Journal

Back to the Journal challenge which is just between myself and Wendy - this time the colour was pink, lilac and the topic was Silhouette so a third colour, black, had to be introduced.  But then is black classed as a colour?  So does it count?

I used a page that had some brayered pink on it already and added some lilac.  Then I stencilled some more pink (a more vibrant one) through the stencil and used my bottle caps to do some circles in both lilac and pink (using my Distress Inks for these).  

Next I used a Dylusion stencil - Annie - and did the two silhouettes in black.  I did want to use the stencil so that I worked from a mask outwards and add some wings or something but - as per usual - I did not have time for it.

Pure coincidence that the letters down the right hand side fell into the circles.  I didn't realise until I stood back from the page.

Now to see what Wendy has done.

Gosh it is the first day of Advent tomorrow - December is here already - eek!!!

WOYWW 443

It's Tuesday evening and I am writing this because I will be out most of the morning and then in the afternoon getting ready for a night out.  Such a busy person!  My desk won't change, that's for sure.

After the non "C" card making I have been busy - bought a new die which I fell in love with but oh what a "B" it was to cut.  Mind you I was trying with 300 gsm cardstock.  Tried it with my eBosser and then went to my Vagabond which seemed to cut a little better.  Had to get Chas involved (first time ever doing anything in my craft room) to turn the handle of my Grand Calibur, after the two passes back and forth through the Vagabond.  Needless to say, there won't be many of that design going out.

Searched on Pinterest for what to do with an old Elf Stamp I have.  I remember years ago seeing a friend make a card using it and falling in love with the card.  Can I remember what it was like?  Anyway, in the end went back to my first idea for using it and sat Monday night colouring images in.  Now I need to work on both sets of cards putting them together.

Thanks Illona for this little beauty.  Without my Misti my job would have taken so much longer but I just set my stamps up on it and away I went.  To the left on a grey book are bits for the troublesome diecuts, then the remains of the Elf Stamp, next is my box of Promarkers with the Elf images on top and my Dylusion colouring pens (narrow ends for fiddly bits of colouring).  The yellow thing is a padded envelope and that is holding my words that I die cut - again fiddly things that took ages.

This is the aftermath of diecutting.  My first lot of stamped cards lie to the left, forgotten; my foam mat (before I got my Misti out), my wonderful Spellbinders tool, with its bag behind it, for those fiddly dies, paper cuts, plates and cable for my Vagabond, Distress Oxides and tools.  I won't show you the kitchen where the Vagabond ended up - and the bits of cardstock that is everywhere.  Must vac!  And the floor in my craft room - a disgrace with bits everywhere.

So there you have it.  I have shown you my desk now why don't you show me and the WOYWW'ers yours?  Go to Julia's for a link to lots of others and join in, please.

Many thanks to whoever re-linked me, I hadn't noticed it - a thousand thank you's.

WOYWW 442

Well ... I was working on Sunday and got kind of carried away making Distress Oxide backgrounds in readiness so the "C" cards are still not made.  Did do two Birthday Cards though and wish I had not posted them on (was it Saturday or Sunday?) my blog earlier.  I could have used them today.  Would have liked to have known what you thought of them as I haven't made cards in ages - out of practice.  They were Pinterest inspired.  Not at all like me but I am rusty these days.

Yesterday I had to go into hospital in the wee small hours for a little procedure, last had it six months ago, and six before that.  It seems to be becoming a regular occurrence in my calendar, I've lost count of the many times now - and I don't like!  Then had to rest for 12 hours which I am trying to stretch into 24 (shush, don't tell him).  So am really writing this on Tuesday evening as I hope to sleep in a bit on Wednesday.

