Remember, Remember .....

Morning all,
Just a quick post to remind you that the lovely Kay Halliwell-Sutton from Indigo Blu is back on our TV screens this evening.
Tune in to Create and Craft between 6 and 7pm, Sky channel 671, Freeview 36 or Freesat 813.
Kay will be demonstrating with some favourite Indigo Blu stamps,  as well as launching some brand new sets, here's a  peek at one of them .....

It's a special set of stamps perfect for all those mens cards and gifts, and ideal for the month of Movember.  Kay will explain why. 

If you really can't wait until the show, details can be found on the Indigo Blu Website.

I've had some fun with these stamps, even done a couple of pages in my Altered Art Dictionary .....

Top Hat

moustache

So make a date, today, 6-7pm, Create and Craft.  You won't want to miss it.

I'm off now to the craft room.  I have a date with some sample wedding invites.
See you again soon.

Linda

x

Everything comes at once!

Hi everyone,

Just a quick post this morning.  I have a busy couple of days coming up so I may not get chance to blog again before the weekend.  Didn't want you all thinking I'd forgotten about you!
I'll be busy locked in the old craft room, not allowed out until everthing's finished.  Good job I'm feeling a little better this morning.

After a bit of a slow start yesterday,  I did manage to get a few things finished and out of the way.  Just as well, as I found out that Kay from Indigo Blu is back on our TV screens on, wait for it ........ Saturday.  So you've guessed it I'm busy doing DT stuff.
On top of that I have some wedding invites to mock up before we go across to the UK next week, and my brother has asked if I can make a special Christmas card for him to send.  No pressure then.

I've finished off my Dylusions projects from the weekend .............

I made another little wall hanging, this time in autumnal colours.  Again some of the leaves have been coloured using the inks directly from the bottle, then layered up to add dimension.

Little Ruby (the Gorjuss Girl) has been stamped and coloured with Copics, then cut out and attached as though her swing is in the trees.  I've used another of the borders from the Dylusions 'Around the Edge' stamps set and the words are from a set called 'The Right Words'

The other item I made was a hinged tag.  I love making oversized tags, this one is approx 31/2 inches by 7 inches, with the bottom inch and a half cut way.

 
The hinged tag originally came from an idea by the talented Hels Sheridan, I think. 
I was inspired to try them by one of my Blog friends, the lovely Anne. She's made a few of these now and they're stunning.  Check out her wonderful blog  here.

Ah well!  As much as I'd love to stay and chat I really should be making a start in the old craft room.  The clock is ticking!!

Before I go though, here's a couple more pages from my Altered Art Dictionary.......  I'm back in the swing of things.

poinsettia

Santa Claus

Thanks for popping by today.  Enjoy your Tuesday, and I'll be back later in the week.

Have fun

Linda

x

A little bit Dylusional ..........

Hi everyone,
How are you all on this Monday morning?
Did you all remember to put your clocks back at the weekend? It was nice to have that extra hour in bed, but didn't it go dark early last night?  Winter is here.

I haven't spent much time in the old craft room over the weekend.  I've been fighting off an annoying tickly cough that started last week, that's now decided to stick around and turn into a full on cold - Great!!
I've sat curled up in front of the TV for most of the weekend, I haven't felt like doing much at all.  My pumpkins are still sat on the worktop in the kitchen.  I must get those done today.
We also have our Ghost Tour planned for Wednesday night.  Hope this cold's on it's way out by then.

I did spend a couple of hours yesterday just playing around with stuff on my desk.  Got a few things started, but not much finished.  Hopefully, as the week goes on I'll have something new to share with you.

In the meantime, here's something I made the other week using my new Dylusions Ink Sprays.  If any of you are on Facebook, you may have already seen this as I did post it on there.
I messed around with the inks just to get used to them, and coloured a few pieces of card to use as backgrounds.   I had great fun spritzing and spraying, the colours are fab,  so vibrant.  I just had one little accident, I managed to spill one of the inks all over my workdesk, thankfully nothing was in the way (paper or card that is) and not too much ink was lost.  My hands however, looked like they belonged to the Incredible Hulk - GREEN wasn't the word!
I suppose it's one way to get called 'green-fingered'.  I'll never manage it the other way - I'm useless with plants!

