INKY FINGERS

Yep, they shamed me into it, so I made one – made the base of another two, actually but I’ve had enough for now. All that cutting and gluing, followed by sticking small squares does my hands no good at all, lol – fun, though :)

I’m really short on time right now, so very little time to stamp, which is frustrating, though I did go to a demo (by Mum at the Craft Group she set up before going off to New Zealand) on Tuesday afternoon and got to make a card. Lovely design but I messed it up – yip! Spent too much time chatting with old friends from church and lovely stamping friends.

However, I would perhaps have stamped something quickly, as I need to do my Musical Moments ATCs and a few other things BUT my stamp room is really in a mess. A friend of mine (who shall remain nameless, I think – or not , Neet) sent me some photos of what she thinks is her messy stamp room, so I reciprocated. Oops, I bet she has a shock when she gets them. So, I thought I’d give you the pleasure of seeing my creative mess – and I mean MESS. It was tidy a month or so ago but then I had a bit of a creative frenzy and was selecting stamps for a couple of projects and left all the stuff around due to lack of time – or a book being more interesting, lol. Then I started on several resist techniques, all of which are half done and waiting either for colour or to be made into cards. Meantime, I had a quick tidy of what was on the chair (nothing is sacred) and emptied a couple of my trusty baskets and plonked it all onto the desk, leaving myself a few inches to work in. Don’t think there’s even that, now… Check it out for yourself. Meantime, I got new stamps and HAD to try them out quickly, so I made even more mess and didn’t put them away cos they don’t have a ‘home’ yet. (Hangs head in shame…) Just hope it makes you feel better.

I think I need to tidy up?????

My younger son is 32 today, so Happy Birthday, Phil! I've been trying not to wake him too early because he's in Florida.

I’ve been given a Blog award by Donna – thank you VERY much, Donna. I’m supposed to tell you my five favourite things and choose ten people to give the award to, so here goes… gosh it’s hard to whittle this down to five!!

FIVE FAVOURITE THINGS

1. Wild birds and especially baby birds, but nature in general
2. U2. I love their music because most of what they sing about seems to be relevant to me
3. Stamping – I had lots of hobbies until I started stamping but I’m afraid it took over my life. One of the best things I ever discovered and I now have loads of lovely stamping friends, both online and IRL.
4. Anything French. I lived in France for a short time but have always been a bit of a Francophile and adore the language.
5. Being with friends. I’m blessed to have some really, really close friends and I’m always happy just to be with them.

Now for naming 10 blogs which inspire me. Not difficult to do, really, but hard to choose between them. So I’m afraid I’m going to have to come back to that, as I’m just about to go out…..

Thanks again, Donna!

We’re restarting the monthly challenges on Katy’s Corner UK and to ease us in gently, the first challenge is ‘Serendipity’. To make things easier for those who’ve never done this before, I’m posting the sheet I used to have on my website, for easy access.

This is one of those great techniques for using up all your bits and pieces of scrap paper and card - only problem being you won't want to throw the bits away, so you end up with bags or boxes of bits! The word means 'accidental discovery' and was dreamed up (literally – she dreamed the idea) by an American lady, whose name I don’t know.

OLD Stamp Club samples

Lynne Wilkinson, sample panel and the tall card was made by Debbie Shelton, using tag shapes

Star card by Freyja Lee.

SUPPLIES

Sheet of card to be used as base – A4 or A5, but A4 will give you more scope and will make more cards.

Scraps of paper, punchies, foils, wrapping paper, mulberry paper, handmade papers, magazine or newspaper pages, fabric scraps, netting or anything to use as collage. I have a Serendipity Basket and in that I throw bits of interesting paper, especially metallics (great at Christmas time or birthdays) just for this technique

Scissors (and or cutter)

Ruler (or other object to measure squares) - OR punch out shapes

Glue and/or Xyron machine

Stamps – can be any kind but usually works well in a theme, ie Asian, Christmas, Birthday, etc, etc – I also try to include at least one text stamp of some kind to achieve a nice arty feel to the finished item

Embossing ink of any kind - stick with Versamark if you're not sure

Embossing powder – any colour, but preferably to match the chosen ‘theme’ and colour scheme and metallics DO look nice

