Week 7 Give it some distress

Okay so I know it is Christmassy but hey I did warn you my Mojo had returned in a Christmassy mood lol! Ive had such a craftless week I thought it best to go with the flow as far as this weeks Tuesday taggers entry was concerned.
The theme is to give it some distress! Fab tutorial over on the Tuesday Taggers blog from the King of Distress himself Mr Tim Holtz. He kindly gave his permission for us to use it on the blog - fabulous :0)



Not only is there the fabby tutorial but another prize from The craft barn for a randomly picked winner - a few conditions this week so check the Tuesday Taggers blog to make sure your entry qualifies.

Now down to my entry - Not sure what it will end up as card or tag so for now its just a postcard. I started with some cream card and stamped the Santa face and embossed with vintage photo distress embossing powder. I coloured his face using the distress inks to watercolour his red hat and tattered rose for his face. I then stamped Postcard with black soot and then dusted it with antique gold perfect pearls and spritzed with water. Next I over stamped the script background with Tea Dye distress ink. I have then bulit up layers of colour starting with antique linin, vintage photo, spiced marmalade ending with black soot. The holly is stamped with pine needles and the merry Christmas in fired brick. Ive used the Tim Holtz paper distresser to rough up the edges and made little tears which i have curled using my fingers then inked with the same colours as before. I went around finally with black soot again which I think almost makes it look charred.



I quite like this distressed look and Ive sure got some of the Christmas stamps to play with so I will be doing even more.

Hope you can join in this week I look forward to visiting your blogs for more inspiration!
Janet

Im finding this blog hilarious!

Hilarious blog
Her way of writing is soooo funny. Warning though its not crafting!

It just wont be the same!

Ive followed this series from the very first episode. My daughter and I are avid fans and both have Robin Hood wallpaper on our computer. The humour has been so fantastic with some brilliant acting from Keith Allan and Richard Armstrong too but as all their characters are dead now what on earth is next?
Robin Hood without Maid Marion (Lucy Griffiths) was hard enough to watch but without Robin Hood (Jonas Armstrong)? Dont think I could watch it the same again!
Excellent series though and hope to see them all in future roles as exciting and spellbinding. I cried again and I thought my tears were done for this week lol. My Mum has always said my bladder is too close to my eyes!
Did you watch too?

I feel good!

Just home from my shift which went really well. One of my colleagues asked how I was and I said I was ok if we didnt talk about it so thats what we did. Had lots of fun with the 3 Young people staying over the weekend and the staff team too. I felt really normal again so am soo glad I went back when I did.
Back again tomorrow and Monday and hope to be able to craft again - I had ideas buzzing in my head last night which is FAB - trouble is they were all Christmas LOL!
Hope you are having a great Saturday and its not too hot where you are. Think there will be lots of BBQs today!
Take care and thanks for stopping by xx
Janet

Kindness that has made my heart smile :0)

I had a visitor today. A lady I have never met or even talked to knocked on my door with these gifts. She and her OH were visiting Skipton so she thought she would bring the Rak from the Rak attack in person. She had also read I was not feeling good and was in her words "in the eye of a storm".

She had also been to see Jill at The stampman and asked where I lived (she had my address but as Skipton is a small town still didnt know where the address was really) Jill gave her directions and also a small gift as she too knew I was not too good.

These are the amazing works of art Carol Ann (my visitor) has given me - are they not just oustanding?














and this beautiful plant too.

This type of kindness is incredible and has made me feel truly blessed to be part of a most wonderful online community - Docrafts. So a huge Thanks to both Carol Ann and Jill for your thoughfulness which has lifted my spirits today xxxx

Week 6 Tuesday Taggers

Wow this week another stunning prize on offer for a randomly picked winner £15 of goodies from The Stampman. Now as The Stampman is one of my local shops I often drop by to stock up my stash - Fabulous choices of stamps and inkpads as well as other fab goodies. So the challenge is to "Stamp it" - use as many stamps as you can!
Thought I would use as many products as i could from my stamp man visits on my challenge tag so here goes. I have very much stuck to products by Mr Holtz of which The Stampman has many to choose from!
Background - is made up of alcohol inks - I think from the brights collection yellow, orange and green applied with the alcohol ink applicator and felts all from ranger.

