The day I met Tim

 

Ready for the second installment of this year's crafty adventures?

At the end of the summer, my sister, Helen, and I were lucky enough to spend a morning with the very lovely Tim Holtz, (and a few dozen others!) making this tag book.   It really was a dream come true!  I mean, Tim Holtz! Showing us how to ink, and distress and assemble.  And he really is as nice and friendly and smiley as you've ever heard.  

As well as leaving with this gorgeous little book and a head full of ideas and inspiration, each delegate left with a stencil (from his new range), a distress stain and paint, a distress marker, a book of his fragment word stickers and a mini stamp set.  All of which we had used and shared around our table during the class.  Tim also gave us some extra "things that money can't buy" - as he described them.  Which were a Tim Holtz messenger bag, a signed copy of his second book and an apron - which we also got signed!

As I mentioned in my last post, we met up with Kaz Hall again, as she was also there, helping Tim with his class. And in another installment of Helen and I living in "a small world", we ended up sharing a table with a couple of ladies who we had previously met at our local crop.  One of whom will make an appearance when I tell you about another of our adventures! Till next time.......

Tag, you're it

 

Back  in the summer, I went with my sister on a day of workshops organised by a local stationery and craft shop.  Helen sold it to me as soon as she said that Kaz Hall of The Little Shabby Shed was going to be there, teaching with Dylusions.  

This is the tag that Kaz taught us, using Dylusions and Perfect Pearls for the background, and some of Dyan Reaveley's stamps.  

I'm not sure I entirely agree with the words.  I'm usually ready for an adventure.  Which is what Helen and I had when we met Kaz for the second time this summer.  But, that's another story, for another time!

Finally Finished Something

 

It's time to get stuff finished.  I've so very nearly finished the daisy field blanket for Luu to take to university.  I shall gloss over the fact that she has been at uni for the last year, and focus on the fact that her degree starts this year.  Yes.  A big tick for me, the daisy field blanket shall be finished for when Luu starts her degree.  And I shall show you, when it's done.

Now, back to the finished something.

I needed a small project to take with me when I went on holiday last month, and decided to make the Teddy Bear hat that Phoebe had asked for.  I made a Rabbit version of this hat for Luu earlier this year, but the only photos I have of that are too bad to see the light of day in this post. 

The pattern is a freebie I found on the internet sometime before Pinterest - so I'm afraid I have no idea where it came from to link to.  But, what I can now remember, is that it is an American pattern.  So, when I started this second version, it took a little while to realise this.  And the top of the hat looked like a mangled mess, before I remembered that the doubles in the pattern are actually my trebles - doh!  Start again, and it all went swimmingly.  Note to self - write on the top of the pattern - work in trebles.

The pattern that I used had no ear  directions on it.  I know, how inconvenient!  So, for both the Rabbit and the Teddy Bear version, I had to freestyle it.  For the Teddy Bear version, I repeated the first bit of the hat pattern for about three rows, folded the circle in half, and joined it together with a row of single crochet.  Ears stitched on, and there we have it - a Finally Finished Something! 

I've just had a quick look back through my archives, and I haven't introduced Luu's Daisy Field Blanket to you on my blog.  It's made plenty of appearances on my Instagram, and with bloggers in real life, but not here.  Ooh, you're in for a treat! And in that previous sentence, I see at least two further blog posts.  Meeting bloggers in real life, and Instagram.

See you soon!

Time to play

 

Yummy new paints. Definitely time to play!

Nifty at fifty

 

When one of your best friends turns fifty - a bit of a special card needs to be made. Think I pulled it off. (Totally stole borrowed the idea from my sister.)

Create. Just because.

 

Yesterday, I sat down to get inky and painty.  

But got stuck with what I was trying to do.  

So, just got a blank piece of card, picked a couple of distress inks I haven't been using lately, and went for it.  

Distress stains started the background, then some stamping and stencilling in similar colours.  More background added with stamping in black and white. Then topped off with Glinda from The Octopode Factory, coloured in with Neocolors.  

Now, what to do with this piece of whatever? Stick it onto a piece of corrugated card to "frame" it.  Just needed some words to finish it off.  I looked at a set of sticker words I have, and they jumped out.  

And now I have a piece to remind me to Create.  Just because.

What have you been creating lately? I'm coming to look...

Mad as a hatter

 

Ages ago, at the start of the year, I saw a challenge on the Octopode challenge blog with the theme the Mad Hatter.  I decided to join in, as it was a snowy Sunday, and there wasn't anything else that needed doing.  I don't have any Mad Hatter stamps, but I do have this Octopode stamp of Glenda.  So I decided to go with my own twist of Mad-ame Hatter. 

I gathered together some bits, a box that a mirror compact came in - and kept because  it might come in handy one day - and lo and behold it did! A teeny jar of beads, that came from the same set that featured in my first ever blog post. A tea pot charm, that came from my box of "useful" metal bits - some bought, some found. Added into the mix, clouds cut from scrapbook papers - Sassafras Lass, I believe. Some bits of German scrap, Distress Inks, white acrylic paint and a bit of time on the internet looking for a quote.

Using Johnny Depp's outfit from Alice in Wonderland as my inspiration, I coloured Mad-ame Hatter in teal and orange (also some of my favourite colours at the moment) using my Neocolor IIs.  The background was dry-blended with Distress Inks onto some white cardstock.

