The Ally Pally purchasing challenge 2012

LOL

yes I went and I spent.

 

Well OK I didn't spend much really (what, what did you say Jimminy Cricket, no my nose doesn't look bigger), so as I was saying I was very restrained I went with a very small shopping list, a pokey tool (bottom left), some cutting board blades (middle centre) and some TH word bands (top middle), apart from that just picked up a few little bits and bobs.

Had a great day with my good friend Sue, met some familiar faces doing their thing (Minxy, Leandra and Lin) and spent my birthday money big time, saw lots of stands with Dyan's stamps and masks, really great to be able to see them all together and decide which ones to get, just got a mask this time but got my eye on some of her stamp sets for the future, also saw a stand with the Ocotopde factory stamps and some stampotique, first time I've ever seen them at Ally Pally, and luckily for me their was a stand selling TH stamps sets cheap so would have been rude not to buy a couple, LOL.

Hope I left enough for today's visitors, last picture is a glass cutting mat which everyone seemed to be selling off cheap, so I got one of them and my two PaperArtsy badges free with every purchase, unusually I only spent twice at that stand, shows how restrained I was, normally its at least three visits.

Picked up some great stamps that I haven't seen on my internet shopping before including a great Da Vinci one, looking forward to using all my new purchases and finding some space to stash them.

So I am entering this into the Great Ally Pally Challenge 2012.

oops nearly forgot some more eye candy for the lay..dies.......

 

yumm yumm

Bank Holiday Crafting

Well happy Easter everyone, hope you've all had some good times both in the craft room and with your families, I've been playing with my Inktense pencils and blocks when it was me time. I practised colouring in with the pencils on some Octopode Factory images, and have ended up ordering some more pencils from AFTH which hopefully will arrive next week sometime.  Once I'd coloured the images I tried some ideas I'd thought of to use the Inktense blocks in a different way, they didn't work, LOL, so they are filed in the maybe another day pile. Then moved onto swiping the blocks across a tag and then painting it out, topped with Picket Fence distress stains through a stencil, a few of Dyans vines and after trying to find a Tweedledee and Tweedledum quote, found this stamps which went well with my sons bus ticket from that morning.

Liked the effect of the background so much, decided to try the technique on a journal page, don't know that this picture gives the full effect of the page, but I'm pleased with it, found the picture last night and the perfect quote today after getting peed off with the rest of the family, 4 days together is a challenge LOL.

anyway crafting time is over, time to think family finances and dinner.

Where does all the time go . .

I recently had a week off and managed to do hardly any crafting, but did manage a class with the brilliant Jo Capper-Sandon down near Lewes, as per usual I was late, I hate being late but it is a fair old drive from where I live and I still haven't worked out the best route, better luck next time . . LOL ( I know you are laughing Sussex gal!!), cant show you what I did there yet, but suffice to say it was brilliant, and as soon as I can I'll show all.

Now the thing with having a week off is you have to go back to work, I'm sure a lot of you are the same where the pressure is so intense to perform to a higher level all the time, but what can we do, but be grateful we've got a job and hope that the country recovers soon.  Anyway I managed to make it through another week and find some crafting time this weekend which is my chill time, a few cards needed for birthdays and to celebrate the birth of a baby .....

 great new stamp from Paper Artsy hot picks, I love it

 

and finally a treat for you all 

well I hope most of you enjoy it, pity he has got clothes on but hey ho .. 

right heres to a four day week (hallelujah)

Mothers Day cards

here are the two cards I have made this year, I am using  a card design by Helen Chilton in the  February issue of Craft Stamper, page 68, I was blown away by this card and thought the design was stunning and so clever, I'm afraid mine is not so neat and precise as Helen's (I wonder how many she had to make or whether it was a first time, job done), but I have done my best and I'm sure the two mums will appreciate them, well actually my mum saves mine to give back to me, (not sure that's a compliment LOL).
I used some of my Basic Grey paper pads, that I used to buy obsessively, but never used as they are too nice, but are now hidden away in a cupboard and forgotten about, so I have finally managed to comply with this year's Use it Up.

 

 

Anyway Happy Mothers Day to you all, hope you get spoilt, I'm hoping for the twilight Breaking Dawn DVD, big hints have been dropped . . LOL, as its my birthday the day before am also hoping for some cash for craft stash, I have my little wish list ready.

Sketch Book

I have found that I have a new interest in learning to use all the different art media that I have come across through my blog hopping, I am seeing if I can learn to draw, just to a basic level would be great; and have found myself pulled to all the different media's out there.  My new purchase is Inktense pencils and blocks, that I have seen some of the great mixed media artists out there use, though they have not been used on this project, in fact sitting in packet next to me, play time when I've finished this post.  This is a blank canvas book I picked up in WHS to start practising my drawing in, note not showing those attempts yet, (they are a bit cringeworthy LOL).  Anyway couldn't work in a blank faced book so got to work with some Paperartsy Fresco paints, a balzer template and some texture paste, and then added some stampotique stamps and lots of pen work in gold, black and white, quite proud of my underworld effect.

 

the beginning of the process

and midway

hope you like, off to play with my new purchases.