The stamps I have used are Tim Holtz ones by Stampers anonymous. I have only 3 sets - I surely need more LOL I do have 5 sets of the Christmas ones though! I have stamped using the adirondack archival ink black, library green and sepia which is perfect for stamping over alcohol inks and I have a brilliant selection of colours thanks to The stampman. I have also added some eyelets, a key and bee charm.
Hope you feel inspired to hop on over to Tuesday taggers to find out more about the challenge this week. We are also looking for design team members so if you are interested then check out the blog for how to apply.

Happy Stamping!

*me update* - only read if you want!
Am still feeling a little fragile emotionally. Spoke to my own Doc yesterday and she was very supportive echoing other peoples thoughts that Occupational Health could be a good thing. I also joined the Menieres Soceity and all that has arrived today so ive got lots of reading to do. I took yesterday and today off sick from work - mainly because i could hardly stop crying - not a good thing when working with young people. Today I feel a little stronger and James - No 2 son has been giving me a serious pep talk and I have managed not to burst into tears. Sat and Sunday saw me just crying most of the time - not always in the full sobbing way but id just be sat with tears rolling down my cheeks unable to stop. I can only think that usually I am emotionally fragile after an attack anyway - it reminds me how vulnerable I am which is scary - and last friday I was still in that state and the meeting at work has deepened it and prolonged it. I hope from today that I will get stronger and feel more able to cope. Wed and Thursday are my rotered days off so i am due back again on friday so by then I hope to be strong and ready to do my job again. It is my weekend to work so I will have a 4 day stretch before days off again so fingers crossed.
Apart from the tag above I have not managed another crafty thing - I sat on Sunday surrounded by my fav stash and nothing happened so i have left it alone - my Mojo will return im sure when Im strong again. Thanks for asking how I am it does mean a lot x
Janet

Another set back and hopefully good news

Well Son No 2 James has been to Brunel Uni today in Uxbridge - they have offered him a place and the text he has sent me about the visit sounds positive so hopefully thats him with a uni place he is happy with.

Now the set back. I had a vertigo attack at work on wed night and so now my manager wants to send me to the Occupational Health dept as I am a risk at work. Scream, rant, cry!
This awful thing seems to be invading every bit of my life and whilst I can see what he is saying it doesnt stop me feeling really sad/ upset that I am having to go down this road with little control over what happens to me. There is naff all I can do to a) predict it is going to happen or b) prevent it. After 14 years on nights I manage to get a day job I like that pays well and then this happens.
So probably no crafting for a day or two whilst I weep and wallow about what is happening to my life.
Sorry folks
Janet xx

Winter wonderland - Let it snow

How funny that this was my song/ carol last week LOL Anyway I have no shortage of snow themed stamps its more a matter of what not to use!
Decided on this one from Pink Gem designs. I bought quite a few at the beginning of the year so a good excuse to get them inked up!
Mirri card from Kanban, Papers from dovecraft, Image coloured with promarkers, snowflakes brads from docrafts, sentiment round -bought as a digi image last Christmas but cant remember where from - do you know??? You cant see it but it says let it snow all around the edge of the sentiment. Ribbon from dovecraft too.

Liked playing so much I made another this time in black and pink - card from kanban, ribbon, charm from stash, dew drops Kirsty Wiseman and the sentiment is the same one. Not yet mounted this one onto a card so Ive still that to do.

Hope you like them xx Im having such fun with Christmas - thanks Winter wonderland for getting me going early :0)

Colour create

Pink, Lilac and Moss green. I thought this would be an easy combo but I did in fact find it hard! All the card is from Kanban. The image is blossom by sugar nellie coloured with promarkers. The die cuts are from sissix which I cut using my Mums big shot. The stamped greeting is from the freebie set on the creativity mag last time. Dew drops are from Kirsty Wiseman and ribbon from stash.
Hope you like it!

Simon says stamp

Whoops too late to enter this but hey here it is anyway :0)
Fantastic colour combo for Simon says stamp challenge (last week!) -pink and brown. Ive used a new sugar nellie stamp and coloured her with promarkers. Papers are by stampin up and card from Kanban. Sentiment is also sugar nellie puched with a woodware circle and mounted onto a stampin up punched scallop circle. Finished off with dew drops and ribbon from stash.
Looks like we are in for rain in Yorkshire today so have you got the sun?
Have a good day x Janet