Here's my first make using some Dylusions stamps along with one of the Gorjuss girls ..........  

Just look at those colours!
I stamped the leaves from the stamp set  Around the Edge .  Some of them have been coloured in using The Dylusions inks straight from the bottle (that's when the accident happened - I hadn't put the top back on properly - oops!).  And you can see I've also layered some to add a bit of dimension, and I've done a little bit of doodling using a white gel pen.

The words are from Quintessential Quotes, another of Dyan Reaveley's fabulous stamp sets.
The Gorjuss Girl has been stamped on a seperate piece of card, coloured using the inks again with a waterbrush, then cut out and attached with foam pads.

Her little crown was made using a Tim Holtz stamp, coloured and cut out.  I added co-ordinating gems for a bit of sparkle.

The whole thing was then mat onto some black cardstock, a couple of holes added at the top and some ribbon tied  through so that it can be hung on a wall.

I've started a couple more, another wall hanging and a large tag, once they're all finished I will share.

Whilest I was in the craft room, I also managed to do a couple more pages in my Altered Art Dictionary.  I've let this slip recently as I've been really busy with other stuff, but hopefully I can get back to altering pages more regularly again.

reindeer

mistletoe

If you don't know what this is all about, there's a Facebook page here that you can look at (there's quite a few members now, and it's full of brilliant artwork), or you can get more details over on the lovely Eileen Godwin's blog.  She's the lady that started the FB page.

Basically, you need a dictionary, and some rubber stamps.  Choose your word, highlight it, and stamp the image - simples!  I will warn you though, it's so much fun, but it soon becomes addictive!

Well, I'm off now to carve scary faces (or not) into two pumpkins.  If I don't get them done now, Halloween will be over with!!

Enjoy your day.

Thanks for popping by.

Linda

x

National Dictionary Day

Evening everyone,
Twice in one day - I told you I was busy.  It's only a quick one though.

For those who didn't know it's National Dictionary Day today (I didn't know until I read Eileen's FB post this morning) 
I believe it's in honour of a gentleman called Noah Webster, an American lexicographer who was born on this day in 1758,  who later published the first Amercian dictionary.  (If you're interested there's more details here)

Seeing as I'm a member of the Altered Art Dictionary group on Facebook, and it's absolutely ages since I've touched my dictionary, I thought it was a good idea to dust it off and do a few pages, in honour of Mr Webster.
In case you have no idea what I'm talking about, the AAD is a group on Facebook, started by the lovely Eileen Godwin.
All you need is a dictionary, some stamps, and something to colour with.  You just choose a word, highlight it and decorate the page - simple.  It can become quite addictive, I just haven't had time to do any recently.  Until today that is. 

This is what I came up with ..........

PUMPKIN

BROOMSTICK

WITCH

FOLIAGE

If you're on Facebook, why not come and join in, it's fun!

Enjoy the rest of your evening.  See you again tomorrow.

Thanks for looking.

Linda

x

Time for a Twinchie

It's weekend!!!
Hi everyone, just having a quick break from all the madness that's going at the moment.  Busy is not the word.  I am on schedule though, I think, sort of, which is a bonus.  Just hope the old mojo holds out for a couple more days.  I'll let you all have a sneaky peek when I've finished.

I have managed to squeeze in an entry for the latest Show us Your Twinchie Challenge
Challenge #3 is ..........  BRIGHT COLOURS.  The design team have done a fantastic job on theirs, you may need to put on some shades to view, they're certainly bright!
Here's mine  ..........

I used the Summer Collection Distress inks, a Magenta rubber stamp and Copics to colour the flowers.  I stamped the flowers twice and layered them up just to add a little dimension.  Added a little bit of bling and some doodling - twinchie done! 

