A little girly something for Monday...

Monday Greetings to All,

Just a quick tap-dance on the keyboard to share a little shabby girlishness. I am preparing some simple card designs for my next workshop. But, being The Queen of Faffing Around that I am, I can easily fitter away a few hours perusing my background papers alone. Anyone else ever get the feeling that delighting oneself in just the visual delicacies of paper art and crafting is a full-time profession in itself? I mean, it costs serious time and effort, all that ooohing and aaahing...

Just played with all my favourite elements and tones. I seem to be in rather a feminine, vintage phase at the mo. No idea why - haven't been reading any Jane Austen lately...

I used Kraft card-stock as my base, with distressed paper scraps layered on top of a page from an old French book which I had dulled with gesso. I stamped a vertical botanical border in Sepia ink.

I stamped and embossed the sentiment (Distress Powder) onto a thick piece of cardboard covered in the same French paper and edged it with Viva Gold.

Then added my usual sprinkling of buttons, thread, crochet lace and ribbon. Finished off with a zig-zag border done on the old sewing machine.

Nothing too fancy or difficult today, but a sweetie all the same! So, I'm going to enter it into a few challenges:
Sunday Stampers - Sentiments
Crazy4Challenges - Vintage/Shabby Chic
Take a Word - Vintage

So that was that for Monday my dears, see you again soon...

Sarah

ONE WORLD ONE HEART - WORLDWIDE EVENT FOR BLOGGERS!!!

Hello everyone,

Just want to let you know about THE fabulous blog event, ONE WORLD ONE HEART that is coming up very soon from 30th January to 17th February. If you love meeting up with fellow artists through your blog and fancy blessing someone with a hand-made piece - then this is your chance to participate in a truly wonderful happening. It is the 5th and final year so DON'T miss it. Click HERE for more information and be sure to sign up and let others know about it too.

So join in with the get-together of sharing, enjoyment, friendship and artwork.
Thanks - hope to see plenty of you calling at the door! 

Have a great weekend,
Sarah.

WOYWW, Challenges, a Giveaway and my ramblings..!

Hello to new faces, a new week, and a new WOYWW! If you have stumbled across my blog... first of all welcome - and secondly, if you manage to survive my slightly eccentric garble and want to get the drift of WOYWW, then head over to Stamping Ground at Julia's to find out more about the now notorious blog-o-nosey-get-together. A great chance to share art-work, be inspired and have a right old snoop around many a desk! I will start with a piccy of this week's creation. I am entering it into the Challenges at Simon says Stamp, Make a Moo or Two and The Sunday Stampers.

Glad to say that an enjoyable weekend, some serious jogging and a good old stint of housework has definitely done wonders for my post Christmas lurgy and dip. I made Top Three again at Simon Says Stamp! So, armed with energy, a tidy mind and itchy fingers, I decided to Make a Moo! Well, three I suppose. Basically, it's a card of 2.8cm x 7cm. So seeing as I lurve teeny weeny makings...This week their theme is travel. I have had this stamp of the gals from Tin Can Mail since the summer and have been waiting to use it for ages. Job done. Here is how I made it...just to sound posh...you can just look at the piccies if you want!

I used gesso on a BP before stamping the image. I then masked the image and stamped the stars on top.       

I then split the image into three moos, distressed and inked the edges, added the sentiment and mounted it onto dotty green Bazzill card stock. I hand stitched around the edge for some colour and texture. After that, full swing with layering and embellishments. I used a 1950's vintage magazine to make the flower, added press-studs, buttons, thread, lace and ribbons. I also attached two metal tags which I coloured with alcohol ink - just to make it a wee bit less girly!

I then mounted the whole thing onto some scrap corrugated cardboard using gesso and distress inks to get the right shades and tones. I twisted some old string with some ribbon and red thread to make a hanging cord. I really like how it all turned out.

The theme at Simon says Stamp is a childhood memory. Many summers ago - as a young lass - I remember heading off to the seaside with my friends for the whole day. We set out really early and came back very late. I just remember oodles of laughter, loads of ice-cream and feelings of real freedom, friendship and happiness. Simple, yet glorious!

And now the Giveaway!

Last week I gave a little sermon about having an over-abundance of too much arty stash. So, that being said, I think it is only fitting to let someone else have the things that only gather dust under my desk...This is a really cute set of die-cut shapes and stickers called Material Girl by Cosmo Cricket - and also bag of pretty buttons too! Very sweet indeed - just not my thing. So if you fancy it - just become a follower of my blog please, leave a comment (so I can contact you) and I will pick a name next week. International or round the corner - all are welcome.

That is me all done and dusted for today. Thanks for finding the time to stop by - Blogland is a busy place indeed - so it's great to see you! Enjoy your minutes as well as the days...

Cheerio my dears,


Love Sarah.

Feeling my Friday and going slightly dotty...

Hooray the weekend has touched down, done my two days in the little office job, got my PJ's on and - finished a little papery-inky-stampy art. Looking good - although I actually fancy a whole weekend in bed. Still in recovery mode from Christmas, a lingering-lurgy and too much late night blogging around. But enough of that and more of this...
Here is a small canvas hanging I have created this week. I wanted to go a bit dotty with some of the polka-dot challenges around. That combined itself with the faint aroma of Valentine's, some pondering on the summer, rediscovering old goodies and the urge to get layering...

