More ATCs......

Had a nice week (well, apart from the toothache saga but hopefully that's all sorted now). Made these three ATCs for a swap where the Woman's face had to be the  main focus of the ATC.

But while I was at it I kind of got  into a bit of a splodgy, inky messy place.... initially I was just trying to use up some of the ATC sized card I have cut out from when I used to make an ATC a day (remember the 365 project? LOL, that seems ages ago). I was also trying to use up some of my STUFF, of which I have, ahem, rather a lot...... guilt setting in last week because I knoew I was going crafty shopping at Ally Pally. I only succeeded in using a few stickers so that wasn't entirely successful!!

I also got out my crackle paint which has nearly dried up in the bottle it has been so long since I used it (!) and I couldn't even get my golden gel medium open (needs an hour sitting in a bowl of hot water, usually works). Because I wanted to cover my collage, I remembered that I used to use watered down PVA glue as a sort of varnish. I think this is the technique you use for traditional decoupage (NOT the layered kind!!). You keep adding layers and layers of the pva mix and you can even sand in between and then re-cover. It eventually gives a very fine, hard varnish-like finish. So I got a bit carried away although I only did the sanding on one or two. Very therapeutic actually!!

I was really doing it to try and make the chandelier sticker in the background of the ATC blend in - it's vinyl and I just didn't like it. It looks better now but it's taken me all week - was it worth it?? Other things I have been doing this week include a canvas, which is nearly finished (I've been doing that for months never mind weeks), aaaaaaaand I have done another page in my ABC Journal - haven't touched that for over a year!!! Not even sure the group for that one is still alive. Still, doesn't really matter I suppose but at this rate I shall be retired before it's finished. And of course, I came back from ALly Pally with my mind buzzin' seeing all those talented peeps and the lovely works on display - and, er a few little things might have popped into my bag that I'm itching to play with. Just a few, honest!! (What's the definition of a few....?)

See ya soon, Cindy

Gothic Arch Book

Well here is a little project I made for my Art n Soul group on Flickr. I sat down to do it last week (at the last minute of course, we'd had about two months) thinking 'aaah, gothic arch, simples...'. Then I re-read the instructions and realised the theme was

Music!! Hadn't registered that at all so there followed a frantic hour of searching for music type papers and images. Couldn't think of anyway to tie it all together except with quotes so searched for some of those (sometimes google is great!) and then threw it all together.

Home again, on line again, crafting again

Though who knows how long any of it will last!! Just got back from a great break in Spain with the family - seriously, I did NOT want to come home! Here's why:-

Just heaven. Still, since I got back have managed to get my new pc up and running, so far so good, so expect to see me about a bit more. Feeling very disconnected with everything and very out of touch but I will get there. Have also finished a couple of crafty pieces. Here is another altered slide mailer I started for myself when making this month's giveaway.

This is using the replacement stamp set I chose from crafty individuals (see this post). I just love that bathing beauty!!

Inside I found a use for the huge pot of crushed seashells I have had forever and because that made it all a bit bulky I split the mailer in two and made a 'hinge/spine' from some paper I bought at paperchase about two years ago. I always feel better when I use up a bit of stash (especially when I know I'm going to go out shopping soon lol). Talking of using old stash the challenge at Try it On Tuesday this week is to use a stamp that you bought but have nerver, ahem, actually used. Not many of them in my stash!! (Everything is crossed as I say that). Anyhow I know that I bought this fairy silhouette stamp well over a year ago (Oh alright, it is a whole set of them, never been used) and I don't think I've ever used the sentiment either. At least it looks very clean!!

Finally a quick peek of the inside of this month's giveaway which I didn't upload because all my technology was being so unco-operative.

Join in here before 30th September.

September Giveaway - Slide Mailer

what I hear you cry, posting a giveaway before he end of the month? Whatever next!!



Well that's it, a summery altered slide mailer conceived when I thought we were going to have a summer. Don't know about you, but I've had a winter woollie on today and I will be wearing full winter regalia to go to bed tonight. Brrrrr!!!!

Anyhow, this is a bit of summery nostalgia for you. Usual rules apply, if you want to play leave a comment on this post before 9.00 pm on Friday 30th September. Feel free to link from your own blogs, international players welcome.

I am off to Sunny Spain in a couple of days, so I won't be about much for the next week (nothing new there you say). BUT, BIG NEWS..... the new pc arrives tomorrow (yes it has taken an age) so hopefully I will be able to get everything working properly and get back on the net a bit more. I have missed you all so much!!

JUST TO SAY SORRY.....

for not being about. I have had a really bad virus on the pc which keeps blocking me from everything google related - yep, makes it pretty impossible to do most things!! So I just haven't been bothering to come on line lately as it means using someone else's pc and it just all gets too tedious..... Still, I have a new machine coming so hope to be back on line properly soon. Haven't uploaded the August giveaway yet so I think I'll leave it this month. I'll upload a new giveaway for next month at the end of August just before I go on holiday so it can run while I'm away (I hope anyhow!!!). Have also been really busy with mum and work (kids summer holidays are a killer with events every week) and just haven't had the time or drive to get it sorted out.

So thanks everyone for your best wishes - and Sussie - I loved the postcard!! Off out now, I have to go and dig up some buried treasure lol.

Here she goes again.....

Well that was a week and a half!! Mum got rushed in to hospital last Wednesday with suspected appendicitis. They duly whipped it out on Friday, and she came home late Saturday but days and late nights at the hospital on top of working left me pretty whacked!! Then we had the joys of the London riots... Ealing is a couple of miles away from our house and we had our own local hooligans who had a go (unsuccessfully) at a couple of local shops and businesses - everything shut down early afternoon on Tuesday on police advice (including the PO which was a bit of a pain as it was the only time I could get there this week!!) but it stayed pretty calm as far as I could see, and hopefully the worst is over.

Anyhoo got a bit of crafting done this morning before work, just this little tag which I will be putting in for 'Try it on Tuesday'. About time I entered something!!

And the July winner is.....

SUSSIE!!!! I have your addy so will post out Friday. Thanks for playing!!

Now you may have noticed that I am a bit late posting.... well the pc saga goes on. We have finally decided that the basic problem is google, I have somehow got a redirect bug attached to google on my machine. Trying to fix that over the weekend we managed at one stage to lose everything and had a dead pc (heart stopping moment that isn't it) but stirling efforts on the part of my OH mean that I have pretty much everything back - AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T HAVE A LINK TO GOOGLE. Go figure. I am writing this on my OHs pc as I just cannot sign in to blogger from mine, it just will not do it. (I do use a google account/ID so that's probably why so there might be a way to get in with another ID - depending how I set it up? Think I can remember - naaah) And I can't get on to google no how, no way. It is really weird!!!!!

What we did discover when trying to restore the pc however is that lots of stuff on it is so old it is not supported anymore and it was a real fag to reload all the updates etc etc (I am trying to sound like I have a clue what was going on but Naaah, I don't) so it seems the best thing would be to upgrade. Yay!!! I have given OH a budget and instructions to get the best he can. At least I won't be wasting so much time looking at a blank screen!!