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 Junk Journaling too. Previously I've also dabbled in ATCs, Tags, Altered Books, Mixed Media, Art Journaling, 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, but am plagued by a bad back. I like walking which I couple with Geocaching and sometimes Bouncing on my Rebounder (mini trampoline). I guess I am officially retired now. I am a born again Christian, currently worshiping at my local Vineyard Church.

Wednesday 16 July 2014

WOYWW #267 - Colour Fest

Some eagle eyed from last week spied my bag of Loom Bands, well the craze gripped me this last week.

My desk moved to the side table in the lounge where I have made loads of bracelets just with the hook. Then I bought a kit with a loom and have made the critters and crosses since.


On my actual desk is my last Summer of Colour piece and my little DLP which is getting mighty full.

This week I had Craft Club in my house and we décopatched wooden spoons.

Also my roll of fancy coloured Duck Tape as I am trying the tape method of wart removal, the NHS even list it as a valid treatment option.

So Yes definitely having a colour fest this week for WOYWW.

Summer of Colour - Week 6

I am loving the warm rich colour palette this week of Raspberry, Tangerine & Lemon, a bit fruity even.

I found a previously embossed piece of white card in the Watch design and just added Picked Raspberry and Spiced Marmalade Distress inks.

I painted on some Lemon for the numerals and stuck some yellow card circles in the centres.

It needed something more so I mooched around and found the diecut flowers which I inked more yellow with Mustard Seed, plus the leaves with Spiced Marmalade and the centres are pink liquid pearls.

Nothing I had ever imagined, I just went with the flow and it all seemed to come together. Much happier with my piece for this the last week of the Summer of Colour Challenge.

Thanks Kristin it has been a great colour-fest again this year.

Saturday 12 July 2014

Summer of Colour - Week 5

This week's colours for the Summer of Colour Challenge are Royal Blue, Red and Light Blue.

I was in fear of missing the deadline so, as I had bought a new Alcohol Ink (AI) in light blue (Pool) recently, I decided to have a go with that and the Red and Blue I already had. (Sail Boat Blue and Red Pepper).

I used some glossy photo paper, dripped the inks on it and used my Timmy Distress Marker Spritzer tool to give it a whoosh about.

I embossed (in keeping with my theme) the piece with swirls. I added a few "lowlights" to the swirls in black permanent marker. I added some Liquid pearls and glitter and even coloured the Washi tape, for attaching it to my DLP journal, with the Pool AI. I also filled in the remaining white space with Blue and Red Sharpie pens.

Can't say it is my favourite piece, but fulfills the criteria methinks.

Colour Junkie

I think it is official - I'm a colour junkie.

It started with brads, grommets, and buttons and bits which are all "rainbow" sorted in compartment boxes.

Now it is Loom Bands!







Got the last box kit in "The Works" this morning and have sorted them, adding the black card partitions where the loom was so I could add my other ones into the box too.

These are the "boy" selection.

Friday 11 July 2014

Band Bonkers

I'd noticed the stretchy band bracelets about on Create and Craft and on blogs and when I saw a load in The Works earlier this week, I bought a small packet to have a go. Little did I realise that when my 15yr old son saw me with them he would be so excited.

I guess he doesn't think I am hip and with it at my ripe old age, however, this craze is certainly the "IN" thing at the moment, as shown in this BBC news report.

I got to work...

The bands from The Works are called Loom Twister and the 99p packet I got had quite a small plastic hook which wasn't taking the strain very well as the bands seemed to stick to themselves alot.
I ended up using one of my own metal crochet hooks but that wasn't much better.


I made my first basic bracelet, then I had a look on-line and watched a YouTube video on how to made a fishtail so I have been making those ever since.
At a local toy shop I managed to get a 2nd packet called Loom Bands in "boy" colours and they were £1.50.

These bands are alot smoother and seem coated so they don't stick together, the plastic hook is much more substantial too. I am thinking these are the original and the others might be a copy, who knows.



So guess what, I have made LOADS! Well what else do you do when your laptop has died and your tablet is in factory reset mode awaiting replacement and you have to share the main PC with your husband?

Wednesday 9 July 2014

WOYWW - #266 - Où est BJ?

Still here but have had a sort of break from things, challenges, WOYWW and the like.

