All the way from the US of A with amazon.com - my new Martha Stewart scoring board. Under £20 including postage - a bargain!
Now I should be able to fold and score to my heart's content. Who knows might get some practise in tomorrow night. It comes with a little envelope guide thing, and a useful guide for cards and boxes and all sorts in the little compartment.
Also at long last I have joined pinterest so just need to find some time to sit down in front of the computer and start adding stuff. ;o)
Thank heaven's for the schedule function on blogs eh? It means that I can hopefully have a nice lie in this lovely Bank Holiday morning (would be nice as I've not had a lie in so far this weekend! Grrr...) while my little blog does all the work.
Here's our prompt for week 22:
Light green, felt and ribbon.
That sounds like quite a lovely combination so I shall have to have a nosey in my stash... because I've still got to make my card for this prompt.
ETA my card; I tried a few combos until I found something that worked... but then my mind might not have been fully on the task as I was also watching Due Date at the same time!
Papers: MME Stamps: My Cute Stamps, PTI Dies: Spellbinders, PTI Ribbon: Michaels Rose: Wild Orchid Crafts Felt: PTI Pearls: Prima Other: Promarkers, Sanding file, 3D foam
It's a very stylish affair over on the DCM blog this week - because this week's dare is all fashion-focused!
For my little fashion accessory I made a little handbag embellishment from scratch...
Papers: Crate Paper Ribbon: SEI, The Ribbon Reel, The Ribbon Girl Trim: Webster's Pages Resin flower: Webster's Pages Stamps: Papertrey Ink Dies: Spellbinders, Papertrey Ink Brads: Crate Paper Stickers: Crate Paper Rose: Wild Orchid Crafts Pearls: Kaisercraft
I'm rather happy with how the little handbag turned out, it opens up a little so you can slip a message inside, and that resin flower from Webster's was just the perfect embellishment - I really hope they bring out more of these flowers in different styles and colours, they were such a good buy!
Zuzana's dare is such a creative one, and the card samples from the DT are just stunning!
And speaking of the design team, go check out the exciting news!
Since it's photography class tomorrow night, I thought I'd best transfer my photos over onto the PC.
Last week's class was the first one where I actually had a go with manual mode... there were a lot of duff shots (a lot!), but I am starting to get the idea of adjusting speed to suit my aperture.
Here are a few of the pics I took on our evening shoot:
I rather liked this guy, it looks like he's standing there with his thumbs in his belt loops... well if he were wearing jeans!
Love the contrast of the colours here, I think I am one who prefers things on the darker side so I can lighten them up accordingly - much easier than working backwards from something that is overexposed. Or maybe that's just me.
Managed to snap a bit of dramatic sky, wish I'd been able to get more in the shot though.
Did try a bit of depth of field shot, but think I should have changed the AF area to a specific segment at the bottom so the rest was then blurred. Plus the sky came out white rather than with a hint of blue so wondering how that can be corrected in the camera...
I also have had my camera on manual since and have been snapping away at home. Especially in the garden before the gales!
My poor roses don't look quite so delicate and pretty now, and it's a good job I moved the bbq into the conservatory yesterday as I'm not sure where exactly it would otherwise be today...
And in other news for chick lit readers... I have a recommendation:
Started at the weekend and definitely an un-put-down-able one, since I stayed up until almost 2 a.m. today to finish it but had to admit defeat for the last 4 or so chapters and finished them before work.
But I put 4.5 stars on it - since if I stay up to read something on a "school night", there's a reason!
Next up on my list is Jill Mansell's latest one and it has had great reviews, so I am very hopeful (but fingers crossed not another 2 a.m. to bed event tonight!).
Brads, Flourishes and Twine... well, this is what I made with those elements:
Papers and Stickers: Echo Park Dies: Tim Holtz, Papertrey Ink Button: Making Memories Stamp: Banana Frog Twine: The Ribbon Girl Brad: DCWV Other: 3D foam, Sanding file
Finally, any blog posts for the 52 Cards Challenge will be tagged and you can easily access the prompts by clicking on the relevant tag in the tag cloud on the left. :o)
Managed to finally find time yesterday to make my card for the prompt I posted earlier in the week. The elements to include were:
Polka dots/spots
Kraft
Pastel
And here's what I made...
