Happy Christmas, Sissy

I gave my sister a Christmas present, on the day, wrapped and paid for. She already had one. So I said that I'd change it for something else; the present in question is appropriate for another use, so it' s not a disaster. Just a shame huh, that I finally find something to give her that I like and want to give her.......still it goes like that, and because we're grown ups, she didn't whinge or stick her bottom lip out. Far.

She sweetly suggested a couple of things that I could buy that she didn't already have. And top of the list is vouchers. They are an ace present..and I'm collecting the used ones - they will one day make a fab basis for a mini album - all that colour! Anyway, digression aside.

So this card is made from a sheet of double sided paper, cut to A4, and then folded in a particular way to produce two pockets at the front. I found the tutorial on You Tube and we used it in a workshop some time ago. So I thought I'd do another for Sissy's vouchers. Didn't think it was worth looking at You Tube again (note I haven't linked to it - because I have no idea where it was now). I unpicked the original and thought to follow the folds. Ha. Not so easy. Fiddled with it ALL morning at the crop.....finally cracked it and ended up gluing it in the wrong place. Argh. Start again, can't figure it out...it's beginning to be a Rubik cube in my head. So I left it. Thought well, Sissy won't know that I intended to 'wrap' her vouchers in anything nice, I'll just have to send them, the delay is embarrassing enough! So on Tuesday when I unpacked my tote after the crop, I thought that I should just give it one more go, after all, nicely presented vouchers might make up

for the delay!

And I did it, first time, in about 3 minutes flat. What is that about? Then I used Mary Anne's amazing photo corner trick to trap the vouchers on a couple of tags, added blowsy ribbon and ta na.....proper job.

And don't worry, this particular Sissy doesn't read my blog, so until the post gets to her, the secret is safe with you, right? And of course, it's arrival is dependent on my getting it to a Post Office. Oh my Sissy, this might end up being a birthday gift!

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday? 88

Mine, after making just two cards, needs sorting already!

An unintentionally clever angle means that you can see a card standing up, but you can't actually see the card. This is a good thing because it's for a workshop and it's not fair to share them before hand. In my opinion. On the left is my A5 box that houses gems, sitting on top of a piece of mulberry paper. Lordy, I'm going retro! There's a small packet of topper styled die cut D shapes under the plastic tray - to go onto a small album I'm going to put together for a friend's birthday. No really, I am. The plastic tray is for the embossing powder (I treated myself to yet another Cosmic Shimmer one today...oooh!). And then you can see the tools of me trade so to speak. No idea what I was using the Cropadile for, but the signature bunch of scissors and unwound ribbon are there, so it's my desk for sure!

Show us what you're doing then, this Wednesday - doesn't have to be crafty, we just like to see work 'desks' the world over. Photo, briefly describe, upload to your blog and link here. Over a handful of days, we'll visit. Easy. No membership, no rules (except - keep it tasteful!) and no sweating over visiting every desk - it can't always be done - just enjoy those you do visit!

Crafting for the sake of doing it

I've been at the Shopkeeper Gal's today. Buying some bits and pieces for me. And for a workshop. When I unpacked my bag from Saturday's crop (this morning), I had a good tidy up. The link between these two activities becomes clearer, honest! I was rummaging in the pocket of my tote bag and found an old, scribbled sheet of sketches for cards. I do this occasionally when I'm struck by something in a magazine at the Dentist or somewhere odd. And inevitably, I lose the sketch somewhere.So, I used my 'found'' sketches and made a card for the workshop which is to be based around a main colour theme, and then realised I could use a similar sketch to enter Chrissie and Mandi's challenge over at their new blog, Less is More. And I did. I just did it without faffing and thinking too hard or maybe putting it off because I should be doing other stuff...(and I should). I made it because I wanted to. That was fun!

Now I don't know if this will truly qualify, there's the right colour combo and there is a 'less' feel to it, but maybe the card stock itself is too busy...too 'more'. I dunno, Chrissie and Mandi can decide! Either way, am pleased that I took five minutes out to make it. Which makes it a success anyway huh. The card stock by the way, is from the inaugural Creative Escape scrapbook convention organised by Heidi Swapp and Mr Bazzill. It's only taken me 4 years to get around to using it!

What I did at the Crop by Julia Dunnit

See, Mary Anne, under orders from oh, everyone that comes to Ludgershall Crop, had brought some of her mini albums, albums and a handful of projects for us all to look at. Man, they were gorgeous. She recognised the look of unspoken and frankly unashamed begging in my eyes and gracefully gave in. She offered us a class. So at this month's Crop, after lunch and before tea, she showed us with skill, patience and a lot of attention re-focussing, how to make this picture frame. The idea actually was to make two and join them with a hinge for folding together. Lovely. Except my first was erm...not very acceptable. It's in the re-do it pile. I managed to cut the frame aperture out perfectly straight and then discover it's a bit too left of centre. Still, this one's a good 'un, and a great way to use my lovely Fimo roses that I've been wittering on about for about 3 weeks! I got the mould from Crafty Notions' Sarah and all I did to them was wipe a teeny amount of white acrylic paint across them to highlight the relief a bit. Pearl-Ex would have been good too - but I wanted to have something finished before I had to come home!

