Are You A FOLLOWER?.... (UPDATED)

Hi, just noticed that my followers widget has disappeared - not sure if its temporary or not but I was playing with my blog last night (I managed to change the background but that's as far as I got). So I'm not sure what's going on now, may have to re-load my original template. I have checked but the widget seems to bethere but not showing - so if you are a follower and got a notification of this post could you let me know?

While I'm here, just a reminder that it is a week until the July Draw closes. See side bar for details.

Oh and the picture, that's one of my best creations to date, my lovely daughter.


UPDATE UPDATE.......

Thank you sooo much to everyone who has let me know that my followers are visible - I have to say, I still can't see it, whether I am 'just looking' or logged in. Weird huh? Seems like these things happen so I shall just give it a few days to see if it re-appears!!!

Just a quick post.......

Am supposed to be at home 'on holiday' with my OH this week (funny, the maid hasn't been in yet) so am trying NOT to sneak off to my craft room at every opportunity. Still managing to get some stuff done, including another rake of birthday stuff which I can't post yet. It is also my daughter's 18th in a month's time so I have to knuckle down and sort out a card and perhaps a little memory album for her but I'm fresh out of inspiration at the moment. However, as I have done them for other people I think she might be a bit miffed if she doesn't get something!! Any ideas anyone?

Meanwhile here's a couple of finished ATCs from this week's batch.





Still splodging and doing transfers, but think it's definitely time for a change...

Just a couple I like....

Hello everyone, felt the need to come online this morning - withdrawal symptoms. Very antsy at the moment still waiting for final decisions about job to come through - well it appears I do still have a job so I guess I should be grateful but don't know where, who I will be working with or what days/times they would like me to work which makes me feel very unsettled. I did manage to actually do quite a lot of art in the early part of this week, but got so unsettled there's still a lot to be finished. On a positive note, had a great day in the garden yesterday... wasn't going to go out there at all, popped out to put washing out about 9.30 and it was such a nice day didn't come back in (well apart from the odd comfort break!!) until 5.30. Feel very virtuous, and everything looks nice and tidy. I ache a bit though, but in a good way!!

Anyhoo, here are a couple of atcs - I'm still playing with splodging medium and acrylics over things and was quite pleased with the way these two turned out. Might be time for a change soon though...

Texture ATC

The challenge at Tuesday Taggers this week is 'Texture'. The main background is a piece of an old paper plate that I had used to mix up paints and mediums - when it all dried it left some interesting textures and colours. I added a splodge of 'Magic Metal' gold embossing powder and stamped into it using a piece of patterned rubber. The textured paper flower has been run through the cuttlebug using the 'Tiny Bubbles' folder to give it a bit more depth and then lightly covered with metallic rub-on to lift the embossing further. A piece of string, some gluey beads and a clay face - and that's pretty much it. Once I had put the beads around the face, it reminded me of a historical figure.... so I added the little cross and called it 'The Maiden'. The filigree circle just seemed to finish it off.

Another Bit of Old Tat

Well while Nicks' agonises over changing the title of her blog, I will plagiarise her title for this blog. I'm just blogging a little hanging I sent her for her birthday - she had made some nice comments about my altered mirror a few weeks ago, and as I had a couple of bits of 'trial' stamping, I thought I'd try and make something of them. The 'a' was already there so it wasn't much of a leap to 'TAT' (well it could have been cat but don't know where that would have led)and so on it went. The cropodile got a bit of a workout, and the only bit that was a pain was the shrink plastic word - that white shrink plastic does not behave as well as the clear stuff!! Anyhow here it is.



While I'm blogging birthday gifts, here is a little tag book I made for the wonderfully talented Joanne R, who doesn't have a blog, but who can be found on the DC website.



The book is made from toilet roll inners and each tag was supposed to have a verse on the back - had printer problems that day and just realised I sent it off without them! Oh well, I think she liked it anyway!





One final tag, this was for Maureen's birthday. Phew, that was a busy month!!

July Giveaway - 'Solitude', an altered CD

Well that just about sums it up. Lots going on at the moment so I have kept it simple this month with a wall hanging made from an altered CD. I wanted to use this image of a thoughtful vintage lady and one of these 'enchanted doors' from itkupilly and came across this quote which seemed to with these images...



