Day 16

Yes here is my take on the Day 16 prompt of My Favourite Number over on Milliande Art Journal January 2011.I went a bit mad with the Pitt pen (thanks Kaz for introducing me to them at the Retreat last year x, they are really fab for this kind of thing!) I then wanted to add just one colour and chose pink first using two tones in a Zig pen and then using Worn Lipstick in the Distress Inks. I had a whole lot of fun doing this whilst "watch" tv with the family.

Can you spot my favourite number?

:)

Art Journal Page Today

I have been inspired very much this year by Milliande and have enjoyed watching her videos on prompts she has devised.

I am not up to date with the prompts and this isn't one of them either haha but I loved the way she uses different media on her pages. So watching her use ink and gesso together I did the same and created this page.The background was Distress Inked and then smugged with a wipe and then the image (from my trusty old copy of Elle Magazine - still going strong :) )stuck onto the page. I used Dylusions purple paint for the dots and wavy lines. The border is where the Distress Ink Stormy Skies and gesso came in mixing them together on an acrylic block and painting them on with a paint brush. Then some doodling with a Pitt pen. Stamping with ink and gesso then completed the page.

Thanks for stopping by and please let me know what you think of it - I can take criticism :)

A cluch of cards

Not sure that that is the right collective noun but it will have to do haha.

This evening I would like to show you some cards I have made for Hazel's Christmas All Year Round Challenge. I have made several cards for various challenges but haven't got round to blogging them until now.

Hazel puts a new challenge on her blog every Saturday and I hope to keep up with most of the challenges and by next Christmas I should have a box full of cards instead of the mad dash in November to get them made.

So for Challenge Number 4 "Let's See Some Bling"

a close up of the gems "bling"

For Challenge Number 3 "Let's See Some Trees"


For Challenge Number 2 "Use a Freebie or Recycle" The recycled element is the tree and snowflake which were cut from wrapping paper.

Do pop over to Hazel's blog and join in the challenges.

First Daring Card Makers Challenge for 2011

Well I have played along with the first challenge of the year at Daring Card Makers Blog. The challenge this week was to make a card featuring January's flower either a snowdrop or carnation.

I went for the carnation as I couldn't find anything snowdrop like in my craft stuff. I tore out a page in an old book I found on clearing out my bookcase and as it was all tatty I thought I could recycle it and use it for this challenge. psst! I can see more pages being used in the months to come hahaha.

Do visit Daring Card Makers blog for lots of inspiration and a weekly challenge.

Art Journalling for 2011

I signed up for a new art journalling inspiration course with the very talented Milliande go check out her blog for what it is all about.

On Saturday night I printed off a mandala that Milliande put on her blog and then got my black pen and went doodle mad on it. I didn't know this type of doodling had a fancy name ...... Zendoodling! Don't you know, tee hee.

Anyway here is my finished mandala

I am very pleased with it if I do say so myself. Now the trick with this is to now cut it up!!!!! eeek do I have the guts to do that? Well I might take a photocopy of it first ...... watch this space. This is only the second day's challenge and I am already behind but I think I will pop in and out of this challenge as some days I just don't have the time more's the pity.

Please go over to Milliande's blog and find out all about Milliande's Art Community for Women.

Bargain & something Gorjuss!!!

Last weekend I finally got round to visiting our new Dunelm Mills shop - everyone raves about it and thought I needed to find out what it was all about.

Well it is fantastic for home furnishings but (in my opinion) not so hot on the craft section but that just might be our branch. Anyway whilst waiting at the till to pay ended up spending far too much on bedding oopps!, you know where they usually put the sweets to tempt children to buy them, haha I saw this beauty for £1.99 ...... yes can you believe how cheap that is?

So on informing my friends I went back another day and bought another 5 for them!

This weekend I have been busy with some challenges.

