Who's the lucky girl?

I am so lucky, I won the Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blogspot Challenge for December and got to choose stamps for my prize.  I didn’t even know I’d won but the wonderful Jennie sent me an e mail, so a big thank you to Jennie.  These are the stamps I chose, can’t wait to use them.

When I went on Wednesday to the Craft Den, two of my wonderful friends gave me things they had found which they thought I would find useful…

The books are really old, one printed in 1899 and the other in 1904, feel as though I shouldn't tear them apart. We had a bit of fun with the books, I started asking  questions from the book and it's all in £ s. & d. ...now that should show your age if you know what I'm talking about, lol.  Anyway none of us got the answers, luckily they were in the back! The photo above is some of lots of ephemera that Kathryn brought for me, aren't they wonderful.

These are fabulous crochet flowers made by Jill, in the colours I wanted and on the left hand side is some florist wire, which I'm going to put outside to rust.

I feel extremely lucky this week and once again would like to say a big thank you to Jennie, Kathryn and Jill.

Recycling

Last week at our craft meeting here we were given a challenge by Jill to use some packaging she had. Everyone was coming up with different ways to use it and this is what I have done. The background is a mixture of Ecogreen paints and Dylusion sprays. I've tried to use colours that I don't usually use...started well but seemed to have drifted back to my favourite colours. It's done in the Dina Wakley style, take a look here at her fabulous work.  Dina always says to leave some white space, but try it, it's almost impossible.  I always feel I've got to colour every bit of a page. These two pages I've done in my A5 Moleskine.

Birthday cards

Had to make a couple of birthday cards for friends this week

Backgrounds for both cards are done with Dylusion inks and sprays, with the first one having a bit of the new Ranger Heirloom gold spray added.  I think the stamp on the first one is Paperbag Studio and the second one is Crafty Individuals, which I have used loads of time, it's great for journaling too.

Ladies Who Lunch Club

My turn to be the hostess with the mostess this month for our little club...not really a club, anyone can come.  I chose the theme and decided on T!m's configuration boxes.

I chose papers from Lost and Found, and Nostalic tissue tape.  Tell me, I've had terrible trouble getting the tape to stick, has anyone else had this problem?  We all brought bits of ephemera to decorate the box, but it took us that long to measure, measure and measure again, measure wrong, start again, you get the drift, and what with chatting and laughing, only one person managed to get anything in their box at all.  I was so tired at the end of the day that mine has gone on my desk and I know I won't touch it until next week, because my girls are coming for the weekend, yeah!!

One of the ladies used some fantastic vintage paper on hers and I must say it looked stunning. I'm going to do one for my son and have already started trawling e bay trying to find some vintage stuff and I managed to buy these little goodies...

The box is a miniature doctors case (my son's a dr) and he's still car mad, changes his car every year.

Some gorgeous vintage buttons and look at this

isn't he just gorgeous?  Did't pay much for any of the above, but if anyone sees a site where we can buy vintage stuff, cheap, just e mail me with the deets. Would be eternally grateful to you.

Late again!

Just managed to finish my December page for the 365 Art Calendar hosted by the talented Kate.  I had real trouble with this one, didn't start off right and gradually got worse and worse, so I've given up.  Hopefully January will be better, but not even started that, been so busy just lately.

I've done it as an Advent calendar and used some of T!m's Christmas paper to decorate the days with.

Used Dylusion inks and sprays, Octopode Christmas tree and various other stamps.

Something new for 2011

I found this fabulous blog, take a look here, where Roc is going to suggest a journal theme for every month this year.  To start the year off, it's your favourite colour...here's mine

Pink, pink and more pink!!!!  The background is Dylusion acrylic paints (they are fabulous), then sprayed with Dylusion spray inks (again fabulous), image is from The Octopode Factory, wings and border cut of out old book page and sprayed with Dylusion inks, bit of phaffing with Sharpie pens and Portfolio oil pastels.


It's always nice to find a new challenge if you want to join along, please join the flickr 2011 journal prompt group at:


http://www.flickr.com/groups/1570781@N20/

Fat and Fatter

Aka Hubby and Me!!!!!  We came down to our daughters before Christmas and are staying house sitting.... whilst they go off skiing we have to look after all the animals, well, I don't but hubby does.  Although I've brought some craft essentials with me, why is it you always have ideas that involves things you don't have with you.  I did a journal page today...

We have eaten and drunk far too much and I can't even get into one pair of jeans I've brought with me and I can't even blame the steroids, lol.

I see my handwriting hasn't improved over the festive period, even though I did have a practice one day. Although it's lovely to be with family, I can't wait to get home and into my craft room, I've got withdrawal symptoms.

Hope everyone had a good time and wish you all good health and happiness for 2011.