Catching up . .

 I have missed most of this year's craft creations . . . all of this year come to think about it . . . 

I shall start in January and hope I can catch up before February finishes!!!

As always I shall start with UkATCs as this is my favourite Group.

In January the Theme was . . . 

Snowy Days

I used received Christmas cards as backgrounds and added a few Vera Lane images.  I shrunk them down, watercoloured them and added a printed sentiment.

I received the following:

Thank you PaulineM, Rubes and PaulineY, super selection thanks to PaulineM.

Colour: Orange and Brown

Remember the bicycle wheels?  Pretty pleased with how they worked out. Printed out the sentiments from my laptop . .  as appropriate as possible!

I received the following from PaulineM, PaulineY and Thelma.

Thank you all.

Coin 01: Bears

Stamped on painted backgrounds and watercoloured.

I received these from PaulineY, Thelma and PaulineM.  Love all the dainty, tiny work on Thelma's coin!  Thank you all.

Coin 02: Leaves

I used some goldish paper for the backgrounds and added some diecuts.  Used up quite a bit of my stash here.

I received these from Pauliney, PaulineM and Thelma.  What a superb selection again.

How I wish Blogger would sort out the text . . . I start out with it all the same and then they decide to change it!  Not even in a way that makes sense!

WOYWW #716

 Where have I been? I hear you asking . . . 

I have just spent the last 45mins trying to get the brushes on my old vacuum cleaner working!!  Remind me not to vacuum the floor in my craft studio . . .  

The desk

I am upcycling some stash.  

I found these small photos in my 'paper' box which I am slowly working through . . . Christmas stash at the back. . .  the cause of this box!!

Also in view, top right, are this month's swap cards received earlier today.

It is very grey and overcast today but I am happy to report that there is also intermittent fine rain showers.  The rain makes me happy as the garden is in dire need.  I found a pot with some primroses shooting so I brought them out onto the plant theatre . . . .  Mother Nature watering them for me!

The screen . . .

 . . . is how I feel this week after my weekend retail therapy, my Japan Craft sale and some other stash due to arrive soon!

Have a happy WOYWW

More new stash

Remember the sale?

My order arrived . . .

Some of this

Some of this

and some of this

I have been making and creating . . . .

It has been like good medicine . . . I feel so much better now . . . . .  !! 

Wandering the Estate. . . .

 I went to fill the bird feeders today and had a look round . .  as you do . . . 

Inside the Greenhouse the bulbs are all coming into flower.

The crocus that have been just thrown in there a month or so ago . . bought them as a job lot (very cheap) and then forgot about them . . . have no idea what colours are there . . .but we've started with yellow!

The Hyacinths that are going to be repotted or planted in the garden every year . . .  maybe this year . .

and out side . . .. 

These were brought home in a small polystyrene cup by my son when he was in Nursery . . . . I won't tell you how old he is now  . . . but every year they come up and remind me that Spring is on its way . . .

WOYWW #715

 WOYWW - All the deets on how to link up etc. and, more importantly, why you should, can be found at the top of the page.  Thank you Julia for reminding what day of the week it is! 

I hope you are sitting down . . . .  I have stash!!  

My desk . .  all laid out to tell the tale . . . 

I went to a craft show near Birmingham Airport last weekend . . . . just for some Oriental stamps, dies and embossing folders. . . . .

Between DDN and myself we managed to find a few reasonably priced ones . . . .

  . . . . then in a sale basket I found these . . .

In a different time zone, DDN off loaded her craft stash unto me . . . which included some Flowersoft stash . . .I have a bit more now!!

Then there were these . . . 

large and small A6 size envelopes!  Pearlised paper at that . . . . 

 

Altogether a good day . . .  maybe not a lot of stash but enough travelling for me in one day!

Anyhow, my local Japanese shop, https://www.japancrafts.co.uk/#/, sent me an email about her latest finds . . . . . I'm saving money in the long run . . . .

The screen reminds me that the Commonwealth Games bull is going to have a new home . . . . .

In Grand Central at New Street Station . . . . there won't be any of this though! . . . .

I'm just relieved that he hasn't been sold for scrap (he's polystyrene really) as he is a great work of art and us Brummies love him!

Tiny Ink Pads

 In another time zone I purchased a selection of small Distress Ink pads.  Used much since . . .  not really.

Then I saw a lady on that channel using one to edge the card she had made . . .  I've always used my Sharpies, present from SILR, and was quite happy.

