I got an award!!

*blush* I found an award on my blog from Helen with the following instructions:-

1 Express gratitude to the blogger who bestowed the award unto you... Copious,grovelling …I am not worthy… gratitudes  - ok, here goes. Helen makes fabulous art, takes amazing photographs and has impeccable taste in football teams.
2 Display the picture on your blog proudly.

3 Be nice and provide a link to the person who gave it to you.
Ok, http://stampingbyh.blogspot.com/ is the blog by Helen (she of the amazing floorspace and brand new big shot)

4 Tell up to six outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one outrageous truth, or switch it around and tell six outrageous truths and one outrageous lie. I'm not telling which is which :)

So here are my lies and/or truths:

1. I am really a size zero but I wear a fat suit all the time so other people don't feel bad at not being as thin as me (coz I am nice like that)
2. I once received an indecent proposal from an Arab prince who wanted to "take pictures of me in Hyde Park" because he was a keen amateur photographer (apparently)
3. I am a secret agent and get to go on exotic trips to top secret locations to spy on people
4. I won a scholarship to go to MIT when I was 12 because I am so clever and stuff, but I turned it down because I was scared of flying.
5. I don't ever eat chocolate or cakes.
6. I turned down Brad Pitt so he married Jennifer Aniston on the rebound.

5 Nominate seven creative writers who might be into doing this.

1. Paula 
2. Alison 
3. Virginia 
4. Anne 
5. Julia 
6. Ruth 
7. Marilyn 

6 Post links to the seven blogs you nominate (see above) and let the owners of those blogs know.

Ok, off to let the blog owners know... this may take a while!
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WOYWW

... or maybe what's not on my workdesk, because there isn't much!  The badge is one we were all given at the Artsy Crafts weekend all made up for us when we arrived :)

To make up for the complete lack of activity on my actual workdesk, I will show you another area with a sad lack of industry... my cross stitch corner. Each of the plastic boxes contains a cross stitch project. There are a few smaller ones piled up on the top left, and the lap tray on the top right has a long neglected bead weaving project on it.  The big bag looking thing on the top left is a pillow case with a few actual completed projects in it.... waiting to be framed!  My excuse for not doing any cross stitch for such a long time is that my magnifying lamp broke and my eyes are no longer up to working on 32 count linen unaided.  (I know, that's pretty lame).  I really should get back to work on some of these poor neglected things.  I have some beautiful pieces on the go such as Carousel  by Teresa Wentzler, Celestial Dragon by the same artist, Storyteller (TW again), Queen of Peace by Nora Corbett...... I really need to finish some of them!  Help!
Anyway,  happy Wednesday WOYWW, hope to visit you all soon.

Artsy Crafts...

... was amazing!!! I had the greatest time getting inky and messy and having fun.  First we made a giant tag called Secret Garden using all kinds of fabby new background techniques and doing interesting new things with Ferro.  (Of course we got to play with all of Leandra's latest Paper Artsy stamps, and we also got to play with her new dies which are - pardon the pun - to die for!!)

Then we made the main project, Flights of Fancy, which was full of even more amazing new background techniques, and new ways with metal, incredibly inventive things with Terra and some cool stuff with canvas.  We played with Inca Gold too, and I need every single colour, it is just sooo gorgeous!

Finally we made a little birdie hangy thing which used even more new techniques and stuff!

I'm only allowed to show you little sneaky peeks, but you can see how gorgeous all the colour combinations are and how lush everything looks.

These weekends really are the best thing ever.  Lin and Leandra really are the most amazingly talented people but what is truly wonderful is how generous they are with that talent.  Of course they are always ably assisted by Superwoman (aka Karen) and the comedy double act of Linda Elbourne and Jo Firth-Young, and the whole team makes every effort to ensure that everyone is well looked after and feels welcome.  The whole atmosphere is warm and friendly and everyone gets on really well. I can honestly and wholeheartedly recommend these events to anyone and everyone.  Can you tell I loved it.  This was my second time and I really want to go to every one from now on... if only I can afford it!
Anyway, hope everyone in the UK is enjoying the lovely weather... make the most of it while it lasts, and I look forward to visiting all the WOYWW in a couple of days.

