WOYWW 195

Thank you for all the good wishes regarding my hip last week, it seems to be settling down a bit now, guess it was all the walking I had done in America that upset it.  Unfortunately cannot take anti-inflammatories as I am on blood thinners.  Still need something doing about that bed but we are going around in circles at the moment.  All suggestions taken on board.

Anyway, back again, another week gone by and only two posts between WOYWW's.  I don't know where the time goes.

Not been very profitable on the stamping front - until yesterday that is, when I decided to tackle the huge list of cards, challenges and things I needed to address.  Here is my desk:

Moving left to right - my box of small plates for the Grand Calibur (Oyster Stamps), a box of small Ebosslits and the ones for Vintaj (latter from Oyster Stamps), matchbox challenge posted yesterday for Out of a Hat Creations, two ATC's to be shown Saturday as they are for Vicky Stampers, moving on ... Grand Calibur (again Oyster Stamps), my craft mat draped over it, my new Dylusion Rubber Stamps (USA bought), my Gelatos in a milk carton base (waiting to be decorated) and old journal page (new one to be revealed Friday - still drying - for Artful Times Challenge), my file of Stencils which I had been using.  Other things are much as always but I am determined to have a sort out and BE RUTHLESS and get rid of things I never ever use.  'Famous last words' I hear you say.

So that is that!  Short and sweet this week.  Julia will be so pleased.

Matchbox Challenge

Not done any challenges for ages and ages so now that the jet lag seems to have gone I decided to have a look at a favourite of mine Out of a Hat Creations.

What a lovely set of decorated matchboxes the DT have done, just had to join in and now that I have I am going to have a look at what others have done with regard to their decorations.

Here is mine

I began by using a piece of scrap copy paper which I scrumpled, opened up and and rubbed over with Peacock Brilliance.  Then I re-scrumpled (is that a real word?) it and opened again and rubbed over the mountains (the sticky up bits) lightly with Gold Brilliance. Opened it out again, sort of straightened it a bit with a bone folder lightly over the back side and cut it to fit my matchbox.

If you tear the "lap over" it doesn't show that there is a join.

Then I decided to use the same paper to make some flowers and butterflies to decorate it with.  I rubbed more of the ink over to make it much darker and cut the flowers out using a Cheery Lynn die (Oyster Stamps), popped the green from the pad on the reverse side of the flowers and then cut out my tiny butterflies.

Inside I popped a domino that I had decorated with UTEE a long time ago.  Same principle as feather icing on a cake.

So there it is - my entry for those gorgeous gals at Out of a Hat Creations.  You can see the tiny butterfly a bit more clearly now.

Why not join in, you still have time.

Lorraine W - I cannot get into my Word Press - have tried four times but it won't accept me - I know this password is correct but ...

Yesterday

Yesterday one of my stamping friends came to see me and I decided we had better make something as we always end up just nattering.  I showed her how to do the triple stamping cards and I just have to show you one of them.

She chose from my stamps what to do on the first one she made but then asked me to choose some stamps/a stamp for her to do her other one.  I chose my "Alice" drawer for her but left it to her to make the choice of which stamps to use.

After some deliberation she chose the Cheshire Cat sitting in a tree with Alice at the foot of it and she decided to put the White Rabbit alongside to fill in the space.  I chose blue and red for her mounts (she was a bit undecided as to what it would look like) but imagine her face when she had finished and she noticed that the Cheshire Cat had his eyes blocked out by one of the mounts.  Jokingly she said "have you any googly eyes, my cat has no eyes".  I laughed and proceeded to look for some and here is the end result.  Am sure you will enjoy it as much as we did.

a closer look

WOYWW 194

Hi Folks, am gradually getting back to normal although I am up in the wee small hours because my hips are paining me.  Our bed and my 'gammy' hips don't go together.  To cut a long story short we bought an expensive (recommended by my osteopath) mattress but could not afford to replace the bed base.  A couple of years later we bought the matching base ... and I have had nothing but trouble since. Slept fine in America on my friend's bed!  Need to do something as it is getting worse.

Anyway, explanation for the early post over and no doubt nothing on the stamping ground to link to until early morning, which is late for me if you follow.  I'll probably go back to bed with the aid of medication and sleep until lunch time.  If it is after 6 am GMT you are reading this follow the link above and see what others have on their desks.

This is my desk - have almost stripped "the shoe" and started taking some of the bits off the chains I bought the other week in Primarni.

Was expecting a friend over for a day of stamping later this week but her mother is in hospital so the day has had to be cancelled.  Was busy trying to get this ready for her, it is my version of the Laura Dennison class, as she so liked it when she saw it online (dropped big hints!) so it was a "cheer her up" gift.  Hope you, and she, enjoy.

Have missed a few of the months out but you get the picture so that if you want to make one yourself you have a fair idea as to how Laura did hers.  All you need is the Graphic 45 "Place in Time" pad, some scissors, glue and mount board.  Have a great time!

ps the "pickle" last week was that our bedroom door handle jammed and we could not get in.  Took a lot of 'clever thinking' to work out how to do it.

Artful Times - New Challenge (23)

For this week we decided to do a Colourful Technique and I chose to do the Stazon Technique, a version of which I featured on my blog not long ago.  I was first taught this by Cath Wilson and then the other week Lynne (Wilkinson) repeated it for everyone at Victoria Stampers.

Here's the one I submitted for you to look at on the Artful Times Blog.

