Workshop Photos - Saturday 12th July 2014

Good Evening Friends..from a very tired gal, so excuse me any spelling errors! Have you all had a fine weather Saturday? It's been really hot here!

First of all, I want to welcome two new followers - Annie, who's known on here as Aussie Annie and has a blog with gorgeous designs posted...click here to take a look! Also June Macfarlane...welcome June, I hope you like what you see and will visit often. I can't see that you have a blog, but of you do please let me know so that I can come visit!

I've had a hectic and tiring week, with some crafting achieved, but mostly to meet deadlines such as our workshop, a few birthdays and a few commissions and I still have a lot to do..thankfully I have Monday at home this week, work days back to normal!

Today was actually a lovely, productive day...we began with a visit to the bird farm to get some food for our ladies. I was chatting to James, the owner about losing Lacey, so now we were down to two.He was surprised that we had lost her so young too and we both agreed that it could have been bacteria picked up whilst free ranging or a tumour. 

We always wander around the coops after making our purchase, I didn't really want to today, but we did...the first little group of hens we saw, free ranging on the grass included a Lacey, then they had some more Orpington Chicks (by now I was welling up!) and then the run that always gets me going, the ex-battery hens, lacking in feathers but so happy to be in the fresh air...honest if we had the room I'd have them all!

I don't know if we are going to stay with just Bella and Cara now, or get two more. I would love two Orpingtons, but I'm not going to push for it. Our two girls seem very happy and relaxed, so maybe it's best to leave as it is. We need to decide before September though, as a don't want to be introducing new hens when the weather starts to change and the days are shorter.

This afternoon, we decided to take advantage of the weather and clear out the craft barn (okay...Summerhouse) to get my newly shabby chiqued (is that even a word!) desk into it's proper place. I should have photographed the lawn with all the furniture and bits of craft stuff and paint tins on it...you'd think we were having a 'lawn sale'. I am happy to say that Tom made two trips to the local Recycling Centre (tip) and we got rid of quite a lot - there weren't too many spiders and no big ones.

 Just some rearranging and tidying left to do now and I'm good to use it for my mixed media/altered art work - how exciting! I am really pleased with the way the desk looks and there are a few other  small pieces of furniture in there I need to paint - I'll take photos when it's all complete!

Workshop Photos

This week's card for my group was posted here on Thursday...here are some of the cards made by the ladies on my group. They all seemed to enjoy it and as always there were different 'takes' on the original card. There were some new techniques and materials to use, such as the paints, which they were all very taken with. We have a repeat of the workshop this coming Thursday.

Leeann made the last card- she always comes up with a really different and effective design...she was also the only one who managed to finish the butterflies inside...fabulous!

Sorry I've been a bit wordy today, I'll be back Monday with another card...the rest of my craft time this weekend, I'll be playing    working, with new stamps from Sam, can't wait to share my first post using them on Tuesday!

Love and Hugs for a great Sunday..hope the sun shines!

Carole X

Workshop Card - Thursday 10th July 2014

Hello Friends,

Hope you are all well and once more thank you so much for all your comments on my post for Sam Poole's DT this week. It took ages to make, mostly late at night when the footie was on TV downstairs, but it was something I could really get involved in, which I don't often get the chance to do at the moment..honestly my favourite things to make all do something - pop, slide, surprise. I have an idea for an artwork and scrapbook page, I just need time to devote to it, but I've got to say I was pretty pleased with it!

This week has been very hectic and busy. I have been working 'odd' times because the library was taking industrial action today, so I couldn't use my office. I was however glad of today off because I was behind in preparing tonight's workshop project for my group. I had to change it at the last minute (for reasons I won't bore you with!), so it was rather rushed to prepare all the packs today. It's not normally the kind of card I would make, except for commissions and there are quite a few parts to it, but I think they will be okay with it...

I used purple and lilac card and started with adding PVA dots around the edge.

The first lilac layer was made using a 'That special touch' polka dot mask, 'inked' through with Cosmic Shimmer Pearl Shimmer Paint. For the second lilac layer I used a Damask Mask by Sam Poole, to which I added clear embossing ink before laying on my card and running through my GC. I then heat embossed with holographic powder to give a bit of a twinkle.

The stamps I used are by Creative Expressions and the sentiment LOTV. I stamped with clear ink and heat dried with Detail White powder.

The flowers are by Heartfelt Creations; I cut them out and used a white pen to highlight.

