ALTERED MINDS

WOYWW A reflective brew

2012-01-17T22:17:00.000Z

Time for a breather, a nice cup of darjeeling and reflection.
Do you get frustrated with your craft/art work? are you chasing after improvement?

Do you take your work for granted?
Put the kettle on, sit down and look through your gallery.

Start at the beginning and jump forward in 6 monthly or 4 monthly intervals.
See how you have progressed. Have a giggle at some items, be inspired by some forgotten techniques.
Smile and give yourself a big pat on the back at how much you have progressed and what you have achieved.

Here's my cheery little selection of mugs, they make me smile.

A few years ago I started with peel-offs and a great desire to be creative and a great hunger to learn how! Craft shop lessons, magazines, craft friends, books and You Tube, craft fair demos and generally having a go have progressed me onto ATCs, then mixed media, altered art and now I am loving assemblage.

Here is the culmination of those years in the first work of 2012 and then a selection of my favourites from 2011.

Altered bottles 2012, Powerade and Eternal Destiny.

Mini shrines - never thought I would quite see my way to doing them, but two kind of created themselves!

Heart Surgeon and Tiki's Mate.

The learning highlight of 2011 - art workshop with Michael DeMeng - Navigators Journal

I won a competition at work for decorated eggs - this was the winning entry!

That's a bit disturbing isn't it?!

Decorated egg competition - not placed!

See what I mean about disturbing?!

The all seeing eye - be grateful it can't talk!

Every W.C. should have one!!!

Those little stickers have a lot to answer for!

The event of the year.

Hugbinders day in loving memory of the very dearest Mr Sparkles

Cheers!

To have a canter round other bloggers workdesks click on this link
and join the fun on the marvellous Mrs Dunnits blog. http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

Happy Daze challenge - try something new

2012-01-16T18:08:00.000Z

Happy Daze have a great challenge - try something new.
What better way to start the new year - and a great kick up the posterior for me to actually join the fun with some challenges. To join in follow this link http://happydazedesignteam.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-challenge-for-2012-try-something.html

A couple of new year hangers - I haven't done birds before and I had some new art moulds to play with, so I gathered these bits together and thought of doing wall hangings as I haven't done any. Materials are listed below the pictures. Note the bird is coated in platinum crackle paint and the paint has lifted the ink colour, this was a serendipitous incident many months ago and I love doing it.

Heart - art mould by Krafty Lady, Roses - Kabuka art mould
Base colour - Plum Twist Cosmic Shimmer ink
Viva Croco crackling colour paint - Platinum - work it into the bird to lift the ink colour
Varnish - Glossy Accents - to stop the paint chipping off!
Highlight colour on clay mouldings - Inka gold paint - Silver, Viva Decor
Birds - from Santa!
Heart mould - Krafty Lady - Heart Plaque and roses - Karantha art mould in Delight air dry clay

Beads and wire and heart charms. The second picture has jewelry from a car boot find.

GINGERSNAP CREATIONS RIBBON CHALLENGE

2012-01-15T13:24:00.001Z

Congratulations to incredibly talented craft friend Nicks http://www.nicksartystuff.blogspot.com/ for her Monthly Muse appointment by Gingersnap Creations http://gingersnapcreations.blogspot.com/ and her first fabulous feature art piece and tutorial .

Wow, what a great site and I love the fact they have challenges that are 3 weeks long for those of us who are busy with work and other irrelevances and irritants such as dust and creased clothes that keep us out of the craft room!

I saw the Spicy Supply Challenge GC134 to use Ribbon... Ribbon???? oh yes.. that strange massed ball of stuff in a drawer that hides in silent protest at my treatment and neglect thereof!

I have craft friends who would be having a coronary seeing this or on their way here to sort it out and make it all nice, but I don't really use ribbon as ribbon, it gets terribly mistreated in my work. I find this mixture of textiles rather creative and inspirational actually.....!!

Here is my ribbonfest entry, chiffon ribbon 'aged' with the help of the heatgun to curl and create holes in the ribbon.

All very simply done with some clay moulded figures, paint in sand and bronze colours, paint wash mix, tissues and a heat gun.

If you want to take part in the Ribbon challenge and see the other entries click on this link http://gingersnapcreations.blogspot.com/2012/01/gc134-spicy-supply-challenge-ribbon.html

To see the site and other challenges the link is in the beginning of this post or click the banner in the right hand column, it is a most excellent blog that I shall be following with keen interest now that I have found it. There is a wealth of talent, interest and a lot of tutorials to explore.
Enjoy!

Knowledge is power

2012-01-06T21:03:00.001Z

Knowledge is power, seek and hold knowledge to build your future.
There's a bit of an Eddison lighthouse thing going on here! I like the idea of knowledge being power and gave it that quirk of the electrical elements in the piece. The eye is to seek the knowledge, and it is surrounded by squiggles that are question marks and exclamation marks.
It was very difficult for me to give this away because I am rather chuffed with how it evolved.

So how was it cobbled together? A miniature Baileys bottle, champagne cork wire caging, car headlamp bulb, and other bits and bobs have been cobbled together to create this eeerrrrmmm bit of faffed up tat!

Bottle was wrapped with strips of dry baby wipes glued on, Ferro metal effect paint, layer of heated fabric ribbon stuff round the base, clay moulded hands, an old clock hand and old mirror piece, an old charm and a new toy eye. Now you know, you can have a bash at one!

Hitting the bottle! WOYWW

2012-01-02T15:08:00.000Z

I have hit the bottle! having long wanted to do some bottles, I have finally made a start with one completed bottle which is a total shock to me, pink and pretty - how on earth that happened I do not know but I am hoping normal service will resume with the next bottles! (especially as they were inspired by Michael DeMengs Pretty Vial Things altered bottles!) Sneak preview of two works in progress follow.

This bottle is inspired by an art mould clay figure with the 3 muses and reminds of some historical info, folklore or fiction that there were 3 goddesses who wove your life and decided your fate, hence the thread twining the male and female figures with the flight of hope/fancy dragon fly. Those 3 muses certainly were my muse for this project, they are pictured at the end of this blog entry.

Eternal Destiny

oh gosh I am loving these oranges, they are scrupmtious!

Uh-ohhh been caught red handed with a guilty pleasure on show - Marmite and oatcakes mmmm!
Gloriously messy - you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs! This is messy work!

The muse for this project - the 3 muses

If you want to join in the bloghopping fun and seeing what others are up to and how a properly tidy workdesk should be click on the the link to the marvellous Mrs Dunnits blog and all will become apparent.

How was it done? lots of headscratching mojo hunting, plenty of messy stuff - glued cloth onto the bottle (dry baby wipes!), then coated with Viva ferro paint, heated fabric for the base, art mould clay figures glued on, painted over with Viva metallic paints in crimson and pistachio, bit of jewellery wrapping work and some silver thread draped around and Bobs your aunty Flo!

Pewterised

2011-12-28T16:42:00.000Z

A little box of bits for my sis made with a puffed out pewter sheet on the top, patina and metal polish round the figure and silver leave on the torso. The box was full of clay figures to use for projects of her own, looking forward to seeing what she makes.

Pinnned down

2011-12-28T16:13:00.000Z

What do you make for a fabulously talented seamstress?

Nothing stitched when your skills in that direction are as undeveloped as mine!

What is she most likely to NEED? A pin cushion!

Before you have a lie down for the shock that I did something 'normal' have a closer look at the clay figures and see the errrr suggestive nature of this pin cushion and the subliminal message!

Bittersweet

2011-12-18T10:29:00.002Z

A tribute to a very dear and precious friend, the partner of my dear best friend who asked me to do some artwork to go with him, he taught art and design. Matt was one of the loveliest, cleverest and wittiest people I know - he could be merciless with his teasing! Its so cruel and unjust that he died of heart attack when there are so many evil people walking free.

I hope this captures Matts irreverence, rebellion, wry humour and shock of hair, it wasn't an easy project to do, a bittersweet labour of love. He is the most unlikeliest contender for a Hells Angel but he had a very cynical and rebellious mind of his own, he believed that when you're gone, you're gone so the writing underneath the winged Matt is th-th-th-th-that's all folks!

A bittersweet labour of love.
RIP

The Closet Heart Surgeon

2011-11-30T18:55:00.002Z

Those who know me know that I am dreadful at dates and yet again a birthday passed me by, however I breathed a sigh of relief as she announced a hospital operation a few days after, phew!

The Closet Heart Surgeon - speaks for itself! It's a second closet shrine from two dolls house wardrobes I splashed out on at 10p each - well you have to push the boat out now and again!!!

I love the surgeons hand - oven baked clay happily gone wrong to give a fabby gnarly hand you wouldn't want anywhere near you in a surgery reaching out for a rather suspect looking mercurial jar... all of course very deMeng inspired.

It looks very ordinary from the entrance......

Tikis Garden - closet shrine

2011-11-30T18:41:00.000Z

I just adore this Tiki figure, so full of character and stories, it is a new clay mould I have and a new fave!

There are several stories to Tiki, my favourite is that he was lonely and looking for a mate, he saw his reflection in a pond and reached in to it - only for the image to vanish, this happened every day until he got fed up and filled the pond in. The combination of earth and pond produced his mate.

I got a couple of little red dolls house wardrobes at 10p each, well I thought I would splash out - someone would deserve them! So here is the first closet shrine and it has gone to a very deserving home.

New Blog?

2011-11-27T08:51:00.000Z

I am getting lots of complaints that people can't leave comments.
I have opened the comments to all so there shouldn't be any word verification etc.
Still people say they can't comment.
I might start a new blog and see if that resolves the issue.
Shame because I have the history of my work and progress on here.

Fractured Fairytale Challenge

2011-11-06T13:29:00.001Z

Phewee! what a couple of months - life can keep you out of mischief when it wants to!

