Another soggy Sunday strikes!

Morning all 

Another wash out of a weekend, weather wise, it seems we've hardly had a day without rain since we returned from vacation in mid November, what IS that all about?!?! I DO hope that the misery in various parts of the country (due to the excessive volume of rain) will be coming to an end soon. Let them DARE think about a hosepipe ban this summer!

If you stopped by my blog yesterday you will have read that I had mislaid a clear stamp .. only spotted when I FINALLY went to clear up the mess that is my work desk, where COULD it have been? Well, I knew it couldn't have gone far so I didn't let it ruin my crafting session, I made my card and hit the shower ... there I was all soaped up (I know WTMI!!!!) and it hit me in a flash (not literally you understand - that would be WAY too scary!) that I had been using said snowflake border with flitter glue so ... it then became obvious that it had made it to the kitchen where I used washing up liquid and an old toothbrush to get the flitter glue out of its important little places before I left it on a piece of paper towel to dry ... and yes, once I was dry enough to dress and go check that was EXACTLY where I found it. In less time than it has taken to read this ... I popped it back on to the sheet with the rest of the set and returned the pack safely to its drawer, to live to stamp another day!

I was "speaking electronically" with a pal yesterday about gilding flakes and the benefits of their use with DST and whaddya know? The next card that came away from my desk featured both ... and not a lot else!

My card

And the gilding flakes in close up

And the inside and envelope

Materials used:

• White C6/A2 300gsm card blank and matching sized envelope
• Snippet of white card cut to 9½ x 13cm (leftover from a shoe box project ...... but more of that in April!!!)
• Stix2 double sided tape - two strips
• Anita's wood mounted sentiment (recently rediscovered in the drawer) stamped using Versafine onyx black ink
• Copic marker to colour two strips
• Silver gilding flakes applied to tape, pressed down and then removed/buffed using an IndigoBlu scoochie ... since I'm working with the leftover dregs here ... are these snippets too?!?!?
• Dimensional foam tape to adhere image panel to card blank

I'll be entering this make for the following challenges:-

1. Just us girls - challenge No. 325 - METAL/METALLICS
2. Seize the Birthday - December 31st challenge - ANYTHING (Birthday) GOES
3. Stampin' Royalty - challenge No. 311 - BIRTHDAYS
4. Pixie's Crafty Workshop - challenge No. 210 - SNIPPETS CHALLENGE

One thing I HAD forgotten about gilding flakes is that, as you return smaller and smaller flakes back to the pot, the static zap when you take them out has them spreading over a larger and larger areas - thank heavens for the Dyson hand held!!!, without which my craft area (aka THE LOUNGE) would be a silver wonderland this morning!!!

Happy Sunday

Saturday and it's my usual challenge day .....

Hey there readers and followers, hope your weekend is starting well.

Mine, however, is not ... ever have one of those days? Mine, plainly, started badly ..... it'll teach me to put stuff away when I'm done using it. I used an Inkadinkado snowflake border recently which I hadn't put away ... came to my Table of Craftiness this morning and thought I would have a quick tidy. So ... I picked up the rest of the Inkadinkado set to put away and realised the snowflake border wasn't with it ..... my question is .. where the heck IS IT???? I've checked every acrylic block in the place and it's not on one of those. I strongly suspect the little perisher is clinging (for dear life) to the reverse of one of my other stamp sets used recently but I can't recall which and, trust me, I've checked all those I CAN remember using!

Oh well, it's not like it will have gone far and I was keen to crack on with my LIM project .. not like I have never "temporarily" lost a stamp before ... I spent months (on and off) looking for some magnetic sentiments only to find them firmly hanging on to .... the underside of a metal drawer!!! Hmm now WHY didn't I think of that one?!?!

Having managed to step away from the search for my errant stamp I decided to do something "with a flourish" and here it is .....

