Sailor

I've been up since 5.30 this morning 'cos I just had to get something out of my head and onto a tag! LOL

This is my tag for the DragonsdreamTag it On challenge this week which is

"Beside the Seaside"

Seeing as I live at the seaside, have for the past 24 years...ooh er....time flies!!!
Oh...and also Pip loved Petula Clark and this was one of her songs.
..how could I refuse to tag along? :)
Sailor and postage frank is Paperartsy, lighthouse and clouds Elusive Images.
Thanks for looking and happy stamping.
xoxo Sioux


P.S. Another catch up done at Grundy Monday from week 6 with this and the "Weathered Wood" technique on the background.

I (almost) Love my Garden!

It is in my genes to make contact with nature and tend the soil.

...my dear departed Dad decided to become a professional gardener after the second World War, it helped heal his broken outlook on the workings of humanity! He never glorified his time in the Army...barely spoke of it but...he made quite sure I knew the horror it entails at a very (very) early age. It made me into a pacifist at heart.

But sometimes I love the idea of gardening more than I actually love gardening! LOL

 

Pip and I managed to sort out the front patch and create a much more pleasing on the eye vista than the higgedly-piggedly slabs that existed (although we saved them to re-lay and re-purpose in the back garden).....nothing fancy but easy to look after.

The back garden...or as Pip mockingly called it "The Meadow" HOL...was in serious need of a make over too but he became too ill to attempt it.

So it has languished over the past 3 years steadily crumbling away little by little and a few weeks ago the top part of paving on the raised area (I'm standing on it to take the above picture) started to tip and sink!

...it still feels safe enough but who knows!!!

So after much pondering (something I seem to do a lot of! LOL) I have decided to use some of my precious funds to get the whole thing sorted......not sure if I can really afford to spend the money it will no doubt cost but then again I can't afford not to either!
...it's got to be the way to go.

I just hope my car does not give up the ghost at the same time!

I have reasoned that......

1. It will be easier to maintain....a BIG consideration for me now I am on my own!

2. It will add value to the house hopefully or at the very least make it more attractive to any future potential buyer!


3. It will look heaps better! :) :)

4. I will be able to indulge myself and create some wide beds full of shrubs and stuff and try to make an enclosed type space that will carry me away to far off places as I sit in the sun with my Cava!! HOL

I am thinking a mix of Spanish Moorish...

...Monty Don Italianate...

...National Trust treasure!

Well.....I can dream can't I? ;)

5. I know I am going to spend many happy hours there....it is going to make me very happy :)
...Yes, even happier than creating a dedicated craft room in my dining room, which I have also decided not to do! Crikey all these decisions!!!

You know what? Since making this momentous decision I feel a certain lightness of being about the whole thing and life in general.

Watch this space.....I am on the case and expecting a man who can to give me a (not too heart stopping) quote any day now!

xoxo Sioux

Grungy Monday 13 - Alcohol Inks

Here is my piece for Grungy Monday No 13 hosted by Linda at Studio L3.

We are asked to visit the Ranger sight and view the video with T!m demoing Alcohol Inks..

I like alcohol inks......well I would wouldn't I ;) !!! HOL

 

Alcohol Inks used : Juniper - Sail Boat Blue - Sunshine Yellow - Mushroom - Gold Mixative
I used every colour of Archival Inks I own!!! Which are Aquamarine - Chrome Yellow - Coffee - Crimson - Sepia and of course Black

Thanks T!m........my inspiration always.

And thanks to Linda for hosting this great way to start the week ;)

Thanks for looking and happy stamping!

xoxo Sioux

Neocolour II

I have been doing a little gardening today...a little Sunday paper reading...a little cooking...a little dreaming and planning for when my garden has a make over one of these days ;)

I also got my collection of Caran d'Ache Neocolour II water soluble crayons together including the metallic ones I bought yesterday and quickly made a colour reference chart in my A5 journal.....I find it a great help to see the colours actually on paper rather than staring at the crayons!!!

I tried not to let them mix into each other too much...but that is one of the things I do like about them....the fact they can mix together on the page and it can always be a bit of a surprise ;)...that and you can also colour a large area really quickly ;) I'm glad I found out about these via Gez and the on-line course from Tam.....thanks girls.

