You can tell that the children have gone back to school in the UK as the weather is magnificent at this tail end of October.
Here are me and the Mr at Saltram yesterday
I insisted on taking a coat in case I got cold. I was then even warmer carrying my heavy winter coat around with me. Saltram is not that far from us and another National Trust place crossed off the list but not our favourite. Not enough information about the people and too much about the stuff.
I made some cards for the Daring Cardmaker challenge this week. In fact I made 16! It was the spur I needed to use some lovely notecards that I have had ever since I spied them on lovely Nat's blog and decided I must have them. And then hardly used them... Nancy Kubo made these fab prints for Prima (not Prima style at all now). I realised that I could make some cards to send to our Messy Church kids AND fulfil the dare at the same time. The Dare was all about Creative Kids - to make cards with or for children.
There were two of the same card per box so I decoupaged the animals, added gems, die cut and stamped messages and job done! Oooh and obviously some wink of stella on the die cut and animals (I say obviously, you probably can't see it but it is obvious because I put it on everything)
In other crafting
I've made three layouts recently. This one is about a University friend who has died. The day of his funeral the song by James Taylor came on the radio and I sobbed my way home as I realised that the chorus especially summed up how I felt. So I splurged it all on a page (part of what scrapbooking is about really)
Must photograph the other two layouts. I've also been doing some bible journalling in an actual bible - this one using some brand new iridescent paints which are beautiful
This form of craft is a bit of a work in progress which is scary when you are using an actual Bible. I will have to photograph my more recent page where I actually wrote in pencil and it was only when I went over in black that I realised I had written the wrong word. I said something rather unscriptural at that point....
well kind of. I made a card for Daring Cardmakers this week but totally misread what I needed to do and didn't have time to make another until yesterday.
Whereupon I made two...
The brief was "to create a card that features a whole outfit". Mine actually doesn't have shoes as it is much easier to avoid feet when drawing something yourself...
This was sensible version 2 on watercolour paper and using Kuretake Clean Color pens. There was more control this way
This one was done with watercolours onto a spare frame I had cut from non watercolour paper and done using Kuretake paints. It went more awry.
I think I am done with attempting this style of card :)
What I thought I was supposed to do was be inspired by fashion so I went straight to the Runway Inspired Challenge blog where the inspiration is this
and my take on it was this
using butterfly dies and those Clean Colour pens again.
Which also featured in last weeks Dare which I did not get round to blogging. It was all about Wonderful Watercolours and again i made two cards
this involved a freebie stamp that I had with a magazine
and this one
features a night sky courtesy of those Kuretake watercolours and WPlus9stamps and dies
My feet are sooooo cold.
(they usually are unless they are boiling hot. Thank you perimenopause)
But I have these clever beanbag type slippers that go in the microwave and warm me up a treat.
Unless I put them in for too long and then I go "Mmmmm oooooOOOOOOWWWWW get 'em OFF" as they are lovely until the pain receptors hit the brain!
We have had a lovely few days in Torquay but the evenings are very cold.
I've had a busy week - a lovely retreat last week with Phil in a place that lives to allow Ministers time to rest and recuperate. But I came back to prepare the funeral of a dear Church member and lots of meetings and stuff :( So I'm a bit pooped now.
(Plus I had my VitB12 injection today and I've noticed my energy levels going down. (uh huh I am officially v. old))
Hmmm seem to have almost weaned myself off excessive !!!! to be replaced by far too many (...)
Changing the subject from my grammatical foibles, I have two weeks worth of Daring cards to share. I made the fruity one last Friday but then gave it to number 1 son on Saturday as he was 23. (By the time I was his age I was married!!!) oh look- both (!!!!)
Anyway, last weeks theme was chosen by Jo - Feeling Fruity
I used my new Dienamics die again - but this time first cut my card to be closer to US size - 5 1/2 by 4 1/6 (it should be 4 1/4 but UK paper isn't that wide). A lot of embellishments and dies work better on this size card because that is what they were made for.
I cut out three stitched circles from watercolour paper, drew some fruit and coloured it in with Clean Color markers. A hand written punny title - just what you need for birthdays in our family) and lots of black pen and it was done.
This week we had a lovely inspiration piece chosen by Beckie as it is time for the September elemental challenge
I actually made two cards (as I needed two) and photographed them at different times of day
So what I did was.... die cut cut a panel from heavy white card stock. Then I smooshed some dry distress ink in oranges, pinks and reds to go with the inspiration piece across the card stock. I have some Perfect pearls spray that went over the top, giving that lovely flecked look. When that was dry I used a star stencil and white embossing paste over the top - just like on that delicious looking pie in the pic.
Whilst that was drying I die cut the leaves and sentiment from coloured card stock. The Clearly Besotted leaves were smothered in a diamond glitter paste and the "thank you" was also cut from white card and stuck together. When everything was assembled it was time to add a few Stickles berries and call them both done!
And the rest of the weekend when I am not working will mostly feature getting my daughter ready to go back to Uni on Monday. And of course, heating up those slippers
