WOYWW (and LTD Challenge)

This is what I bought on Sunday at the show.  Four MS punches and a set of Cuttlebug folders.  It was so busy.  I didn't get much of a chance to walk around the show, not that Tracey wouldn't have let me, told me in fact, if she had not been so busy herself.

When I sat down at 10 am I could not move an inch once everyone had started to come in.  I was literally sat with a sea of people around me, in front of my table and behind me - could hardly move my arms.  At around 12.30 I glanced to my left and thought "ah, it's thinning down a bit", then glanced right and there were loads of people coming in through the entrance door.  Anyway, that is why I may not appear to have bought much.

Talking afterwards to one of the vendors she said "if Graham did 42 of these shows a year I would not need to do any other".  Good for the vendors and good for the shoppers.  Check out "Sincerely Yours" via Oyster Stamps and see if there is one near to you.

Can you see a roll of wallpaper on the photograph above, a bit sneaking in on the one below?  Well, one of the techniques we did on Saturday involved Vinyl Blown Wallpaper.  Mo had one which turned out pretty good so we went off to a well known DIY store for some more samples.  I saw this black and red paper and thought it would look great behind the bedhead - Chas doesn't think so!  Anyhow, I digress.   I had this huge roll of samples of blown vinyl (quite thick isn't it) and as we walked out a shop assistant stepped forward and asked "Can I help you?"  Mo just said "No, we've just been getting some samples" and calmly walked on.  I walked out thinking I was going to get a hand on my shoulder and a "Madam, can you step back in the store" because my samples looked as if I had taken a full roll.  What a relief to get to the car.

This is just to the left of my workspace on my desk.  Got another mask to do and a cat  - I am not into Decopatch but I do love masks and Carmel made a super job of her cat so thought I would do one.  The rest is the aftermath from Vicky Stampers on Saturday where we had a smashing workshop by Anne making backgrounds in some different ways and using them to make a Paperbag Book.  Will have to post mine another time as I want to play (read "mess") with my inks and paints.  There are also some rubber stamps (thanks Jayne, again), my Gesso and cotton for the books to be stitched with.

This photo shows a bit further down the desk - acrylic pains (if you click on the picture you will see there are quite a few and that is nowhere near the amount I have), my Stazon pads, rubber stamps (all these were needed for the workshop) and my atg gun which has been driving me crazy.  Apparently I have a piece missing - oops!  The cup must have had an oxo drink in, yes, I love drinking oxo, and my little bag from Sunday's show.

The drawers contain my mounted stamps, the boxes have my um's in them, pots on the wall (Ikea) have brushes etc in and that is about it for this week.

Now to nip over to the lovely Julia's blog and see what she has been up to - and what you all have been doing too.  Sorry there''s only one card - busy week, still recovering and an anniversary yesterday (Thornton's choccies and Bucks Fizz for breakfast).

Before you to here is my entry for the Lots to Do Challenge this week - Vintage.  It was to be for the Playdate Cafe but I missed the deadline - hence the colours.  Was going to do another one for lots to Do but now this one can be entered.  I so love LTD challenges and hate to miss out on them.

Way Back (This and That)

Am scheduling this post to appear whilst I am busy dem'ing at a super little show in Leigh, Lancashire.  All of my friends love this show which is called Sincerely Yours and is organised and run by my friends Tracey and Graham.

I love how they arrange it with all the stands at one end of the big hall, the demonstration tables at another end (with seating for 'peeps' to watch) and a huge eating area as well.  Free tea/coffee all day for pre-booked tickets.

Various bits and bobs are being uploaded here:

A Blog Award - this was given to me by my friend Dot (see Trollymog in my sidebar) almost a month ago and I have to upload a favourite picture, thank Dot (THANKS DOT) and then award it to five other people.  So my Cherry on the Top Award is going to Zoe, Carol, Anne, Diane and Hilda.

Next step is to upload a favourite picture.  My favourite pictures are of my friend's little girl, Chloe, but I am not too sure about uploading pictures of her on the web so here is one of my little dog who left me in November '93.  Oliver was a lovely little fella and totally in love with me, as I was with him.  Oh Oliver, I do miss you.

Word Verification - wish I knew how to turn this off on my blog.  I still want to be able to moderate comments but when trawling through blogs it is so annoying having to type in those letters that I would love mine off - anyone know how to do it?

Anyway, I digress.  My friend Jo, sent me this picture she took of the word verification she came across on my blog when she left a comment.  As my full name is "Anita" and my surname is "Hickson" this is amazing

Plus the fact that some of my "old" friends refer to me as "hicky" anyway.

Well, that's all for this scheduled post - just think of me doing my bit in Leigh - being fed and looked after so well by Tracey and Graham, and meeting up with lots of friends.  Toodleoo for now!

Just One Quick One

Been to Vicky Stampers today - making backgrounds and turning them into a paperbag book (well some did, I got two pages done - too busy nattering).  More another day on that one - but it was a fab workshop led by Ann.

Anyway, up early this morning, couldn't sleep beyond 5.30 am (doh) so made another card for tomorrow for my friend Ali.  Not sure what she will make of them all but I did give it a go for her.

Just plain white cardstock, image stamped and embossed, mounted on black diamond and a tissue flower.  All stamps are (guess?) Paperartsy.  The blue bits are the cardstock I stood up in order to photograph the card.

That's it for now, off to bed - early start tomorrow and need to be alert, bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Another Baby Card

My friend's daughter gave birth to an adorable baby boy whilst I was on holiday in Barcelona.  Because I have had this virus I have not really got to see him (managed a sneak peek from the doorway of his home) and until now had not made her a card to offer my congratulations.

At last I have done one and hope to give it to her tomorrow as I am hoping to be able to go to the Club despite still having this virus.

