asking has in mind and have to tone-down my love of grunge to produce something more widely accepted.  My friend has yet to see these so still the dreaded hand over moment but I have done lots of stuff for her in the past so hope she will like these too.

 I might see if I can remove the flower and cut a new one but this time stick the papers to cardstock first as this flower just looks too flimsy to me ... just don't want to wreck the whole thing by trying to get it off! Or another thought is I might stick two patterned papers back to back ... mmmm, will ponder!
I managed to get a little toned-down grunge on here with the background of the larger tag - felt any more grunge than that would send my friend running to the hills!

I got to play with my new Tim Holtz dies with the next card and I am currently loving the mirror effect of the little tiles - it really is clear, shiny and reflective!

 The card I embossed with the clocks was a different white to the base card I used which gave me an "oh piffle" moment but I ended up pleased it was different as it meant I got a tiny, little bit of grunge onto this card too by mucky'ing it up with Black Soot Distress Ink - sorted!




(goodness knows why the bottom photo' has appeared here upside down ... I didn't take it standing on my head - honest!)

Then I made two "new home" cards ... repeat of a design I've done before so they didn't take too long.  Hardest part is remembering not to lean on your glossy accents whilst it is drying!


 The word HOME is glossy accented ... so it is very raised and, er, glossy!
The flourises around the edge have Perfect Pearls brushed over them so they have that lovely subtle sheen ... looks much more effective In Real Life than on here.


And finally daddy's Father's Day card all ready for Sunday!.


xXx

Wednesday 4 June 2014

WOYWW 261

Well here we are ... another FAB -U- LOUS Wednesday morning when we get to enjoy seeing the desks of fellow crafters and see just what's going on in your crafty little corner of the world.  All thanks to the equally FAB -U- LOUS Julia Dunnit (someone I am now honoured to call a real, true life friend!!!) over at THE STAMPING GROUND ... pop along to see just what happens on these WOYWW midweek trips.

My workdesk this Wednesday is somewhat sparse and very frustrating.  I watched the very talented Shaz (Silverwolf) making her Northern Lights cards at the crop and was blown away.  I also LOVED the fact she said "you simply can't go wrong"  ... Er, well, yes you jolly well can!!!!!  

Of course, having seen her "to die for" set of stamps I had to become Miss Marple and track them down ... bit of investagative work went on, zooming in on photo's on her blog to try and read the name on her stamps ... but track them down I did.  Then when I mentioned the stamps to Shaz she sent me the link for them ... duh! So much easier to have asked her in the first place but that would have Required Thinking.  I rarely do thinking.

Needless to say the moment my three stamps arrived I set to have a play ... complete disaster and they are good only for the bin.  MaggieC (Silvercrafter) is the only person whom has, and will, see them and despite her encouragement I have decided to put all thoughts of the Northern Lights out of my head and come back to it some other time.

So what IS on my desk this Wednesday? Disastrous Northern Lights cards on top of little white dustbin (bin was full or they would have been IN little white dustbin!) ... rest is fairly self-explanatory!  Went back to making some background tags which is what I really LoVe doing and where you REALLY can't go wrong.  The green tags will be two "New Home" cards but are only repeating a design I've done before so nothing amazing going on there.



Then to the side ... just all the bits'n'bobs us crafters can't live without!



Happy WOYWW'ing and have a great day whether you are crafting or not!
xXx



Sunday 1 June 2014

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!

Well it took nearly all bloomin' day but the craft and sewing cupboards are now SORTED!!!!!  
Can't say the storage will work any better for me though so I just really must, must, MUST develop the habit of putting stuff away rather than shoving it in "to do properly tomorrow"!
So, for now, I have wonderfully tidy cupboards BUT will be crafting tomorrow and next week so today may well be the only time everything is where it should be.
And already I can't recall where I have put my stencils!!!!!!

xXx