A realisation

I suddenly worked out why April and May are slow on the crafting front. Let me explain -

 

I have 2 things in my life that absorb me – paper craft and the weather. It is at this time of the year that the big storm chases begin in the US, including 3 tours of UK people. Lots of them are available to watch live streaming online and I spend most evenings about now doing just that.

 

So don’t expect much from me for a while but I promise to post any time I get some done but with the garden, the storm chases and our drive being relaid it is unlikely just yet.

What is it with April

I took a look at my journal from last year and April/May were the 2 months of the year that I did the least crafting. I think it must be the garden taking up more time. So I need to do something about this and make a concerted effort to do something constructive today.

 

I am thinking along the lines of some digi work but I really prefer the hands on with paper, card and the rest of the stash. Hopefully I will have something to report later.

Quick update

I am thinking about my crafting but, after Sunday’s celebrations I am still sorting things out and, to be honest, trying to get my knees to recover. I will be up in the attic by the weekend if it kills me as I have lots of things to do.

A short break

I won’t be crafting for the next few days, despite my wanting to take part in the UKS Cybercrop. I am suffering from some sort of nerve3 pain in my arms and legs, probably due to some new medication I have been prescribed. I also have a 90th birthday celebration to prepare for on Sunday – no it isn’t mine! LOL.

 

If I get anything done I will of course post but it is likely to be next week before I get anything done.

UKS Cybercrop

It is this coming weekend and I have signed up. Not sure I will be able to do much as I have a lot to do for a big birthday celebration on Sunday but it will give me an excuse to sit down for a while on Saturday.

 

I got the Mystery Kit today and I have opened it up and laid it out while I think about what to do with it. I am hoping inspiration will jump up and hit me in the eye some time tomorrow. I have a glimmer of an idea but obviously I can’t talk about that.

Got it

I got a project pan today, dropped in to see Kate at Pickleberry and remembered it at the last minute. Of course I had to get some other stuff too, a Tim Holtz mask and some Kling On so I can get my unmounted stamps sorted out. Just need to find the time to use them now.

 

Oh and the project plan was for the Vinamold (see 9 April) so I can make a start on making some moulds now too. Well Chris is not due back till late tonight so I may creep pup there later.

Nice little find

I have been on the look out for some nice embossing folders, I love dry embossing and the effect it gives. I was so pleased when I wandered into the craft shop in Bluewater and they had some really reasonable ones so I got 2 for less than i would have spent on one of the others. All thanks to Chris being delayed so I had time to spare. Oh and I popped into Hotel Chocolat and got some lovely bargains as well.

2 for 1

Yesterday was such a lovely day we went out to the garden centre after lunch, when i had planned to get into the attic. Still I managed to get some more alcohol inks – great colours – and some distress inks. there are still some gaps in the Distress ink colours that I want to fill though.

 

I did get there today though, my knee is really sore so I left Chris to the gardening and disappeared for an hour or so.  I got the photos done of the frames and a little pendant I made from a bamboo domino. I painted the domino and then foiled the swirl on. A thin layer of clear glue on the top to protect it al  and it is done.

 

The top frame is just poured utee, the middle one is crackle glaze on 2 corners and more utee on the others. The bottom one is glossy accents covered with beads. All I need to decide on now is what to put in them.

 

 

Here is the domino

Not much time!

Today has been a bit hectic, up to London, back via Bluewater then helping the neighbours with PC problems. I did get a package in the post – kinetic cards that I will use for (dare I say it) Christmas.

 

Just waiting to see if we get a dust filled sunset tonight, that Icelandic volcano must be good for something.

Oh No

I did nothing today. Been just too busy with work, well if that doesn’t happen then the rest  … well OK you know the answer.

 

A quick aside, we are supposed to have this plume of volcanic ash over the country and all flights have been grounded. We are expecting great sunrises and sunsets but it hasn’t happened so far.

 

OK more craft tomorrow

Evening Crafter

That’s me today, I am off to my space after supper and will craft till I feel like going to bed with a good book.

 

I am hoping the frames look better today, I played with UTEE yesterday and it was looking good. You never know there may be photos later!

 

I have some more animals to scrap as well. I am finding the 8 x 8 size a bit challenging to be honest. I have got used to having more space to play with and, though I don’t use a huge number of embellishments, the smaller size means using even less. Oh well at least I get to leave more in my stash.

Ooops - nearly forgot

I had a funny day, work this morning but Chris leaving for work about 1.15. I then sat down to watch the mornings QVC program. Such a shame for Dawn, being such a public person and having such a difficult time in her personal life. Still she is looking good and the show went quite as it should. Sadly there was nothing spectacular. Same went for the afternoons show though I did get an idea for some dimensional cards. Wi;; have to work on that.

Now I am doing some evening crafting and working on more of the frames. Some of the stuff I did last time isn't right so I need to go over that and create some more fun on the corners.

More drying time

I have done some more to the frames and the domino and yes they are drying again.n I have to say it is quite unusual for me to things that I leave for another day. I am normally a ‘get it done’ person. Still I have some more to do tomorrow if I get time.

Inky fingers

That’s me! I have been working on a domino, the small frames and the photos from Howletts and nothing is finished. In fact the domino and the frames are drying.

