Congratulations Olive

The last of my "Stazon Technique done with Distress Inks and Paper Piecing so it is not a Stazon Technique any more" is here.  Today it is Olive's 60th Birthday.

I do not imagine for one minute Olive will visit my blog as she will be too busy whooping it up somewhere.  I cannot remember where she is going to be today as she had a whole list of places she intends to visit, things she intends to do as well as people she intends to visit all lined up for the whole of her year.  Yes, a year long celebration - good on you Olive.  Happy Birthday and Congratulations!

Here is her card, made before I set off on my trip and posted in the UK.

A Lynn Perella stamp for the main image

Right must go, it is CHA today and it was a very very early get up.  Guess who will be asleep early tonight?

WOYWW (or WOYWM or even WOYWS)

This is a scheduled post for What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday but it could actually be "What's on Your Workdesk Monday" or even "Sunday".  Confusing?

This is my workdesk as it was on Sunday and as it is today, ie that is my workdesk at home.

Here is a picture of my workdesk on Monday.

This is a picture of a grey worktop with my cards made at Vicky Stampers on Saturday which I doodled on with my white pen - kept me quiet and stopped me being too nosey.

And here is a picture of my workdesk today, Wednesday.

Yes, once again I am in America staying with my lovely friend Mary G.  I left my desk on Sunday all neat and tidy (picture 1 - hope the family keep it that way whilst I am away - orders have been issued) and armed with some cards in need of a bit of doodling with my Signo pen my workdesk on Monday (picture 2)  was a 'bit up in the air' - on the flight over to Los Angeles but today I am back in the wonderful home of my friend (picture 3) and I get to play with her stamps.

So that was the news I tried to tempt you all with last Wednesday - well, actually telling you to keep a watch on my blog because on Friday I head for Anaheim and CHA. Hopefully lots of photographs and some news as I watch the various demos and do the workshops I signed up for.  A bit heavy on the 'resin' this year but something I haven't played with since my college days, hence my signing up for so much of it.  Plus of course, not a cat in hell's chance of getting into a Ranger/Hero Arts workshop but to be honest I was not bothered about them.  Would have loved to have done the Vintaj one but it was such a mess signing up that I got it first time round, then second time it was full (first time sign ups were aborted due to the computer failure at their end.)

So toodle pip for now, hope to visit you and leave a comment but that depends on my American family who I have to spend time with whilst here as it is never long enough to see them.  Wish I could come four times a year, I miss them so much.  Will do my best to visit you but maybe not whilst actually at CHA.

Stazon Technique at Vicky Stampers

The other day I posted a colourful card and said I had done the Stazon Technique but not with Stazon.  This all came about because we were to have this technique revisited at our monthly meeting today.  Now not everyone has all the different colours of Stazon so I thought I would try it with my favourite inks - Distress ones.  The limited edition colours from last year (sounds old but the last one was only a few months away if you think about it).

I wondered what images to use, came across my Lynn Perella ones and wondered what she had done with them, but not until I had produced this one for my friend Carol who had a birthday which I was late for (hope you had a lovely birthday Carol).

A quick Google and I saw some artwork Lynn Perella had done which I fell in love with.  Not that I had a hope in hecky thump of producing something so gorgeous.  Well, I went off at a right tangent as a result so here is my version of "the Stazon technique with Distress Inks and Paper Piecing/Mosaic".

This one uses up all the narrow end pieces I had cut off when cutting the card to size.  I just randomly coloured the piece with my Dreamweaver brushes (best thing Iain ever told me about for using with DI's) and then cut them into various sized pieces and stamped on them, stuck them on the card and doodled with my white pen.

It's for my friend Mo's birthday today, hope she likes it.

The other one using a Lynn Perella stamp is for another friend but as her birthday is not for another week and she might just come on here (Mo doesn't so I know I am safe) I will delay showing it to you.

Am being good and using Stazon at the club but I have some other inks with me so who knows what I will come home with.  Mmmm will I show them to you or not?  Probably not as I won't get them all finished and have another table lined up for doodling them on.  You will just have to wait and see.

