Annie's Smiles

Once again I have something to smile about and so I am linking up to Annie's blog and showing you all a lovely gift I got yesterday.

Many years ago I went to CHA in Atlanta.  At that time I was in a Domino Group on the internet (decorating dominoes, not playing the game) and had got friendly with a lady who lived in Lawrenceville, Georgia.  I did hope to meet up with her but it was not to be.  The guys I were with on the trip were the ones with the transport and so I did not get to see Sally.  However, we have stayed in touch, mainly by email and yesterday the postman called with this beautiful cuff bracelet

It is made up of thousands (I imagine) of strands of copper wire wound around a former and then painted this gorgeous colour.  Sally has then made this head and wings which she has put on to decorate it - and I love it.  

We probably will never meet but I think Sally and I will remain friends for the rest of our lives - all through crafting and via the internet.  Thanks Sally!

Now I am off to see what Annie has to smile about and check up on others with a smile for the day. Hope you are all smiling and have a good day/weekend/week etc etc.

WOYWW 368

Last week, if you remember, I was supposed to be helping Jan out if any of you got in difficulty and so, I think, I visited every one of you and left a comment.  In doing so I found that a lot of people did not link to the actual WOYWW post so I thought I would give those of you a heads up on how to do it by simply directing you to Julia's blog where she explains it all.  So follow this link and give it a go - might make a difference in the number of comments you get - who knows!

Right, my desk.  Well, I haven't got one as such because the kitchen clutter has started to encroach on my crafting space in readiness for the new kitchen.  The kitchen work does not begin until the 11th July but as we were thinking of going away in June (read like this week) we were working ahead of ourselves.  Last week I found it so cold and miserable (ok, so yesterday was glorious and it is probably only us who are experiencing the yukky weather) that I gave up on the idea of a trip to Dorset and so we have just got on with the "preparation for chaos".  Luckily I had my Crazy Bird cards to show you, and by showing them in instalments I can keep you happy for a couple of weeks, I hope. Then it will be over to journalling because that can be done on my knee whilst watching tv and doesn't need much in the way of equipment.

above, a technique using Gesso, print and Interference Paint

Just blending

Technique where you put ink on your mat and spritz with water and then put your card in the puddle, heat and repeat until you are satisfied.

These were for a workshop remember, so they were showing different techniques (ways of using Distress Inks).  All backgrounds and the birds themselves are coloured with Distress Inks.  As I said last week the reason for the blank bit at the bottom is so that a greeting can be added later ie Happy Birthday, Get Well Soon or Thanks!  I enjoyed doing them so much that I will be loathe to part with them now.

Now it is time to link up to the lovely Jan, LLJ to those of us who post regularly on here, who is helping out whilst our glorious leader is recuperating from an operation.  Lots of Love going to both of them from me and, no doubt, lots of you dear readers.  So without further ado I will press the magic button and post my post to the delightful Lunch Lady Jan ...

Crazy Birds Make me Smile

I have been posting my Crazy Bird Sample cards for a couple of weeks now.  I first made some for the Oyster Stamps Retreat way back and then decided to do a workshop at our local Stamping Club which was just over a week ago.

I wanted to emphasise how to colour a background with Distress Inks and not be content with a "tickle" of the ink but to blend in the colours as I had been taught.

First of all I got them to make some atc's showing a technique on each one of them and I gave them a piece of paper to put on the back as a reminder of how to do it.  This took up most of the morning and then in the afternoon they were free to make as many cards as they wanted or could by the time our session was to end.

Here are some of my 14 samples (others are in previous posts - here, here and here and there are a couple more due to be posted on WOYWW on Wednesday).

If you look back you will see that all the cards have a strip at the bottom.  This was cut off after the front was completed so that you got a continuation of the colours used.  You can now put a greeting on saying whatever you want - Happy Birthday, Get Well etc.

Because they were all of a certain size you did end up with left over pieces of card and so I wanted to show them how to utilise what they had left and came up with these two cards:

and a DL size

Hope these little guys make you smile as much as they do me.  Now pop along to Annie's Friday Smiles and see what is on offer there.  I'll see you over there with a cup of tea.

WOYWW 367

Please remember to put your number - makes it so much easier to find you.

Well, our thoughts are with both Julia and with Jan who has lost her father.  He sounded to be a lovely gentleman.  Thinking of you and your family Jan and also sending love to Julia who is recovering from major surgery.

Nothing of great note to show you although I started doing some journalling using some magazines I got via Ebay a while ago.  My friend Paul came up on Friday last and gave me a quick lesson on how to do this different kind of journalling from what I have done in the past. I had already made a start with Wendy when I went to her house a few weeks ago but as I uploaded the page I did with Paul on Annie's Friday Smile I have nothing to show you.

Well, that is apart from some lovely post I got this week - more atc's! I am sure I got three but can only see two at the moment so apologies if there should be three.  Here they are - from

top - Lynne in Canada and
bottom - Dolores who used to live in Slovenia.  Thank you ladies, both are beautiful and are now going to go in my album with the others.