Today I have remade a swap, reveal comes later, use paper/card cut into strips and attach to form an abstract pattern.  

The adhesive had not quite dried so in order to cut up the ATCs from the rather large master board, I covered the design with the paper I stamped off those primitive hearts.

As I edged the ATCs, I noticed that there were dashes etc. from the paint on the heart sheets attached to the design . . . . .  rather effective me thinks.

So experiment time . . . . .

Paper without ink pad marks

Paper with ink pad marks . . . . just using the edge of the pad . . . .

Little birds or just triangles . . .

river waves or just lines . . . 

a fan or spiral . . .

I am going to have a great experimental time . . . .

I guess you knew all this about inkpads but it's new to me . . . . 

WOYWW #714

 Happy Birthday Catt!!!  

Have sent her a beautiful card which I bought at the Crop last year.  I can't remember who  (it may have been Eva) created it but thank you for such a beautiful work of art . . I have enjoyed it as I have looked after it, until yesterday when I posted it off to Catt . . . I know she will love it too. (can't show it as it might not have been delivered yet)

But . . . .today is Desk Day!

Mine is clear! 

After yesterday's fun (see yesterday's long long post), I have been looking through my sentiments and images while watching TV.  I still have no idea how to finish the ATCs but they will get done.

All the decs have now gone, it's taken a long time but the room is back to normal . . .

Till the boys come that is!!!!

Have a good week and enjoy . . . . 

this fella makes me smile, he's up on the screen again . . .

Lino cutting

 The sun is shining and it is -3C out there . . .  I shall have to stay indoors, tempting as it looks to go outside . . . . I will just have to stay in and craft!!

I have signed up to a new swap with ATCs For All Group . . . try something new.

I have a lino cutting kit I bought for myself many moons ago . . .  too many to count!  I signed up as I now have a legitimate excuse to use this kit and actually try it out . .  today's the day . . . . BTW  this will be a long post as I am sure you want to know the ins and outs of how it went . . . . get yourself a nice drink (maybe a biscuit) and settle down . . .

The kit comprises of many parts, including an instruction sheet which I have taken out and read many times over the years. . . . then put it all away again.

So there it is . .  printing tray, lino of varying sizes and types, tube of ink, cutting machine (it all fits together to make the cutting pen, very clever) and a roller.

I used the piece of lino to the left and after several sketches on the flat side of the lino, decided to go with a primitive heart.  It was quite difficult at first, helps if you hold the cutting pen the right way up, but it did get easier.   I think that with more practice I could attempt the image in my head . . . . one day!

Printing was easier, on home ground as it were, first with Distress inks, then a pigment ink and then some acrylic paint.  I also used the printing ink but it didn't improve much.

Now I had tried out the 'stamp', I moved on and sorted out my packaging to make the ATCs . .

Oops! not that one . . 

This one!  The variety of packaging used is not indicative of any particular choices, more just for the background.  So I printed . . .

Hmmm!  they are ok but need to be more organised, I think, so try again . . .

Next packaging . . .  don't tell Phil . . .  I love his magazines and products but don't like too much waste so  . . .

From one box front I can get nine ATC bases . . . well done Phil for super packaging!

This time I tried to organise the stamping a bit better, having the finished ATC in mind.  Neglected to take a photo here but I did feel happier with the layout and colours.

Moving on . . . 

Once I had cut out the ATCs, I was quite happy with them, they are more or less how I imagined them.  

The disinfectant box . . . 

Phil's packaging . . .

Yes!  A very good morning's work.

I shall finish them off with a sentiment on the first ones and maybe an image and sentiment on the second set. . . . . sometimes ATCs have their own ideas  . . . 

WOYWW #713

  WOYWW - All the deets on how to link up etc. and, more importantly, why you should, can be found at the top of the page.  Thank you Julia for hosting another week of fun and mayhem.

REALLY!

HONESTLY?

FEBRUARY?!?!?!?!

Enough said.

Well, the embossed papers were put to one side as I was distracted by a Blog Post which I thought I had saved so I could link you up . . . . . seems not . . .

The idea is to use embossing ink, various mark makers and embossing powder.

Here you have my desk just before clearing away:

I started with sorting out some markmakers and inkpad . . .

Then my 'longtime no see' embossing powders tub appeared . . .

                                              

After much stamping, pressing lightly, swiping etc. I now have some wonderful backgrounds for future ATC swaps . . .

They are all shiny and I love a bit of shiny, shiny, very, very shiny (whatever happened to that disc?).

Today's screen:

Have a good crafty week