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Thursday 24 July 2014

I've been ill, you know.

Luckily, me and the Shopkeeper Gal had the foresight to see this incredible British summer coming and scheduled today as a Summer Grunge workshop.  A bit of messy, some squirting and spritzing...and yes, I did use the mini mister to cool me down a bit - boy it was hot inside those lovely big shop windows!
The cover stamp from the current Craft Stamper mag and a random dotty stamp by Artemio....

Here's what we did - for a workshop with Grunge in the title, some of them are a bit clean looking, but the inks and techniques made a mess - and hey, that counts for me!
Kaiser stamp...
Still clinging to the doily fad...if it's already over, please be good enough to let me know, I'm always behind and as I'm trying to remind everyone in an effort to cover up my mistakes, bad memory, tardiness and general slothfulness, *I've been ill*.  Stand by for stretching this out.  A long, long way.
Magenta and Woodware stamps.
The brick embossing folder has to be one of the most irritating things to use EVER. Seriously, it takes me an age to work out which way to put the card in so as to get the bricks in relief and not the mortar.  So for workshop purposes, I actually worked it out and stuck a note on the folder!  Genius!  OK, maybe not to you, indeed, it may be an overdue move, but I have been ill, you know.

I don't have a system of cleverness that makes me pull out stash and resources that suit each other before I plunge into a making session...the most I do is browse my stamps to get a subject idea going.  So I'd got as far as completing this birdy card when I realised that actually, apart from a few bits of sponged on DInks, it wasn't very grungy.  (Even though the others aren't particularly...I have no idea why it should suddenly bother me!).
So I squirted it with the DO Crafts spritzing ink, a sort of goldy black.  And then of course, inevitably.....I didn't like it.  It took away all the contrast between white and kraft.  Ah well..at least at the workshop I was able to warn the gals and give 'em the choice. I didn't re-make it.  I thought I'd be humble and hold it up as an example of how not to follow my samples too slavishly.  Also, I erm, ran out of time.  I've been ill, you know.  

And honestly, thank you for all your enquiries and encouragings and comments about it.  I really am better now...waaaaaay behind, but 100% well. But please, keep that to yourself...I think I can get Shopkeeper Gal to continue to cut me some slack if I don't tell her.
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22 comments:

  1. Helen24 July 2014 at 18:47

    I love the cards, grungy or not..
    I rarely ink up my free craft stamper stamps, not quite sure why not, as some of them - like this one here - are cool! Hope Shopkeeper Gal doesn't find out you're no longer ill! We however, are very glad to hear it. xx

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  2. KatzElbows24 July 2014 at 19:13

    Love what you did with the craft stamper stamp. Wasn't taken with it, but now I'll have to look at it again.

    Thank you. And I hope you're tonnes better and that you stay that way.

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  3. Ohhh Snap24 July 2014 at 19:18

    Love your cards! I'm reduced to taking a sharpie to things like embossing folders to write instructions to myself lol.

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  4. Claire24 July 2014 at 19:49

    These are fab Julia.
    Claire xx

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  5. 505whimsygirl24 July 2014 at 20:07

    Hi Julia,

    Oh, I do love the bird card, splatters and all. I hope doilies will always be in fashion!

    Need to still visit some WOYWW desks.

    Hugs,
    Kay

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  6. Annie24 July 2014 at 20:26

    Hi Julia, I hear you've been ill but it's so good to hear you're now feeling so much better. Love the cards.
    Hugs,
    Annie x

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  7. Sue24 July 2014 at 20:35

    Loving the cards and all for different reasons. I love the colours and simple (meant as a compliment:)design on the first one. The second one Is so lush with the Doily (I have some, but not used them yet, The third is fab with the brick effect. Now the last one is perfect. It's lush in an understated way (also meant as a compliment).

    Hope you manage to keep cool.

