The first time I saw Paris

Just a quick post to share the fabby news that the girls are hitting Paris this summer for our little away break! :)

I've never been but all the others have at some point...so I'm expecting a lot of tourist input from them on what to see and where to go! :)

If anyone out there has any tips they would like to share I'd love to hear from you :)

Oh! We are staying in Monmartre by the way...sounds very arty...and romantic....hope my dreams aren't shattered! LOL

Speaking of which.....if I hadn't already been to Budapest (a place I dreamed of for years!)
I would certainly be thinking twice about going after watching the last episodes of Silent Witness......they portrayed Budapest as a right sleezy old dump!.....let me tell you here....it is a fabulous place to visit and we never once...ever!...felt threatened....in fact it seemed one of the most friendly cities I've been to...even though the chances of understanding Hungarian are pretty much zero...luckily (how very lazy of us Brits!) everyone seemed to speak English....even corner shop workers!!!

Now I know my post title is not correct for this next bit but I have always loved the song (the movie is a bit on the depressive side at times but it's worth a view).



xoxo Sioux

Interview with?

Hiya! Happy Saturday ;)

I'm off to Exeter with a friend today 'cos there is a craft show on at Westpoint and we are also going to take one of the workshops....should be fun...it says it would be an idea to take an apron.....sounds like it could get messy! :)

Also popped by to say if you want to know a bit more about what makes me tick art wise there is an article on the Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog today.

(An interview with me?.........ooh er!)

xoxo Sioux

Art, Heart and Healing - Surprising Results!

I'd like to say a very big thank you to Tam at Willowing for keeping the free art course up and available. My head was not in the right place to take advantage of the free course when it was first started last year but this past week I've eventually got round to finding the link, signing up and working through the first lesson -
Drawing and colouring a face and the journalling and background techniques involved.
Seriously.............this has freaked me a bit...

.....I cannot believe I have actually been able to do........
..........this!!

Although I have to say drawing the initial oval for the face shape was a bit of a challenge for some reason and I had to do a lot of erasing....and it still looked a bit wonky LOL!
I never imagined at that point that I would end up making something as normal looking as this!!! HOL
The two page spread is in a little black book! ;) that I got from Dunelm Mill it's A5 size by Daler Rowney and the pages are 160gsm and get this it was only £1.19!! Bargain....there are enough pages for 18 more double page spreads......don't know if anyone can answer this but I did not have any of the titanium white acrylic used in the lesson so used my Adirondack dabber white instead only it did not seem to react in quite the same way (it seemed to just sink into the page and disappear!) and I had to resort to painting it on with a dry brush......is it just me or should I invest in some of the titanium white?

Personally I'm over the moon with this even though the nose bit leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion.....still for a first attempt?.....well......it's simply amazing to me.....if you are at all interested in doing this sort of thing but don't have a clue where to start (just like me) I'd get yourself over there and take this class and see where it can take you :)
So huge thanks again to Tam at Willowing.

I'll keep updating whenever I do the next bit of the course but that will have to be at my own pace....and the next bit involves using a board book and I need to get myself down the charity shop to find one of those first LOL ;)

xoxo Sioux

WOYWW - Prepare to be amazed!

Happy Wednesday WOYWW'ers.....wizz yourself off to see desks (and floors!) around the globe with the help of Julia and What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday

You know I've been trying to sort my craft stuff for ages?

Prepare to be amazed....I know I am! LOL ;)

This was last weeks shot of my desk that is housed in a cupboard in my bedroom

 

.....this is how it looks this week!

....and this

Amazing huh?

This is how the floor looked last week

 

....this is it this week!

I'd like to say that my bedroom is now a haven of organised calm but

...these ladders propped up against the wall (no other place for them to go as yet)
say other wise...and just when I had told myself not to save any more cardboard.....there is some propped up behind the ladders 'cos it is just tooooooo good to get rid of!!! HOL

and behind closed doors? Well you don't want to see what's behind closed doors!

Do you?

Awww........go on then!!! HOL

This cupboard once housed an immersion heater by the looks of the old pipe work still there but I've got plans to kit the shelves out better and provide that bit extra storage space for non crafty stuff (including space for the ladder)......
...and this section of my wardrobe units...

is going to be transformed into rubber stamp and paper/sundry craft storage....just a few extra shelves should do the trick :)

Watch this space.....I think it might be finished in time for next WOYWW!

Thanks for looking and sharing my storage journey LOL!

xoxo Sioux

P.S. Per...lease don't ask me about my dining room......it's looking even worse than last week!!!
P.P.S. I failed miserably to get round many people last week.....but I have a reason and I'll show the results tomorrow ;)

Perfectly Fitted for The Artistic Stamper

I'm sharing a little something today over on the The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog

Curious? Then just hop on over to The Creative Team Blog for all the details.

Thanks for looking and happy stamping

xoxo Sioux

WOYWW - Piles and Piles!

