Anything Goes Twinchie Swap

Following on from my Ten Minute Tuesday post earlier this week at a crop yesterday I eventually plumped for a starfish to finish off my Twinchies.I stamped my starfish on to smooth card and coloured them in with my new Derwent coloursoft pencils, I used three colours and blended them with the blender pencil. Oooh I need to practise but I do think I'm going to like these pencils a lot. They are going off in the post to Karen tomorrow and I cant to see the ones I get back.

Crafty Catch Up

Hello there. If you have been reading my blog you will know that I spent last weekend at my friend Heathers crafting away with my friends and UKS teamies. I really haven't had the urge to scrap much for the last couple of months but did manage three layouts which for once I was happy with so hopefully thats the scrap block broken for a while. The first one was for a challenge set on UKS by Sian. There had to be lyrics to a song, musical notes and hidden journalling. I hate getting my photo taken but my friend Lesley took this one of me on one of our recent trips to Lochhouse farm where we have spent many a happy scrapping weekend, and I quite like this one. I sprayed some dylusions ink on the background and was firstly dismayed to get such a solid pool of the turquoise ink but eventually turned it to my advantage by stamping the title on it. My hidden journalling is on a tag in a glassine envelope tucked behind the photo and the song lyrics are from I dont wanna talk about it by Rod Stewart and I journalled these around the photo,. The words I chose read " I can tell by your eyes that you've probably been crying forever, the stars in the sky dont mean nothing to me, they're a mirror.

Next up is this one which was for the house challenge also on UK Scrappers. Three quotes were given to take inspiration from and I chose "Whatever you decide to do make sure it makes you happy" I got Heather to take a photo of my incredibly inky hands and used that for the layout. I scribbled some blocks of colour with neocolours and wiped over them with a baby wipe. THey turned out more solid than I wanted so I think I need to practise a bit. I stamped on a doily stamp, put on my photo and used a cosmo cricket sticker which reads "She had colourful dreams". I used the title Happy Hands - because when Im all inky and painted it really does make me happy.

Finally, this one was for the challenge my friend Dee set on UK Scrappers. You had to use colours from a given palette, mesh and circles. The photo I used Ive had for ages of some Poppies dancing away in the brereze by the beach at Beadnell. I sprayed on some ink again, for the mesh element I stamped a background stamp and finished the layout off with a mixed up font title. THe map was from a Plundered Pages pack I bought from Julie Kirk, Notes on Paper, and its an old 19th Century Map of Britain but it did feature Lindisfarne and Bamburgh so it was just perfect for this layout.

Rocking your World Friday

Hello, hello, hello. It's Friday again yay!!!! That means its time to list everything we are grateful for this week and link it to Virginia's cool blog Celtic House I think I have a lot to be grateful for this last week. Firstly after work last Friday I headed off to Holystone to spend a weekend with my friend Heather and to catch up with Lesley and Julie and the rest of the Frozen North cropping gang. On Friday night Lesley presented me with this gorgeous denim apron she had made me so that I didnt get every top and pair of jeans I own covered in paint and ink. I wore it with pride all weekend (

We scrapped away the whole of Saturday right up till nearly midnight lol and resumed again on Sunday with a break for Sunday lunch at a local carvery. Much fun and laughter was had and even a bit of productivity but more of that in a separate post. I also got to meet the lovely Jen from Wear Crafts who was there with her shop - I had a little splurge in the shop too - it would have been rude not too lol. Then on Sunday evening I drove the short distance up the coast to Beadnell in Northumberland and had a few days to myself in the caravan. It was bliss, the weather was lovely and I felt very relaxed. I read my book and pottered with some art journalling and just generally chilled. My birthday was on Tuesday - does that count as a blessing when you are 51!!! lol - how did that happen. I started the day with a lovely birthday walk along the beach

Some lovely birthday presents - a gorgeous top and necklace from my parents in my favourite colour along with some money for a crafty spend

Look at the fab load of pressies my lovely friend Heather brought me for my birthday from her recent trip to Florida I was chuffed to bits and look at the fab bag from Joanns they came in.

