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

We shall have a fishy ...

But on a card and not a little dishy!

Two cards needed for two of the nephews and as both have aquariums I remembered I got these little cardboard fishes AGES ago!  Really wanted to stick to my much preferred "tag" style of card but wasn't at all sure if grunge + fishes would work ... still not sure but I gave it a go.

Did the splodging of Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads on the craft mat and squirting with water thing and then swooshed around the tags ... just one of my favourite techniques and I love the moment when you turn the card over and see the result of all that swooshing for the first time.

I uummmmed and aahhhhhed for ages trying to decide whether to crackle glaze the tags or not ... eventually just decided to go for it and applied a coating of Rock Candy and then played Angry Birds until they dried.

I tried to transform the little cardboard fishes using my meltpot but had to admit defeat and ended up just using the UTEE and my heat gun ... managed to blow most of the coloured UTEE all over the place but think just enough colour is left to give the fishes a bit of ooomph.

One of my other favourite techniques is to emboss acetate so I put just a little on the tags and I stamped some little silvery dotty things around the edges of the tags.

I didn't want pretty, colourful, typically tropical fish so the nephews will maybe think "oh auntie" when they see their grunged-up, dark and gloomy specimens but, hey, who wants to be conventional?

Coloured and scrunched up some of Mr. Holtz's crinkle ribbon and managed not to set fire to it this time whilst encouraging it to dry with my heat gun ... gently does it!

The swirly bit on the right hand side isn't quite what I wanted but decided to leave it as it was rather than start again ... all about adjusting and adapting and tweaking as you go along, I guess, and nobody will ever know it didn't go to plan so ... ssshhhh, our secret ok!

It's back! It's back!

Oh thank goodness for that!  It's back!!!  My crafting mojo is back!!!!!

About bloomin' time I have to say and just in the nick of time to get some stuff underway and having no idea what to actually do I just got out some items from my craft cupboard (still too cold to work out in The Hut) and started to play and once I got going there was no stopping me and it was very late to bed last night.

First of all I was asked to make a "gift voucher" by my niece-in-law whom is a very talented photographer ... someone is giving her wedding photography as a present and needed a voucher to actually hand over.  

This spurred me onto doing any sort of crafting at all in quite a while and this is what I came up with.  Thank goodness for instant messaging on Facebook so I could keep sending her photo's of what I was doing and tweaking it as we went along! 

Decided it needed presenting in a box so made one too.

Next I decided to resort to my much favoured and preferred grunge style (Tim Holtz has a lot to answer for) and do what I love and enjoy doing the most.

Just sneaky peeks for now as they are maybe heading to a certain crop that is happening towards the end of the month!

Once these are finished I need to turn my attention to making my first EVER ATC's for Julia's anniversary over at The Stamping Ground.  Stress levels are high as I've never even given ATC's much of a thought before ... have bowed down in admiration of all those I have seen on-line and in blogs and so on but they are new to me otherwise.  So, no actual idea yet on what I will make but with my newly returned mojo I am sure something will come to me!

Now, where was I?  Oh yes, back to getting wonderfully inky fingers. 

Plastic Stuff

Ok apologies for reposting a photo' from Wednesday but one of my lovely visitors left a comment asking what the PLASTIC STUFF was and it hadn't occurred to me to explain before so here I am doing just that!

It is just acetate run through an embossing machine (in my case a Big Shot ... but I used to do it before on my Vagabond too before it croaked) in a Texture Fades folder thingy or anything else that you can emboss with.

I now save acetate from just about anything and everything that comes through the door ... I think the plastic stuff used here might even have been the packaging from a Tim Holtz product as it is the very, very thick and sturdy sort ... I did hope for more of a torn look to the edge but the acetate was SOooooo thick I could barely rip it at all ... I am not at all happy with the straight edges here but, hey-ho, 'twas the best I could manage.  I did try cutting a wavy edge but then you don't get the white "edge" as the plastic distresses everso slightly as you tear it.

Nephew has yet to get this so no idea if he will like it ... watch this space!

WOYWW 191

So why am I showing you my Oh So BORING workdesk today I hear you ask?  Because it is all the WONDERFUL Julia's fault over at the Stamping Ground who came up with the idea that a What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday would be a great way of seeing what fellow crafter's are up to!
After a simply rotten night's sleep I am not up to much BUT have got to get started on my cards for February - the first three of which MUST be posted on Friday ... no pressure then, and, more alarmingly, NO MOJO!!!!!