Hop on over to Julia and WOYWW to see what's happening on those work desks.
You'll be amazed ;)

This week...I'm passing on the DIY!
This week.....this is my craft cupboard desk!

Not a pretty sight is it?

Would you believe that I have actually been working my way through some sort of organising!?
I just have not been able to face making a start on this little lot piled high.

You don't want to see the state of my floor......or do you?! HOL
Aw...go on then!

The floor in my bedroom just beneath the piles of stuff in the first picture!
The clips in the plastic bags on top of the box pile are just another little DIY job this week!

The floor on the way into the dining room!

Just a little further into the dining room!

With a light fitting waiting for yet another DIY day!

The opposite side of the room is not a lot better!

But I forgot to take a picture!!

Thanks for looking at What's on my Work Desk and my extended storage/dumping ground on the floor this week ;)

Next week I will.......yes I really will!....have sorted my bedroom and craft cupboard!

xoxo Sioux

Retorno me Rufus

I have had 3 enjoyable Sunday evenings...but tonight I am sad 'cos Zen has finished!

Have you seen it?...I have loved watching it...the Italian location shots...the stories...the twinkle in the eyes of Rufus Sewell....sigh!

A fabulous piece of casting.....he really could be Italian....even though he is speaking with an English accent in it! LOL

I was sure I had not seen him in anything before...I knew the name although I did not know why!

After seeing the first episode I Googled him 'cos I had a vague feeling I'd seen him in something......turns out he was in "Pillars of the Earth" that was on at the end of last year.

Now my concentration skills are not what they were and I had to force myself to get through the first and only episode I watched...which was odd as I would have usually loved this sort of thing!

...So that explains where I knew him from but have to say the Zen role could have been made for him.....I've never read the books....I do hope there are lots more that can be filmed. ;)

P.S. Not sure I've spelt the return to me bit right in the post title.....I don't know much Italian although I do know a very rude sentence that will put off any Italian stallion that is bugging you to death!!! HOL
....and no I could not possibly repeat it here! It really is that rude!!!

...and no I'd never say it to Zen!!!
TTFN Sioux xoxo

P.S. Just Googled Michael Dibdin the writer and I'm mortified as he only wrote 11 Zen books....let's hope there can be some creative writing to make the series longer. :)

Amazing Stuff?

Bet you think 'cos I've been a bit quite that I'm working in the background on amazing stuff...just waiting to unleash it on this here blog!

Ermmmm........Nope!

Apart from the DT pieces for The Artistic Stamper that I've actually posted I have made absolutely zilch since Christmas!!

That's not to say I've been lazing on the sofa...I've been doing stuff just not arty stuff....but the stuff I've been doing will, I hope, make making some stuff a whole lot easier.

I seem to have hit a dry patch creative wise.....perhaps something will pop into my head soon!

TTFN Sioux xoxo :)

Spooky Suitcase!

Spooky or what?

I make a suitcase.......

T!m makes a suitcase. :)

Only T!m's will make it easier for us all as part of his new releases for Sizzex Alterations line ;)

xoxo Sioux

WOYWW - A bit of DIY!

Wednesday is here again and we are speeding around the globe courtesy of Julia and WOYWW to see what's happening on those work desks.

Only this week...again....sees me showing you not my work desk but something different.

Do you know what it is yet?

I did a spot of diy at the weekend and put up my magnifying mirror from Ikea inside my wardrobe....Pip would have been proud of my bodging! That was his term for what I call being creative with what you've got!! LOL

The only screws I had to fix it had heads that were too small so they went straight through the holes or were too long so the thread would have pushed through the wood on the other side!

So........I found a bit of white plastic stuff in his tool box and made some spacing washers to solve the problem.....I cut 4 square pieces using T!ms scissors...My! They can slice through anything...and very sharp...I need to be more careful as I've got a few cuts to proove it! Then cut angles on all four corners (don't know why just felt the need!) then used my Crop-a-dile to cut a hole out of the centre.

I've found that I really need the magnifying side of this to put my make up on and this means I can angle the mirror to catch the light and make it even better for the job in hand.

Whilst I was at it and in the groove...I fixed two Ikea plastic holders to the door to hold my make up...this also needed a bit of bodging.....so I used the Crop-a-dile again to cut a smaller channel at the top of the fixing holes so that they could sit onto the screws firmly.

I'm very happy with the new arrangement :)

Thanks for looking at What's on my Work Desk Wardrobe this week ;)

xoxo Sioux

Beauty for The Artistic Stamper

I'm sharing a card today over on the The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog

Curious? Then just hop on over to The Creative Team Blog for all the details.

Thanks for looking and happy stamping
xoxo Sioux

120 days and counting!

Where the *$%# has 120 days gone!!

Don't get me wrong.........I'm soooooo looking forward to the T!m workshop but when I started the countdown timer thingy it said 165 days to go.........now it's saying 45!