This week has seen me cutting out images, both stamped and from magazines in the evening (so I will have something to do during July when the house will be turned upside down) but the daytime has been spent packing up things from the kitchen cupboards as we are having a new kitchen fitted at the beginning of July.  I cannot wait. But oh what a lot of stuff one has in a kitchen - we have run out of boxes and when we get some more I do not know where we are going to put it all but I think my craft room will be a temporary kitchen!!!

You came to see the desk though so here is a different shot than usual (normal one is pretty bare)

Our kitchen and dining room is beginning to look rather bare but Paul brought me some roses on Friday and they are opening up now and look splendid, brighten an otherwise dull space.  This is a silly photograph of them in a way as I put them on the kitchen floor so you could see them now they are open.

Hope they cheer you all up as much as they cheer me each morning.

Now it is time to visit Jan and see what her song is today and then proceed to link yourself and follow that with a nose around one or two desks.

Sending love to Julia again just because it is a Wednesday.

See you around folks!

Friday's Smile

Did it again!  Forgot to post on Friday so here I am catching up with Annie at her Friday's Smile Blog page.

Yesterday my lovely friend, Paul, came over to spend the day with me (and Chas).  Home made soup was on the simmer as he walked in with these gorgeous roses for me.  And some Cola Bottle sweeties. (Chas has never ever bought me roses, although in his defence I must say he does buy me flowers, and Paul knows this so it was an especially wonderful thought).  They made me smile.

I had asked Paul to help me with my Journaling, Teesha Moroe style, and as I had bought some magazines from Ebay for this sole purpose we set to with a small selection of them.  Paul was away ... he just knew what to look for and whilst I pondered and slowly worked through a couple of mags he went through the remaining half a dozen or s like a dose of salts.

Not finished - and not to everyone's taste I know - but here is where I got up to yesterday.  Still got to write on my page(s) but I smile every time I look at Ryan Gosling and think how I turned him into a female.

Now I must dash as it is Vicky Stampers today and I am doing my Crazy Birds workshop so beware - lots of photos of the cards I didn't show you coming up in a day or two.

Keep smiling!

366 WOYWW Thinking of You Julia

Another week has flown by, hopefully Julia is beginning to get better - our very best wishes and tons of love are with you Julia.

Well, working backwards I went to a Carabelle workshop in Coventry on Sunday with Lorraine and we did lots (and I mean lots) of masking. Came home with this 12 x 12 picture that I made. We only used one colour of Brusho and one of Distress Ink to colour the background. Luckily we were allowed more colours of DI's to colour the additional bits in later.  Funny thing is my class on Saturday is using entirely Distress Inks (well you know me and my love affair with them).

We were in groups of four to a table and each table had oodles of stamps to choose from so there were lots of opportunities to make each piece individual.  We started by doing a practice piece on some paper and I have since used elements of this to make a birthday card

Well, it has been beautiful, although last night we had a terrific thunder storm.  Just what was needed though to clear the air and make for a good night's sleep.

Earlier in the week I got a few lovely surprises in the mail

Thank You so very much Zsuzsa I will certainly have fun with these and I am honoured to have your gelli printed background envelope along with the things for me to play with.

Then we have my atc'a from RosA (Kookaburra) and Sandra de (painted flower) along with even more goodies.  Where did you find such tiny cogs as these RosA?  Love all those diecuts and I am chuffed to bits I have one of Sandra's paintings now.  I just love that card with the postcard of the famous bridge on it am sure everyone who sees it will love it.

and Soojay

Well, you really came on here to see my desk.  No, I am not taking advantage of Julia being off the scene for a while, wouldn't do that to Jan.  So here it is:

Been cutting lots of images out ready for my journal.  Did a few stampings at my friend Wendy's when I went down the other week and I just cut and cut whilst watching tv in the evenings.  Daytime? Still doing prep for my workshop on Saturday hence the stencil in the foreground (courtesy of my friend in America - another story). Everyone will be getting Crazy Bird Birthday.Get Well/Thank You cards from now until next year - well, I think the first twelve I have to send out.

Now, please pop along to see my lovely friend Jan who is looking after WOYWW whilst Julia recuperates from her operation.  Thanks and love to Jan for keeping us all going and love to Julia, wishing you well.

A Friday Smile on Saturday - Oops!

Was out all day yesterday with a friend and her daughter so was 'cream crackered' by the time I got home and cooked dinner etc.  So sorry, I am late Annie with my Friday smile (two weeks on the trot, can you believe it?) which has to be one of my Crazy Bird cards, I just enjoy doing the so much. Guess most of my friends and family will be getting CB cards from now on.

Used my favourite inks - Distress - for the backgrounds and also to colour the birds in - they are part of my sample pack to give ideas to our group next week who are going to "get distressed with me".
Here goes, hope they make you smile too

Both of these are similar to ones I did for the Oyster Retreat but a lot more colourful and I used my favourite new stencil on the last one.

Just one more for today

Keep smiling, the sun is about.