There's my mini journal still empty of writing sitting on the left, babywipes, water sprays, couple of Distress oxides and a blending tool, three keys (left over from last weeks makes - two cards here) and then my black ink pads, a stencil from Sunday, scrap paper for trying out stamping on and two toppers as per Distress Oxide makes and the fairy stamps.  The fairy stamps are 'Nellie's Choice' from Oyster Stamps at weekend and I tried stamping them with Memento but found they beaded up.  I then tried with Archival and they were fine (clear polymer stamps in case you were wondering).  I think I used Distress Oxides, mainly Black Soot, on Sunday and they were fine too.  I love how crisply the Oxides actually stamp - and so vivid on black card.

My desk is suffering from untidiness.  No other way to describe it.  It is the aftermath of Sunday where things still need putting away but I get carried away making.  Sound familiar?  Sunday saw me working, in a hotel, for Oyster Stamps but this time at a Mini Show which was, well, what way to describe it?  Busy!  Busy does not seem a strong enough word but it was packed, ram jam packed at 10 am when the doors opened.

There were four Make and Takes and three demonstrations on the go - only three vendors but everyone seemed to be pleased with what little they had left on their stands at the end of the day.  I was demonstrating Distress Oxides and promised the ladies (and a few men) that I would blog some notes when I got home ready for publishing the next day.  Didn't realise how long it would take me.  Just hope the ladies found them useful.  Saves them writing notes from all the You Tubes etc.

Will leave it there as I must, must must get a start on my "C" cards although I did say I was only going to make about half a dozen and the charities would have to benefit with my buying their cards.

Oops, Monkee and Koko Koala have come to wave you off.  Toodle Pip!

A Day Out with Oyster Stamps - Playing with My Oxides

What a fun day I had yesterday, Sunday, playing with my Distress Oxides and letting people know about some of the many things you can do with them.  It also meant I got chance to meet up with the Oyster family who I have not seen for simply ages.

I have spent time on the internet looking at the various techniques others have done, initially saw Tim Holtz demonstrating them at CHA in January, and as a result spent many a happy hour doing backgrounds as if they had gone out of fashion and finding out through experimenting what can be done with them.

If you know me you will know I have been a "Distress Ink Freak" for a long long time.  They have always been my 'go to inks' but now they have a rival - Oxides.  

Let's talk about DISTRESS OXIDES

The first thing to know is that Distress Inks are Translucent but Distress Oxides are Opaque.  

(Also note that the Hybrid inks contain a pigment that dries like a dye ink BUT Distress Oxides contain both Pigment and Dye ink and therefore can do much more than Hybrids.)  

Remember:

WET on WET blends - so if you use your Oxides together they will blend,

WET on DRY layers - if you dry between colours they will layer

Please always store your inks FLAT with the label UPWARDS and always use separate blending pads for the colours, don't use the same ones that you use for your Distress Inks.

(as an aside Tim H says you cannot contaminate the pads, if you do, simply wipe the pad with a dry piece of kitchen roll.  I don't take the chance).

Most people find these inks blend more easily than the Distress Inks.  (I tried it out with some of the ladies yesterday and they agreed, their blending was better, the ink simply glides on the paper)

Layering:  put two or three colours of ink on your craft mat (eg iced spruce, cracked pistachio and broken china) close to one another but not touching.  Now spritz them and then take your cardstock and swipe it through the puddle on your mat.  DRY with your heat tool.  Mop up some of your colour again and this time it will sit in a layer on top of the previous one.  If you don't particularly like it you can go on putting layer after layer on until you get something that you do like.  Sometimes it is knowing when to stop, but what fun you can have with these backgrounds.  Remember to dry each layer before adding the next one though.  Want something brighter - try Worn Lipstick, Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmalade - then on a later one bring in something warmer, eg Fired Brick as well as the tones already used for a different look.  Peeled Paint, Cracked Pistachio and Fossilized Amber is a nice combination, whilst either Pink looks nice with Iced Spruce just as a touch after lots of pink layers.  The beauty of these inks is that a light colour can sit on top of a dark one.  What else can do this?

When you have swiped through your puddle you often have droplets left on your mat, dab into them and create spots on your paper - dry again before proceeding.  

Try layering with a final colour that is totally different to your base colour, ie blue if you have a pink/orange background.  This will showcase that you do not end up with mud - PROVIDING YOU HEAT SET BEWEEN LAYERS.

