Do You Remember?

Just to give your memories a little shake up I have a question for you.  Do you remember Elements 2 which I should have been doing with Paddy in Prestwich?  It was way back in April but I was taken into hospital and they wouldn't let me out for the event on the Saturday.

Well, I still have not completed my piece and so today I went up to see Paddy (by the way she is closing down, retiring from running a shop but still hoping to do Elements 3 in the Autumn) to see what I had to do and pick up my various bits and pieces that had been left with her.

It will be a couple of weeks before I get mine finished as I have other commitments on but whilst at the shop I got to see both Paddy's, Rita's and Jackie's.  Do you want to see them?  I have permission from Paddy.

Paddy's

Rita's

and last, but certainly not least Jackie's

I will try to talk you through them - the top section is a frame covered in metal which has been embossed and coloured.  Behind it is a piece of painted and stamped material to which we added embroidery/beads/buttons - what ever took our fancy.

Underneath is a large panel of the same coloured/stamped material with needlefelted pockets on.  Inside these pockets we were encouraged to add something, say, a needlefelted book.  Finally to finish off there is a tassel with a clay cone for the top and beads making the dangly bit above the cone.  There should have been other beads attached in various places on the artwork but I don't recall seeing them on any of the three pieces.  Guess you will have to wait for mine to be finished.

I must admit I am itching to get on with it but as I said I have too many other things on at the moment but hopefully can get started shortly.

Watch this space.......

If any of you are near Prestwich in the next couple of weeks Paddy is selling her stock at 25% off and it will go to 50% on certain items.  If you want to ring her to find out where the shop is (it is in Butterstile Lane) or for any information her number is 0161 7985115.

I Spy ...

... "with my little eye" is the title of the Challenge over on Just for Fun this week and is the brain child of our lovely Von.  Must confess, when I saw the samples the other members of the DT had done I threw a bit of a wobbler.  Have you checked them out?  They are super, they have excelled themselves this week and I felt a tad inadequate.

I have been covering an old mirror (in my head - the thought not the mirror LOL) for the past hmm hmm years and not got around to it as yet apart from one tile which is of an Egyptian head.  So I thought I might do another tile for the mirror and came up with the idea of using the eye of Ra.  Here it is:

Used Premo clay and found it a dream to work with - think this might be my new favourite - and rolled out a flat background piece in Gold. Made a mark with the side of my cutting blade along the base and attached tiny squares of different colours.  Then I rolled out the blue pieces and constructed the eye.  The white piece had to be cut to fit, as did the yellow piece which is stamped into with a crackle stamp, and the blue coils laid on top.

The whole has now been baked and is ready to put on my mirror which is probably not going to end up anything Egyptian at all but a mix of all kinds of things.  Maybe it will get done in a few years time!

WOYWW - PIF

Well, at last the anniversary has arrived - Congratulations Julia - two years and so so successful.  Happy Anniversary Julia and The Stamping Ground.

As for my desk - well there's really nothing to see.  I have been busy mounting some um's this week and have not been all that creative. Saying that I am in a mad hig as I cannot find the tags I cut out and mounted on black card for my Halloween in Wonderland House that I started.  Now I guess I will have to go and buy some more papers.

So I decided to leave you with a picture of what I received from Jude - just as a gift - who was a lucky lady?

Anyway, bring out the paper hats, the blowers and the party cakes and jellies - it is time to celebrate!  Happy WOYWW Folks!

Yes, I posted my PIF - with pictures - then looking at other blogs realised I shouldn't have so have had to do a quick Edit with a lot of deletion.  Then I posted my link and got #13 and forgot to put an asterisk against my name so panicked and posted again and became #14 which quickly changed to #15 next time I looked.


I am going back to bed!

Don't Ask

I have not got a clue why I made this, only that the song has been going round and round in my head.  Not that I knew many of the words - just a couple of lines of the Refrain which I have included in the picture.