I started by inking up a small canvas with some distress ink and added a spotty paper from doodlebug designs. Then I added some scrap BPs from Graphic 45 and Daisy D - distressing and inking on my way...The lovely lady is from Crafty Individuals and is stamped in on an old book page in Archival Coffee and is attached with two brass pins.

I cut the heart out of Claudine H's sticky back canvas, attached it to card and then used multi-medium to stamp the dots (Darkroom Door). After drying I used a quick wash of distress ink and then sanded and inked for more age. Love how it has turned out. I also used the SB canvas for the banner which I stuck to grunge paper. SB canvas is just fab stuff - and there is so much you can do with it. A worthwhile supply in any craft room!

This sentiment just came to me and it seemed just right. Little letter stamps allow you to say and stamp anything!

And every soul needs a little sun round about now...

I built up the canvas in layers and texture by adding some pleated lace behind the heart, ribbons, braid, a buckle, brads, buttons, gold thread and two layered flowers (which I embossed with yet more dots!)

I finished off with a trio of ribbon, lace and mini ric-rac to make a hanging cord. Spent hours tweaking and choreographing as always...but I had a real ball and that felt pretty darn good after quite a dowdy month at my craft table.

So - seeing as I am so chuffed and proud of my little piece of sunshine - I am going to enter it into a number of challenges. Just glad to share it with others and enjoying the journey again!

Joining the flock at the following... Do take a look at the blogs and all the great work on these challenges - or even better - join in!

Simon Says Stamp and Show
Creatalicious
My Time to Craft Challenge
Really Reasonable Ribbon
Theme Thursday
Sunday Stampers
The Stamp Man

So that was "a little something for the weekend." See you soon - wishing you all a little sunshine in your soul.

Sarah

What's on your Workdesk Wednesday ???

Howdy WOYWW Partners,
Once again, the powers that be have fast-forwarded my weekend and here we are again. I was planning to get a bit more blogging done on some other days - but Wednesday got over the line first...Despite still being a wee bit short in the mojo department, still being at the bus-stop to inspiration and having to get a load of housework done, I did eventually find the energy and time to get down to some fiddiliy-diddily. Well, the state of affairs last night...

I started by having a bit of a sort out but soon realised it was going to be a week's work.
Quite shocked, amazed and also intimidated by how much stuff, stash and supplies I have accumulated... As many folk wait with baited breath, a few meds and their Visa Card for the arrival of CHA and another tidal wave of trends and goodies, I ask myself how much of all of our stuff have we really used, discovered and challenged ourselves with? Probably not that much if we're honest, so before diving in to get yet another 25 sets of ink-pads, dies, sprays, stamps, paints and whatever, I want to take a serious rain-check. I think it would be really empowering, artistically-challenging, and exciting to see if I can be the main source of renewal, inspiration, growth and innovation - not my shopping list! Okay - rant over. It just seems that retail peer pressure in every field of the world (not just crafting) is pretty heavy.
So back to the nicer side of life...

Finished off my cards for the exhibition. Made quite an eclectic range - just took the things that came to hand and let them evolve. Here is a card using alcohol inks to make an ATC as a starting point...not my normal colour choice but I like it.

Enjoyed doing this one - just playing and working with layers, textures and stamping...and also liking the dotty card-stock. I think it is Bazzill.

Thought I would add a Mother's day theme into the collection. Must be in quite a romantic, nostalgic mood this week.
But you can never go wrong with blue and brown or lace and ribbon flowers! Also made a load of others but that's enough cards for a while methinks...

Just starting on something new which I will blog about another time. In any case it is about polka dots!

Thank you for all the visits, encouragements and comments last week - I was very glad to be back.
Just need to get to bed before 2am now! Yep! Back to the nocturnal world of blogging and crafting indeed.

Have a great week wherever you find yourself!

Love Sarah.

What's on your Workdesk Wednesday...well, me actually!

Dearest All,

The finest, cosiest, most inspirational and healthy greetings for 2011. I have been away from both blog and desk since December the 23rd and it feels like an absolute life-time. Whilst most people worry about gaining ten pounds, I think I gained ten years. I caught the same lurgy as the rest of The World and his Wife and spent most of the hols being rather ill, fed-up and oh so lethargic. Went into over-drive for two days doing "Thou shalt be merry..." and delivered "The Big Lunch" for twelve but the festivities were a short-lived affair which is a right downer as I love Christmas.

 Just back from visiting the in-laws in Bruges. My tree was doing it's own striptease act and sadly it was time to re-box all the glittery stuff. Still feeling rough. Ugh! I have actually got a few days off now, which I hoped I could spend as a pig in mud in my craft room. The reality is me just coughing and shuffling around in my slippers, lots of big sighs followed by long gazes of bewilderment at all my arty goodies. Just hoping that the creative tingles will soon return. I was thinking of getting into the loft along with all The Christmas decorations and staying up there a month or two...

That all said, I have managed some fiddling around. Yet more cards, you ask...indeed so. I am planning on taking part in the House of Cards Exhibition at the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre and Friday is the deadline! It was great fun last year and a good platform for real hand-made art-work.

As said - just starting to find my way again, so got all sorts of ideas going on and just moodling about. Darling, it's what's known as an eclectic style. Was also listening to Monteverdi, Abba, Blondie and Michael Bublé - so there you go.

Pure and simple can also hold it's ground. Punched paper flowers and one stamp on a manilla envelope...

And whilst we are on the subject of simple, I shall just say have a great Wednesday - savour a few moments of joy as you go.

Hoping to do a few desk-hops and be wowed by all you WOYWWers!

Take care,

Sarah.