alphabet ATCs K and L

K is for Kiss and L is for Laugh

weekly tag swap/ wednesday stamper -frames

Well, Karen's tag theme this week took me by surprise!!!
CHRISTMAS!!!!!
OMG, I'm not one of these people who start their christmas cards in April so this was a challenge. I normally start mine in november (and finish them on christmas eve).
I thought I would try to tie this in with this weeks wednesday stamper, which is frames, so I used a die cut slide mount. All the stamps are from paperartsy xmas plate 1. The inks are mostly distress and the background is sprayed with moonglow mist (ethereal emerald) so it's a little sparkly but I don't think the picture picks it up.

Is@'s challenge

Isabelle Norris sets a weekly challenge on her blog. this week is faux batik.
I often use versamark resist and even clear embossing resist, but never got round to the final stage of ironing the embossing off, so thanks for the push Is. you know I love your book, (and the fact I don't speak french doesn't matter in the least!!!)

I've used faded jeans and peeled paint ink. The stamps are (mostly) paper artsy. there's a paisley thrown in as well, which I found while I was tidying up yesterday, and may well be used on everything for a week or so!! lol

"you" tag

Karen's tag theme for this week is "you" I took that to mean some sort of self-portrait. I chose this photograph of me aged six first of all because I love it. I think I look so sweet and vulnerable. It was taken not long after my mum and dad split up. It was an emotional but not unhappy time. I spent a lot of time during my childhood escaping into books (and sleeping). And was a bit of a dreamer.
The book page on this tag is taken from one of my favourite childhood books, "The enchanted wood" by enid blyton. My mum used to read this to me, and it always made me feel really loved.
The fact that the heart looks a little bit like wings is not entirely accidental. I always dream that I can fly. and will never let go of the belief that it's not entirely impossible!!!

This is actually for a swap. I feel a little funny giving away something so personal. but really that could be a picture of any child!!

my husband's 40th birthday card

it's meant to be funny!!!!!
I hope he appreciates it!!!

alice bookmark

I've agreed to take part in a bookmark swap with the theme "books" so I've been particularly unoriginal and dug out my Alice stamps yet again.
Anjie who is organising the swap suggested the size of 1.5" x 4.5" which isn't a size I've used before, so I thoght I'd give it a go.
anyway, here's my alice bookmark

faces tag

Sarah asked me to do a tag swap with her. I asked her to set a theme as I struggle without a starting point. she set the theme faces, then when I was craft shopping yesterday I saw this paperartsy stamp, so I had to have it!!
the other stamp is hampton arts and is on a layer of vellum (well actually tracing paper, but who's to know? lol)

schooldays tag

Karen browns tag swap them for this week is schooldays, so I've quickly made this one.

man inchie

The theme I have set fot the current inchie swap is man
and here's my contribution, all stamps are paperartsy

I is for....

well after considering many, many themes for this atc, I finally decided on "indecent exposure"

my original plan was to print off a beautiful vintage nude photo, but I couldn't get near the computer. The kids have set up a rota system for themselves during the school holidays, and I have to ask to get on the computer. so I decided to go with stamps, and out came the old trusted paper artsy nudes.



ah well the kids are back at school on monday!!

wednesday stamper -auto

I thought this was a hard theme especially as I don't have any car stamps at all. but I would not be beaten!
I have killed two birds with one stone as well as I promisied nicole I would do her a book page.
hence the reason the left hand side is quite bare - for binding.
I hope this is okay nicole (I haven't done the back yet though so you can't actually have it!!)

what's your favourite season?

This is for a tag book swap with the theme "seasons" I''m not organising the swap but I had the dubious honour of choosing the theme!
other than that I think it's all pretty self explanatory, no amazing techniques or revelations!!

butterfly tag

this week's tag theme set by karen brown is butterflies. I have a sneaky suspicion she set this theme just for me!! so as butterflies are just too easy for me I set myself two challenges. 1) not to use purple 2) to use the hampton art butterfly grid stamp which I got when I did the take five for simply stamping magazine, and really don't use enough.

I'd like to thank jo for some of the inspiration for this piece....she knows why!!

wednesday stamper - envelope

I was just looking at these square brown envelopes that I had bought for the kids' dinner money, when I though "actually I bet they'd look nice decorated" so I thought I'd join in this weeks wednesday stamper.

it is much sparklier in real life, as I've used emerald moon glow mist for the background and perfect pearls for the swirl. The stamps are paperartsy except the swirl which is papermania.

I wonder what the teacher will think when their dinner money turns up in this!!!

H is for Horsie

my next ATC for the alphabet swap organised by karen brown. It took me ages to find that saddle charm. you'd think it would be a doddle to find anything in my super tidy craft room. oh sorry I forgot you've seen it now!! lol

my craft room

here's my craft room which I share with the photos and the filing
this is my desk, which has a shoe rack as shelves. this is where I keep the stuff I use most

there is a desk under all that stuf, honest


here you can see my shelf with my sad collection of woodmounteds. why doesn't it look like those collections in magazines? mine looks pathetic!


here is my "storage"- tidy isn't it???


and here is the back of my desk with some of my ribbons. I spent ages sorting these into colours on my bed, then shoved them onto the door handle. they have since fallen off and are in basket under the desk


any questions?

summer inchie

the latest inchie swap I am running has a summer theme, so I went for the obvious, the sun.
let's hope we see lotos of it this year in our english summer!

the base is sprayed with glitz spritz spray and then dabbed with spiced marmalade distress ink while still wet. once dry I cut the inchies, then stamped the sun (non sequitur) in spiced marmalade. and stamped the word.
rubbed a little metallic rub on on to the corner, followed with some orange glitter glue.