Caught up again

This week has been manic at work. I was also Beeston Festival and Beeston in Bloom had a stall selling plants. I'm afraid I wasn't much use as we were opposite one of the stages and I spent a lot of time dancing and not much serving!

I've made more quick cards this week but have no more photos of them so here are a couple of closer views of my configuration box.

Now I've got to dash - it's my birthday and I'm off for sunday lunch at my mums - and all my family are back from their holidays, I get to see my grandaughters - hurray.

Sara x

05/06/11

I'm nearly caught up now - that will teach me to go AWOL [and without a decent excuse either]

I didn't do a lot of crafting this week - although I did 2 working parties with Beeston in Bloom - so I thought I'd show you my bead embroidery, which is finally framed.

For some reason the photo is rotated - it looks ok if you turn your head lol.

Sara x

29/05/11

I went to art journalling at Art from the Heart this week and we did lettering. I forgot to take photos however so here is a catch up on my 365 pages.

April finished at last. It took me ages to decide on a character - even though we didn't have much rain I decided to use Dyans lady with her umbrella.

May - as soon as the stampotique owl arrived I wanted to use it so although the full moon in May is know as a hare moon my page has an owl in a tree.

June is still a pink and purple blotchy mess!

Sara x

22/05/11

After a working party with Beeston in Bloom yesterday I went to the range for some bits and stumbled across a docrafts demonstration. The lady kindly showed me [actually there were only 3 of us left at this point so it was more of a mini workshop as she got us to do the card] how to make an easel card [I have liked the look of them for a while but wasn't sure exactly how to do one - I'm very slow that way, everyone else has been making them for years]. I so enjoyed it that I've made loads of them.

In fact I got quite carried away with cut & stick card making and made lots using up papers I've bought or came with magazines and then not known what to do with. I also made some one layer cards inspired by Joanne Wardle. It has been fun mass making cards instead of getting bogged down inking & stamping each layer for one card as I needed one. Now I have stock!

Sara x

15/05/11 - Configuration Box

I went to Art from the Heart for a brilliant workshop decorating a Tim Holtz configuration box this week. It was great fun [although it's still not completely finished [and I'm typing this on 12/06/11] especially trying to find object to put in the box beforehand [Dyan supplied some bits but asked us to look for things to bring with us so the box would be more personal].

I made replicas of some of my favourite childhood books [CS Lewis' Narnia books and Enid Blytons set which featured Kiki the parrot] by downloading dustjacket images, re-sizing, printing and gluing round fun foam 'pages'. There are also print outs of Queen albums but you can't see them as they are on the floor of the box with the union jack flag [I know it's supposed to be union flag if it's not on a ship but that doesn't look right]. I also had to have owls, spiders, a gargoyle, stampotique figures [stamped on shrink plastic and coloured before shrinking] and an egyptian mummy. Although I have something in each box about 1/3 are still not glued in in case I think of a better idea.

Sara x

08/08/11 - BWG

I had a great time at the Beadworkers Guild Bead Show. I really enjoyed all my workshops [Treasure Pins and Steamer Necklace with Heather Kingsley Heath and Mosaic Cuff with Jill Devon] and all the other BWG people were really friendly. Sometimes I worry about going to these sort of things on my own, mostly it's fine, occasionally everyone else is in pairs or groups and you feel a little excluded, but this was the best I've ever been to.

I love the things I made in the workshops - although I only managed to finish one treasure pin there. The rest were finished once I got home from Daventry.

I did tweek the mosaic cuff slightly, it should be bright colours and go straight round the wrist but I wanted a gothic effect so worked with black, red and silver beads and made it point down the hand - it ends with a ring on the back of the lowest disc which goes round the middle finger.

Sara x

I'm so excited

It's only a few days until I go to my first Beadworkers Guild Bead Show & AGM. I have 3 workshops booked - and I managed to get all 3 of my first choices. Beads are not included in the price of the workshop so I have been busy sorting out my closed attic so I could get to my beads - I think [as usual] I am taking far too many beads, but I do like to have a choice.

This week I have not done much crafting - with all the bank holidays you'd think I would have, however I spent friday cleaning the kitchen so I had space to build a new bookcase and some storage cubes in an attempt to be more organised. I did have frequent breaks to watch bits of the wedding and I had it on in the background all the time.

I think they look ok [although my dresser really needs painting now as everything else is beach and it is orangey pine - soon to be beige, but I'm not sure how soon]. I haven't managed to sort stuff properly yet though - I need more baskets and to take some of the stuff back upstairs to the open attic.