Oxidising: they react with water, as do Distress Inks, but these give a more milky tone to the water droplets.  By adding more water you are separating the dye ink from the pigment ink.  You can see that it is lighter where there is more water.  By itself it is just pigment,  and the only way to oxidise them is to spray with water.  At first the colour really rises to the top when you spritz, keep applying water and drying and it will oxidise more and more; you can influence how much the dye and pigment separates from one another by the amount of water you add.  As it dries it all oxidises.

This has had a fine mist sprayed over it, you can see the delicate oxidisation starting

This has had water droplets from my hand on it, see the milky colour

Both the above samples have had only one layer of Oxides and then the water but you can go on by drying and then adding more ink, more water droplets/fine mist, dry, more ink etc until you are happy with your background.  Remember to dry between each layer though.

Smooshing: just as you put two or three colours on your mat try putting two colours on your acrylic block.  Spritz with water and this time "smoosh" your block over your paper/cardstock.  This can sometimes give you a more "blocky" type of look.  Dry with your heat gun and go again.

Watercolouring:  put three small dabs of different  toning colours on your mat with room between each one and add a little water to them all.  Take a piece of Watercolour Paper (or Acrylic Paper) and wet it all over.  Then using a paintbrush add your three colours, starting with the lightest, and make a graduated wash over your paper.

You can also use your Oxides like watercolour paint to colour your images.  The Crazy Bird, Crazy Dog and the Crazy Cat were all coloured in this way.  Simply put some on your mat and use water on a paintbrush - easy peasy.

Stencilling: try using your inks through a stencil or a diecut with your blending tool - try blending two colours together for a different look - try them on black or Kraft cardstock.

"on the left is the ghosting technique and on the right just pouncing with your blending tool with several colours of Oxides"

Ghosting: you may remember I showed you ghost stencilling where you had an existing background and you sprayed water on your stencil and flip it over so that the water will go on your background.  You push the water off the stencil with a paper towel, section by section, lifting the stencil and dabbing it off again and again.    I also showed you the way I preferred which was to put the stencil over the existing background and gently spray though with water again dabbing, section by section, with a piece of kitchen towel.  To me this gave a more 'ghost like' image.

Stamping:  to me this is most impressive as you get such a clear crisp image.  Rub your ink over your image being careful so as not to damage the ink pad.  

Using Black Soot for the image

Multi-coloured stamping: it is best if you do this in conjunction with your Misti, especially if you are using a large background stamp.  Sorry I never got around to showing you this but it is fun to try.  Ink part of your stamp up with one colour, say orange, and another part with, say pink, and stamp.  Wipe the colours off and ink two other areas up. Say blue and green.  Repeat and clean stamp again, adding colours until you have a rainbow effect card.

Halo Stamping: again this is one I didn't show you, sorry.  Ink your stamp up with the Oxides and stamp on your cardstock.  Then take your blending tool and smudge the ink around to give a halo effect.  What is happening is the pigment is staying true to the image but the dye is moving around ie they are separating.  Repeat with another stamp, another colour, smudging each time.  Finally using your blending tool and another colour do the edges or do several colours on the edges.  Drop some drips on and remember, the longer you leave the drips on the more intense the colour will be on the edge of those drips.  Heat set and dab off with a kitchen roll.

Colouring with Acrylic Markers: no need to emboss your images if you want to colour them with alcohol markers, I tried stamping with various colours of Oxides and scribbled over them with my Promarkers.  I was pleased to see that the colour of the ink stayed underneath and the Promarkers didn't alter them at all.

Embossing: because the oxides give such a clear crisp image they are perfect for embossing with a clear embossing powder.  

The top one showing you it on black and the other on white card

Black Soot: if using Black Soot for your base layer the first layer will not stand out.  You need to go back in with a second layer that is not standing on the black - it is standing on the other colour.  Advisable to use the Misti for this.

