Wading in !

My last post showed my craft area (I still cringe when I think that I shared this!)  

I'm not a tidy worker at the best of the time... things spread and spill and how ever much I get out there is always something else you need.  You know how it is! 

My plan to blitz the room was sabotaged when I felt unwell for a few days, so the door remained shut while I had pj days laying on the sofa, catching up with films and programmes I had saved to watch on the TV.

I made one concession, I needed a birthday card for an aunt.  It was a special birthday so I wanted it personal and found a photo of when she was a bridesmaid.  I received a phone call from her this morning, expressing her surprise and love of the card. 

It's moments like that that make it worthwhile and remind me why I go to the effort I do.  It would be so much quicker to send a shop bought card, but that would not give me any sense of pleasure in sending,or match the enjoyment I get from coming up with ideas and then making them happen. 

I got the idea for this card from a blog I'd just seen.   Pretty Lil' Things just sums these tags up!!

Sian posted a tutorial for beautiful paper rosettes that she made and I want to have a go....  like now! 

But I will have to be patient use it as motivation and a carrot at the end of my stick. 

So with energy restored and motivation flowing I am about to open the door and
wade in! 

By the way, if you like the Dymo tape you can make one here. 

I found the link on a blog and wanted to give credit but I forgot to write down the details.

How do you keep tract of blogs you might want to come back to??  I am sure I am not the only one who hops from blog to blog, getting more and more lost and giddy with excitement! 

So, apologises to the person concerned... and thank you! 

Comfort in the Choas....

I'm embarrassed to show my workspace this Wednesday but after a residential weekend, followed by a crop and time crafting with friends, everything has got out of hand.

So with some time off work I finally have an opportunity to blizt!  I have spent today unpacking the rest of the bags and trying to reorganize.  I have bought lots of new materials recently (to compensate for  the ongoing situation at work), and now I need larger storage containers.  So I have been reshuffling, relabling, and redesigning my work area.  A job that is long overdue!

While I have been busy, it's also been a lot of fun.  The residential was at Belstead and a 'Focus on Photos'.  Moira Neal showed us how to use Picasa, a free software that enables you to create collages and special effects.  We had much fun in the garden using a sheet of white paper to reflect the sun, and we took turns having our photo taken with the sun in each direction so we could experiment with light and shadows.  With everyones camera focused and clicking we each had our moment of fame.  And sometimes, amid roars and tears of laughter, Moira set her timer and did a quick dash so she could  be included in the shot.  If only learning was always this much fun!! 


On our way to Belstead we went on a mamouth shop, first to A Trip Down Memory Lane, where I finally spent the £20 voucher that I won back in January at my monthly crop, Eclectic Keepsakes.  Then we went to a recycling centre where we bought bags of wonderful goodies at bargain prices.  I was especially pleased with a huge bundle of lace and bag of fabric, it really is pot luck when you go to these scrap stores but we were not disappointed.  Then we met up with another friend who took us to Papermaze.  This was my first visit and I was very impressed.  Although small it had an amazing stock and even more to pack into the already bulging car.  Finally, with an hour to spare, we stopped off at The Range. And yet more goodies found their way into my possession.  Sometimes it is just too hard to resist!    

Here are just a few bits that I bought, and some books I took a long to the course.  We also looked at Photoshop Elements, and I was very excited to learn a couple of things I'd been wanting to do. 

I worked on my 'Journal Your Christmas' album while I was there and just have about 5 pages to go.  It feels like it has been on the go for months, which would be true, but I only pick it up now and then and still enjoy putting it together.  I love the overall idea and this has been my first  attempt at journalling. 
Also on the table you can see some Paper Artsy stamps - I LOVE these and managed to pick them up at a bargain price.  I also bought a set of gorgous papers 'For the Record'.  I plan to use these, not just admire, and they will be perfect for a family album I have in mind.  I have a lovely collection of old family photos waiting to be used.   But before I start I want to finish tidying and create a space that is good to work in.  Hopefully, I can take another photo and it will look much more inviting than the one I showed at the beginning of this post!