My card

And a closer view which (I HOPE) will show the sparkle of the wink of stella

And the inside and envelope

Materials used:

• White C6/A2 300gsm card blank and matching sized envelope
• Inkadinkado "dot flourish" stamped using Versafine inks in onyx black and smokey grey
• Stampers Anonymous sentiment stamped (inside) using Versafine onyx black ink
• Precious Remembrance Shop sentiment stamped using Versafine smokey grey ink
• Five small self adhesive purple gemstones dotted around the flourish and sentiment (whilst still keeping the finished project within 5mm for posting purposes!)
• Wink of Stella clear glitter brush pen used to trace over the flourish on the front and inside of the card - to give the required SPARKLE of the sentiment!!!

After I'd "finished" this make (with one flourish on the front) I took another look and decided the bottom right corner looked a little odd .. so, I inked up my flourish once more and connected to the first one, sadly, this resulted in a little over stamping of the "brackets" of the sentiment but, actually, I kind of like it especially as it goes right through the centre of said bracket. I only add this in case the purists amongst you set to thinking ... "if only she'd stamped that sentiment just a little higher" ....... when, really IMHO, it was perfectly placed per the original layout ... I just changed the plan!!!! I think I kind of evened it out too with the placement of one of my purple gems at the centre of the other bracket - I think it works and I hope you do too.

I'll be entering this for the following challenges:-

1. Simply Less Is More - challenge No. 258 - OLC (One Layer Card) - FLOURISH
2. Stamplorations - January CAS challenge - CAS (Clean And Simple) ANYTHING GOES but with an OPTIONAL twist of silver - which I didn't use although the glitter of the wink of Stella DOES look silver! Wonder if that counts!!!
3. Southern Girls - 7th January challenge - ONE FOR THE GIRLS
4. Creative Fingers - challenge No. 100 - ALWAYS ANYTHING GOES

Have a great weekend everyone, whatever you are up to ... for me, it's back to the search for my snowflake border. Wish me luck!

Welcome the the Friday Funny post and the start of the weekend!

Morning,

First of all, let me welcome my latest follower, Krisha, hope you will stop by again sometime.

It's been a funny old week with my planned trip to Birmingham cancelled at the last minute due to the lurgy! And, as a result of this feeling generally just a bit under the weather ... my crafting mojo's been a bit AWOL and, when it came back - I couldn't blimmin' well share the project!!. Life's like that sometimes though, isn't it?

I did however, make some tags this week ... in an attempt to match some wrapping paper .....

My tag selection

And in close up

The reverse of my tags

Materials used:

• White card ... I went with 200gsm  but thought better of it so cut twice as many as I needed and glued them back to back to make them stronger.
• Go Kreate fancy tag die
• I inked up one of each "pair" of tags using Distress Ink crushed olive ink using an egg shaped blending sponge and set aside to dry
• Crafts Companion Spray and Shine applied once dry (to protect the water based ink) and set aside again to dry
• High Hopes "Happy Birthday" sentiment stamped using Brilliance olive green ink on the reverse of the second tag of each pair
• Fiskars "TO" and "FROM" stamped using Memento tuxedo black ink on the reverse of the second tag of each pair
• On the green tag I stamped the Inkylicious flourish (from their Calligraphy flourish set) using Versamark ink and then liberally sprinkled Golden Follies embossing powder (from Sparkle 'n Sprinkle), shook off the excess and heat embossed

And here's the paper I attempted to match ... how did I do? Not sure I've QUITE got the colour right and would welcome any suggestions you may have for a Distress Ink I could put over the top ... I'm wondering about twisted citron???

Then it was on to another card, a masculine card at that ...

My card

And in close up, how I love the font of this sentiment

And the inside and envelope

Materials used:

• White C6/A2, 300gsm card blank and matching sized envelope
• Snippets of white and black card
• Carabelle image (from the cling mounted rubber set "Motorcycle ride") stamped on to white card snippet using Versafine onyx black ink and then matted on to black card
• Anita's sentiment stamped directly on to the card blank using Versasfine onyx black ink
• For the insert I stamped off the image before stamping on to my card, using Memento grey flannel ink 

