WOYWW 256

Rushing in last minute here - not that I'm desperate to show my desk - there isn't a great  deal on it! Not that there has to be - I don't think anyone who comes to Julia's blog The Stamping Ground minds - we are all just really interested in each others desks!
(Well, actually I confess I'm a big nosy parker!)

I've been spending again - really loved that stencil when I saw someone using it. While I was at it I added to my distress paint collection. You can also see that I found some interesting packaging that something that hubby ordered came in.

So that's it folk, except to say we went to see 'The Love Punch' today - mainly because some of was filmed in Paris, but it was a really good film - farce, but some really funny scenes. Stars Timothy Spall, Emma Thompson, Pierce Brosnan and Celia Imrie - I don't suppose that will mean anything if you aren't in the UK!

That's it for now, thanks for looking, Chris 

What am I like?!!

The answer to that is quite clearly someone with a slightly warped sense of humour! 
I've been wanting to enter the challenge at Our Creative Corner since it was set by Alison but somehow couldn't decide on a song! I do tend to sing or hum to myself most of the day whether there's music playing or not! But choice of song.....
Eventually settled on 'Everybody Hurts' - the REM song...no...too depressing....'Imitation of Life' ...same again - although both of these songs were ones I would sing on my way into work at a very bad time of my life!
By this time I had no more time to do anything at home or at the caravan - outings etc! Came home and suddenly an idea - my Lynne Perrella stamps - all those grumpy faces! They needed cheering up so turned to my journal - the page already had mop up splashes of red, yellow, orange so stencils out with Copper and Brushed Pewter distress stain and some dribbly bits to boot!!! I stamped the faces by using Distress Markers to pick out just the faces and stamped them onto random scraps from a scrap folder, some more Brushed Pewter around the edges!

I used the computer for shiny and people and an Artistic Stamper word 'Happy'.

Now do they look happier?

Thanks for looking, Chris

I am linking this to 
Our Creative Corner challenge "With a Song in Your Heart"

In a hearts and flowers mood!

The weather was so good while we were away that I actually used one of the little hearts that have been sitting in the caravan cupboard for ages! Spring has arrived at last - we had white butterflies fluttering around and we saw our first swallows!  
I bought a little set of three hearts at one of those cheap shops(B and M I think) As you may know, I'm not a Home Sweet Home kinda gal, so this is the first one I have used. 

I started with a coat of gesso mixed with copper acrylic to give that nice shade of pink! I dabbed it all over with a makeup sponge first in one direction then across to give a lattice effect.

I then dug into my small selection of bits and pieces to find the butterfly, ribbon, lace, pre-cut TH Tattered Florals, Spring Green leaves(heat blistered the leaves) and Alphabetical letters brought from home. I stamped with the small text stamp from Sara Naumans Eclectica ESNO4 and the bees are from Lindsay Mason's Sartorial Elegance set.

The butterfly was dabbed with copper acrylic as were the edges of the flower and I added dots around the letters with a dark sepia pitt pen. We are home now but I look forward to using the other two hearts when we go back!

I would like to enter the following challenges
Ali-craft where the theme is Spring
Anything But a Card where the theme is Spring Forward
A Vintage Journey where the theme is Spring Flowers

Thanks for looking, Chris

WOYWW

Today is not so much a WOYWW as a WGTBOYWW! Yes extra letters - translating to Whats Going To Be On Your Worktop Wednesday. For the real thing go to Julia - The Stamping Ground - you will find all the details there! 
Otherwise hang around and see what's inspired me!
There wasn't a great deal of crafting going on over the Easter weekend! We had glorious weather up here on the edge of the Lake District - although must say Easter Sunday did threaten to turn out wet but we avoided it! Thank Goodness - or I wouldn't have these to show you!
We went to Sizergh Castle - it's our place to go after church every Easter! This year they have a fabulous Woollen Woods exhibition!

It really is worth a visit and it's on until the beginning of September
There is a web site -

My GD and I came back inspired but with no time to play, the next day was also an outing day at the Brockholes Visitor centre near Windermere

So, I'm going to sort out my wool and get started so that next time I see GD we are going to be able play! 

She has gone home now and her brother has stayed with us for a couple more days - we are off to see Spiderman later, Hubby wants to see it as his birthday treat!

Back to normal next week - I keep having to wait for connections so this post has taken quite a while! I will try to get to as many desks as I can today but it may not be until the weekend!!

Thanks for looking, Chris

Bird watching!

My camera has been misbehaving lately - or rather the sd card - keeps saying there is no memory even though I've cleared most of the photos, so this is the first chance I've had to post this - even though it was made a few days ago!

The light is not good!
The card was for my hubby, I won't tell you how old he is but he now has his travel pass!! The wren is one of the birds we get in our garden although we usually hear him more than we see him. The papers are scraps that I am doing my best to make use of!

I would like to enter this in the Frilly and Funkie Challenge Flights of Fancy

Thanks for looking, Chris

Tims tags of 2014 - April

Well, another month of not having the supplies that Tim has but...I do have that die now - and I love it! It will be making appearances on a regular basis I think!
So here's my tag - you can find the details of how Tim made his here!

