Devil-ish detail

Quite a few of you have asked about the line drawings that have been propped on my iPad/book stand for weeks now.  Well, they are images by Michael Powell, stamps produced by DO Crafts.  Actually the image you see here is not the one on the stand, but no matter. I am not a great one for colouring in.  I love the stamping and the cutting and the collating of card making, but feel a bit slowed down and erm, inadequate when it comes to colouring.  So investing in two of these fine detail outline stamps was a little crazy.  But totally necessary; I really am drawn to them. They speak of faraway magical places and stories yet to be told.  Ahem, aaanyway, despite the shortcomings in the photography, explain this for me will ya.  I coloured the image with watercolour pencils and sloshed a wet brush around a bit to blend and make it look well, watercolour-ry. Left hand photo.  Then I was seized with a need to so something with it that would make it look as if I'd done more than stamp and colour.  I don't know why.  So I coloured the entire image in Versamark ink and embossed it with clear powder.  Right hand photo. Now, is it me, or has that enhanced the detail in one fell swoop?  Kinda put the black outline image on top of the colour?  How? I do not know.  But I like it.  The collating and turning it into a card is a whole other story...apart from a mount and the fact that it doesn't fit on anything but a portrait DL card and won't take an embellishment...argh.  It may not be my colouring aversion that stops me using these delightful stamps after all!

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 191

There's a page explaining WOYWW and how to join us at the left of this blog........

This is Tuesday afternoon's desk...I need the daylight and this morning I'm committed to different sort of desk work which really is not picture-worthy!  I'm working on a card for a Grunge Style workshop - you can see my vast collection of Alcohol inks and the one applicator in my possession.  Yep, call me minimal. I don't really get them though see.  On my iPad deckchair and rather out of focus is a card that I've made from Emilie Chanel's article in Craft Stamper.  It's a lovely article and card...but hmm, the step by step instructions aren't quite true to the photos...not a major thing, but a little bit frustrating, nonetheless.  And that's not my excuse for copying badly, that happens anyway!  
You can see my button jar has had a sudden top up.  Yep, ridiculously well priced vntage look pastel buttons from Shopkeeper Gal - would have been rude not to.  And I've got some sewing planned, so I needed them, I'm sure.  

Share your work surface with us will ya - so much more interesting if you're involved.  Put WOYWW in your post title, link here and please make reciprocal visits.  Don't be stressing about visiting everyone on the list - we all know it's along list and time is at a premium.  Please enjoy.

Controversial Smiles

I'm sharing this with Annie's Share A Smile feature, because I just can't resist! 

I know this limited edition has been in the shops and probably gone by now, but I've only just opened mine.  As the only Marmite eater in the house, it takes a while to get through a pot! 

I don't know if you can tell well enough but it really does have a lovely gold sheen to it....and I don't know what it is, but I think it's reminiscent of the lovely pearl finish we crafters achieve with Mica based products! 

It's been ages since I had a new jar of Marmite so I don't know if this is a new 'recipe' or just the inclusion of the 'gold', but this Marmite is infinitely more spreadable too. And yeah, that's a thin slice of tiger bread...which can only add to my smile!

Kraft Crazy

Now that, I know is blatant advertising.  (It's the name of Shopkeeper Gal's emporium).  But it's also a state of mind and as much as I Iove it, people are going to ask me if I've actually got any other card stock soon! 

This week I've made a handful of cards - OK, seven.  Four of them have Kraft included or are on Kraft pre-folds.  This is one of two that will feature in the same workshop...and it's not a workshop built around the use of Kraft.  Hmmm.

And this is a detail of a LO that I've made twice.  Yep, the first one was on a 12x12 piece of Kraft and I decided that as it's for another workshop, I should probably demonstrate my ability to use other papers....turned out to be harder than I thought!
I think I'm turning into a folk.  I know that's the collective, indeed, plural, but I have no idea of the singular.  Or at least what it is that's happening to me.  I've come over all homespun and gingham like. In my crafting you understand, the domestic duties and other working nonsense are still being superficially carried out in a normal four-out-of-ten type Suzy Homemaker graciousness.  So what do you recommend, plough on and see if it's just a phase, or turn my back and try to move out of this comfort zone?  Obviously, you realise that if it proves difficult or needs will power, I shall not be yielding to any suggestions.

'Ere it is then....

Well, quite a lot of you asked.  So now I've finished dithering and such, here is the LO I was working on yesterday.  There's a tag behind the photo on the left (which is why there's a bunch of ribbon sticking out of the top of it.  I gave the photo and extra 'topping' of the mat paper to prevent it being too damaged by the tag being over zealously returned.
The main interest really is that this paper is from a new line by Kaiser Craft called 'Forget me Not'  and it's really very nice.  Indeed, I had to have the collection pack instead of the individual sheets.  I suspect that I will replace the two sheets that this LO has taken too, I can feel the need welling up in me. This LO is actually to illustrate the first scrapbook 'know how' session that I'm conducting at Kraft Crazy next month.  My thinking is that it's a difficult thing to 'teach'.so I'm providing notes and a glossary, and a couple of different styles of LO for people to have a go at.  When I first started scrapbooking, these large patterns and corner placements frightened me to death.  Now I find them useful for a quick LO.  And the second LO will be a much plainer affair with some splodges and inking occuring....nothing like a contrast when you try out new stuff! What do you think - in terms of a workshop - helpful or just hideously confusing?  Don't be too honest, I might cry.

WOYWW 190

Well now, aren't I getting the hang of stuff.  Note at left of this blog there is now a heading marked 'Pages'.  Right now it has one page explaining WOYWW.  Soon it will have others which you can look at or not, as always, it's all about choice.  Well, actually, it's my blog so it's all about me, but I like to think that you think that I think I'm selfless. 

As you know, I have no shame.  Which is why I don't bother to tidy up before you visit.  But even I am a little shocked that I'm letting you see this...two empty coffee cups and a snack tray.  In my defence...this all occurred within Tuesday..the two mugs are because someone else made me a second coffee and I didn't think to say I already had a mug 'on the go'. For reals.  So I'm working on a Layout which will be part of a Scrapbooking session at Shopkeeper Gal's.  The new workshop schedule is peppered with my name.  Argh!  The most interesting thing is I think, the little blue box on top of the Layout.  It's waxed dental floss.  I was about to use it to lift off the stuck down photo on the left of the page.  A great tip from the Babymumma some years ago.  One I'm delighted to say that I haven't needed until today.  Argh again!   

So there we are.  Show us yours then.  Put WOYWW in your post title and link here. It's fun.  The word verification isn't though - I readily admit that I'm receiving regular spam because I don't use WV, but for me it's preferable to manage and delete it than to miss the chance of a response from a visitor.

Today, I'm mostly....

...staying indoors. Doing 'stuff'!

This picture makes me smile. Because it means that I don't have to go anywhere or do anything in particular. Mr Dunnit does the snow driving in the big heavy van. I will and can drive in snow, but Mr D gets all cave-man and protective about it, so I revel in that instead. And that makes me smile too.
Annie over at a Stitch in Time is asking for your smiles...take a pic and join in with her..smiling is good for you.

Posted with Blogsy