INKY FINGERS

I’ve been too busy to stamp the last few weeks and especially so this week cos my big brother (elder of two younger, really) has come home from New Zealand. Since he’s no landline until he sorts out his phone/broadband/TV package, he’s been asking me to do a lot of research for him, which has meant lots of phone calls and surfing. Fun, but very time consuming and somewhat mind boggling. Good to have him home, though! It’s nice to have family here again…

I forgot to photograph the last couple of items I made, in my haste to get them out to the people concerned, one of which was my very belated Fun Swap, which turned out to be fun in the end. I’ve also sent out lots of Birthday cards and RAKs, though I really can’t remember which I did and didn’t upload.

I photographed a couple before I sent them – simple ones – so here they are.

This is a Twinklers background – not used them for years so this was one I had in my background stash – they were painted over mulberry paper, so give a marbled, glittery effect which is really nice. I wouldn’t recommend the stamp company, as this and the other one I bought from them are almost impossible to get a good impression from – I am tempted to name them, but I won’t! Words are from Stamp Camp – an A6 plate of them and I love them.

Simple colouring of an About Art Accents Oriental image but it works.

There’s a lot of text and background detail on this one but you can hardly see it. No matter how hard I tried to get a close up, it blurred. You’ll just have to take my word for it, he, he!

Cover of a 3” x 3”

Inside, flat

Inside, upright

I’m hosting an ATC swap and just did mine (they were due by the end of the month, so only one day late, lol – early for me!) so here they are. I’m not over impressed and really didn’t colour them well, at all. This was the second batch, too – I binned the first lot. WAY too lot and a long time since I stamped – amazing how you lose that ability to know what to put where when, if you don’t keep it up.

Had a great evening.  My son – the little one (family joke cos he’s the tall one, really but younger) was in Barcelona to see U2 and he was so excited, he kept sending me texts while waiting outside the stadium, then when inside.  Just before Snow Patrol came on stage he sent me a last text to say be ready to get the phone because he wouldn’t say anything.  Then at 10.00, he rang and left his phone on, so I could hear the first four songs!  Wonderful – sadly, he cut me off because he was afraid of dropping his phone but I’ll forgive him.  Just hope he got back to the hotel safely cos he rang me later and the police shut the Tube station while he was speaking to me, leaving them a few miles from their hotel and not sure where they were!  Have to remember he’s a big boy, now….  Not long till August and the  Sheffield Concert!

Wow, it’s a long time since I posted. I finally stamped and it’s good to be able to stamp again, but it’s HOT!!! Unfortunately, my stamping room is south facing, as is this computer room, so I’m really struggling at the moment. I’ve done 3 samples for Saturday’s Stamp Club but have already ripped the front off one, so I won’t show you that one, lol.

You can see I’ve made one or two very slight additions here.

This is what they look like from the top, although some are very slightly different – just the positioning of the pop-ins and pop-outs.

These two look so similar because I gave up on the first one (the one above) then decided I could make it work if I changed the way the popouts worked. Duh!

I liked the inside but couldn’t get it to work the way I was originally going to do it. So, I made the other one – the first one. That’s the one I’ve ripped the cover off to redo, so I’ll post the cover later. More to do yet, but not tonight…

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been putting together cards from images I stamped over a period of time. Some are very simple and basic, others have a little more work in them, but at least I’m able to send some birthday cards for a change! Hopefully, I’ll be able to stamp again, soon…

Believe it or not, there are even MORE, but I won’t upload them all, lol!

Sparkling – lots of sparkle on this one.

Don’t think you can see the sparkle on this one, but it really is there :)

This one also fits in with this week’s Wednesday Stamper, Faerie/Fairy. Bit of a cheat, I know, but I’m using other stamps at the moment…

I used some of my Port Sunny stash here. I’ve always wanted that Penny Black stamp and couldn’t resist the Crafty Individuals Birds plate.

Still not stamping but I’ve been putting together some cards from images I’d already stamped. Lots of fun :)

Not very inspiring, but still not able to do much, unfortunately, so I used a single collage stamp – one that I’ve had for about 5 years and never used, shame on me.  I quite liked the colours.  I used Versamagic reinkers, which are lovely, true pastel shades.

  Found this little beauty in the garden today, but sadly, I’m not sure if he survived.  He made so much noise that his location was far from secret and – unfortunately - after a lot of chunnering from the adults and some apparent disturbance, he could no longer be heard.

It's Port Sunny tomorrow and approx 28 (Wow!) KCUK members are meeting up there, so I thought I'd better break the habit of a lifetime and actually make some ATCs. Nothing fancy cos my hands won't let me play too much at the moment, but I’m hoping I’ll have enough!!!