So here I am hanging head in shame for lack of blogging but I hope this project makes up for it and earns me some brownie points for my absence!

One of the ladies on the Michael DeMeng workshop in Portugal suggested we do a fractured fairytale altered book. YEEEESSSS let's do it! I set off to make mine then stopped dead in my tracks errrrr.... what IS a fractured fairytale?!! It is the twisting of a fairytale - what if... Prince Charming had a hideous voice and Cinderella didn't want him? what if Rapunzel got alopetia? Sleeping ugly?! You get the idea.

I set out to do something with Tim Burton influenced characters and lots of wild physcadelic colours and somehow it evolved itself to this!! not sure about the blonde hair, I might change it to black, it isn't glued on yet. The beargirl is again inspired by Clarissa Callesen's Wild Things and yes, there are a couple more I am working on, watch this space....

WOYWW - Careful what you wish for!

2011-10-20T20:54:00.002+01:00

What's on my workdesk? WOW! A finished project!
What do you do for a fabulously talented friend who is great at fabrics and bags etc?
Bit of a headscratcher! Thankfully I came across Clarissa Clarassen's blog http://clarissacallesen.blogspot.com/ and was totally wowed by her talent, work and her Wild Things. http://www.teeshaslandofodd.com/artfest/ccallesen/wt/class.html

Suitably inspired I scoured my fave charity shop for the requisite pieces -they think I am a right odd ball with all the strange mixture of stuff I get and my ensuing excitement - I am sure one day they will have someone waiting for me with a straightjacket! Anyway, the rabbit found me and here we have the bunny boiler, she had to have the rabbit fur, but it was enchanted and it made her ugly and was turning her limbs into objects of her desires. I would say she got her 'justs'!

The face is a ceramic doll, painted in Michael DeMeng spooky doll style

using his fabulous Dirty Doll Pink colouring.

My photography needs a bit of practise! This is embargoed in my drafts until the birthday recipient has received it! and now she has, I can post this blog!

I chopped off the bunny face, faffed up a dolls face, stuck it into the bunny head and replace the leg with a gearstick wine stopper top and so on.

If you want to join in the bloghopping fun and share what is on your workdesk on a Wednesday then hop over to the marvellous Mrs Dunnits blog to see it all explained http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/2011/10/whats-on-your-workdesk-wednesday-124.html You don't need a major tidy of your desk - we'd prefer it if you didn't - it would make a lot of us feel a lot less guilty! lol

Navigators Journal Workshop - A peep inside

2011-09-05T18:36:00.001+01:00

I blogged the front of the journal which I feel is not finished but I have yet to get the finishing touch for it.
The inside of the Journal is of a similar ilk, done but doesn't feel finished. Yet, maybe they are!

I have a theme on this Navigators Journal that it is navigating through time - showing us the bleak future we are making with our carelessness today. Deep, poignant, stark and I hope, provoking,

On the front cover I have a quote - Be the change you want to see in the world" because it is down to us to look after the future of the world we live in, environmentally and socially.

You have seen the front but can you spot a slight difference?

This time the eyes are open!

The book spine has the title "The Opening of the World"

The eyes open and close and you have a door knocker for access.

This has a St Christopher, the past patron saint of travellers.

The Navigator.

A stark future figure looking at the opening of the world,

how ecology and society and the effects on the future world.

"Freedom from desire leads to inward peace"

We are in a world of expectation and desire - footballers wives, plastic surgery - an age of dissatisfaction with our lives and bodies and we are puppets of the media expectations.

By cutting those media strings we are free from those desires and have happiness and inward peace.

The back cover has a quote for which I have put a halo round it in metallic bronze to stand out alone, it's an ancient Buddhist proverb "If we are facing in the right direction all we have to do is to keep on walking".

Go forth and do your good in the world.

WOYWW Michael de Meng workshop - Navigators Journal

2011-08-30T18:27:00.004+01:00

Woweee! Who had the best time last week?! I joined a great group of ladies for a fabulous workshop with the inimitable Michael de Meng, who's work totally rocks, http://www.michaeldemeng.blogspot.com/. A great bonus was the gorgeous Andrea Matus, Michaels fiancee, was there too and we got to see her faboulous work as well. We're not worthy!

Michael is a great tutor and workshop mentor - sooooo much to learn and so little time! Especially for someone who dropped art because she couldn't draw or paint and the art teacher ridiculed her work, art class was an ordeal to say the least!

First stop - the flea market to get bits for the journal!

I wanted to use what I found there, trinkets just weren't happening for me.

I came back with very little on that score - dolls, swimming goggles and a door knocker!!

What do I make out of that?????!!!

Soooooo, I got to work with a doll and my Navigators journal,

letting it evolve into it's own self..

It gave way to some sort of Amy Johnson notion

And the zipper - the opening of the world...

....I need an eye to go into that keyhole!

There is more work to do - it doesn't feel finished

The inside isn't finished and I am not showing that until it is!

So here we have it, an apocalyptic Amy Johnson

the quote at the top "Be the change you want to see in the world"

Not named it yet, she is a gateway to the future by way of life and the past and present.

More a ghost of the future as a warning that the future of the planet and society is in our hands.

This was way outside of what I do and I learnt so much.

I have long time wanted to do something apocalyptic/Mad Max style so this is true serendipity!

I just need to finish it before I start trying out techniques on other stuff!

We were armed with lots of techniques to use in our own style.....

.....whatever my style is!!!!

WOYWW workshop stash

2011-08-29T23:00:00.000+01:00

What a great workshop last week in Portugal - Michael de Meng, Navigators Journal, it was a great week with a great mentor in Michael and a great group of ladies on the workshop.

We had a morning at a flea market to get stash for the journal, as you can see, trinkety things weren't exactly jumping out at me on that day - so I had a bit of a job on my hands to make something out of that lot!
That was the point of it though - go out of my comfort zone and make something from what I found on the day.... although I was rather wanting something more shrine like..!

The project was kind of finished, but I am not sure that it is complete yet, so I have left it wrapped up for a day or two. Whilst I ponder on that one, here are some photos of my desk. the stash and a picture of a poodle at the local Crufts in Portugal - I did a double take, I thought it was Lady GaGa!

To join the bloghopping fun, follow this link: http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/2011/08/whats-on-your-workdesk-wednesday-116.html

Explore Life

2011-07-31T08:51:00.000+01:00

A bit of tat for my sisters birthday but due to a slight malfunction in the posting of this parcel, which said sister cried with laughter and I died of embarassment, it was hand delivered at mums for her to collect it today.

Yep another faffed up circuit board! I really do enjoy doing these, being a bit of a geek myself! lol
Two quotes on here - Work to live and live to love; Open your mind and free your soul.

Beer Goggles

2011-07-30T19:21:00.001+01:00

A few weeks ago I took the plunge with some digi stamps to take part in a challenge I had the inspiration to do. My hunt for paper wasn't forthcoming so I used the back of something and the printer was running out of ink and did a blurry image. I put it aside and promised to get ink and paper the next day..... (It goes without saying that I'm still promising to do this!)

I had a look at the challenge for this week - Summer. Hmmm I thought of heat haze, cold beers, hazy head and beer goggles, so I dug out the blurry image and got to work with my inspiration.

Coming soon/appearing in a beer garden near you now!

Beer Goggles.

To take part in the challenge click on this link http://toffchallenge.blogspot.com/ and to get this charactastic mad march hare stamp and others click here, there are rubber and digi stamps and fabby quirky images and some really funky ones too http://frillyunderwear.blogspot.com/p/shop_26.html

Midnight Hour

2011-07-12T16:47:00.001+01:00

A little gothic arch I did for my twin sis.
If you look close enough you will see the ghosts!
Die cuts, clay, tissue printing, paint and heatgun were used to make this.

Happy tat-day Nicks!

2011-07-11T23:12:00.000+01:00

I couldn't let the event of my honorary triplet's birthday go by without something extra special, how pleased I was to find this for her and oh my, how ecstatic she was to have it!

I also did an altered box and a bit of tat that was inspired by an earlier project.

Oh dear....

I did some more faffing to this after I photographed it and I don't have any pictures of it!!!

egg box

2011-06-28T20:10:00.000+01:00

I saw this and thought a certain someone with some chooks might have a use for it!
So I faffed it up a bit as a cheery and jolly place to stash the eggs.

WOYWW - Adaptation

2011-06-19T14:32:00.004+01:00

Hmmmm Whats on your workdesk - Weekend! hahahaa

Adaptation, we are all programmed by society, parents, school, work and the future - to evolve, to change and adapt or stagnate and rot. It strikes me as odd that people rebel against change when they are effectively changing their clothes, tastes in music, food and holidays to stay in fashion and join the trends - au contraire! Change is unsettling when you are not the perpetrator but if you are it is exciting and full of opportunity.

I used the gubbins of something electronically controlled to reflect the conditioning of the mind.

I'm not quite sure it is finished but I don't want to over egg it and lose the message.
Click on the picture to go large!

Adaptation

ummmm I did a little bit more to it.

Ohh and before you complain that I haven't shown my workdesk....

To join the blog hopping fun and see exceptional work and desks of delight or creative errr creativity, click on this link to Julias fabby site and link up and enjoy. http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/2011/06/whats-on-your-workdesk-wednesday-106.html

WOYWW - 105 AFTER THE PIF IS OVER!

2011-06-06T22:39:00.004+01:00

Hello fellow deskhoppers

Gosh wasn't the 104 anniversary sPIFfing fun!

I can't wait for the show and tell. I might not be able to post until very late on Weds, so I am blogging ahead of the day and will play catch up for the show and tells.

My PIF went to Darcy, a funky wall hanging set at Craft O'Clock!
Lots of techniques, embossed copper heat treated, paint border with texture stuff and embossing powders applied to the wet paint and heat gun applied. Clay figures painted and wire work on the letterings which had irridescent paint brushed over for a translucent effect. To join the deskhopping fun click on the link to Julia's site http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

It was great fun making it. Click on the image to go large and have a nice day y'all!

