Oyster Stamps Blog Hop - Winners

Well, it took me ages to go through the blogs and work out who had entered every single one of them.  Almost 30 of you had achieved this so I spoke to Graham just now, who is at a show in Doncaster, and asked him for two numbers.

The list I had was then searched for names corresponding to those numbers and

Yvonne (Life's Too Short for Working) and

Anita (itsamistry Design Studio)

   were the winners.

Congratulations girls you can arrange for your prizes to be sent to you by contacting Tracey on Monday or through the week.

WOYWW 280

Cannot believe I have done so much posting since last week.  Well, more than usual.  As you no doubt know if you have looked I was working at Newark at weekend, starting off a Blog Hop and doing the Artful Times Challenge Post on Friday and trying to drum up support for the hop on Thursday.  And to think I go WOYWW to WOYWW most weeks.  Phew!

Once again I was demoing Brusho paints at Newark and here is what I did with all the little "bursts" that I showed to people.

I used them to cut flowers out when at my son's today

I think I must have used the blue palette more than anything else - had to stop demoing the black ones as we sold out of the individual pots.  The ferns are rubber stamped images using the new Dylusions pad with Brusho's.  Yep, Tracey discovered that as well as using the pad for reinkers it works with Brusho's - and it washes clean afterwards (or so it says - have yet to use my clean one).  The poppy print on the left is a piece of kitchen roll which I used to pop my stencil on after I had used the thickener. I think that will find it's way into my journal somehow.  Is that recycling?

NB The 'poppy' above was an accident.  I had used a stencil with the Brusho thickener and paints but as it was 'messy' I had to put it on a piece of kitchen roll before commencing to clean it.  This was the result.  I love it!

My desk looked like this earlier, but then I did a sweep to the left and spread my flowers out for the above picture

On the left just behind my Artisan you can see my purchases from Sunday.  I often spend most or all of my earnings on stash.  I bought an Acrylic Pad to use with the Brusho's, the Heartfelt Creations Sunflower Die and a rubber stamp, the fern stamp I had been using, and the Ink Spray Pad.

Can you see my new bag?  It's got a Finnabair design on it and I have a matching mug.  Think the bag will be my new one for CHA this time around.  At the side of it is my original tag sleeve from the blog hop, then there are my Adirondack pens, my tubs of thickener, collapsable water pot and my Brusho's.  Memory Box dies are at the back in the magnetic container.

I spent the last two days house sitting whilst my son and his partner had workmen in.  Four years ago they used some inheritance money to have a new bathroom done.  The original one was gutted and they had a damp proof course, the whole room tiled and new appliances put in.  Over the past few months the tiles have slowly started lifting, from the walls and the floor.

Another firm has come in and is putting it right and they cannot claim a thing.  The original builder is not accepting responsibility, the damp proof people do not issue guarantees unless you pay £58 for them and the builder has supposedly kept it and lost it.

They and I am gutted (as well as the bathroom at the moment).

Right, feel better for off-loading so now go and join in with WOYWW by visiting Julia.  You will enjoy yourselves to be sure.  Also it's not too late to join the blog hop here but it ends on Friday.

Artful Times Green Challenge

The challenge this time is to make something using the colour Green.  It must be predominantly GREEN so I am showing you a brooch made from a piece of Stampbord which is honestly, very green but must be catching the reflection from the purple velvet it is set on.  I think you can tell that most of it is green from the photograph.

For this I used Adirondack Inks on my Stampbord and finished it off with some of those dangly bead fringes.  It then has a coat of Ice Resin over the top to give it a shine and hopefully protect the surface.

Now if you pop along to Artful Times Blog you can see what Wendy and Sam have made.  This is Sam's last challenge as a Guest Designer so a big thank you from Artful Times and an even bigger one from me.

We really are getting down on numbers but we are going to carry on with the challenge for the time being and just hope that numbers go up.  I wonder if it is Facebook that is stopping the blog entries as I notice some others are affected as well.

Oyster Stamps BLOG HOP

Oh Em Gee - we are having another Blog Hop but this time we have been given a free rein to do what we want, the only stipulation was - to make a TAG.