Artful Times Challenge 20 - Embossing Folders

Phew!  Done it!  Von's choice for Challenge 20 had me stumped at first - how on earth was I going to use several embossing folders on one project?  Then Blogland provided me with the perfect solution when I visited someone's blog and found a "pressie" card,  Sadly I cannot remember who had done the card but here is my take on it

Using not one, not two (as Von has now changed the remit to) but six embossing folders.

The main folder is the Spellbinders one (one of those fab duo folders) and then I have used the following Cuttlebug folders: Allegro, Divine, Perfectly Paisley, Script, Textile and the Sizzix Patchwork one.  And I have one "C" card ready for next year.

What will you make for this challenge?  Remember you don't have to use as many folders as I have used.  Pop along to Artful Times and give it a go, please; there are a couple of samples for you to see as well as this one as Von invited a Guest along this month.  Now who is it?

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!

WOYWW 187

Done it again, another week has gone by and no blogging.  Things are going to have to improve - and improve they will because I have some exciting news to share shortly.  You are going to want to visit me a bit more often in just less than a fortnight.  Saying no more today.  Just watch this space next week.

In the meantime I have had to get my act together a bit today as I am late with a dear friend's birthday card and have four more on the boil.  One reaching BP on Saturday!  So I have been making cards.  Will just share a couple and then reveal the others another day when the recipients have got them.

This is my desk this morning.

The white pile on the green mat are my finished cards awaiting addresses on the envelopes.  You can see I have another Cat Food box on the go - not decorated yet and not filled with loo rolls which is what I am about to do when I get more rolls.  All will be revealed some time.

Do you like the little suitcase at the back?  Not one of mine but one given to me by Sheila one of our talented ladies from Vicky Stampers.  I've had it over a year now and one of the corners is coming unstuck so it's in for repair and rejuvenation.  Isn't it gorgeous!

What on earth am I doing?  Well I am sharing my desk with like minded people who meet up every Wednesday to do just that.  Pop along to the chief editor's desk, Ms Julia, and see what you need to do and whilst you are there have a nose at some of the desks.

Well, I must leave you with just two cards for the moment as I am so tired and I have my friend and her little girl coming round to go shopping at around 9.30 am and it is turning midnight here.

Hope you all had a lovely late night with lots of goodies to eat, a wee dram or two and some fireworks last night.  HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!  Let's hope 2013 is a good year for each and every one of you.

Graphic 45 stamps (love 'em)

It's the scan that's wonky not the card for a change

Stazon Technique but not with Stazon

(will reveal all another day)

WOYWW 186

Another week has gone by with no blogging.  Please can I be excused, it has been Christmas.  Here I am back with showing you what is on my work desk.  Why?  Because it has become quite the thing not to miss a Wednesday without showing what is on it - or, to be exact, WOYWW.

Because of the time of the year there are no makes going on (well to be truthful there has been a birthday card made for a friend of mine) but I want to show you something else - ready?

This is my workdesk, the remnants of making a card with my gift from Vicky Stampers - but what is that below?

Two lovely handmade books I received from card making friends. The one on the left is filled with lovely sheets of shades of handmade brown paper and the other with lovely sheets of handmade paper that has been coloured in various shades of teal and decorated very subtly. Thank you so much to Samski and Wendy for those delightful gifts. Now to decide what to fill them with, any ideas out there?

Well, all that is left is to wish you all a Very Happy New Year. Perhaps you will all join me in wishing  for More Peace in the World and a prayer for guidance to the legislate of America for cutting down gun crime especially in the wake of the two latest outrages that have occurred there.  God Bless the families of those affected.

WOYWW 185

I cannot believe I have not posted since last Wednesdays WOYWW. What have I been doing?  Where has the week gone?

And more to the point - why am I still making Christmas Cards?  Just look at my mess of a desk

and a push to the right

one to the left

pure messy!

And I just wanted to wish you all A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

just like two of my WOYW friends wished me

Tuire (sorry my scan is a bit wonky)

and Shaz

(another wonky scan)

So to all you WOYWW'ers out there, once again Merry Christmas and next week I will share some more handmade cards from my friends.