An ATC

Couldn't show you my ATC that I made for Vicky Stampers yesterday as they have to be kept under wraps until they get there.  Nothing special about mine - here it is:

A Crafty Individuals image, coloured with pencils and some birds done twice and decoupaged to give depth.

Now, on Thursday I went to the Manchester Christmas Market with my friend Paul.  This quite often falls the other way round as I have not yet been to Germany to see the Christmas Market there.  Remember, we go every year to somewhere, usually Germany, and this year we chose Berlin.

Back to Manchester - here are some photos:

 Paul with his Hot Chocolate and me (boozy) with my Gluwein.

Notice the big shadow of Chas taking the photo.

Here's the Bratwurst stand
Love that big griddle

Hadn't realised that was all I took in the market - too sunny look how the sun washed us out in the photograph.  Maybe I should move on to the exhibition in the Art Gallery.

The First Cut is fantastic.  It is in Manchester Art Gallery and you should see it if at all possible.  It is on until the 27th January so still plenty of time.  My other half is not interested that much in "art" but he was fascinated.  I am sure paper crafters will find this inspiring and awesome.  Here's a taster:

this is what greets you

A forest of giant leaves all gently moving around in the breeze.  This proved the perfect place for a class of young children who rang amongst them and sat underneath as the leaves turned above them.

Across the room you see this tree with its magazine/newspaper leaves

but just before it you become fascinated with this life-sized bike

made from magazines

see that black design on the wall

It fills the whole wall

Right I am going to leave you with that taster - maybe some more temptations tomorrow but you have to see it to really believe what you are seeing.

My First (and only) Christmas Card

Off to Vicky Stampers this morning so I needed to make a Christmas Card as we all are asked to take one and we have a kind of 'swap'.  Not a clue what to do, tried a couple of ideas - didn't work - so settled on using my die cuts.  Here is my card for the swap:

Using one of my all time favourites, the Poinsettia by Spellbinders, I cut one of each size, sparkled them up on the edges and put them together with a little pinch down the centre of each petal/leaf.  Then a sprig of holly and a doily from Cheery Lynne and we were ready to assemble our easel card.

Still in the mood I made a birthday card for a friend of mine - a week late I might add.

Two Spellbinders Frames

and my favourite image

That's all for now I have things to get ready - thank goodness the weather is a lot better this morning, that freezing fog was terrible yesterday.

Finishing off The Textiles

Hadn't realised that I only had a few to upload - should have finished them all off yesterday but wait until you see these beauties:

I love this handbag by Stef Francis.  I would love a larger bag but with the same technique and those gorgeous cocoons hanging from it. Didn't dare ask how much this tiny one cost.

and look at this necklace - isn't that sweet?  I really like how she does these cocoons.  Now I want a workshop on how to do them.

Here's a closeup

Just had to include this as I love it.   For some reason I am always drawn to green and I just love the different shades used in this embroidery.

Here's a closeup with a bit about the lady who embroidered it

Oh, WOW!

Finally Linda Monk's workshop that my friend Wendy went to - and yes, Wendy made one of these.  If only I could get her to upload her work to her blog.

Love this rusty looking shrine (sorry about the photo being dark). Hard to believe it is fabric.

Hope you enjoyed this snapshot of the show.

Music at Out of the Hat Creations

Not entered for ages then did one a week or so ago, missed one and now trying to get in at the last minute.

Those lovely ladies over on Out of a Hat Creations have asked for "Music" this last week so I took the opportunity, whilst making a birthday card for a friend, to use music on it.  Naughty?

I used a Prima stencil on the main card and stippled DI Brushed Corduroy through it to add a bit of interest to an otherwise plain piece of cardstock.  Then I took a piece of paper and Distressed it rather roughly using the same DI to give it that 'worn' look.  Next I stamped a Crafty Individuals music image over it and did a bit of curling using a cocktail stick.

Finally I chose a couple of images from Graphic 45 (you may remember I used these stamps from Ali-Crafts in September - she may have a few left but if not she has some fab stuff on her website) and stamped them on plain cardstock which I then went over very lightly with the same DI.

Hope she likes her card and now to enter it into the challenge and then get cracking on the mousetrap they will be asking for next week.

WOYWW 182 and More on Textile Show

Hope the newbies could follow my instructions last week to get to WOYWW and upload their desks/rooms etc.  It's great to make friends this way and Ms Dunnit is a legend who has brought so many people together and is responsible for so many internet friendships.  Last week Julia herself put notes up about it so pop back to 181 if you are still unsure how to join in.

Just a quick peek into my shambles of a room.  Busy reorganising everything.  Disaster!  Remember the bookshelves I had made - well the shelves are starting to split with all the weight so I am frantically trying to move things around - without much success - to distribute weight a bit more.  Why oh why did I not just go to Ikea!!  Why oh why do I have so much stuff!!  Billy, where are you?

The sagging shelves now rehashed with a change of stuff on them

Some of the books had to be moved to here so now the shelves don't look as streamlined as before.  Notice though that they have still not been painted!  I am not a happy bunny with my sagging shelves that now match my sagging body  :(  

as an aside: Can anyone tell me the name of the company that sell these shaving brushes please?

To stop the boredom of you looking at my room I am continuing uploading some of the gorgeous work that was on view at the Knit and Stitch Show in Harrogate at weekend.  Ready?  (if you missed the first bit it is on the post before this one)

Just look at this study of Agapanthus.  Beautiful embroidery and beautifully displayed.  Some folks are so talented.