I have still managed to do The Summer of Colour and am chipping away at the 2014 Scavenger Hunt (Photos)



As you might notice there is something missing from my desk - namely my laptop. Well it finally gave up the ghost. I'm now sharing the main PC with my husband although I do have a tablet as well.


Worst bit is when he's at work and decides to commandeer the PC remotely and logs me off whilst I am doing something - not funny I can tell you.

Anyway popped into town shopping yesterday and bought some new clothes plus a saunter into "The Works" so my desk is showing off my goodies.

Monday 7 July 2014

2014 Scavenger Hunt - Part 04 - Tyres & Tats

I am having a giggle to myself.

Just had 4 new tyres fitted on my car by the mobile fitters Event Tyres.

The guy was really pleasant and friendly and as he was finishing up I spotted his tattoo!


Not one to miss a trick, and to make up for the poor luck I have been having lately with the Scavenger Hunt, I asked him if I could take a photo of his tattoo and also if he'd mind if I put it on my blog. He willingly obliged, so here it is, #08 A Tattoo on a Person.

Sunday 6 July 2014

2014 Scavenger Hunt - Part 03

Woke early (before 5am) so thought I'd pop out to the Racecourse (Epsom) to see if I could catch a good #13 Sunrise photo.You get a great view of London from up on the Downs but as for the Sunrise, not today!

But wait a minute this would fulfill the #07 Rural Landscape nicely.


I had to console myself with a #03 Bird on a "Signpost" (there were two Magpies initially but I wasn't quick enough) and a flurry (20 in all) of #17 Lamp posts.

On the way home I spotted lots of wires for the Bird on a Wire photo, but they weren't playing ball at 5am either.



I think it is back to bed for me now!



Saturday 5 July 2014

Le Tour de Jardin

Oh how could I resist, I was kindly reminded about my monthly garden photo by Elizabeth over on Altered Book Lover

And as it is the start of The Tour de France today (and the first 3 stages are in old Blighty), my blog post title just had to be!



Here are a few snaps out of my bedroom window as usual.


I have expanded to the left and right and also above the usual shot to show the lovely trees we have in the vicinity.










Also my metal wall decorations plus all the little roofs, which were one of the features which endeared me to the house in the first place.

Friday 4 July 2014

Dans Le Jardin

Had a few hours in the garden this afternoon and jolly glad of the shade of our mega Magnolia tree as it is so hot here in the South East of the UK.

Gosh did I really say that!

I had visited the garden shop this morning so had some new plants to plant.

I was doing my hanging baskets and I needed new plastic liners and what should I come across but this beautiful wrapping, I couldn't resist.

I had saved the wrapping from this parcel back in January (who in their right mind could have thrown it away) and it has been languishing in my cupboard ever since.






OK so you can't really see it in there but I know it is there and I'll think of the sender each time I see it. Bet you didn't imagine its new use Anne.
I also did some running repairs on one basket , sewing the edge back together! And potted up a few other planters too.













And I caught my husband up a ladder, always worth a photo, and yes look at that blue sky, I wasn't kidding about the lovely weather.





And finally a sneaky peak down the side path to the back garden, the Buddleia is lovely this year.

Tuesday 1 July 2014

Summer of Colour - Week 4

Oh such a gorgeous pallet to play with yet again. The colours for the Summer of Colour challenge this week are Pink, Apple Green & Dark Green.

A big huge thank you to Louise Robertson over on the DLP facebook group for inspiring me this week. She mentioned that the Journal 52 prompt for week 26 was "Under the Sea". Also the Timmy Tag this month happens to be on the same theme so I got to work.

I picked out some Apple Green card and embossed its edge using parts of embossing folders and the Tim Holtz diffuser plates in my Cuttlebug. I inked the raised bits and clear heat embossed them (all in keeping with my embossing theme for this year!)

I cut the fish from Pink and Dark Green card and crackle painted them. Added a bit of stenciled plants. Then out came the liquid pearls, hmmm went to town a little with these.

I photographed my DLP page with the piece of colour co-ordinated paper I found too and my new Washi tape from Sainsbury's which I bought today. So I have managed a combined Summer of Colour, Journal 52 and Timmy Tag inspired page all in one. What a great way to start the month.