What On Your Workdesk Wednesday 145

Quite a few of you last week had been tidying and I thought 'I can do that' so here is my desk Tuesday late afternoon (still the same this morning).

Bit of a cheat actually as the only reason it is tidy is that I was glueing my altered book and didn't want to get gel medium all over everything - again.  As you can see, all the stops came out finding pegs and clips to hold it together and keep it upright overnight.

The other thing on my desk is a double concertina book I finished yesterday.  It is for my Great Niece's 20th birthday on Friday and it is based on an example by the lovely JoZarty who brought her sample to our stamp club meeting the other week and very generously shared the 'how to'.  Hers was in black and white and I loved the idea so used the same with a touch of lilac, or is it lavender, never too sure of the difference.  The pages flip open on alternate sides, the cover opening to the left, next page the the right etc so lots of surfaces to cover.

The butterfly on the front cover came from a friend's die cut - only it didn't, cut that is, except around the shape.  Still the non-cut-out bits on the wings look pretty as they are so I decided to use it.  Top and bottom borders are from my new Memory Box die and the little 'shell' shapes fell out of the curlicues  so I used those as well.

Here are a few more pages from the book.

I tried so hard last week to get round all the desks over at Julia's Stamping Ground and managed well over a hundred, lets see if I can do better this week -and lets see if I can put the right link in to my page this week - dumbo.

Altered Book - lesson 3, inside cover

Cleaned the oven this morning, a job I hate so felt justified in having a play afterwards.  I had glued the first two pages of my book last night so got our the ink sprays and a new butterfly stencil and altered a sheet of white paper for the inside cover.  I also added iridescent powders to suggest a butterfly/dragonfly's wings but this doesn't show on the photo.

The paper wasn't quite as big as the open book so I got out that roll of tissue tape I had been saving, swiped it with a few Distress Inks and added it to the edges of the page.

So that is stage one of Elizabeth's third lesson complete - it's the niche next for me.  Just hope I don't mess it up and ruin the whole thing.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday. I will, out for a walk now and then Mr B is making his signature paella for dinner/tea.

Roses all the way

Today is the birthday of Neet of Hickydorums so it is now 'safe to show the card I made for her.  Not done one of these double, twisted easel cards before and I missed the stamp club session when Alison showed how to make one but I did manage to see a few when I went to Padgate Stampers the other week and together with  the wonders of YouTube I managed to make this.  The beautiful face was stamped out for me by a friend as I don't have this stamp - boo hoo - and I think it has been discontinued.

A big happy birthday to Neet and I hope you like your card.

I had a play-day yesterday and sat down (for a change - I usually craft standing up and then moan about my back) with my new Pine Cone die and various card weights to make some roses.  Tried Grungepaper, too soft and springy, ordinary card, too hard and not at all springy, and Coredinations - just right.  I made some of them into faux porcelain roses by following the tutorial by Jenny from The Artistic Stamper who shows how to do this without using a Melt Pot.  Jenny uses a Distress Embossing pad but it difficult to get to all the petals so I used some embossing fluid from a refill bottle and paintbrush.

The Grungepaper one is on the left and pink one slightly below and to the right of it is unglazed.  all the others have been dipped in UTEE, some even had a bit of glitter added as well.

The blue (really lilac) and green ones are going on the front of a double concertina book I am making for my Great Niece's 20th birthday on Friday - better get cracking then.  I need to finish that one quickly as I have a Mother's day card to make - more roses - before I can get down to working on my altered book project. There truly is no rest for the wicked.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Whats On Your Workspace Wednesday 144

It's been a busy  7 days since last Wednesday so not a lot of creativity to see although I have been indulging in crafty things.  Stamp club last Saturday with the lovely Jozarty, craft fair on Sunday where I was parted with quite a bit of my hard earned cash and a bit of a play yesterday while Sorrel was at the groomer's.
Still time to take a photo of my desk so that I can join in on Julia's massive desk hop over at the Stamping Ground.

One of the many things I treated myself to on Sunday was Picket Fence Distress stain so I have been playing with that, making tags, and a mess of my fingers as well.  Ended up with a couple of lovely ones and an 'altered' paper towel - have dried that and it's going in my altered Book stash. Also there - new owl stamp, (I love this one and can't wait to use it) couple of templates and moulds and some scrapbook paper.  Not new this one but it's out because I have been making a birthday card - can't show it yet as there may be spies about.  I bought the book by the late Sarah Lawrence, at a local wool shop - itching to get going with art doll brooches, and last but not least at the top right is the project from Saturday's class at which Jozarty was tutor and all round good egg - here's a closer look of mine and there are lots more examples on Jo's blog here.

The pink cards peeping out of the top are the calendar pages which I haven't finished yet - like I said, I'd been busy and just to prove it here are my inky/painty fingers in front of the tags I made.