Papers: Fancy Pants Resin flower: Webster's Pages Silk ribbon: The Ribbon Reel Dies: Spellbinders Stamp: Papertrey Ink Punch: Martha Stewart Bling: Kaisercraft Other: Sanding file, Ultra-tacky tape, 3D foam pads
I'm quite pleased with how the lace border has come up after sanding the pattern off... stands out much more now. :o)
I've also started a new chicklit book this morning - being wide awake in the early hours has some benefits but it's one that is difficult to put down. So I had to stop reading before I got further engrossed!
Must resist returning until I've got the things I MUST do out of the way!
Well, I can't believe it's already after 3 in the afternoon... I think my delayed time clock has a lot to do with staying up until 2 in the morning after getting in from the late night crop and being too awake for bed.
Had a crop - I didn't exactly make progress with my current mini album. But I am now armed with a new trimmer:
Over the years my Making Memories trimmer has been cutting wonkier and wonkier, I can never get a true straight cut out of it any more and the numbers and grid are starting to rub off rather badly in the area I use the most for cardmaking. It's a real shame as it was a really expensive trimmer at the time, and it has always cut beautifully (just not necessarily perfectly straight!). These trimmers are supposed to last a lifetime if I remember correctly so it's more than a bit disappointing.
But I had a go of the Cutterpede last night on Gill's recommendation - if anyone knows their trimmers it'll be Gill, and the one I tried cut perfectly straight and I liked the mini foldable swing out arm, and well, it's more portable for crops that's for sure. It doesn't have the same whoosh cut that I loved about my MM trimmer, but I was desperate for a trimmer that cuts true.
So here's hoping my latest trimmer investment is The One.
I also treated myself to the usual cardstock restock - the shades I seem to be running out of between crops:
I can't seem to get enough of Bazzill OP Wheat cardstock at the moment, I know it's sad... but I just love it with lots of things, plus I always worry that I'll run out of that Bazzill Turquoise Mist cardstock. Next time I'm at the shop I am probably going to have a good stock up on my favourite OP colours. Thankfully I have a little stash of Real Teal and Splash to keep me going, not to mention my 25 pcs. pack of Tanner!
One of the highlights of last night was trying to convince Lynda of the superior power of Paula Cole's music and lyrics through the medium of her best ever song - Feelin' Love...
I originally "discovered" this track when I bought the City of Angels soundtrack when the movie came out, not that I saw it at the cinema... but it's a fine soundtrack indeed. And the album, This Fire, that the track originates from is my favourite Paula Cole album, however I have been rediscovering her most recent studio album again today:
It's been on loop a few hours now. ;o)
And speaking of rediscoveries... I finally, finally started using this set of Acrylic blocks from Fiskars that I bought in Florida a few years back.
They seemed like such a bargain at the time and for one reason or another I never actually used them.
Well this past week I finally permanently unpacked them from their box and they live in my ink drawer and I have been using them a lot, especially with my Papertrey stamps. The three square blocks are a really handy size for me and they do have a bevelled edge after all on the grid size, so are easier to hold than I remembered for positioning. And the foam packaging is very handy as a pricking mat/stamping cushion.
And new bizzaro discovery... well I have always been curious just what it is that people who shop at a 24 hr Tesco buy in the late/early hours... Instead of driving right past on the way home last night, we stopped off (I was in search of the Ben and Jerry's Coconutterly Fair new flavour and Tesco still has their £2 offer on B&J's - it seemed like a good time/petrol-saving idea at the time!) and discovered that people buy weird stuff after midnight - ice cream not withstanding...
One woman left with a pair of flip-flops, a bottle of hair dye and a bag of veg. Another bloke bought some pillows... and there was another lady going in as we were coming out who looked like she meant business and was off to do her weekly shop - who knew right?