I'm still messing with the diamante blibs, I thought the trailing look was OK, but am now going to dig out the old swirls template and see if I can't go completely overboard. Now, Mary Anne said that in order to get the most out of the work she'd put into the photographic step by step instructions, she'd offer them on her blog as a pdf file. I've been over there and guess what - pdf, and a video....wow. Now y'all - not only is this incredibly generous, her samples were amazingly gorgeously worth a trip to her blog anyway for a looksee and also - this frame is made from foam core board - which makes it incredibly light - which makes it a fab present for your far-aways. All round brilliance, Mary Anne. Nobody at the Crop is prepared to follow that!

Photographer extraordinaire

Here we are again, Los Gigantes harbour on Tenerife. It has very Austrian influenced architecture and is very pretty. So I took a few pics. First thing to say - I am lucky enough to be fully able bodied. No matter what this picture makes you think, my legs are of equal length and I do not suffer any sort of massively sloping shoulder problem. (Although there may be a chip or two, I dunno..) So why the lean? I have absolutely no idea. I don't even remember being so close to the water's edge that I should be careful. I think I was trying too hard to get the buildings into a shot that included the 'mountain'.

I do remember saying to anyone that cared to listen at the time (poor Mr Dunnit) that I would at some stage have to learn to change the colour of the red car or remove it all together - I felt even at the time that it was a bit glaring and detracted from my composition(!). Clearly I was so busy being up my own butt about the photography and the car that I completely failed to notice the nice lady in red shorts. She looks great, but is totally cluttering up my otherwise people-less picture! Why didn't I see her and give her another 3 seconds to stroll out of the way? I have no idea. Just goes to show how much detail you miss when you're constantly faffing over the bigger picture!

So this probably won't make it into the album. It will sit, like all my beloved-but-failure-type-pictures, on my computer until the computer or I die, whichever is tragically the sooner.

Talking of albums..it's Ludgershall Crop tomorrow. I must hasten away to chores-ville so that I can spend a ridiculous amount of time sitting on the floor in my workroom later, panic-matching papers to photos.

Have a good weekend!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 87

I did specifically place the roses in the shot (photographer speak!!) so that, after last week, you can see the results so far from the Crafty Notions mould, me, and Fimo. And it's a boost too, because I know what I'm going to use them for now, so baby steps and three weeks, maybe a result! Colour me red and surprised, the rest looks a bit valentine-y, but that actually, wasn't the intention at all. It must be subliminal! The terracotta dish on the glass mat is only about an inch deep and had some water in it whilst I fiddled about with stamping onto wet watercolour paper. That was yesterday and the water's dried up.....so has the idea. The BG pad is a small one that I've had for a while and decided that it won't scare me if I look at it for a long time. I shall in theory, get sick of it and use it! Check back with me about this theory. And here's a close up of the roses so far.........because I thought a two photo desk would be a delight this dull dark Wednesday early morning!
Join us do - show us a picture of your works surface; clean, tidy, messy, filthy. However. Upload to your blog, tell us briefly what you're doing and link here so that we can all come round for a jolly good rummage. I thank you.

Celebrity Lifestyle

Today I had a celebrity day planned. You know the one, where I drop in a photo of a new project and it shows up acres of gleaming clean and tidy and utterly co-ordinated home. Where my blog post mentions the bride to be that was coming around for coffee and some help with her stationery planning, and then a brief interlude from all my paper crafting and inspiration to have lunch with a friend who I badly need to catch up with. And then back to my craft room, freshly inspired to create, no doubt something with a friendship theme. All well and good. And a grand plan that actually, could well have been mostly accomplished. That bit about acres of gleaming household - hmmmm.

Ah well, in praise of modern women, flexibilty and the foolishness of offering to help, these plans are put off. Instead - I'm off on a slightly less glamourous trip around the M25 to collect an essential piece of equipment for Mr Dunnit's workshop.

This is not a complaint you understand, more of a 'how do they do it' poser - I mean, these celebrity scrappers and card makers have lives and children too (and mostly they have waaaaaaaaaaaay more children than I). So what am I doing wrong? Answers in less than a lifetime of essay writing please. And if you see me in my little green rocket on the M3 or M25 today - give me a wave - it'll make me feel like a celebrity!!