Carried Away with PDC

I had to do some Paperartsy cards and think I got rather carried away with the colours chosen by The Play Date Cafe this week as everything turned out with the colours lime green, silver and either navy blue or purple.

The words have Glossy Accents over them

This one is the Peeled Paint technique

Not very Lime Green though

I first did this with Julia Andress at CHA in January and it turned out much better than this one which I followed in Craft Stamper this month.  I guess it is the colours I used on this one.

Two ATC's

I even did my friend's Congratulations (on the new grandson) card in these colours.  I just had to use these "Sweetpea" images as I love them (manufacturer not known).  The 'peas' have Glossy Accents on them.

Using Distress inks for colour

Peeled Paint, Chipped Sapphire, Crushed Olive and Mustard Seed over the top were used with these Paperartsy stamps to make this card.  The flower heads were stamped twice and cut out just inside the black line and then curled and attached - Glossy Accents is in the centre and down the stem of the large flower.

Now which one will I upload for the Challenge?

Whilst I am here check out the blog candy at the top of the page - it is awesome!  Or follow this link.
http://scrapwithstacy.blogspot.com

New Set of Pots

Over on Lots to Do the Challenge this week is to 'Alter' something.  On Saturday my son gave me a container that had held a bottle of whisky he got bought last Christmas.  "Mum do you want this?" he asked.  I hesitated as I still had one he had given me the year before but pleased that he had saved it for me I took it.

Yesterday I decided to make a new container for my most used things that I like to keep at my right hand, usually in a couple of tubs, but so full that they it can be hard to find just what I want.  So I hit on the idea of cutting the container down.  Didn't take a photograph of it before I started altering it so balanced the three sections (cut with the bread knife LOL) on top of one another for this photograph.

Then I covered them with old wallpaper (vinyl kind for strength and durability)

Next I decorated them.  At first they were going to have pictures of Frida Kahlo on them but that meant stamping and I didn't know what to put with them to fill up.  So the idea went to French things - adverts, perfume bottles etc. Didn't have enough!  So I spied some wrapping paper with a nice finish and I began tearing.  Another day you will see I have been in a "ripping mood".

  Each one was decorated with the torn bits.

 All the way around each one

Until the whole thing was done, stuck together with red liner tape and now it holds my stuff.

Most used tools (need them handy)

Journal Painting Brushes

Journal Pens

So this can be my entry for the LTD Challenge just in case I do not get around to doing anything with stamping on it.  Not that you have to - just a pet thing of mine (like to include stamping).

I used the lid on the bottom of one of the cylinders (yes, they are cylinders, just the angle of the photographs), one already had a base and the other I cut a circle from Mountboard (thanks Cynthia and Sue), covered it with the same wallpaper slightly larger, cut the edges like you do for lining a cake tin and put it in.  Works just fine!

Play Date Cafe

Love the colours this week - in fact I just love that kitchen - not that I would like to wipe all that stainless steel down mind you.

Anyhow, I once had a card sent to me which was predominantly lime green with a kind of purpley cranberry colour for the stamping on it and I fell in love with the colour combination there and then.  No way could I get away with Cranberry looking like deep purple for this challenge and I didn't like my purple cardstock - just not right - so I ended up choosing navy blue.

My sole piece of "nice" looking navy had a hole punched in it so I decided to put a lime green piece behind and then I played about with the lime green and another small piece of the navy.  Next up was it to be silver or grey?  Found some grey sparkly paper and decided it would be easy to punch out with one of my MS punches - had to use my new one.  

Subject - quick decision based on size of stamps that were handy, butterflies.  A few die cuts and voila - here it is - my entry for The Play Date Cafe this week.

Now I am tired, been up since ages ago as still coughing and feeling grotty.  Might just have to go back to bed.  

Monochrome

The Challenge this week on Lots to Do is to make something that is monochrome.  Whilst we often think of monochrome as black and white it really means "one colour/tone" or as Wikipedia says

"Monochrome describes paintings, drawings, design, or photographs in one color or shades of one color.  A monochromatic object or image has colors in shades of limited colors or hues. Monochrome images in neutral colors are called grayscale orblack-and-white. "Monochromatic light" refers to light of a narrow frequency."


Here is my effort which is a pre stamped image that I found today in my stash when clearing some things up.  I used my Twinkling H2o's to colour the image in as I am still suffering with this virus and needed to do something that was relaxing.  The blues I have used are:  True Blue, Blue Flame, Bolivian Blue and Stargazer.

Whilst tidying up I also found this card which I must have made a while ago when I dabbled with Encaustic Art.  I think this also falls in the "Monochromatic" table too.

Running to the wire again with my entries - perhaps next week I can do something a bit earlier in the week - but hey, it's Altered Art - mmm... maybe and maybe not - probably the wire again.

WOYWW

What is my desk like at the moment?  Is this really what Julie at The Stamping Ground wants to see?  Well this is it - the aftermath of weekend.