I'll be entering this for the following challenges:-

1. The Male Room - challenge No. 26 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Crafting for all seasons - challenge No. 117 - MONOCHROME
3. Stamping Royalty - challenge No. 311 - BIRTHDAYS
4. Fab 'n Funky - challenge No. 286 - SOMETHING NEW ... in this case my Carabelle stamp, only the 2nd time it's been inked since I got it a few weeks ago
5. Crafting by Designs - January challenge - ANYTHING GOES

And now for this week's Friday Funny, brought to you this week, courtesy of Marsha ...... on the subject of ambiguity! ENJOY

it's courtesy of Marsha and  is on the Subject: ambiguity

FOR THOSE WHO LOVE THE PHILOSOPHY OF AMBIGUITY, AS WELL AS THE IDIOSYNCRASIES OF ENGLISH:

Please enjoy and understand the following:

1. ONE TEQUILA, TWO TEQUILA, THREE TEQUILA, FLOOR.

2. ATHEISM IS A NON-PROPHET ORGANISATION.

3. IF MAN EVOLVED FROM MONKEYS AND APES, WHY DO WE STILL HAVE MONKEYS AND APES?

4. THE MAIN REASON THAT SANTA IS SO JOLLY IS BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHERE ALL THE BAD GIRLS LIVE!.

5. I WENT TO A BOOKSTORE AND ASKED THE SALESWOMAN, "WHERE'S THE SELF- HELP SECTION?" SHE SAID IF SHE TOLD ME, IT WOULD DEFEAT THE PURPOSE.

6. WHAT IF THERE WERE NO HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS?

7. IF A DEAF CHILD SIGNS SWEAR WORDS, DOES HIS MOTHER WASH HIS HANDS WITH SOAP?

8. IF SOMEONE WITH MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES THREATENS TO KILL HIMSELF, IS IT CONSIDERED A HOSTAGE SITUATION?

9. IS THERE ANOTHER WORD FOR SYNONYM?

10. WHERE DO FOREST RANGERS GO TO "GET AWAY FROM IT ALL?"

11. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU SEE AN ENDANGERED ANIMAL EATING AN ENDANGERED PLANT?

12. IF A PARSLEY FARMER IS SUED, CAN THEY GARNISH HIS WAGES?

13. WOULD A FLY WITHOUT WINGS BE CALLED A WALK?

14. WHY DO THEY LOCK PETROL STATION BATHROOMS? ARE THEY AFRAID SOMEONE WILL BREAK-IN AND CLEAN THEM?

15. IF A TURTLE DOESN'T HAVE A SHELL, IS HE HOMELESS OR NAKED?

16. CAN VEGETARIANS EAT ANIMAL CRACKERS?

17. IF THE POLICE ARREST A MUTE, DO THEY TELL HIM HE HAS THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT?

18. WHY DO THEY PUT BRAILLE ON THE DRIVE-THROUGH BANK MACHINES?

19. HOW DO THEY GET DEER TO CROSS THE ROAD ONLY AT THOSE YELLOW ROAD SIGNS?

20. WHAT WAS THE BEST THING BEFORE SLICED BREAD?

21. ONE NICE THING ABOUT EGOTISTS: THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE.

22. DOES THE LITTLE MERMAID WEAR AN ALGEBRA?

23. DO INFANTS ENJOY INFANCY AS MUCH AS ADULTS ENJOY ADULTERY?

24. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A CIVIL WAR?

25. IF ONE SYNCHRONISED SWIMMER DROWNS, DO THE REST DROWN TOO?

26. IF YOU ATE BOTH PASTA AND ANTIPASTO, WOULD YOU STILL BE HUNGRY?

27. IF YOU TRY TO FAIL, AND SUCCEED, WHICH HAVE YOU DONE?

28. WHOSE CRUEL IDEA WAS IT FOR THE WORD 'LISP' TO HAVE 'S' IN IT?

29. WHY IS IT CALLED TOURIST SEASON IF WE CAN'T SHOOT AT THEM?

30. WHY IS THERE AN EXPIRATION DATE ON SOUR CREAM?

Have a great weekend

Morning and welcome to What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday

Morning,

There's been a bit of a "to do" in blogland of late, with many bloggers losing followers .... I myself lost six, though I understand some lost loads more. It took a few days for the reason to become clear. The lost followers were accessing these blogs via the likes of Twitter, Yahoo, Orkid or OpenID. 