Th-th-th-th-that's all folks!

WOYWW - 104 - HAPPY 2nd Anniversary

2011-06-01T07:18:00.002+01:00

Woweeeee - two years of fabulous blog hopping of inspirational work, desks of shame and awesomely organised craft rooms.Thanks to the marvellous Julia Dunnit for two great years http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

I have a PIF gift that I cannot show until it has been received. EMBARGOED!
The gift will appear on this blog later. Meanwhile, happy blog hopping xxx
It's time I was off to work - vrrrooooooooooooommmm!!!

Edit: Sun the summat of June! Whew! I have visited every PIF participator.
Sorry but I don't leave comments where my email is required.

Reflecting Time

2011-05-30T09:34:00.002+01:00

I had arranged to meet a FB friend into crafty stuff and couldn't go empty handed. But what to do? what to make?!!! Inspiration struck from some conversations about passage of time on bodies and clothes sizes. I had some size tags kicking around and was itching for inspiration to use them. As the inspiration was not going to come out of fresh air, I did what I tell everyone to do - get your stash out and play with it! After kicking a few ideas around I settled on a mirror and a kind of clock idea, set at 2355 hrs - five to midnight! It marks the passage of time - starting with the beautiful body, then the goddess and then... well let's all stick at being Goddesses!!

The piece started out as an ancient statue kind of idea in stone/marble effect, didn't really work, so then I went to funky red, orange and yellow which didn't work at all. Then I used the paints as you see here with some embossing powders on the wet paint and then green embossing powder over wet gold embossing powder, blasting it all with a heat gun to glorious jewel colour effect.

It was very hard to part with this, but it was great to meet a very talented artist proper and I got the better end of the deal - fabulous home baked malteser cupcakes which were absolutely scrumptious - sorry Toby! Margaret it was wonderful to meet you, what a great afternoon and it was great to see your amazing work.

Ffoenyx - ladette to Mermaid

2011-05-24T21:45:00.000+01:00

Ffoenyx is an altered doll, the doll was originally some kind of kick boxing doll with moulded on bovver boots for her feet. I wanted to something really funky and halloween with her.
It hasn't worked out that way, her high ponytail has been released to ladylike locks and the bovver boots have been replaced with a mermaid tail and the judo type top replaced with pearls.
OMG.. I just did pretty....Shhh! best not tell anyone!

The shell was pristine, I pearlised it and it was too sickly and pretty. So I textured it up to give barnacle effects and painted it up for a kind of sea patina and barnacle effect.

This is for a very special lady who gives a great start to the day at breakfast at our training centre and the transformation of Ffoenyxx is somewhat significant. I am sure it hasn't gone by unnoticed by some of my great craft friends and bloggers!

The judges decision is final

2011-05-20T21:44:00.000+01:00

You may recall that I submitted a few entries for a decorated egg competition at work.
Quite why the lovely caring charity people at Cancer Research chose this as a winning entry I don't know.

Not quite sure I want to know!

Maybe there really are some things we are better off not knowing!

WOWWY Bedlam!

2011-05-19T19:13:00.001+01:00

Hellow WOWWYers
Long time no see! Been busy getting ahead with things, that's all well and good but it means I can't show you the end results for some time!
As you can see by the bedlam on my desk I have been busy. There are 3 projects that are nearly complete and I have covered them over, I don't want to spoil the surprise for the recipients and they are there on hand for inspiration for the all elusive last minute touch or to remind me to get x, y or z for the finishing touch, so close but yet so far! The remainder of the desk space with other works in progress isn't for the faint hearted!

If you are wondering what WOWWY is all about, hop over to the marvellous Mrs Dunnits blog to join the bloghopping fun of the vast array of crafting desk from the uber tidy orderly spaces to the ermm creative messes! http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

Eye Spy!

2011-05-10T19:54:00.000+01:00

"The all seeing eye" is with a crafty friend and maybe hanging in the downstairs small room, so when you pay a call, just be thankful it can't talk!

Happy birthday Sparkles, wishing you a lovely day with lots of lovey surprises and a bit of can shaking xxx

I am pleased with the fact that this has recycled my art! The eye was orginally an entry for a decorated egg competition at work, closing date was last week so waiting to see how I fared with my entries, I am surprised they didn't send med screen and occ health over to me! lol

EMBARGO

2011-04-17T12:18:00.000+01:00

Nothing to show at the moment because the projects I am working on are for recipients who have yet to receive them. So until then.... I could do with the old BBC test card image and music!

There's something very gothic, another item rather cheery, a probably girly item (I know - from me?!) and something that just isn't working out and I am going to have to revise my thinking and start all over again - curses! Meanwhile click on any of the follower icons above for some great work.

Even better hop over to my crafting friend Nick's blog to see her new discover - and blame Nicks for your spends not me! http://www.nicksartystuff.blogspot.com/

Here's looking at you!

2011-04-06T20:07:00.000+01:00

Eggxtraordinary! This 'ere egg competition, I wanted to do lots of things and one was an eyeball but I adore reptile eyes so I googled reptile eyes and found a gorgeous one that was kind of greens and grey/blue with some pink/red and I loved it. I just had to have a go with a bit of clay and metallic paints and a hard boiled egg underneath oh and the help of some crafting tissue roll of the kind bathrooms are stocked with! lol I only had an hour to do this, so it's not bad for something thrown together.

You wouldn't want this staring at you out of your Andrex would you?!!

Great eggxpectations! WOYWW

2011-04-05T17:44:00.000+01:00

Decorated egg competition - that was the brief, no more, no less.

My mind ran amok from Faberge type eggs to Rambo style eggxterminators to an eyeball and then some!

It basically boiled (nuhhhh) down to two entries one decorated egg and one just for fun which was inspired by a google search for scared eggs - google frightened eggs.

The decorated egg was wirework with beads, ferro texture paint for earth with viva paint and I drew the roots on with a felt pen.

I had great fun photographing my entries too. Comp is on Thursday, looking forward to seeing the other entries - how very eggxciting.
I guess your comments will crack me up with plenty of egg puns! lol

Your puns are fabulous dahlinks xxx

It's a wrap!

2011-03-10T22:52:00.000Z

Hugbinders day was a roaring success, the books have been wrapped up and posted off to a fabulous reception from their recipients and a staggering amount was raised for MacMillan nurses, hop over to the Hugbinders blog to see how much was raised. http://www.hugbinders.blogspot.com/

Hugbinders day

2011-03-06T12:03:00.000Z

What a fabulous day we had yesterday making the book covers and being looked after by the men.

I have posted pictures and captions of the men in action on the Hugbinders blog, do click on the link and enjoy a bit of a giggle with the men in pinnies!
http://www.hugbinders.blogspot.com/

Thank you ladies for contributing your own page, every page is truly special, it is a book for all occasions.
I am a proud owner of the most precious book in the world.

Cheers!

Love played - WOYWW

2011-02-18T06:21:00.000Z

Another engagement! This time it is a couple who are into the more bizarre such as Marilyn Manson, which thankfully saves me having to venture into the world of Forever Friends! So it just had to be my fave stamp - Violoncello, isn't it just divine dahlinks?!

Love Played.

As you can see I textured red paint and applied the heat gun, rubbed black paint into the recesses and then used a smudge of blue, spritzed with water and tilted to run the colour for this scrummy effect. mmmmm going to play some more with that, I likeeee!

No picture of my desk this week, I moved out of the conservatory into the kitchen as it is warmer there, thus I need to pack my stuff away at the end of craft sessions - oh my! that is a whole new world for me!
Join the blog hopping fun of snooping around desks on Julias blog http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/2011/02/whats-on-your-workdesk-wednesday-89.html

I have entered this in the DT challenge for Feb at the Artistic Stamper DT blog, hop over and get your entry in: http://theartisticstampercreativeteam.blogspot.com/2011/02/february-challenge-love-is-in-air.html

Engaging!

2011-02-18T06:12:00.000Z

I am not a card maker by any means, that is lost on me and yet.... some occasions have to be marked! So I make the effort, to quote my ickle gnomey craft friend:- well you do don't you?!

Engaging, this is for a more traditional couple who have got engaged, so I went more for romance. The wording is a favourite quote of mine: A kiss is something you cannot give without taking and cannot take without giving, anon. How great is that? You can get this stamp of the Rodin statue the Kiss with the quote from the Artistic Stamper, http://www.theartisticstamper.com/

Will I ever learn to photograph before I varnish?! it just doesn't work, the light bounces off the varnish and ruins the effect of the finished project on the photo.

I am loving textured red paint with black rubbed into the recesses, it is simply divine effect and I can't get enough of it and I am going to play with this some more. The playing card had a gesso base, distress inks over and rock candy crackle stuff round the edges, not impress with the crackle stuff, it is drying up in the pot so I am going to have to get a move on and get using it before it becomes expensive bin fodder!

I have entered this into the Artistic Stamper design team challenge for February for all things love, hop over to the blog and get your entry in: http://theartisticstampercreativeteam.blogspot.com/2011/02/february-challenge-love-is-in-air.html

OWOH - DOOR PRIZE WINNERS!

2011-02-18T05:40:00.000Z

Drum roll......................
The mini canvass 'art and soul' has gone to Missy K
Mojo will be winging its way to Carmen

Addresses received and prizes are now in the post.
Thank you everyone for your interest and to all for participating it has been a great and inspirational journey round the 800 plus blogs.

Th-th-th-th-that's all folks!

ONE WORLD ONE HEART 2011

2011-02-06T12:23:00.000Z

Welcome fellow OWOHers
I hope you are enjoying your global bloghop as much as I am.
I am a hobby crafter in England and I love altered art and mixed media - all things messy and malleable keep me entertained and happy. So much to learn - such little time!
Door prize - Art and Soul is an A5 canvass. I have also added the hanger 'Mojo' which is featured in my blog item below.

