12 Months Calendar, Tag & Garden

In my 12 Months in View Journal I have added the giveaway sunflower picture to my calendar pages and had to darken the backing to make it show up better. I had to cut and rearrange parts of the image to make it fit my space.

I also made up the pocket with the smaller sunflower image and popped the tag panel onto the back of my tag.












I have taken a few pictures of the pots which have run wild in my garden. I have a big dandelion, 3 tomato plants and a sunflower, all just appeared.




Not sure what the tallest plant is, kale perhaps? We had wheat last year! The baby oak tree seeded itself a few years back. The silver birch I now have in the garden was also found in a pot many years ago.



Still can't believe we have tomatoes forming on the plants. I tried to grow them quite some years ago and they got black spot so I didn't bother ever again. Shame I don't really like tomatoes.




I can't remember now but someone was asking about ladybirds this week and whether we'd seen any here in the UK this Summer. I had seen one in next door's compost bin earlier in the week so hoped there would be more and sure enough I saw another just now and grabbed a photo.

WOYWW #218 - Scrapping

I seem to have been on a scrapping roll since last week. Nearing the end of my current 60 page album just the last page to go, sitting on my desk needing sticking. That will make 8 pages in a week. I already have 5 planned for my next album and then it will be another big photo order.
















Other things done this week are, my Timmy August Tag, my Alpha Challenge "D" page, and some crackle/micro beads at craft club. There is also my August calendar page on my desk too.




To join in the big desk hop, pop over to Julia's Stamping Ground.

Craft Club Crackle & Micro Beads

At Ashtead Craft Club last week we learnt how to crackle. We used chipboard diecut shapes pre-cut or cut using the Cuttlebug and the big steel edge dies from Sizzix. Chipboard is advised as the paints are quite wet and thinner card can warp too much. Cardboard box card is fine.

We tried the Tim Holtz crackle paint  which comes in a pot and you just paint it on with the brush provided in the lid and wait (or use heat tool carefully if impatient!). I did the 2 seahorses with this medium. After it had dried and crackled nicely we used some metallic rub-ons on top which emphasise the cracks and adds further dimension.

I only have the clear rock candy crackle paint so it was good to try the coloured versions. Bet I could just mix some paint in mine though, even distress paint (must give that a go).

The other technique was using PVA glue and acrylic paint. First you cover your chipboard piece with a darker coloured acrylic paint and let it dry thoroughly. Then you cover it with a layer of PVA glue and let it dry only until it is tacky. Finally you cover it again with a lighter colour of acrylic paint. Again you can wait for the cracks to appear or chivvy along with a heat tool. I did the heart and butterfly this way.

Finally we were allowed free reign with MICRO BEADS! I don't have any of these so great to try something new. You just add PVA to where you want the beads, use a tray to catch the excess and pour them on. They do have a life of their own and tend to become a little static so beware!











Fortunately I had a pot to take my pieces home as the micro beads didn't all stick. I had a mix of blue, green and copper meads left in my pot.  To fix the beads I sprayed them with hairspray and that had the added effect of making the colour bleed a little which I rather liked. See butterfly before/after pictures above.

As I was doing an orange scrap-page of a friend's new baby I thought the heart I'd made would be just the right embellishment. However, as I wanted to balance the page I painstakingly separated the spare copper beads and made up two other hearts with them. Well worth the effort.

12 Months - August Calendar/Garden

OK I started did this in July but was away so didn't get round to blogging it. It still has space for the flower of the month to be added but here it is so far.

I inked the background - I much prefer ink to paint as it is smooth to the touch, as paint backgrounds are more like nails down a blackboard to me!

I made another stamp for the days in the shape of an ivy leaf. I just happened to buy a ivy die this month so added some to the corners. I even used the diecut  waste for the 2nd month label as well.




Here's my August garden photo as well. Glad to see the Wisteria has filled out all the spaces after its big cut back last year. It has even flowered again.








Here's a photo from the other end of the garden too. The hot summer days and intermittent downpours we have been having in the UK this year have surely brought out the best in the garden.

Bluebell Woods

It is funny how things happen. I was looking for some suitably coloured card for the lettering on my latest scrap-page when I spotted a decorated envelope I received in a swap which was just right.

I couldn't bear to cut it up but thought I must have some Dylusion waste in the scrap tin. I did but it needed some more colour, so out came the spray booth (pizza box!) and I gave it the once over.

There was quite a bit of ink left round the edges on the craft sheet so I made a tag too. But there was still more left over and then the cogs in my brain came together and I decided to stick my 12x12 card on the ink as well!













I dabbed some more, added some water, dried and distress inked the edges and added some lines and dots. I cut my photos with my new hexagon dies. I found a flower the right colour, also from a swap and some ric-rac from some happy mail too. A couple of gromlets and my favourite alphabet, Tim Holtz's Alphabetical.

I really enjoyed making the backing for this page.

TH #08 August Tag

I was spurred on to do the Tim Holtz August tag as I just happened to have some of the stamps Tim used. I soon realised that mine were a smaller version of the ones Tim used so aren't as dynamic on the same tag size (perhaps I ought to have made the tag smaller - all great in hindsight!)

I'm sure most of you know I'm not as at home with stamping as other techniques and to be quite honest I prefer the backing to the finished tag. I did like using some markers on the stamps though to highlight different elements, especially the stamp on the ticket stamp.

But guess what, not a single Distress Marker in this craftcorner. Wondering if I will be converted after attending Tim's UK workshop at the end of the month? Stranger things have happened.

Alpha Challenge #16 - St David's Day

The letter of the fortnight over at The Craft Barn's Alpha Challenge is "D".

For my special Day I wanted to do St David's Day, the patron saint of Wales as I grew up in Swansea, South Wales. But alas there was no David in my dictionary - sigh.

St David's Day is celebrated on 1st March each year and his emblem is the leek.

However, the flower of Wales is the Daffodil so thought I could do that for my definition. Two birds with one stone methinks.

I used up some patterned paper I have left from a giveaway on 12 months in view, and added some extra stencilling and glitter.

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.