If you are wondering...

...what I'm up to

Well, I'm currently putting together a pizza box full of emergency supplies for my niece out in Germany.

Although she has managed to find a craft shop fairly near to where she is, choice is very limited and prices are waaaaaaaay over the top - a fairly basic paper stack €40 (at current exchange rate not far off £40).

She was saying to me that now she realises how lucky/spoilt she was having the likes of Pinnacles & Artbase right on the door-step along with a few other local stores, and whilst UK prices tend to be higher than USA prices - we still do pretty well by comparison to our European counterparts.

So, the goodie box is under construction, I dread to think what the postage is going to be (at least it will be less than normal post as it will be going BFPO) but when a fellow crafter is in need...well what can one do LOL

She has been very busy with her Christmas cards and is trying to get a selection of general cards done too as there isn't much choice for those either, and prices in the NAAFI are silly - a small very basic card is about £5/£6.

In the meantime, I'm still colouring in LOL...I have stamped up some more of my new stamps and I'm working my way through them with my lovely Copics. I think once I have a few more coloured images I will have a play at creating some cards. So enjoy your Sunday evening folks, I'm back to the sofa for a bit more 'grown-up' colouring....................

Oh, did you notice...

...the Christmas tree has come to the top of the list.

I have also found another countdown - Lucy, if you are paying a visit...it's got lab puppies on it **big grin**

I thought it was time to bring the countdowns to the fore as after all, there are now only 125 days to Christmas........................

Why am I so disorganised...

...at home with regard to my craft stuff???

I have just spent the best part of the afternoon looking for my set of Nesties and the foam embossing pads. I only used them the other day but do you think I could find them...nope.

Just as I was about to give up I moved some mags and there they were - I had put the mags down on top of them...Doh!!!

My colleagues at work would never believe how untidy/disorganised I can be when it comes to my craft stuff cos at work everything has its place and everything is in its place - I am known as Mrs Organised LOL

Perhaps that's the problem...because I'm sooooooooo organised at work I can't be bothered at home - unfortunately, that means I spend a lot of time hunting for craft stuff...ho, hum, perhaps one day..........................

35 years & 48 months...

...that's how old Simon says he will be on Thursday LOL

For some reason he doesn't want folk to know that he only has a year to go until the BIG 4-0...

I really struggled with this card and journal as I knew what I wanted to do but couldn't quite come up with the how.

The card ended up an easel style. I tried to keep this fairly muted in tone with the shades of brown and gold. The John Byars stamp bubbles was lovely to colour in - trusty Copics. "Martha" also put in an appearance - the round the page punches are just soooooooooo useful.
Simon is a keen gardener despite living in a flat. He and his Dad have an allotment and Simon was so proud that last Christmas they managed to have virtually all the veg on the Christmas table - Home grown. I had managed to pick up a book on allotments for him but decided to make him a journal too.
The book is made from two heavy chipboard covers that I covered with brown wrapping paper and then decorated the front with a John Byars stamp. The inside is made of 13 A5 white envelopes that have been covered with patterned paper or coloured card stock.
Each page relates to a month and there is an index card - decorated with some garden peel-offs - the card is for making notes of things for that month.
The pockets will be handy for storing stuff all together in one place.
Using envelopes for the pages provides pockets for additional notes, packets of seeds etc.
I left the facing page fairly plain. Just a stamped image in pale brown...I used an Eco-friendly ink pad (very appropriate, don't you think) from a new range called Paris Trunk. The colour was "Tiara Gold". I thought by leaving a lot of space Simon could add some photos that relate to that time of the year. This way he will have a keepsake of his 'growing year'.

The whole thing is held together with 3 large book-rings decorated with toning ribbons and raffia.

Fingers crossed he likes it.........................

Oh, and by the way...

...the birthday card and gift are finished but I haven't taken any pics yet cos the light has been pants the last two days - hope to get some taken tomorrow........

And there's more...

...Blog Candy, that is.