To enter for a chance to win this door prize please leave a comment and a means to contact you, this is open to all bloggers and the draw will be held on 17 Feb 2011 on the closure of OWOH and announced on 18th Feb 2011.

One World One Heart is an international blog hop of artists and crafters sharing ideas and inspiration, please click on the link below or the blinky in my sidebar for further information. http://awhimsicalbohemian.typepad.com/a_whimsical_bohemian/2010/12/annoucning-the-fifth-and-final-one-world-one-heart-event-.html

Enjoy your blog hopping joy ride xxx

MOJO! Things With Wings - Artistic Stamper January challenge

2011-01-29T09:55:00.000Z

Mojo.....

One tiny little word that rules our creative world!

This tiny little enigma will sprout wings and up and leave us without so much a by-your-leave at the most inopportune times leaving us creatively bereft.

Yet it can also take us by surprise by making a sudden appearance and WHAM! You are flying high on the wings of mojo!

What is mojo? why does it desert us? why does it trick us? what does it look like? how do you retain it - tie a knot in it?

Chipboard die cuts, apart from the M which I did myself. gold embossing powder on the front and gold ferro paint on the back for added ballast (weight).

The wings and heart are die cuts from sequin waste and a blast from the heatgun to curl them up a little.

The letters are strung together with bullion wire - sometimes our mojo is literally hanging by a thread!

To take part in this challenge hop over to the Artistic Stamper creative team blog for some fabulous inspiration. http://theartisticstampercreativeteam.blogspot.com/2010/12/happy-new-challenge.html

WOYWW - RESOLUTIONS - TWO IN ONE!

2011-01-26T12:00:00.000Z

Hello WOYWWers,
Among my resolutions I pledged to go outside my crafting comfort zone and stretch myself, I also pledged to get a purse as it isn't conducive to a quiet life to be fumbling around in ones bag for that bit of plastic or change when there is half of the county in the queue behind you!

How timely that Janie has brought out a kit to make a totally gorgeous purse - I would like to think it was especially for me for my resolution but it was released before my resolution!

The kit came in utterly gorgeous pink tissue paper, very clear and encouraging instructions that are just gorgeous to look at and great to use, even telling you to read the instructions through before starting - Janie you know me too well!

Beautifully packaged in pink tissue paper.

I have no sewing experience or knowledge so this is a challenge and a half for me, but Janies superb instructions are like she is there with me guiding me through it.

There are also bags and cosmetic purses in the range if you are feeling adventurous or want to treat yourself to something unique hop over to Janies blog http://www.rubysummervintage.blogspot.com/

If you are wondering why I am showing you the contents of my desk, it is the marvellous Ms Dunnits idea for us all to do this on Wednesdays and hop over to her great blog to find out more and join in the desk blog hopping fun http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

WOYWW - SWAY WITH ME

2011-01-21T09:29:00.000Z

Hello WOYWWers
Been a bit jet lagged after the dash ooop north with wrecking journal and the fun we had up there.
Nothing much doing but I had some inspiration by way of my other passion - Ceroc dancing, so I have combined crafting and dancing to produce this project, it is an Argentine Tango move, it has everything, passion, desire, seduction, sensuality and love - who would you love to dance like that with?! (Bevvie please don't say Niel Kinnock!)

Fellow crafters have been asking what music we craft to, I have feelgood or chill out music on, I prefer to craft standing up and can be caught wiggling to a good tune and doing a few steps between work stations. My fave tune at present, ahhh.........When marimba rhythms start to play, dance with me, make me sway.....

Here's the crafty bit!
Pretty simple to do and then you get faffing and perfecting.....!
Hand embossed copper coated metal, distressed edges, stazon inked image, alcohol inks.
Background acrylic paint with heatgun, alcohol inks.

To join the snoopfest and see other crafters desks/projects click on this link to the marvellous Ms Dunnits blog http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/
Must dash, I've got some journal wrecking to do!

Thank you to all who are following the exploits of my journal wrecking, your comments make me laugh and smile.

Journal wrecking on the beach

2011-01-17T00:23:00.000Z

After a 4.5 hour drive up to my home town of Scarborough, Journal and I decided to let off a bit of steam on the beach before having some breakfast - yes BREAKFAST - I know, I said a a 4.5 hour drive... yes, I left at crazy o'clock! I wanted a cup of tea and bacon roll al-fresco in the sea air!

We played Frisbee

and football

And I did another random act of destruction - I threw it on the sand and jumped on it, then went off to have my well earnt brew and bacon buttie before the men in white coats came to get me!

My journal is a bit of an animal,

sandcastle building is too tame for it!

WOYWW Keeping to resolutions

2011-01-12T00:41:00.000Z

Good morning fellow WOYWWers
I do hope you are having a great start to a shiny new year and it will be jam packed with mojo in abundance.

My resolutions included a crafting one - to stretch myself and leave my comfort zone eg use lighter colours, stamp in colours other than black, use colours I don't normally work with, try other techniques.... Then you come to fulfil these and wonder what moment of madness took you to pledge them!

I decided to do another prize for Hugbinders raffle and use lighter coloured paints and it was soooo twee I wanted to be sick, it was ghastly, it wasn't all fresh and funky like I expected it to be. I was going to undercoat and start over in a goth style, but Nicks encouraged me and so I left it a day and came back with a more favourable eye and some embossing powders. This made a world of difference and I actually quite like it now, it is fresh, funky and quirky and I could keep it for myself! Job's a good 'un! No stamps used - the green blobs are from bubble wrap and used paint on them so no inks either, all embellishments hand made by die cuts, balloons were hand drawn and cut. It isn't finished yet, bit of tweaking - need more sky on the right methinks and that bird is a bit on the dark side, otherwise it's turned out alright.

It is a mirror with the middle blanked out to protect it from paint spills. The houses are just yummy in embossing powders a real jewel finish and candy type finish on them depending on powders used. yum yum!

Meanwhile here is a pic of my workdesk and work in progress for my Hugbinders page, of course I have covered the page I am actually working on but there are some doodlings on show. If you don't know what WOYWW is then click on this link to Julias great linky thing and join in with the blog hopping snooperoonie fest of messy and neat desks and lots of fabulous talented crafters and artists. Enjoy xx

http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

Run Ragged!

2011-01-11T11:10:00.000Z

Tie me to string and drag me around!
Well else could I do but hang it out of the boot of my car and drag it along my errands?! There were some bemused looks from pedestrians and fellow motorists.

(hmmm must get one of those clever leaf clearing devices... what are they again - oh that's it - a man! lol)

It got a bit bedraggled, not entirely wrecked, perhaps the 250 mile motorway trip to my mums would do that - totally demolish it!

It didn't smell too good after the road trip so I have followed it up with the task of taking it into the shower with me and a bit of my beloved fenjal shower foam to make it smell sweeter -well I have got to work on it and I would rather it didn't stink. There is a page to fragrance too but this doesn't count as I have other ideas for that.

Yes you neeeeed one of these as it is great fun

So the journal is dripping dry whilst I formulate my next destructive plan of attack on it. Stay tuned for the next exciting (!) episode of journal wrecking.

I'm not worthy!

2011-01-06T19:06:00.000Z

The recipient of this card is probably laying down in a darkened room with a stiff drink and smelling salts because for all our years of friendship close or separated by hundreds of miles, I have been totally incapable of remembering her birthday and she is still a friend of mine. I am truly not worthy. I am dreadful at birthdays, anniversaries, keeping count of anniversaries - my head just doesn't work that way and it isn't good when you realise you missed your mates birthday or you are a day late for your mums birthday.... my proudest moment, many years ago, was remembering my mums birthday and singing happy birthday down the phone to her, I was so chuffed with myself and then she said those dreaded words... it was yesterday! mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Beauty is not skin deep, you have to be beautiful inside to be beautiful to the world outside, skin is just a wrapping for the beauty hidden within - Hidden Beauty.

Here's the crafting bit:-
Embossed metal backgrounds - brown checkerboard is chocolate metal sanded over, metallic paint border stamped into and viva paints highlights, top left corner croco paints with alcohol inks; air dry clay figures, bottom left has gold paint and croco paint over, bottom right gold paint, ferro paint and alcohol inks, playing card distressed corners, gesso and distress inks, image by Lost Coast stamps.

Journal of Arc! Burning ambitions of Journal Wrecking

2011-01-05T14:04:00.000Z

Please release meeeee leeet meeee gooooo! The journal demands that you lose this page and accept the loss. I grabbed an empty champagne bottle and headed for the beach to launch it into the sea - message in a bottle. Gorgeous sunny day, choppy sea and perishing cold wind - perfect winters day at the beach.

Alas there were kite surfers in the water so I could not do it, so I grabbed a mug of tea from the cafe and sat on a beach hut porch and enjoyed watching these mad souls in the sea.

So what to do? How to lose this page? Whilst on the beach I thought it would be great to have a BBQ - too windy though. So my mind turned to using my old bucket bbq to burn some papers and to burn this page, so a lump of wood, a peg and et voila! Burned at the stake - Journal of Arc!

WOYWW Nessun Dorma! Journal wrecking!

2011-01-05T09:38:00.000Z

Happy new year fellow WOYWWers and I hope 2011 brings you and abundance of mojo.

Today you have a glimpse of my bed and if there are crumbs in it there will be trouble!! This journal demands you wreck it with all sorts of destructive tasks which are being documented in my blog. Bizzarely though it demands you sleep with it and describe the experience. I was up late, real late, going through the actions for destruction - it is not conducive for a good nights sleep!

But one thing is for sure, this journal is asking for it and it is going to get it! Now, where's my Dremel.....