First one is for Totally Gorjuss challenge. Now I must admit I thought this challenge was only open for entries using the Gorjuss range of stamps but it isn't haha the challenge for this one was to follow a sketch so I think I managed to do that....... I have entered my card below using the gorgeous Basic Grey papers that I have been lovingly keeping and not using so I took a deep breathe and cut them - eek!

I'll blog the rest another day. Thanks for calling by. x

Sad News

Readers to my blog might remember that my parents rescued a dog last February, "my furry brother" Bob well sadly today my parents had to decide to put him to sleep as the vet discovered he was not a very well little chap and was in alot of discomfort. Understandable my parents are upset but as I explained to them Bob's last months with them were the best he has ever had.

He was a funny little character and here he is having his photo taken on Christmas Day with Funky, although Bob doesn't seem interested .....

But after a drink and a chat they got on better

Inky Background update ......

...... hello there friends.

As promised I have uploaded these photos to show you the finished inky background pages from my journal. I had such fun doing this and it jogged my memory to all the wonderful (and not so wonderful) things that have happened in 2010.

I have also included single page photos so you can get a closer look. Some of the items have been on my desk or noticeboard for quite awhile and I decided that putting them into this collage will protect them for posterity and more importantly I they won't get lost haha.


Thanks for taking a look.

November and December in January ???

That is my 365 Challenge Calendar finally finish ...... no too bad as it is only the 3rd January today :)

I have thoroughly enjoyed keeping up with this and thanks Kate for the wonderful inspiration for this and for everyone who has taken part and for their ideas that I have sometimes sneaked into my calendar tee hee. As you can see (if you are as nosy as me and enlarge the pages) the end of this year has not been too healthy for me and the family :( We are all crossing fingers for a healthier 2011.

I will not be doing this challenge again in 2011 but do visit Kate's Blog "The Kathryn Wheel" and have a go yourself.

Inky Background

This is the reason my fingers were so inky yesterday and still are a little today if I'm honest haha I had fun making this background using Distress Ink Pads and a babywipe together with a homemade square template.



I plan to collage "stuff" from 2010 on these two pages that I have lying around on my desk. Hopefully I'll start this evening and show you the finished pages soon.

haaaaaaaaapeeeeee new yearrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

Happy New Year to all you lovely readers of my blog.

Thank you for coming over and reading my ramblings and leaving a comment I really love to read them all and even visit yours in return.

Well I have started as I mean to carry on in 2011 getting inky hahaha, this is a photo I took a couple of minutes ago. Sorry about the big MOON face lol.


Thanks for dropping by and tomorrow I hope to update with the evidence of what the inky fingers were a result of.

Right Chinese takeaway has arrived so bye.

Last Work Desk Wednesday for 2010

So I thought I would join in and it also might encourage me to tidy it and actually do something crafty.

As you can see the last time I sat at the table to do anything was to wrap Christmas presents, hence the gift wrapping and packaging.


Do visit Julia's blog and have a look at her wonderful work and musings - so funny and maybe join in yourself and show your workdesk/space.

Oh what a night!!

As a christmas present treat for my husband and me, my daughter booked us a nights' stay in a local hotel with champagne and a jacuzzi bath ;)

Very lovely and very, very enjoyable.

Twis the night before Christmas ......

I do love that story :)

Today I would like to wish you all a Happy Christmas and hope that everything is coming together nicely *fingers crossed* and that you all get some crafty goodies in your stockings that you have been eyeing up all year.

Thought I would show you a photo of the "state" of our snowy visitor, hahaha


He does look a bit worse for wear doesn't he? If fact you could say he is "off his face" get it? hahaha Well actually I caught the culprit who swiped his face. Yes it is this little red chested fellow ....I saw him one morning wiping the smile off the snowman's face hahaha well I suppose when you are hungry raisins are a tasty treat.

Well I guess that it just means that it is time for me to wish everyone "a Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night."

- x - x -

Tis the season to be jolly .....

Happy Christmas Eve eve to all you out there is Blogland.

Thought I would share a heart I knitted as part of my parcel of gifts to my partner in the Quirky Boots Heart Swap. I now know my partner Andria has received it so I can post a photo of it here.

