Back, Happy and Tired

Well, I am now back from my trip with girl friends.  Tired but with a head full of memories of a happy time spent in Worcester with ... me ... sewing!!"  Shock Horror!  Not quite as bad as it seems as I used to make my own clothes and also am well known for making my son a suit when he was tiny.  'Well known' because to this day he still tells people I left a pin in the short pants which pricked his leg and that his mum would not believe him.  Talk about bearing grudges - must be something he inherited from me as I remember things like that if someone hurts me.  I also made the swags and tails in our lounge (two pairs - back and front) from very very expensive material which we bought from the company who made our suite.   Took me a while to put scissors to the material I can tell you.  Anyway, this is the sewing we did, not straight up and down which I could manage but going round and wiggly and all over the place - loved it.

the back of my book cover made with Wendy

the front (spot the butterfly and flowers)

Still need to bead the butterfly - oops!

I so enjoyed this session as it was my first journey into sewing 'haphazardly' and catching lots of bits and bobs (snippets) onto the background.

Then we made silk paper with Annie and this cover feels so good

I just love the stamping on it

My sample book (when I get a machine)

Wednesday morning saw us working with Mary.  This is when I did something I have always wanted to do - burn holes in fabric.  This is the front of my book with my fabulous cord I made from Vilene and threads.

Increasing my stash I am now on the lookout for lots of bits and bobs to call "my snippets" so that I too can have colour co-ordinated packs of fabric and fibres.  Now which room can I take over in our bungalow?

Next we did etching with Adrienne but I am afraid mine did not work out as we first used Stazon and it did not etch.   You can see some peel off ones that Liz made because they came out really really good on her blog.

Then it was my session on Thursday morning when we made beads from Polymer Clay.  I taught them a Skinner blend and Mica Shift but Liz took to it so much that she produced some lovely canes as well.  You can see them on the next photographs.  I was so busy I never thought to take photographs.

Finally we made little Friendly Plastic Books with Liz.  I only finished one because I so wanted to make a particular fastening but I did bring covers home for a second (green this time) one ready to make another corner for.

sorry about the glare on the glaze

Here's the happy bunch

L to R Annie, Liz, Me, Wendy, Mary and Adrienne

This is a photo of our essential supplies

Lots went back home, honestly

Adrienne, Wendy and Liz contemplating sewing

Adrienne could always be found in this little corner

Now what is Wendy thinking?

Mary busy sewing away

and some lovely work

Showcasing Liz's lovely caning which she had off to a T - note the Mica Shift Buttons

Mary made buttons with her Mica Shift

All in all a great time and most of us will meet up again soon for another few days of laughter and play.

Today was also my birthday so here is a bird's eye view of my birthday cards sitting in the window sill (family ones are on the tv so not shown)

I'll try to upload them one by one at a later date but for now I am going to bed.  Thank you to all the wonderful family and friends who sent me cards today and made it so special for me.

Busy and Away

Well, life has been busy busy busy since I last posted.  I have been getting ready for a week away with some girl-friends in Worcester. Am travelling down part way by train and then a friend is meeting me and taking me to our final destination ...  for a week of crafting! Watch this space. I might be able to blog and then I might not, depending on how they wear me out LOL.

I worked all weekend at a lovely show in Leigh.  It has been such a successful show that Tracey and Graham decided to make it a two day event this time and both days were busy.  Had a great time, lots of banter and good laughs and I sold lots of Grand Caliburs.  Yippee!

Nothing to show you from Leigh as I gave most of my cards away, Tracey made a joke of it at the end that everyone buying a Calibur would get a "signed card from Neet".  The Calibur was smoking! I had lots to do. No cards but I do have something to show you.

I made this pendant and wore it on Sunday - a combination of Vintaj and Graphic 45 (courtesy of Oyster Stamps and Ali-Craft.

Hopefully more jewellery to come next time I am working again, which is only in a couple of weeks.  Yeah, roll on!

On Saturday it was DIL's birthday and I was really stuck what to get her so I made her an easel card with drawers and put money in each of the four little drawers and then bought her a tiny gift to open. That way she can either put the money towards something else or just go and get something she really wants.