So what can you see on my desk ... firstly a little "Spot the WOYWW Badge" game ... gold star to you if you find it.  You can just about see the list of cards I have to make for this year ... being mojo-less I am finding it a bit daunting so have it partially hidden under three (three cards to post on Friday remember!) embossed designs I did last night knowing I wouldn't be able to face my lightbox this early in the morning.  My much loved Glossy Accents are lurking close at hand and my Tim ***sigh*** Holtz distress inks ... odd name that, but very appropriate for my current state of mind ... DiStReSsEd! Or is that just stressed ... either way works for me.
Martha Stewart punch in the front of the picture and laptop very close at hand for when the no-mojo fizzles into absolutely-definitely-no-mojo.
The bright orange folder waaaayyyyy out of reach is my quizzing folder ... which I must not - MUST NOT - touch until I have these cards made!
So Happy WOYWW'ing everyone and enjoy browsing the world of craftland today as you share your desk and visit those of others ... those others to be found HERE

WOYWW 190

You know, I really thought I'd blogged inbetween last weeks WOYWW and this one ... goodness knows where that week went!

So to another week of being able to share and visit fellow crafters workdesks all over the world to see what they are up to all thanks to the wonderful Julia and her Stamping Ground which you can find HERE

My workdesk is not really a workdesk at all today as I simply MUST get on with a cross-stitch project and I am making that my mission for today.

It is a huge project and almost beyond my capabilities ... I thought I was an experienced cross-stitcher but this is challenging me to the limit and I am not yet convinced I will complete it.  If it were for myself then I would have not got past the first dozen stitches but, because I want it for a gift,  I am persevering (and swearing a LOT!)

I finished a birthday card last night for the same person getting the cake (I shared the flowers for the cake last week) ... have tried to keep it all to a theme (I made the invitations for the event too) as she is very, very girly and loves flowers!

The cake just needs my signature little doves putting on and I wasn't going to take it from the box in order to photograph it today ... knowing me I'd knock the frill and damage it so will post a better photo' next week after the party!  So excuse what has to be the worst photo' in the world but it will give you an idea ... hopefully.

And, most importantly of all ... as I write it is *S*N*O*W*I*N*G* again ... I am a total *S*N*O*W* freak and just love this weather *S*N*O*W* much!!!!!!  Hey, that was nearly a joke :)

On that note I am off to link to Julia's WOYWW and MUST, MUST, MUST get on with that cross-stitching!

WOYWW 188

Well, it has sure been a while but here I am!!!!!  WOYWW'ing for the first time in ages and having totally forgotten how to do it!  I shall post my photo of my very messy desk right now and then head off to see if I can figure out how to add it to Julia's list!
Don't know what WOYWW'ing is all about? Well, each Wednesday, in the world of craftland, we share photo's of our desk and have the opportunity of visiting desks all over the world to see what fellow crafters are up to ... it is just fascinating seeing lots of items and products that we all use scattered far and wide and all being used to produce such different results.
Taking a peek at other crafter's desks has kick-started many crafter's-block moments and, of course, it's great just to be nosey!
So here is my work desk right now ... not much going on and not really happy with the card I am making so have yet to decide whether to go with it or bin it and start over!

This isn't yet my "normal" craft desk ... mild here in England but still too cold to work out in the conservatory where my huge table and storage cupboards are so am squeezed onto the end of the dining room table!

These are some of the cards I made just before Christmas for my January birthdays ... used the resist technique for the pink tag cards and had to experiment to see if I liked a cream background showing through or a white one ... decided I preferred the white so will be making more like these for further birthdays throughout the year.  Had loads of little strips of vellum left over from making some invitations so am using them up by adding the person's name ... super and quick to emboss and saves throwing away such lovely thick vellum.

It is not often my sister has anything nice to say about my cards but she did comment on the one I made last year for daddy ... I used a beautiful brass stencil that I have had for years ... so I dug that out and the men's cards this year will be based around that.  
I used glossy accents to highlight just the little hot-air balloon and left it at that ... well, after I'd distress-inked it to within an inch of its life, of course!

I used a linen-effect paper for the embossing and after I inked it with my much favoured brown tones of Tim Holtz's distress inkpads it resembled burnt wood and you can just about spot I used my new Martha Stewart punches I got for Christmas.
Right, am off to see if I can link this at Julia's Stamping Ground and then will pop back here to post the link to her WOYWW list!  
So,  Julia's Stamping Ground is where it all happens! (just hope that link takes you there ... SORRY Julia if it doesn't ... I will ask Maggie C to help me out!)

Happy WOYWW'ing everyone ... I've really missed being part of our Wonderful Wednesdays!!!!!

Sending thanks

Now I know she has received it I can share this tag I made for Maggie C ... without her I would not have my little blog and am finally, slowly, kinda getting to grips with my Wishblade (which is now a Sillhouette due to some unloading/downloading/offloading/uploading or whatever it is!).
Unfortunately I made this BEFORE finding out Maggie is not a fan of the Tim Holtz grungy style but I put so much work into it I decided to send it anyway (with an apology) rather than make something more to her taste.