If you go over to the challenge blog you will see there is a link provided so you can go and watch a video on how to do it.  Here is a quick written version (all inks used are Stazon):

• Stamp main image at an angle on white card (coated if possible) creating four distinct corners (as shown purple).
• Take a smaller background stamp and stamp in the four corners.  Heat set.
• Using Post-It-Notes, to mask off areas you do not want to colour, apply Azure to the corners and then Blazing Red over the top with some cut and dry foam.  You now have a purple.
• Apply other colours to the central image one by one until the area is filled with bright colours (Cactus Green, Pumpkin, Mustard, Azure and Blazing Red).
• Heat Set again.

• Take word stamps, or use an alphabet stencil and stamp words at an angle across the card using Black Stazon.
• Take a Post-It-Note and put above the word and apply black ink off the edges of the mask to give a black frame effect.  Repeat kind of "upside down" to give a black frame at the base of the word.  Do this with all the words you have stamped.

• Now, using a white pen (my preference is the Signo), rule a white line where you masked the edges.  Leave to dry.  Repeat with other words.
• Highlight the letters with the white pen also.
• Put dots in the background stamped corners using your white pen.  Again leave to dry.

There you have it - the Stazon technique.

I did a variation using Distress Inks in the new colours and got quite carried away making these cards although they all require a word or two yet before they are finished.  Guess they could be left as they are not strictly Stazon technique are they?  But they would do for this challenge!  As you can see I did have fun with these (they were on my desk a while ago but in a pile) and I think I will have some more fun later, afterall this says "time for fun".

As you can see I used my white pen to do different things on my corners.  And did different colours in the corners rather than the central image.  Guess you could say - nothing like the Stazon technique at all.

Hope you join in with us with this challenge.

WOYWW 193

Back Home!  So cold!

Hopefully a quick blog today, suffering with jet lag (ie up in wee small hours wide awake, asleep most of day yesterday - well, struggling to keep eyes open).

This was my work desk at weekend when I got home and unpacked:

No space to do any crafting in front of me

Ta Da ... This is my desk today.  Most of the things have been put away (or hidden from view) and all I have on  desk is the shoe that Carole did in a workshop and which she gave to me.  I plan to re-cover it, probably a saucy red, and then show it to you again. Nothing wrong with what Carole did but I am itching to get going on it myself.

To the right of the shoe are some charms bought in Rancho Cucamonga (don't you love that name?) and a couple of necklaces bought here on Sunday (PriMarni) - to pull to bits. Just wish I was not so old - I would love to go punk all of a sudden (usual with me, when it is out of fashion).

Must go as we have a "pickle" on our hands so I suggest you all go and visit Ms Julia at the stamping ground and see what others are up to. Thanks to those of you who have been visiting me whilst I have been away, much appreciated - and thanks to my new and old followers, will be on an even keel shortly.

WOYWW 192 - Still Away

Well, my workdesk today is recovering from the Stamp Party we had on Saturday but the good news is I have some cards to show you.

Here are some of the ladies making the cards

The scissor station

Carrie (you can see her leaning over) instructing a couple of the ladies in how to make a delightful scissor case.  This was the only fabric piece we did.

Andrea, Nancy, Stephanie and Debi doing the triple cards

Joanie, Carole and TC doing Valentine cards

Karen, TC, Mimi, Tania and Joan with Stencils & Glitter

and here are some of the cards

that I made

Phew!  Didn't mean to upload so many for you to look at, hope you got some inspiration from them. The lime one is on its side, sorry. The Valentine one is a step card which you can't tell from the scan.

Now off to see what others have been up to with WOYWW.  Sorry I did not get to visit you all who visited me last week, was a mega busy one here on holiday.  Will make up for it and visit you when I get back home on Friday.

Take care, especially those at home, in the UK, in that awful weather we are hearing about.

Nearly Home Time - Long Post

I have never known a month's visit go by quicker than this one.  It doesn't seem two minutes since we were being met at the Flyway by Mary and Maria and in a couple of days time we will be being dropped off there.  Not just 'bye' to our friends but also 'bye' to the sunshine and 'hello' to the cold weather in Britain (and no doubt more snow and lots of rain and little sunshine even in the summer).

Anyway, you didn't come on here to hear that - these are some of the highlights from our trip
I am surprised I did not show you photos from the 'Swap Meet' we went to on the first Sunday we were here.  Neal and Maria took us in Maria's car (I felt like we were Thelma and Louise when Maria drove) - here it is with Chas and myself in, on the drive.

then we met Bob

on his converted cool box!  No kidding - it was full of beer pumps.  A total conversation stopper and the horn when he honked it!!!

More practical ways of getting about were there to video, I loved the carts they used to pull the children in, no doubt later to load up with bargains.  Here's a small one, missed out on the bigger ones.

Later that week we went down to Encinitas for a few days with Mary.  It was glorious weather and we saw some fabulous places, all very different - including a couple of stamp stores.  My first ever Hobby Lobby!  They don't have many on the west coast but I guess they are starting to creep in

don't you love this decorated number plate

Honouring their young folks at Rancho Cucamonga

 where Hobby Lobby is

Time to move on `and visit Poway, they have a stamp store!   And this lovely house?

The stamp store is here

Fab workshops on display

Then on to Temecula

with its trolley bus

and lovely shops

Indian Shop

with left over Christmas Trees

and old jail

and look at this name

Sorry if this is photo overkill but ...
I loved Temecula

OK

Phew!  That was day one.  Look at this bush

Day Two and Breakfast at

The Potato Shack

outside

and my Breakfast Burrito

well, what was left of it!

A peek at Swami Beach

Spencer loved it

and on to Carlsbad and Oceanside

 Antiques

Best of all - Gigi's

A fabulous stamp store in Oceanside where I got a Dylusion Stamp Set.  What a lovely lady Gail was to talk to.  Here she is with her husband and that is Mary stood at the counter.  She has a really big shop fully of goodies.  If you are ever in the area ...

Goodnight - enjoy the sunset