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  8. misteejay24 July 2014 at 21:37

    Super makes Julia.
    Being ill really takes it out of you so I'm sure Shopkeeper Gal knows that you need to ease yourself back gently (and we wont tell - honest).
    Toni xx

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  9. Princess Judy Palmer24 July 2014 at 22:44

    Yes, illness really does boggle the mind. Even when you think you're on top of your game again you find out the hard way you aren't.

    I think doilies are still big and I like not that grungy grunge so your cards all rock if you ask me!

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  10. Fiona@Staring at the Sea24 July 2014 at 22:45

    Oh yes, the old embossing/debossing situation. I usually put a little cross somewhere on the folder to remind myself which way. Glad your feeling back to yourself, but I won't tell anyone. Shhh!!

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  11. Stacy Sheldon25 July 2014 at 00:54

    I love that clear butterfly grungy bricks texted card... I dont remember what you called it already. I had to laugh about the which way the folder goes thing, most of them are the same way but, I do have one that is these weedy things ( like queens anne lace type shaped blooms) that is backwards from the rest of my folders and every time I use it, I get what I don't want the first run through the machine. glad to see your feeling better :)

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  12. Shoshi25 July 2014 at 09:58

    Wow, these are gorgeous... especially the bricks one and the birds one. Love the embossing on printed paper. Fabulous! I also have problems with getting embossing folders the right way up, not helped by the fact that not all embossing folders are the same - the Tim Holtz ones are upside down compared with the Cuttlebug ones. These things are sent to try us, I think!

    Shoshi

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  13. Nan G25 July 2014 at 13:41

    I like your cards...including the birds! So I hear you've been ill? Really?! Ssshhhhh we won't tell anyone (that you've recovered). wink wink Have a wonderful weekend! Hugs

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  14. Bleubeard and Elizabeth25 July 2014 at 14:21

    If those workshop participants take NOTHING else away, it's the lesson to NOT follow exactly what the instructor provides. I often see this when I visit the big names who show you their latest and greatest, and expect you to follow their "plan" exactly. How can a person learn, if they only do what the instructor has done? I think you performed a better service to them than they realize.

    I promise not to tell ANYONE you are well. Now go milk that "I've been ill" excuse through the rest of the summer (grin).

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  15. Karen25 July 2014 at 16:15

    Hope you're feeling better real soon!!! I'm not always online these days but I do think about my crafty buddies. Take care and take it easy!! Karen x

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  16. Karen25 July 2014 at 16:16

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  17. shazsilverwolf25 July 2014 at 17:02

    Loving these, Julia. Given me some ideas on using the mountain of freebie Craft Stamper stamps I have. I also have that 'Cherish' stamp. I think. Looks familiar, lol. I hear you about folders, the Bricks one isn't the only one I have that problem with. Solution? I embossed a piece of scrap so I knew which way was which, then wrote 'E' on the embossing side, and 'D' on the other side with a CD marker pen. Huge hugs, Shaz xx

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  18. Ali H25 July 2014 at 17:04

    Hi Julia thanks for your WOYWW visit & kind words ! The grunge cards are looking great - especially as you haven't been well you know !! Ali xx #9

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  19. Claire Grantham26 July 2014 at 05:29

    Love the cards Julia, doilies are still in as far as I kno...did you happen to see that I was on a'outdoor adventure' with work and I now have a hairline fracture of my 5th Metatarsal....Cx

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  20. Arnoldo L. Romero, MLA27 July 2014 at 04:36

    These are all beautiful cards, Julia. I always follow my personal sense of style and don't adhere to "trends" when I design, so using doilies is perfectly acceptable in my mind. Blessings, my friend!

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  21. pearshapedcrafting27 July 2014 at 18:27

    Making me smile again! The embossing folder thing especially! There must be a way!! Whispering now - glad to hear you're better-sshhhh!! Chrisx

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  22. Eliza29 July 2014 at 05:06

    Great bunch of cards Julia and don't worry you secret is safe with me, take all the time you need, you deserve it.

    Hugs Eliza

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