I left with a small pot of Coconutterly Fair for £1.50 grrr! They didn't have it in the full size (even at the largest Tesco in my area), and Cookie Dough in the full size for future enjoyment.
So yes, it all sounds rather barking doesn't it - but hey-ho even the small tub of Coconutterly Fair was worth the little stop-off.
I suppose I'd best get testing out my trimmer eh? ;o)
This week over on the DCM blog the very talented Samm has dared everyone to take inspiration from this song to make a card...
Personally for me that song is intrinsically tied to much of the best of Grey's Anatomy... I can't help it.
But don't worry, I've not made a Grey's-Anatomy-homage-card or anything...
No, I chose the lyric "show me a garden that's bursting into life" as my inspiration. Because there was a shot of my one and only allium that I took and the allium bursting out always means the arrival of summer to me...
So the nearest thing I had in my stash to allium was some left-over rub-ons from Hambly - in fact they were my favourite ever rub-ons they made (the white ones especially) called mod flowers.
I just saw on the e-mail newsletter that Pink Martini will be touring the UK again this year and October 11th they'll be playing The Sage again!
That's one show I'd definitely want to go see - they were great in 2007, shame there was a no photography policy inside the hall, especially now I have that zoom lens for my SLR...
The super-talented Ang over at paperandribbons.co.uk has kindly allowed her 52 cards challenge to move into a new home - here on my blog. :o)
Those of us on the UKS card forum didn't want to see this lovely little no-stress challenge go from our creative lives, so I'll continue to post prompts from Ang's original list and also whatever else inspires me here on my blog every Monday. Now, I can't promise I'll manage to make a card every week to share, but I'll do my best!
And to keep us going, here are your three prompts for this week:
Well just as long as it's not the leaf-munching variety that have been plaguing my roses and tulips!! Grrrrr...
No, these bugs are of a nice crafty variety, as this week's DCM dare set by the wonderfully talented Lynda is to feature bugs on your card... bees, butterflies, the lot...
So I had to go with butterflies right?
Papers: MME Stamps: Papertrey Ink Punch: Martha Stewart Dies: Papertrey Ink Twill: The Ribbon Girl Other: Stickles
I do indeed love that Martha punch, it's so nice to have diddy little butterflies to choose from too...
I'm sure it has felt rather neglected this past week as I have totally failed to update it with anything interesting... in fact this post is likely to be rather boring as well...
But here goes - the best way to sum up how the past week has been spent would be as follows.
I got the shock of my life when an e-mail arrived from Next to say that my collage frame was ready to pick up... remember this brown collage frame?
The one that was going to take 3 weeks to get here. Well thankfully it was more like 2 and a bit weeks - and the frame is now waiting in it's wrapping for photos to be decided on, ordered and inserted!
Last weekend after a fruitless search for the "bbq of my dreams" in local stores including B&Q, I spent far too much time on google over the weekend trying to narrow down my options and reading every review under the sun, until my the weekend culminated in a dash to Argos on Sunday afternoon at 3.30 p.m. in order to pick up my new grill.
It's a 47 cm Weber Bar-B-Kettle and is a decent size without being totally impractical to store in my garden or shed. I went for the Argos deal because for £8 more I got Weber accessories with it including the vinyl cover, charcoal and utensils which would save me in the long run. My little grill has been built and is now waiting to be used - fingers crossed the weather holds this Sunday for the inaugural bbq-fest!
What else... oh yes... in amongst all the bbq review-reading-until-my-eyes-went-blurry I read a couple of books on my TBR pile... always nice.
Then Monday I got The Call from the library to say that the new Nora Roberts - Chasing Fire had finally come in!
So I rushed over straight after work to pick it up... and well there went my Monday and Tuesday evenings... but it was well worth it - a very good Nora book and rather memorable. :o)
Last night was photography class - I shall have to get practising with my exposure settings...
Oh and I did of course make time to watch the double-nighter return of...
The Apprentice and You're Fired...