My first set of Derwent Coloursoft pencils were part of my pressie from my lovely son and daughter - cant wait to try them out.

Some of my lovely birthday cards.

Home again on Wednesday night and finally I am grateful for a short week of two days at work Hop over to Virginias place and see what all the other rockettes have been up to this week That sums up my week so why dont you pop on over to Virginias to see what all the rockettes have been up to this week See you next Friday

Ten Minute Tuesday

Hello, hello, its Tuesday again and time for Vickis Ten Minute Tuesday. A special one for me as its my birthday today, 51! How did that happen *sigh* Quick one from me as I'm at Beadnell enjoying my birthday by the sea. So this week I've sprayed ink and stamped and made the backgrounds for a twinchie.swap on UKS. So far so good but that's as far as I've got as any of.the.ideas for a focal image have.looked tpants so far so I'm Ihoping inspiration strikes soon as I.need to get them posted soon

Hop over to Vickis blog The Biskit Barrel and join in. apologies for the lack of a link to Vickis but in.order to get a signal here, which I can't get on my new mobile Ive got a payg sim in my old one and its a bit trickier. Normal service should be.resumed next week

Rocking your World Friday

Hello again and oh boy am I glad its Friday! Its been one of those weeks. Manically busy at work and not a heck of a lot of creating going on this week in the evenings as my brain has been worn out lol. In fact I will be playing catch up this very night with my index cards so that I can do a round up post this weekend. So without further ado what am I loving/grateful for this week then. Well firstly the fairly lovely weather continued for most of the week although it did pour down all of Saturday but I was indoors at the crop all day. Secondly, our crop in East Kilbride, this has been going now for two years and its evolved into a really friendly group and full of fabulous inspiration and I love being one of the organisers of this. We had a fab crop on Saturday with much laughter, drinking tea and eating cake, Oh and there was the odd bit of creativity thrown in for good measure!! Heres a layout I did for last weeks weekly challenge on UKS which was to use an outdoor photo, blue and stripes. This is my son Fraser, some years ago practising his golf swing on a camping weekend at Hoddom Castle in the South West of Scotland. I enjoyed doing a bit of stamping in the background for this one. (pic)

Muller Light Greek Yoghurts - I know - I have just discovered these and my daughter and I are addicted - they are heavenly - and as an added bonus the little pots they come in make great water or paint mixing pots :). Visiting friends. I drove down after work today to my friend Heather who lives in Holystone, just north of Newcastle and Lesley and Julie joined us for a bit of pre crop fum.Hopefully a weekend of cropping will mean some productivity to be blogged next week. A new haircut courtesy of my daughters lovely friend Jade, A bit shorter but I like it and and all the grey gone again yay Finally for this week, getting painty and inky - I just cant tell you how much I am loving this at the moment Sorry for the lack of piccies but I'm blogging on my phone away from home Have a fabulous weekend and I will see you back here next Friday. Why dont you pop over to Virginia's and join the rockettes each Friday.

Ten Minute Tuesday

Evening all. Time for Ten Minute Tuesday with Vicki again and another page in my teeny A6 seaside journal. Am building up my collection of neocolours very slowly indeed, I've got 9 now lol and my first two posca paint pens and ooh I do like them lots. So in my first ten minute slolt, a very simple background with some bright strips of colour scribbled on with the neocolours then wiped gently with a moist baby wipe. Once dry (and I am not the most patient person waiting for this) I drew on the sun with the yellow posca pen and wrote out some of the words to Here Comes the Sun, going over them a few times to make them stand out and filling in any circular spaces with my posca pens (I love these already and need some more!).

