Stampotique Challenge

One more challenge before the christmas card task beckons, this time we are working to a sketch

for more details pop to the post which highlights the last challenge a Poison Bottle, wish I'd been able to do that one, some amazing makes .

Again tried to attack it from a different angle, am pleased with this, and it's my first xmas card, wonder who I'll send this one to.....

Octopode Challenge

Wow this is my third post of the day, before I unearthed the xmas box, I thought I would have a go at some challenges, haven't done any for ages.  This weeks challenge from the Octopode Factory is "Flourishes & Swirls", now I tried to be clever and include another challenge on one piece, I don't know how you ladies manage to get two on one piece let alone more, but whilst trying to fathom it out came up with a great idea, so here is my entry

the other challenge was the stampotique sketch, so I'm gonna go off and have a go at that whilst watching X factor and I'm a Celebrity, have a good week everyone . .  xx

An eclectic collection ...............

....................  of the bits and pieces I've been playing with recently, I thought I would round them all up for you all, as the christmas card task is looming.

First off, I bought this at the Craft Barn on my recent visit, amongst a few other bits and bobs, LOL.

and turned it into this

Check out my cool storage for distress stain and dabbers behind, its a metal cutlery tray stood on its side, works really well as stickers on the top show me the colour and then I just have to pull out the one I want, carefully LOL.

Now some journal pages I've been playing/experimenting with different paint application techniques, this one I used my fingers to pick up distress stain and smeared it on the page, quite a good effect, really messy fingers though, I wasn't actually feeling sad when I made this, but it just seemed to match the background.

Next in my mini journal, lots of different techniques, used a journal pic of a lady in a mac, distressed unintentionally with wax pastels, as I smeared them in the ink came off, liked the effect so used it some more.

This weeks offering, applying paint with wet wipe, oh so easy, then lots of layering on top

loved the lady lying down pic, couldnt bring myself to alter her, did the journalling before adding the leaves, so had huge space on one side, then remembered Dyans lovely on the edge leaf die,so painted a book page and then stamped onto it with the stamps and cut out and stuck to the page.

So that me and what I've been doing, apart from work, which is the pits, but one more week and I'm on holiday for two weeks so hope to have a lot of me time to create.  List of other things I need to do though is growing alarmingly.

The Craft Barn Celebration

Check out this mahoosive blog candy to celebrate over 600 followers, follow this link to find out more.

Jo Firth-Young at the Craft Barn

Treated myself to an all day class at the Craft Barn with Jo Firth-Young last Sunday.  Its quite a drive, fine going there, bit knackered on the way home, kept myself going with the thought of the yummies I had treated myself to.  The shop at the Craft Barn is amazing full of so much I needed (like everything), thankfully I don't have a Credit Card so had to exercise some restraint.

Our class with JoFY was using Claudine's stamp range and Paper Artsy Fresco paints, I'd used the paints in fact I have them all because they are lush in a chalky sort of way, had never used the stamps before but they are really easy to use and the effect was really good, so treated myself to the Doodles sets as I thought they would go well with the layering technique I use so much.  Also discovered Tando Creative range, managed to only buy three pieces but could easily have bought so much more, a whole wall of them on display and I probably need most of them, LOL.

This is Jo's sample, we were stamping on sticky back canvas, paper and book pages, for ease Jo said it would be easier to do if we all used the same colours as the stamps wouldn't need washing in between, but I'm just not a pink person, don't mind bits of it, but not all over, so had to go slightly off piste, I know I can't help it, but it puts a piece of me into it, so here is mine

It actually involved a lot of work, so had to finish it at home, had done all the stamping it was just the cutting out and the positioning and that took some time I can tell you, I'm pleased with the finished result and I hope Jo is proud of my effort.

We also made a door hanger in the morning . . . .

 . . . getting used to using the stamps, I have to admit I wasn't happy with my effort on this, so ripped all the flowers off the next day, shall have to finish it off again another day.  All in all it was a great day, Jo is a lovely teacher and as you will see on her blog she manage not to brain herself, though some might say (leandra) it might be an improvement . . LOL .  I have to admit it was a great day but I haven't got the stamina any more and could have done with a day off from work to recover, no such luck though.

November Calendar

wow I cant believe it only one more month to go, I have never got past the middle of January with a diary before so this really is a miracle, without further ado. . . November

and a finished October, a month of ups and downs

to find out more about our fearless leader and the calendar challenge, click here.