Hello everyone, I'm here at last with plenty of pics for you to see.  I really don't know what happened to March, so much work and it flashed past before I knew it.  April has been a little bit calmer, but only a bit. 

This last week I've been doing some artwork with paints and inks and having a whale of a time with it.  I do love paints and inks, maybe that's why I took to Faux painting/effects.  It's a real shame I don't have more time to do it more often, I do miss it.  I would have loved to work for National Heritage/Trust restoring the old big houses, but alas I needed a degree which entailed being at Uni 5 days a week and with a morgage to pay I just couldn't do it.  If only I'd found it when I was younger.  Our careers advisers at school never gave us any information on jobs like that, all they ever banged on about was shop, office and bank work, none of which was I the slightest bit interested in.  Had I known about restoration of faux painting it may have been a different story.

I had a 50th birthday pressie to make for our friend Jez, it took me a while to decide what to do for him as it had to be something special that he could keep.  Inspiration hit when I was sat in the Dr's surgery, not quite as strange as it seems.  They have a few shelves of second hand books that they sell for charity, so that was what got me thinking.  Below is what I made, I was quite pleased with it, but flip me did it take a long time to do, even after ripping out about a quarter of the pages.  I don't think I'll be doing another one anytime soon.

 

 

 

 

I've also done a couple of projects for the Polka Doodles Studio 12 blog since my last post, both use Studio 12 stamps.  Nikky has loads of new goodies added to the shop website, it's well worth having a gander.  The first project is a wooden sign I picked up in Wilkinson's for £3, it's about 14" long so it was a real bargain.

 

A bit late now, but here are the Clarity samples from the April shows.

 

 

 

 

 

That's it for now. Have fun creating till I'm back again.

Here we are again, and not too long after my last post considering. I'm jumping up and down shouting 'its a miracle' lol.  Actually it is, cos I'd rather be curled up with the dog in front of the telly with a nose bag to catch the drips.  I don't think its a cold (I hope not anyway), just infection spread from my abscess into my sinuses, but I'm on good old penicillin so I'm not fretting about it.

Did you see the Polkadoodles shows on Saturday? Yay some stamps at last, it's been a while since we had some new ones, and these are real cuties.  It's just occurred to me that these were rabbits too, do we have a theme running here?  You can order them from Polkadoodles or Create and Craft.

I'd just like to make a little point that has reared it's ugly head again. Copied crafting CD Roms.  If you get offered them please don't buy them, even if you really want it and can't afford the real thing.  This is theft pure and simple and its taking away valuable income from all the smaller designers such as Cupcake Crafting, Polkadoodles, Robert Adams, Sharon Duncan etc.  These smaller companies cannot afford to lose this income.  Things are tough enough at the moment without making them worse for people who spend hours of blood, sweat and tears designing them.  It really can make the difference of them staying in business or going under.  So please please don't buy them.  The sorry excuses for human beings that sell these copies deserve to be shopped.  Theft is theft and there is no excuse for it, we are all hard up but we don't all go round breaking the law just because it's easy.

This week I had a play with a crafty prototype. It was supposed to be a quick play, but it lasted all day nearly. I had a blast, unfortunately I cant tell you what it is cos I'm quite fond of living, but if you like messy crafting you'll love it.

Anyway, onto the Clarity Samples from today's show. Its always such a shame from our point of views that all the samples don't get shown when they sell out quickly, however it is very good for Barbara which is the main point of doing them.  The bunny rabbits didn't hang about long did they, they hopped right off rather quickly, but then they were rather sweet and my fave sample this time was made with them.

I stamped on fabric with deColourant for this one, then used it to cover a notebook.  Bookbinding glue is essential for this

 

Aww, the wee bunnies, the one above is so simple but so effective. Mind you I nearly lost the top of a finger cutting out the whiskers, a very near miss indeedy.  The one below is a Joanna Sheen backing paper, it seemed the perfect thing to put the bunnies on

A couple of ATC's.  I don't make them very often, maybe I should make more of them, they are so much quicker than the other samples.

Happy New year everybody. I know it's a bit late, but what can I say, I've been very distracted and busy, plus I've dreaded doing a post after seeing so many comments about blogger not letting you load pictures.  But I'm here now and it's 9am Monday morning so we'll see what happens and what time I finally publish this post! If you heard a loud scream about 9.15, that was me lol.