 

First the frames, I have painted them with terracotta acrylic paint – had to leave that to dry. Then I have started to decorate the first one. I started with PVA and dropped alcohol inks into it and swirled it round a bit. Did that on 3 corners then put some Glossy Accents on the third corner, dropped some toning inks into that and topped it off with some clear, tiny beads. Now it is drying.

 

I painted the first domino with brown acrylic – left that to dry!

 

The LO is the first page of the album and is of the mansion at Howletts. I tore the edges of the mat and rolled them a bit then coloured them lightly with some distress ink – guess what – it is drying!

The garden calls

The weather is so beautiful that we have spent the day in the garden and I have done no crafty things at all. I may draw some sketches later but right now I am pleasantly tired so that may not happen. Tomorrow is another day!

What a find

I have been thinking about making my own moulds for embellishments ever since I played with some Mould & Pour. I do think that particular product is a bit over priced and I wondered if I would re-use the same moulds time after time. Well I have found something else that you can re melt if you want and is a whole lot cheaper. It is Vinamold  and I ordered some yesterday, it arrived today how good is that! I will be giving it a try as soon as I can find a project pan for the MeltPot as that seems to be the safest way for me to melt it down. Now I need to find things that I can mould as well.

Goodies!

Having had both the grandsons here today has left no time for much else really. I did get a little bag of goodies in the post though.

 

I now have some tags Tim Holtz size, now I will be keeping one so I can use it as a template but i wanted a number for a little project I have in mind. Then there were some dominos, I have seen them on a blog or two, all pretty and decorated so I want to have a go. I also got 3 mini frames all linked together. I have a couple of ideas for those as well. Finally there were a couple of unmounted rubber stamps, one of stars and the other one that will work beautifully with utee to make another pendant. So guess who can’t complain of having nothing to do for a while!

What a lovely day!

WE went to Howletts today and I took loads of pics of the animals. I

checked them out when we got back and uploaded and ordered 32 to make an album with. Here are a few peeks at them as ordered, some may be cropped of course.

 

This will need the edges trimming as it was through mesh and the best I could get.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isn’t he gorgeous – I can’t remember what he is right now but I will for the album.

 

You will have to wait for the others.

Designing day

After the Easter break it was back to work this morning but I have had time to do some work on Robo designs. Nothing too fancy but I want to be able to cut aperture cards with a degree of consistency so I have set up various shapes on A4 paper. Square, oblong, circle, oval and star. I have heart to do and I will think about any more shapes that will work. Keyhole comes to mind and snowman for Christmas and maybe bell shaped.

 

That’s it for me today.

Easter Monday

a day of rest and relaxation! I made it up to the attic, researched some photos for a LO I am planning, and got a surprise. OK so here is the story. We went to Texas in 2002 – some LOs in the slide show. I made a terrible attempt at an album and it is in the process of being reworked. I won’t even begin to tell you about the original. Anyway we spent a couple of nights in Galveston and really liked the city. We were so sad when Hurricane Ike caused so much damage in 2008. To do something different I was hoping to find some pictures of places we saw then and how they look now. The big surprise is that, in the main, the tourist sites and the old buildings in Downtown are still the same. Even the hotel we stayed in, which was right on the seawall, is still there and obviously in use. So my idea is out, now to think about something else.

 

Finding that out put paid to my inspiration for the day too!

Chipboard basket

It’s is finished, all I have to do now is to make the flowers to put inside. I even have the floral foam to take them. Problem – I need grunge paper to do the ones I want to do and I can’t find any at all, it has all sold out. I may have to go down the faux porcelain route or just make them out of paper. Anyway here is the basket, I painted it with acrylic paint then used distress ink on the outside edges. I wanted to spritz as I love the slightly specked effect  it gives but it didn’t work, think it might be the paint just absorbed it too fast. Then I stamped with Versamark then topped that with perfect pearls. Poppies on the short sides, mixed border on the long sides and cherry blossom on the handle. Not that they show much in the photo, they do in real life.

Busy doing nothing

How nice it is to have nothing pressing and to just sit and read.

 

I have caught up with the blogs I am subscribed to and have decided that I will try and do some of the challenges, not today though. I am enjoying the relaxation too much.

 

I decided not to do any thing with my chipboard bits today, giving things a bit of space gives me inspiration sometimes and means I don’t get too stale with idea. I am going to keep on surfing for ideas and get back to ‘doing’ tomorrow.

Frames are done

i am really pleased with 2 of them, the first 2 below.

 

The first is painted with acrylic paint then sprayed  with green glimmer mist. Then I went to use the Mango spray but the mechanism had broken so I flicked instead. Quite like the effect. The corner piece is a piece of Friendly Plastic I made ages ago, it has been sitting on my desk waiting for something to use it on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second one is distress inks directly on to the chipboard, I used Rubbed Sage and Wild Honey (think those are the right names) and then stamped over the top with Archival ink.

 

 

 

The last one is just painted with acrylic ink then Rock Candy Distress Crackle paint. I put it on really think but it hasn’t crackled that much and I don’t think ink or paint over it would work so I just added the charms.

 

Actually it looks OK in the photo!

April already

At least I didn’t get caught with any April Fools.

 

The only crafting I have done is to stick 2 pieces of metal on to one of the frames and that will be all I get time for as we are having a cozy dinner tonight. Should get some done tomorrow though.