Where have all the followers gone .......

Happy Friday ......

It's the weekend again ....... it's going to be a busy one.  And guess what .... the sun is shining!  It's still blowing a hoolie out there but at least it's not piddling it down.

I've been in the old craft room most of the week but unfortunately I can't share any of what I've been doing just yet ..... you'll have to be patient I'm afraid.

I will give you a little sneaky peek at what the girls will be doing tomorrow though .... close your eyes now if you're one of the 10 and you want it to be a surprise! (although there are already some snippets on the Facebook page .... The Craft Lane so if you've already seen those you'll have an idea already!!)

We're going to be playing with Distress Inks, making backgrounds, and using them to add colour to stamped images. Creating layers with stamps and stencils, spritzing with water .....

Blending colours, using them direct onto card for intense colour, bringing a little bit of pearlescent paint into the mix to create the faux mother of pearl look ..... and we may even get around to the bleaching technique.

It should be a fun day ....... and I'm sure there'll be cake in there somewhere too!!

Remember I introduced Rio the other day and said that Lauren was going to look for some friends for her well quick update for you ......... there is a litter of new born rats longtails over at the pet shop in Peel (oh joy!) They'll be ready in a few weeks so they're going back next week to choose a pair (eeek!)  That'll be three of the darn things .... not sure if they're all coming here to live (they'll need a bigger cage!) or whether they'll all go back to Robbie's (he's already got one).  I'll keep you posted on that!

One other quick thing before I go ........ it seems that Google is doing it's "thing" that I mentioned a little while ago.  I seem to have lost a few followers over the last couple of days.  Well, at least I think it's the Google thing .... I hope it is and it's not just that everyone has decided they no longer want to follow my blog (sad face!) ..... was it something I said!?
Only joking ...... it's happening all over blogland.

So ..... if you're not receiving updates from me and you used to, then you might want to join as a new follower again ...... I'd love it if you did!
You'll need a Google account or if you don't want to bother with all of that, you can follow me via email,  or on bloglovin ..... you'll find sign up boxes on the left hand side of this post.
Please come back .... I miss you!

Thanks for popping by ...... enjoy the rest of your day and have a great weekend, whatever you're up to.
I'm off into town ..... Post Office run then I'm meeting a friend for coffee.

Cheerio until next time

Linda

xx   

We've got a visitor ......

Happy Wednesday to you,

Middle of a busy week again ...... and the old craft room is slowly disappearing under various piles of unfinished pieces of art work for one thing or another, and prep stuff for a workshop at the weekend. I've got ten ladies coming for an afternoon of playing with Distress Inks ..... things could get messy!!

Anyhow ..... deadlines are looming so no time for hanging around ....... although the old mojo isn't playing ball ..... typical!!

I thought I'd start with something simple.  It's Recipe Week over at Less is More and the ingredient we need to use this week is a .......

SILHOUETTE

I can do that ...... or so I thought!  
We still have to follow the CAS rules ... and include lots of white space.  Finally I came up with this

You guessed it Distress inks for the background panel (multi tasking there ..... two birds with one stone and all that!) ..... first masking off the edges of my piece of card

Love this mix of colours .... reminds me of a summer sunset.  Not that we'll be seeing those anytime soon!  It's been bucketing it down again over here and very windy too. The prom looked a little worse for wear yesterday.  Storm Jonas is definitely leaving his mark.  At least we haven't had the snow though ..... not yet anyway!!!
Wasn't it strange seeing the US, especially NewYork with virtually deserted streets .... no hustle and bustle.   I must say though if we'd had that much snow I'd be one of those out in it I think!!

Where was I?! ...... oh yes ...... my silhouette is an old Penny Black stamp ...... simply stamped using Black Versafine ink ..... looks fab against the inky background I think

I finished off with some words, again from Penny Black ......

And added another tree to the inside ...... job done!

Right .... what's next on the list?   Challenge stuff .... DT samples for next weekend (hint! hint! ..... wonder what they can be!!!??) ..... finish off the workshop prep .... or ... time for me to start on that journal of mine.  Hmmmm ....... choices, choices.  I'd better make a start on with something though .... I'm out for coffee later so nothing will get done this afternoon, then I think we're going out for dinner.