What will you do with your ten minute bursts this week. Hop on over to Vickis and join in

ICAD 2013 - June Week 2

Hello again. Just in case you didnt see my post last week here is the link to Tammy's blog Daisy Yellow so you can see what Index Card a day is all about. Here's my cards for week 2. I am still enjoying this and have so far managed to keep up. Mostly I have gone with my own thing but there are prompts on the Daisy Yellow blog you can follow. I am using these wee cards as a way of trying out some different techniques and products. I need to make a wee storage system for them though as they are beginning to pile up on my desk now I'm so glad so joined in with this challenge as there is just so much talent and inspiration to be found in the group

Art Journal Challenge - June

Hello, hello. I was late getting my June pages together for Kate's challenge as my first attempt was just awful. I had to glue the papers together and start again. I think I must have been influenced by that week of glorious sunshine we had earlier this month as my pages have turned out rather on the bright side and not my usual colours but I do like them So heres the May pages all filled in and completed and the June ones waiting for me to transcribe my notes from my phone on to.

I am amazed Ive reached the halfway point and still managed to keep up with this challenge and I must say Im looking forward to seeing all the completed pages at the end of the year

Rocking Your World Friday

Hello again, my goodness dont the weeks come round fast when you are marking Fridays with Virginia, I think this is now my fourth or fifth week of joining in with Virginia's Rocking your World. Hop over to her fab blog Celtic House and see what its all about. So what have I been grateful for this week. Firstly let me say that I wasnt on the ball so its a pretty pictureless post this week. So the lovely sunny summer weather has lasted most of the week here in the west of Scotland so thats always good, long may it last, I feel so much better in the sun. Secondly continuing along with the ICAD (Index Card a Day) Challenge - this has had me sat at my craft desk each and every evening which is beginning to fire up my mojo a bit. Tomorrow I will blog a summary with this weeks cards. Payday!!! Yes indeedy today is payday so for a brief day or so until the direct debits zoom out I am temporarily rich lol A lovely family - I am blessed indeed to have two fantastic kids who have grown up (and so quickly) into two extremely well rounded and brilliant adults - Fraser (21) and Fiona (19), I love you both :), My Mum and Dad both very supportive parents especially in the last seven or eight years since my divorce. My Dad has been diagnosed with Vascular Dementia and has some weeks better than others. Last week he was in top form and his brilliant sense of humour was back with a vengence which was a blessing to behold. A job I enjoy. I feel blessed that in this economic climate I have a job in a place which seems to be busy and is as secure as anything is at the moment. I am also blessed to work with an incredibly supportive team of people which makes all the difference to the working day. The time and a small amount of ability to enable me to make arty things. Not something I ever thought I would do - my Second Year School report from my art teacher stated. "Slapdash but does try hard" I will leave you with a wee page in my art journal I blogged before but have finished with some wording

Until next Friday, have a lovely week rockettes.

Arty CJ Catch Up

Hello, hello. Two cj entries from me today. The first was for my Mojo Busters 3 cj on UK Scrappers. This was for the gorgeously talented Rebecca's cj which made me nervous before I even got started. Rebecca's subject is New Year to be interpteted in any way we wanted. I'm not really a lover of New Year, I know, I know, being Scottish you would think I would be, but there you go. I was a bit stumped to be honest and the cj was all in Gorgeous vintagey Tim Holtz style and I had nothing which really matched that. Then Rebecca said try something art journally so I did and this is what evolved. The little booklet on the left hand side opens up to explain New Year,New Art Journey and the wee flap in the middle has my sign in details on it. The stamp on the right hand side is a saying by Helen Keller and reads "The best, most beautiful things can not be seen or even touched they must be felt with the heart". I love the colours but when it's in with the other pages it does stick out a bit like a sore thumb. I just hope Rebecca likes it

The second is for my team cj. Im proud to be a member of the fabulous Rik Rak Ravers on U K Scrappers and for our first sj we are just passing round pages which cuts down on cost. This month I had Julieanns to do and her theme is Change, and my pages morphed into something much brighter than my usual. I think the recent week of sunshine here in Scotland has definately gone to my head. This one had lots of layers of Gesso, washi tape, paint and was inked and sprayed on and also through stencils. The quote on the left hand side says "Things do not Change We Change". I made a pocket on the right hand side and decorated with a doily and a flower made from the tattered florals die using a previously made background and some vintage book pages. I popped my tag in with my journalling on. Julieann has received the pages and says she likes them so that was a "phew" moment!