Tuesday Taggers week 5

Macho Man

















Amazing entries for last weeks challenge and I wonder who the lucky winner of the craft barn voucher will be?
Fathers day this coming Sunday so it seemed the right thing to do to go all Macho!
Thought id give an atc a go this week. I love swapping atcs. Over on the docraft forum I always click on atcs first although I have not swapped as much this yesr. I really like joining in hosted swaps where there is a theme to work with so Tuesday Taggers Macho man theme was right up my street.
I have painted a piece of chipboard with Antique Linen crackle paint - left it to dry then rubbed olive green ink all over it to bring out the crackles even more. I overstamped with a paperartsy stamp from letters plate 5 then stamped the man from the wings plate 2 on some white card. I have then coloured the card using distress inks and coloured the chaps face with ivory promarker. Then I roughed up the edges with my Tim Holtz paper distresser and inked them further with frayed burlap ink. Added this to the base card then stamped the butterfly again and coloured with promarkers and decoupaged it onto the main image. I have added some coloured dew drops for detail.

Hope you like the challenge this week and look forward to seeing your stunning entries!
Janet x

Bobs bits and bobs challenge

Over on the docrafts atc section the lovely Bobs hosts a bits and bobs challenge. she sends out the bits to make an atc - you assemble them into an atc then send it back. At the atc meet in May Bobs should me some of the challenges past - they were stunning and sooo very different even with the same materials so i said I would like to join in this month. Heres what she sent out - an atc size piece of acetate, stamped images of a clock and butterfly and 3 bits of metal. You are allowed to add anything you like so this is what I did. I cut out the clock and butterfly and coloured. The clock with distress inks and the butterfly with promarkers. cut an atc sized piece from some 7 gypsies papers and added it to an atc sized card then stuck the clock on. I then glued the acetate on with glossy accents and went around the edges with orange promarker. Coloured the metal with promarkers before Glueing it down with glossy accents as well as some dew drops onto the acetate before adding the butterfly and covering it with glossy accents. Its now winging its way back to bobs - hope it will do!
Hope you are enjoying the sunshine x
Janet

Skipton Gala

Well the sun has shone on Skipton gala thanks goodness! This is a pic of the procession which sets off from near our house. The chap in the bowler hat is my brother and the lady in the long skirt carrying a child is my Sister in law. She is carrying my neice. My Nephew is to the right of my brother. The group they were representing is the local primary school which has under gone major works this last year to turn it into a Children's Centre. As it was built in Edwardian times this is why they chose this theme - like the family in Mary Poppins! Both my brother and I are School Governers and it is a priviledge to see the changes that have happened over the last year. Not everyone in the community has been supportive but I truly believe this is good thing for Skipton - as although it has a reputation for being affluent there are areas that really need extra support for families - I hope this is the beginning of a better future for Family life in my home town.

Passion for Promarkers cinnamon and pumpkin

Well you may recognise the stamp again LOL its funky flowers an aspects of design sheet from The Stampman designed by Kay Carley. This time ive used my promarkers to colour as per the passion for promarkers challenge blog. I have also used a flower from the sheets to create a background so the colours were exact and used pumpkin to colour the ribbon. Ive used dried marigold around the edges - Tim Holtz distress inks and the for you is from stampin up.
Hope you are managing to catch a few rays of sunshine today - its gorgeous here in Skipton. Hopefully the weather will stay for the Gala tomorrow too.
Have a fab evening x Janet x

Winter wonderland week 2

This weeks theme is Christmas Carols. My all time fav Carol is "see amid the winters snow" so Ive gone with snow and included the song let it snow!

Image is by Little Claire's, coloured with promarkers, pink card stock is from Kanban and papers from Dovecraft. Sentiment is from a Sandylion Kelly Paccini set. Card from papermania.

Not my usual colours for Christmas but hey we are still supposed to be in summer LOL

Working later so have a great day x
Janet

PMSL

Last night I saw a dotty flower blonde moments stamp in a sale so ordered 2 but was advised at the checkout they were out of stock - they were a real bargain so I was hoping to pick up a spare for me and one for my bessies birthday next month. So this morning I googled blonde moments dotty flower stamp and guess what happens?











My blog is the first one in the search! Looks like Ive mentioned it once or twice huh?
Janet

Miss Anya

Was given this fab image by a friend x Thanks Katy x So thought id make it into a birthday card for one of the younger girls at work whose birthday it is next week. Used 7 Gypsies papers, ribbon from stash and dew drops from Kirsty Wiseman.

Been to the docs. No driving util the vertigo settles down again. At least its not do driving ever! Possibly my menieres but could also be seasonal vertigo that some people get but she is referring me back to the specialist anyway which is what I thought would happen. Phew - feel better now. Thanks for all your good wishes they do mean such a lot and lift my spirits when Im feeling down so give yourselves a huge (((hug))) from me xx
Janet

New stamps

I bought the funky flowers set by Kay Carley from the stampman last Friday after loving what Debbie has done with them - check her out here.