 

Then, our van got stuck in the snow, and we ended up asking my sister and her family to come and help us push it back onto the drive, with the promise of a cooked breakfast in return.  With the help of my sister, I then spent the rest of the day moving furniture and re-arranging my crafty space.  Which has turned into an on-going, evolving project.  And that's why I didn't get around to entering this piece into the challenge.

Eventually I got around to finishing, and rather than let Mad-ame Hatter languish in loneliness in my crafty space, I thought she should have her moment of glory on the blog. And the full quote that I chose:

"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense" Mad Hatter

Bunny bunting

 

As I had both of my girlies at home last weekend, Luu is back from Uni at the moment, I decided to have some lovely mommy daughter time and make some Easter Bunting.

I'd already had the idea to use some book pages, and then when I came across this template, it all fell into place.   We picked some patterned papers, drew around the template, cut them out and glued them to the book pages, which had been torn in half against a ruler to get them to the right size.  

They still needed a little something.  So out came some flowers and gems, then I attached the banners to a length of yellow spotty ribbon, just using a glue roller.  Oh, I did gently ink the edge of each bunny for definition.

It really was that easy.  Some strips of washi tape were enough to attach the bunting to the living room wall, and it hasn't  fallen down yet.  And a bunny isn't just for Easter - so they'll stay there for a little while.

Happy Easter

 

Sweet little easter eggs made from polystyrene eggs from the pound shop, covered with book pages, inked and stamped and with words added from some Cosmo Cricket papers.

Snowy spring saturday

 

Spring is here - you can see it in that photo, can't you?  No?  Oh well, I'm sure it will turn up sometime soon. 

On a Saturday like this, what's a girl to do?  Get crafty.  It's also my sister's birthday - so I need a card.

I started with a pile of scraps and an idea.  The idea was inspired by the mostly fabric pieces I've seen around, where they're scraps of fabrics, and some machine embroidery.  You know the ones? Have a quick look at The Bloggings of Mrs Bertimus, then nip back here to see my take on this idea.

I made up a patched effect with my scraps of paper, tearing against a ruler, and adding a touch of inking around the edges for definition.  Then added the bird image, he's a Prima stamp - and so sweet - stamped onto a piece of Paper Artsy crackle paper.  Yes, I'm happy with that, turned out pretty much as I'd hoped.  So I made another smaller one using the same scraps.  I think I'll be doing more in this style, and maybe, one day, move onto the fabric version.  It's on my extensive list of crafts to try.

Year Book March

 

Hello there

Here's my March page, all ready to be filled in with my exciting life!  

I went with my current favourite, and importantly, bright and fresh colours.  Getting a bit fed up of the grey outside - come on Spring.  I used the wrinkle free distress method to make my own papers for the days.  And a cutie in a rabbit outfit, ready for easter. 

What if

 

The hokey cokey is what it's all about?  

Birthday card with Spiced Marmalade distress stain and ink on the tag.  Ribbon and trim coloured with  distress stain.  Owl stamp coloured with NeocolorII.  Sentiment computer generated - and found around and about.

Year book

Towards the end of last year, Idecided I wanted to keep what I've decided to call a "Year Book".  I've loved looking at the numerous Project Life's going on around blogland - but, I know that's just not for me.  So, I spent some time thinking about what I wanted to do and cherry picked ideas suited to me.

I love tinkering around with my inks and sprays and paints, and was drawn to Kate Crane's calendar pages (go and have a look, but be sure to come back!). So that has to fit in somewhere with my plan.

And a quick and easy scrapbooking style loosely based on Smash Books - ok, I think I'm just about there with the plan . 

How am I going to pull all of this together?  Found the perfect thing - the Fancy Pants Brag Book, and if you follow that link - it goes to the shop where I bought the book on their opening day.  And if you look closely at the pictures of the shop, the eagle eyed amongst you may just spot little old me browsing the shelves! Claim to fame, or what?

 This book is already divided into twelve sections, at the end of each there are some photo protector pages and also a handy pocket for storing the bits and bobs destined for the book.

So, that's the little intro to my Year Book 2013.  Be sure to come back for the thrills and spills in Sarah's world! And don't be put off by the mention of auditors on my February Calendar page, they should only make a fleeting appearance!  Be more interested in the tantalising mention of crochet blankets.  Then ooh and aah over the pictures of some of the resident animals playing in the snow.

A card with a touch of glitz

 

A birthday card made with papers and embellishments from Glitz Cashmere Dame.  And a stamp I bought second hand - I think it's Magnolia, coloured in with my NeocolorII wax pastels.

 

And sent to my daughter, who's a long way from home at Uni. 

December 2012 Book

Last November, I went on my very first scrapbooking retreat. I had an absolute ball - and came back shattered.

One of the THREE (yes, three) mini book classes on the Saturday was this Christmas or December book. It was taught by Tracey Hudson, using the Authentique "Festive" range of papers. It was taught as a base book, to add your own photos,etc.

 

It was a very busy class -  and I ended up completing the book at home later.  I decided to use it to document my December.  And, although the pages are all numbered one to twenty five, I decided to just think of the numbers as part of the decoration, and not as actual dates - does that make sense?

 

I tried to take plenty of photos - and ordered them all in one go, just after Christmas.

 

Then yesterday, I gathered the photos and "stuff" that I had collected during December, and put my book together.  I'm going to add a bit of typed journalling to it soon, but I wanted to show it sooner rather than later. The tags behind the number 22 and the name tags further up were made by my very talented sister, Helen, who I went on the retreat with. 

 

Do you think she planned that ribbon to match the book? I think so, too.

I've really enjoyed this way of recording December - and may do something similar again.