To join the blog hopping fun, click on this link to Julia's fabby blog and the WOYWW Mr Linky. http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

Highlights

2011-01-03T14:32:00.000Z

Having a mooch through my work over the last year and why not post what to me are the best bits, the highlight of course being the Hugbinders raffle prize of craft storage unit and in a very personal way, my journal - how have I managed without one?!

I have stretched myself and learnt a lot, I have gone way out of my comfort zone with some things and fulfilled a long ambition to have a go at sculpting with the boy and kite - loved it and when mojo strikes in this direction there will be more.

I went way out of my colour comfort zone with purple, pink and silver, I loved doing this canvass, it hasn't photographed very well due to mica powders reflecting back the light, it was great fun doing a teenage canvass with all the elements in it for advice, attitude and celebration of youth and life. The gothic arch was nothing like it was intended to be, it took its own form, as is usual with a lot of projects! It was as delightful to make as it was to give to Sparkles for her special birthday.

I went back to doing a few ATCs which were great fun and this one I particularly loved and kept for me, beauty is only skin deep. And my Christmas card design of which I am immensely proud of the grown up design.

I got things buzzing in my head but for some of them it is getting the bits and bobs that I need for them, or the mojo to see them to fruition! Why is it that you have the stash to alter and no mojo for it but plenty of mojo for things that just aren't available?!

I wish you all a very happy new year and an abundance of mojo xx

Not for the faint hearted - Journal wrecking

2011-01-02T11:34:00.000Z

Shudder! I hate the taste of paper and this journal wrecking instructs you to chew a page and drink water from a page - gross! Rather than dreading them I thought best to do it and get it over with! lol

I had to find ways to make it more pallatable, a bit of peanut butter and hot chocolate helps to mask the taste of the paper but it was still horrible chewing it shuddder!

As for the water funnel, well there was only one thing for it - champagne! Cheers dahlinks!

Going round in circles!

2011-01-01T15:57:00.000Z

Wow this journal wrecking is addictive and fun.It is also rather revealing about oneself, my unpredictable random act was to throw this under the car and drive over it... what on earth does that say about me! lol

One page tasks you to cover it in circles - I had much fun doing this but it has kind of revealed my technical and engineering genes! How much do I want to be revealing and do I want to be sued for traumatising you with the glimpses into the workings of the matter between my ears?! lol

Circles, dots, spots, chains, wheesl, buttons, cogs, coins oh I could go on and on and then there's the geometry and formulae, don't you just love the randomness of Pi?

What I don't get is how everyone raves on about the wheel being such a great invention - but where would it be without the axle?! Which came first the axle or the wheel?!

Nonetheless the random works here have given me some ideas which may or may not come to fruition, they have definitely sparked something off.

Journal - Cool in chaos

2010-12-31T12:25:00.000Z

I am so inspired by a friend who seems the ultimate in cool and calm she is one chilled looking chic. A true lady she doesn't bemoan her plight, she soldiers on. We often miss the inspiration staring us in the face as we busily scour the internet, books, mags, stash and charity shops for projects. So I was doodling around in my journal with my inspiration but it wasn't right, something was missing......

............Ah! that'll be the chaos she has endured this year and so now we have the full picture of her being cool, calm and collected for the sake of all she carries to get them all through the chaos.

Everything about this and the friend say mermaid, cool, mystical and beautiful which is handy because it meant I didn't have to try to do legs and feet!
I love working with these water blendable oil pastels, they are great fun when you add water to them via a paintrbrush and swish them around, add extra water to drizzle and run the colours together, splot and blot water on... totally scrumptious to work with.

WOYWW Rebel with a cause!

2010-12-31T11:30:00.001Z

I was totally caught out and embarrassed by an unexpected present and all I had to offer in return was loads of enthusiastic guesses about the contents. The clues were "You need it" and "to take a deep breath and be brave to use it". What on earth is a girl to think?! Mindful that it would be opened in the heart of the family home I duly asked if it needed batteries and if it would offend family members and was mightily relieved that the answers were no!

Having got the journalling bug from the fab works of Nicks in hers, I was duly told that I needed this plaything that she and DD spied and had to have. Very astute is our Nicks!

How cool is this for a present - a book that demands you to wreck it?! it is entitled Wreck this Journal by Keri Smith and is great fun, very liberating. Immediately I cracked the spine, crumpled the front cover and sanded it, wicked fun. Found a page that said to make a sudden, destructive, unpredictable movement with the journal - I dashed outside, threw it under the car and drove over it! This is great fun and has taken me back to my childhood - what the heck, stay young at heart - grow old disgracefully! lol

To join the bloghopping fun of seeing workdesks and projects on Wednesdays hop over to Julias fabby Stamping Ground blog http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

Cheers Nicks, I am loving wrecking this journal and lurves you to pieces for this xxxx

To see some great journalling hop over to Nicks blog and see some great work there.
http://www.nicksartystuff.blogspot.com/

Hugbinders example page

2010-12-19T10:50:00.000Z

Another example page for Hugbinders.

This has been inspired by the excellent artist Traci Bautista and her fabulous book Collage Unleashed. I love the doodling and the glam faces - they are so funky with only the right side of the face showing, the left covered with hair.

I did this with brown ink because it kind of 'spoke' to me! and a dip pen with different nibs, this was a task to stretch myself, it was out of my comfort zone - so far out I was in fact in orbit!

I wanted a heart shaped face on this so had to draw a full face - I now wonder if Traci only does one side of the face because one side is easier to draw (especially with a nib pen!) and you don't have to match them -but I will say you do not have identical sides of the face so there you are! Artistic licence -authenticity rules! Nature saves the day!

Friendship quotes are written around the face within the hair, binding her with love and friendship. The quotes on the right are by anonymous quoters and the two on the left are my own thoughts.

Referencing and copyright if you have taken inspiration from annother artist and adapted their style as I clearly have here, it is important that you put a reference to it on your page, I have done this at the foot of the page, with the artist and book - it may be a website or blog that you took your inspiration and it is important that you reference this.

Signature - this is your artwork -sign it! as you can see I did this on the bottom right of the page.

PLEASE NOTE it is important that you do not publish your pages for this project can we respectfully ask that you keep the element of suspense and surprise for those receiving the books. I have been asked by several people what to do how etc and I have done a couple of examples which I hope will get people off the starting blocks.

Have fun with your creativity and secret mission xxx

Hugbinders example page

2010-12-18T14:23:00.001Z

Doodling around with inks and nibs today with an idea roaming around in my head for a hugbinders page, it is totally different to what I have produced here!

I have had a few enquiries about what is/is not acceptable for a page, well anything goes.
Simply follow Nicks instructions on the Hugbinders blog - as long it can be scanned and doesn't empty a reservoir of ink per page or breach copyright it will be fine. As you will see mine has a heavy border and it may be done again with a lighter border - less is more! it might not even be submitted for the book, it is a sample page.

ANGEL POLICY please check Hugbinders blog and DC chitchat sticky for the companies that have given their kind and generous permission to use their stamps, Nicks has done a great letter to send to your favourite designers to ask for permission to use, but check the blog and forum first to see if they have already given their permission.

The phrase stamp I think is rather poignant in today's instant gratification culture - how many of us take time to get off that treadmill and notice the simpler and finer things and savour them?
The phrase: In life there are no ordinary moments, most of us never really recognise the significant moments when they are happening.

I was on a long train journey the other week and I was the only person enjoying the scenery, the hot air balloon in the sky and the gorgeous sunset. That says it all and that is why I chose this stamp and the classic Latin phrase Carpe diem - sieze the day / enjoy the moment, just fits this perfectly. http://www.hugbinders.blogspot.com/

Hugbinders covers

2010-12-16T15:02:00.000Z

Oooh! I have made a couple of front covers for Hugbinders.

There is another one in the process and a couple of pages being formulated so do keep a lookout.

Yes the heart is made of sticking plasters - what else?! the wording says Hugbinders helping to make it better. Remember that the covers will be made at the workshops, your pages need to be made before the workshops.

To find out more about this fabulous fund raise for MacMillan and the workshop day and how to enter the raffle for craft prizes and attend a workshop click on this link:-

http://www.hugbinders.blogspot.com/

WOYWW - Standing room only!

2010-12-15T08:30:00.000Z

Here's a shock for you - my workdesk has been cleared! I hear the thud of you all falling out of your chairs in shock! lol

I saw this battered old bureau at a car boot sale and thought it would be good to alter it to a dressing table or use as a craft workstation and pack my projects away at night (yeah right..... !!!!).

Well the wobbly legged old dear made it to the conservatory to be fixed up and faffed up ready for use and ended up being a standing workstation as I tend to do a lot of crafting standing up and it is a good height for me to do that and subsequently got buried under loads of stash! Do you tend to craft on your feet or sit down?

Who knows, 2011 may see it regenerated into something or be taken away for recycling.

So what's on my workdesk? a scarf I am knitting (yes there is only one needle showing but I can assure you that I do knit with 2 needles despite some beliefs that I may only be knitting with one! lol). There's some charity shop stash - a cutlery tray to alter and some findings to alter or use in altering - a bag of yummy little bits and pieces, couple of measuring tapes and set squares... I am now itching to get off and get busy! I will have a tour around some desks but there are sooooo many participants I can't get round all of them I am very sad to say because I do enjoy visiting your desks and blogs.

If you don't know what WOYWW is about, hop over to Julia Dunnits marvellous blog by clicking on the link below and all will be explained, enjoy your blog hopping. http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

Seasons Greetings

2010-12-09T17:06:00.000Z

As has become my habit of several years now, I give my Christmas card money to charity, rather than buying charity cards and they only see a fraction of it.