Here it is

As taught by the lovely Alison

Right, will leave it there as I must get on and schedule this post for Monday morning when I, hopefully, will be on the train heading for Nottingham.  Be good whilst I am away.  Perhaps I can check in during the week.

WOYWW

Am doing a scheduled post for WOYWW because there is no way I am going to do one in the early hours of the morning when I go for a little walk - or two.  Besides which it won't change overnight unless some little fairies come in and magic it all clean and tidy.  Wonder how many other faithful followers of Ms Julia are doing one too?  So who are these people who feel they have to share the nosiness enquiring minds of others? Pop over by following my link and see.

Here it is:

Almost an overhead shot, being tall I stood on my tippy toes and took this one.  Pasta machine is out because next week I am on a girly retreat. More about that next week but that is the reason for my pasta machine being in bits and waiting for me to find some means of wrapping it up as I "love" my machine and do not want anything to happen to it.  I am doing a little half day session making clay beads (we are all doing a half day session teaching something to one another).  To the left are some envelopes which I sat slitting earlier as I am saving them to use the insides for one of those Annette dolls. That's what I call them because she showed me how to do them.  Behind them are my 7 Gypsies stamps, a lovely gift from a very dear friend, as I have an idea I want to try using them and next to them the Girlfriend stamps I bought in America.  If I get time I will use them later this week.  The green flowery bit at the very forefront is my canvas bag.

Below is a peek into my bag - I just knew you wanted to know what was in.  Well, it is my clay supplies ready to take with me.  Heavens knows how I am going to get on the train with all this lot.

So that's it for what is on my desk this week.  Wonder what my desk will be next week?  Don't forget to tune in to see where I am.  But, before you go here is a card which is just a bit further down my room, well, you need to see something crafty don't you?

A long overdue Get Well Card

ps in case you are wondering about those suitcases I was doing - well, they nearly ended up being thrown through the window.  I need a break from them but in a couple of weeks when sanity has returned I will get on with them.  The damned Grungepaper straps broke or had the brads out of line.  DOH!!! 

More of Those Cards

I hope when you see this one you will realise that the white embossing does work, you just have to be careful which image you use.  Couldn't upload on Sunday as the card had not been received but this is the birthday card I made - very belated birthday card I hasten to add - for a friend.

The fact that it is a scene does work much better, well, I think so.

I did have another image which was "faces" but this time I thought I would just do much deeper Distress  inking and I chose the browns to give it the old fashioned look

Looks like a negative

Still very unsure whether I will use any of the others I brought back which is a shame as I love those images.  Guess the only alternative is to buy some of the stamps myself.  Ah well, now to do an internet search.

At Last Worzel's Head is Leaving

Or if you don't know what I am on about, I think my jet-lag is finally on its way out.  It will be three weeks on Wednesday since we returned (seems like an age since we were with you Mary, boo hoo) and I should be feeling more myself now but it always takes a while with me.

Anyway, yesterday I made some cards.  Shock horror!  Did quite a few but cannot upload them all as I need to get them to my friends first.

This one is my entry for the Less is More Challenge which is to use up your scraps in a theme "Don't Scrap It".  No problem with that for me as I so save all my scraps.  Sometimes too much is saved.  Here is how I save them

This shows a couple of my magazine racks filled with plastic wallets (the things you put in a ring binder) into which they are roughly divided into colour families.  At the bottom you can see the white one sat on top of the black one.  Scrapbook paper does not get put into these but just sits in the drawers with the pads. (several!!! - too many!!) 

Here's the card I am entering for the challenge

It does look ghostly doesn't it!  Or is it "ghastly"?  I just got carried away with the technique Hero Arts had done at CHA with my friend, Mary, and so I took advantage of her wonderful Artistic Outpost stamps and sat one day doing images for me to bring home and use.  

Here's another

Oh dear, do they look terrible?  (Tip your screen back and they might look a bit better) They are a bit better in real life.  And there are more to come but I will leave them for another day.  Think I had better run and get them out of the envelopes to see if they DO look better irl.  Ooer!

