Craft Club - Hot Hot Hot

The current challenge at Ashtead Craft Club in Hot Hot Hot. Well it was hot when it was set in July!

Anyway there were 3 types of hot things to do this month to help with the challenge. Friendly Plastic, Shrink Plastic and Melt Pot. I opted for the latter as I don't actually have one of my own and had only tried it once at club before.







We were dipping shapes in clear UTEE,and I got in a right pickle! With intricate shapes the spaces get filled with the UTEE so to alleviate this you need to further heat with a heat tool hoping it would drip off.

Lets just say I managed a few pieces and further tried to refine them at home with my heat tool. My pieces are OK and I have made up various projects with them but I am not running out to buy a Melt Pot.

So what did I do? 9 butterflies, 3 flowers and 3 leaves. I made up 3 cards, my A4 challenge piece called "Butterfly Fest", and I also added a few of the items to the cover of my Challenge Folder.

Craft Club - Iris Folding

One of the members who comes along to my craft club brought some samples he'd done of Iris Folding, also another member left her book by mistake.

Thought it would be rude of me not to make up the card I really liked especially as it happened to be in the book which was left behind too.

So here are the Champagne Glasses.

I liked it so much I made a second too. Well I did have the papers out to hand. I used wrapping paper, Christmas hat papers and an old envelope. Can't be bad.

Scavenger Hunt Part 08

Gosh - only a few left to get but I might be struggling with some, so here is alternative #B A Bird House. My son made it in school a few years ago, not sure it has had any residents yet though.

Whilst out walking/geocaching yesterday, my husband #10 Photo Bombed my #07 A Rural Landscape photo. So I did likewise to his! Not exactly lurking in the background but rather "in your face".










Think I might be struggling for #15 A Juggler, #16 A Sign in a Different Language, #18 Waterfall and even the alternative #A A Kite, Hot Air Balloon or Blimp (whatever that is!!)


Oh and for the record a photo of #17 An Old Lamppost next to a New One. No comparison really, what we have gained in height we have lost in artistic quality.

Cane Hill Hospital - Geocaching

Out doing some Geocaching and came across the old derelict site of Cane Hill Hospital. We have been living in the vicinity for 15 years but never knew it existed - so all thanks to Geocaching.

It would seem that the main area of this site was a mainstay for urban explorers when it was closed down in the early 90's. Not much of the original buildings are left now, just the imposing Water Tower and the Chapel.

It does look like the site will be getting developed at long last and I believe these 2 features will be retained, although in what capacity I do not know.

Anyway footpath 744 cuts right through the site where the main area is cordoned off with huge metal fences.

There are however a few buildings on the opposite side of the footpath which are not fenced off and I was enticed by some colours through the trees. I found these mosaics made by some of the last residents in these outer buildings. I just thought these ought to be preserved in pictures too.



There was a building name and a date plaque.


Either side of the Well on its facing wall are what I thought were depictions of Spring, Summer and Autumn.

Then sure enough round the corner was Winter.

Such colourful mosaics which may be lost when the site is redeveloped but now can live here.

Scavenger Hunt Part 07

A couple more photos to add to the list for this year's Scavenger Hunt.

Firstly #05 A Rack of Postcards at our local lavender field.


Then a picture of me in the Lavender Field for #21 A Photograph of me with something representing the season.





But then we saw a cricket match and as that is a quintessentially English Summertime activity, I thought it should be included too.

Scavenger Hunt - Part 06

Just been to a Geocaching Event on International Geocaching Day. It was a Flash-Mob converging on a Big Oak Tree in a park so I am entering the group photo for #04 A Group of Tourists

On the way home I spotted some #03 Birds on a "Spire" and thought this a jolly good alternative to Birds on a "Wire". Good job we were conveniently stopped at some traffic lights. The church is/was The Guards Chapel Caterham Barracks.













Also we passed a #19 A Public Garden where 2 roads converged and stopped to take a few photos.




We later discovered it was Chaldon Way Gardens.

WOYWW #271 - Made Cards!

As I've actually done some crafting and it is Wednesday, thought I'd join in with WOYWW this week - shock horror - whatever next!?

Anyway, I had craft club at my house this Monday and we tackled some Iris Folding. I finished off my circle demo card today and thought I'd do a heart one before putting the last of the stuff away from Monday.

I really like the way the heart one came out too.

Then, as I have been sorting through my stash and came across some photos of flowers, I thought I'd do a couple of pages in my little CD flower album.

Of course I then had to do my SWAP card for my online group on the theme of Nature. You can only see a glimpse of it as I haven't sent it yet but I sort of got carried away after filing through my bits and bobs box...

So yes I have actually done some crafting so I hope my desk doesn't disappoint.

August Garden & Connections

I nearly forgot the August photo of the garden.

I guess not having my own laptop (it broke, so sharing the main PC again) and also our Service Provider "DEMON" giving us a very patchy service these past few weeks. Getting internet time is rather limited.

Anyway, here's my photo. We are having a very sunny Summer so far and this shot shows how lush the garden has become due to the lovely weather.

Oh and a bit of scrapping.......

Catching up on my day to day scrapping.

Here's my 50th Birthday back in February, yes I got a harp and no I didn't play any musical instrument before this!

Our 16th Anniversary also back in February, where we went to visit a harp makers.

Also a day out with my hubby at a local National Trust Property called Polesden Lacey back in March. We did a few more geocaches which make for a lovely walk around the outer grounds. The daffodils were super.

Scavenger Hunt - Part 05 - Urban/Mascot/Bakery

Here's a few of my Scavenger Hunt photos.

#06 An Urban Street Scene - Carshalton in London - one from one side of the pond and one from the other. The road goes along the edge of the ponds and one goes across the middle too.




We happened to visit on 4th August 2014 which was the day of commemoration of the start of WWI 100 years ago, so poppies abounded on all the railings, it was lovely to see.






I am thinking the Poppy will be my #12 A Mascot as it certainly is a  strong emblem of remembrance.

#09 A Bakery. I took these ages ago on my new phone and they weren't downloaded to the PC for a while then I forgot about them, until now.

Summery Scenes

Thought I best do a few pages in my DLP, not based on any prompts but after a few days out and about geocaching, just Summery. Here's my inspiration photos.

Here's my pages. The yellow one was thought about (sort of) while the white one was just the "mop-up" from the lovely stencil I used, plus a bit.

Craft Club - "Split Negative" Mica Technique

At Craft Club last week there were 2 demonstrations on offer, Powders and Pastels.

One was using Pan Pastels, something I have been meaning to try, but don't own so there wouldn't be any chance of me repeating the techniques at home at present.

The other was using mica powders (which I do have) and the "split negative" technique really intrigued me so I plumped for this one.


Firstly you stamp a block with Versamark or Perfect Medium. Our blocks were made using pieces of diecut foam.Then you gently dust your mica powder onto this block image.




Next you ink up a stamp, which ideally overlaps the block shape, also with Versamark or Perfect Medium. You stamp this image on top of the mica block. The ink should remove the mica from the block shape.

Then you carefully dust mica on the overlapping parts of the stamped image. Some of my attempts aren't quite careful enough or the stamp I used wasn't appropriate, but a few were OK.

There was a comment about my candles being for Christmas cards so I had to oblige. Fortunately I found the Christmas paper at club and I added some red glitter glue and the greetings when I got home when I got home.

I salvaged the Sunflower image by drawing over the innerparts with a white pen as they didn't show up enough before.

Cool technique.