TITLE: CP #8 and Colour Challenge #47
DATE: 03/29/2009 07:09:12 PM
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** click on images to enlarge them **
Can you tell I am back in the crafting mood? I certainly can because I am actively looking for challenges all across the net right now :)
The first two that caught my eye are {card pattens} and {kristina werner}.
For challenge #8 on {card patterns} we are to use the following sketch.
It seemed very daunting at first but once I decided on a colour scheme, the rest was easy.
Cardstock: Papermill; Bazzill
Papers: My Minds Eye
Embellishments: Rub Ons - Upsy Daisy Designs; Flower - Hero Arts; Button - Scrapitude
Tools: Cuttlebug - Embossing Folder "Swiss Dots", Die & Emboss "Pearl Frame"; Paint - Jones Tones
Then there is {kristina werner's colour challenge}. I love those a lot but more often than not, I just don't find the time to play as they are posted on Thursday's and I am just not in the mood after a 12 hour day to get crafting. So I try to play along on weekends and this time I managed it. YAY. Absolutely adore the colour combo for this week.
As I only had the chocolate chip cardstock, I decided to use patterned papers that go with this colour scheme and I think it turned out cute :)
Cardstock: Papermill; Bazzill
Papers: Graphic 45
Embellishments: Stickers - Making Memories; Rub Ons - American Crafts; Flowers - Hero Arts
Tools: Cuttlebug - Embossing Folder "Swiss Dots" and "Mesh Texture"; Martha Stewart - Border Punch
Before I forget - there is a giveaway over at the {upsy daisy designs} blog. By leaving a comment over there you get entered into a random draw to win the Bebe Collection. Everyone who also mentions with their comment that I "sent" them on their merry way to the blog will get their name entered into another draw. You can win a set of Fontwerk stamps from me - so what are you waiting for?
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TITLE: Pencil Lines #127 and Upsy Daisy Designs SALE
DATE: 03/27/2009 08:43:14 PM
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I totally forgot to mention that I contributed last Sunday to {pencil lines'} latest sketch. Being a honorary DT member I can participate whenever it is most convenient for me, which I really love. So for this year I have said to myself that I would like to contribute once a month.
This is another layout I did for my "Rock-Album" - love those pictures taken by photography-guru {ash newell}.
>> click on image to enlarge <<
Papers: Upsy Daisy (#UDD0135. Sprinkles; #UDD0147. Take wing]; Hambly; Teresa Collins
Embellishments: Stickers - American Crafts; Rub Ons - Luxe;
Are you after a great bargain? Then look no further than the {upsy daisy} SPRING SALE. Many of their gorgeous product reduced by 50% - 70%!!
And look what I got today in the post? Won on Ebay as a present to myself :)
have a great weekend everyone
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TITLE: I crafted, I did!!!
DATE: 03/22/2009 04:24:10 PM
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>> click on the images if you wish to see them larger <<
Yay - I am such a happy bunny because this weekend I crafted my little heart out. I am not all there yet, but I am confident that I have lured Mojo out of hiding. So much so that I managed to create fours cards and two layouts...ya, shocking - I know.
Anyhoo, let's start at the beginning. Last Monday I started to get some of my beloved {man about town} papers from {udd designs} out as I desperately wanted to create something with them. Boy did that take me a long time but last night I finally put the finishing touches to the layout and since then I am bursting with ideas!
