Twice in a week???

I know!! I can hardly believe it myself......after a three week break here I am again in less than 3 days!!

During a spot of 'blog hopping' I noticed a new challenge set by Lynn at Craft Den called Anything Goes, so I thought I'd give it a go! I always look admiringly at projects that people enter into challenges, but have never been brave enough to actually 'have a go' myself. This week something clicked and I thought....'why not???' So here is my entry........

The theme for this week is 'Wings' and the colours to be used are BLUE, YELLOW and BROWN.

Hope you like......

xxx

Yoo Hoo!!!! I'm back!!!

Busy, busy month...seemingly doing nothing at all! No crafting, anyway :( My creative juices...such as they are...seemed to dry up completely! Anyway May is complete......

....and June is ready to go!!!

As usual, didn't know what to do, so took some inspiration from nature and, in particular, from our garden which is sprouting beautifully at the moment. I painted...that was a first, too.....a background using Claudine's paints. I then decided I actually quite liked it and it seemed a shame to cover it all up, so I chose some Crate papers that blended and then just drew my squares on the bits I didn't want to cover. I really like it now...and it was nice to do something a bit different. I just love the Moongirl stamp and she seemed to fit quite nicely.

I have fulfilled an order I had for a Ruby Wedding card......

...the lady I made it for was over the moon with it. Finding red flowers was very difficult so I got white ones and coloured them with inks. I like vellum on cards, but attaching it so it doesn't show can be a pain...but the ribbon method works pretty well!

I got up early yesterday morning and went for a stroll round the garden....took some photos so I thought I'd share them...

....hope you enjoy them!!!

...and finally....Bethany went off to her Leavers' Ball looking beautiful last Sunday night. She decided not to go down the 'fake tan' route like so many of her friends did. She did have false nails and lashes....and a wonderful; pedicure,  done by good old mum! I won't bore you with heaps of photo's but I love these ones...

Bethany and her friend Grace looking very ethereal......

....leaving on the minibus..

Thanks for looking....hope to be back SOONER!!!!!!

xxx

        

What a relief!!!

Just a quicky to show you 'the dress'!!!
 It was only the 4th one she tried on...and the previous three looked great too!! Oh to be young and beautiful!! Anyway, it was a one stop shop in Monsoon....dress, shoes, bag, jewellery and flower for hair!!! Now that's what I call a result! She tried the whole lot on when we got home to show grandma and grandad...and of course, dad who had kindly footed the bill!!

So here's a quick look for now...you'll get the full effect at the end of the month!

...and here's the shoes!

Bye for now...xx

Was that really another month that just nipped by?????

Oh, my!! I know lots of us are saying it....but, where did April go??

Mum and I had the most wonderful time in London last weekend! She hasn't been well recently with her hip/leg giving her a lot of pain, so we decided to take it easy and take time to enjoy the things I had planned for us to do, rather than just charging round shops, the majority of which we could visit in Manchester anyway!!
We had a lovely train journey down, with a very attentive attendant, arriving in just over 2 hours!! After checking into our hotel we went for a sandwich and a bit of a wander. It was St Georges Day and there was quite a lot of celebrating going on!! We happened upon these Morris Dancers just off Carnaby Street!!

We then just had a chill before setting off for Claridges for our afternoon tea. We have done this before, but it was just as lovely as last time!!

Here's mum enjoying the scones!!

The pastries were all exquisite, but this handbag was made entirely of chocolate!! It was beautiful...and far too rich to eat after everything else!! So it was spared!!! We then went to see Mamma Mia! which mum absolutely loved...me too!!

The following day we went to Buckingham Palace. It was an amazing place to see, and the guide we had was really interesting! Here's mum after our visit...

The tulips were beautiful! Preparations were well under way for the London Marathon, and whilst I tried my hardest to get mum to put on a chicken suit and run....she just wouldn't!!

On Sunday we had lunch in Fortnum & Mason before catching the train home and as I walked down the stairs I was faced with this sight...

....remind you of anything???!!! It was just like seeing one of Tim's stamps magnified loads of times!!!

We had a wonderful time! It was great to spend some time with my lovely mum...just the two of us! She does so much for me and I just love her to bits!!

I have had such a busy week since we came back, working 4 days in Nursery rather than my usual two....with being away last weekend and being ill the week before that, I have only just caught up on my ironing so crafting has had to take a back seat...never good news!!

Anyway, I am glad to report that my April pages are complete......

...and May is ready to go!!

Theme wise I wasn't sure where to go with this one, so I thought about the beautiful blossom that is all around us at the moment and went 'pink'!!! I remembered that May is famous for Queens and Whit Walks and things, so decided to 'crown' my title!!

Well, that was a bit of a marathon (pardon the pun!)...am now about to embark on another one! I am taking Bethany into Manchester, to find a dress for her Leaver's Ball at school at the end of the month! I have braced myself and am ready for what lies ahead!!!!! Watch this space! Ian and Sam are meeting us later for something to eat...