Won't have much to show, or blog, as I am also supposed to be working at Leigh show on Sunday.  Don't want to let Oyster Stamps down as they are such a fantastic company to work for so it will be early to bed on Saturday and fingers crossed.

Anyway, here is the card:

Hope she likes it!

Domino Book (and Is Anyone Else Having Problems with Blogspot?)

First of all, is anyone having problems with uploading comments on their Blog?  I received lots of comments yesterday and the day before which I clicked to Publish but they never appeared.  Clicked them several times and got the response but they still did not appear on my blog.  Apologies to anyone who has sent me a comment and does not find their original on the last two posts.  I have copied and pasted the comments myself.  Not a clue what is happening.

I joined a swap for a domino book on one of my Yahoo Groups and struggled.  With the virus I have had (for ages - will it ever go away?) I found it difficult to concentrate on anything.  In fact my lovely friend Leigh (on another Yahoo Group) has postponed the dates for me with another swap I was involved in because I could just not get my head around it.  Shame really because my partner was on target.  You will get to see this later as I will blog the stages in the swap (it is Artists in Synergy) which is ongoing for three stages.

Anyway, up to the wire for the Domino Book I just about made the deadline.  I decided to do "Alice in Wonderland".

This is the book closed

Back and Front covers

"Stamped Dominoes"

The book opened

Pages before sticking in

I first prepped my dominoes using Brilliance ink, coloured the images with Sharpies and then put Glossy Accents over the top to seal them and give a glossy finish.  Then I cut a long strip of scrapbook paper and measured out my pages, stamping and colouring in each image.

I put some ribbon across the inside of the back domino and stuck my page on, folded it up, accordion style, and stuck to the front domino. The back of the scrapbook paper was left as it was. 

Hope my partner likes it.

WOYWW 69

That time of the week again - the lovely Julia, over on The Stamping Ground, will be encouraging us all to show what is on our desks again.  Trouble is that mine is so small an area (why do I have so much stuff?) that it seems to be the same view each week.  Stood back a bit today though and got a bigger view.  All those containers stacked up contain my mounted stamps.  The brown ones hold some ribbons, lace, cord etc.

I've made another card for my friend using some Paperartsy stamps, those red, black and cream boxes are some of the ones I store some of my um's in and three of them belong to Paperartsy stamps.  If we go in closer I can show you one or two things:

This is my new Distress Ink Box (the proper silver one), courtesy of my friend Jayne, she is a love.  Behind it is my index system (that clear domed lid) where I write my supplies down in pencil on the cards and where I have put them.  Saves lots of time when I want something and don't want to go through all the drawers, boxes etc to find it - just because I cannot remember.  The clear flat box, straining itself, is where I store my new Distress Ink colours.  This is handy because I store the foam squares on the top and the whole thing fits just beneath the counter.  I looked for another one but never found  one the right depth.  Now, thanks to Jayne, I can stop looking.

To the right of this picture is my favourite alphabet set (Hero Arts) and then my heat gun stand.  This was made for me a few years ago by 'Ronnie' who has since passed away and although I have always loved it it now means so much more to me than a wooden stand.  In the window sill is my spinner (really a wine thing - courtesy of Jayne again), my tiny button container, my misters and my bird that still is not finished.  You can see I have put my box made on the Elements weekend in the sill as well.

Remember me saying, the other day, that I had let rip - well, it was to cover this mask.  Mo did a class at Victoria Stampers and I had this as an extra so finally got it finished - well almost.  Still got to decorate it but at least it is now covered in the papers.  Here's a closeup.  You can see the false eyelashes waiting to go on it but I also want some "bling" and haven't decided on a colour yet.  I never got to see the one Olive made at the Club but I do know she was going to put false eyelashes on it.  I believe it was fantastic!

 My last picture of my desk is actually to the right of it, on the wall. Jayne gave me some clear boxes which stack on top of one another - ideal for my flowers so a re-hash of the stamp room was called for which is why it looks quite tidy in the other photographs.

Well, that's it for today folks.  Now to go and snoop around to see what others have on their desks.  But ... before you go I will just show you the card I was making

Cuttlebug folder background, various Distress inks sponged on.  Tim Holtz die-cut cogs sponged with Brilliance Copper and then Distress Inks.  Alphabet, Hero Arts, black embossed letters, black and smudges around edges and stuck on in relief.  Main image embossed on textured cardstock to give a Grungey look, Glossy Accents on dial above head, car restamped and added and Grungeboard wing done in Crackle Paint and gone over with Brilliance Copper.  The whole thing is mounted on black, copper and then black main card.

I tried to keep within the rule of three's for once when making this card.

Carried Away with PDC

I had to do some Paperartsy cards and think I got rather carried away with the colours chosen by The Play Date Cafe this week as everything turned out with the colours lime green, silver and either navy blue or purple.

The words have Glossy Accents over them

This one is the Peeled Paint technique

Not very Lime Green though

I first did this with Julia Andress at CHA in January and it turned out much better than this one which I followed in Craft Stamper this month.  I guess it is the colours I used on this one.

Two ATC's

I even did my friend's Congratulations (on the new grandson) card in these colours.  I just had to use these "Sweetpea" images as I love them (manufacturer not known).  The 'peas' have Glossy Accents on them.

Using Distress inks for colour

Peeled Paint, Chipped Sapphire, Crushed Olive and Mustard Seed over the top were used with these Paperartsy stamps to make this card.  The flower heads were stamped twice and cut out just inside the black line and then curled and attached - Glossy Accents is in the centre and down the stem of the large flower.

Now which one will I upload for the Challenge?

Whilst I am here check out the blog candy at the top of the page - it is awesome!  Or follow this link.
http://scrapwithstacy.blogspot.com