For the below layout I created my own personal Upsy Daisy Designs swirl -> how so? Well, I stamped my favourite image form the {florals flourishes} stamp set onto a piece of plain paper. Then I took a piece of very sturdy acrylic to be placed on top and with a paper piercer, I piereced through the acrylic along the lines of the flourish to create a sort of swirl template. Once that was done I placed the acrylic stencil onto my layout and with a white pen marked the paper underneath, by sticking the pen through the pierced holes. With a bottle of brown {jones tones} I squeezed little blobs along the line of pencil dots and eh voila - your very own UDD swirl. The only annoying thing about doing your own swirls like that is that the three dimensional paint needs at least 24 hours to dry completely *sigh*
Papers: Upsy Daisy Designs (#UDD0135. Sprinkles, #UDD0177. Hunter)
Rub Ons; Stamp: Upsy Daisy Designs (#UDD194. Planes, Trains and Automobiles; #UDD209. Girl friends)
Embellishments: Alpha Stickers - American Crafts; Flowers - Fancy Pants; Paint - Jones Tones
On Wednesday I received a delivery of {gcd studios} papers and rub ons from {the craftz boutique} and after I finished the above layout, I couldn't wait to get started working with those scrummy papers.
Now, up until a week ago I had never heard of GCD Studios but then I saw a note on {pub calls} that this manufcaturer is looking for a {design team}. That made me take a peek at their products and I was "ooohing" and "aaaahing" over the papers, rubs and stickers I saw online. When I tracked down a UK shop with the best selection of their papers, I started filling up my basket and I have to say, much like Upsy Daisy Designs, the online images do NOT to GCD Studio's papers justice.
It is hard to describe but some of them even have a slight embossed, textured feel to them and what I love most about them is that the reverse side of the paper is in a solid colour, coordinating with the colour of the patterned side.
With these papers, creating cards and a layout was so stinkin' easy it's not funny. So I did three cards and one layout within four hours *gasp*!!! Wanna see??
Cardstock: Papermill, Bazzill
Papers: GCD Studios
Embellishments: Alpha Stickers - American Crafts; Stamp - Stamps Away; Buttons, Ribbon, Twine, Pin - Scrapitude
Cardstock: Papermill, Bazzill
Papers: GCD Studios
Embellishments: Sticker - Melissa Frances; Bling - Kaisercraft; Buttons, Ribbon, Pin - Scrapitude
Tools: Fiskars Border Punch
Cardstock: Papermill
Papers: GCD Studios
Embellishments: Alpha Stickers - American Crafts; Pearls - Kaisercraft; Bling - Scrapitude; Flowers - Hero Arts
Tools: Martha Stewart Border Punch
Fun Tip: The white swirls are handmade, by tracing a Prima Swirl and using Jones Tones dimensional paint
Papers, Rub Ons: GCD Studios
Embellishments: Alpha Stickers - American Crafts, Chatterbox; Tiny Stickers - Making Memories; Bling - Scrapitude; Paint - Jones Tones
Tools: Fiskars Border Punch
So, am I gonna throw my hat in the ring for the GCD spot? You betcha! I love the fact that they have openings for cardmakers, scrappers and altered items crafters. And even better, GCD are reserving three sports for gals (and guys) who are new to crafting and have not yet been published. How cool is that?? So if you are thinking "I would not stand a chance because I have never been published before" - don't worry and get those submission in! There was never a better time to GO GO GO for it!
I guess you can safely say that Mojo is pretty much back where she belongs, but I still have to nurture her a little bit. The above are not 100% Kimmyfied, but I will get there :)
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TITLE: Still alive
DATE: 03/19/2009 09:00:24 PM
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Yes, yes - I am still around, just not much to talk about.
Thanks for all your emails and comments with regard to the fire last weekend. We now have further news about the incident. A woman was arrested on suspicion of murder, when the body of a dead man was found inside the flat by the fireman. So, it wasn't a man I heard shouting, refusing to be taken away by the fireman, it was a woman - and it appears she set the place on fire. The investigation is still ongoing and the suspect out on bail now.
I am over it now - took me a couple of days and I had the image of the building flat and the fireman dragging the person away in my head 24/7 but now I am good :)
Oh and I have started to slowly craft again - yay! When I say slowly I really mean S-L-O-W-L-Y...I started a 6 x 12 layout on Monday and I am still not done. But it looks more and more like a Kimmy-esque project so I am pleased. Hopefully by the end of the weekend I have it finished.