INSTRUCTIONS

• Take the plain piece of card and, using glue, cover it randomly with torn bits of paper, card, or whatever you choose to use (can even be bits of fabric). You don’t have to cover every centimetre of space, but don’t be too sparing, either. If you like you can also add some Marvy Metallics (or other brand) squiggles or some Acrylic paint squiggles – be inventive here!
• Once the glue has dried, using embossing ink, stamp – again randomly – all over the card and the papers you’ve glued to it. If you’re using more than one colour of embossing powder, do one colour at a time, tipping off excess before adding another colour. When stamped images are covered with ep, heat with heat tool until the powder melts. This will give you the basis for your Serendipity tiles. See samples below.
• I sometimes complete this stage with Gold Webbing spray – gives a very nice effect!
• 
• Your sheet should now look a mess!! A nice mess, but nothing perfect or aligned or organised. Turn it over and, using the ruler or other instrument, measure the back of the card in a grid of squares. I usually take a narrow ruler, draw down the side, then draw the next line a ruler’s width away, to avoid any measuring discrepancies. OR I use a cutter!! Cut the card into the squares (or shape of your choice) you measured, cutting from the back so that it is totally haphazard.
• TIP: If you have a Xyron, this is where it comes into its own. Run the completed sheet through the Xyron, using either permanent or non permanent adhesive, THEN measure on the front - saves all that messy gluing afterwards
• Take whatever card you are using as the first mat and arrange the shapes on it, gluing them down in whichever design or shape you prefer. They don’t have to match – in fact they look better if they don’t – and you can use as many or as few as you like to create your chosen design.
• When your design is complete, make up your card. You can use it as it is, or embellish it in any way you like. Add a Greeting or a Ribbon or a charm – anything. Experiment and see what you can come up with.

This is an ideal 'man's' card and the beauty of Serendipity is that no one can do anything wrong as it is just haphazard and every piece created is unique and individual - that is its beauty and attraction!!

Happy stamping!!!

I’m getting too old for this, lol. The U2 Concert was possibly the best of all I’ve been to, though not sure if I can compare it to Roundhey. Not only did we have fab band Elbow (after the Hours had been on) to entertain us and warm us up, but then U2 just excelled themselves. Excellent sound – we heard every single word – great stage and wonderful effects. AND we were really close to the front of the walkway, behind the small enclosure. Yep, we paid for it in terms of lack of movement and breathing space – standing in the same spot with hardly any room for manoeuvre for more than 5 1/2 hours doesn’t do your feet or legs any good and let’s not even think about those dreaded loo visits, which I managed to avoid by not drinking a thing!

Anyway, most of our phone shots and videos weren’t up to much but these two aren’t bad, so I thought I’d share. This is the crowd behind us, earlier in the evening.

This incredible bridge swung out and suddenly Edge was walking towards us, 4ft away with his fab guitar, followed later by Bono, singing to us – superb! You can see the bridge behind him and he’s slightly to our left, there, which explains the distance.

Unfortunately, it was 1.15am before we even managed to get out of Sheffield, so we only arrived home at 2.45 and I needed a drink after all those hours without in the hot sun (yes, it was a beautiful, summery day) so I was up until 3.45. Yes, I’m knackered, lol.

I just heard the sad news that a very special online friend of ours passed away on Monday and in honour of her wonderful talent, I’m uploading the piece she kindly sent me for my birthday this year. I may well have uploaded it before but it’s worth seeing again. Rest in peace, Suse!

Two quick ATCs made with my virgin stamps, which arrived this morning – a lovely surprise from a very precious friend, but you can’t let a stamp be new for long, can you? I’ve been playing with resist techniques for a couple of swaps I’m in, one of which I’m organising, so the backgrounds are Cuttlebug embossing folders and waxed paper (Cuttlewax technique), inked over, then highlights added with a white pen. I’ll post more resist samples in next few days, though I’m going to see U2, Thursday, so that may interfere somewhat, he, he!! YES, I’m excited!!!!

This one is my entry for the Created by Hand challenge – blue and purple.

I had a little time to play today and noticed this RSS challenge, which allowed me to indulge in my Francophile obsession, however predictable it may be.

The challenge is to include:-

a A monument

b Blue

c Cuttlewax technique

d Metal embellishment

e Cork

This one’s for an online friend, who’s owl mad!

Inside, it says 'Another year wiser...' but I'm going to add a question mark...

… and this is a new one from Paperartsy. I just couldn’t resist…

Just spent a lovely couple of hours playing – nothing demanding, just simple, uncluttered stamping. Mum brought me this Stampin Up set from New Zealand and I couldn’t resist trying it out.

Did a couple of ATC swaps Friday night, one for Stamp Club yesterday and the other for a KCUK swap.  Unfortunately, you can’t see much of the colour on the second one, which was subtle shimmer.  Have to say, they’re not my usual style but I fancied a change.  Not so easy taking photos after midnight and trying to avoid your own shadow, lol.

Mum and Dad will be in England for 5 weeks from Tuesday, staying with friends, so I doubt I’ll be around too much but will try.