Right folks - you have to be in it to win it and Oyster Stamps are giving away - not one, but TWO Big Goody Bags as prizes at the end. You start off here and leave a comment on my blog and then you follow on to Pam tomorrow and leave a comment on her blog, then on to Martine on Sunday, then Hellen on Monday, and so on (see the list below with dates) leaving a comment on each blog.

We end with Kerry on the 17th October and after that we will double check all the blogs and two winners will be chosen, with names drawn from a hat, that have commented on all eight blogs.

This is my tag to start the ball rolling:

As you can no doubt guess I used Distress Inks to colour everything. Everyone knows I am a Distress Ink Nut!

I started off with a 6"x 3" tag which I coloured in using Peeled Paint, Shabby Shutters, Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Shaded Lilac and Dusty Concord (these were also used for the rectangles behind the letters and the Balloon).

Next I stamped "Heartfelt Creations World Map Pre-Cut" set over the top with Black ink and stamped the Balloon from their "Balloon and Bicycle Pre-Cut Set" in the same way but this time embossed with clear embossing powder.  The letters were cut from Black cardstock using Memory Box Classic Lower Alphabet.  The ribbon is dyed by dragging across the Peeled Paint inkpad.

Because my tag is so simple I decided to make a folder for it to sit inside:

I used the same stamp sets as for the tag but also used the Heartfelt Creations Gear Assembly Die and introduced Tea Dye, Walnut Stain and Rusty Hinge Distress Inks to warm it up a bit.  Brusho's were used to colour in the bicycle and I used Wink of Stella to give the flowers a bit of sparkle, red for the flowers and clear on the leaves.

If you want to make one you just need to measure the width of your tag adding a quarter of an inch, double it, add half an inch for the width and measure the length adding half an inch to that.  (The addition of the quarter of an inch to the width is to give the tag room to move in and out.)

Make a fold 1/2" from the end (both depth and width) and cut some off as above.  (Note one half has the bottom cut off completely)

Put tape on the bits that are going to fit inside as shown above (Scor-tape really is the best and Oyster Stamps sell it in all widths. Fantastic for books and pockets etc and the backing peels off so easily).

Decorate and away you go.  Great to use one of those Thumb Punches for the top too!

Now here are the details for the Blog Hop - you need to make a comment on every single blog listed below and include this one to be in for the prize at the end (TWO Prizes!) so leave a comment here and then tomorrow go to Pam's blog and follow on from there.

Here are all the links (just click on the name with the right button on your mouse):

Saturday 11th October Pam

Sunday 12th October Martine

Monday 13th October Hellen

Tuesday 14th October Margot

Wednesday 15th October Andy

Thursday 16th October Eileen

Friday 17th October Kerry

All products used are available from Oyster Stamps, including the wonderful joint cutter and score board on my 3rd picture which is by WeR Memory Keepers.  Why not pop along and see some of the wonderful things they sell.

Good Luck and ENJOY!

BLOG HOP COMING but in the meantime ...

... here is a card I made for a friend who is celebrating her 80th birthday.  Congratulations Leo!!!

It's quite a large card (A4 folded in half) and I used some old Spellbinders Dies for the images.  If you can't have a Mardi Gras type card for your 80th then when can you have one LOL?  The black card is shiny and some bits I had left over from years ago - I thought it worked quite well.

Anyway, hope you come back tomorrow and see what I have made for the BLOG HOP that OYSTER Stamps is holding.  There are eight of the DT in it and I am kicking it all off with a tag using some of the products you can buy from Oyster Stamps.

These are the DT members taking part:

You start off with me and then move on to

Pam 11th October http://pam-simcrafts.blogspot.co.uk/

Martine 12th October http://abfabdesigns.blogspot.co.uk/

Hellen 13th October http://www.elliescupboard.blogspot.co.uk/

Margot 14th October http://margot-craftcorner.blogspot.co.uk/

Andy 15th October http://www.andrewbennett17.blogspot.co.uk/

Eileen 16th October http://eileenscraftyzone.blogspot.co.uk/

Kerry 17th October http://kerryscraft.com/

Thought I would list all of their blogs just in case you want a peek at what they do anyway.  Don't forget though - you have to start off with me and then go on to Pam on Saturday, Martine on Sunday and so on.  Each blog needs to have a comment from YOU if you are to be in the draw for one of two Goody Bags after the 18th October when it is all over with.