But I can show you some stuff I did at the beginning of the year, which did not make it into the most recent issue of {saz}. I wrote an article about my favourite Kit Club {create my keepsakes} and was sent a Kit to review and play with. I created three layouts and two crads with it but only two layouts made it into the mag, so I leave you with the rest of them.
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TITLE: Happiness and Horror...
DATE: 03/15/2009 12:56:47 PM
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We are still a little bit shaken, because last night at around 2:00am we were woken by smoke detector alarms and lots of screaming and shouting. Looking out of our bedroom window we were faced with fireman dragging someone from the flat opposite ours, which was on fire. The guy just did not want to leave,which stopped the fireman from actually doing what they should, as they needed about three to get that guy away from his flat. We always have our bedroom window open a notch and all of a sudden that black thick smoke started to creep towards us - we didn't even realise that we could be in serious trouble until we started to notice the smell and quickly closed the windows. At some stage the smoke was so thick outside that you could not see anything at all - blackness everywhere.
I was worried when the flames kept raising higher and higher that at some point they might come over to our side. Granted, we are a bit away but all it would have taken was some gust of wind and we would have had to be evacuated. By about 4:30 am the fireman managed to get it all under control and even thought still shaken, we managed to get back to sleep. Somehow you don't sleep so well though - every little noise makes you sit up straight in bed. The worst thing is that this was the third incident over that side of the flats within 6 months...makes you wonder what the heck the peeps are doing there! The first incident was just little bit of smoke, the second incident about a month ago was a smaller fire at the left flat and now the big fire at the right flat.
I am forever grateful that we were not living over that side of flats.
This morning our area was totally closed off and we have coppers guarding the building in question and ours. Speaking to the officer in charge, we are not even allowed to come and go as we please today - we would have to advise the police if we want to go and at what time we expect to be coming back...there are burnt out mattresses lying across the road and I really hope no one died inside the flat.
The pictures are taken form our bedroom just to show how freakin' close we were and how extremely lucky we were that it was wind still night. It doesn't even look that bad in the pictures but trust me, it was one heck of a fire and very, very scary
Last night made me appreciate all the little things that make me happy right now and it may seem a little shallow to post those after such a horrible incident, but I crave happiness now :)
1. {songs from the sparkle lounge} and {euphoria}
These two {def leppard} albums bring a smile to my face every single day of the week. I just love those songs to bits. {aor} at its finest - and how can you not smile at lyrics such as
"On a psychedelic space machine, galactic sugar high
Like a caffeinated satellite gone way past 99 "
2. {auf wiedersehen pet}
The re-run of this brilliant series from the 80's about some brickies from England coming to work in Germany, is the highlight of my week every Tuesday and Wednesday night and {itv2}. Love the fact that whilst it is supposed to be set in {duesseldorf}, most of the filming was actually done in {hamburg}.
3. {marmite}
It sounds weird but a slice of toast with Marmite just makes me happy these days. It is total comfort food for me and I have two slices every day..yum
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TITLE: The Pain has a name
DATE: 03/13/2009 09:53:01 PM
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So, I have been suffering from a very painful foot for the last four weeks, resulting in an increasingly heavy limp. After visiting my doctor, the pain now has a name: {plantar faciitis}.
I have taken an immediate dislike to that name - can you blame me? If I am lucky I'll be done within the next four weeks, if I am unlucky I could suffer for the next 18 months (as in one and a half frickin' years).
What really gets me is that my healthy lifestyle was the kicker for my condition - WTF?? So, dropping the weight and gaining fitness means I am in pain??I seriously don't get it, but I am trying my darn best to get out of this situation. As a woman over 40, being fitness conscious - I am basically begging for this condition...who would have thought? But it reminds me of my mom, who after over 40 years of chain smoking decided to stop from one day to the other. That shocked her body so much that she suffered a minor stroke.