We've had a new addition to the household over the weekend ...... don't panic it's not another little one!  Well actually .... it is only a little one ....... though this ones got four legs and a rather long tail!!!

It wasn't my first choice I can tell you but being the animal lover that I am, what could I do when Lauren told me she was all lonely now that she was on her own over at Robbie's (Lauren's boyfriend) ...... he spends more time at ours than he does at his place.
Soooooo ....... meet Rio ......

Yes, she's a rat .... ooops! I should really say she's a 'long tail' as that's what they're known as in the Isle of Man.  Apparently it's bad luck to say the 'r' word!

I've told them as long as she stays in her cage, well away from me, and I don't have to feed her or clean it out, then we'll get on just fine!!
She's only staying for a short while ..... I hope think, just until they find her a couple of new friends which they've gone to do this morning .......... The things I do!!!

Thanks for popping by ..... enjoy the rest of your day.  

Cheerio until next time

Linda

xx 

Bloom .......

Happy Thursday folks ......

As always, this week is whooshing by!! We've another busy weekend coming up too .... another birthday celebration!!!

It's time to remind you of the new CAS Card Challenge over at STAMPlorations.  It's nice and straightforward, as the name suggests ...... with a little optional twist ......

You can find all the challenge details/rules over on the STAMPlorations CAS Challenge Blog and there's also a whole lot of fabulous inspiration on there from the rest of the DT.
We've already had some great entries but you've still got lots of time to join in the fun before the challenge closes.

So .... what is CAS for you?
I like lots of white space, with one main focal image.  I still like to add in a little bit of my grungy side too.  Now that can be Distress Inks for the background maybe, smooshed or otherwise ....... a little bit of ink of paint here and there for added interest ...... or just some simple paint splatters in the background like I've used on my inspiration piece for you today ......

How pretty is this stamp ..... it's from the Friends and Flowers set by the lovely Deepti.

I've simply stamped the image onto a piece of white cardstock and coloured it using Distress Inks ..... Dusty Concord for the unbrella, Picked Raspberry for the flowers and Mowed Lawn for the leaves

I stamped the flower part again and fussy cut around the open blooms and attached them over the top of the original image using foam pads to add a bit of dimension

The white spots I added using a white gel pen and the splatters are with Distress ink and I also edged around the panel using a SILVER leafing pen ..... there's my optional twist!!!

Then sentiment is from the Subway Art Builders set - Dare  .......

and I finished off the whole thing by adding a little something to the inside .....

Simply stamped this time, and coloured, and a few added ink splatters too.

Now it's your turn ...... lets see your CAS cards.  You've got until the end of the month to link up your entries, and you can enter up to 3 cards into the challenge, with or without the twist, using STAMPlorations products or not ...... although it would be nice if you did use them!
For all the challenge rules  and guidelines CLICK HERE

Thanks for popping by .... enjoy the rest of your day.

Cheerio until next time

Linda

xx

700 ..... have I really rambled on that many times!!

Happy Wednesday to you,

Yes, there's been 700 of these ..... blog posts from little old me!! It's surprising what I find to blog about!
How's your week going?
The good news is I don't feel quite as bad as yesterday ..... looks like whatever it is isn't planning on sticking around .... thank goodness!!!  Unlike hubby who's coughing and sneezing all over the place ..... I'm staying well out of his way!!!

Anyhow  .... on to the crafty stuff.
I'm having a bit of a Clarity fest at the moment ..... and why not I say!!!  I've shared some stamped designs with you ..... but what about all those fab stencils!

This is the gorgeous  Wild Grasses 1 A5 stencil, used on top of a piece of inky background card I found in my stash.

I used some Dusty Concord Distress ink first ....... brushed through the stencil to create the background flowers, then I used some black texture paste through the same design over the top.

Once the paste was dry I added a touch of gold gilding wax over the flower heads to give a little shimmer

and then finished off using one of those Word Chains again (told you they're handy stamps to have!)

Here's a quick canvas using the same stencil .....

I simply brayered some Fresco Finish Acrylic Paints onto an 8x8 canvas ........ adding a little at a time until I was happy with the look .... love the texture that comes through

I then used white texture paste through the stencil to add my design

Once the paste was dry, I placed the stencil back on and this time added some colour using my Distress inks ......