I've excavated my owl book-ends and started putting my journals on top of the dresser - I'm not sure how I ended up with so many [most of them are untouched], I am a bit of a stationery addict though [I was told it is related to being a gemini but I'm not sure what that's got to do with anything].

I'd better go now - I need to go and buy a large planted for the shrub I managed to buy yesterday whilst on an outing with Beeston in Bloom to see the preparations of the garden Leeds City Council are entering in the Chelsea Flower Show this year.

Sara x

Panic Over

I managed to go AWOL again last week - sorry. I'd planned to do my blog after I'd been to art journalling at Art from the Heart, however when I got home I discovered that my mum and daughter had taken one of my granddaughters, to hospital with stomach pains. My mum was worried it was her appendix and as she's only 3 we were all very concerned. After 6 hours in A&E the doctors finally diagnosed tonsillitis [! - I know but apparently if the glands in your neck don't come up then the ones in your groin will], they decided to keep her in overnight to monitor her [just as well when you have made a child snort diamorphine I guess] and she wasn't released util 4pm on monday and then spent that night thowing up. So hopefully you will understand why all thoughts of blogging abandoned me.

The only photo I seem to have downloaded since my last blog post is my 365 journal page for April - but I'm not sure it looks much different to the last one I posted. I am still filling in the diary dates but still haven't managed to combine the two.

In fact I haven't managed much craft wise at all in the last 2 weeks. I'd planned to do lots of sorting and crafting this long weekend, and while I did manage to sort my bedroom - in the process of finding clothes to take with me to the beadworkers guild workshops & agm in a couple of weeks [getting very excited] - I haven't done any craft sorting or playing.

Last sunday at art journalling I did two pages, one about being pessimistic [we had to pick a card from the emotion pack] and the other to go with an instruction we chose from some print outs [mine was what is the most embarrasing thing you have ever done] but I haven't yet taken any photos of them - note to self, must do better!

have a good week,

Sara x

Domestically Challenged

I've re-started my sorting out campaign this week [having no free weekends in March really put me back - and there was all the shopping I did, which made things worse - no I didn't think that was possible either].

I spent Friday evening, most of Saturday and a short while this morning in the closed attic [I have 2, the closed attic is home to my dolls house, material, thread and bead collections, not to mention stacks of yet more magazines - the open attic houses papers, inks, stamps, embellishments and alterable stuff, when it hasn't overflowed down the stairs and re-appeared in the kitchen] trying to sort out all the stacked lettuce trays [quite a useful, cheap way of sorting stuff - however if they are stacked more than 3 high I can't be bothered to move them to get to stuff so they'll have to go] and bags of random supplies so that I could try and organise what I have got. I am nowhere near finished but I have thrown out quite a lot of stuff [about 10 carrier bags full - which is also quite beneficial for my carrier bag collection !] Next weekend I'm supposed to be at a plant sale for Beeston in Bloom [gardening club of which I am a not terribly productive member]on the Saturday and on Sunday it's art journalling at Art from the Heart again. I'll have to try to get some more stuff done on an evening but I'm not good at that [I'm too lazy, all I want to do when I get home from work is veg in front of the TV].

I did take a break to plant up my hanging baskets and this is how gorgeous my magnolia tree is looking. I planted it about 25 years ago.

January

February

and March

I have been playing along with Kates 365 challenge this year [I have not linked any pages as I haven't worked out how to do that yet] and the pages above are January, February & March. I'm not really happy with the borders on February & March - they are too frilly but I was trying out the Claudine Helmuth border stamps.

This is April so far - as I'm a bit behind, I'm filling in the squares [almost daily!] on the page I printed them on and will cut them out and stick them on by the end of April [hopefully].

Sara x

And finally

I am up to date - Happy Mothers Day.

I have been playing with my altered book some more [you might wonder when I find the time to clean & tidy - the truth is I don't, the house is a tip !]

My queen pages - there are four pages but Marie Antoinette is on the back of her madge and you can just see Cleopatra peeking out from underneath her - using more Octopode digital collage images. I just love Lily's designs.

This features my favourite [non Queen] song, The Power of Love by Frankie goes to Hollywood. Love the richness of Dyans dylusion inks but it needs more doodling and a border.

And this page features my favourite poem, The Ballad of Semmerwater, featuring my new stampotique stamps, Smushasha, Smumauha, Smushallaum and their octopet [I probably spelt them wrongly even though I copied them down]. Again it could do with a border.

These are the mothers day cards I made yesterday using some of my new lavinia stamps [and quite a few older ones too].

I know you usually only make one card [especially as I haven't got a step-mum], but my daughter is my grandchildrens Mum and my Nan is my Mums Mum, so I made three.