Bye for now xx

Much better now!!!

Well, thank goodness the second lot of antibiotics seem to be doing the trick and I am feeling much better!!
 In spite of feeling pretty grim, last Friday I took mum for a long awaited trip to Art from the Heart in Harrogate. We had a lovely day and even though I was exhausted by the time we got home...it was the most I had done for 10 days....it was well worth it! Mum has wanted to have a go at an Altered Book for ages, so Dyan gave her a brief, but very thorough. lesson to get her going. As mum doesn't drive I had to go too....SHAME!!!!....and I sat quietly in a corner and worked on a Stampotique book.
And here it is.....

I loved making the backgrounds for the pages. First I folded and stitched together watercolour paper to make the book. Then I used really watered down Adirondack Dabbers, then sprayed over them with Colour Spray using templates. I also sprayed some old book pages at the same time to make the hearts, hats, flowers and circles with. The white smears and rings are just gesso, which very effectively picked up some colour from the dyes underneath. All the embellishments are just hand drawn, cut out, stuck on and then doodled around.

I love the Stampotique stamps, and guess what?? Yes, my collection is now under way!! I loved the 'crow' stamp, for obvious reasons, so I had to have him too!! Anyway, a HUGE thank you to Dy for a great day!!

Well, we're off to London, to see the Queen on Friday! Hope the nice weather lasts, or that at least it doesn't rain! I think a quick trip to Blade Rubber Stamps might just be in order!!

Bye for now xxx

Feeling a little sorry for myself......

Well, amazingly I have finished the Dates to Celebrate book! I say amazingly for two reasons...the first being I have had the most horrendous cold which then became sinusitis. I just didn't feel like doing anything...even crafting. Having my head looking downwards was so painful that it wasn't really an option. I finish my antibiotics today, but am still not right...hopefully will clear up completely over the next few days, as mum and I are off to London on Friday!

This is the second reason that I am amazed the book got finished....

.....I mean, how could anything attractive be created from this utter MESS??????!!! Anyway I did complete it and here it is....

I was really pleased with the way it turned out. The Spring Fling papers looked so bright and cheerful! Here are a couple of inside pages...

I made a flower for the front using Tim's Tattered Flowers die.....I just love it!!

I dropped the book off to my friend last night, so she could pass it onto the recipient...I hope she enjoys her birthday present!!

Well, the paracetamol are calling...so I'd best be off (good result is that I'd lost 2.5lbs at Weight Watchers, so it's not all bad!!)

Love Jayne xx

Anniversary Card

Well, that was a busy weekend! Had a lovely surprise on Friday morning...our 22nd Wedding Anniversary. Ian said he was taking me into Manchester so I could choose a new handbag...he had looked, but decided it was definitely a WJ (woman's job!); then he had booked us into the Radisson hotel for the night where we were also having a massage in the Spa; rounded off with a meal out....perfect! The highlight of the afternoon, it has to be said, was the arrival of the Chelsea football team...now, I'm no football fan...but Frank Lampard is pretty easy on the eye and it was just sooo funny watching all the hullaballoo surrounding their arrival. Second to crafting, my favourite pass time is people watching...oh, and collecting handbags!!

Anyway..here is the card I made for Ian using my new goodies!

I had a ball making this...I did the background using a variety of Distress Inks and a spotty stamp, then overstamped with another couple of Tim's stamps. The heart was a pre-cut Grungeboard one, which I inked with the new Barn Door DI, then clear embossed in parts and further distressed by rubbing Old Photo into the cracks and spaces. The key and keyhole were cut from Grungepaper with my new dies, then again inked and embossed as Tim describes in his book. 

Had a lovely family dinner on Sunday, and on Monday we took Bethany and Sam for a very muddy walk to try and remove a few of the calories that had been consumed over the weekend!

Am now working on a 'Dates to Remember' book which a friend has ordered for a birthday present. I first made this at a class at Art from the Heart and this will be the 5th one I've made! Each one has been very different and this time I'm using Blonde Moments Spring Fling papers.....will show you when it's finished!

Bye for now xx

March.....done!!!!

Well, I can't believe that after such a slow start my March pages were actually finished on time...but, they were!!! Here's the proof...and I made sure that April was be ready on time and I wouldn't start yet another month in arrears!!

I did have some problems with this one...I decided on a yellow and blue theme, a sort of cross between daffs and rain, and absolutely hated it when the paint was on. I tried to tone it down, but didn't really seem to get very far. To be honest, if March hadn't been on the back I would have just ripped it out!! After a bit more blending and over-stamping with a Stampin' Up 'Sanded' stamp, it was starting to improve. I then found the Woodware rainy stamps lurking at the bottom of a box.....and suddenly things were on the up!! I used my Inktense watercolour pencils to colour the stamps and even put a bit of Stickles on each raindrop. I love the wellie boots along the bottom and have to say....it's now my favourite page so far!!!

