WOYWW #217 - Scavenger Hunt

Hi all - a bit late today as only just returned from a break away in Sunny Swansea, South Wales UK.
Obviously no crafting done but I did manage to come home with a few trinkets from my Mother's mega post-closing a wool shop down some years ago hoard!

I got a few reels of satin ribbon in rather patriotic colours (and purple velvet) a few reels of thread and a bag of delicious buttons! I tore the top off our chip box as I am sure I can find a way to scrap it when I eventually get around to the photos. We only took 934 between us over 5 days!

I did take the chance to find the last few elusive photos for the Summer Scavenger Hunt. There just had to be #19 a fishermen by the sea now didn't there? I got one with the Mumbles Pier in the background and from the other direction with Oystermouth Castle in the background. Spot the lads launching themselves off the steps into the sea at high tide too!! Scary.

On a trip out we happened upon a charity walk for prostate cancer with lots of men dressed in pink! I snapped one as we drove by and I think he'll do nicely for the, #09 A photo of someone or something that is clearly out of place or doesn't belong item don't you?

Then we drove up onto the common to the little provincial airport for the #04 Airplane photo. Got a jet and a little plane.

We even spotted a Red Kite above us too - a rare sight.


Here's a few others which have been waiting for this post too. Another contender for the #01 Open air Market taken in Sutton and #20 a dinosaur sitting outside "the Works" in Sutton too. Plus my son in his patriotic t-shirt for the bonus one of a person wearing an outfit (or item of clothing) that symbolised your country.











Oh and for the crafty aspect the card I made up with my cross stitch which not only is my surname initial but also my Mother's forename so I gave it to her as a thanks for having us these past few days.

So come join the fun at WOYWW hosted by Julia.

(and do click on the photos to see them full size)

WOYWW #216 - Timmy Tag

Yes finally got round to my July Timmy Tag. Not having the same stash as Tim and not being American either I found I was inspired by the home grown talent of Maisie Moonshine a fellow WOYWWer.





Whilst I had the brayer out and distress ink on the mat I started the background for an Art Journal page in the latest Round Robin journal to hit my craftspace too.

I did my Alpha Challenge page for "T" and trooping the colour (Our Queen's official birthday parade).

And a scrappage inspired by yet another WOYWer.


I guess that is about it for this week as it has been another HOT one and my craft corner is upstairs and WAY too hot for much crafting.

Not forgetting the numerous hospital visits for check-ups and procedures, it's been a bit of a week!

So to join the WOYWW fun pop along to Julia's pad here.

TH #07 - July Tag

Been pondering Timmy's July tag for a while. Needed to change the design to fit my stash and I was rather taken by Maisie Moonshine's use of the butterfly die. I said she led the way for the British version of this month's tag, so I did use the butterfly but side on instead.

Didn't really get to grips with the brayer and distress ink technique but I had a go.

Enjoyed the crackle with the distress ink on the grungeboard though and stamping the seam binding for the tie.

Just HAD to include my new film strip washi tape and my freebie flower stamp from my visit to CraftsULove for their 7th birthday last Saturday.

Alpha Challenge #15 - Trooping the Colour

Oh been waiting for "T" to come up in The Craft Barn's Alpha Challenge. A special day from last month is the Queen's Official Birthday celebrated on the 2nd Saturday in June. It is called Trooping the Colour, where a flag is the "colour" and it has been a British tradition since 1748.

A different regiment is chosen each year to troop their colour through the ranks of the guards and the Queen inspects her troops. There are march pasts and fly pasts too after the royal party gets back to Buckingham Palace.
It is a splendid occasion.

Tag & Scrapping

The 12 Months in View Challenge Blog had a summer tag today so I did my little tag for my July pocket. I used some distress paint for the backing and stencils and distress ink on top. I'm entitling it Summer Nights with its pearly moon and stars.









Totally inspired by the WOYWW page of Danie May. She used octagons for a LO for Scouts. My next pending set of photos just happened to be my son's Scouts at the St. George's Day parade back in April this year. Also I had recently bought a set of Hexagon dies (X-cut) so I gave it a go. A fab way to get lots of photos on one layout, I used 7 of the 8 I had printed of the occasion. I decorated the edge with a chicken wire stencil and bubble wrap stamping. The alphabet dies are Tim Holtz - Typeset and Quickutz - Magnolia.

WOYWW #215 - This & That

Morning WOYWWers, here's what I've been up to this week.