I still have this flu-like thing hanging on and so I have done next to nothing.  Just more or less dumped my stuff and that is it.

You can see the tissue box hanging in there from whenever I entered that room - we have tissues all over the place at the moment.  Starting from bottom left there are piles of stamps I brought home to sort for Paddy from the weekend - lots of Paperartsy, some TH sentiments and a couple of Tanda ones.  There's also some die cut shapes I have to turn into cards from the weekend before.

Then we move to some cardstock I bought (Nitwit Essentials) and my TH film strip which I have been busting to get.  

 Lots of fabulous boxes which I can't wait to fill and my TH box (thank you so very very much Jayne - my dear friend Jayne gave me these) and on top my photo album from weekend, waiting to be completed.

My 'Time' Project (see posts below) is there and I think I will move some things from the window and put it in there so that the light will reflect through the perspex.

No crafting done this week, apart from the card I made in the middle of the night the other day, got a trip to the docs today so hopefully will get something to make me feel better and then I can get back into crafting.

Play Date Cafe

 

I just love this picture chosen by Sarah over on Play Date Cafe for this week's challenge.

Didn't think I was going to get an entry in but I have been awake with coughing so have got up to do a quick card in this week's colours.

My first "C" card - bet it is ages before I get another one done as I do owe some swaps and birthday cards.  Oh heck!

They Don't Want to Go Home

When I left ELEMENTS at 5.30'ish there were still people there - they do NOT want to go home.  That says a lot for the wonderful, enjoyable weekend we have all had.  Paddy gave out Evaluation Sheets and I was the one who collected them in - then she said she wanted tutors to fill one in as well.  I think one of the most valuable things I got from the weekend was "Friendships" - people I had never met are now listed as friends - everyone was absolutely lovely and I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend.  

Thank You from me to all participants for making it a huge success and a lovely, friendly weekend.

Last night after I had left the lovely Helen did her ELEMENTS Extra with those participants who wanted to stay on.  Today she has been putting kits together for all those who did not stay and instructing them on how to go about it.  This is Helen's own project which looks great at the side of her box.

 And this one was done by Dee

Good fun - and I have a kit to make one too

Today kicked off with Becca doing her second Fabric session

Look at all the fabulous fabrics she brought up with her.  Below are some of the ELEMENTS that people did in readiness for their boxes.

Even though it involved the "i" word it was enjoyed by everyone - here's Wendy busy at it.

Rita hiding behind that box

And my second Clay session.

Lou decided that, as she had done a border of stamping on her drawers, she would just do a centre panel.  That meant she could work a lot faster than the others and, bless her, Lou made lots of tiny embellishments for most of the people at the table.

Sarah had never used Clay before and she was quite worried about her work but I assured her it was fine and I loved the sunshine yellow she had used to compliment the rest of her box - isn't it lovely and sunny?

After a break it was the turn of Kay with her MDF - unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of the finished pieces as by then I was busy helping in the kitchen.

and Paddy with her Metal 

Just as I took this Paddy was lifting her hair from her neck - looks like she is in despair - I can assure you she was not.

You can see the metal pieces that slot in to one of the sections of the box on this one.  Think it is Amy's.

This is Chris's box - love the way she has done her metal and I absolutely love the claywork - so different from anyone else's.

On this one you can see one panel still awaiting completion.

This is Lou's and you can see how her claywork is different - and she has added pieces to the section above. The atc's she had done in Kay's class are in the front and they were gorgeous.  Loved them!

I would love to have taken photographs of everyone's finished boxes but there were too many, they were in differing stages of completion, and were scattered about the place so it was impossible.  However, I must feature Lynns.  Lynn took hers home with her the night before to finish off her stamping - just look at this

The back of her box

One side

The other - isn't it beautiful!

Lynn, will you make me one please?

Before I leave you I must show you what was a hit of the weekend.  Food!  Today we did chicken breasts with fresh herbs and crispy bacon.  Then there were salads, pasta, thingy salad (you know, with orange segments in - can't think of the name - but I am tired) and garlic bread.

and to finish off

Vincent's famous Apple Crumble and cream, chocolate cake, fresh fruit salad, carrot cake and fruit loaf.  Oh the pounds I must have put on!

The afternoon was a repeat of Kay and Paddy's sessions and then Paddy showing how the tree had to be put on.  Me?  I was washing up in the kitchen (mountains of it) followed by my trying to be helpful packing things up for Paddy before I had to go.  I've brought all the stamps home with me to clean and put back on the indices for Paddy - something I can do at leisure with my feet up.

I just wish I could upload all my photographs but that would take too long so here's hoping you can get a flavour of what ELEMENTS was all about.

A fab weekend, as I said lots of friendships made and lots of cries of "when is the next one" and "can we have priority booking please".   Now to get my feet up ... and probably fall asleep!