For this card I have used 7 Gypsies papers and coloured the image using fired brick distress inks. Added some card candy from craftwork cards and organza ribbon from stash. The pearl brads go well in the centres and are from papermania. I really like the flowers and how the card has come together. I made quite a few more too - Hope Tina likes the one winging its way to Slovenia as we speak xx

Back to the Docs tomorrow and hope she will tell me what to do about driving. I really dont want to stop but on the other hand can see if I am a risk then its for the best. So fingers crossed x
Janet

Tuesday Taggers week 4

Oh my Goodness how the weeks are flying by - week 4 already! Some stunning entries last week although some of you were hesitant at joining in!
This weeks challenge is to make wrapping paper, tag and card all to match - my DT comrades have come up with the most stunning entries Im sure you will agree - hop over and check them out! Tuesday Taggers





Heres my entry - Anitas parcel stamps and blonde moments suet dumpling papers. The parcel stamps are old ones so not sure where you can find them but the suet dumpling papers are available here Ive used tissue paper for the wrapping paper - tip - open the paper right out before stamping as the tisue paper is thin it may come through the other side so stamp on a surface you are not worried about! The ribbon came from The stampman and Ive used the nestabilities scallop circle combined with woodware punches.
Michelle and I shot a tutorial too for this weeks challenge using distress inks, cosmic shimmers and distress ink pads. We would love to know what you think of the tutorial as we hope to have them as a regular theme. Michelle was the fabulous photographer and its my stubby little fingers in the shots LOL.
Hope you have a go at this weeks challenge as the winner is always chosen by random and this week is sponsored by The Craft Barn who have a £15 voucher for the lucky winner!

Dragons Tag and Simon says challenge

Didnt mean to combine these 2 challenges they just sort of happened! For the tag - I used Ranger Distress inks milled lavendar and weathered wood swished it on the craft mat - sprayed using a mini mister then mopped up the ink in 3 layers as Mr Holtz recommends. I have then used a mini mister with distress reinker dusty concord and pewter perfect pearls mixed with water - the shimmer doesnt catch on the picture at all! I have then used a stamp from the urban tapestry Tim Holtz range and over stamped again with dusty concord. I then used the paper distresser to rough up the edges and inked those with the dusty concord too. The butterfly is made with fusible fibres and a butterfly stamp inked with archival ink. This is my first go at this technique after watching it at a show.
The word stamp - got this from an online stamp company and not seen it anywhere else - cant remember the name though so if you can do give me a shout! Id like this on my tombstone as it sums up my life beautifully I am def the caterpillar not the butterfly LOL.

Managed to sneak on here quickly as girls are busy doing their own thing so here goes!


Received this award from yvonne so here are the rules

I must say Thank you to the person who gave it to me.

Thanks Yvonne xxxxx

I must tell you 10 honest things about myself

1) I am 42

2) I am a routund Lady (lol)

3) I have 3 kids and a cat

4) I have been married to Tim for 23 years

5) I am obsessed with crafting

6) I am also obsessed with craft buying (mostly stamps!)

7) I love my home even though it is no where near finished decorating wise I love living there.

8) I cry very easily

9) I am a "half full" person with my outlook on life

10) When I turned 40 I made a life changing decision and stuck to it - it was very hard, very emotional but I am on the other side and happier than Ive been in my whole life (even with vertigo!)

Now I must pass this on to 7 other fav bloggers.

So here goes

Michelle

Katy

Emma

Jo

Joey

Clare

Debs

Hope you ahve a great day xxx
Janet

colour create rainbow colours

Sorry for the wonky pic I wasnt drunk honest LOL
Heres my colour create entry. I found it hard finding papers with all the colours in then remembered this paper by craftwork cards. I think the range is Tutti fruiti. Ive also used craftwork cards - card candy with the 7 rainbow colours :0) Image is by forever friends - coloured with promarkers and again careful to include all 7 rainbow colours. Edges smudged with adirondack dye ink pad raspberry and mounted on a scalloped nestie. Not an overly complicated card. This is for a workmate who has a birthday soon. Hope she likes it x
Im on a sleep over at work today so leave home at 2-15pm and return at 3-15pm tomorrow! Hope my shift goes ok. Had another small vertigo attack last night so went to bed at 9pm - so unlike me but i do feel better for the extra sleep :0)
Have a fabby weekend whatever you are doing.

wow

Only just noticed Ive jumped over the 10,000 post mark in fact its 10,100.