Just for Fun I Distressed My Man

Thank you so much for bearing with me this past month and making masculine cards.  As I said at the beginning they could be for any man, regardless of age, from a tot to a grandfather was my thought. What a wealth of ideas there has been, none of us should be stuck with a card for a man again as there is so much to draw from with the entries.

This is the final week and it is to use your Distress products.  What a shame the Distress Pens are not here yet, but if there is anyone in America who is thinking of entering we would love to see what you can do with them.  So, be it the Pads, the Stains or your Reinkers, Sandpapered edges or something else to make it look Distressed go ahead and use it/them to create something that can be used for the male species.

As I am still suffering with jet lag (it is getting better but does take me 3-4 weeks normally) I am afraid I was not very adventurous with my Distressing and only used my inks, usual colours too.  Alison showed me how to do this double easel card at Padgate on Sunday so I rushed home and made it using my new stamps (ok, so everyone else has them but I just got around to buying) to get it in for the deadline for Zoe to prepare the JFF Blog.  Anyway, here it is:

I even did a bit of masking so that the clock face that overlaps the two sections actually does meet up perfectly - so chuffed.  The edging is done with my new punch that I got in America - I really like it, such a super smooth action.

The image at the bottom that provides the "stop" is the long ticket from the same plate.

As you have no doubt gathered by now this is the last edition of JFF.  It was brief but 'Fun' for me getting to know you all and the other members of the DT.  (You guys out there in cyber space - "I am gonna miss you".)  I hope it does not mean you will not Distress Your Man, as Zoe said, "Let's go out with a bang!"  Look forward to seeing what you produce and watch this space for news of something new and exciting in the not too distant future.  Ta Ta for now.

WOYWW 142

First of all can I say thank you - a BIG THANK YOU - to those of you who signed up as followers when I had the blog candy up and didn't delete yourselves as soon as you had not won it.  I hope I can get some interesting work done in the following weeks so that I can keep you interested.  It means a lot that you stayed.  As a reward there is some more going up shortly so keep an eye out for the date.

Julia, last week, did a bit of housekeeping on WOYWW (you know, the fantastic blog that allows us to sign up and then nosey visit other blogs to see what folks like me have on their workdesks) so in true style here is mine as it stands

My room is not very big and the worktop that runs on two sides is mainly taken up with containers of some kind so that all I have left to craft in is a tiny space which you can see.  Sadly it is a bit smaller than ever today as I have the remnants of Sunday at Padgate Crafters on my desk and also of the card that I had to do for the DT Challenge on Just for Fun in readiness for it to be posted to the world tomorrow.  So as you can see my stamps you have a bit of a sneak preview.

This is a close up and shows the package that my lovely Lorraine gave me of letters and things from that Swedish firm.

This is a bit further down to my left and shows my suitcase is one stage closer to being finished as I took it with me to Padgate so someone could tell me what to do next.  Watch this space, I am determined to finish it.

View to the right of my titchy working space and the boxes on the left were moved there so that I could take a photo of my design piece for tomorrow.  There you can just see the Tea Box that my lovely friend Alison gave me to alter, as well as a lovely canvas (not shown - as it is on the floor) that I am itching to start using my Gelatos brought back from America.  (Message to Mary - yes, I am going to use them, have watched the video - will let you know how I get on).

That is it, no inspiring cards, not a tad of altered art - just a messy desk that is crying out to be tidied (maybe later in the day I will post pictures of a tidy place) so I would suggest you get on over to WOYWW and start looking at what other folks have done, am sure you will find a lot more interesting stuff than I have on here.

Before you go though, if you are reading all this boring stuff I put in, can I ask you to please put your number down.  I know they some times change but it is only by a couple or so and if you have several blogs I have to look through them all to find the right one.  Sorry about this but it is my little plea.

Tatty By for Now!  Mmmm wonder what time Julia will post today - will have to check on my various visiting wake-ups - just gone midnight and I need my bed.
Ps - Happy Thinking Day to all in the GG Movement!  Not got my badge on my jim jams but it is out there ready for when I wake up.