Sorry it's a bit short and sweet.  Well, I said it was a 'quick' break.  Better put my Christmas hat back on and find the festive spirit again - no, not the alcoholic type, not yet anyway!  However, I may need a small G&T at the end of all this lot though! (Hic!)
Have a lovely weekend, hope the sun shines for you.  I'll see you all again next week.
Bye for now

Linda

x

PS  While I'm here, there's a couple of new pages in my Altered Art Dictionary ........

support

bouquet

Thanks for looking!

Just a quick one .... are you a PINK person?

Hello again,
Another late post - have to catch up when Alex (my Grandson) is in bed.  He certainly keeps me on my toes all day - I'm worn out!  Loving every minute though.

There's a couple of things I want to share with you .......
Firstly, there's a brand new Challenge Blog starting up on the 9th August,

I found it on the lovely Mrs B's blog earlier today and it sounds like fun.
Click here and take a look.  Find out what Priscilla and Patricia (AKA Christine and Sylvia) are up to.  I'm definitely going to try to join in - I LOVE PINK!!!

Secondly, not much in the way of craft to share tonight I'm afraid, except a couple of pages in my Altered Art Dictionary, one from last week and then one I managed to squeeze in this afternoon.
When I started doing this I said I was aiming to do a page a day.  And, it was going so well, but,  I just got all this other stuff to do, and something had to give.  I know they're only small projects but they can take quite a bit of time colouring in. 

frog

This little guy is a Magnolia stamp from the Fairytale collection.  I don't normally do frogs, but I couldn't resist this one - he's sooo sweet! 
I've kissed a few frogs in my time -  eventually found my Prince though - aawww!

mushroom

Another Magnolia stamp, again one I just had to have.

Well that's it for this evening - it's past my bedtime I think.  I'll be back tomorrow at some point, with my Tim tag.  Yes it's finally done!  I'm not 100% happy with this one though, it's not my favourite one.  But, seeing as I haven't got a lot of time to mess about with it, it's going to have to do.  I'll try harder with next months.

See you all again tomorrow,

Night night  xx

Linda

x

All By Myself ......

Good morning,
Happy Friday!  Is everyone looking forward to the weekend? 
I'm still home alone. Well, apart from Christopher that is, but I don't really see much of him, he's usually in bed till lunchtime - students eh!.
Stephen's still living it up across in the UK, having fun (!?) at the GUKPT (that's the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour).  That means he's playing cards most of the night and sleeping all day so I don't even hear from him until the early evening.  This is great! 
Don't get me wrong, I am missing him  - sigh!  But it's just as well he's not here really, because the next few days are going to be taken up with Design Team stuff.  I'm going to have to spend ALL weekend in the old craft room preparing samples for the TV.  It's a tough job but someone's got to do it!
Sshh ....  don't tell anyone, but here's a sneaky peak of some of the new Indigo Blu stamps .......

look nice, don't they ......... that's me busy all afternoon (yeah!)

First thing this morning though is to finish a card I started earlier in the week.  (Sorry about the picture quality, but I'm really struggling with the light this morning - I think it's just about to piddle it down here in the IOM)

It's for my brother and sister-in-law.  NO, I'm not an Auntie again, it's not FOR them, it's to give to someone else.  One of their bridesmaids has recently had a little boy and they wanted something a bit different, I do hope they like it.
It's not quite finished yet, but I'm getting there.

One more page to do and then a box, should be done by lunchtime. Just hope it's what they had in mind.

Another quick update on my Altered Art Dictionary.  I'm still trying to keep to the one page per day, here's the last couple of days

teacup

I love this stamp.  It's from the Stampin Up! Tea Shoppe stamp set, stamped in  Rose Red, Perfect Plum, Marina Mist and Certainly Celery SU inks.  Each time the teacup was masked before stamping the next.








Yesterdays page was TIME .  This was done with a Kaisercraft clear background stamp, stamped twice, and some Distress Ink brushed around the edges just to highlight.   The 'Time Flies' is from Stampendous and the quote is from another SU set - Sense of Time.
I originally stamped the saying directly onto the page but you couldn't see it clearly, that's why it's on a seperate piece of card.  Looks ok though.