Thanks to everyone who comes and peeps at my blog and especially all you fabulous ladies who take time to comment. Each one is very much appreciated. xxxxx

Mum to be

Made this card for Lucia at work who leaves on Friday to have a baby. The stamp is new - I bought it on Tuesday and is by rubber stampede - and I think its quite nice. Papers and punch are by stampin up - Thanks Emma xx Card blank by papermania, ribbon by blonde moments, sentiment from pink petticoat and card candy from craftwork cards.

Woke up feeling fuzzy headed but thankfully had craft pals to keep me from feeling sorry for myself. Had a lovely day and managed to make 5 cards that I needed Yay!
Hope you are feeling good today and have had fun doing whatever you have done xx

First Christmas card

For the winter wonderland challenge which was "O christmas tree". I have used Kelly Paccini stamps, craftwork cards papers and poinsetta and gems from stash. Think the ribbon is anitas.
Not my most inspiring card but then I was a bit off it on Sunday when I made it.
Hope you are all fine and dandy - isnt the weather glorious - lovely breeze today I was far too hot and sticky yesterday!

Well got Bee, debs and Elaine coming for a crafty day tomorrow - need to make 2 baby cards, 1 wedding card, 1 mum to be card, 2 fathers day cards and a birthday card - so I will need to knuckle down and not natter toooo much LOL

Tuesday Taggers week 3

Instructions were to alter a clothing label. Ive been saving some for quite some time and just needed this shove to get something moving!
Mine began as a tag from some Lee cooper jeans - here is the back






Thought I'd play around with embossing powder - not so long ago this was my fav thing to do - now I cant remember when i last did some embossing. So here it is




The colour I have used is Mango from blonde moments. This was actually the first embossing powder i ever bought along with the dotty flower stamp! It gives a fabulous rich orangy colour - gorgeous. I did 3 layers then stamped into the 4th with an anitas stamp inked up with perfect medium then left to cool. Once cooled I have added some blonde moments pearl pigmet powders. Now these little beauties are ACE hop over to Art from the heart and click on blog for some fabby tutorials using them! The colours I used were pink and gold I have dabbed the powder into the impression then brushed away the excess before adding diamonte stones to the impression, edging with gold krylon then finishing off with some blonde moments ribbon - really lush colours - bought some more when I was there last week!

Check out the workshops on line at Dys today too 10% off if you book and pay today :0)

hope you have time to check out the DT work over at Tuesday Taggers - truly awsome what has been created from rubbish!
Have a fabby day :0)
Janet x

wow Im the Rak attack recipient for this month!

Over on the docrafts forum atc section the fabulous Jaybe (Ive showcased her work in an earlier post)runs the Rak attack club. Once a month a name is chosen by random and the recipient is showered with Rak (random acts of kindness) atcs from everyone in the club (roughly 100 members) and wow my name is up this month!
Thats certainly brought a smile to my face. The last few days have not been good. On Friday night I had THE MOST AWFUL vertigo attack i have suffered. It lasted 6 hours and had me a helpless wreck. Thanks goodness Tim was around and really looked after me as I could hardly move. Getting to the outside loo (I dare not climb the stairs) was a planned affair I was quite literally crawling. By 11pm I really wondered if I was going to have get Tim to ring the Doc but it then began to ease. I slept on the sofa totally exhausted. saturday I felt woolly headed but not too bad and most of sunday I was ok too then around 6pm it began again. Not as intense but I could not focus as everything was moving for about 4 hours. It was totally pants! On top of that the muscles in my sides hurt from all the wretching on Friday night (I was VERY Sick!)
I was on an early this morning 7-3 and not sure how it would be at all but everyone at work has been really supportive and I have managed a whole day with no attacks.
So the rak attack has really brought a smile to my face. On top of that my bessie has phoned today she is back from her hols so we get to play again on Thursday when its a crafty pal day at mine. I may have some Rak attacks too by then!
I did manage to make a Christmas card or 2 on Sunday - one for the winter wonderland challenge "O Christmas Tree" and one with a stamp I have not used before but its too dark to take pics now so I will post later.

week 3 on Tuesday taggers tomorrow - a brand new winner and the most gorgeous DT entries be sure to drop by for a looksie xx
Sleep well xx Janet