Although I treasure my friends, both in the 'real' and in the 'virtual' world I am also very happy to be on my own - solitude is definitely a 'haven' for me. I was still playing with my layering when doing this and I have also been making wire wrapped charms for a swap over on GAS MAMMA (great fun, even if they do look a bit like caterpillers) and used one for the 'dangly' bit. So I hope you like the finished piece.



OK, if you have an empty space on your wall somewhere and would like a chance to win this altered cd, you need to leave a comment on this post before 8.00 pm on Friday 31st July. I will be away at the end of July, so the draw will be made on Saturday morning.

Please feel free to link to this post on your blogs, the more the merrier.

Cindy xx

Just gotta blog this...

because it's Friday, and for once I am at home and can make my entry for Art Creations Friday. This week's challenge was to use a beautiful background. Once again, it seems a shame to cover up such beautiful work, but I have done a little bit of stamping, colouring and collage to make it my own. I have called this one 'Pink Parasol' - hope you like!



Just a little reminder that my July giveaway will be uploaded this evening - so don't forget to check back!!

No, I am not really shy and retiring...

some of you may have seen that I am a guest designer this week on Tuesday Taggers. For some reason I have been unable to get my little bio and photo across the ether so Michelle has had to improvise - just as well that's a better photo than the one I was going to send!!



The theme is best pals with sentiments and I made the above card in a cutesy style (not like me I know) using this little boy stamp I have and then just for fun I made a second item - this time I regressed to my comfort zone with a distressedish tag, using some zetti type stamps, grungeboard heart, prima flowers and a little verse. This week's challenge sponsored by the Craft Emporium so not only can you have the fun of taking part, you could be the winner of some super crafting goodies. Do pop over to the TT website and have a look.



I have also been playing with the ideas of layers this week and have lots of things to show you but for now here are two finished ATCs. The 'bird' uses a piece of resist embossed backing paper I made ages ago - the effect was striking but didn't 'go' with anything, so I have re-worked it completely by overlayering with additional papers, changig the colour with watered down acrylic glazes, some inking, and also added a bit of texture, I'm not sure now if this was thick acrylic, gesso or gloopy gel medium but it all kinda comes out the same. There is just a hint of the original left but this is definitely a better background and more the kind of effect I want to achieve.



This last one is called 'pretty in pink' - again it started off with a reist emboss background (I actually used a sample of rubber non slip matting as a stamp to create a dotty background - recycle, recycle..) but with several layers of glaze and ink to get to the final colours. I do love to play and have been having great fund getting all inky and painty (good job I didn't bother getting the nails done this week).

STILL PLAYING CATCH UP...

What a glorious couple of days we have had here, much less sticky and just pleasantly summery. Still having to get in to my craft room early though as the sun beats in all through the middle of the day and gets too hot - a good time to go out and enjoy the garden though!!

Anyhow, two more things I've managed to squeeze in here and there. Firstly a tag for Tuesday Taggers. This week's challenge is sponsored by the Craft Barn and the theme was 'Distress' a la the master Mr Holtz. I dutifully watched the recommended tutorial (and a few others, once you start you can't stop and then I had to go back and watch the first one again because I'd forgotten what I was supposed to be doing) and did a crumple distress background for the tag. I'm not sure that the rest of it is very distressed, but I got very distressed stamping it. The only ink that seems to stay wet enough to stamp in this heat is Stazon. Anyhow had fun playing about with my distress inks and spritzers and made quite a few background papers that can be used.



I've also managed to make an ATC for Art Creations Friday. Another beautiful image this week, although I'm not sure I've done her justice, just may have to use her again sometime.

Oooh, I have been busy...

but this is all I've got to show for it!! I've been catching up on BRAKS, and birthday cards and a couple of items I can't show you yet as they are surprises... hate not having anything to upload to my blog!!



This is my entry for the current ATC swap over at MAMMA. The swap is called 'rummage sale' and you have to use a background technique, fabric, metal and a triangle!!

My background is a salted background that I made a while ago, the fabric is the body of the little 'doll'. She looked a bit lost, so I gave her a kind of crown made from a re-cycled tea light container (these are great for flowers by the way, the metal is very soft and easy to cut and shape) coloured with alcohol inks. The point bits of the crown are my triangles. I must have been conscious that the closing date for this swap is the 4th July, as I decided she looked a bit like a very famous statue and called her 'Liberty'.

Phew, at least that's one done. I'm always playing catch up.