Ten Minute Tuesday

Hello there and welcome to another Ten Minute Tuesday post What a glorious sunny week it's been here in my part of Scotland and what a difference that makes to my energy levels and desire to craft. Well what have I managed in my ten minute bursts this week then. I had already started the background for these pages in my wee A6 seaside journal but I finished off by pressing on some pink dylusions ink which was left on stencil, stamping some teal dots with a Bo Bunny background stamp (these are fab quality stamps and stamp really well) and pressing some white paint through a circle stencil. I then cut out a wee beach hut and stamped on using another one of the Bo Bunny background stamps (weather wood one). I stuck it to the page with gel medium and doodled round it with a pit pen. I cut the patterned semi circle pieces from the cover of a clothing catalogue - the fab pattens on them reminded me of the spirograph set I had when I was young. I gessoed over a turqouise section on the left hand side. The journalling is on the left hand page, the little beach hut and round each of the semi circles but all together it reads "Wouldnt it be just perfect to sit in a little beach hut and watch the waves, What would be my fantasy home, well strangely not something very grand, something very simple would do me" and I finished with the words on the beach hut "A little Beach Hut by the sea ..just for me" Why dont you pop over to Vickis blog The Biskit Barrel and see what she's been up to this week

ICAD 2013 - June Week 1

Hello there.  So what is ICAD 2013 (Index Card a Day) you may be asking.  Its something I was completely unaware of until I spied the link to it on Carmen's blog last Friday and my curiosity got the better of me.

Its an idea that Tammy runs through June and July, you get a stack of 3 x 5 index cards and have them on your desk then each day you make a minature work of art on them.  At the end if you manage to keep up you should have 61 little cards all decorated.  Here is the link to Tammy's fab blog Daisy Yellow where you can find all the information.  Tammy does provide some themes and prompts but you can just do your own thing.

I was late to the party as I had to get my hands on a pack of the cards but have worked away in the evenings in the latter half of the week and have managed to play catch up

Here's my cards for week 1.  I have to say I have really enjoyed just sitting at my desk in the evening playing around to see what I can come up with.


Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

day 6

Day 7

Rocking Your World Friday

Hello again, third week of joining in with Virginia and her Rocking Your World Friday.

So folks what am I grateful for this week

The weather, yes for a change it has been sunny for most of the week. At long last summer appears to have reached Scotland!  Just a pity I'm stuck in work all week but I'm looking forward to the weekend as the forecast is good.

This was the temperature in my car yesterday!

At work we usually treat ourselves to some Chinese on a Friday.  Just a small lunchtime portion from the local chinese restaurant's lunch menu - a full one would be way too much and we would all be sleeping all afternoon.  Last week a new chinese restaurant opened up down the road from work so we ventured forth there this week and how yummy it was, we will definately be using this one from now on.



Having some energy in the evenings now that summer is finally here to do a little bit of creating each night.  In the winter I'm like a bear and tend to hibernate so I'm trying to make the most of the decent light nights to sit at my desk even for ten minutes or so each night and try to do something creative and its actually making me feel better which is all to the good.  This is helped along by me discovering that I have BBC i player on my phone (I know Im a bit on the slow side) and that I can listen to the radio on it which means I can now download Scott Mills Podcasts (I know, I know  but I do love him lol) and listen to them in my craft room Ive also been listening to Jo Whiley's show in the evening on Radio 2 whilst I create which I am really enjoying.  This is much better than vegging in front of the tv

Discovering the ICAD 2013 (Index card a day) on the Daisy Yellow blog via Carmens great blog Whoopidoings.  I was late to the party, as usual, and then had to source some index cards but once I got started  I'm really enjoying creating these mini works of art and only now have one for today and one other one to do and I'm all caught up for the first week.  Whether or not I can keep going all the way through June and July is another thing but for now I'm really having fun with this.

