OK so I remembered..

to take the camera with me today so now I have no excuse, till the batteries run out that is !

 

I finished by Birthday Book, I had a whole load of Oriental style paper that I have had for ages and decided to use that, along with some peel off stickers just to add a bit of interest. The core of the pages was some pink Bazzill that has been gathering dust in my stash, pink is a colour I don’t use often and I have collected lots along the way when it came with kits so that is almost used up now, apart from the offcuts which I can use on cards. So this is the front cover, the font for the title is Chinese Takeaway which I cut on the Robo.

Here are a couple of the month pages, room to write the names against the dates and a pocket on the opposite page for cards made in advance – well that is the theory anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A new project

When will I remember to take my camera up too the scrap room with me when I go!!!

 

I have started making a birthday book. There will be 2 pages for each month, on the left will be a calendar for the month and on the right a pocket to take cards as I make them, for the relevant events. I saw the idea in one of the magazines and have printed off the months and made a start on the covers but it has to dry before I can do more. I will take the camera with me next time.

Photo’s today

I spent an hour or so this morning adjusting the photos I took of the family. I have decided to order them online, at 10p a print it is cheaper than I can do at home, as long as I only want standard prints that is the way I will go in future. I have selected 20 for the album and they should be here in a couple of days.

 

We are off to see Avatar later, I will let you know tomorrow what I thought of it.

New supplies.

I talked Dh  into taking me shopping this morning and got to Pickleberry Crafts to spend my Christmas voucher. I got some more alcohol inks, UTEE Flex, platinum and silver UTEE and some replacement stickles. The best thing though was the stencils I got, snowflakes and icicles. Just before we left I decided to book in for the UTEE class in January – can’t wait for that, just 3 weeks away.

 

I am really tired today so won’t be doing anything that needs much concentration so I think it is blog hopping day while I relax in my chair.

Award time

 

 

This is such a nice idea and i have had fun looking back over the things I have done. I chose the project I did using alcohol inks for the first time. I loved the mess I made and the end result was really good. I hope you like my tins.

 

 

 

 

Now I am off to spend my Christmas money on craft stuff.

Christmas crafting

Well there has been a certain amount of thought about it, i got a great voucher to spend at my friends shop so I have been trying to decide what to get, maybe a couple more inks if she has any left in the colours I want.

 

There will be no time today as I have all the family, and more, arriving later and staying till late.

 

I will be back tomorrow, hopefully with details of what I get with my voucher – a visit is planned.

Merry Christmas

Finally – new batteries

and the photos of my baubles plus Stickles.

 

 

 

 

 

There are more but I need a tripod to get them with better shots. You can get the idea though. i have done about 8 now.

 

I also took a couple of the desk calendar I made from a kit, all covered in my favourite Basic Gray.

 

 

 

 

 

Lovely cup of coffee

and a quick surf while I enjoy it. I have just done the last of the food shopping, that was horrendous. Almost everyone was in a foul mood and pushing and shoving. Still all done now!.

 

Anyway i was having a quick surf,as I said, and I came across this http://craftstamper.blogspot.com/2009/12/massive-sharpie-blog-candy-giveaway.html . I want to try Sharpies but have my Le Plume and Whispers so can’t really justify buying till more of those run out or dry up. Maybe I should try one or 2 mmmmmmmm.

 

I may post more later.

Monday’s post delayed

by the weather. Yes we had more snow, not right here – we just missed it. It just meant that DH took 4 hours to get home instead of 1 1/2 and my time for blogging was taken up with traffic and weather reports to and from him.

 

I did manage to get some more baubles decorated, I promise pics when I get out to get some batteries, could be today but more likely tomorrow.

 

I can see physical crafting taking a back burner for a few days now but, as always, I still think about it and research stuff when I am relaxing with the laptop and I can still do some more baubles, as long as I don’t run out of stickles – that is a strong possibility.

Oh dear!

I have spent the afternoon decorating come of our plain red Christmas tree baubles, went to take pics and the batteries have run out.