And here we are at tonight, just added the finishing touches to my DCM card for tomorrow and now I am off to decide which new book to start on... ;o)
What a lovely surprise I had yesterday to see that the card I made for the Passion for Papertrey wedding card challenge got picked as one of the top 3 - oooh I was seriously chuffed to be honoured with the title of a top 3 passionista! ;o)
Ironically since the weekend my creative mojo has deserted me... perhaps it was the exhaustion of using all that stash on one card? hehe
But the weekend looms and with any luck I'll have time to re-investigate my stash in order to see if the mojo is lurking somewhere close at hand after all.
In the meantime I'll be having a relaxing time with my next book... just need to decide what it'll be...
And speaking of relaxing... I treated myself to a little luxury today as I had a voucher for £10 off at the Body Shop so stocked up on some summer additions:
The shower gel and body milk from the Japanese spa range - ohhh such a gorgeous smell.
The Lime and Coconut shower gel from the Polynesia Spa range.
And finally the green tea and lemon room/linen spray. I bought the reed diffuser last month and have had it next to my bed and well - it's just so gorgeous. Pricey, but gorgeous... I have another £10 off voucher so must resist buying more of the reed diffusers in this scent.
Yep, after a brief Hist-Ro interlude at the weekend I am back on the summery chick lit reading pile.
Typical of a "return to work" day - woke up at 6 a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep, so read a bit more of my book and before I know it alarm's going off and it's time to get up.
I think I will be in my PJs very soon tonight ready to delve back into my book - hopefully won't nod off at some embarrassingly early hour though.
But also need to remember to pack my camera bag - first photography class tomorrow night! Can't wait. :oD
I made another card yesterday for last week's 52 card challenge prompt - to use, red, kraft, and tools.
Once again I was back on the Crate for this one... I used a mix of Emma's Shoppe for the papers and Portrait for the chipboard sewing machine.
Papers: Crate Paper Dies: Spellbinders, PTI Stamps: PTI Stickers: Crate Paper Button: Crate Paper Chipboard: Crate Paper Trim: Webster's Pages Other: Crackle glaze
The button card still looks a bit empty to me but whatever I tried to put on it didn't look right so had to stop fiddling with it and leave it be. ;o)
Anyway, bit windy outside today - so instead of sitting out with yet another book (have read 3 so far this nice long weekend) I will go check out a few more card challenges I think.
I thought the Royal Wedding was just amazing and I am still floating on a little high whenever I see new photos from the event. Not just of the wedding itself, but of the crowds out en masse celebrating.
I hope the bunting will be out a-plenty next year for the diamond jubilee and dare I say it the Olympics too!
But back to the wedding theme, I thought I'd get prepared for any upcoming nuptials this year and make a card that also fits the current Passion for Papertrey blog challenge.
I just had to twin some PTI stash with that gorgeous Portrait collection from Crate Paper.
Papers: Crate Paper Stamps: PTI (Tiny Tags, Mat Stack 4 Collection) Die-cuts: Crate Paper Dies: PTI (Ting Tags, double-ended banner) Lace and seam binding: The Ribbon Girl Stickers: Crate Paper Chipboard: Crate Paper Pearls: Kaisercraft Roses: Wild Orchid Crafts Border punch: Martha Stewart Other: Distress Stickles, Stickles, 3D foam (various sizes), thread
I know there's a lot of stuff on that list - but that's what happens whenever I try that layered look... lots of layers = lots of stuff...
Must say though I am really loving the double-ended banners and chopping them off at one end. Also I seriously love this collection from Crate. Kind of wish I'd now bought the layered chipboard as there was a fab wedding cake design in there... but the other designs weren't so usable for cards I didn't think.
Anyway, I hope everyone who watched the wedding enjoyed it.
I'm off to see what else I can use in my stash... ;o)
This year my own personal challenge is to be creative and inspired each day of the year... so here I'm sharing just what's inspiring me and making me think creatively, plus whatever I manage to make.
Recent Comments