WOYWW

Yes, it's Wednesday already, which can only mean one thing......  only 3 more sleeps to Artsy Crafts!!  Of course, it's also WOYWW day.  This week I thought I would show you a couple of different angles of my little corner of the universe:

I normally take shots from where I usually sit to craft I realised, so I went to the other side of the desk this week.  It's all very cluttered, mainly because if I hide things away I forget I've got them and either don't use them or buy another one! lol.

Here you can see some of the stuff on my desk a bit more clearly.  I'm working on a CJ at the moment.  I've also had a bit of a move around on the desk so things are bit tidier than usual (only a bit mind you!).

And this is just a sideways view so you can see all the clutter climbing up the walls!

Hope everyone has a great day, and don't forget to join in with the fun here on our fearless leader's blog.

Two challenges in one

Still on the theme of Tin Pan Alley this is my second entry for the Alter it Monthly challenge for May.  I think it might also qualify for Hel's Sunday Stamper challenge this week which is We Are Golden.
I went over a small tin with a selection of alcohol inks on a felt applicator.  I used wild plum, raisin and caramel.  Once that was dry I rubbed some Antique Gold stickles all over (see, Gold!).  I inked a tiny grungeboard heart with Nick Bantock Damson Plum ink (love that colour), then triple embossed it adding some gold pigment powder to the final layer and stamped into it with a text stamp (more Gold).  I then gold embossed a grungeboard heart (yet more Gold).

I covered the inside with wild plum alcohol ink, then lined it with some K&Co verbena paper that I stamped with a Wendy Vecchi scroll stamp.  I stuck a Crafty Individuals image into the lid, then took a Maya Road chipboard flower, inked it with the Nick Bantock damson plum and triple embossed.  I stamped it with a text stamp on the last layer then rubbed in some gold wax once it was cool (and more Gold).  The Wendy Vecchi small butterfly was stamped onto grungepaper, cut out and then coloured with the Nick Bantock ink.  I used some purpley seed beads for the body and stuck gems on the antennae (or however you spell them).  I used some UTEE inside the base with some purple micro beads and gold mica flakes (there's the Gold again) and stuck a Prima pebble in that matched the colours.
So, Gold and a tin, I think that qualifies for both challenges :) 
Happy Friday..... only 7 more sleeps to Artsy Crafts :)))

WOYWW

My desk seems to have disappeared! This basket usually lives on the floor next to my desk and stuff gets put in to it. You know the kind of thing - new stash, interesting buttons and bits of lace from old clothes, tickets that look pretty or that I want to scrap some day - that kind of stuff.  The idea being, it goes in there as a sort of inbox and then gets sorted out and put away. Only the basket is full to overflowing and no sorting out or putting away has been happening. So, I have dumped it (and the overflow) on top of my desk so I will have to sort it out before I can do any crafting.  That's the theory anyway.  It's been there since Monday evening with no change so far.  My excuse is I've been working late... hopefully there will be improvement before next week, otherwise you all have permission to whip me with wet noodles!!
On a different subject.... only 10 more sleeps! No, I'm not Linda Elbourne and I'm not going to Ranger U.  I am going to the next Artsy Crafts weekend though (and Linda will be there) - woohoo!
BTW for those who asked last week, my two daughters both have the first initial J, so the Js were one each for them.