There were a series of these next and I cannot explain them but they were fab.  They had an additional strip of fabric put on them which is pretty evident in this photograph.  A bit like a "spotlight" technique that we do in papercrafting.

Just love these landscapes

 I'll finish off today, will upload the remainder tomorrow, with some silk cocoon works by Stef Francis which I fell in love with.  

Over to Textiles

OH EM GEE!!!

I went to Harrogate on Saturday with my friend Wendy and I was blown away.  Not with the wind I might add but by the array of stands and work on display at the Knitting and Stitching Show.  Five halls (I think, but don't quote me on this) of vendors and exhibitions of work.

We set off from home a little later than we anticipated but on nearing Harrogate we ended up in a bit of a traffic jam.  If we thought that was bad our experience at trying to park was even even worse.  Unfortunately Harrogate had a Christmas Market on, and it was a Saturday.  Having been  stuck, and I mean stuck, in traffic on various streets and hills in the town centre we finally found somewhere to park for three hours.  By the side of the exhibition centre too.  I won't go into details about poor Wendy having to go out twice to move the car but I was grateful for the closeness of the car to the exit at the end.

We only had about four hours to walk round but at the end of it we were both suffering with our feet and backs but certainly not our minds.  I'll share some photos (permission gained to photograph) so you know what I mean:

These two massive embroidered canvases hit us as soon as we walked in.  Incredible work and the size of them was enormous.  And look at this needlefelted waistcoat.

Moving On

We stayed and chatted to the lady on this stand for quite a while as we were blown away with her book covers.  What a fabulous product she was selling and what fun you could have with it.  Below are some more.

On past the vendors who were  exhibiting their beautiful work and one I must mention is the lady who did the butterflies.  Wendy bought her book and got it signed.  Her work was exquisite.  Her embroidered butterflies unbelievable.  At first glance we thought they were made from paper but when realisation took hold it was pure embroidery.  These are absolutely fantastic and you could use a magnifying glass to pick out the stitching because the naked eye could not see stitches.

Around the corner we then came to exhibition areas

I loved the texture on this canvas and really want to make something now.  Yes, hopefully my mojo has returned.  Thank you Twisted Threads.

I'll leave you for now with these embroideries which have beautiful pencil work extensions to them.  They really did stand out and I'll continue with some more pictures tomorrow.

Anything Goes on Artful Times (Challenge 18)

Phew!  Was I glad it was a free choice this week over on Artful Times.  I just do not know where the days are going to but they are certainly not hanging around.  Only thing is that a) I am not ready for Christmas (not even done one complete card yet) and b) as each day goes by I realise I am getting older.

It was nice to welcome some new people to our challenge last week, hope we see you again soon.  We didn't have as many entries as usual so I wonder if the 'fabric' put some of you off, or are you like me, drowning in the Christmas stuff.  If you haven't seen the lovely fabric tags that are on show do pop over to the Artful Times for a quick look.  It would be nice if you could put a comment on some of the work too, people love comments.

I had a cut down box on my desk a few weeks ago and finally got around to covering it.  One of my closest friends saw it on my blog and said she wanted one.  Well, me being me, I couldn't have hers like mine so I took hers a step forward:

It looks a bit like a contraption on wheels doesn't it.  Well, it is simply a holder for those ATG guns that have so much sticky on the tape that it sticks to anything and everything on your desk.  This has proved invaluable for me and I urge you to make one.

In the beginning

I took one cat food box and cut it down to just below the push out bit for the lid.  It's approximately 3.5 inches high now.  Then I took a piece of 12 x 12 scrapbook paper and measured out, using the box, how much I needed for the two long sides allowing a little at each end to turn around the corner and a good overhang at the top.

Hope you can see what I mean, on the right you can see the folded bit sticking up and on the left my bone folder is there to show you that I marked along the edge of the box to get a crease line.  I then stuck the piece on, marked across the top with my bone folder and turned the top edge over and inside the box.  (Is that as clear as mud?)  Repeated with the other long side.

The two short sides were cut from what remained of the 12 x 12 paper, measured for length with an allowance for a turnover and then stuck on each end.  You can see one is in place and the other on the deck.

As you can see from the photograph below I actually made three of these containers in all. One for myself with "Glue" on it and one with the name of the recipient on it.  (Carmel overheard Lorraine asking me to make her one and she wanted one too) and, of course, the one for my friend Lorraine.

Now what is the wheel?

On Lorraines I have put a Cheese Triangles box, covered in paper. What for, I can hear you asking?  Well, Lorraine is in need of a bit of TLC so she got a special box and hers has a wheel on, to .....  wait for it .....  has a wheel on to hold a spare reel of tape.  I only had one of these boxes or I would have put two wheels on so that she could keep a spare tape for each of her guns in the one place.

I felt it would be cheating to put this on the challenge without any stamping so I made little frames and stuck them around the box (sticky tape on three sides only).  Lorraine can now take the stamped images I made for her box out and replace them with photographs of her pets and family.

Hope some of you like this project and have a go yourself.  If you don't have a cat to get a box do what I do - feed the neighbours two!

ps when covering the circular box lid and base draw a circle then add a bit and cut it like you do when lining a cake tin (snipping edges).  This is then folded down on the edge, glued and a strip added to cover it later.