So, if you think of living a healthier lifestyle - do it VERY slowly and gradually....
It really bugs me that I cannot use my cross-trainer for the next four weeks and that I have to pop pills for the same amount of time, but if it gets me back to being pain free, then I guess I just have to bite the bullet. From tomorrow morning it's ice packs and massages every day.
I leave you with a song that makes me happy
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TITLE: Stuck in a rut
DATE: 03/12/2009 01:48:25 PM
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Well, there is no denying it any more but right now I am totally uninterested in anything craft related. I find it very difficult to get excited about any new papers, embellies, etc - I check out online galleries and blog to get inspired but I am not even in the mood to leave praise for my online buddies. That's how I am NOT inspired or interested in anything.
For March I have taken time out from my {upsy daisy designs} and {saz} assignments and I hope that the break will get my back into the swing of things, because it is so not like me to not even get the tiniest creative juice flowing...
I can show you a layout I created about a month ago though, and which was part of the Layout Tag we had going at {noel mignon.com}. It was one of the last layouts I created and is to become part of a series of layouts about my favourite bands. Each band member will get their individual pages, one will be for the band in question and another for my favourite songs of each album. As you can see I have started with {def leppard} and in this particular case {rick allen}. The layout for {joe elliot} was obviously finished some time ago but as it was done for an upcoming challenge on {pencil lines} I am unable to show that one yet.
Rick Allen photo by: Andrew McPherson 2008
Cardstock: Bazzill
Papers: Upsy Daisy Designs - #UDD0174. Carter, #UDD0175. Deacon; Hambly - Daffodil Overlay; Vintage Music Sheet
Embellishments: Stickers - American Crafts Thickers, Making Memories Tiny Alpha; Luxe Design Rub Ons
Apart from {def leppard} I hope to have layouts about {led zeppelin}, {abba}, {kiss} and {ac/dc} as well. That should keep me going for some time (if mojo comes back that is).
On the health front I am pleased to say that I am steadily losing weight but I would have no idea how much. I refuse to step on the scales as I feel the numbers hinder me. I either get too excited or too depressed, so I am measuring myself in dress sizes. By now I am one and a half dress sizes down since January and I want another one gone by the end of May. The only problem is that my doctor has today forbidden me to use my {elliptical trainer} for three weeks, as I have problems with my left foot at the moment. I am unable to out too much weight on it and am on a prescription of painkillers...that's going to bugger me up in my weight loss quest but as long as the pain goes.
Oh oh oh - and I forgot to say. {that} leather jacket and {this} hooded top arrived two days ago and both are fabulous. I still can't get over the price of the leather jacket. Right now, everything I bid on at {ebay} is won by me for only little money, and I am totally grateful for that. Look what I managed to snag up yesterday for a mere £10 ($15).
Now all I need are those biker boots and I am laughing (and yep I already have a bid going on ebay for them too...hehe)
Laterz
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TITLE: Cuttlebug - Be Inspired #22
DATE: 03/11/2009 01:30:00 PM
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If you read {this} post of mine from last month you will understand why I was totally giddy when I found out that today's challenge at {cbc} is all about GLITTER....wooooooohoooooo!!!!
It's not always that easy to include glitter in your projects without making it look like a card for a little girl. Now, there is nothing wrong whatsoever with cards for little girls, but there are only so many of those you're gonna need, right? So generally I struggle when having to add glitter to a card or layout.
But not this time, oh no - I knew straight away what I wanted to do, yessir.
First of a I took an off-cut of Bling Bazzill and folded it over to create my card base. The top of the card was then run through my cuttlebug, using the "Mesh Texture" embossing folder. I adhered a strip of paper to the card base and kept adding little bits and bobs.
The oval on the right hand side was created by using the Die & Emboss Combo "Pearl Frame", which has quickly become one of my faves. It just frames sentiments perfectly on any card. To give it more texture, I distressed the edges and placed it on foam pads to raise if off the quote.