Having said that, some of my nearest and dearest have been honoured with a card made for them, I just did a few, those who have not received, your money for materials and postage has gone to charity. My charity of choice this year is the wonderful St Catherines Hospice a place very dear to my heart. Here is the design, unfortunately it is taken by electric light so the colours aren't showing very well, if there is good daylight tomorrow I will take some then.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas

and all the very best for 2011

Mwah dahlinks xxxxx

Other charities that have benefitted from my concerted efforts this year are, Cancer research - Race for Life, MacMillan through sponsoring others, Camille's appeal - Nicks bunjee jump, British Legion -Poppy appeal raffle held at work, Essex Air Ambulance charity shop - donated items and bought stuff to alter, RNLI purchases and donations, plus many other charity collections and boxes as you do.

Chocolate bar or charity box? it's a no brainer for me and has become my mantra - I'd rather have a nice glow from giving to the charity box than a sugar rush that will stay on my hips for weeks!

WOWWY - Can you see what it is yet? Revealed!

2010-12-07T19:53:00.000Z

Hello WOYWW addicts.

Having teased you all regarding my raffle prize for the Hugbinders day I am wondering shall I tease you longer or reveal all... hmmmm

The original item I have been altering is as pictured here.

Bland boring brown kitchen thing, sad and unloved in the corner of a charity shop, it jumped out at me to be given a new lease of life.

Tis the season of goodwill so I shall tease you no more and reveal the piece I am working on.

It is finished, but yet... I feel there is some more faffing to do before I declare it finished.

Soooooooo what is it then? Obviously it is a craft stash unit - what else would it be?!

The wording at the top says "open your mind and free your soul"

I just adore the aperture with the mime artist and the A for his hat.

In case you don't know - you can click on a picture to see it enlarged.

If you can see your craft stash being stored in this unit, or any other use for it, please click on this link to the Hugbinders site to find out how you can get your raffle tickets for some fabulous prizes, how to order a Hugbinders book and attend the Hugbinders workshop in March 2011 - a great fun day. http://hugbinders.blogspot.com/

To join in the fun of blog hopping to see other craft projects and desks click on this link to the fabulous Julia Dunnit's site and see what is all about.

Happy bloghopping!

http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

The side panels didn't escape being altered.

They got faffed up a bit too!

Hugbinders

2010-12-06T21:23:00.001Z

Thought I would share this with anyone looking for inspiration.

It is somewhat colour hungry for a page but would make a great cover.

Hugbinders raffle prize

2010-12-03T14:17:00.000Z

As you can see it is coming together!

So here is a pictorial clue for you.

Clues:-

No - it isn't grass or carpet in the greens.

Yes - it is alcohol inks in the greens.

Simply gorgeous kits

2010-12-01T19:11:00.000Z

Do hop over to http://www.rubysummervintage.blogspot.com/ and see Janies fabulous kits, if you are stuck for some pressies or need to request something for yourself, Janies kits could be just the job. Yes this is biased support for my fab friend as the proud owner and test driver of one of her luscious bags. There's lots of cool stuff going on there - enjoy xx

WOYWW Can you see what it is yet?

2010-12-01T08:16:00.000Z

Hello WOYWWers, long time no see!

I have a little project I am working on - a raffle prize for the Hugbinders Day, this is a craft event to raise funds for MacMillan who do so much to support cancer patients and families. This is in memory and respect of Mr Sparkles and you can read all about the event and how to support it on this blog: http://hugbinders.blogspot.com/

There is a workshop and some fabulous craft prizes from suppliers, please do have a look at these fabulous prizes and the great workshop event.

Can you see what it is yet?!

Here's a little clue to help you!

Meanwhile I will work out what it's going to be! lol

To join in with WOYWW - where you show what project you have click on this link and all is explained.

http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

Coming up for air

2010-11-05T10:37:00.001Z

There are times when we all need to come up for air, when the daily grind wears you down and you lose that little bit of space for your mojo and your creativity goes AWOL.

A journal is place to treat yourself to some time for you and your creativity to have a play and a place for those things in your mind that might not necessarily be a project for anything.

So I have my marvellous little black book to doodle and play and explore in, we are going to share a lot and I think I should find a name for it, but that is just odd because it is an inanimate object! Yet I have already referred to it as we - oh gosh, we are bonding already and it will be harbouring some secret pages, so it does deserve a name! (as per my WOYWW post, it wouldn't do to tell Nicks she was right!) lol

My journal is my space to ignore and break the rules.

WOYWW LITTLE BLACK BOOK!

2010-11-05T09:08:00.000Z

Psssst! Don't let onto Nicks, but she was right! I NEED a journal!

What do you do when your mojo has deserted you?
No inspiration, not even a project comes to mind.
Nothing incites you to play because you think there is no mojo.

yet.....
there are things lurking but they just won't come to the fore
or they are things not really worthy of doing, they are just things in your mind or on your mind

You treat yourself to a journal and have two gifts in one - a place for all those things in your head and mojo and inspiration returning because you are playing and doodling around.

....just don't let onto Nicks!

So I shall leave you wonderful WOYWWers to have a look at my beginnings of journalling, click on photo to enlarge if you really must, and the errrrr creative workspace whilst I have a look for inspiration at your fabulous work. Yep I know it's Thursday, but I lost my camera and new one arrived today.

Creativity from chaos!

A tribute to Mr Sparkles

2010-09-27T21:40:00.000+01:00

A pause for thought for the loveliest man who lost his battle to cancer today.
Courageous, stoic and a true gentleman to the end.
I am truly privileged to have met such a man and he will be in my heart forever.
My thoughts are with Sparkles and family and her bessie Nicks.

See Nicks tribute to her Mr Bessie http://nicksartystuff.blogspot.com/

WOYWW PLAY TIME

2010-09-16T19:47:00.000+01:00

Pardon my absence, you may say I went AWOL but I would prefer to say creating an air of mystery! I've been busy! Mums birthday brought me back to my craft desk and I used handmade paper in the tub which you spread out to dry.

So now I am having a bit of fun spreading some more out to dry with some holes in it and spiked up waves and things, when it is dry I will texture some more on top of it around the holes, I think.....

If you want to show Whats On Your Workdesk Wednesday, click on this link and have fun cyber-touring craft desks http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

Mums card is rather out of my style and comfort zone but mum loved it and that is what its all about.

Ingredients:-
Mountboard, acrylic paint, stazon, paper in tub (patience for it to dry!), gold acrylic paint, gold spray paint, sprinkles of hugs and shedloads of love.

Measuring up to life

2010-08-28T17:18:00.001+01:00

I have a few stamps that I haven't used and they had a theme together, attitude and teenage/adolescence. There isn't much around for this genre by way of stamps etc and they are a difficult age to know what to do for them, they are in the turmoil of youth and growing up, childhood fun and grown up expectations and aspirations, it isn't an easy time. Thus this canvass evolved to reflect what is happening and I hope it strikes the right chord of cool and attitude with funky and grunge, it is after all for a discerning young girl on the threshold of being a discerning young lady (her mum would just say 'picky'! lol).

So simple to do - acrylic paints, tissue paper, mica powders and silver paint, jigsaw bits utee embossed and the letter G acrylic paint under the heat gun and a bit of silver rubbed over - when it was cold!

It wasn't easy to photograph with the mica powders I rubbed over the tissue paper images, naturally the sheen deflects the light. But who cares, the recipient said 'Cool' and that is all that matters, I am officially 'Cool'!

a bit of fresh air!

2010-08-28T17:00:00.000+01:00

Had a great week away in the gorgeous dales with my best friend.

It was simply divine dahlinks, stunning scenery and tea shop heaven, cheese scones being the order of the day after the days ramblings. Had some fabulous surprises that you just come across and wish you had camera with you or curse the batteries giving out on your camera! This typically happened driving over spectacular valleys and coming across a scarecrow festival which was great fun.

Phoenix!

2010-08-01T14:22:00.000+01:00

Fabulous new website! Artistic Stamper design team have launched a blog http://theartisticstampercreativeteam.blogspot.com/ which I will be watching with excitement as they do fabulous work.

Great news is they are launching with a competition - theme is Something Old, Something New, now it doesn't say that your entry has to be stamped but it doesn't say that it don't have to be stamped..... hmmmmmm

I was inspired and got pottering around with some old metal buttons that were sent me by a crafting friend in a bundle of stash, having just done a button fairy challenge I then got inspired to use the buttons for it and the old cameo brooch for the head so they are the old, new copper wires form her new wings and new beads for the loop and here we have Phoenix.

Thank you Jennie and Hels for the inspiration and I wish you every success with the fabulous new site.

Button fairy swap No 2

2010-07-25T14:45:00.001+01:00

I wouldn't mind having this one myself! It's really funky.

Well there's no post office open until tomorrow, so I will enjoy it for today and put it in the envelope in the morning!

I RACED FOR LIFE

2010-07-25T13:50:00.001+01:00

How moving and inspirational Race for Life is.

Lots of pats on the back for racing in pink pyjamas!

There was a blind lady and ladies on walking sticks - and to think I very nearly didn't enter this year as I was exhausted.... Shame on me!

Very inspirational and euphoric day - I raised £400 to be matched by my employers giving £800 for Cancer Research.

I race for a cure
For everyone
For you xxx

Happy birthday Sue

2010-07-11T10:49:00.001+01:00

Happy birthday to my fabulous identical twin sister Susan
Sue was luckier than Nicks, she got a small stampboard card/picture
Only it is 50 miles away from her - see my WOYWW post!

Glad to say Sue is recovering and much better today.

Sue come and have a look at what you would have won!

I have called it Goddess because Sue is a Goddess

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUE

YOU ROCK MY WORLD XXXXX

Happy birthday Nicks

2010-07-11T10:36:00.000+01:00

My long lost crazy crafting triplet Nicks is celebrating her birthday today.