Remember:  several of you asked if I used a special card.  No, I have used various white cardstocks, Manilla tags, black card, Kraft card, glossy card, photographic card (remember to heat from higher up with this or it will blister), vellum, acrylic and watercolour paper.  If I can think of any other card I will give it a whirl, crafting is all about experimenting and having fun!

Glossy Card

Glossy Photographic card

(remember to heat carefully with your heat gun high or the paper will bubble and peel)

Vellum - imagine using this for your diecut flowers

Black cardstock - left plain stamping, right clear embossed

Think that is it, hope I haven't forgotten anything and sorry I do not have samples of everything I mentioned - still, no excuse, you get trying them and good luck - Enjoy and have Fun!

NB always keep your eye on what you are doing.  Card can scorch when heating if you are not careful and always, when heating, have the room ventilated.

All images and the Distress Oxides and Reinkers are available from Oyster Stamps.

I'm Back Making Cards

I had two special people who had birthdays coming up so I had to make them both a birthday card instead of grabbing one from my stash.

Jeannie always makes me a lovely card which is, in the main, die cutting so I thought I would make one without stamping for her.  I saw this card on Pinterest and it was so nice but I didn't have the papers used so it was a quick rummage through my stash and voila - this is her card:

I used Heartfelt Creation's Posy patch for my flowers and then used two daisy type ones that were made with a Punch.  The butterflies are Cherry Pie and the lace is a Martha Stewart Punch.  I haven't a clue what the background paper is but I wish I had more of it.

For Lorraine I decided to use a Greyboard Tag from Tando.  This was covered with some paper in a grey/lilac colour.  The image is one of my favourite ones and again I have used half a Tando clock (left over from last weekend) which was painted purple and then clear embossed with a tiny sprinkle of a sparkle ep.

Again I used the lace from the Martha Stewart punch, some silk flowers, a key and some Tando cogs plus a swirl I have had for ages.   A little ribbon and a tag completed this card.

Journal - Mermaid

This week Wendy chose the colours blue and green so I added yellow to mine.  Don't ask why when the topic/theme was to be "mermaid".  It's not really an ocean colour is it?  If only `I could have used my other stamps and done away with the Dylusion figures, I have lots of mermaids.  

So I found the only figure I could from the Dylusion range and added a bit of my own interpretation to her.  A few seashells, and what have you, and that completed the picture for me.  Then I had to think of a caption or something so a cat's head and an improvised fish body finished it off.

The background was done with the Oxides.  I find the paper in the Dylusion books is ideal for using with the Oxides and I try to use it whenever I can for something I want to keep (or for someone else to keep).  The two colours I used were Salty Ocean and Clover.  For the mermaid tail and the catfish I used Silks, only to find they had dried up.  I must learn not to buy any more paints until I have used my supplies up - difficult as I have so many.  Why is it that some paint manufacturers can get it right and their paints go on and on and others dry up in no time - maybe each should stick to what they are best at doing.

Trying to do some writing again.  The thing I find most difficult is getting the letters the same width.  "Just try and try again - it will come eventually" is my Mantra.

Off to see Wendy now.

WOYWW 441 My Hat

Here we are again, another Wednesday, and sharing it with all the WOYWW'ers out there, and, of course, our instigator Ms Julia, here.

Last week I told you all about my hat I was wearing on Saturday - well, here it is - the full version - lots of pictures, sorry.

close-up of feathers etc

front

necklace & bracelet

bottle & bulb side

Not wanting to wear the hat all day long both Saturday and Sunday (plus Friday night) I made myself an alternative which was a head band with dominoes on (coloured with Oxides and die-cut letters stuck on) and then some silk flowers.  As you can see it was for Remembrance Weekend.  Unfortunately I left it on my worktable at home but this is it

 it looks good when worn

If you want to see some pictures from my weekend showing me dressed up in my hat you need to look at my blog yesterday.  It also has pictures of the two projects we did, one with Andy Skinner and one with Antonis Tzanidakis.  Loved every minute of the weekend.