Apparently, from January 11th viewing blogs this way will no longer be possible, there's a better explanation here, should you feel the urge to find out more. I tried to save a screen print and post here but it wasn't readable, so, the above link was the only way around it!

They say .......

We encourage you to tell affected readers (perhaps via a blog post), that if they use a non-Google Account to follow your blog, they need to sign up for a Google Account, and re-follow your blog. With a Google Account, they’ll get blogs added to their Reading List, making it easier for them to see the latest posts and activity of the blogs they follow.

So, I hope that all my followers, including the six "lost" ones will still be with me after the 11th and THANK YOU in advance.

Managed a little light crafting late yesterday afternoon .... I don't use top folding cards often but I LIKE them ... I also don't usually use this small size but, again, I LIKE the format - and it works GREAT with a whole bunch of snippets! and that is always good.

My card

And a closer view to (hopefully) show you the twinkle
of the wink of stella

 

The insert and envelope

Materials used:-

• White C6/A2 300gsm, card blank and matching sized envelope
• Snippets of white card and a piece of grey card cut to mat the image panel
• Stamplorations feathers and Kaisercraft sentiment, both stamped using Ranger Archival watering can ink
• Stamplorations "swipe" and Precious Remembrance Shop sentiment stamped using Distress Ink in tumbled glass - a very neutral blue IMHO ... hoping the LIM-ettes agree
• Wink of Stella clear glitter brush pen used to apply twinkle to the feathers and circles

I'll be entering this for the following challenges:-

1. Simply Less Is More - challenge No. 257 - NEUTRALS
2. CASology - challenge No. 179 - SIMPLE
3. Cardz4Guys - challenge No. 101 - ANYTHING BUT SQUARE
4. Eureka Stamps - challenge No. 174 - BIRTHDAY CARD
5. The Male Room - challenge No. 26 - ANYTHING GOES, so long as it's a masculine make, which I think this is

And now, since it IS What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday, here's a peek at my desk, which is actually way tidier than usual  .... I hope this doesn't mean I'm coming down with something!

Tidier than some weeks?!?!?!

I shared a sneaky peek at one of my drawers of stamps ... and here's another

Enjoy your Wednesday folks

It's another lazy Sunday ....

Morning

Mind you, every day's gonna be a lazy one till I lose some of that blimmin' Christmas weight .... wish me luck!

For yesterdays challenge card I was required to use "neutrals" but had to cheat and use Galaxy Gold (Brilliance ink) for one of my neutrals. I have always been pleased with Brilliance inks but have to say that (unless heat embossed with gold embossing powder) I don't really find G.G. particularly GOLD!!!  My old gold pad dried up and I thought I would switch to Brilliance .. however, now I can't even remember what the old one was. I'm going to try (thanks to some beautiful results from Loll, using this stamp pad) another Tsukineko brand .... Delicata golden glitz. It's not cheap and the cheapest way to buy it appeared to be on eBay from the U.S. so, not expecting it until 14th - 22nd January! I'm hoping for sooner rather than later though! New Year resolution - OPTIMISM is now my middle name!

And on the resolution front, I've decided I'm going to head out and about more and visit a few more of my not quite so local blogging/crafting buddies too .... so, if we've met before then you should probably start checking your diaries!

On to some crafting ... I try to enter Di's weekly challenge over at Pixie's Crafty Workshop, because she encourages us to use up some of those pesky snippets which have a nasty habit of accumulating!!! This make uses snippets of 300gsm card (OK so it's half of an A4 but ....) as well as snippets of white and Kraft card - Boo Yah!

