Word Book

I've just managed to finish off this word book to celebrate our friend Doris' 80th birthday next week. Doris used to be a near neighbour but moved down to Hove a couple of years ago. Can't believe she's 80 next week - really scary!!!

I've made a matching box for it and am going to post it off tomorrow. Then I need to make another word book for another friend, Alan, who has his 65th birthday coming up soon - I don't know; we're surrounded by all these old people............ LOL!!!

I have also sold all my leather notebooks so need to get making some more and today also sold a knitted wire necklace and treasure box so know what I'll be doing for the next few weeks.

Thanks for stopping by.

Phew...........!!

Just finished my animal card for club night on Wednesday, so that's me done on the preparation front. I have used an image from Joanna Sheen's brilliant new CD-rom "Eastern Treasures" - it has got some of the loveliest images I have seen for a long time. This tiger looks like he is literally going to leap off the card. All the images have been hand painted by the artist Chang Ko-Chi.

Right - better go and have a look to see what's for dinner - definitely NOT a BBQ!!!!! LOL

Second medallion sample card

Hurray!!!! I've just managed to finish off my second sample for club night on Wednesday. Again I have used a medallion stamp from Creative Stamping. This time I stuck to monotones of black and white; so black embossing powder on white card and white embossing powder on the black card. Again I raided my stash of Graphicus papers and found a matching black and white sheet. The sentiment is one I got from C&C and I used a ticket punch from Stampin Up for all the corners. Gems were then added as a final embellishment. Now - off to start on my animal card!!! LOL

Medallion Card

Hi everyone - well it seems such a long time since I posted but things have been really hectic over the last couple of weeks - first our two day art exhibition, then the following weekend I had a stall at a school fete and then yesterday we had our annual BBQ to raise funds for the local Neighbourhood Watch and catered for nearly 100 people............... don't think we'll be having another BBQ for quite a while!!! LOL.

I have managed to finish one medallion card sample for club night on Wednesday and will try to get another one done this afternoon but thought I would post this one first. For the main image I have used a Creative Stamping image and, for a change, have stamped onto patterned card (from my stash of Graphicus Guild goodies). There are actually 7 layers and I must admit it was quite difficult to cut out because of the pattern on the card. When I stamped it I embossed in copper. The sentiment is from a Stampin Up set as are the scalloped and oval punches. I then used DecoArt Paper Effects in copper as embellishments at the edge of the card.

Sneak peek!!!!

Well, I did promise some photos of Damson Bear yesterday, but I am afraid it's taking longer to finish than we thought............ he's all jointed and nearly completely stuffed but needs his nose doing etc which will really bring him to life. But I decided to tease you a little with a couple of "partial" pics...... LOL and as soon as he's finished you can see him properly. I'm off to a canvas collage and acrylic ink workshop tomorrow so it's going to be a few days before I will be able to do any more on him. Thanks for stopping by.

A hectic weekend................

The art exhibition went really well and so did I!!!!! LOL Really pleased the way things went (literally......) and it certainly made quite a dent in my stash although I have been coerced into doing another fair next Saturday at a local school with a friend of mine. She makes jewellery and doesn't have enough stock to fill a 7 foot table so I have agreed to help out by bringing my stuff. Haven't bothered unpacking as I will be able to take most of my goodies with me.

Today my friends Anne, Janet and Dee are coming over and we are hoping to finish off the handmade bears we started ages ago. They are all sewn up and now need to be jointed and stuffed (hmmmmm...) so maybe I will be able to post a photo of my completed "Damson" bear tomorrow. Dee is an absolute whiz at bear making and I think she's been on every course going and she's been kindly helping us out. What a star.

Right, must be off as they will all be here soon. Thanks for stopping by.

Art Exhibition

Well, we have finally finished setting up the Art Exhibition and it's running today and tomorrow. We have been really busy today which was good and hopefully we will have a good turnout tomorrow as well. I took a few photos of my "craft" table and my paintings, which took up more space than anticipated..............

Bog Candy Alert!!!!

Graphicus are releasing some new stamps next week (now I'm getting too excited for a Friday afternoon..........!!! LOL) Pop over and have a look.

And another Etui box

Well folks - that's it!! Have just finished making another Etui box and in these photos you can see I have added various sewing implements. On top I have added a button in the shape of a thimble which seemed appropriate. These boxes and lots of other things will be for sale at our Art Show this weekend. I now have to make sure all my paintings are labelled and the glass is clean etc so that might take me a while........... thanks for looking.

Treasure Casket

I've been itching to put my new sewing machine to good use and had a fabulous pattern for a Treasure Casket from Janet Humphrey which was in the latest edition of Stitch magazine. It uses pelmet vilene for the main casket which is dyed with silk paints as are the lace flowers. The flowers are added after scraps of fabrics and then free machine embroidered onto the panels. The casket is lined with a matching silk dupion with fibres and beads used as a closure. Seed beads and pearls are then hand stitched onto the panels. I really enjoyed making this and my machine certainly stood up to the task!!

Solitude

I had a lovely long day all to myself yesterday as DH was down in Exeter for an Open University tutorial so out came my embellisher and my stash and I managed to finish this piece. The flowers are french knots and the birds are in fly stitch. It's mounted on some canvas paper with a few more birds inked in and then framed up.

Etui Box

I had a great day yesterday with the lovely Dee Wallis at her home making an Etui box (embroidery/sewing box). I met Dee at Dillington House a while ago where she was taking the workshop on Treasure Boxes. I completed the whole box whilst I was at Dee's and just had to finish off the embellishment when I came home. Routing round my buttons to find something suitable I came across a little bag of sewing implement buttons and the cotton reel matched perfectly!!! Yet another instance of Serendipity.... Thanks for looking.

Handbound address books

Following on from the saga of the wedding gift for my neighbour Inga's son Rudi and his new wife Yasmin, I had a small amount left of the silk fabric I used for their keepsake box so decided to use it for an address book for them. I also had three of these address books left - they were purchased from the Scrap Store in Yeovil and had no covers on them so were ideal for me - and have now finished covering them ready for our art show on 20th June. I am having a table with some of my cards, fabric boxes, leather covered notebooks etc and thought these would make a nice addition.

Watercolour Koi

Well I think this will be the last painting I have a chance to finish before the Art Exhibition in Sparkford on 20th and 21st June. This was fun to do - it's in watercolour and I added some Diamond Glaze to the eyes of the koi and also some on their fins/tails and the spots on their bodies; although it's quite difficult to see in the photo. The "faux" Chinese writing was just me scribbling so I hope it doesn't mean anything rude!!!! LOL

Golden Sunset

I've just finished another acrylic on canvas painting ready for our art exhibition on 20th and 21st June. Although I normally work in watercolour I have really enjoyed using acrylics and think I might carry on with them. Thanks for looking.