I use the term crazy on good authority, she is doing a bunjee jump for Camille and has accepted my challenge to wear underwear on the outside for it like the Superwoman she is and I will double my donation. http://www.justgiving.com/NicksJumpingForCamille

Nicks is an awesomely talented crafter and I have had the most amazing canvass from her which left me gasping it totally rocks! There's no end to Nicks talents, crafting skills, chook keeping, mother, craft teacher, bunjee jumper, all round Superwoman, great humour, blonde and totally gorgeous person - I hate her!

Check out Nicks fabulous work http://nicksartystuff.blogspot.com/

I did a simple canvass for Nicks, I wanted a bold and in your face provoking statement "Love me love my art" Job done there. Also I wanted space for Nicks to add her own art to it as and when she pleases, because it is about loving Nicks and her art - which we all do already!

I used croco crackle paint on the corners and was aghast to see the inks bleeding into the paint, stopped myself before scraping it off and sealing with some gesso or pva - wait and see how it dries I thought. It dried beautifully with lovely pastel version of the colours on the canvass - ohh sweet crafting serendipity!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICKS YOU TOTALLY ROCK!

MWAH DARLINKS XXXXX

WOYWW

2010-07-11T08:41:00.001+01:00

Late again for WOYWW and AWOL for a while.

Been busy and not had much mojo - probably because my head too full of other things.

Kicking myself too - made jewellery for my twin sisters birthday today, but ran out of jump rings and the shop I get them from has gone. She is 200 miles away and was going to be at the family home 250 miles away, so I posted a little package there but she got ill and didn't make it home.

Don't you just love it when your plans all fall apart at the seams?!

Ladies I present to you - the aftermath!

ooh bee-have!

2010-07-10T12:31:00.001+01:00

Time to get the experts in!

This wasp nest is expanding somewhat, it's marvellous to watch but.....

Apparently they are friendly wasps that will warn rather than attack

yeah right and I forget and charge into it as mow the grass.....

Are you feeling brave?!

WOWWY - JESTER BUTTON FAIRY

2010-06-08T18:31:00.001+01:00

On my last submission to WOWWY you may have spotted a bit of harlequin wing and jester head clay mould on my desk. This was for a button fairy swap hosted by the very talented CarolV who's website is eluding me at present and I will post as soon as.

Button fairies are great fun to get the creativity going and I am looking forward to doing the second one for this challenge, I have some ideas but the rest I hope will evolve itself when I get going and fall into place - it seems to be how my crafting works!

As for my desk.... c'mon..... do you really need to see it to know it will be a mess of the afermath of all this creativity?! lol the tray is from my gorgeous friend Catherine last summer because I needed a tray and I adore the magnificence of roosters. What a fabby friend and best thing is she isn't a crafter so is no threat to my precious stash! (She would be welcome to all of it because I lurves her to pieces).

Join in the fun and check out the marvellous Mrs Dunnit's site from a simple click on this link:-

http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

She who dares....!

2010-06-05T11:07:00.000+01:00

Are you feeling brave?

Great, come on over with some insect spray!

Isn't this wasp nest awesome? what a marvellous feat of engineering excellence - how do they know? I am totally in awe. I will get a professional to deal with it and I want to keep it to do something with it, but quite what I am not sure, probably cross section and frame it in a collagey sort of way.

Meanwhile I best not knock into it when mowing the grass!

WOYWW - AND ONE FOR YOURSELF!

2010-06-05T07:02:00.000+01:00

For someone who never knows which day of the week it is, I am aware it is Saturday today because yesterday my team were talking about the weekend - eeeek! I have missed WOYWW again......

Mitigating circumstances! Bank Holiday - what chance have I got when Monday merges into Sunday?!

Soooo what to do... what to doooooooo....... something to enhance my workdesk... have you seen my workdesk?! Its all very well doing something for it but where would it go?! lol

I have moved to craft on something else, an item I bought to alter as a funky dressing table in the guest room and am waiting for the inspiration, however it makes a very good craft working station especially if like me you like to craft standing up - it is a very good height for me to work at too. so I guess this image is the overspill table.

Here is where I craft now, the top of an old writing bureau, not a lot of width to it but the fold down part can hold and hide stuff away all nice and tidy (yeah right - turn around and look at the table Debs...!)

It will be great and funky when I get on with doing it up - or a fabby dressing table thing.

So what did I do to adorn my desk? Coasters! I love making them as little gifts and haven't made one for myself. I love the stamp I used on it, she has attitude, she is inquiring and challenging me. So here we are, after a year of making them, one for myself!

The letters didn't fit in a row and I like the way they spell out WOW and W(H)Y? two very inspirational and motivating crafting words.

I like the bold white letters, they may seem stark but they will stand out and remind me to get my WOWWY submitted.... providing of course that I am aware that it is Wednesday......!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY WOWWY

To join in the fun click on this link: http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

Sew-Sew!

2010-05-31T16:25:00.000+01:00

You may be wondering how I am getting on with the sewing machine.
IT TOTALLY ROCKS!
Shame the same can't be said of the machinists skills......!

It may be a while before you see anything produced of this ilk! lol

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SPARKLES!

2010-05-08T22:53:00.000+01:00

How on earth was it kept secret from Sparkles?!

All thanks to her bessie Nicks and darling hubbie MrS and lots of cloak and dagger conspiracies.

We descended upon chateau Sparkles today to celebrate a very special birthday which I won't mention the milestone on here!

The present I made was meant to be pink and blue with a touch of purple.

By serendipitous mistake the frame came out purple and I went with that theme as that is the boudoir colour theme.

The gothic arch frame was sprayed with glimmer inks, then mixed media stuff going on - metal work with alcohol inks, texture paints stamped into, crackle paint, mirror tiles with ink and stamped faces and crackle glaze, clay models and grungeboard wings, phew - busy day doing that, great fun watching it evolve and creating it for such a fabulous recipient.

Oh I took a little something for Nicks too, some egg boxes for when she gets the chucks! lol

Happy birthday Sparkles xxxxx

WOYWW ooops it is Thursday today!

2010-05-06T22:41:00.000+01:00

This bank holiday malarkey has knocked me for six this week! Well that and the mind achingly boring election stuff.... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
Well here is the mess that was my work desk last week. As you can see I have been playing with wire frame sculpting and the wonderful Paverpol that my craft pal got me excited about, check out the fabulous work Nicks has done with this wonderful product http://nicksartystuff.blogspot.com/

I was very excited when my tub of this luvverly stuff arrived and decided on doing Billy, a pre school kid with an oversize T-shirt and a kite. Except it didn't turn out that way, the end result was a lean and lanky teenager, Jonty! It's funny how so many of our projects evolve and take their own form.

Paverpol is similar in texture to pva glue but probably stickier, it is fabulous stuff to get all gunged up with and great fun peeling it off when dried on your hands. (how old am I?!) I finished Jonty with a stone effect paint on his body and limbs for an outdoor statue effect.

I found a gorgeous weather worn stone for the base and used an old t-shirt to mock up a towel around his waist and a towel to stand on - very useful for glueing him to the base and not having to do him any feet proper! lol I can't get over how well this works at draping the fabrics and just love the feel of it during use. There are outlets in the UK who sell this product and the official site has useful information and they are very helpful when you send them a query. http://www.paverpol.com/

Mirror Mirror

2010-05-06T22:30:00.000+01:00

From little ATCs big canvasses grow!

My crafting bessie JanieCWW loved the ATC so I did a canvass size version because she is soooo worth it.

Beauty isn't all it's cracked up to be! the torso is covered in crackle effect paint. Lots of mixed media stuff going on here, embossed metal, texture paints, crackle paints, alcohol inks, stamped into texture paints and acrylic paints.

I really enjoyed making this for someone who will love the irony and truth in this - mwah Janie dahlinks, stay gorjus xxxx

WOYWW - Try something new today!

2010-04-20T17:55:00.000+01:00

As I will be in a big rush tomorrow morning and won't get chance to post my WOYWW, I have uploaded it now in readiness for WOYWW.

It's a box on the floor actually, patiently waiting to unleash the contents.

There's nothing like getting a new toy and in a big box!

<----- oh yea, nice big box!

ooh nice big toy inside

Those of you in the know will have guessed already by the name on the box but the uninitiated such as myself you won't be any wiser other than it's a big box!

So what is the big deal? what is the WOW factor here?

What is in the box?

A great big challenge for me!
Exciting new projects to do

It seemed a great idea at the time as I was looking through a book on fabric arts and textiles.........!

I got it for textile arts -the 'off-roading' of sewing! lol

I can always blame it on the book!

This will be quite a challenge as I am a wundaweb girl! What is a bobbin - why do you wind it? you wind the wynch on a sailing boat! apparently it threads the needle for you - well why would one thread it oneself if you have a machine - isn't that the point of it? I must admit the young salesman had his work cut out with me! I was bemused at his knowledge and interest and he was bemused at my ignorance!

I shall have some supper and get this little bag of tricks set up for having a play with it tomorrow - Wednesday.

Erm anyone want to pop round for a cuppa/glass of wine and get me set up? you can have first play on it! lol

I do hope I will take to it like a duck to water but somehow I think it may be a while before you see anything worth showing! lol

DID YOU KNOW? That a sewing machine mechanism is the same as a machine gun? made by the same people at the time of the war. There you have learnt something today.

Right get set up and try something new today!

WOYWW

2010-04-18T18:21:00.001+01:00

Yep I know it is Sunday! But having just joined I thought I should show willing.
My very talented crafting friend Nicks got me onto this fabulous site, Mrs Dunnit is a lady after my own heart with more crafting stash than is possible to use - and so say all of us!

There's a load of stash from Ally Pally to sort out yet, but that's boring to do - cutting out stamps is so laborious!

I have brought a WIP back out to do a bit more on but still have stuff out from the project I was working on today...... well when creativity strikes you can't waste it on tidying up!

I am looking forward to seeing others desks and what you are working on. To join in click on this link but be warned it is one of temptation to the road of ruin to doughnuts! http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

Gothee break?!