I do have grungeboard but as to where I've put it - well, that's another victim of my big re-organisation of stash! 
I used some paper with a stonework pattern on it. The roses were made with the tattered flower garland die and the leaves from the spring greens die using green paper, as I felt it didn't look quite right with my first choice of paper. I have used a Dali twisted clock as I don't have any philosophy tags either!

Wishing you a Happy Easter and thanks for looking, Chris

WOYWW 254

It's that show and tell time again courtesy of Julia at The Stamping Ground where you will find out all about the wonders of WOYWW!  
So here's this weeks mystery - how does this happen??!!

I have organised my craft room to give me more space on my desk - my shelves are directly in  front of me - so how is it that I end up working in a space of 10" by 8"(I measured it, the ruler was out for measuring up the card I'm making for my grandson)????
Do you spy my new TH die by the way - ordered from Country View Crafts on Monday - arrived today!! Free p&p too, what a service! Can't wait to get using it! Otherwise it's just a pile of stuff to put away!

Hopefully I will get around to visiting later - bad connection while we were away prevented me from getting back to a couple of visitors here last week so hope to remedy that today

Thanks for looking, Chris

Playtime!

For a while I haven't been able to get much playtime and when I have it's been a case of 'what to do?' Having been away for a few days finally a couple of afternoons I settled down to play. So....can you tell what it is yet?

Here's a clue - I started with these

Well, three to be precise, with a vague idea about what I wanted to do. 
Last year I was lucky enough to get a place on a Tim Holtz workshop where goodies were set out on the table so having limited resources at the caravan I dug out these

Now as you can see this is just a pile of scraps,a bag of bits and a set of stamps that I bought on the way to the caravan a few weeks ago and that now live there! These were to be my main resources! Nothing like the goodies last year but limited and thinking on last year used stencils, stamping and embellishments to get where I wanted to!
First thing I did was coat the envelopes in gesso then added some paint, using a baby wipe.
While things were drying I started on some tags (can you see where I'm going?)

 I keep a selection of tags - some of which have been run the through the cuttlebug and thought they would be ideal for this.Lots of cutting out, stamping, distressing and tearing involved!
Then back to finishing the envelopes.

Here is the finished tag holder complete with tags

I don't suppose I kept you guessing at all!
I did have a lovely discovery while making this - Gesso plus copper acrylic paint gives a lovely shade of pink, not what I intend but I do like it!

I would like to enter this in A Vintage Journey's challenge this time - 'A little bit French' Take a look at their blog for loads of inspiration.

Thanks for looking, Chris

WOYWW 253

Wednesday seems to have come around rather quickly this week! After a fairly busy time I am here with my view of sheep and birds as I type but with a photo of my desk at home with my crafty goodies from Italy - is that cheating - I hope our fantastic host Julia at Stamping Ground will forgive me(pretty please?)

Of course I went into that Moleskine shop(see previous post),just couldn't resist a small landscape sketch book and some small journals in colours I'd never seen before. The lady in the shop pointed me towards an area where they had stamps and ink pads built in and invited me to use them on my new purchases so I'm all set for a return visit to Rome! lol!
The packaging looks pretty useful too!

Also on my desk is a collection of mini calendars - half price - that I will use to cut up...eventually, a couple of wooden hens from Florence's version of a pound shop(99c) and a brooch from a women's co-operative craft venture in Rome.

This little collection came from Signum in Florence, lovely papers, including some blank paper that I hope to make some little books with and a calligraphy book that I bought for hubby. Hubby bought  few pens and nibs - he seems to be taking the calligraphy seriously(fingers crossed - he needed a hobby!!) 

We had visited two shops but couldn't buy blank paper so we were sent to the shop near Santa Croce that is attached to the workshop where they make their notebooks(Oh! bought one of those too but forgot to put it on my desk)

Do you like the patterns in the tiles in the Vatican museum?

A bit like some zentangle patterns don't you think?

Finally, this plant holder in our hotel was interesting, especially to fellow dumfers - its an old carding machine

Look at the spikes - health and safety issues??? Not in Italy - I suspect that it would have a rail around it in an English hotel!

So, that's it folks, I may have a few journal pages, but I hope you have enjoyed seeing my photos. I waited long enough to go to Italy and it didn't disappoint, this trip was a lot more relaxed than last Autumn's early rises, I would love to go back someday........

Thanks for looking, hope to come visiting later, Chris

Florence and Rome - the window shopping version

If it hadn't been for the luggage allowance I could have spent a fortune - the window displays are so tempting!
Food - of course, some of which I did take advantage of!

Deli near the Galleria Academia

Two shots of a market we came across in Rome

Florentine gelato shop

Gelato van in Rome

Choccie shop in Florence

There were also beautiful displays of all manner of other items - especially in Rome!

and this fabulous shop at the station not far from the hotel

Did I dare go in, bearing in mind I have a bit of stock here already? 
I'll show what I bought tomorrow on WOYWW!

Thanks for looking, Chris