I die cut the butterfly using lilac card - then I put a little purple mica powder on my mat and gave a quick squirt of Cosmic Shimmer ink Spray in purple into it, mixed it up and swooshed the butterfly around in it.

I then decided to give them a taste of my pop ups inside for a bit of a surprise...

I die cut various plain butterflies and also Spellbinders Blossom One.

To make this kind of butterfly trail insert, you normally need to cut a spiral, but I wondered if the spiral created by this die would work...and it did...perfect!

I just made this in white, to show them how to do it, but it could be coloured and I have a card in my head using this technique that I now have to make...and I'll take a better photo when I do!

Thanks so much for stopping by, I really do appreciate your visits! As I finish this I notice I have two new followers...wow, thank you for the follow! I will welcome you properly tomorrow! 


Love and Hugs,
Carole X

Pop Up Art Journal page - Tuesday 8th July 2014

Hello Friends,

It's Tuesday, so my DT post day over on Sam Poole's Creative-Studios blog. I'm having a little detour from the nautical stamps this week and revisiting a set of Sam's stamps that I really enjoy creating with and which I think are perfect for journalling...Art Flowers and Art Sayings

I've always loved scrapbooking, but never seem to get the time - believe me I am still trying to even get started with last year's California road trip! But something else I dabbled in at one time and really do want to get into again is journalling. My lovely blog friend Sandee, creates the most amazing journalling pages and she has really got me inspired: I've even been practising my hand-writing, which used to be beautiful and is now awful, thanks to the constant tapping on a keyboard!

So this week's post did start out as a scrap page, but last week I was a little sad to say the least and Mr Mojo just wasn't there, until I was flicking through my collection of Sam's stamps and picked up this set...suddenly starting an Art Journal was calling to me! I'm starting small though, mixing my love of Pop Up and kinetic cards with journalling and using stamps to achieve this. Over on Sam's site today is my first page....

....the photo below is just the cover....

Please, pretty please...do pop over and have a look inside at the first page...to create this project I've used shimmer paint, the new glitter texture pastes (more inside!) and my melt pot...see you over there?

The link is http://www.creative-studios.co.uk/pop-up-art-journal-page

Many, Many Thanks!

Love and Hugs,
Carole X

Vroom! Vroom! - Monday 7th July 2014

Hello Friends,

I hope you all had great weekends, especially my followers in the USA who have all been having a lovely 4th July Holiday weekend!

Just a quick post today, this is a guy card I made recently...

It's a 7x7 blank which I covered with red card. I cut a panel of white card and using a small polka dot mask inked through using Dried Marigold distress ink. I then used something that I got at Ally Pally this year and is quite fun to use with my Promarkers.  It's a little colour spritzer airbrush, which gives a similar effect as ink sprays. I sprayed once with the dried marigold and a second time with worn lipstick.

The arrows and 'Hooray' are also masks, but I can't remember if they were also an Ally Pally buy or I picked them up in the USA last year...good fun though! The Happy Birthday stamp was free with a magazine during Jubilee year when we are creating lots of patriotic crafts.

I matted and layered the centre panel on to black card and also cut black strips to finish off. The car stamp is definitely an Ally Pally buy, but from a few years ago. It doesn't have packaging but I'm pretty sure it was in the bargain box on Sue Wilson's stand (one of her Rubbernecker range). I coloured it with promarkers.

That's it for today, I will be back tomorrow with my Design Team post this week for Sam Poole..again it's not a card, but it is paper craft this week......:)

Thank you so much for stopping by,

Love and Hugs

Carole X

A Little Birdie... Thursday 3rd July 2014

Hello Friends,

You are such lovely people, I knew that anyway, but thank you so much for all the lovely messages yesterday. You are quite right Hazel, only those of us who choose to keep hens in our gardens, know what a charm they are! Funny, quirky, bossy, some of them need anger management and some are the gentlest of creatures. They are all very individual and great pets, the only drawback being that we just don't often have them with us long enough.

I also haven't thanked you for the comments on my nautical wreath and especially for popping over to Sam's blog and leaving a comment.. you know I always appreciate it so much.

I haven't had a lot of time (or the inclination to be honest) for craft this week, but am sharing this little wooden bird for my Sunday Stampers contribution this week. For full deets, click here

Hels set the theme of using wood in this weeks challenge end I had lots of ideas when I originally read the theme, but then didn't get any time. 

This is a wooden bird shape - I painted it with a layer of acrylic paint from a tester pot and then stamped randomly with the little stamp using crimson versafine ink, before distressing the edges with Worn Lipstick distress ink.