 

I was playing with some stamps this morning, embossing with silver then painting using my perfect pearls. Why is it that when anyone else does it their work looks lovely, mine is a mess so I am going to have to rethink that.

 

I won’t be getting any batteries till Wednesday so you will have to wait till then to see.

More inks

I have been experimenting with alcohol inks but not very successfully, I made a lovely mess and have very pretty fingers but nothing constructive to show for it. Never mind there is always tomorrow.

Honest I did…

…add my daily entry for Friday but it has disappeared!

 

I took lots of photos of the snow that fell yesterday, we had about 3 inches in the end and the garden looked so pretty. I am planning to scrap them on Saturday if I can get them printed off.

Kindle day

Yes it arrived at 9.30 this morning and I have been playing and reading, there are even some scrapbooking books available and no I haven’t been tempted by them. I have got a couple of books and I might mention them it they are good.

 

I also sat and did a digi LO, another that is the seed for a hybrid page.

Don’t you just love that santa, i have to print him and use him on a page.

A no craft day

This doesn’t happen often but I am so excited I haven’t had time for anything. I worked this morning then got an email to say my Kindle will be here tomorrow. It is a surprise Christmas present from all the family. They have even set it up with my  email address which  is why I got the tracking details and, would you believe it, 2 days from Phoenix to Sittingbourne, that is faster than most online orders placed within the UK. I have spent my time looking at what it can do and trying to decide what books to get for it. This of course means that there may be no craft tomorrow either as I will probably be playing!

Journaling day

I have spent the afternoon bringing my Christmas Journal up to date, all words and no photos for the few days I did. I also watched the QVC 2 hours and got some ideas down on paper for some cards I can get made in advance for next year. The 2 boys have birthdays in February and there are several others at the beginning of March so I need plenty of ideas.

Look what I found

Take a look at this gorgeous FREE kit, and the there is another one , I love these.

 

There are loads out there if you look, I found so many – far more than I will ever use – and so many free ones too. I always check out http://digifree.blogspot.com/ first.

Will I – won’t I

I am so tired today, I started work really early and worked solidly from 7 am till 3 om with just a break for drinks along the way. I am desperate to get the work all done so I am clear for all the nice things I have to do for Christmas.

 

I really don’t think will be creating anything today but I will spend some time later trying to find some nice digi elements I can use on a project I have in mind (for next Christmas would you believe!)

I did try!

I disappeared off to my craft room this morning, after being very good and doing the chores first. I would have spent my time better doing other things. I sat down, realised I had left my stamping mag 2 floors below, took some photos out to scrap, did the LO decided it was rubbish and took it apart. Sorted out 2 BG tags for the last 2 gifts I had to wrap and descended the stairs again. I did wrap the 2 gifts and attach the tags so not all was wasted. Maybe tomorrow!

Busy weekend

Yup it certainly is. We have lots to do and I won’t have time to get to scrap with paper till tomorrow though I might grab a bit of time for a digi LO if I can. I have managed to do my entry for Journal Your Christmas, right up to date – I am so pleased I haven’t let it slip so far.

 

I got the latest edition of Craft Stamper today and I will shortly be having a cuppa while I take a first browse through it, I love the freebie on this months edition. I could be using that tomorrow!

I give up

yet another day when I don’t have time to craft. I will try and do some digi work later and I want to look for some new kits. Something Christmas and traditional, maybe patchwork style. Thankfully tomorrow is another day.

TV day

I spent 2 hours watching a recorded program on angelina fibres and film and then one on parchment craft. Now that is something I aspire to, I love the effects you can get with Pergamano tools. i have tried but have never been that successful.

 

I have a few sketches I want to get in my journal this evening and some ideas for LOs. That’s it for today.

A learning day

I have been busy with work an Christmas preparations today so no chance to get in to my craft room. So I am watching You Tube videos and searching out ideas from various galleries. I also have an online class which is pretty late tonight so I may not make it. It is on the Wacom tablets and promises to show lots of the customising that can be done.  It will be available to watch later as well so if I fall asleep I can catch it tomorrow.

 

If you are interested you can find the details here the best of it is it’s free.

Thinking day

For some reason I feel really tired today, no idea why just one of those things.

