Another for PDC

Just a quickie.  I was playing about tonight whilst the other half was watching football (boring) and came up with another card for the Play Date Cafe Challenge.  Thought I would upload it tomorrow but realise I will be out of time by the time I get up so here it is - two posts in one day.

This is a green based card (the blue is the cardstock I stood it up against), with a white panel on, which has been embossed with the Cuttlebug Snowflake Folder.  Then I cut out a broad band of green with a wavy line and put three water lilies on from my new MS punch.  I have called them Poinsettias as I think I can get away with this for Christmas.  Again coloured with my Twinkling H2o's to give them the "melon" colour.

Finally a Spellbinders die with "Merry Christmas" on it - sorry about the peel off if you are against them.

My second "C" card this year.  Wow!

Had a Lesson with Paul & PDC

Have you noticed my New Header?  Had a fun day today with Paul coming round with the sole purpose of showing me how to change my blog a bit.  He was responsible for my previous header which was a photograph of our back garden in winter and I remember months ago (in spring/summer) he asked me "don't you think it is time you changed your header?"  Time went on and it didn't get changed so at last we made a date.

We played about a bit with backgrounds but I still liked my black for writing on so in the end we settled on leaving it plain and changing the header only.  Now I know how to do "layers" - or at least my head says I do LOL.  Note:  not my Memory!

I am not a Goth but I wish I felt able, at my age, to dress like one so now my blog is a bit Gothic - it's my place to escape to with my dreams.  Hope you like it.

Wonder if I can change it myself next time I want a to?  Only time will tell.

Thanks Paul, you are a true friend and I love you.

After he left I played about a bit and have produced a card for the Playdate Cafe Challenge this week which is using the colours Green/White/Melon.  Could not get my head around the Melon but playing about with my paints I came up with the nearest colour I could find and think this is pretty darned close.  It will be winging it's way to a friend as a Belated Birthday Greeting - I really am hopeless at keeping to schedules.

I used my new Cuttlebug Folder from the Art Deco pack as my main background, my new MS punch at the bottom (painted with Twinkling H2o's), two frames and the ovals with my Nestabiliities and the image is stamped in white on Vellum and painted on the back in some cases and on the front in others with Twinkling H2o's.  Am happy with the colours - the Melon is quite a good match.

Skewer Book/Piano Hinge Book

I made this book for a workshop I was teaching using Paperartsy Ink and the Dog stamps (plus one or two others - ooch!) and as it fits in with the theme at Gingersnap Creations (Neutrals plus one other colour) decided to make it my entry.

My Other colour is Tan

Like the posting yesterday I have cut out and curled my front cover.  Love doing this as it is so effective, well I think so - makes it difficult for mailing though.

 Isn't this guy handsome?

The black hole on the left hand side is the cut out bit from the front cover - shows the image through that you can see on the right hand side.

A bit of braid

The book fits in the pocket you can just about see at the bottom of the left hand page.

 

Bits of torn paper

Love those typewriter key letters

I always thinks she looks as if she is smoking a cigarette

Very "fatale" women

Back Cover with one other colour

Is that another entry?

It needed a box to mail out

I do hope you have enjoyed my book and that it spurs you on to making one yourself.  The box just adds a bit extra and I do wish I had rolls of that ribbon (wired) as it is always so good for tying boxes up and making them look pretty.

Asian

This is my entry for the Challenge over on Lots to Do this week.  It is a Double Mail Slider (I think that is what they are called) and I have lots of them so need to get using them up.  Maybe I need to start doing those "C" cards and use some of them.

This is the inside

The left side is embossed with gold and the two Geisha's are coloured with Twinkling H2o's.  

This is the front

As you can see I have slit the front to reveal the Geisha and then curled them back a bit.  I like to do this on the front of books and other things.

Port Sunlight

Despite the dull morning when we set off the sun came out (as happens more than not) and it was a glorious day for the Port Sunlight Show.

Here are the stands of some of my favourite vendors (taken at the end of the show when most of the visitors had left - couldn't take any before - it was mad busy)

Hazel (Horseshoe Crafts)

Paddy's (Paddy's Stamping Place)

This is Jo tidying up on Caz's

Roy and Ali's (Dimension Fourth)

Vix on Jill's (The Stampman)

And all the way from America to do this show

Mary (Stamp Camp)

Linda (Lost Coast Designs)

And this is what I bought when I was there - not much really but a great big dent in my purse.

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!