If you look closely you can see my brads-bashed-with-the-meat-hammer ... was pleased how they turned out and it was very theraputic!
Well, won't be able to blog for a while as we are just popping off in the caravan for a little break and won't have any mains power.
No crafting for a week ... got withdrawal symptoms already!

Pixie's Snippets

Ok ... here goes!  Have been persuaded into the playground that is Pixie's Snippets and what a jolly nice place it seems to be.  I have been taken firmly by the hand and encouraged to join in the fun so here are my first two snippets EVER!!!!!


They all follow the "tag" style I prefer rather than being "proper" cards so I do hope that is ok?!?!?!?


The first one uses a snippet of painted, embossed acetate ... a tiny piece I had left over and below that is a really teeny-tiny snippet of a piece of card that I used when my hubby's brother and his wife came round for a curry and she made the mistake of asking a question about crafting.  To cut a long story short out came various crafting bits'n'bobs and I ended up demonstrating my Vagabond ... that little embossed and die-cut snippet had been put into the recycling but whilst tossing and turning trying to persuade myself to enter Pixie's Playground it occurred to me that it too was a snippet!


The butterflies are cut from snippets of card left over from birthday cards I have been making for this year and which otherwise would have gone into the biscuit tin of offcuts that I give to my friend for the kids at the school where she works to use for "sticking".  The string was also a bit I had lurking in my box ... must have been cut from the reel at some point and not used.

The next offering is almost a total snippet as I had thrown out the base tag which already had on the label with the wording "The Journey Awakens the Soul" stamped on it and the bird which I had glossy-accented.  I had no intention of ever using it and was only keeping it to remind myself what not to do next time.  It was more a reject than a snippet!
Whilst thinking about Pixie's challenge I realised the message on the card was representative of my little journey into the playground and I thought I'd see if I could tweak the tag back into life.  I have had a little battered pocket dictionary for years and years ... it was originally my sister's when she was at school ... it has sat on my shelf for 30 years or so but only this week I threw it in my "Tim" box.  So the tattered flowers are grungepaper onto which I have stuck pages from that dictionary ... hope they are classed as snippets!  The ribbon at the top was dyed with distress ink to match the tag and I added a little round disc that says "wander" as I thought this also described what I was doing by wandering into the playground.

SO here I am ... whizzing around on the roundabout and putting the straws into the little bottles of milk (someone promised I could be Milk Monitor as it was my first time!!!) and getting ready to sit in the naughty corner with a Dunce's cap firmly on my head as I find out I have totally lost the plot and missed the point completely when it comes to snippets.
I promise to try harder next time!

WOYWW 143

Further chaos this week as it is still too cold to work in my normal, preferred crafting space so stuff piled on the chair to leave me room at the dining room table to work.  

And what a mess it is!  Never mind ... managed to get the three cards I really needed to make done and dusted and, as you can see from the screen on the laptop, I was chatting on Facebook at the same time!  Talk about multi-tasking.


The blue tag with Tim Holtz's "Umbrella Man" on the left is just an experiment ... my sister-in-law saw a card I'd made and just happened to ask how I'd done a certain effect so, of course, I had to show her and that blue tag was just me quickly demonstrating various techniques ... it must have been tucked amongst stuff in my Tim Holtz box and migrated to the table at some point during my rummaging.


The three cards turned out pink and sparkly - not my cup of tea at all as I don't do pink but am not adverse to a little bit of sparkle.

This one is for the sister of my sister-in-law (the one mentioned above who got an impromptu demo!) - she was just diagnosed with breast cancer and I wanted to let her know I was thinking of her but didn't want to mention her illness nor say "get well soon" so came up with this.  I never really know what to do in situations like this ... never quite know what to say or even if I should send a card or not.  I think it is maybe ok to do so.

Next card is one for a friend whom hit a low spot last week and got herself into a tizz for needing to take a little time for herself.  She is always there for others and is just a joyous person to know - actually, I only know her as a cyberfriend but count her as one of my dearest friends.  

Anyway I have put together a little "pamper-kit" to post to her ... a bag of lovely smellies (bubble bath, shower gel, lotion etc.,) together with a little bottle of wine, a candle and the largest block of Cadbury's Dairy Milk you can get) - as the toiletries and candle are pink I thought the card just had to be pink too!  It is just to remind her it is ok to not be there 100% all of the time for others and you have to look after yourself too.