A touch of glitter glue here and there adds a bit of sparkle, and to finish off I added some paint splats
over the canvas ......

and a little bit more interest by using the edge of a credit card to add some painted lines

A nice black canvas to mount is on really makes the design pop ..... I think so anyway.

Thanks for popping by ..... enjoy the rest of your day.

Lauren's had her first driving lesson today ..... one of the birthday presents from her boyfriend!  I need to find out when the next one is ....... and remember to stay off the roads!!!

Cheerio until next time

Linda

xx

Tweet ..... Tweet .....

Happy Tuesday!

Some more Clarity for you today using one of my favourite stamps ....... the beautiful Bird and Flower Rows.  These stamps come with their own sets of masks AND you get a FREE 9x3 mega mount too .... bargain!!!

I love these birds .... there's so many ways to use them.  Simply stamp and colour them in using inks, paints, pencils .....

Depending on what colours you use they can be any type of bird ..... even robins for your Christmas cards ...... too early for the 'C' word?  Sorry!!

Or ... something I like to do with them is paper piece ......

I've used an old Gelli Plate background for these little guys ...... how pretty do they look!

Using my Distress inks, I've added a touch of colour to the branch to tone in with the birds and added a few spatters of ink to the background

I've used some fine strips of the same background card to add a bit more detail to the front of my card

and added one of the words from the Clarity Word Chain #5

To finish off I coloured a piece of card using the same Distress inks as before ....... and the smooshing technique.
Swipe the ink pads onto a craft mat, spritz with water and then smoosh your card through the inks to pick up the colour.  Repeat as necessary until the card is covered, or you have the effect you're looking for .... simple!

Thanks for popping by .... enjoy the rest of your day.

I'm off to grab a nice warm drink and snuggle on the sofa until hubby comes home.  I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself today .....  think I'm sickening for something.  Even an afternoon playing in the old craft room hasn't done the trick ....... I ache all over and generally feel bleugh!!!!
I have however finally made a start on my travel journal ....... from week 2 of  Wanderlust.   I've been following the tuition from the lovely Kate Crane .......

Having fun creating patterns and doodling ..... and making the pages for the journal before getting messy with the paints!!

I still haven't plucked up the courage to put any paint onto my Wanderlust Book pages yet though ..... I've watched all the videos (more than once!) and they're fab, full of lots of great techniques ..... so it's only a matter of time!!!  There's no rush though ...... it's supposed to be a year long adventure!

Cheerio until next time

Linda

xx

A Wee bit of Clarity .....

Happy Monday!

Another weekend over .....  and the birthday celebrations are all done (again!) ......... well, until this weekend that is.  Yes we'll be doing it all again on Sunday ..... Chris's turn next ..... told you January was a busy month for us!!!

Speaking of next weekend ..... Paul Church is back on our TV screens with more fabulous Clarity Stamp designs.
Put the date in your diary then you don't forget .....
When ...... Sunday January 24th
Where ..... HOCHANDA ..... that's Sky channel 663/Freeview 39/Freesat 817
What time .....  10am  and again at 2 and 5pm
That's next Sunday sorted for all you Clarity fans.

Before all that though I've got a nice quick and easy card for you using some of the stamps from Barbara's shows at the beginning of January.
We saw the launch of the new Wee Shops and Houses  ..... remember these ..... how cute are they!!!

A great addition to the Wee range.

There was also the Wee Folk and those fabulous Word Chains ...... such a useful set of stamps to have in your collection.

For this design I used one of my acrylic blocks to add the colour for the background, and then stamped directly over the top ...... easy!
Simply swipe your ink pads over the acrylic block to apply the colour...... I used Distress inks for my design.
Spritz over with a little water .... not too much,  then use the acrylic block as you would a stamp to lay down the colour on your piece of card.  Apply a little pressure and watch the colours blend and spread .... cool eh!

 Once it's dry, take one of the Wee Folk stamps and stamp onto the coloured panel using a Black Archival ink .....

Add one of the words from a Clarity Word Chain and you're done.
Or ..... use two like I've done on my card.  The 'friends' part is actually the word Friendship from Chain #8..... I've just masked off the end bit!!

