A wonderful day sewing

Spent a wonderful, relaxing day at Craft Den yesterday, where the very patient Jo showed us how to make a sewing roll.  Jo allowed us to choose our colours and she arrived with all the elements already cut out for us, phew, that saved us lots of time, and I couldn't believe the fabric she had chosen for me, vintage, right up my street.

I've still got to finish the front, it needs a toggle on to hold it closed

This is the inside, space for scissors, pins, needles, bobbins etc.  I love this and thoroughly enjoyed making it.  We all had a good time and I even managed to avoid the biscuits but succumbed to Bob's cheese salad sandwich, my does he make a mean sandwich, lol.  

Next on the agenda is a quilt and we have to cut out all our own patchwork squares, that'll be fun then.  The first time I used my rotary cutter, I cut a deep gash in my finger, in fact yesterday is the first thing I've made without blood on it.

More journalling

Had another fabulous day at AFTH with Kate Crane, such a relaxing day and we managed 2 journal pages.

We had to draw, paint and cut out our own houses, any design, any colour.  I wish that I had drawn smaller houses, maybe if I do another one I would.  I've numbered the houses with the number on the road I have lived.  Would you believe that I've only lived in three houses in my life, even though I was an estate agent in my previous life.

The next challenge was to use three images, all the same, and to put hats on them, the idea being that we all have to wear more than one hat.

I don't wear as many hats now that my children have flown the nest and I am retired, they still cause me problems though, lol.

SDC34 Flower Power

Did a bit of journaling yesterday and did this for the Stampotique Designers Challenge

Painted background with Dylusion paints, then sprayed through flower stencil with Dylusion inks, highlighted some of the flowers with a black pen, stamped Jo Capper-Sandons daisy stamp along the bottom, stamped the main image, which is from Paperbag Studio, onto French text and popped a flower with an itsy bitsy button in the middle, bit if doodling here and there.

Happy Anniversary

Today is our friends wedding anniversary, luckily for them they are on a fantastic holiday in Canada, touring all over the place and finishing off with a cruise to Alaska whale watching, they wanted us to go with them but with this stupid illness I can't go abroad yet.  I sent them this card before they went and I know they've taken it with them and will open it later today.

I have been so incensed about the phone hacking events that I decided to do a journal page

I decided to use an image of a jester because they are all fools and made fools out of the police and politicians.

Gorgeous morning down here in Essex, hope the weather is good where you are and have a lovely weekend.

LIM Week 23

This weeks challenge over at LIM is a One Layer Card with the theme 'Something with Legs'

Swish of colour using Jenni Bowlin Malted Milk, Stampotique Friends stamp and friendship quote from an old thesaurus.  I'm down at my daughters at present so art supplies are limited, in fact the inside of this card has lots of drawings on it, so turned it inside out and got myself a clean card, lol.

Ladies Who Lunch

It was our monthly Ladies Who Lunch play day last week and Clare had chosen for us to decorate a torso. Now I think it's fair to say that some of us didn't really want to do this project as we weren't sure what to do, however we all did something different and they all turned out fantastic.

Here's a photo of them all, I don't think any of them are finished at this stage

and this is mine finished

I started off by painting and ink spraying with Dylusion acrylic paints and inks onto some of Claudine's sticky backed canvas, using various colours and spraying through stencils etc.  I then randomly cut up the canvas into bits and stuck them onto the torso, if you look closely you can see that I then did some faux stitching.  I then made a bobbin out of cardboard and the canvas, added some charms and dangly bits.  I am so please with the result, I think it's unique and better still even Maurice likes it, that's a first, but it could be because he made all the stands for everyone, lol.  Would love to hear what you think about it.  Had a fantastic day, as always, so thanks Clare for the idea.

I'm going to enter this into the Happy Daze current challenge which is dangly things.

TIO #85 - Oh I do like to be beside the seaside

This weeks theme over on Dragonsdream is Oh I do like to be beside the seaside and in keeping with working outside my comfort zone and doing a style I don't usually do, I found this stamp I've had for years and it always brings a smile to my face.

DI background, coloured images with my Lyra Aquacolors, which again I've had for years and I think are the best aqua crayons available, bird stamp is Crafty Individuals and the sentiment is made from a set of Hero Arts alphabet stamps.  

June 365 Art Journal Calendar

Managed to finish June at last, bit of a messy page, (just like my mind feels), tried something different but not sure it's worked, still I love the colours.  I'm on a mission to try different things, particularly if they're out of my comfort zone.

Not even started on July, so will be way behind.

Pop over here to see some great pages created by others and hosted by the talented Kate (she of the DVD fame).

Happy Birthday Sue

It's a friend of mines birthday today and she's the big 50, though not sure she wants reminding of this event.  Here's the card I've made for her

Sue is a Magnolia fan and I was going to do a nice cute card for her, but I find it difficult to do, so she's got one in my usual style, lol.

Background Dylusion paints and inks, stamped onto old French dictionary page and bit of doodling.  Can't tell you manufacturer of stamp, but I bought it from here.

Well it's our monthly play day today with the rest of the Ladies Who Lunch, there are quite a few of us now, so were having to hold it in a conference room at a local venue.  We're decorating a torso, so hopefully will blog when it's finished.  The trouble is you have to try to remember what you might need, so I've got 4 large bags of stuff to take with me and sure as eggs are eggs, I'll have forgotten the thing that I absolutely can't live without.