Now for the glitter part - there is a strip of glitter on the left hand side, which was done by simply placing a strip of double-sided tape on the cardstock, and pouring glitter over it. Shake off the excess and you have a perfect line of glitter.
Please do take a moment and check out how the other CBC- DT girls "glittered" :)
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Can We talk - Card
Cardstock: Bazzill Bling
Paper: Collage Press
Embellishments: Rub Ons - 7Gypsies; Stickers - K&Co (Leaf), Bazzill (Quote); Glitter - Pink Paislee
Tools: Cuttlebug Embossing Folder "Mesh Texture", Emboss & Die Combo "Pearl Frame"
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TITLE: SYC March 2009 and retail therapy
DATE: 03/06/2009 01:23:00 PM
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I totally forgot to link you to my {scrap your crap} march project. This was another one which was done way before mojo decided to leave me for shores unknown...
This month over at {syc} we challenge you to recycle, recycle, recycle stuff you find around the house or left others from your scrap packaging and use that on your projects.
I so love using cardboard and tend to rip my pizza boxes like it's going out of style the next day. Needless to say that I recycled yet another pizza box for the below layout. Take a moment to check out what the other DT girls did for this challenge {here}
** click on image to enlarge **
Well, I am still not inclined to do anything crafty at the moment, so I cheered myself up again by doing some online shopping :) I have a good excuse though - I have already dropped one dress size since I started my healthy living, so I need new clothes.
There were two essential items missing from my extensive wardrobe - one being a pair black biker boots and the other a black leather coat.
Look what I just won on ebay for the unbelievable price of £22.39 / $31.72 (including postage!!!)
Now all I need are the boots and I am one happy camper.
As for my creative outlet - well I have been busy knitting and enjoying it and I rediscovered my old love of stamp collecting. I dug deep into my cupboard and found bag of stamps I cut off envelopes - some postmarked 1999 (that was the last time I actually sorted them). So, this weekend I am digging in and being a total stamp nerd
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TITLE: Cuttlebug - Be Inspired #21
DATE: 03/04/2009 01:30:00 PM
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This week our challenge over at {cbc} is to bush off those watercolour pencils and put them to good use on your projects.
I am not sure if I have ever mentioned this before but I used to paint with watercolour a lot before I started scrapbooking. So, I still have boxes full of brushes, paper, masking fluid, water colours. So it was fun for me to combine my two hobbies ang get cracking.
For this card I drew the outline of the flower by hand, using a black {sharpie} and coloured the petals with different hues of orange, red and yellow. Once dry I added some white bits with my {uniball signo} and eh voila: the watercolour flower was done.
The background was created by running a piece of white cardstock through the {mesh texture} embossing folder. A few drops of {jones tones} along the flower gave the card a quick finish.
Now let's see what you create - and don't forget to link your projects back on {cbc} via the Mr Linky upload function.
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Congratulations - Cards
Cardstock: Bazzill - white; Stampin' Up - brown
Papers: My Minds Eye; Fancy Pants
Paint: Jones Tones - white, brown
Ticket: Melissa Frances
Tools: Cuttlebug - Mesh Texture Embossing Folder; Martha Stewart - Doily punch
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TITLE: Cuttlebug - Spotlight Sunday
DATE: 03/01/2009 08:30:00 PM
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I am excited - because today is my first {creatively yours spotlight sunday} upload. All Senior DT members are posting a step by step tutorial in rotation every Sunday and today was my day.
If you want to know how I created this home decor project, please check out the tutorial {here}
Thanks for looking :)
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Love - Display
Cardstock: Stampin' Up
Embellishments: Flowers - Hero Arts; Buttons, Pearltrim - Scrapitude
Tools: Cricut cartridge - Home Accents; Cuttlebug embossing folders - Mesh Texture, Distressed Lines
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