I'm really in some sort of time warp for sure ;)
xoxo Sioux

WOYWW?

This week it's What's on your Workdesk Wall Wednesday right here!

I bought this from Dunhelm Mill when it first opened in August even though I did not like the colour of the flowers!!

It's been propped up at the side of the craft cupboard since and it has taken me all this time to get round to altering the colour and actually hanging it on the side of my craft cupboard in my bedroom!

I painted Adirondack paint dabber in Juniper all over the flowers and added a little Storm on the edges of all the leaves EDIT urm that would be petals!.....then Gold paint dabber on the stamens and Espresso on the centre.

I'm much happier with it as it goes with the general colour scheme now :)

Why not take a trip over to Julia and see all the other interesting goings on here, there and everywhere!

TTFN

xoxo Sioux

Time will never wait - The Artistic Stamper

I'm sharing a card today over on the The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog

Curious? Then just hop on over to The Creative Team Blog for all the details.

Thanks for looking and happy stamping
xoxo Sioux

Resolutions? Life Changes!

I'm not one to make resolutions....I sussed out some time ago that I can never stick to them....which is odd because I do have the capacity to achieve stuff if I put my mind to it!

Sooooo......I'm going to have to put my mind to something pretty huge

.....something that was and still is a bolt from the blue

........something that I cannot believe

....something that I'll have to believe because I've been told it's true!!!

I'm

DIABETIC

Dear oh lor! Where the heck did that come from!!!

I feel a fraud at the moment and really it's hard to sink in as I don't feel ill at all.....in fact in the past 6 or 8 weeks I've felt the best for some time!

If it had not been for the fact I returned to the opticians to question the fact that my new distance glasses (only had at the beginning of August) were actually now making things less clear I still would not know as.....I'll repeat it again.....I don't feel ill!!!

The optician wanted me to book a blood sugar test at the doc's just to rule it out as he also said the stress of my bereavement could have caused the change.

So it turns out I'm diabetic (Type 2).....I'm lucky.....it's been detected quite early (the only classic sign I have is this fluctuating eyesight thing) and with diet, a daily pill (only one at the moment to see how it goes), more exercise and loosing weight it should be easily controllable!!!

So they say :)

I've already lost quite a bit of weight since Pip died.

....I don't know how much healthier I can make my diet as reading the guide lines I'm spookily already eating the right sort of stuff.....but if I have to start eating the amount of stuff recommended I know for sure I will put weight on!!

It's always been difficult to keep my weight off and I know just how little I need to eat in order to loose weight....but hey! The bright flip side of taking the pills is that apparently they will help me to do just that!

Why could I not have had them for the past 30 years?!!! HOL

So don't worry about me.......I'm certainly not worried.

It is what it is.

I'll probably know a bit more when I get to see the dietitian at the hospital...oh and I've got to have the back of my eyeballs photographed!!!

Some pin up shot that will be! LOL

xoxo Sioux

Things with Wings! New monthly Artistic Stamper theme

Could not pass on posting something on 1.1.11!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

And to kick start the creative year how about having a go at The Artistic Stamper monthly challenge for January which is

"Things With Wings"

Here is my thing.......if you'll pardon the expression! LOL

It's a scrapling card......you know....the bit that is left over after you cut a square card from an A4 piece of card stock?

Stamped and embossed the urgent label using Ranger silver EP (it's a really nice silver not too brassy if you get my drift!) onto a piece of card stock that had been sprayed with very pale blue inks I think it was a very watered down broken china but I sprayed the card a while ago and can't be sure! Then Perfect Pearls Spray pearl sprayed over.

...cut it out punched the hole and added an eyelet and ribbon....tattered the edges and inked with DI weathered wood.

...stamped the air mail words in weathered wood and the post card image in worn lipstick

....used my finger to smear some Inca Gold paste around the edges

...coated the Maya Road wings with Adirondack Acrylics stream.

...stuck the wings and tag to the card with silicone glue.

Me thinks this will come in handy as a "sorry I forgot your birthday" type card or even a "sorry I'm sure I'm going to miss your birthday" type card.....HOL

You really must pop over to see all the other much more creative "Things with Wings" that the rest of the team have made.

Big waves to Alison who is the new team member :)

So don't forget.............the monthly challenge is "Things with Wings"

The rules are simple... all you need to do is make a piece of art, be it a card, ATC, wall art, altered art, scrapling ;)... just remember that it must include some rubber stamping and the theme... and... if you use Artistic Stamper stamps on your entry you will be entered into the draw twice! The prize is £15 worth of stamps from the Artistic Stamper shop... along with the KlingOn to mount them onto.

I hope you get chance to play at the challenge... it is open until January 31st and the winner will be chosen by Random.org shortly after :)

Thanks for looking and happy stamping

xoxo Sioux

P.S. Sorry this is a bit late in the day but I've only just surfaced from the New Year celebration last night!! ;)