Now to my desk.  I am making some more samples for my demo on Sunday at Leigh which will be in the Greyhound Hotel on the East Lancs.  I will be showing some different techniques with the Distress Oxides and hope that I manage to get some interest in purchasing them.

That's it folks - (not a lot of writing Julia)

Ministry of Mixology Weekend

Friday saw my friend Lorraine and myself heading down to Coventry for our stay in the Holiday Inn.  Yes, I know, I said never again to the one in Lancaster but I can tell you, this is a totally different hotel and they are the best staff ever.  No idea who the manager is but he/she is doing a fantastic job training the staff.

As an aside I left a hot water bottle in the bed - no it wasn't cold, just my hip bothered me on Saturday night and so when I rang up they (Emma was the receptionist who dealt with me over the 'phone) said they had found it and are now sending it on to me.  I offered to pay the cost but she would not hear of it.  This Holiday Inn must be the BEST ever.

Lorraine dropped me at the hotel as she was off for Afternoon Tea with her sister and I went in and registered.  Becca was the receptionist and she was dealing with a problem via the telephone and managed still to check people in with efficiency, courtesy and a smile.

There is one lady who works tirelessly at the Ministry of Mixology weekends, and that is Carol.  She always makes sure that anyone with a disability, slight or otherwise, gets a decent seat and she is always there with the answer to any problem you might have.  I could not write an account without showing you Carol.  Here we are

Saturday morning saw Lorraine and I in Antonus Tzanidakis (nick-named the Greek God) workshop and we were making a box.  Antonus had his girl-friend Athena with him and I became quite fond of her.  We managed to converse in her limited English and my non Greek.  I can say the odd word that you learn on holiday but it is limited when you can just say "good morning/afternoon/evening, please, thank-you, excuse me" in Greek.  Here are the three of us (the photo is actually just before we left)

This is the box we made with Antonus

box front - (it should have had a skull inside the aperture but I put the cogs in to be different, plus the cogs on the back of the box, where they should have been, may have made it a bit wobbly when it was set down.)

Saturday night saw us al dressed up in our hats at the bar.  I had found a jacket (had it a long time, didn't fit at one time, now it does) which I felt went well with the steampunk image.  Rummaged for a white blouse, found some jewellery and ended up getting completely fitted out with my black jeggings on.

Lorraine had decorated the top hat I bought her last Christmas, so we both went along dressed up - in Lorraine's case, terrifically as Steampunk meets Alice.  Wish I had got some photos of her hat from the back.  You can see the huge green bow, well the tails cascaded down the back and she had stuck tiny playing cards on them.  At the side she had a pocket watch open to show the face with the White Rabbit on it.

and below: Here I am with Athena

We all split up and joined various tutors, Di, Dee, Suze, Brenda, Hannah, Lesley, to do mini projects we had chosen.  Then it was time for the raffle and in came Andy complete with his horse

I think he is giving it a "neigh" here

All too soon it was time for bed and the promise of a great day on Sunday.  Andy's workshop beckoned!

This is what we made - and the doors open and close.  We could choose the skull we wanted, or a heart, and I chose this one.  Everyone had a different looking end product as we were given free play with the assortment of cogs, wheels and nuts and bolts.  Some even went totally off piste and chose different colours to put on theirs.

Another really successful Ministry of Mixology weekend, I shouldn't say that as you might all want to book on the next one and I might miss out.  Anyhow, it was soon time to say Au Revoir and I leave you with a picture of me and the great, the one and only Andy Skinner.

Till next time!

Autumnal Journal Page

My turn to choose the colours and theme this week and I went along with red and orange plus one other colour of choice and the theme Autumn.  My favourite season.  I chose to use 'Yellow' and hoped it would tone down the red and brighten up the orange.

Guess what though?  I forgot to do the journal page.  Shame on me.  Remembered at around 1.20 pm and so it was fly to the paints and get cracking.