Good Luck!

WOYWW 279

Here we are again - another Wednesday - another desk reveal.  Go here if you want to know why I am showing my desk and all will become clear.

Had a busy weekend, went off to Harrogate on Thursday, did a bit of "C" shopping in the town and bumped into my friend's son who we were planning to have dinner with on the Sunday.  Twenty one years since I have seen John and his wife (apart from a couple of weeks ago at his parents' Golden Wedding); and all the times we have been to Harrogate and I don't see him until now - Fate!

Anyway, I digress, a lovely meal at one of our favourite pubs, a good night's sleep and off to Harrogate Showground to meet up with my lovely Oyster family.  Great busy day with the Brusho paints and off for a meal with them and friends to a local hotel.

Another day dawned, beautiful weather all weekend and another busy show day followed by a meal at Betty's Tea Rooms with John and his delightful family (wife and daughter) where we managed to play catch up on what they were all doing.  I didn't want the evening to end.

Back to the hotel and off to York ... in the pouring rain  :(  the next day.  Thank goodness for the Outlet Centre where I spent and spent.  And it rained yesterday just as hard.  Still, we didn't have the storms that those poor folks had in Scotland.

Well, you came to see my desk - here is a shot to the left where I have set out some of the "bursts: from the Brusho paints which fascinates folks.  I am hoping to diecut some flowers from them before too long but I need to get some more paint swatches made as Tracey has begged the ones I had from me.

Had a busy day and think I am coming down with a cold so here is my working space at the moment - needs clearing later today.

Last week I showed you the polymer clay I had done but I omitted to show you this beautiful pendant that my very talented friend, Irene from Chester, made for me.  She makes me something every year - isn't she a love.  The finish on all her work is absolutely fantastic as you can see in the second photograph!

That's it folks, I feel a bit grotty so off to bed with a hot hot drink for another hour and then I must get some work done.  Take care!

ps if you pop back Friday I am starting a blog hop off with prize!

WOYWW 278 - a bit of Polymer

Here we are with a visit to the stamping ground.  Another Wednesday, another messed up desk but this time some artwork to show you - well a card anyway. Remember my trying to make a card for a newborn baby a couple of weeks ago?  Well, I forgot to post you the picture so am doing it on here right now before I forget.

This is the front of the card

I used Heartfelt Creations dies for the flowers and lace pieces and Spellbinders from Oyster Stamps for the frame and circle.  Here is the inside which I left pretty plain and tried to just have some tiny pale images on the Pan Pastel coloured background.

You may have gathered last week that I was off on a Polymer Clay weekend with my lovely friends Liz and Wendy. We had a great time but now I still have to put everything away as I only got back late Monday and had two medical appointments yesterday.  Afraid the table top looks worse than it did when I was setting off.

This is the table I use for Polymer in the utility room.  Just things dumped that I came back with.  Can you see the little yellow plastic thing at the front?  Well, last year my pasta machine bucked and reared and finally broke into pieces so this year I was prepared, plenty of clamps - the thing that you turn on the clamp - it's the yellow bit you see - it broke - my machine had to have huge pliers to remove it from the table!!!

My craftroom is much tidier and holds my jewellery pieces I brought back with me.

To the left are the Kandinsky pieces we did with Alison, the circles with holes are pieces for a necklace we did with Christine (the last one is upside down to try to show you the dome shape under the circles) and the final pieces are shapes waiting to be covered that we did with Loretta.  All of them need sanding and finishing in one way or another.  Especially the Loretta work which will take a while to cover with the various canes I have brought home which need to harden off in the fridge before slicing.

The white bits to the left are the centres of arches which I cut for the Artful Times Blog Challenge (Arches would you believe) which I was hoping to make into bunting to show as another idea  on the Blog because we haven't been having many entries so I thought I would do one myself.  Will I have time, I have a week or so  left?

I will get around to you but it will be later in the day as I am having my hair trimmed, it certainly needs it and I am working this weekend in Harrogate. Not much time but I will do my best. Apologies to anyone I missed last week but I was away from Thursday.  Will try to catch you this week.