2010-04-17T21:29:00.000+01:00

Hmmmm new stamps got to be tried, but what to do..... what to do....

I just got playing and ended up with these Goth style results. I daresay they will be finding homes soon enough!

The crafty bit:-

Acrylic paint, silver pigment ink and a bit of Debbie Moores metal magic - wouldn't you simply die without it?!

Ally Pally surprise!

2010-04-17T20:59:00.000+01:00

Great visit to the Ally Pally craft show last weekend, went full of excitement and returned with loads of stash, a fabby surprise at theh Artistic Stamper demo and a little extra I didn't bargain for - a virus!

I had a luvverly little surprise at the Artistic Stamper stand, http://www.theartisticstamper.com/ Jenny was doing a demo with some fabulously luscious spray colours and gorgeous deep embossing powders - colours that I would not ordinarily use but the end results were terrific and the tag you see here is the item that Jenny made and I was bowled over to be given such an inspiration piece. The background is the spray inks, the lace background stamp and the Alice in Wonderland stamps, with a clock using the melted powders and mica powders. I couldn't leave without a stash of products and stamps in luscious new and exciting colours, well........... I NEEDED them!

Thanks Jenny I love it.

Celena - Moon Goddess

2010-03-27T18:32:00.000Z

I am supposed to be writing an assignment.... I decided to do a bit of crafting to unravel and clear my mind. This is for a colleague who is moving on to pastures new, she is a night owl and has the most gorgeous dark skin and striking looks, she has inspired the lid for this box and indeed the name I gave it.

How on earth am I going to wrap it with those wings sticking out?!

Here's the crafty bit:-

Celena - clay model figure painted with glimmer mist sprayed over, the wings with gold paint and alcohol inks on top, the lid - viva paint and glimmer mist. Inside the lid, an image from an 18C Cyclopedia with a gold wash over it. The sides are covered in ferro paint, stamped into and painted over with viva paints, the inside had a spray of glimmer mist - you don't really need to be bored with a picture of that!

Noteable!

2010-03-24T22:00:00.001Z

A colleagues birthday and connundrum of what to do - you've all been there!

I took a punt and did a notebook, wanted something striking and for the stamp to speak for itself, said recipient was delighted with it. Result!

Now the crafty bit:-

Acrylic paint background with white pigment ink stamp design. stamped image with mica powders over and silver ink edging.

CONGRATULATIONS TO NICKS!

2010-03-14T09:54:00.000Z

Congratulations to Nicks an extremely talented crafting friend on your appointment to the Altered Elements design team. I am absolutely delighted for you and looking forward to seeing what you come up with. Click over to Nicks blog to see a taste of fabulous stuff to come http://nicksartystuff.blogspot.com/

Not all it's cracked up to be

2010-03-14T09:42:00.000Z

Beauty isn't all it's cracked up to be! Another ATC using the same scrumptious materials as per the ones I have been doing below. I really do like this and the crackle paint on the clay model. I am thinking of doing one on a larger scale. I have a few larger versions of this clay model kindly donated to me by my extremely talented craft friend Nicks (we're not worthy!) and I was about to return them as they really are a bit too big, but... I might just hang onto them now!

Watch this space but don't hold your breath as I am very busy at present!

Here's the crafty bit!

Embossed metal, ferro paint with viva colour metallic paints, crackle paint with alcohol inks over and clay model with gold undercoat and crackle paint on top.

Like waiting for a bus!

2010-03-14T08:14:00.000Z

ATCs are like buses, you don't do any for months and months and then you do 6 consecutively! Well that number is a cheat really, because one of them is a gothic arch and another is a mini canvass.

I wanted to have a play with those fabulous texture paints and having had the invitation to swap ATCs the other week, I thought it would be a good idea to return to ATCs to have some fun with these scrumptious paints and practise the techniques on a smaller scale.

Well, it makes a change from doing coasters!

HOW DID YOU DO THEM DEBS?!

Mini canvass, 'In flight' acrylic paints, terra texture paint, crackle paint, alcohol inks, Nestabilities dragon fly cut and emboss die and a plastic dragonfly painted up. Gothic Arch 'Cherubin' embossed chocolate coloured metal sanded off, ferro paint edges stamped into and viva metallic paints, clay moulded figures painted and accentuated with acrylic paints. ATC 'Turn to Stone' embossed metal painted with alcohol inks, ferro paint edging and acrylic/metallic paints, clay modelled figure again with texture paints.

As you can imagine, my hands are gloriously messy now!

Inspire me!

2010-03-09T22:30:00.000Z

Gosh! I had the honour of a fellow crafter asking me to do an ATC swap a few weeks back, after mutual admiration of each others work and a bit of brain racking (I use brain in the loosest sense possible and I did say 'bit'!) we came up with the idea of inspiring each other as we do quite different work and in different mediums. I do hope I have given some inspiration and I am very excited to see what pieces of inspiration are winging their way to me as I love the work of this very talented lady - do have a look at her blog http://evilednasworlddominationplans.blogspot.com/

Here's the creative part!
Moonlight seranade - UTEE in gold with black embossing powder and green pigment ink stamped into it. Bleeding Heart: heavy guage wire shaped into a heart with thin wire threaded with beads and wrapped around and across, background embossed metal with ferro paint, crackle paint and alcohol inks. Clocking Off, jigsaw puzzle background, clay stamped into with pearlex powders and moulded faces their shapes distorted and mica powders.

New toys!

2010-03-01T20:33:00.000Z

Got myself a heat tool for distressing fabric with several different tips no less -gosh talk about a girl spoilt!

All I need is some fabric and a few extra hours in the day.....

Kinky boots!

2010-02-28T19:36:00.000Z

I am going to break my neck!

My mid life crisis kinky boots! lol

Well, why not? Why should men have all the fun with sports cars and motorbikes?!

These boots were made for walkin....

Boy to Man

2010-02-23T21:56:00.000Z

What do you do for a low key guy who is having his half century tomorrow? Bit of a headscratcher isn't it?!

Well I had to stop scratching my head before folks thought I had fleas and get making something in order to get to bed at a decent time so I have the energy to battle for a cream cake!

I decided on low key and striking and I think I have hit the mark.

Now for the crafting bit!

Chocolate colour metal, TSS big daddy mould sanded off, lettuce alcohol ink applied and a collage using beeswax to hold it all together. The wording is dictionary description of toffee - what boy/man can resist that stuff?! Job done!

The rainbow fish eraser philosophy

2010-02-23T21:47:00.000Z

Itching to have a play with Tim Holtz masks I just had to find a way to use them!

Jazzed up my notebook to brighten up my day at work.
No fear of anyone walking off with it when we all turn up to a meeting with our little black books - none of the men would be seen with this!

Harking back to my uni days, Elouise would use a rainbow fish eraser in technical drawing classes on the principal the guys wouldn't walk off with it. I gave up replenishing my white erasers 'borrowed' by the boys and got an equally uncool eraser that oddly enough was returned each lesson!

Here's the crafing bit!

Background of gold acrylic paint, Alcohol Inks dabbed over, Tim Holtz masks applied, black acrylic paint daubed over - masks removed and a bit of gold metal magic embossic powder by Debbie Moore - I would simply die without this stuff.

Love and understanding

2009-12-27T18:01:00.000Z

"Don't try to understand me, just love me"

I am at times very misunderstood! When I saw a canvass by Dyan at her Art from the Heart demo at the Harrogate craft fair this summer I just had to make one. Dyan's words were "I don't need you to understand me, I just need you to love me". My fabulous identical twin sister (yes there are two of me!) has these words on a fridge magnet.

It struck a chord, so here it is, the colours are not what I set out to do, but they are very indicative of what is going on, painted from the very heart and soul!

Now for the crafting blurb!

I used a canvass and put torn pieces of thick paper on it with pva glue. I let dry naturaly. Used Claudine Helmuth Studio paints with panscrubber sponge to sponge and scrub colour over the canvass. These paints mix beautifully. I used wire to make the button heart and some strong all purpose tube glue to stick the heart on. I wanted to sticth it onto the canvass but the paper and glue made it hard work!

White Stuff

2009-12-27T17:51:00.001Z

Awww ain't it pretty?!

Until you go flying on the ice! lol

Life savers!

2009-12-27T17:30:00.000Z

My exceedingly talented crafting pal Nicks, http://nicksartystuff.blogsp/.blogspot.com/ had an incident with a table, so to save her table(s), family's lives and not to mention a world shortage of vaseline (I kid you not!), I made some coasters.

I shan't comment on the customising of each one except for the violoncello one, one of my most favourite and prized stamps which Nicks does not have......! Was it kind or cruel to put that on her coaster?!

I just love doing coasters, they are fun to do and get your mojo back. Give it a go!

Here's the crafting bit:-

Cork backed coasters, light sanding, coating of gesso, slick of neutral acrylic paint and away you go! Alice - blue and white acrylic paints and some silver embossing powders. Biker girl has crackle paint edges, violoncello has Claudine Helmuth Studio Paints in red and yellow, the spooky coaster again is Studio Paints with some sanding to distress the edges. I give 2-3 coats of all purpose furniture varnish for heat & water protection and hard wearing - hopefully it does what it says on the tin! I use matt varnish, satin seems too shiny and gloss will just reflect the light back. I may do myself a couple with some satin gloss to test drive it!

Egg hunter

2009-12-27T17:23:00.000Z

Saw these little wind chime bird houses and just had to do something with them, as my gnomey friend would say - well you do don't you?!

Soooooo a bit silver paint, a few beads and a reptile et voila!

I got the idea at Ally Pally craft exhibition where the Artistic Stamper stand had plastic reptiles which had been painted, some pearlex on and wire & beads wrapped around them and when I saw the wind chimes they were just the thing to use for them.