The metallic ones will not show well on the photo but they have a subtle mica sheen to them....not too blingy and in your face! :)

xoxo Sioux

Gothic Arches Orgasm!

Bear with me on this post as there are lots of pics but I'd like to share something (s) I discovered today!

I really ought to work 7 days a week 'cos every time I walk out my front door on a day off it costs me money!! HOL

Today was a day of good things to feast the eyes (and stomach) on!

I drove to Totnes today.....purely to get some clear embossing powder and silicone glue....but you know how it is....I ended up with a couple more items! ;)

The local art shop had updated their stock of Neo Colour II and I bagged a couple of metallic ones....will try them out tomorrow...I'm intrigued ;)

I am still awaiting the final verdict on the Melt Pot to see if it can be resuscitated...so I decided I really needed to buy a little milk pan with a good pouring lip to try melting UTEE on the hob...and I found the most divine one in the great kitchen shop there...

...it works a treat ;)...number 3 setting on the ceramic hob did the trick...who needs a Melt Pot!!

Oh dear! It looks like my kitchen is going to become another crafting venue!!!

I went across to the market after the craft and art shops and there were so many new people with lovely things....if you know Totnes it is a very arty/new age sort of place ;)

There was an artisan bread stall and I decided to try the German Rye loaf...it is scrummy especially with the Camembert...

...Had lots of Camembert over the years but I tried this for the first time last weekend courtesy of Laura and it is the bestest one by miles :)

The antique/bric-a-brac stalls were also full of divine stuff but my purse is limited and I stared and admired and moved on...until.....until........OMG!

............I saw these!

I could not believe my eyes as I have been pondering how on earth I could make something exactly like these myself!!! Spookey!

You open the doors and there is a mirror....

...I tried not to look too ecstatic...nudge, nudge ;) ;) and casually asked how much he was asking.....yep the sort of stall that does not display prices...usually a sign I can't afford it!!! HOL

He said that yesterday they were £20.00 but they got rained on and really needed waxing again.....(I could not see it myself!)...so today he was asking £15.00 each...

...I could not believe I actually did what I did then.....I said "How much if I buy two?"

I know.....I don't know where the brazenness of that came from...honestly I don't!

I got the pair for £25.00 which I consider to be a bargain....they are made from re-cycled stuff (that's very Totnes too!)

I don't really care if I find out in the future that they are mass produced in Taiwan either 'cos I am giddy in lurve with them!!! LOL

I have loads of pictures waiting to go back on my walls.......it's a long story...

...but I got my $&*! in gear when I got back and somehow managed to get them lined up and hung :)

(do you know how difficult that little job is on your own!?)

And......And.....AND.........OMG...OMG...

...they look divine when they have a candle lit...

...I could be back in the old days of yore with Robin and his band of merry men...

or then again...with Guy of Gisburn in the castle......I'm sure you know which one I'd plump for! ROFL!!!!

Sorry for all the exclamation marks in this post ...but it was just that sort of day :)

Thanks for sharing my orgasm!

xoxo Sioux

P.S. I'm just going to have to do it all again next week 'cos there was a lady with a herb stall and I've been after a lovage plant for yonks and although she did not have one this week she said she usually does........so......do you want to tag along next Saturday?

Altered Alice leaving in the nick of time!

The Artistic Stamper is sponsoring The Altered Alice challenge this month and the design team were challenged to use this stamp in the Mable Lucie Attwell range.

Unfortunately I am only just in the nick of time here as I did not read the small print and thought I had a few more days grace......but it appears the challenge only runs until the 24th!!!!

FLIP! FLIP!

Anyhow here is the art journal page I created.

All those journal fans...please don't look too closely! I am still wending my way into this sort of thing...but if you do not practise you can't hope to get any better ;)

I had some fun in the making and that is the main thing! :)

Well....if you get your skates on!....there is still just time to enter for the chance to win a prize.

Thanks for looking

xoxo Sioux
EDIT: I did not read the instructions well.....I was supposed to say what I would bring to the party! Of course...
(although it has absolutely nothing to do with the page and I barely made it to the party anyway)
...that would be a bottle of Cava! ;)

Accordion Tag Card for The Artistic Stamper

I'm sharing a triple tag 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

P.S. I appreciate each and every comment here but time is short in all our lives so please do not feel obliged to comment both here and on the creative team post.
...I'll see your comments and share the feed back all at the same time if you use The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog post ;)
Thanks

Grungy Monday - Read and Learn

Here is my piece for Grungy Monday No 12 hosted by Linda at Studio L3.