I have enough work in progress bits to keep me going for at least 3 years but then that's what it's all about, having fun and creating.

See you over at Julia's.

(Blog Candy - still not heard anything from one of the winners - Janet of Fairy Thoughts.  If you are reading Janet could you let me have your address please - email via my Profile page.  If I haven't heard by Saturday it will go to the reserve winner.)  UPDATE - thanks for getting in touch Janet.

Altered book class with Elizabeth - lesson 2

I am following Elizabeth's, (Altered Book Lover)  very detailed and easy to follow lessons in her *free* on-line AB class and this week is is lesson three, preparing your book covers and end pages and making your niche, but first we are sharing our preparations.

The theme of my book is 'Winged Things'.  It was going to be Birds, Bees, Bugs and Butterflies but my book is only small and  I'm not sure the title will fit the cover ha ha.

I took my courage in both hands to remove a whole lot of pages and this is how the book looks today.

Not a lot of pages for the niche at the back but then the item I want to put in it isn't very thick.

I went through my stash of stuff and pulled out the pieces that had the right images, some used postage stamps I  got when I made some inchies years ago, a wallchart of British butterflies and a book of garden birds that came free with a Sunday paper.  Still lots to find but I'm searching through magazines and have friends doing the same.

This is what I have so far but I do have a few(???) stamps that will come in as well. and I went to a craft show yesterday and fell in love with this stamp.

I love owls and have a few stamps already but couldn't resist this one (newly released) because it is so big - must find space for this in the book, and at almost 5 inches he will look great on shrink plastic.

So that is me started and the gesso will be out tomorrow as I start to make my niche and tackle the end pages, I am really going to enjoy this.

Candy winners

Ta ,da, da daaa..... (imagine trumpet sound). I drew the names for my blog candy win this morning having first written them down very neatly, well maybe not so neatly, on little pieces of paper, folded them carefully, popped them into a bag and closed my eyes very, very tightly before pulling out......

(wait for it)......

Janet of Fairy Thoughts.

Then in went the hand again, eyes closed even tighter and out came the name of the next winner....

May, of May's Happy Daze.

Had decided to split the candy as I found a few more items hidden away so lots of different goodies in each parcel.

Congratulation to both winners and thanks to everyone for taking part.  If Janet and May would like to send me an email via the link on my profile page with your addresses I will run to the Post Office - well, maybe not run then but walk quickly, and it will be next week as I have a busy weekend in front of me as I'm off to our stamp club on Saturday and then to the Craft show in Leigh on Sunday and I haven't got any of my stuff ready yet, or made an ATC for our regular swap - better stop wittering on and get going then hadn't I.

It's been a busy week as well and I've no crafty photos to show you as I haven't done any crafting since Tuesday and as it's such a beautiful day here I'm going to wander round my garden and marvel at the crocus and early daffs.

(10 mins later) -  Popped out to take these to share.  Spring flowers make winter easier to bear and my Sorrel makes every day a joy - except when she brings half the garden in on her mucky paws.

Have a great weekend everyone, whatever the weather and wherever you are - enjoy.

What's On Your Workspace Wednesday 143 - and last call for blog candy

Well it's Wednesday again and time for the 'Who has the messiest workspace' competition run by the lovely (and very restrained on the buying front if her last blog entry was anything to go by - I mean, at a craft fair and not spending loads, how could you?) Ms Dunnit of The Stamping Ground.
Anyway, back to the competition, I mean desk share, this is mine this week, taken just before tea yesterday just before I walked away leaving it just as it is now.

So what can you see?  Two of my 'Really Useful' boxes full (and I mean 'full') of stamps - I have another 6 hidden out of sight, a shortbread tin from Christmas, sadly now empty of shortbread but happily full of PaperArtsy Fresco paints.  I don't have nearly enough of these beautiful paints so will have to eat more shortbread so that I can have another empty tin to fill.

I have been working on some more pages for the Deco swap I'm in, this time the theme is 'black, white and a touch of purple and I finished them today.  I used the Tim Holtz Papillon stamps (my favourites) on one page and the Crafty Individuals row of buildings on the other.  Think I need to adjust my camera as the colours are not quite right, especially on the second page but you get the idea.

Bit worried that I've overdone the purple - how much is 'a touch' anyway?  Have had the semi-circular moon stamp for years and never used it, must have been waiting for just this swap.

So that's the last peep at my table in February and also a 'last' is the chance to win my blog candy as it closes tomorrow (Thursday).

If you would like a chance to win just leave a comment on the candy post here and if you would like a second chance then, in the words of the Pied Piper 'follow me' - I promise not to lock you up in a mountain side (how weird is that story?).  Whatever you do this week, do it well and have fun.