I must go now - it's midday and I have to wash my hair [I need to get the blue ink off my fingers as I did the Semmerwater page this morning] and get ready to go to my Mums for lunch.

Sara x

27th March

Last weekend I went to the preview day at AFTH - and booked a class doing a Sir Tim configuration box, a book making weekend and all the art journalling sundays I could make [the one in June is on my birthday so I won't ba able to go to that one] - and on the sunday it was art journalling.

I am not happy with my page, which was based around the quote Dyan gave me to use - life is too short to chew on a stick of celery - so instead here are some more pages from my altered book [now I have worked out how to rotate photos - I am so technically challenged].

A torn spread of pages using characters from an Octopde digital collage sheet.

I'm not totally happy with this page, but I am proud of the poem I wrote. I don't usually write anything if I can get away with it, but was inspired to write this poem whilst watching the first episode of Professor Brian Cox's Wonders of the Universe, I am awestruck by photographs of nebulae and star clusters and often buy the calendars featuring them.

And this page perfectly sums up my attitude to organised religion.





Sara x

20th March

My next mia weekend was spent at the Great Northern Papercraft Extravaganza [GNPE] at the Yorkshire Showground. I booked morning workshops both days [I get a weekend pass because I am a member of Craftwork Cards - their factory and shop used to be on the industrial estate next to where I work - very convienient - but they have moved now and no longer have a visitable shop :(]. My first one was with Dyan and my second with Samuel Taylors [which wasn't my style really - much preferred getting my hands inky with Dyan].

I shopped till I dropped [if you're good at something I think you should get as much practice as possible - and I am very good at craft shopping, I like to think it makes up for being domestically challenged], and bought loads of the new octopode stamps, lavinia stamps, polka doodle stamps, some more Sir Tim stuff and various bits of bling, glitter and I can't remember what else - and I forgot to take any photos of my new stash - sorry.

This however is the canvas I made for my step brother to thank him for fixing my computer. I hope he likes it - he hasn't seen it yet and it might be a bit flowery to give a bloke. It is based on a class I did with Dyan [I don't really live in her studio - although I'd like to !!!] but it's not as good as the one I did then - I'm not sure what steps I have forgotten to do.

Sara x

13th March

Due to over booking myself I ended up in Harrogate every Saturday & Sunday in March, usually all day and had no time to blog - oops.

The first mia weekend I was at an altered book weekend with Dyan at Art from the Heart, although I double booked myself on the Friday night and Dyan had to start my book for me as I was taking my Mum to see Calendar Girls for Mothers Day [a little early I know].

It was a brilliant weekend and although I didn't manage to completely finish a page while I was there [not sure I have completely finished one yet as I keep going back to tweak them] I was totally inspired [Dyan has that effect] and have been obsessed with my altered book.

I have lots of ideas [mostly unworked out] which I jot down on post-it-notes and put on the page I think I want it to go on [and I change my mind regularly of course]

If I ever finish this book I will definately start another - although I think I need to do a little forward planning [actually a lot] so that there is a space to strap the book closed - I have so much stuff coming off the page on this one that no matter where I put a strap something will get damaged.

Sara x

Beads glorious beads

Had an exhausting day at the Bead Show at Harrogate Pavillions yesterday. I learnt some new techniques with wire [and bought lots of stuff - tools and beads - obviously]. I can't remember most of what I watched now so I'm going to have to make an effort to use my new aquisitions before I forget completely what I'm supposed to do with them.

I also did another circle journal page for Pat from the AFTH art journalling group. It takes me a while to decide which image I'm going to use, then I try to create a background for the idea in my head, then I have to find a new idea for the background I did create and then the hard part, I change my mind about 10 times about what words I'm going to use. I usually resort to song lyrics because I don't know enough quotes. Then my favourite bit, I stamp and doodle over the top.

I had to go to court on Wednesday [as a witness] and I was a bit early so I was wandering round the centre of Leeds [that hasn't a lot of shops so I very rarely go there] and I photographed some gargoyles [or grotesques] on a building I've never even noticed before. I must be more observant when I'm out and about.

I was going to put my 365 journal pages up but I forgot to take a photo - and I still haven't fathomed out how to do a link anyway! I'm so technically inept.

Have a good week.

Sara x

Could do better

I've not managed to do much this week - I've been so lazy I bought cards for my grandaughters 6th and grandsons 18th birthdays. I've not managed any sorting or housework either - I don't know what's wrong with me but my get up and go got up and went!.

I did do a class at Art from the Heart on Wednesday with Sandra which I enjoyed a lot. It is a nature book with notes and tags in a decorated box.

It involved lots of distressing and stamping, which I enjoyed a lot.

and 7 gypsies papers and nature quotes.