I wasn't at all happy with the back of this card.  I started to make it out of Ranger's "Stamping Card" ... just couldn't get on with it so ended up sticking it to one of my much preferred Tim Holtz (I wonder how many times I can get the words Tim Holtz into one blog posting?!?!?!) craft tags and tried to make the best of the side I had already started.  It's kinda, sorta ok for the back of the tag but I can't see me using the rest of the sheets in the packet.  Will need to experiment I guess.

And finally the last card ... such a story behind this one it has a posting all of its own!  

Now off to link myself to WOYWW over on Julia's Stamping Ground blog and hope to get round to visiting as many blogs as I can today and hubby is out tonight so might just spend the evening popping in too!

Happy WOYWW'ing everyone!!!!!

WOYWW 142

Ha!!!! WOYWW ... am ready for you this week!  Last week I was ready for you on the Tuesday but then suddenly it was Thursday and somehow you snuck through without me noticing!
Am afraid my workdesk is only a work chair at the moment as I am in the process of deciding what I need to use today and dragging it in from my craft cupboard because I have to work in the dining room when it is so cold out in the conservatory.  We call the conservatory, The Hut, by the way but if I'd just said The Hut without reference to the conservatory then you wouldn't know what I was on about.  Not that I ever know what I am on about really.
Sooooo, the stuff piled on the chair is my Tim ***sigh*** Holtz  box and some papers and cardstock I have found by rummaging through my stash ... am quite determined to use what I have as some stuff has been hanging around for years and I'm getting a bit fed up of it to be honest.
On the table - most importantly - is my cup of coffee into which I have just dangled the end of the USB cable that I was trying to plug into my mobile 'phone in order to download my WOYWW photo's ... so it is your fault JULIA if it goes bang and fizzles a bit when I try!
In the background you can see my Vagabond and then my trusty old paper-trimmer ... am sticking to the butterfly (for ladies) or cogs (for men) "On the Edge" die cut borders all sewn on with string and I already have all the appropriate birthday-calendar-tab thingies printed out onto acetate so once I get going I should be able to get quite a few done today ... my aim is to do the whole of March and then anymore will be a bonus.
Right, must crack on ... it's WOYWW you know!!!!!

Overtired

Overtired this morning and I entirely blame Mr. Tim Holtz!!!!!  Just knew his "Compendium of Curiosities" would be the TSV on QVC and knew it would go like hot-cakes so just had to wait until its launch at midnight and then, of course, I couldn't tear myself away from watching the whole hour of the wonderful Mr. Holtz.
Didn't have the best of nights once I did finally get to bed and so am a bit in zombie-mode today.  
Whatever happened to WOYWW last week I'll never know ... I was all ready on Tuesday and crafted away on Wednesday but then it was Thursday before I realised I'd missed it completely ... quite hopeless really.
Well, this was just a quick update as there are a couple of shows on QVC I want to catch today ... goes without saying whose shows I will be particularly waiting for and shall dip in and out of some of the others.  
Just got to wait until end of March for my new Companion of Curiosities to come but its arrival will be eagerly anticipated!

Visiting fellow bloggers

Thanks to hubby being at a committee meeting last night I managed to get around quite a few fellow WOYWW'ers last night.
I find it fascinating seeing how we all work with pretty much the same products but in such very different environments and locations and all produce such different work.
I always search your workdesks for anything Tim Holtzy and LoVe seeing the results from using his stuff and the words "distress inks" and "grunge" seem to leap from the page to me.
I enjoy seeing work that is not to my style or taste but which can trigger an idea and get the creative juices flowing - especially during times of Artistic Block or lack of mojo!
Probably no time to craft today - really annoying as I have lots and lots I want to be doing - but need to get ready for our little trip away!

WOYWW 138

Cogs and a kaleidoscope of butterflies ... at least that's what is on my workdesk this morning having been left to dry overnight (well, the silicone behind the fluttering butterfly wings was!)

Of course all those cogs and butterflies mean only one thing ... I fired up (bad choice of expression there!!!) the replacement Vagabond ... got to say I have lost a lot of confidence in it and wonder now if I should have taken the supplier up on the offer of swapping it for a Big Shot or similar machine.  I guess there is little point in putting the Vagabond in the cupboard for occasional use because if it is going to start smoking again it needs to be within the guarantee period so use it I must.  Crafting with Courage I call it!!!!

Now I need to clear them away and start on some anniversary cards and after much deliberating, changing of mind, stressing over what to do, changing my mind back again, stressing some more and deliberating even further I am going to try a dreadfully cliched black and white monochromatic theme using Tim Holtz's stamp but colour the heart in red and then "glossy accent" just the heart.  


Will make a start and see how it goes and shall just keep tweaking until I get it right.  Happy WOYWW'ing everyone!