This week the challenge is to use T!m's April 2008 technique challenge.
I'm so glad I had today as a holiday day and could have a bit of fun with this :)
I had to stop play on the mirror as my Melt Pot refuses to work....well that is the lights are coming on but it won't heat up!!!
I would not mind if I had used it loads...but since I bought it when it first appeared on QVC I have used it a maximum of 4 times...it is way past the guarantee date!
Anyways here is my tag......I decided to make tags for this challenge and then I will have a bundle of inspiration at my finger tips...just as if I might have been to Ranger U! LOL

I wish I had used a more vibrant coloured paper....but I didn't so I'll have to live with it!!! ;)

To see how it's done by the real pro follow the above link to T!m's blog.

Thanks for the inspiration T!m

And thanks to Linda for hosting this great way to start the week ;)

Thanks for looking and happy stamping!

xoxo Sioux

Mirror, Mirror, Mirror.

I've just had the most fabulous weekend of crafting and fun with Sue and Laura.

We met up to try out some techniques....learn from each other....make a decorated mirror

...and share some Cava!! LOL

Laura was working on some tomato paste tube metal...

...and this frame is full of it gorgeously embossed.

Sue was arranging elements for the final placements...

...I just seemed to be creating a mess!!!

Here is a section of Laura's steampunk themed mirror...

...I can't show the whole thing as it is destined for a DT piece and in addition Laura wanted to add some other things when she got home...you will just have to keep visiting her blog to see the full result ;)

This is my unfinished (no surprise there then!) mirror working to a theme of classical ladies...

...I'm pleased with most of it so far ;)

And then there was Sue...you can visit the mirror on her blog here.

...Laura and I were in awe that she finished this gorgeous mirror and it seems that Dr. Schroedinger (one of Sue's very handsome cats...a.k.a. Ding Ding for short) was pretty awe struck too! LOL

Thanks for the great hospitality Sue.

Can't wait for the next time :)

Thanks for looking

xoxo Sioux

Grungy Monday - Faux Batik

Here is my piece for Grungy Monday No 11 hosted by Linda at Studio L3.

This week the challenge is to use T!m's January 2008 technique challenge Faux Batik.

I've never tried this before.....purely 'cos I'm lazy and can't see the point of going to the trouble of getting out the iron!!! LOL
But....having actually done it....I sort of see the point now....but then again I sort of don't! HOL
I really must store this away in the filing cabinet of my brain 'cos I expect it could be the perfect thing for using a different stamp combo in the future :)

To see how it's done by the real pro follow the link to T!m's blog.

Thanks for the inspiration T!m

And thanks to Linda for hosting this great way to start the week ;)

Thanks for looking and happy stamping!

xoxo Sioux

WOYWW Decorative Tag

I've had a very minor tidy of one side of my cupboard desk! If you want to see lots more desks tidy or otherwise they are all at WOYWW over at Julia....why not pay a visit after you take a little look at my how to on the tag shape I used for my Pass it Forward gift.

I've got stuff out 'cos I need to decide what I need to take with me on a crafting weekend to Wiltshire. Laura, Sue and I had such a good time at Artsycrafts that we decided to get together for our own little workshop weekend. :)
Three girls having fun again with T!m...well not quite with T!m...but at least with T!m's stuff LOL ;)

I really like making those little hanging pieces like my PiF piece and it all started by buying a garden implement from QVC that had a lovely shaped tag on it......I just reproduced it quite easily...

Want to know the details?

that's the tag and not the garden implement you understand! LOL

Measure a piece of mount board (it is nice and sturdy and won't warp with inks and glue etc) 10cm by 16cm.

Next make marks at the middle point at the top of the tag then draw a line 1.8cm down from the top and 1.8cm in from each edge.

Next you need to find a cup or mug to draw round...lining up the top and where the intersection of the the two 1.8cm lines are.

Next it is cutting it out! There is only one way to do this neatly in my opinion and that is using a scalpel knife. Please be careful if it is not your first cutting tool of choice! Use a steel edged ruler to cut the straight lines and free hand for the semi-circle bit.