Well, better be off.  There's a coffee cup waiting in the kitchen with my name on  it.
I'll be back to show you the finished christening card later and maybe some snippets of the new Indigo Blu - we'll see.

Have a great day

Linda

         x         

It's Twinchie Time

Happy Wednesday everyone,

Another quick post today.  Loads of things on the go in the old craft room.  I've made a start on a few projects at least - not finished anything yet though.  Not sure if this was a good idea or not - multiple things on the go -  there's stuff  EVERYWHERE!!!!

One thing I have done though is my Twinchie for the Show Us Your Twinchie  Blog Challenge.
A twinchie is a 2 inch x 2 inch  little 'work of art'.  I know it sounds small but once you get started you'll be surprised what you can get on there.

It's Week #2 and the challenge is SUMMER

Now in my dictionary it says .... summer  the warmest season of the year, between spring and autumn, extending from May to September (yeah right)

I don't know about you but my summer so far has been a warm week sometime in May, a mixture of cold, windy, rainy days since, with the odd bit of sunshine here and there, and the heating still on in June - what's that all about?!
Mind you the weather here can be a little bit, shall we say changeable even at the best of times.  We've been known to get all four seasons in one day on the Isle of Man. 
However, the weathermen are now predicting that it's all going to change next week, SUMMER is finally going to arrive.  Hmm ...... we'll see.  Not putting the raincoat and brolly away just yet.

Anyways, here's my twinche ........ my bit of summer

I can just about remember what the sun looks like.
I used Mustard Seed and Dried Marigold Distress Inks to create the sun and rays sponged onto the piece of card with the edge of some paper as a mask.  The birds are from a Timmie clear set of mini stamps and the grasses at the bottom are just the tip of a Stamp Addicts Wildflower stamp, coloured with Distress Markers.
It made me dream of summer days anyway.
 
Ooh, here's yesterday's Altered Art Dictionary page too (I only managed the one).  The word is bathe

bathe

I've used an old Penny Black stamp I've had for ages, called 'It's you Day' and it's coloured with watercolour pencils, without the water.
I'm so used to reaching for Copics these days I'd forgotten how nice it is to use pencils.  The colour doesn't bleed through the paper either.
I also added Glossy Accents to the bubbles and the champagne glass.
I'm going to try and do at least one of these pages everyday, it's so much fun.   And, you should see the artwork from some of the others doing this, it's stunning.  Why not give it go.

As it's now lunchtime (where has this morning gone!) and I still haven't made a start in the craft room I'd better get a wriggle on.

Have a lovely Wednesday.  I do hope the sun is shining where you are.  Hopefully I'll get something finished this afternoon.

Bye for now

Linda

x

 

Off to a good start

Good afternoon everyone,

Well I've had quite a productive day - sort of!  Even managed a little bit of housework too which is a bonus.
My LIM Challenge entry is done, Twinchie is done, I'll share these with you later. But before that I wanted to show you my first attemps at the Altered Art Dictionary.
I can see this becoming really addictive. There's 1061 pages in my dictionary so it should keep me going for a while. 
I decided to use some of what was already out on my desk and this was my first page .......

KISS

 

 

 

The word was KISS.  The stamps I used are from Stampin Up! (the lips - S.W.A.K.) and Stampotique (the tiny x and the Mwah!) I stamped in Barn Door Distress Ink, and Black Versafine.

I found some Tim Holtz stamps and decided to use the old car ..........

JALOPY

...... along with the cogs from an Indigo Blu set.

And last but not least .......

SUNSHINE

SUNSHINE .......   well I can dream can't I. 
I did this after doing my Twinchie (you'll understand when you see it).  Just a couple of paper masks and Mustard Seed and Dried Marigold DI.
I've also prepped a few more pages ready to colour in at some point.  I just need to go through all my stamps now and see what else I can come up with.
If you're on Facebook, why not check out the page dedicated to this, or better still have a go yourself - you'll soon be hooked!

Off now to spend some time with Mr Grey before hubby gets home.

Bye for now

Linda

x