Have a good week

Sara x

O.M.G.

I did a workshop with Tim Holtz - on thursday morning at AFTH [I was very excited but still managed to be late for the 9am start as I called in Sainsburys to get an offering of Nobbys Nuts]

It's a horrible picture of me [to be honest most of them are - that's why I'm not in many] but I don't care, it is Tim & me in the same photo so I love it. He was very generous with his time, after spending 4 hours teaching us and with only 2 hours till his next class he was in the shop for ages having his photo taken with people. I took his photo but wasn't going to ask for one with me in it but someone offered to take it [thank you whoever it was - I was too excited to notice] and when I said I didn't usually appear in photos [I keep the camera firmly in my hands to avoid it] Tim said I should be in one - and am I glad he did.

This is what I made - a journal using wendy vecchi art parts book covers, and lots of Tim stuff [book rings, kraft resist, distress inks & stains, grunge printers blocks, canvas, perfect pearl mist,....]

and we got lots of stash to keep after we completed our journals including salvage stickers and plastic letters, a craft scraper, 2 distress ink pads, a cut and dry handle, 2 rolls of tissue tape, glossy accents, glue & seal, perfect pearl mist, a new black dabber [softer bottle],...

It was a brilliant class and I had a great day - now I need to journal all the little tips & hints he gave us in my new journal. I did obviously manage to buy a few bits [to go with what I had bought through the week when Ben put them on line] and now I can't wait for the butterfly tissue tape and kraft resist paper [which I wasn't sure about before I used it - but now I need it].

Dyan did a piece of art which she turned into limited edition tickets. She hadn't altered Tim and he wasn't happy about that so she spent most of the class altering him on each ticket individually. My ticket was 2 of 60 and Tim signed it on the back as well!!!! I tried to scan it in so I could put a picture on here but my printer and laptop ane not best friends.

Sara x

Better late than never

It only takes a small change to my routine and I forget all about blogging!

I went to the regular art journal class at Art from the Heart

where we were playing with Dyans new inks

and paints [both of which I obviously couldn't live without]

to make backgrounds incorporating Dyans ghosting technique on card

and in my A6 journal

which I've only just bought so I haven't done any journalling in it yet

We also had a challenge to make a page about what lights us up [in my case shopping and listening to Queen] using magazine images and doodling on an inked background

I also gave Christine her circle journal back - she asked me to do a page for her, along with Dyans paints & inks it uses a steampunk lady image from the Octopode Factory
[I also did one over xmas for Claire, using the snowmobile elf, but I forgot to take a photo, oops].

I'm not making any obvious progress in the tidying and sorting [hopefully I will start to see a difference soon] but I'll keep plodding on with it.

On a positive note however, I have managed to learn how to put links in my post [I'm not the most technical person in the world so I am quite chuffed about that].

On Thursday I'm going to a workshop with Tim Holtz [getting quite giddy now!!!!].

Sara x

Not Much Progress

This week I intended to do so much tidying up that I would be able to find a home for everything. I had seriously underestimated just how much junk I have accumulated and although the magazine ripping has been ongoing all week I have only got rid of one pile of crafts beautiful so far.

I also bought some shelves for my really useful boxes so they can be pulled out like drawers instead of having to unstack them [which obviously I could never be bothered to do] - they arrived at work on Friday in 6 enormous boxes and wouldn't fit in my car until they had been unpacked and the boxes folded up [all in the driving rain so I looked like a drowned rat by the time I got back to my desk - and it took from 10:30 to 3pm for my trousers to finally dry out - jumper went on the radiator & I wore my cardigan], then took over an hour to unload from the car and assemble in the attic once I got home.

I spent yesterday trying to get to the bottom of the paperwork that has stacked up in the study so I can re-house some toys from the attic to the study for my grandkids to play with [when it is eventually tidy enough for them to be able to come and stay - they may have grown out of the toys by that point!].

So instead of current papercraft projects I thought I'd share some of my beaded creations with you this week.

a choker with trailing back

my first [and only] attempt at designing for a loom

a dutch spiral necklace using multiple sized beads

and a free form bracelet - I enjoy free form work as it is really the only time you don't have instructions so it seems more creative to me

I haven't done much beading since I let the caravan go because I haven't got any clear space, but I'm booked on the Beadworkers Guild great bead show in May [only 1 of the 3 classes I wanted to do is confirmed but I'm hoping if the others don't run that there will be room on different classes for me] and I'm hoping to have re-discovered my mojo before then.

Having said I haven't done much recently - this is a bauble I made for my mum for xmas [I make her something for her tree every year] but it was from a kit.

Sara x