I'll be on Create and Craft TV next Saturday 19th at 3pm, I'm hoping to do some Arashi Shibori for a demo, but it really depends on if I can get the right size pipe in time, If I cant do it this time I'll do it next time though.  We have the mister now so that's what I'll be mainly demoing.

Lots of Polka Doodles and Studio 12 news for you.  Firstly the Studio 12 blog has been merged with the Polka Doodles blog so there will  now be S12 posts on Tues, Thurs and Sun, and the Polka Doodles challenge will still remain on the Friday, so lots more inspiration for you all in one place.  Next, and I'm a bit late with this one (haha who am I kidding, I'm late with it all), Nicky has launched her Digiworld Downloadables shop within the Polka Doodles shop, loads of fabby downloads to be had at very reasonable prices, you can't fail to be inspired by all the lurverly images and papers.

Also check out the Feb issue of Making Cards, I have a set of cards in there made from HOTP Colour Me papers which I bought from Stamps Addicts, I loved using them and they made some gorgeous cards.  Full details of how to make them and stockists for the stash are in the magazine, along with other gorgeous projects by all the other designers, Emma Williams has a really beautiful project this month. The lady is someone from the family although I'm not entirely sure who it is. It does have my grandmother written on the back but really not sure that it's correct.

 

And late again here are the Clarity Stamp show samples from the beginning of the month.

There is watermark stamping on this card, but you can't really see it in the photo.

As soon as I saw these house stamps, I knew I had to give them the 'Nikky Hall treatment'. Thanks for the inspiration Nikky.

 UTEE lollipops, made by pouring molten UTEE into a small cookie cutter placed over the stamped image

 

 Hmm, well they all loaded so I hope that means it will publish now.

Hello all, I've not really got much to say today (brain has switched off lol) so I'll get straight into pics from the Mulberry Silks deColourant show samples and a few of  'he who must be obeyed'. 

This Sunday sees the start of the Oct comp give away at the Studio 12 blog so check it out, it's easy to entre.

Just look at those eyes and cute little chops wrapped round Duckie, how are you supposed to resist that and not give in.  And doesn't he know it the little devil.

Now the weather is turning he's feeling the cold, I wish his coat was thicker as he spends half the winter shivering bless him, even in his coats and jumpers

And this is Baggins giving Sammy her unimpressed stare

A card I made for my Creative Expressions demo. I missed it last time sorry.

 

A padded fabric canvas. I wanted a vintage feel to this so I didn't heat the snowflakes round the edge much and I flicked decolourant plus on it at the end too to add some textural effects.  deColourant, deColourant plus (bright red, pearl, gold and bronze).  That Special Touch mini mask, Creative expressions stamps, Clarity stamp, beads, stickles and charms

deColourant plus (silver), beads and a bell. Creative Expressions stamp

deColourant plus (gold), bell and Creative Expressions stamp

deColourant plus (pearl) stickles, Creative Expressions stamp and bell

deColourant Plus (Bronze), sequins and beads, Creative Expressions stamp and bell

deColourant works incredibly well through screens.  The card below uses two, the background and the butterflies and I'm totally in love with them.  They could be my next obsession!  deColourant, deColourant plus (bright purple), Spellbinder dies, Couture Creations embossing folder, distress ink pads, Cosmic Simmer mister and Chocolate Baroque stamp.

Another fabric panel mounted on a card. deColourant, deColourant plus (white, sunlight yellow, Tuscan Brown, and spruce), Creative Expressions stamps, Clarity Stamp, stickles, ribbons and gems

deColourant, Clarity stamps, Creative Expressions stamps, Clarity cardstock (coated silk art card), Kaleidacolor inkpad applied with a brayer, Cosmic shimmer mister, ribbons and brads

deColourant, deColourant plus (Carnation and Venetian red), That Special Touch mask, Paper Artsey stamp, a flower stamp and bubble wrap

deColourant, a flower stamp, cosmic shimmer acrylic mister, distress inkpad pearls and ribbon

deColourant, deColourant plus (robins egg blue, cobalt blue, sunlight yellow and landscape golden yellow)
Again I didn't heat some elements much so they are faded, I wanted a vintage collage feel without the vintage colours.  It's a shame some of the fainter elements aren't showing on the photo so it looks a little unbalanced. I used a whole host of stamps, masks and stencils on this Tshirt..