The 'Love' stamp is by Indigo Blu and the roses are Spellbinders Bitty Blossoms.

Just a quick little decoration!

Thank you so much for stopping by and once again for all your kind messages about Lacey...you would not believe the number of people we meet who still cannot understand that hens are pets like any dog, car or goldfish, so reading your messages was extra special.

Love and Hugs,

Carole X

Remembering Lacey - Wednesday 2nd July 2014

Hello Friends,

On Monday, I wrote that our speckled hen, Lacey was very poorly...in fact I spent most of Monday in the garden and a lot of that time giving her very long cuddles, she just slept in my lap. I really thought she would not make it through the day, but the funny thing with hens is that they can be very ill and then 'rally' for a few hours. Unless it's something they really can't hide, you rarely know a hen is really ill until it's too late. This is their survival mechanism; if they are part of a flock, the others will be likely to attack a poorly hen so their sense of self preservation encourages them to mask illness.

Yesterday, I knew she wasn't going to be with us much longer, so I phoned the Chair of my Trustees, Sue and asked her if I could swap my days at work. Sue keeps pet chickens herself, in fact it was she who got me really interested seven years ago, so she understands. I made the right decision, because sadly we lost Lacey yesterday afternoon.  I'd taken her into the kitchen and made her comfy in a box, so she slept peacefully. 

She was only two and she had arrived in August 2012 with our Buff Orpington, Penny who we also lost earlier this year. We have never lost two of our girls in one year before, let alone within a few months of each other...and our youngest, but at least she is at peace now and playing with her best friend Penny at Rainbow Bridge. It's been a strange year, seeing our four girls reduced to three and now looking out this morning to just two.

Lacey was definitely Tom's favourite girl (he is as dotty over animals as I am), but I can see why..she was 'sweet' - she looked sweet, even her 'voice' was a gentle and endearing 'squeak', but above all she had the sweetest nature...in fact she and Penny had the gentlest demeanours of any of our girls, past and present...now she is resting right alongside her bestie, Penny in the garden. Orpington's are timid by nature and Lacey definitely took the 'pecks' for her larger but less brave pal when they first arrived. She would get chased or a peck from our 'head girl' Cara, but then go back for more.

Most people think that hens don't form any type of bond, but they do and that has been proven...over the last few weeks, our Bluebelle, Bella has been acting very oddly - she was also close to Lacey and they were the two who loved to jump up in trees and explore. ..both of them quite fearless. Bella seemed to have lost some confidence and energy, headed off to bed really early..in fact it was she we were a bit worried about. Last night she actually watched us bury Lacey and this morning she went straight over and stood on the spot. Last night she also stayed up until almost dark and today is full of energy. She has to have sensed something was wrong with Lacey, there is no other explanation. Cara is Cara, for a hen who is heading towards four, I have no idea where she gets her energy from and she shows no signs of even realising Lacey is gone, but maybe that's what comes with being leader of the pack.

Here are a few memories of our lovely Speckled Hen...

Some of you will remember when Lacey and Penny came to us in August 2012, aged 12 weeks:

'baby' Lacey soon after she arrived with us

Here she is on their first day of free range exploring the garden with Penny

She loved playing with her ball and is the only one of our hens who could toss it in the air!

Here she is with Bella and Penny: Lacey loved swinging on our old garden swing

she loved hanging out with the girls

She loved climbing and grabbing grapes from the vine last year, but this photo was only taken a few 
weeks ago - no grapes, just leaves :(

..having Spa days with the girls...

..being a lady who does lunch

...just chilling

and she loved to peck the back of my legs when I was prepping their breakfast

RIP  Lacey, our brave girl, thanks for all the pleasure you gave us, even though your 
time was so short :( X

Love and Hugs,
Carole X

Welcome Aboard - a 'twofer' - Tuesday 1st July 2014

Good Morning Friends!

Today is Tuesday, so my turn to post over at Sam Poole's Creative Studios blog....I have two projects today, the main one being one of my door wreaths (you know how much I love making these!)...I know from your comments yesterday that one or two of you guessed that I'd be posting a door wreath today!

I have also made two cards using the nautical stamps and a little Cosmic Shimmer sparkle texture paste in a very simple form...so for full deets and more photos, please pop over and have a look! The link is below:-

Here's the link: http://www.creative-studios.co.uk/welcome-aboard


Thank you so much for popping over and leaving a comment, I do appreciate it very much indeed,

Love and Hugs,
Carole X