I made the last twinchie for the Summer of Colour Challenge so now have a set of 6 critters.








I made a card for a swap using a piece half made at craft club last week.

I made a drum twinchie as my son passed his grade 4 Drum Exam.













I did letter "Y" for the Alpha Challenge and received a "Wall of Fame" badge for my "B" letter on Bonfire Night.


I received a swap of a decorated envelope containing as sketch, ribbon, diecuts and a photo. The photo just happened to be of a swan and I went Swan Upping on Monday too.












Last night my son was presented with an award for his Science work from the broadcaster and journalist Nicholas Owen. It was held at Epsom Racecourse.

Swan Upping

Day one of the week long Annual event of Swan Upping started today on the River Thames. We popped along to see the skiffs go through Shepperton Lock.












There were quite a few people lining the banks to watch and cameras filming the event too.

The swans all belong to either the Dyers, the Vintners or our Queen.

I did my Alpha challenge for the letter "U" for this special event. Upping is where all the cygnets are marked according to their heritage.                                   I just realised that as the swans are all protected, the River Thames is a kind of Nature Reserve for them so I am entering this picture for the Scavenger Hunt #11 An animal in a zoo, aquarium, or nature reserve.

Summer of Colour - Week 6

Last week of the Summer of Colour - Artist's Choice Challenge. Horrah I actually got the colour choice I voted for this week, so finishing on a good note already. I have really liked making twinchies this year too.

Anyway the colours are Sage & Sepia this week. I felt I just needed to use the dictionary definitions and with sage being of the wise, my critter for this week just HAD to be an owl.

Drum Twinchie

The theme on the Twinchie Challenge Blog this month is Music & Lyrics.

I have been pondering this for a while and been as though my son took his grade 4 drum kit exam last week and he passed it too, I thought what better way to commemorate this than on this months twinchie.

I used some old music paper I sourced from a charity shop last year, duly inked and water marked. I embossed the edges with blue embossing powder I got in a swap and hadn't used before.

I stamped the drum kit on shrink plastic (3 times just in case) with Ultramarine Staz-On. I put a hole in a couple and gave one of those to my son as a key ring.

I popped a brad top right and added some navy ric-rac and some real watch gears, well music is all about timing isn't it? He really loves my twinchie.

Catch-Up Post

Been a bit behind in my challenges so here is a little catch-up.

First my Craft Barn Alpha Challenge letter "Y" and the colour yellow. Yorkshire Day is celebrated on 1st August and the emblem is the white rose.

Second my Summer of Colour Week 5 with the colours Candy Apple Red and Yellow. Who'd have thought a ball flower would make a good spider's web?

 Third an update on my Dandelion Page in my 12 Months journal. I found a piece of acetate with alcohol inks on it which was in my scrap box so I hinged this to the page with washi tape. I was looking for a clock die but had to cut a fresh one.



And lastly my July zine.

Craft Club - Distress Resist

At craft club this week we did some distress resist using heat embossing. Just found their link to a tutorial here. Have to say I wasn't completely taken with the technique during class, but there again I'm not a stamper at heart.

I left it a couple of days and had another go at home and it was much better - think my ink pads are a bit more juicy and having all colours to hand made it easier.

Only real problem at home is the lack of appropriate stamps for the technique. Found I didn't have any solid stamps for the top image then remembered the balloon stamp I bought after a stamp class many years ago! And a couple I made during journal challenges.

Here's my quick tutorial.











1) Stamp a background script or other with Versamark or Perfect Medium and emboss on white card with WHITE embossing powder.
2) Over colour in a range of distress inks (using pale colours)
3) Dry the inks (my first mistake as I missed this bit out on my music sample)











4) Over stamp with a more solid stamp again in Versamark or Perfect Medium and emboss with CLEAR powder (as you want to see the colours through image)
5) Ink over the whole design with a darker ink.

As for the Perfect Medium - my pad seems to have disintegrated. It is a mushy mess so not quite so perfect! I got a little pad with a set of Perfect Pearls and the pad was just the same. Whereas my Versamark just goes on and on. Not sure I'd buy a Perfect Medium pad again!












Here's a close up of the number stamp I used. I made it from my Tim Holtz WORDPLAY die and funky foam stuck on some corrugated cardboard. The leaf stamp was from the TH Autumnal strip die stuck on a wooden block. This last sample is all I could do with my own stamps as the other script ones were from class.