Burnt offerings

I a have at last finished the two little books that I started at Sylvia Wood's workshop at Paddy's Stamping Place
Well, I say finished but I may well add some more beads etc. but for now I'm quite pleased with how they have turned out. Both were made with Kunin felt, lace and Stuart Gill paints and of course a heat tool. I loved doing this and have already started to make some more.


This is my favourite,I used distress inks to give a burnt look and then added lace and ribbon to some of the pages,I intend putting some sepia family photos in it.

This one will probably be used for little sketches, I have used a combination of hand made papers and wrapping papers for the inside.
I hope you like them, thanks for looking.Off to minister to a recovering Hubby!!

What a week!!

I had every intention of posting pictures of the cards I made at Rachel Griegs workshop at Dawn Bibby's Design studio on Saturday but events sort of overtook me(more later!) so here they are now.
I just love Darkroom Door stamps and more of these Paris ones are definitely on my list of "must haves" as I only bought one set.

It was a great morning with the talented Rachel and some familiar faces.
The day was made even better by getting these from a lovely crafting friend, Sheila



Aren't they both just gorgeous, I really need to organise a system where I can display them, have seen one or two inspirational ideas so must set myself to this!!

On the way back we called into the Chocolate Cafe in Ramsbottom ..yummmmm!

We have been a bit busy sorting stuff out, so nothing much on Sunday or Monday(it's half term, so hubby off) Then Tuesday I had a lovely day out with Sarah and Nichola at the Cubby Hole, bought myself some goodies including Stampotique stamps that I was itching to play with!!.
It was then that it all went totally Pearshaped!!
When hubby came to pick me up he had a headache which turned to migraine - up in night retching, back to bed up at 7.00 retching, incoherent, passing out so that meant a trip in an ambulance to the local A & E where he was admitted to a ward. They let him come home at 3.00 but about half an hour after we got back he was on the loo ...nuff said... He is just beginning to feel like eating. The only explanation we have is that it was carbon monoxide poisoning .. he had had both fires on "burning off dust" for the gas man's visit today. We had a carbon monoxide alarm but it gave up before Christmas and because we knew the fires were being serviced this month we left it. Thing is, we hardly ever use the fires - once or twice in a year. Sorry for going on but I think this may serve useful for any of you with a similar situation.

Hope to be back tomorrow with more piccies(and a well hubby)
Thanks for looking, Chris.

The real me?

I've been on an exciting secret mission for a dear friend so not much to show - except that I have completed a journal page that I started in Lindsay's journaling workshop last week - it pretty much sums me up LOL
Last night I completed a page in my little moleskine, I started to doodle in the corner last week but realised it just wasn't me - so left it, but yesterday while tidying I came across the lovely Conte pastels that a friend bought for me from a charity shop. Sunday's supplement kindly supplied the little red bird and I managed to white-out the doodling so it doesn't look so fierce.
So, sort of rescued,I think it needs more so I will probably come back to this.

I do enjoy the comments you make so Thank You, and Thanks for dropping by
Chris

It worked!

Hurray, it seems I can make links, but...the strangest things have happened - my post page has reverted to "normal", todays first post seems to have been posted some time yesterday(it wasn't - it was about 2 hours ago) AND I can now see my photos instead of gobbledegook.
So here are some more journal pages
I love this little Stampotique fellow, loaned to me by Sarah,I found these lips ages ago but was just waiting for the right face to fit them on to,
and this because I 'found' two boxes full of all sorts of candlesLOL

Thanks for looking,
Chris

A Loverly time....

I have been having a great time! Friday - craft show in Manchester - not particularly impressed, but did meet some old friends and met two kindred spirits, one of whom I have followed on her blog -Liverpool Lou
Bought some lovely Kaisercraft background stamps and some masks for when I want to get really inky!
On Saturday my hubby drove us through the pouring rain and massive puddles all the way to Meadowhall at Sheffield where we met up with my brother and his wife who had come over from Lincoln. We hadn't been able to meet up at Christmas so it was pressie swap time!(they gave me a beautiful scrapbook kit which will be great for scrapping a book about my mum and dad) We spent a lot of time either sitting drinking coffee/tea or eating, so that we could chat and the time whizzed by and we were soon on our way back to find that the puddles had got even bigger.
Sunday saw me driving through the puddles - rain had fortunately stopped- To Dawn Bibby's Design Studio for a day art journaling with Lindsay Mason. I went to her Introduction to Art Journaling workshop last year as I had just started to journal during the Summer. This time we learned some new techniques and revisited some old ones but in a different way. We used spray inks, acrylic paints, stamps, inks - all the things I love. We used magazines to help to build a page - my theme was "the race against time".

When I have added a few finishing touches I'll share the rest of it with you. We used Gesso to help us draw a figure. The most challenging task was to paint a face. We all showed our work(with lots of giggling)

The whole day was made so much better by sharing it with a lovely crafting friend, Sheila and several other lovely crafters. Joanne popped by to say hello to everyone too. It was the most enjoyable day and was over far too quickly!
On Monday I spent some time taking photographs of my existing journals so here are some pages.



Thanks for looking and for all the lovely comments you make.
Chris

January -DONE!

Well I did it, and I'm now on my way with February and ...I've started making a start on March and April!! I am taking part in Kate Crane's year journal. Find out all about it on The Kathryn Wheel blog(sorry can't find how to link - something else to learn)

The photo doesn't show that the trees at the bottom are sparkly, yes sparkly - done with stickles. I am really enjoying this as it gives me a chance to remember things that I may otherwise forget - it's an age thing:(
I started something yesterday that I'm going to turn into a journal, using colours that I don't usually put together - for me quite bright but I have an idea..... Look at this for bright - quick, sunglasses required!

Off now to make some more - Oh! and I might just vacuum and dust and empty the washer mmmm...might, I said!!
Thanks for looking,
Chris