But today .....

I didn't get quite so much done - as is always the way when hubby is home.  I imagine he will do everything and I will be left in peace to play!  Ha! It never happens like that - we end up having coffee, chatting, etc and neither of us gets much done!!!
But I did manage to finish my tags for the UKS January and February Tag Swap - when I joined I thought I only had to make 3 tags but then I read it properly and realised they were running Jan and Feb together so had to make 6 tags!!  Well they are a day late in the post but then this month is rather short, so I'm hoping Rosie will excuse my tardiness. Here are the January ones - these had to use something new - so I used new stamps some JOFY from Paperartsy and some Tim Holtz which I bought at Five Lakes earlier this month...

And these are the February ones which had  to include some hearts on them. I struggled a bit more with these - not sure why but I am glad they are done!

Now I just have my chinese whispers CJ layout to finish and my layout for the As You Like It CJ - all UKS madness xxx

And then last night .....

 

I thought I would go back to the  original canvas I had planned to use for the UKS Mini Canvas Swap!   I have loved watching the you-tube video of Leandra transferring stamped images on her crackly tissue onto canvas so thought I would give it a go.  Took a few goes to get it reasonable - on one attempt I had totally forgotten to heat-set the versafine ink, fine while I was painting the back of the tissue but I was very sad as I used the glaze on the front and saw my inked image grey and disappear!!  Lesson learnt quickly!
Via Paperartsy I also saw a class Lin Brown taught and I loved the way she put the crown on the tea-cup lady's 'hat' so thought I would pinch that idea.  I'm fairly new to this sort of work (more a paper person really) so I have to admit at the moment while I am practising the techniques I am busy pinching other people's creative ideas!  Sorry - but I will always give them credit - and I am so very thankful for all you wonderful people who put your ideas out here to help us beginners, and hopefully when the techniques become second nature I'll be able to let my creativity flow through into it too!   But just for now its a bit white knuckle!!! 
And here it is ....

I received the frame via a UKS swap last year or was it the year before so thank you IRBOO for that (though I did recolour it gold and black to match my canvas better)
So as I am a useless decision maker/taker I will be posting two canvases to the swap - this one and one of the JOFY ones.
Now I must away to collect hubby from Heathrow - he's been away 8 weeks - allowing me lots of time to play - but now I'd better collect him and hope he'll do some of the housework which has been sadly neglected these past few weeks!!  Hoping the M25 is clear xxx

AND SO THIS AFTERNOON I .......

 

I played with my new stamps - I am determined this year to make good use of all the things I buy.  Now that I am not working and earning my own money I feel I must justify my spending - a little anyway!!  So having finished my chores this morning - well - bought chicken food and posted some Ebay sales - nothing too scary, I settled down surrounded by my Paperartsy paints, some canvases I bought in the Works (6 canvases 5"x7" for 99p - bargain) and those gorgeous JOFY stamps. Admitted I got more than a little messy and at one point it was debatable as to where the paint should be ending up -  hands? trousers? desk? canvas?  I tried hard to remember all Leandra's tips and hints - especially the white dots bit! - and think I managed a reasonable beginner's replica of what she had shown us.  I am pleased with them - and think one will be sent off for my UKS Mini Canvas swap.

Well here they are - what do you think??

And then this evening I spent a pleasant three hours with my Stampin' Up friends making cards - none of which I finished totally so I won't be blogging them for a while!!! xxx

And some more ...

Today I spent a very pleasant day in the company of a very good friend called Sandie.  We snuck off to Stevenage to the Stamperama show. I have been following the Paperartsy blog very closely this year and they have had some super 'guests' showing off some great projects, plus they have just launched some great new stamps and today was the first time they were available to the public.  So obviously we could not miss this opportunity.

We checked the other stalls for bargains first and managed to pick up some Paperartsy JOFY Christmas stamps at nearly half price and a couple of Artistic Stamper ones too, we also met a lovely lady from Cornwall - Sandie has her card - who had produced the most gorgeous art journals and was selling Lost Coast stamps - I could have spent my whole budget there and then, but no I held out for the Paperartsy stand and am so glad I did.

We watched the very talented Leandra paint and stamp a journal cover and it was good to see Lin Brown with her again - Lin was demo-ing her new stamps which Paperartsy have included in their Ecletica range.  Here is some of what I bought - lots of yumminess to play with this week .....

 HALF TERM HAPPINESS

Its been half term in this part of the world and with only one child here 'needing' me I have had a bit more time for crafting.  I have had a few ambitious moments on UKS lately and joined a couple of swaps and CJs!  These are good to keep me motivated and on target.  So one is the Inchie and Twinchie swap which at first I was a bit dubious about but now I  have finished them I imagine I will be making many more.  These are the inchies (one inch square) - backgrounds are coloured with Dylusions sprays and then I have stamped over them using various stamps from my collection.

 These are the twinchies (2inch squares) - backgrounds again using Dylusions sprays and the stamps are a mix of Paperartsy and Tim Holtz

Only 10 needed for each of the swaps - but just couldn't stop!

I've virtually finished my tags for the monthly tag swap so I'll blog them next time xxx

CAMEO FUN!

Well today Sandie (of itchifingers fame) came over to inspire me/help me/encourage me with my Cameo.
Sandie has ordered one which made me confess that I had one, still boxed and never opened. Well its acceptable to buy an inkpad or paper and not use it immediately isn't it?? But I think I was pushing my luck with the Cameo.  We had both hoped Sandie's would have arrived and we could work in tandem but hers is still en route!
The truth of my 'secret' emerged when I put in the date of purchase - 11.11.11 - oops over a year!!!
We unpacked it, and within a couple of hours Sandie was finding you-tube tutorials and despite wasting a couple of pieces of card initially while getting the blade/pressure settings right, we were printing and cutting and having great fun.
 Sandie is a great motivator and really has done amazing things for my crafty confidence - thanks Sandie - top buddy.  Thanks also to  Shimelle for your courses, as that's where I first 'buddied' up with Sandie.  Not that either of us have ever finished LSNED 2011 I don't think - although Sandie has been working hard on finishing her unfinished projects so I could be wrong there - will have to check. 

I think the next thing I need to learn is how to get pictures onto this blog.  A UKS teamie mentioned using Picasa on her iphone to upload photos to her blog so I will be asking her more about this and having a play.
Well off to chase my little darlings to bed now - so I can play some more!! xxx

Ooh just visited Sandie's blog and she has already blogged this so do go to itchifingers for photos of our fun day!!
xxx

Its a first!!!

So I've spent well over a year lurking around on various blogs, in awe of the fantastic creativity which abounds.
This is my first blogging effort, no photos, no great promises of great works of art, just me saying I love the world of blogging and feel ready to take on this commitment.
I will blog whatever takes my fancy I guess - at least now I will be able to find the blogs I have visited with some ease - I hope.
I might even link a project which I have done - I am so inspired by the creativity on the Paperartsy blog at them moment and feel like maybe I could blog some bits which they have inspired me to do. 
I've always been happy with paper and glue but inks and paints are new to me and I am busy trying to learn all the techniques- and like the stars at night, it seems the more I look the more I see.  There is just so much to learn.
I'm also a keen photographer although lately I seem to have lost the knack!!!  Still I have Cheryl Johnson's bootcamp to look forward to in June - last years one was excellent but I still have so much to learn!
I'm hoping this will get easier as time goes on. 
Also I am really hoping that when I shut down my computer tonight that this blog does not disappear and that tomorrow I will be able to find it and continue - if you never see another post here again - you know I've lost it - like so many things!!!