My snippet card

You MAY be able to see the wink of stella sparkle

Materials used:

• White C6/A2, 300gsm, card blank
• Snippets of Kraft and white card
• On the white snippet I applied Distress Inks: antique linen, tea dye and ground espresso (just around the outer edge
• La Blanche image stamped using Memento rich cocoa ink
• Paper Artsy splatter image smooshed in water and then stamped around the edge, allowed to develop and then blotted with paper towel
• Inkadinkado sentiment stamped on to the card blank using Memento rich cocoa ink
• Wink of Stella clear glitter brush pen used to bling up the sentiment

I'll be entering this for the following challenges:-

1. Pixie's Crafty Workshop - challenge No. 210 - SNIPPETS CHALLENGE
2. Sweet Stamps - January Challenge - ANYTHING GOES
3. Avenue 613 - challenge No. 157 - ANYTHING GOES, with optional twist of CAS
4. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - challenge No. 25 - ANYTHING GOES
5. That Craft Place - Jan 3rd challenge - ANYTHING GOES
6. Cupcake Inspirations - challenge No. 341 - Elegance ... I used the neutral shades suggested in the photo and an elegant image (IMHO)

A New Year is usually a time to reflect and many of us make resolutions - hell, some of us even keep them!!! One really SHOULD be grateful for what one has and NOT what one would WISH FOR ..... I recently saw this and thought I would re post it, tongue in cheek - ENJOY!

Welcome to the first challenge day of 2016

Hi there readers,

It's the weekend, it's challenge day and it's my turn to set a challenge over at Craftbubble2½ (membership required) .... be warned, the cards are positively SPRING LIKE!

First step? I made a masterboard, they're very popular right now ... I usually work with 15cm square cards and my image panels are 13½cm square which leaves me with a strip the length of a piece of A4 card ... perfect for my planned masterboard below - check it out. Second step? Check stock of cards - horror of horrors - only five square card blanks left .. third step? ORDER MORE! Once that was done, it was back to the plan ...

My card

And a closer view so you can see the gold stamping too

And the insert and envelope

Materials used:

• 5" x 7" white, 300gsm, scallop edged card blank and matching sized envelope
• Snippet strip of card left from a piece of A4 after cutting two pieces of 13½cm square from it
• Snippet of black card - edged using an EK success binder edge punch
• Using a brayer and a Kaleidacolour in pad - Pastel colours I covered the snippet in ink
• Paper Artsy chequer image stamped using Color Box heliotrope ink
• Visible Image mini flourish image stamped using Brilliance galaxy gold ink
• Paper Artsy splatter image stamped using Color Box violet ink
• Sunday International coneflower image stamped using Versafine onyx black ink
• CASual Friday sentiment (from the WTF set) stamped using Memento tuxedo black ink
• Crafters Companion spray and shine applied to protect the water based inks
• Diamond black stickles applied to the coneflower, to add some twinkle

I'll also be entering this for the following challenges:-

1. Creative Card Crew - challenge No. 103 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Crafty Creations - challenge No. 305 - ANYTHING GOES
3. Create and Inspire - challenge No. 36 - ANYTHING GOES

Having made a kind of masterboard from the strip of card left over from cutting two pieces of card 13½cm square, I found I had enough left to make one more card .... though I had thought about perhaps making two ATC's ... but I think I'm glad I made the second card ...... see if you agree

Another card

And the co-ordinating insert and envelope

Materials used:-

• 15cm square white, 250gsm, card blank and matching sized envelope
• Two pieces of 13½cm square white card
• Two pieces of 14cm square black card
• Snippet of my masterboard strip (see above)
• Snippet of black card edged with the EK Success binder edge punch
• Paper Artsy splatter image this time stamped using Adirondack sunset orange ink
• Sunshine Designs image stamped multiple times using Versafine onyx black ink
• CASual Fridays sentiment (from the WTF set) stamped using Memento tuxedo black ink
• Crafters Companion spray and shine applied, to protect the water based inks

I'll be entering this for the following challenge:-

1. Tuesday Throwdown - December challenge - ANYTHING GOES
2. Through the Craft Room Door - December 29th challenge - ANYTHING GOES
3. Tuesday Morning Sketches - challenge No. 332 - ANYTHING GOES

And the challenge I set? I almost forgot to tell you, didn't I? I went with a "CASe this card" ... I revisited a card I actually made in 2011 ..... I also drew a sketch to go with it, in case people wanted to use the sketch element to CASe. Me? Well, I went with the brayered technique originally used, in conjunction with layered/collaged images - hope you approve. Details of my original make (from August 2011) may be viewed here

 

And then of course, it's on to my regular challenges ....