I was hoping to do some lettering like I had done at the weekend but in such a hurry I just went along freehand and had to go over it to thicken the letters up as my pen was not good enough.  Ah well, Sandra, I did try.

Here is my tribute to Autumn and something I used to enjoy doing, especially in the woods at Betwsy- Coed

I tried to make the lighter bit look like it was falling in a kind of sweep, nearly got there.  Perhaps I need to do these once a fortnight as I am always so far behind.  Have a good excuse this week though, I was getting ready for my weekend away.  Photos to follow next week. (wink wink)

WOYWW 440

Once again we are here to celebrate another Wednesday with Ms Julia and her faithful band of followers showing our desks whether in a state of utter chaos or tidiness - and maybe sharing a project or two.  Do feel free to join us here.

My desk this week has yet another UFO on it, this time from a workshop I attended on Saturday at AftH with Sandra as the tutor.  Sandra does lovely handwriting in her Journals and she was going to show us how to do something similar.  It was good - she took me out of my comfort zone and made me write BIG.

Here is a peek at the work we did:

And the reason it has not been worked on this week, apart from the fact that I have been spending time with my other half is that I am going away at weekend to the Mixology Retreat with Andy Skinner (my fave Mr Rust/Skull/Steampunk/You Name It Man) and I have been adding some more touches to my hat.  Sorry I am not showing you anything but one side - there is a story - I wanted to add some bullets but have not been successful in finding any, replica ones of course, and so I decided to make some from polymer clay.  Not showing you!  If you will pardon the terminology they look like golden 'willies'.  Even had Shaz on the lookout for me - thanks Shaz and Doug, still no joy.

So I have added a bit of glass.

Two bulbs and a glass bottle

I will take some photos of it next week to share with you but don't want it to be on the internet until after Saturday.  It does have rather a long feather on the other side but I stick that in at the last minute as I fear it might get bent.

Well, that is it, I will go and nurse my poor fingers that suffered with the awl putting the brads in the leather band.  Might even be on the sewing machine later ... but what will I make?

See you soon.

Halloween Journal Page

Well, Wendy and I have started a small square journal each.  Wendy chose a couple of colours and to do a topical theme, Halloween, for our first page.  

Here is mine - she wants us to use Dylusion figures but I am beginning to think I might have to deviate some times as I find them restricting if the old brain will not adapt to the topic.  Maybe I need Dyan to bring out lots more figures for me to chop up and move about

WOYWW 439

Wednesday again, these come around quicker than the local bus.

Still got a cold, it comes and goes (first one in years), so not much to report on the crafting front  Did get my Dylusion paints out and squirted them all with a bit of water as they are thickening up.  Needed to use them for my journalling with Wendy.  We are working in square journals now and doing something different but trying to continue using the Dylusion figures in the main.  I needed to colour the pages in with some paints and love the bright colours of Dyans.

Here is my desk to the left early evening yesterday, Tuesday.

The booklet with the green page on the right is my Butterfly Book and that is the lat page in my booklet on our holiday in Nerja.  To the left of it you can see some tags and a stamp plus some wooden butterfly buttons that my friend Wendy bought me for Christmas - not sure which one as we haven't seen much of one another recently.

This is my desk to the right of the other picture and shows my Dyary hiding my journal page which I have started but nowhere near finished.  It is open at last week's page when I went down to Liz's celebration of her life service.  The figure on this page represents her by wearing orange which was Liz's favourite colour and is sporting a flamboyant hat in memory of the wonderful ones she wore after both of her chemo treatments.  Not that she would have ever worn boots like that with a full skirted dress, or even a dress like that either.  She was a snappy dresser.

Well, it is time for you to go and visit Julia, our glorious founder, who will lead you on to looking at other blogs showing desks and things that have been made during the week.  Do enjoy yourselves and join in if you haven't already done so.  You make so many friends - and you even get to meet up with some of them.

ps I made some little bags of sweets up for the children but for the fourth year in a row now we did not get any trick or treaters.  I know it is hard but we are just going to have to sit and eat them all ourselves.  Shame!