I'll include a close up picture of the words below so you do not need to strain your eyes trying to read it.  The whole thing is a piece of mountboard which has been coloured using Chalks.  I tried to depict the two verses in my colouring - the lilac for the ballroom scene (plus two images of Tim Holtz chandeliers) and the grey for the graveyard scene which also has a picture of the sky stamped, again with London Fog.

These were computer generated onto a Labels Four die and then I stamped Tim Holtz birds across the top with London Fog.  The two verses go like this:

The ballroom was filled with fashion's throng,
It shone with a thousand lights;
And there was a woman who passed along,
The fairest of all the sights.
A girl to her lover then softly sighed,
"There's riches at her command."
"But she married for wealth, not for love," he cried!
"Though she lives in a mansion grand."

Refrain

"I stood in a churchyard just at eve,
When sunset adorned the west;
And looked at the people who'd come to grieve
For loved ones now laid at rcst.
A tall marble monument marked the grave
Of one who'd been fashion's queen;
And I thought, "She is happier here at rest,
Than to have people say when seen: "

Refrain again.

A bit sad - or just plain morbid?

The bird and birdcage were cut out using a Tim Holtz die - the bird painted black with a Dabber and the cage coloured gold with utee. The ladies head was chosen for its size and for the melancholy look in her eyes.

Now I am wondering what you will make of my interpretation of this song.

Back Again Keeping It Simple

Well, only a quick posting this time - here is my second card for the Less Is More Challenge - Pick a Square.  This time I chose the bottom right hand square because I wanted her to have her eyes (only thing coloured - Key Lime Twinkling H2o's) stand out and look at whoever is opening the card.  I used my Sun Rays folder for the front of the card and placed her over the circular bit so that the rays are coming from the image.

I love this stamp which was a freebie with Craft Stamper and to emphasise her eyes I mounted the image on Lime Green cardstock before putting it on the main card.

Hope you like it.

Kept it Simple

Well, this morning I decided to mount a couple of rubber stamps - then a couple turned into four, four into eight - you get the picture?  Now I have quite a little pile all waiting to be stamped onto the index card ready for the laminator.  Somehow I think that is a tomorrow job.

No, it did not take me all day, I went into the study intending to tidy up a bit but one thing led to another and before I knew it I was sitting on the floor surrounded by the entire contents of one cupboard.  Couldn't leave it at one - so they all had to be done.  Looks better but I did not achieve the crafting I intended.

Anyhow I did manage to make a couple of cards for the Less Is More Challenge which I have never joined before but which I have always intended doing.  First of all I used four inchies with my new stamps (Inkadinkadoo - bought at Aintree) which were stamped in Black onto mountboard coloured with Distress Inks.   Then I covered them with Glossy Accents to make them into tiny tiles.

I had one left over so I made a gift tag

Both follow the criteria laid down for this weeks Challenge which is Pick a Square.  As you can see for my card I have chosen the centre square and for the gift tag the bottom left one.  It will be the card I am entering.  

Off to do another one.

I've Turned Into The White Rabbit

Just knew it would happen one time - my obsession with Alice in Wonderland - today I am definitely the White Rabbit "I'm late, I'm late".  Completely forgot to post my TEA CARDS for Just for Fun and it was my choice of theme!  Doh!  What am I like?

Well, here they are

Three tea cards stamped with butterflies (part of a collection?), painted with Twinkling H2o's, chalk background overstamped with a dotty stamp and then the images mounted on white card.

You can find all the details over on  the Just for Fun Challenge Blog plus some fabulous samples from the rest of the Design Team. Then there is a special treat today - we have our very first Guest Designer.  Florence!  Florence has been with us since the beginning and does some amazing work - you never know what she is going to stamp her design on - pieces of wood, metal, tiles, even board from a builder's skip!  Every one she does simply blows you away - you really must check out her tea cards - a fantastic idea and I love the link she has made to the wrap.  You must click on each picture too and look at all the details there is in them all.

Well, better get this "live" and out there, bet the others wonder where I am.  Do visit the challenge blog and it would be lovely to see your take on tea cards - lots of information on the blog and do remember you do not have to have tiny stamps, partial images look lovely too.  Hope to see you there over the coming week.