February Swap

The Technique is called Retiform.  
I love it.
I have lots of examples on my Pinterest Board.
I have lots of practice sheets screwed up in my waste bin!!!
The first time I watched this video I knew I would have to try this Technique, so I watched the video again ..... and again ..... fascinated.
I have achieved a passable effort, I hope.
I used my new Distress Oxides from the show, some stamps that were donated to me, post-it notes and off I went.  

I shaded up my area, using Forest Moss for this one, chose a Russian Doll and stamped using Versafine Onyx.  The sentiment was also stamped with Versafine and edged with the Forest Moss.  I raised the sentiment on a 3D sticky pad.

I used Aged Mahogany for this card, for the shading and stamping.  The sentiment was created using Gathered Twig, again raised with a 3D sticky.

I used Gathered Twig on this one. all except the sentiment which was stamped with Versafine.

I am really pleased with these Retiform ATCs.

Thank you Jill for the donated stamps.

It looks like these have been lost in the post so I am attempting to make a replacement set.

I have received these cards by return:

Love these tiny die cuts - entitled Pink Bird!

Glittery and entitled - My Head Hurts!

Gorgeous die cut over flitter glitter - Shine a Light.

Love the way these cards have been titled.

Thank you Liz.

WOYWW #457

Wednesday is here already!  I am ill prepared today, no posting prepared so you get the full picture!!

Lots of paints and paper about the desk at the moment.  I am trying to complete all my ATC swaps and get a little ahead of myself ...... Spring is definitely coming, the Ribes is in bud!!! 
Yeah! 
Go Flowering Blackcurrant with all your dangly red flowers!!
Ahem!  Sorry!  Where was I? 
Oh! yes!  I have completed some Zodiac signs which you can just about see at the back, with a couple more ATCs in front.  I spent a pleasant afternoon, in between baking and washing (the girl is back in town), stamping and sticking and painting and generally getting messy.
I have two swaps this month with the theme Floral so I am using a set of stamps given away with a Papercraft magazine some time ago.  Another swap is Oriental Theme so I have used a different free set of stamps for that.  The Tree with Scales is free hand, Libra, but now of course I can't find my gold Stickles for the scales themselves!!!
If you would like to share your mess desk with like minded friends, please link up with us at Chez Julia (Stamping Ground).  There's lots of us over there, sharing all our little (or not so little) hobbies.  Come over and join in...........

New Toy

It's not often that we sit and watch the craft channels round here but sometimes .... just sometimes.... I manage to go through the listings and record a couple of shows for watching later.

One of the shows sounded enticing so I recorded it and then watched in amazement........

Fetched himself in to have a look  .........

He was on the phone, the goodies were ordered and they have been delivered today!


It was quickly opened and the contents checked.
  
Oh! Yes! 


 This will keep him quiet for a few weeks methinks!!

Snow's gone!

Well almost ......
Thought you might like a peek ..... not that you haven't had your own share of course!!!



We've managed to sort out the chickens (to the left) and the birds (straight ahead).....

..... although the fish took a bit longer until we gave up clearing on their behalf.

The geese didn't seem to mind, they just kept on smiling through .....

Believe it or not, the little lad was a fountain spraying into the pond, hope it will work again once everything thaws out.....

....... the little geese just about kept their heads up!!!  lol

Tissue Swap

An alternative Group was set up and I went across to have a look.  When I delved into the Group a bit more I realised that it was not a cardmaking/ATC swapping Group so withdrew.
Unfortunately, for me, I had been entered into the current swap - Tissue.

Not a clue!
Then I received the following....

How amazing!  
Two large sheets of tissue paper stamped all over with large picture and background stamps...... and then Pauline says it was a tad difficult cos she has two broken fingers!!!  wow!  


I showed this to PJ and we both discussed what I could do ..... Tissue ....... Tissue ......

PJ suggested making a matchbox, slightly larger than I usually make and then fill it with folded stamped tissue paper.
I thought this a good idea - proceeded to sort my tissue papers and started stamping.  I stamped my images in Versafine Black Onyx with a few sentiments stamped in a white pigment ink on darker tissue paper.

Then I decided that a matchbox, even larger than I usually made, would be too small for my stamping.
I found an old Amazon envelope and decided this would be perfect, not too thick but quite sturdy.  I cut out my two pieces and painted them over with some acrylic paint - maybe I should have painted the cards with Gesso first!!!! - so I painted a coat of Gesso and then painted them again!!!

Once they had dried, I kept layering them up - remembering I wasn't very well at the time - a bit of painting here and there was about all I could manage.
I glued the corners and left them over night held together with paperclips.

I fitted the two pieces together so the I could decide which to use as the lid..... the purple and green won!!
I glazed this all over  and then sorted out my tissue papers.


I decided I would line the inside of the boxes but then - being a woman - changed my mind and sandwiched all the papers between two  squares of decorative card.  I tied this with some paper twine slipped in a little card and sealed it all up in a jiffy bag.


I am pleased with the way this swap turned out and may even stamp some more images to use on my ATCs.

Want to see what I sent inside the box?

Looks pretty doesn't it?
Hope you like it Pauline and that your fingers are well on the way to being healed.

First Marmalade of 2018

We ran out of Marmalade last month but as I was ill in bed we had to have 'whatever' on our toast!
Whilst some of us chose Strawberry or Tangerine jams, others (who will remain nameless!) had Marmite!  ugh! spit! ugh!
Today was the test of how well I am feeling.
I spent some time gathering my ingredients and then started to prepare them.  My first hour was spent sat in front of TV with chopping board on my lap which resulted in .....

Too much!?!?!?  

Good quality fresh Ginger .......




When mixed and boiled and bottled, it looked ok to me!

Only one thing to do .....Taste it and see .......

'One of the best' says he ...... who am I to argue!

February Theme Swaps

Queens - Regal Kind

Last year I won first place at a Gecko Galz challenge and chose a selection of papers which I thought I could use for my swaps this coming year.
I sorted out Spring Queens and chose three for the ATCs on this theme.
In my files I sorted some text backing paper and then my darling sweet printer would only print half a page so I only used the paper for two cards.  I found a frame that would be just perfect among my other files so I was all set to go to work.

I used the backing paper on this card, cut my 'Queen' to size and then rounded all the corners of both papers.  I attached the text, adhered the top half of the image and then place some pearl flowers (from stash) underneath.  I used glue dots to attache the flowers themselves and then adhered the rest of the image.

I used the same paper for my second card and, once attached to the base, punched the corners with a shaper punch.  I wrapped three gold ribbons round the centre of the card and then attached the image at an angle.  I titled this card - cheeky!

I cut out the centre oval of the backing paper and then cut the image to fit the frame.  Once I had attached both of these papers to the base card, I added a tiny gold bow .... the ribbon is tiny if the bow turned out larger than I expected!!





My returns:

Full length portrait on glitter paper.
Thank you BarbaraB.

This Queen may be old but she's still lovely!

Thank you GwynethRose.

This is perfect for a Royalist such as I!

Thank you Pat.