Well, it's our Wedding Anniversary tomorrow....and Ian's card still isn't done, so I'd better go and do it! Got lots of new goodies to play with after a delivery of Tim Holtz Sizzix dies and a trip to AFTH last Sunday! You see I HAD to buy the new stuff to make the Anniversary card!! :)

Bye for now xx

What a brilliant weekend....

Have just spent a fantastic weekend at Artsycrafts in Warrington. I met lots of lovely people, and under the expert tuition of Lin and Leandra , made some wonderful things!

We started making Gothic arches on Saturday morning...here is mine in it's very early stages...

.... a bit more....

After a much needed coffee break we started stamping onto calico for the insert, and then used Distress Inks to colour with. After a delicious lunch ( my calorie count went into total over-ride!!) we made a Castle Niche which was really cute. We used Terra for texture, then painted, stamped and embossed metal to our hearts content...

After dinner, which wasn't without giggles, we did some stitching and beading onto the stamped calico. At this point I was glad I'd passed on the wine, as needle threading proved quite tricky enough when sober! We then did the '30 minute Challenge'. Leandra gave each group a bag of miscellaneous materials and we had 30 minutes to create a joint card. This was hilarious, and resulted in the most bizarre pieces of work, as styles and colours CLASHED!!! Then off to bed, where I spent an hour tweaking my Mothers' Day present (more of that later), before sleeping extremely soundly!

After yet more calories at breakfast we were back to work, this time making the beads to dangle from the bottom of the arch, We started by painting a small wooden bead with Viva Metallic Paints, then dipping it into  a Melting Pot of hot UTEE. The results were amazing...will definitely be doing more of this!

We then made metal embellishments for our arches and put the whole thing together...and here it is!!

..here's a few close-ups too...

I just absolutely love it...in fact, I think it is the nicest thing I have made...this year, anyway!!

After our lunch...complete with March Hare..... we decorated a wooden bowl with embossed, painted and Glimmer misted metal and small mosaic tiles.

It really was a fantastic weekend and I would recommend Artsycrafts to anyone!! 

I then returned home, where I found more wonderful things waiting for me....a huge bunch of flowers from Sam; a DVD of my favourite film ever, Jack & Sarah (if you've never seen it, make sure you do....it's just lovely) and Tim Holtz's new book from Bethany (huge Brownie points!!), and a fabulous lasagne made by my wonderful hubby! It was also lovely to see my mum at last, so late in the day, and hand over her gift that I had only finished off on Saturday night in my hotel room! She was thrilled, and here it is...

...a book of quotes, made using Audrey Tan's idea of coffee filters for pages, from last months Craft Stamper.

I made the tags for inside the pages using Distress Inks and Tim's stamps. The quotes were printed on cartridge paper and coloured and stamped with a background stamp.

Phew!! Well that was my weekend..hope yours was just as good!

Jayne x

At last.......

Very short post....but here it is!! March all ready to go xx

Not sure where the last two weeks have gone to......

  

....oh, my goodness...where does time go to??? Have had a manic couple of weeks with very little time for crafting at all!! The picture above is of my lovely children. Bethany was 18 in November and for one reason and another we were unable to celebrate properly at the time so we secretly planned a trip to Heston Blumenthal's restaurant, The Fat Duck, during half term. They were very excited and thoroughly enjoyed eating a whole range of fantastic dishes! My personal favourite was the Mock Turtle soup served as though it was part of the Mad Hatters Tea Party.We were given a cup with a gold watch hanging in it....

                                     

......then the bowl of soup arrived...it just looked too pretty to eat......

...the waitress arrived and poured hot water into the tea cup, which we then had to stir until the watch had dissolved and pour into the bowl...

...and here's the finished product!!! It looked amazing.....and tasted divine!!!

The day before all this I was lucky enough to go to a workshop with Suze Weinberg!! What a lovely lady....I had such a good day and now I actually know how to use my melt pot properly I will definitely be getting it out more often!!! Here are a couple of the things I made....

.....totally coincidentally, an Alice in Wonderland beeswax collage!!!

This was so simple, but very effective....we covered the glass from a memory frame with red line tape, then stuck a couple of pieces of torn book page to it. We then applied some foil and finished off with gold UTEE and Bedazzled jewels. Attached to the bottom is one of Tim's tokens. It was a lovely day and I met some really nice people....again!!

The following week was Sam's 16th birthday and this is the card I made for him! I used my Stampin' Up All in the Family stamps to make the little 'Sams'......and my new Copic markers to do most of the colouring!!!

And finally, better late than never....my February diary pages!!! WAHEEEYYYYY!!!!!

...have to report that March is still in production....well it's ONLY 6 days to catch up on!!!

See you all soon......ooohhhh.......Artsycrafts next weekend.....very excited.....xxxx