Alpha Challenge #20 - Jesus Day

Nearly got unstuck with the letter "J" on the Craft Barn's Alpha Challenge plus my special day theme but Karen came up trumps for me yet again.

Jesus Day is the common name for the March for Jesus held on the Saturday before Pentecost Sunday.

Juan Sheet - The Second

Totally inspired by Craft Club's Juan Sheet demonstration this week, so I have carried on with another little set of Christmas cards made from just Juan Sheet.














This time from a Marianne "Pretty Paper Bloc" pack. The pages are only 21x15cm each and I made 4 A6 cards from just Juan Sheet. I used up more of the gold embellishments I had already cut at club and also some from a second sheet.

12 Months - October Calendar

It's that time again for another calendar page for my 12 months journal. Can't believe I have been keeping up and filling in all my days too, this will be a super reminder of the year. What a great way to keep a diary.

I found my page was rather more "dowdy" than September's bright page so was quite disheartened, however my son said that not everything is bright all the time - aw. The chit-chat words express how I feel about this journal journey; beautiful, creative, memories.

Craft Club - Juan Sheet

Oh the title of last night's Craft Club made me giggle so I just HAD to do that one of the two tables on offer.

Juan Sheet refers to the using of one sheet of 12x12 or A4 paper/card to make various cards. Here are my first 5 cards.















I didn't follow any plan I tend to just cut'n'go fitting the paper to the card blanks I had. I made some backgrounds and some embellishments from my one piece of 12x12 patterned paper and various embellishments from an A4 piece of gold card. Here's a shot of our table.

As usual I left the card making up until today in my craftcorner, and made 5 little Christmas cards. I do have quite a few pieces left over so I suspect at least another 5 cards could be made from the left overs.

The other table were making up Christmas card toppers using usual shaped dies. Here are the photos of a few.



I love the penguin and robin so will be trying those later. Jolly glad I bought some circle dies earlier this year, just need the scalloped edged ones to go with them now!







Just HAD to add the advert which set off all this frivolity especially for my overseas visitors who may not have a clue what all the laughter is about.

WOYWW #225 - Sewing

I think I hinted on getting my sewing machine out a couple of weeks back and I've had a few items which needed altering in a pile for a while so out it came. It usually lurks in the back of the wardrobe and probably gets used a lot more in Narnia than it does here - LOL.


I have shortened the strap on my Tim Holtz messenger bag and added some "D"-rings to his apron as I am sure they were both made for a giant, of which I most certainly am not. I have also taken in some pj bottoms and trousers for my hubby as he has become so trim with all the cycling - lighter than me now even.


Anyway, as for crafting projects this week, all I have done is a page in my 12 months journal and I am pending doing the October calendar pages soon using one of the stamps I made the other week. The colourful box is my micro beads which haven't been used YET.


Oh so much to do, so little time. I'm off to Craft Club this evening so at least I'll do something there.

Come join the fun in the weekly mega desk hop we lovingly call WOYWW over at Julia's.

Have fun.

2013 Scavenger Hunt - Finale

The day finally dawns when the Summer Scavenger Hunt ends.

What a great time I had searching out all the items for photographs.


To round off here's the scrap page I made of my old/new fence photos.

Also a patriotic painted tree I saw in the woods, certainly out of place.

Thanks Rinda, looking forward to next year already.

12 Months - Art Challenge

The Art Challenge for September over on 12 Months in View is to create some decorative papers with everyday items.

I used scraps of neutral coloured patterned papers.


I covered them with Autumnal coloured paints.












I stencilled them with home made stencils.









I stamped them with household items.

Cut up into rectangles and then patchworked onto my page.

I added my latest craft club pieces from the "Metal Effects" class.

a) Embossed Metal Tape covered card coloured with Alcohol inks.


b) Gilding Flakes - the latest addition to my stash!

Then I added some of the flying birds from my new die.

Yep - just HAD to add the words "FLY SOUTH" as Winter is looming and the birds will be leaving for warmer climes.

Finally some white pen highlights and doodles to finish.

WOYWW #224 - Busy Bunny

Good morning all you WOYWWers and welcome to my colourful desk. I have certainly had a bit of a busy bunny week (first full week of son back at school might account for that) so I did loads of challenge projects.







For 12 Months in View I did my zine, made rope stamps, from which I made my pocket tag and I also made a Dyan Reaveley journal page. See my blog post HERE.










I loved the Dyan patchwork technique so much that I did my Alpha Challenge using it too. See my blog post HERE.

Then there is my Timmy September Tag of which I made 2 extra tags whist I was at it and a journal page too. See my blog post HERE.


Oh and after getting my order of Gilding Flakes I made the metal flower into a card with gilded DST lines.

I am amazed at how laid back I have become with my WOYWWing, it used to wake me in the night, but not so now, come join the fun at Julia's.

I do aim to visit and comment on all those who visit me but I have to say if you forget your number and/or have the word verification on this cuts down your chances of a reply. Also I have found that some Google+ accounts need me to register first and I'm afraid I do not wish to register, so unless you have direct e-mail access I can't leave you a comment either.

TH #09 September Tag

I have been sitting on this blog post for some time. Firstly as my order for the crinkle ribbon took an age to arrive, second as I made a few tags in the same style and one was for a SWAP and I didn't wish to give the game away before it was received.

I made 3 tags this month one like Timmy's and 2 with more of his workshop influence.

I bought some embossing paste some time ago and this was the first time I had used it properly, so thanks for the nudge Tim.


Really loved the colours in this month's tag, had to make do with my distress pads as I didn't have the stains in the same colours but no big deal.





So glad my workshop stencil was the sunshiny one, I love it. I had a honeycomb stencil and the others I made myself.

The butterfly stamps are all from different sets, mix and match is what I say.

Enjoyed staining my ribbon and then stencilling on top, what a great effect.











Oh and as I mopped up the ink with a spare piece of paper, I made this journal page too.
Yep - a fun time this month playing with Timmy's techniques and the bright colours - Brill.

Alpha Challenge #19 - Good Friday

Yes it is that time again for the next instalment of The Craft Barn's EPIC Alpha Challenge. This time we have the letter "G" and for my special day I have chosen Good Friday - easy peasy.

So why reinvent the wheel when you can just improve on it I say! I was so taken by the Dyan Reaveley Patchwork Background technique as found through my 12 months challenge blog that I used that again for this page.

Thought the black would reflect the sadness of the day but the bright colours would show what was to come through the risen Messiah.

To make the page you start off by taking a pen for a walk, then you fill in the sections with patterns. I used a permanent pen this time as my coloured pens are watercolours, got caught out on my first page! I even got out a magazine with a feature on zentangle to help here.

You place a mask on one side of the page and dab black paint around it.

Then you colour in the respective patterns the same colours.

You outline the shape and the lines in black plus the shape in white and add white writing round the black side. Most enjoyable.

12 Months - September

Hi folks. I have been beavering away at the last few 12 Months in View projects the past few days so here is what I have been up to.

1) My Quarterly Zine for Autumn, where I inked the whole A4 sheet with Dylusions using leaf masks (paper and acetate).













I then made up the zine booklet and taped the open edges with Timmy Tissue Tape and added the inked paper leaves too.

I stamped all the 3 month words and then finished off the September page.


2) Recycled Project, Making Stamps. I made up some stamps using the cardboard box and rope/wool technique.











I also liked the pattern left on the brayer after inking up the stamps.








I made up the little pocket/tag using the swirly stamp I made.


3) Dyan Reaveley style page.

I had great fun doing this page in my journal that I have just finished a second page and I have detailed the stages in its making HERE - although you can go watch Dyan do it too - HERE.