 

So no physical craft today, and none to come as we have a Christmas party to go to tonight.

 

I have watched a show on QVC and got a couple of ideas and I have found some You Tube videos I will watch maybe tomorrow.

Got them

alcohol inks. I really couldn’t wait till after Christmas so a quick trip to the shop and an even quicker lunch when we got back then I got to play. I am so pleased with the

results, here are a couple. I couldn’t get the colours I really wanted, all the reds and greens have gone – can’t imagine why! I got a blue, black and 3 brown/caramel shades. I have also tried on some acrylic but I am not so happy with that. Now I need to get some glossy card and try to make some backgrounds, and I can now make a start on the larger tins I have.

 

While they dried I made a start on our desk calendar, using up lots of scraps of Basic Gray and some odd embellishments I have had for ages and never used. I still have a couple of months to finish later in the week.

More white space

Am I OK with this, not sure really. It looks better in a photo than in real life I think. The problem is I wanted both photos on the page, it might have been better with just one.

 

Never mind, done now and I have only ever redone a LO once so it will stay like this.

 

I have been paying with the tiny tins again, with almost no success. I really need the right inks so I think they will go away till after Christmas. Shame I so want a container for my Splenda packets (I prefer the powder to the tablets) and they fit perfectly.

 

I have also been playing with Tim Holtz’s Christmas Tags, again just playing and nothing decent to show as I don’t have the right materials, he does use so many different products in one project!

Well I thought they were

alcohol inks that is. I got my tiny tins out, and the inks and the applicator pads. I put the ink on the pad and dabbed it on the tin and all it did was to collect in little tiny blobs. I can only assume that the inks are not alcohol based. Oh well I am hoping for some vouchers for Christmas so I will add some inks to the shopping list. Shame I was really looking forward to trying them out.

 

I got the next stage of my clipboard done though, and a secret birthday card nearly done. It is for DH so I am having to do it a bit at a time as we share the work space, it has been challenging!

 

Off to see if I can find out more about other techniques for the tiny tins, well I have 10 of them so plenty to play with.

Tiny tins are here

They arrived in the post this morning and I can’t wait to play. Sadly I won’t get to them today as we have Connor with us and he will be stopping overnight. I forgot how tiring a 22 month old can be.

 

I also got a lovely sheet of unmounted rubber stamp, one half is tiny French script and the other is a crackle background. I think the crackle will be used more than the script.

 

Maybe tomorrow I will get something done.

White space…

I think I may be getting there. See my post below, I then put this together quickly and now I want to turn it into a paper LO.

 

The best laid plans and all that

I had such great plans for today, to finish off my clipboard and make a start on a birthday card I need to make, and some invites to a party we are holding. Then we found out that Stef (DIL) was not at all well so we offered to have Connor for the afternoon so she could get some rest. Poor love she has a nasty ear infection and a useless doctor. We will be having him tomorrow as well so probably no progress then either.

 

Still I have been doing some sketches. I have had this aversion to white space, I simply can’t do it. That was until I saw Carol Vordeman talking about every day maths. She talked to a photographer and brought in the ‘spiral’ that appears in nature so much. Imagine the shape of the ammonite. Place this on a page,  say bottom right and the centre of the  shape is the focal point.

 

Well I have 3 sketches and I am going to try them in digi to start with. I will post when I have done.

I love my new storage…

Dh helped me to unpack it and to move a couple of things then it was put in place.

 

then the fun began and I filled it up, to be fair it is supposed to be for inkpads but the little shelves are removable so I just whipped a couple

out so my stickles and alcohol inks would fit. Since I took the photo I have added labels to the edge of the pads so I now know what colour they are etc.

 

DH has put a hook on the end so I can hang a mini clipboard which I will use for notes on future projects, supplies I need to replace and other things. I have painted one side and it is now drying. Just another little project on the run up to Christmas!

December is here…

and I am starting my 2009 Journal Your Christmas. I have designed the numbers for each day , quite simple but it does the job.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have also designed my own digi card to send to friends round the world and of course to anyone who reads this.