Wall Hanging on a budget

I'm on a strict stash diet at the moment (mainly due to the tax man stealing all my money!) so I'm having to adapt techniques to match in with what I have laying around - it's kind of fun in some ways.  Anyway, I have been wanting to try out Lin Brown's technique tutorial here (mainly the background metal stuff although I will get around to the UTEE one day.... when I dig out my melt pot and pluck up the courage to use it).  I didn't have a mould, and wanted to get one at Ally Pally but alas, cash would not stretch that far.  I did get a different mould from Creative Expressions though and, whilst not quite the right thing sort of worked.  So, here is what I ended up with:

The basic shape is cut from a cereal packet. I used TSS Dark Chocolate metal, and filled some of the diamond shapes with glossy accents and micro beads.  Other diamond shapes were filled with crystal stickles and a few  I scratched off the colour with the brush tool.  I went around the edge with a scootchy wheel.  I don't have any terra so I used Golden moulding paste instead on the left at the top and a few places around the edge, and I used iron ferro and a damp text stamp on the right.  Once it was all dry I used Copper viva precious metal paint to highlight the paste and the ferro and decided to carry that on into the scribbled diamond shapes.  I also decided the bare metal didn't go well in the piece so I painted on some raisin alchohol ink.

I went to the magic box of broken jewellery and other assorted junky stuff and took some chain and a few charms off a sort of belt thing one of my DDs discarded a while ago.  The colour was wrong as they were a sort of antique brass colour, so I coloured them with the raisin alchohol ink as well and used them to finish off the hanging.
As the Alter it Monthly theme this month is Tin Pan Alley (alter a metal item or use metal in the piece) I thought this could be my entry.

A very late WOYWW

So late it's almost a WOYWThursday!!  T'internet is finally reconnected at work, but not until about 5.30pm so I couldn't post from work.  Had to wait until I got home, did all kinds of stuff and now, finally, I have had a chance to take a quick pic and here it is:

Not much of the desk on show I'm afraid.  You can just see the edge of my paint mixing wotsit on the left with a selection of chipboard bird shapes in it.  I intended to use them for something, but I can't remember what now.  The little black thing at the top was from a tube of some kind of glue, and I have found it very useful for unblocking my glossy accents from time to time.  The letters are MDF ones that I got from somewhere ages ago and never got around to doing anything with.  I finally decided to alter them this week and have been doing bits and pieces to them.  First I gave them a coat of Traditional Tan paint each, then another one for luck.  The pink then has some K & Co Madeleine paper stuck to the top then I swiped some tattered rose DI around the edge.  The other one I stamped a Wendy Vecchi stamp with coffee Archival Ink then swiped the edge with brushed corduroy DI.  Both of them were then coated with the very last of my transparent Croco and left to dry.  This evening when I got in from work I smooshed some walnut stain DI into the cracks then wiped the excess off with a baby wipe.  I've then spritzed some mallow pink and antique copper cosmic shimmer mist onto the pink one and some rich gold and antique copper onto the other one.  Not sure what I am going to do with them next.... maybe I'm finished... what do you guys think?
Ok, off now to see what's on everyone else's desks this Wednesday (maybe it will be Thursday by the time I've finished looking!).

TWTWTW

For those of you of a younger disposition, the title was a TV prog back in medieval times when we only had three channels (That Was The Week That Was).  The office has moved, the phones have moved, the internet, thanks to BT, has not!! Emails are being forwarded from our domain server to my Blackberry, which is running red hot, poor little thing!  Normal internet service will, apparently, be restored by Wednesday afternoon.  I'll believe it when it happens!
Anywho, I have managed to get my CJ all prepared, packed up and ready to go.  Unfortunately I didn't make it to the post office before it closed for the weekend, so it won't start it's journey until Tuesday.  Here is a sneaky peek of the front page:

 The image is called Gypsy Moth and is by Josephine Wall who I really love, she produces the most amazing fantasy images.  The background is black card smothered in silver cosmic shimmer mist and the title is grungeboard letters coated with transparent croco (I'm running low on that now, must get a new pot!) and then spritzed with different coloured shimmer mists.  The stickers are DCWV Once Upon A Time.

In other news Charmed Cards & Crafts  blog has some fabulous blog candy on offer this month.  Hop on over for a chance to win t!m goodies (including his Compendium of Curiosities).

Hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend x