Scrapped my Blogspot Photo(s)

Just scrapped my blogspot photos using the Scrap 365  Challenge Sketch for April. Don't usually think to use circles so it was a good exercise for me.  Patterned paper is K & Company's Emma Blue Floral. The lace is the Martha Stewart Eyelet Lace punch. Alphabets are Sizzix Monograms and Typeset. With a few gromlets and bits and bobs to finish off.

WOYWW #147

Well here we are again. Thought I'd get myself sorted this week on the Tuesday as, of course, I'll be going to badminton again on Wednesday.

Here's a wider shot of my craftcorner in my bedroom. Whilst I am scrapping, my Cuttlebug changes places with my laptop as I love diecutting. Perhaps you'll notice the boards with most of my die shapes on the wall behind my chair! I did my "Leap Day" scrappage earlier in the week and it is hanging from my shelves on a coat hanger (a great idea I got from a magazine once).

Not sure if you can see the special distress ink shelf under the bottom main shelf which my husband put up for me for Christmas last. My inkpad foams are stored in the little wooden cuttlery tray under the Gesso!

And yes I do use the end of my bed for albums, folders and the like whilst I am crafting. The round light is my SAD light, not only adding to my sanity but great to craft with.

My current pages are of our trip to the Royal Academy of Arts to see the David Hockney exhibition. I always seem to have more photos/memorabilia for my pages than most people but I try to add embellishments where I can.

Hope this gives you all a better insight to my craftcorner, and hoping my badge turns up soon too.

Thanks Julia for doing this, it is great fun.

Altered Book : Part II (lesson 4)

Hi Folks, Well here's the next installment of my Altered Book journey. My book isn't that thick but it was all I could lay my hands on before the course started. My theme is Seasons and they will be getting one signature each of 8 pages! Elizabeth, over at The Altered Book Lover suggested that I did the glued pages for this lesson not consecutively but one per season/signature which is what I have done.

The best thing about this Altered Book lark is that there aren't any rules (save getting a sewn spine book). Jolly good job as one would think I had definitely lost the plot this lesson, but as there isn't a plot - that's fine.                          

I glued my pairs of pages together using the following:- 1) Pritt Stick  2) Anita's Tacky Glue  3) Inkessentials Glue N'Seal   4) Boldmere's Gesso.  My Cuttlebug makes for a jolly useful weight so my book sits under it most of the time.

The tags I used to mark the sections are from clothes/products. I have been saving them for ages and at last, found a use for some of them. I have noted the glue I used on the reverse of each tag.

So for my Seasonal title pages:-

I did Spring first, inking the pages using the direct to paper technique as outlined by Elizabeth in the lesson. I decorated with some previously made ATCs and bits and bobs. I even found the feather on the day I made the page.  

I did Winter next, Gesso was the background to these pages, although as they were quite bare, I stamped the music score first. I also stamped with distress over the Gesso and as it seemed to remain sticky I ran some talcum powder over it - now it is OK.

Then came Summer. I inked the background with distress stains, added a cacophony of diecut elements and then some stamped images too. Vanilla Sands is a make of clothing here in the UK and inspired my beach page.

Finally Autumn, loads of diecut leaves, a few trees and more stamping, with a Cotton Traders Tag.

The only thing I haven't managed as yet is to use glue as the main part of a page and as an element in itself. Might have to save that technique up for later.

WOYWW #146

Hmmmmm, seem to be buying rather than doing these days, although have started on lesson 4 of the Altered Book Tutorial.


Join in the WOYWW fun over at The Stamping Ground (hope this was short enough!)

Mildred and Martha

I was so taken by the canvas workshop by Neil I just had to have a go myself. I didn't have any canvas but did make a card, then decided to reproduce it in my Art journal. I really need some "sayings" stamps and wonder if anyone has any recommendations. I'm still amazed as to how the Tim Holtz reindeer dies can make such cool birds. Thanks Neil.

TH#3 - March Tag

Finally I got round to doing the Tim Holtz - March Tag Was lacking in quite a few in the supplies department but "battled-on" and here is the result.

WOYWW #145

Thought it about time I showed you all my workdesk. I'm off out to play badminton in a minute (reason I haven't played along before) but this week I happen to have my New Year scrappage on the go!
We had gone up on to Epsom Downs for the first year ever to watch the fireworks down in London. We were quite a distance away but we were able to see them along with the 100's of other people there too!      Actual pictures are from the TV btw!!

Altered Book : Part I

I have taken on the challenge of Elizabeth's Altered Book Lessons which will run fortnightly over the next 40 weeks or so! Here is the result of lessons 1-3. Finding a suitable book was quite a challenge to start with. This one is about a cricket commentator! However, the title did spark the theme of Seasons. Here you can see I have removed a good chunk of pages from the front section of the book (under the elastic band). In the back section I will be creating a "niche" so I have glued the pages together and the pegs are holding it in place whilst it dries. I still need an item to go in my niche and will be rummaging around in the loft later for a suitable Christmas decoration which will go nicely in the Winter section of my book!

Well I found a silver glittered snowflake which was shallow enough for my niche so went ahead and cut the hole and pegged with "mini pegs" this time! I then covered the block with snowflake paper from my stash and cut out some additional snowflakes in the niche backing card. I speckled them with white paint and glittered the backing paper too. Couldn't decide whether to cut the decoration's hanging string off or not and in the end just glued it to the outside of the niche. I'm loving my Altered Book :)

Here we go then, reinforced front pages. The papers were the ends of a 6x6 pad so a bit of patchwork was in order, covered by carefully positioned sticky ribbons! I cut up an old card I had made some time ago for Spring and have had hanging on my wall ever since. Added glossy accents, decoupage and crackle to the elements.  For the "bump" on the next page have stuck some mulberry paper. Sort of want to incorporate the book's title somehow??

I have cards already made for the other seasons too and one for all of them which might have to be on the cover (when we get to that bit) one way or another............ Happy Bunny!

Couldn't help myself, just had to do the other half of the back page next to the niche. Had to do a bit more patchwork as I didn't have enough of the patterned/mulberry papers without joins. Shame the white glitter doesn't show up on the photo, but I know it is there. I think lessons 1-3 are done for me now................

Kitchen Roll Tag Book

Keep seeing these cute little tag books in magazines so decided to make one myself. Used my Portobello Road papers and will be adding memories of The Queen's Diamond Jubilee to the tags.