WOYWW 528 - (AGAIN)

Checked quite a few blogs and it seems as if Julia and I were out of sync last week hence the "AGAIN" in my blog title this week.  Hope I am now right.  WE are!

Went to see a Spinal Specialist last Friday and his diagnosis was that this continual pain I have suffered with for the past 7 months is due to a muscle.  Not much they can do quickly by the sounds of it but I am being referred to a team who specialise in  Pain Management and Spinal Physiotherapy.  Roll on.  The other physio did nothing so fingers crossed for this.

Enough of that - what's been happening?  Well, I went to my local club, Vicky Stampers, on Saturday for a couple of hours.  Didn't feel up to it but armed with hot water bottle and tablets I went along mainly to support my friend Lorraine who was taking the class.

It was "atc's with a twist" and the "twist" was that we were making atc's with acrylic blocks rather than the usual card.  As the acrylic is quite expensive we had some atc coins in our pack for us to do but most people only did the acrylic anyhow.  I managed one but came home and up to now have done another and made some coins.

The coins were easy for me to do as I made several, months ago, in readiness for swapping at the Dutch show, but we didn't make it because of my back, so now I have a few more to add to the collection for when we do go, hopefully next April.

The acrylic atc's I have made are quite simple but you have to work in layers.  You first of all stamp your image with Stazon and then paint it with acrylic paints.  This is painting 'from the back' and you need to keep holding it up to the light to make sure you have no "holes" showing through.  This took several layers of paint before the leaves n the bird one were done.  When you are happy with it you put a layer of double sided sticky tape on (in sheet form, no idea what to call it), carefully peel it off and then add either glitter or, as I have done, gilding flakes.  Lorraine actually put my flakes on for me as I could not get my tub of them open and so she used hers.  Then you rub off the surplus and you are finished.

Well, when I came to do the second one (mushrooms) at home I realised how lucky I had been with Lorraine doing my flakes before.  It was fine getting them on and rubbing them off but putting them back in the little tub was a nightmare.  I could not find my 'tray' to rub the excess flakes off so in my wisdom I used a piece of brown craft mat.  Static!!!  The flakes kept sticking and flying everywhere.  Then in my rush to get them in I caught the edge of the tub and they all spilt out.  They were everywhere ... and flying everywhere.  What a pickle.  Be warned flakes and craft mats do NOT go together!  

Poor Chas had to come in and help me clear up as, by this time, my back was hurting like crazy and silver flakes were everywhere.  I've gone off that idea and might use glitter for the next one even though I am not a bling/glitter person.  On the other hand I might just use a piece of fancy paper or card.

Well you came really to see my desk because I am showing it as a participant of WOYWW - want to know what I mean?  Click here and find out all about the best and longest  blog hop ever - so here it is.

Not at all interesting - some atc coins, a new stamp (Dylusion of course) an old envelope, a sheet of instructions and in the foreground the offending piece of craft mat still holding some silver flakes.  Not at all interesting ... BUT here is something that is.  Towards the end of last week look what dropped through my letterbox, a complete and delightful surprise, all the way from Oz:

So delighted to have one of Sandra de's watercolours and just look at the detail and the colour in the card.  I have long admired Sandra's work and am thrilled to now have these in my collection.

Better go now - this has turned out long but I was trying to share the "know how" with the acrylic in case you wanted to try.