Monday, 26 October 2015

Me on Monday - and a retreating kind of weekend

Today I am waving at Sian over at 'High in the Sky'. I love her
weekly meme 'Me on Monday' and lots of my blog friends take part. I often think I will join the party but never do. Until now. Because I have a post to write as part of my 30 Day Blogging Challenge and I have had a fun weekend. So why wait any longer?!

Friday was the start of my weekend. It was a get-up at silly-hour kind-of-day so that I could fit more in.  Out of necessity that is, rather than choice, because I had places to go and things to do. I try to be organised and prepared. Really!  

I had planned to pack for a weekend away before I went to bed but I was tired and sometime I need to listen to my body and rest.  And as it happens I am more active in the morning, so I set the alarm and then spent the next couple of hours packing my materials and equipment into bags while trying to think what projects I wanted to work on. There was also bags with clothes, bedding, and bits-I-can't-leave-at-home, you know the kind of things, mobile charger, reading book, journal, and wine....


It was also a shower, dress up and wear a necklace kind-of-day.
I had booked to attend a business woman's experience day, so I had workshops to attend, parking space to find, and a smart bag instead of my usual one. It was also tense drive in traffic kind-of-day, thinking I will be late and all the car park spaces taken. Instead, everything flowed. I arrived early, parked and booked in. I got a
bag of goodies (sorry, I tried a spirula cereal bar and decided the chickens may like them more than me!) and then it was successive workshops, each thoroughly worth attending. One of these was presented by Sarah Arrow, who runs the 30 Day Blogging Challenge, and it was lovely to meet her in person. I enjoyed a Reiki session and a workshop about Inner Warrior, and let's face it, it is important to work, rest, and play!!

It was a leave early kind-of-day, because my friend Jill would be on my doorstep when I got home. And she was!  So it was open the front door, load all my bags and boxes into her car, and be off again kind-of-day.

It was excited-chat in the car journey, and finally, a letting-go as we pulled into the car park and unloaded our things into the hall.  It was a hello-lovely-to-see-you again kind-of-day, as we blew up lilos, made up beds, and prepared for our weekend camping in a hall.  We know how to live it up!! And as friends arrived, and paper and glue spread, the busy day slipped into a memory. Despite my early start, who wants to be the first to go to bed? Not me! I was up with the rest til gone midnight. Because that's what weekends are about.



Saturday was another create and chill kind-of-day, with cake o'clock and lovely home cooked meals. With Kerry pulling-it-together, this weekend is easy flowing and as relaxing as any expensive spa. It was a thinking-of-you card making, and lots of book making kind-of-day and with clocks going back we gained an extra hour too. But Sunday comes all to soon and in the afternoon it was a pack up kind-of-day. But for once I left feeling as relaxed as I arrived. A lesson learned kind-of-day. Because usually I am last to finish packing and tables and chairs are being cleared around me. I feel under pressure and each time I try a different tack - start packing earlier in the day, clear up as I go - but nothing made any difference. Until yesterday. I started to pack after lunch and just kept out a few materials that I was using. It worked! Come time to go I was packed within minutes and ready first!  It was a drive home feeling refreshed and content kind-of-day.



Back home it was time to catch up with the family.  My son had stayed over and the men had spent their weekend playing with camper vans and buying a Nexus tablet. It was a cook a curry and chill
kind-of-day to end. And that was just perfect.  Just like my weekend. And that's Me on Monday. Thanks for popping by and I'll be back tomorrow.

Sunday, 25 October 2015

IT'S TIME TO DREAM - Design Team Project

My last 2 projects were grungy so for this months That Craft Place Design Team project for I decided to do something different.
I looked through my box for inspiration but in the end it came to me through a quote: 
 
'A dream would not want to go out into the world unless there was somewhere receptive to receive it'.
Andrea Schroeder

I started by covering a mannequin and a pair of wings with gesso.
Please note: a supply list will be provided at the end!

While the paint dried I printed the quote onto 120gm paper, leaving a small gap between some of the words.
 
I then selected some decoupage papers. 
 
Can you spot the odd one out?  
I wanted another pattern to compliment the sheets of tissue so I picked out a serviette. It's important to separate the layers and often they are 3-ply. I find it easier to start in the centre as the edges are crimped together.
You will usually find the printed top layer, a plain bottom layer, and one in the centre that has a faint impression:  
 

Keep each of these, they will all be useful for future projects. If your top layer is too bold you can glue it face down, you will still see the colour but it will be more subtle.  However, I wanted bright so started to tear the sheets into small pieces and to glue them onto the mannequin using Matt Medium.

Once covered I tore the words into strips and glued these into position, sp that they run down the front and around the bottom. 

I painted the wings using a blend of PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic and Pearl Glaze. While the paint was still wet I sprinkled
them with DecoArt Glammer Dust. Let me say here, I'm not someone who uses a lot of sparkle, but I thought it might suit this project. I'm not so sure! I have decided to leave it for now, knowing I can come back and change it if I change my mind.  The wings actually look better in real life, but what do you think?


 









SUPPLY LIST

Mannique and Wings

White Gesso
PaperArty Fresco Chalk paint: nougat & Pearl Glaze
DecoArt Glammer Dust
DecoArt Matt Medium
4 sheets of Decopatche tissue or serviettes 


*Note: You only need small pieces of each sheet. Keep the rest for future projects. 


All these items are available from That Craft Place
To see more Design Team projects pop over to That Craft Place Blog
 and why not enter this months Mixed Media challenge?  You'll find details how to take part and lots more ideas too. And if you watch shopping channels on tv you might have seen the owner of TCP this week.  Lisa designs and supplies MDF to Creative Expressions. Well done Lisa, you looked so professional and relaxed!   

So that's me done!
I hope some of these ideas inspire you, thank you for popping by.  
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