Pinnacle Crafts are celebrating 100 posts on their blog by putting a limited edition Cricut cart up for grabs.

Congrats Andy, especially as you had doubts about being able to keep the blog going.

If you enjoy card making, Andy has some great step-by-step instructions for a whole variety of cards and he tries out different techniques too...playing with shaving foam and Adirondak inks was great fun. Why not pop over there, become a follower, leave a comment and you never know............

Some very nice...

...blog candy up for grabs here

Tracie has a lovely load of stash up for grabs over on her blog "Life & Times of a 12 x 12 addict" - why don't you pop over and have a look, and whilst you are over there visiting have a look at her latest work based on a Pencil lines sketch........

Here you go...

...my first Christmas Urban Miss made into a card.

Yes, I know I'm supposed to be finishing off a birthday card and a gift but they were not going how I wanted so thought it better to 'walk away' from them for a while rather than ruin them (well that's my story and I'm sticking to it LOL).

Please meet Little Miss Blue...

I thought I would keep things fairly simple so that the coloured image remained the focalpoint of the card. The base card was made from A4 navy blue linen effect card stock - folded in half to create an A5 card. The front edge was then decorated by using the Martha Stewart Doily border punch. A piece of white card was cut to fit inside and the edge of that was also cut with the doily punch to give a double edge to the opening edge. Using the same white card an A6 piece was embossed with a tree image and highlighted with stardust stickles. The same white card was also used to stamp the 'miss' image using Memento Tuxedo Black ink - Copic Ciao pens were used to add the colour. The tree was matted on holographic silver mirrorboard. The little miss was trimmed round leaving a white border and then mounted on the card using 3D foam.
As you can see, the stickles gives the background a bit of a frosty look - it has also been used to highlight the fur trim on the outfit of the little miss.

That's the first of my colouring in Christmas cards completed - suppose I'd better get back to the birthday things that I should be doing...time is a flying..........

Two years to go...

...to the Olympics 2012.

(hate this logo - LOL)
For those who may have missed it, and if you did - WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? - many of the National papers have been running features in the last month or so, highlighting the countdown to the Olympics. We have been treated to lots of CG pictures showing us what the Olympic site will look like by 2012.

Problem is, will it????????

I work in Stratford and yes, building work is going on at quite a pace but knowing how long it has taken to get this far...there are doubts.................

One thing that the Olympics will really need is a good public transport service, yeh, right, the Docklands Railway extension runs along side the Jubilee Line that I use every day and is supposed to help bring visitors to the area for the Games. About Eastertime the workmen poured a load of concrete to lay the sleepers on - today they were digging it all up! This new service was advertised as being open Summer 2010 - that's right, this year...don't think so.

So if this is an example of the deadlines that are being set
**rollseyes** I think folk should be stocking up on some spare paintbrushes and DIY stuff cos I can see there being a "call to arms" to help get it all finished LOL I'll be watching out for the call-up papers in the post LOL......................

Okay...

...so I couldn't wait - there's a surprise LOL

Here is the first of my little Christmas Urban Miss images coloured with my Copic Ciao pens. Isn't she a cutie.

I have been playing with the grey shades to give a 'black' effect on some of my recent colouring sessions so I tried it here on the belt and boots - I think it works...what do you think?

The fur trim has just been highlighted with two of the paler cool greys and then 'blinged' with some Stardust stickles (if you look carefully you can just seen the shine).

I've been reading quite a bit about the use of these pens lately and one of the things that seems to be a recurring issue is ensuring the image is "grounded", where appropriate. For this little miss I decided to use the pale grey blue to outline the image and create the ground she is standing on.

I really like this stamp but I can't make up my mind what style of card to put her on. I shall give that a bit more thought AFTER I've finished the birthday stuff that I should have been doing LOL...........................

Journey home...

...via Barleylands, of course LOL.

Well really, you didn't expect me to drive over that way and not call in - I mean, I was passing the door...

