About Me

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Hi, Welcome to my Blog. I'm an eclectic kind of crafter delving into many pots. I am just about managing to keep up my Scrapbooking Diary (usually about 6 months behind), plus any cards as required. I have a new found love of Watercolour and Bible Journaling plus recently Faith/Art Journaling too. I've challenged myself to make an art journal page a day for this my 60th year. Previously I've also dabbled in ATCs, Tags, Altered Books, Mixed Media, Décopatch, Knitting, Crochet, and Embroidery amongst other things. I live in Surrey, UK with my husband, our son has left home now. For exercise I usually play Badminton and go Ballroom and Latin Dancing. I also like walking/Geocaching and sometimes do a bit of Bouncing on my Rebounder (mini trampoline). I have been learning to play the harp for the past 10yrs. I am now officially retired. I am a born again Christian, currently worshiping at my local Vineyard Church.

Saturday 29 September 2012

Altered Book : Pop-Up Page

I did it, I made a pop-up page for my Altered Book (AB). I kept it simple for my first time and just added a couple of pop-up images. I had been wanting to have an "impact" for the New Year page in my seasons AB and Big Ben was just what I needed.

I made the page on a separate piece of folded card and glued it into my book afterwards. I sprayed the card with Dylusions using the countdown numbers as masks. I sprayed the letters also. I decorated with glitter glue, a white pen and added the Weathered Clock dies too. Quite pleased with my first attempt.

Wednesday 26 September 2012

WOYWW #173 - Freebies

Hi everyone and welcome to my desk for WOYWW. To be enlightened please visit Julia at the Stamping Ground. So what have I been up to then? Well I finished the Jubilee scrapbook pages at last (see below) and have the next set of photos laid out ready for inspiration (hopefully it won't take a month to come to me this time!)
 
I bought Simply Cards and Papercraft magazine (issue 102) and got the 2 freebies of the embossing folder and stamp set. Made a couple of ATCs just to have a play with them. Also made my October ATC SWAP too, you can see that lurking in the middle of my desk.













Been using my tidy tray as always and my trusty embossing tool to sort out gluey messes. My acrylic blocks come in handy as weights for getting things stuck like the hinges on my art journal. Even had my perfect pearls/cosmic shimmers out too. Oh and I have also been trying out pop-ups for my Altered Book. Not sure how I will do it for the book, but will be having a go SOON! Oh and last week's card is HERE. Happy WOYWW everyone. BJ

Tuesday 25 September 2012

Something Fishy SWAP



 

On the UKPC group we did a SWAP themed "Something Fishy". I made the fish card and Dawn sent me the mermaid card. She also stamped a seahorse on the inside and on the envelope, I used the envelope one to make the ATC. How cool was that?


Sunday 23 September 2012

AB - Autumn



 
Saw this wonderful picture of a leaf dress in a magazine and it just HAD to go in my Altered Book in the Autumn section.Thought I'd have another go at a painted background and again it seeped through the pages. Really not getting to grips with this painting lark, and waiting for it to dry does my head in! - LOL.
Didn't really have a plan for the rest of the page and just went with the flow, liking the lock and key picture and adding a few butterflies for good measure.

I've updated a few other pages aswell. Adding a few apples to my school page, a sunflower to my pointy tag and a picture of "an apple for teacher" with a book. Also some more ric-rac on the edge of my second sunflower page which I cut round aswell. There is also some tape on the spine as the Gesso from the page above came through. Only a couple more pages to go now...

Wednesday 19 September 2012

WOYWW #172 - Arty

Hello to everyone in the WOYWW world. Yes here we are again showing our workspaces, if this is new to you pop over to Julia's place to find out more.

Bit of an arty view this week as I don't want to give too much away. I have at last done my September Timmy Tag which is on my previous post.


 
I have also done a few pages in my Circle Art Journal which is open at one of them.

There is also the beginnings of my September SWAP card on the theme of "Something Fishy".

I have also made up some more name badges for the helpers at my church toddler group.

Think I am well enough for badminton this week too, onward and upward. BJ

Tuesday 18 September 2012

TH #9 - September Tag

At last, I have done my September Timmy Tag. I was pondering how to go about substituting the typewriter as I didn't have the die, when the local magazine came through the door and would you believe a picture of a typrwriter. Well 3 in fact, small, medium and large. I used the medium one on the tag and made the small one into a mini tag hung from the ribbon. I tried the alcohol ink technique but not having wire wool it was a disaster but it washed off with blending solution and I opted for the black paint dabber instead. The film strip is handmade with acetate and a stamp but this time I made it narrower by cutting and fixing the 2 smaller halves together. The number is from my WORDPLAY die and the little travel bag in the bottom corner covers wording which went over the typewriter. Really enjoyed the metal work on this tag. BJ

Wednesday 12 September 2012

WOYWW #171 - Curtains

Bit late today, family hit by a late Summer cold. Husband has just gone back to work after a couple of days off sick and son only managed a couple of days of the new term before he too is off sick. I am pending the same but as a SAHM you can't really get a day off, can you?

As for my desk, not much crafting has taken place except my SWAP/ABAC/Tim Holtz ATC entry which you can see on my previous post. Other than that my picture shows my new lace curtains. I bought a set from Ikea the other week just to make the half curtains for my room and the bathroom but they were SO long that I was able to make two long ones for my room as well. They edge the window nicely when the curtains are open, and I just love the scalloped edges, so pretty and romantic.

As I am not at badminton today as I am just not up to it, I really ought to try to get some scrapping done..........

Oh dear in my haste to get something done this morning I forgot to mention why on earth I am sharing my curtains/desk with you all and what WOYWW means. So pop along to Julia's place and all will be explained.

Sunday 9 September 2012

Apple for Teacher

I seem to have alot going on right now and the challenges are piling up. First I needed an ATC for a monthly swap and this month's added extra was metal. Tim Holtz's tag this month is metal based so I thought I'd practice his techniques on my swap ATC. I have a few metal working tools but really liked the ball point pen technique he shows us. Typically I stuck my diecuts on BEFORE doing the black paint thing (don't have black alcohol ink) but I managed to get some on round the edges. Lastly as this "isn't" a card I guess I can link it to the ABAC challenge as well. Three challenges in one hit, horrah!

Wednesday 5 September 2012

WOYWW #170 - Funeral


Hi folks and Happy WOYWW to you all. I managed to visit everyone last week although I only managed to comment on about a third. Been a bit of a hectic week but unfortunately not much in the crafting sense. Hopefully you'll be able to see that I do get a bit messy when I do stuff, as I have just completed a sympathy card for my Aunt as we are going to her late husband's funeral today. My uncle was Sir Rhodes Boyson. I stayed with them for a few weeks when I first came to work in London, many years ago.    













He was quite a character, and had a no-nonsense approach to education. I got this photo from the BBC webpage although there were many articles in the various papers here in the UK. He was a teacher, headmaster and minster in our government in the 80's.

I did manage to get my July/August tags into my journal though. Here are the "before tags" and "after tags" photos. Camera colour makes out they are completely different pages - LOL.


 
Anyway, apologies if I am late replying to anyone this week. BJ

Saturday 1 September 2012

SSS&S - Summer Distress

Over at Simon Says Stamp and Show they are looking at the Summer Distress colours and as I LOVE these colours I just had to have a go. When I received my set back in June I made the little ATC sampler of the colours so I have now made a bigger tag version with added stamping with TH stamps to show off the colours even more. Then the funny thing was I was brushing my teeth and saw that our family toothbrushes are in the same Summer Distress colours too! Having a husband and son, guess which one is mine!