My card

A closer view of the image panel

And my insert and envelope

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 250gsm card blank and matching sized envelope
• Two pieces of white card cut to 13½cm square
• Two pieces of Kraft card cut to 14cm square
• Inkadinkadoo "best wishes" sentiment (from the flower sentiments set) stamped using Memento rich cocoa ink
• Splatter image (from Kaisercraft "stains set) stamped using Brilliance galaxy gold ink
• Paper Artsy splatter image stamped using Versacolour ginger ink

I'll be entering this for the following challenges:-

• Simply Less Is More - challenge No. 257 - COLOUR .... neutrals
• Creative Corner - January 1st challenge - ANYTHING GOES
• Cute Card Thursday - challenge No. 406 - ANYTHING GOES

Have a great weekend

Welcome to 2016 - HAPPY NEW YEAR

Morning and welcome to the first Friday in January

 

Now we're in to 2016 it is, perhaps, a time to reflect on the creativity of 2015 and the way forward in 2016. I've been crafting for a while, I'd like to think I've learned a thing or two on the way .... do you ever look back at your early work and cringe??? I know I do. In 2016 I should LIKE to get more involved in altered art and mixed media and it's interesting to note that some of my fave projects from 2015 are non card projects. Whilst reflecting on past creativity I came up with a theme for a challenge I'm due to set tomorrow so do check back and see what that turned in to. Some people (in blogland) have been publishing their top 5 fave makes of 2015 and others have posted about their most viewed blog posts. I decided to post my top THREE each of the most read posts and my most fave projects - no mean feat to narrow my faves down to just three ..... so here's my personal New Years Honours List:-

TOP THREE BLOG POSTS VIEWED:

 

1) With 88 views .. my December 27th post

2) With 50 views, my Boxing Day post

3) With 34 views, my November 8th post

And now, for MY TOP THREE MAKES which, incidentally are not the same as my most viewed posts, just goes to show how peoples taste differ!:-

 

                                           Number ONE                                Number TWO     

                                                                    Number THREE

You know me ... there's always a little time for some new crafting ....

My card

How shiny are those gilding flakes?!?!?? Makes it kind of hard to photograph
especially with the low light levels of the past week or so!

And the insert and envelope

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 250gsm, card blank and matching sized envelope
• Two pieces of white card cut to 13½ cm and one cut to 10cm square
• Two pieces of black card cut to 14cm and one piece cut to 10½cm square
• Using an egg shaped blender I applied Distress Ink in picked raspberry to the 10cm square white card panel, using the same ink I then stamped the Hero Arts scribble heart randomly around the square and set aside to fully dry
• Using Indigoblu flitter glue I "inked" up my Visible Image INKognito heart and stamped in the centre of my coloured panel before applying gilding flakes, pressing firmly in to the flitter glue image before using IdigoBlu's "scoochie" sponge to remove the excess flakes and then buffed to a shine
• Stamped an unknown clear acrylic sentiment in to the top corner using Memento tuxedo black ink - this was carried across the envelope too
• Inking up the V.I. heart again, this time using Memento rosebud ink I stamped the insert and envelope
• Rubbadubbadoo sentiment stamped on the insert over the heart image

I'll be entering this make for the following challenges:-

1. CraftyGirlz challenges - challenge No. 10 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Crafty Gals Corner - challenge No. 52 - ANYTHING GOES
3. Crafty Creations - challenge No. 305 - ANYTHING GOES
4. A bit more time to craft - challenge No. 11 - ANYTHING GOES
5. Crafters Cafe - challenge NO. 140 - SQUARE CARDS

And finally it's time for the Friday Funny - I found this on the internet so, sadly, no entry in to the draw .... but, still amused me - I'm hoping you will be able to see this as I had trouble inserting it in to post ...... I wonder how many people would appreciate this sentiment!

Have a great weekend and a very ......