Whilst it doesn't look too great out of the window at the moment it has been a glorious day and it was lovely wandering around the craft village in the sunshine.

Sugar & Spice had a noticeboard outside reminding folk of the Wednesday afternoon workshops - at just a fiver I booked myself onto one, then took myself off to get something to eat.

With still 45mins to go I had a wander into Pinnacles...still getting used to the new layout and trying to remember where everything now is. Andy was on the till and I asked him what he was making at the moment - he was in the midst of putting together some new Christmas decoupage toppers that had just been unpacked so that he could use them on some sample cards. Then he showed me these...



Despite not intending to purchase anything other than a storage caddy, I am now the proud owner of these two sets of cute clear stamps (sorry Andy for pinching the ones you were about to play with but you did assure me you had more in the stockroom LOL)...what am I like **rollseyes**

I suppose the race is now on to see who posts a pic of these images coloured and used - better get my finger out and finish those birthday cards so that I can sit down and have a play.

The workshop was fun, we played with a lot of different punches and embossing folders before we got stuck in and made a really nice card (will take a pic when camera has recharged).

So all in all, a really great day - unfortunately, it is back to work tomorrow...........

Found it...

...the new In2Crafting shop, that is.

The new shop is lovely...bright, airy, lots of space and easily reached.

I do not know Wickford but had been told it was easy to find the new shop if I took the car park exit off the main roundabout - easy-peezy.

There is plenty of parking and if you go into the Somerfield supermarket area the first 1.5 hours are free. Other than that the rest of the car park is 40p for an hour - not excessive and I understand most of the parking is free on a Saturday.

So what did I get?



I have finally acquired a Magnolia stamp (used my voucher towards this) can't wait to have a play but I'm being good at the moment as I have a few bits that I need to get finished. I also grabbed a few of the new Christmas Milton stamps - so sweet.

Rene & John still have stuff to unpack for the shop and when that is done they will be setting up a "sofa corner". Can't wait to see what other new items they have for us to drool over.

Rene & John, I wish you all the very best in your new location..............

New Craft shop...

...well, new location.

In2crafting had outgrown its space at the Alpha Garden centre so they have moved home. Today they open in their new store in the Ladygate Centre in Wickford.

So with my £10 voucher at the ready, I'm off to have a look at the new place and see what new goodies they have waiting to tempt all of us crafters. Lynne has been teasing us with pics of the new store and some of the new ranges they will stock so I'm sure there will be plenty of lovely stuff to drool over.

Now all I have to do is find the place LOL........................

Giveaway...

...goodies and up to three chances to win.

A chance (or 3) to win some goodies over on Retro Cafe Art

Go and pay it a visit and you could end up a lucky winner..............

Fifty years...

...working for the same employer - amazing.

On Monday we celebrated the fabulous achievement of one of our colleagues - 50 years with the Department. Someone from headoffice came to make a speech and a photographer came from the staff mag to take some pics. Barrie's immediate colleagues had decorated his desk and surrounding area - he was very touched by the whole thing.

Barrie and I travel home together most evenings and he always asks what I've been making lately so I wanted to make him a card that would reflect the event...gosh it was hard trying to decide on a style & design. In the end I went for a John Byars decoupage kit that I then tweeked.


I added some hammered gold card for a bit of layering on the sentiment strip and some cream organza ribbon down the side. I resorted to gold peel-offs for the numbers as I didn't have a suitable stamp. In side I created an insert that had the edges decorated with one of my Martha Stewart 'round the page' punch sets (didn't realise the pic of the interia hadn't come out very well as I was in a rush - so sorry, no pic here). The envelope was just a great big white space so I decorated that too using Rich Cocoa Memento ink and the John Byars stamp "Kite flying".

Barrie loved the card and was showing everyone what I had made (red cheeks moment LOL). He had a lovely day. It had been arranged for his wife to be there and they went out for a meal with his 'team'.

Fifty years...gosh that is an achievement. For many it is more than a life-time.......................