....the trick is not to force your way through the mount board in one go....that way leads to disaster and very probably a sliced finger!!!

Ouch not so LOL!

Instead lightly trace your (sharp) scalpel over the pencil line for the first pass and on the next pass your scalpel will follow the slight cut you have just created....I find that you can cut through the mount board in 3 or 4 passes. If your scalpel skills are new and you have a slight wobble....don't panic you can always sand the edges later!

Now I have one of those excellent corner rounders from We Are Memory Keepers that can cut through all sorts.....but it only does on outie corner and I needed an innie corner!
Is there such a tool? If not come on WAMK and make one PDQ!

Anyway I got round it by using a pair of decorative scissors by Fiskars "Cloud" to cut the innie corners instead!

Although I don't think they will stand up to lots of cutting through mount board!

And that's your finished tag just rub away your pencil marks.

Now....whilst it is pretty simple to reproduce I see that T!m has a movers and shapers die out called Vintage Cabinet Card.

(I don't know how big this is though).

It is a very similar shape....only the corner innies are 90 degree straight corners.
...it would certainly speed up the making of the base tag quite a bit :)
Thanks for looking.
Don't forget to pop over and visit Julia and the rest of the work desks. ;)
xoxo Sioux

My Pass it Forward piece for WOYWW

My Pass it Forward WOYWW celebration piece has made it all the way to Elizabeth :)
How very spooky that it was an Elizabeth (Liz) who gave me a Pif gift....my Pif gift was sent to an Elizabeth and believe it or not my Mum wanted to call me Elizabeth but I ended up as a Susan!!!
(Does anyone know why there were so many Susan's in the 50's by the way?)

Anyways....I can reveal my Pif now....
...I could not stop myself and just had to make something with my Dance stamp designs for The Artistic Stamper ;) and a few other favourites too ;)

I aged the base tag with antique linen and scattered straw and added some extra wild honey dark spots with an inked dried up baby wipe.

Then added a little bit of stamping in aged mahogany with the very tiny grungy stamp from the mini set that was in the T!m TSV on QVC a good few weeks ago.
...love those speckles ;)

The tag is made from mount board and I'm making a little how to on the making of the tag shape for a future post ;)

Then stamped the Dance dictionary background with weathered wood.
Stamped T!m's corner flourish and crosses in aged mahogany.
The mount board had some printed numbers already on the bottom.....so to make a better background for my sentiment I dragged a bit of gold paint dabber over the area before stamping "Light you own Fire! in Archival black.

The crown is one of the lovely new ones on Crowning Glory from The Artistic Stamper...I stamped it onto some tomato paste tube metal in StazOn and molded it a bit with tools.
The WOYWW letters are stamped onto some grunge board that had the crackle glaze biz done to it using Paperartsy fresco finish acrylics....rusty rose as the first coat and snowflake as the top coat...and then the T!m metal stencil letters were inked through with black soot.....stamped onto more of the same with the month and date using T!ms month stamps and a Papertrey Ink number.
OOOH! I just love that crackle! ;)

My Dancer was stamped onto grunge paper using the outline version on the set and cut out....then I got out the distress embossing powder in tattered rose but....well.....I don't know about you but distress embossing never seems to be quite...well...
...just not distressed enough to me!!! LOL
So I do something that I don't believe T!m has ever suggested doing!!!

....I double or even sometimes triple emboss with it....yep I know it is not what everyone says but I like the effect it gives....it works particularly well when covering large areas like the dancer image....sometimes if you heat it for too long it can take on a shiny look in little areas but that too is not a bad thing and adds to the whole look....again it is just what pleases you.
...I can tell you it pleases me! ;)
....I would warn that it can use quite a bit of powder though.....
I used the crackled wings from the same dancer plate stamped in black onto grunge paper and embossed with Ranger holographic powder....love that stuff ;)



So that was my Pass it Forward art and I can tell you I liked making it a lot even if it did take me weeks to finish due to lack of motivation here!!! LOL

Oh! Nearly forgot...I gave the back a little decoration too.
...mainly because I accidentally got a splodge or two of snowflake paint on it!!! HOL

Typed up the wording on the old computer and die cut it with a Papertrey Ink mat stack 3 die.

Thanks for looking and happy stamping!
xoxo Sioux