I got the free pattern from Jujube & Lolo they have some wonderful knitted things go take a look. Thanks for stopping by.

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas ....

Hi there blogland some snowy photos to share with you today. This was my garden before a visitor arrived and made himself at home ......


and then a photo of our visitor


not sure how long he is staying but he is wrapped up warm and looks like he has had a skin full!!! tee hee.

Next I want to show my Christmas bunting from a Bunting Swap I participated in over on Bubbly Funk Forum. I haven't strung mine together this year but might next year. Lots of other things to spot on my mantle piece too so you can play I Spy if you like! "I spy with my little eye something beginning with p". You can also see a pom pom garland that I didn't finish in time last year but now has pride of place over the mirror. Thanks to Anjie for the inspiration.


And then a close up of the letter I did. I also did one in a blue, silver and white colourway but I haven't got a photo of that one.

Thanks for stopping by and hope you are enjoying the snow and that it isn't a hassle for you wherever you are.

Birthday Cards

Thank you to all the lovely crafters over on the Bubbly Funk Forum I received these brilliant cards for my birthday last week.

So many different ideas that no two are the same. Thanks girls.

I roared with laughter when I opened my card from Janice! I had to double take after my eyes met Mr Tennant and then looked at his "assistant" and saw it was me hahaha. Dr Who's Teaching Assistant!!!!! hahahaha Thanks Janice that has made my year :)



Just to round off this blog post nicely I thought you might like to see a Belguim chocolate Pharaoh. He was delicious and one my daughter brought home from Bruges last Saturday.

Thanks for stopping by. x

Quick card for Sunday

Muuuuuuuuuum! you know what comes next don't you? Usually a "can you ......?"

Well today's was "Muuuuuum can you make a card for Josh?"

"yes," I reply "when do you need it for?"

"4 o'clock please" !!!!!!!!!! what happened to a little notice - it's all I ask?????

So very quickly I came up with this very simple card. As Josh is an Arsenal fan (well I suppose someone has to hahaha) I went for the red and white theme. I found this space invaders stamp that I bought for 99p in Papermill when their shop closed down, and thought it would fit the bill.


I might make a stock of these in various colours as just in case Kristian asks again with an hour's notice hahaha.

Not blogged in a while ....

..... ooops! I hope you haven't thought I had dropped off the planet? haha just not been able to blog for a while.

The last time I blogged it was just after Bonfire Night and here is a photo of me and daughter just to show you it was really cold. Look at my red nose - Rudolf eat your heart out hahaha. Can't show you a photo of our spectacular fireworks as they weren't - spectacular that is hahaha.It has also been ages since the last time I blogged my 365 Calendar and here are my very, very late October pages. Sorry Kate et al. Others have managed to keep up to date but I haven't got my November pages ready yet either sssssh. If you want to see up to date entries check out Kate's blog.
Thanks for stopping by.

Remember, remember the 5th November ....

.... gunpowder, treason and plot???? No not from me hahaha ...... I want to show you two more Christmas cards and a birthday card I made with one of my new favourite stamps "Laugh" by Paperbag Studios.


I stamped the image onto cream card and then cut it out and stuck it onto this patterned paper that I received in a swap at the Bubbly Funk retreat in May. I just love the expression on that woman's face - so full of fun and happiness.

The next two cards were made for the November 25th Card Challenge on Bubbly Funk. November's challenge was set by Di the brilliant designer of Tando Creative chipboard - she is a wonderfully talented woman. Di's challenge was to use shapes not normally used to create Christmas images mmmmm ...... I had to think for a while before I came up with these


two robin red breasts and
a funky christmas decoration. These were made from waste from lettering cut using the Craft Robo. The backing paper on the robin card is Basic Grey. The black card and glitter "bauble" needs a little something and I might add some text to the bottom I'll have to decide.

Anyway thanks for stopping by and I hope your Bonfire Weekend is going well and that you are all safe. x