We also had the Wee Foliage  and the trees

Another simple card ...... Mask off a panel and brush some Distress inks onto your card. You can see I used one of the Moon masks to create the sun ...... the inner bit to get the circle shape, then the outer part to add the colour.

I stamped the foliage across the bottom using first and second generation stamping

I removed the mask and added a length of Double-sided tape along the edge of the stamped panel .... I used the ultra tacky stuff, you know the one I mean with the red backing tape.
I then covered this with gold gilding flakes to give a nice finish and used another one of those fab word chains to add a greeting.

Don't forget ....... make a note of the date and join Paul for more fabulous Clarity products along with great demos full of tips and techniques.

Thanks for popping by ..... enjoy the rest of your day.

Cheerio until next time

Linda

xx

Ooops!!! ..... I missed it!!!

Happy Weekend folks ....

(picture courtesy of Google)

Yes ..... would you believe I missed a special occasion .......... Life in the Craft Lane had it's 4th blogiversary on Thursday and I forgot!!!  What a rubbish blogger am I!? Too busy to remember my own blog's birthday ..... shame on me!!! (I think I did the same last year ..... must be my age!!!)

Fours years of blogging fun ....... and I've enjoyed every minute of it.  I've just been looking back through the posts ....... all 697 of them!  I do go on a bit sometimes!!
Some of you lovely followers have only been here for a short time, some of you have been with me since the beginning and have now become friends.
I'd like to thank you all for spending time here and for all the comments you leave (all 4333 of them!) I read every one!  Without you lot it would be a lonely place ...... and I'd be talking to myself!!

It's the weekend for celebrations ....... it's Lauren's birthday tomorrow (better not miss that one!!)  Yes .....my little girl is 24!!!!

The presents have been bought, the cake too!!  And we've got a nice meal out booked tomorrow evening.  I believe there's about 18 of us so it should be fun ...... Happy Birthday sweetheart!!

Thanks for popping by .... enjoy your weekend.
And if you've got any of this snow that's around .... stay safe and warm.
Luckily we've had very little over here .... just a dusting on the mountains so far but there's a lot of icy around, and it's freezing!!!!  Hmmm ..... wonder if I can get my thermals on under a party frock!!!

Cheerio until next time

Linda

xx

Celebrate ....... and a little reminder

Happy Friday!

It's the weekend .... whoo hoo!  I don't know about where you are but it's flippin' cold here! Luckily we haven't had any snow yet ..... but there's time!!  I think a day spent in the old craft room is the best plan!

It's also time to remind you about the current Craft Stamper Challenge ....... have you entered yet?
It's a Take a Stamp month and basically ..... Anything Goes, as long as there's rubber stamping on your project somewhere.

Our sponsor this month is the fabulous Dali Art

and there's a great prize for the challenge winner .....

Don't forget there's also our monthly Design Winner ........ chosen by the DT.
Check out all the challenge details and the prizes over on the Craft Stamper Blog .... and today you'll also find lots of fantastic inspiration from the rest of the Design Team.

January's a busy month for birthdays for me so I've been catching up on my card making .... we've already had one birthday this week!   Lauren's is at the weekend ..... so we'll be out celebrating no doubt ...... and then this is for another special someone who has a birthday next weekend ......

How cute are these guys ...... the new Dogs from Katzelkraft ..... I love them!!!  They're a right happy looking bunch!!

I've stamped all the elements for my design onto white card, coloured them using Distress Inks and then cut each one of them out.

The little guy with his balloons ..... all ready to party

I added a little shape to the balloons using an embossing tool to add dimension ......

This is obviously the birthday boy ..... looking pleased with his gift!

Before sticking all the pieces on I added some colour to my background card ....... I brushed over some Distress Inks mixed with water .......

and then added a few splatters here and there to add a bit more interest ......

The words are from the Crazy Talk stamp set from Tim Holtz ...... they go so well don't they

And I finished off by adding another little guy inside ....

Not sure we'll be having balloons this weekend ........ although Lauren has said she wants a birthday cake!!!!  Better get down to M&S I think ..... I'm not risking baking one myself!

Thanks for popping by .... enjoy the rest of your day and have a lovely weekend.
Stay warm ...... stay safe!

Cheerio until next time

Linda

xx