Why dont you pop over to Virginia's place and see what its all about.

See you next Friday

Ten Minute Tuesday

Hi and thanks for coming along to see what Ive managed to get up to in my ten minute creative bursts this week

Well here is s very quick page I have started.  I punched out several small butterflies and laid them out on my page.  I then sprayed over London blue and dirty martini Dylusions ink but the colours seem to have merged too much and the whole page ended up green, I need to practise with these inks as I have very hit and miss results with them.

When the inks were dry I lifted off the butterfly punch outs and coloured in the butterflies with inktense pencils which Ingham went over with a wet brush. When the ink dried I doodled a bit on my butterflies I really need to practise a bit with these pencils bit when wet the colours are really intense.

I still need to put my quote on this page but it needs something else as well  but I'm not sure what, so any ideas would be welcomed.

Why not hop over to Vicki's place and see what she's been up to and join in.  Its amazing what you can achieve when you only have ten minutes spare.  Even if you are only making a background, putting the finishing touches to a project or starting off a quick card, its a wonderful way to fill a ten minute gap in your day.

Month in Numbers - May

Well I really enjoyed joining in with this last month.  If you are not sure why I am recording the important numbers for this month then hop over to Julie's blog .... and have a look to see what its all about

I had some lovely comments from people who joined in with this last month and really enjoyed my hop around the various blogs to see what numbers people had recorded for their own month

So without further ado, heres what happened for me in May

one lovely birthday lunch out for my Mums birthday at their favourite local del - Deli 108

1 - Blog makeover by my lovely and very talented friend Dee - I absolutely hated the old fashioned and cutesy look of my blog but after Dee got her mitts on it she has dragged it right into the present - using my favourite colours and even incorporating some of my art work in the banner .  This led on to me hosting my very first (and hopefully not my last) Blog party/hop where some of my very good real life friends and some good friends I have made via blogging and scrapbooking - 10 in total joined in with me to showcase some of their work.    Dee also made me a new cover photo for my facebook account based on the blog banner.  There were 6 prizes and 1 lovely discount offered along the hop and I had 34 fab comments

5 - the number of days I spent in my beloved Beadnell at the end of the month Bank Holiday.  For one reason or another I havent managed to get there this year up to now and boy was I missing the place.4 art journal pages finished off outside in the sun and 2 calendar pages for June started.

2 beach walks,   only 6 pieces of Seaglass collected, very slim pickings.   Two books read whilst I was there.

2 - the number of crops attended this month - our own one in East Kilbride which was back to full capacity this month and 1 new member, Karen we welcomed along to join in the madness with us.  She is fairly mad herself and fitted in exremely well.  The second one was Scrap Dollies bi-montly crop at Stewarton which in May was held to raise funds for Cancer research and as we had lost one of our members to cancer earlier this year we were all happy to go along and help raise funds for this wonderful cause

  This is the canvas I made as my contribution to us all making something which had to include pink and which hopefully could be sold to help raise funds. This is as pink as I get lol

1 - Fab stamp ordered from Crafty Individuals - I mean it would have been rude not to really.  What with my connections to that area of England and my love of all things seasidey. How excited was I to discover a stamp with Grace Darling's Lighthouse on it.  I cannot wait to create something lovely with it.

One silly and somewhat spectacular fall at work resulting in one sore neck and two very bruised knees (all better now so thanks for asking)

So that wraps May in numbers up for me.  Why not join in yourself this month.