My week in pictures

Took a leisurely stroll through half term week and caught up with chores and friends. A frustrated craft afternoon turned into a good old sort out and now my crafting space is ready to rock:) Turns out chestnuts are the new conkers. Made my first Christmas card of the year, only 50 odd more to go.

It felt good...

So Halloween is nearly upon us and although the teen is too old for dressing up and such shenanigans after browsing the blogs I felt like making this pumpkin brooch. It felt good (get it?) to do some stitching. I'm onto some felt autumn leaves now ( no conkers yet).

Sent from my iPod

And then I made a card...

After the shrine, I made a card.  Well actually I made the card first and this inspired me to make the shrine.  I was so pleased with the way the shrine turned out I showed that first...confused?



A photo is a bit blurred but you get the idea.



...Back to the card.  A card for my friend and hairdresser Bev whose 50th Birthday we will be celebrating on Saturday.  She truly is a miracle worker to tame my tresses.  And now she tames Robert's mop too (he takes after me in that department).  Bev used to tame Nigel's when he was a mere teenager.  Unfortunately he doesn't need her help now...

Thanks for all your lovely comments about the shrine and as Sian quoted 'A shrine dedicated to life'.  I like that thought.

Aimer La Vie

I have a love hate relationship with rubber stamps.  I love how they are so versatile but hate the faff of stamping and lack the creativeness that is sometimes needed.  As I have expressed before on this blog, I hate cleaning them too....so I don't.  I generally only use black anyway, so I don't think it really matters. 

Now usually my stamping consists using them for cards only and then colouring with Promarker Pens.  So this week when I received some new Kaisercraft stamps and papers I decided to do exactly the same.  Ha ha, had you there!  Except this time the stamps where designed in such a way that I could easily see how I could use them a little differently by cutting out the designs once stamped.  I also had a 'shrine' to decorate.  I'm not sure what they are really called but that's what I call them anyway.

So after stamping , cutting out, distressing and inking with the stamps I then arranged them onto a gessoed and painted shrine.  I used Kaisercraft stickers and a title 'Aimer La Vie' (Love Life), words that I try to remember to live by.

I originally stamped a little bird directly onto the shrine but  didn't like it so painted over it.  I added more and more layers as the little blighters kept showing through but this resulted in a lovely texture.

A splodge of stardust stickles dabbed over the stamps helped finish it off.

Bonkers...

 In celebration of my conkers and all things autumny I have made a layout from 'My week in pictures' mosaic that I posted here on The Little Blue Shed last month.  I couldn't quite fit on all eight photos so settled for six.  I copied the journaling from the post about my giddy day.

I think I have found my 'shabby' style at last.  Most of my layouts seem to have distressed edges which I make scraping my surgical scalpel along the edges and then sanded with a sanding block. Unfortunately you can't really see the leaf mask sprayed with glimmer mist....but it is there lurking in the background.  Glimmer mist and Cosmic Shimmer Sprays are another must have product at the moment too.  The final touch is scrumpled (don't you love that word) parcel paper and corrugated card.

The autumn vibes continue in our house with the sound of bubbling butternut squash soup on the stove.  The veggies are are chopped for a batch of vegetable soup too...carrots,parsnips,potatoes and celery.  I haven't been eating the right things recently (too many chocolates and carbs) and my IBS has raised it's ugly head.  So healthy soups for lunch is on the menu this week and as it's half term I hope to find time to have a few autumn walks and some stress relieving crafting.

Inspired....again.

OK, OK, I know I always seem to be inspired by something new.  Last month it was sewing and cross stitch.  I haven't picked up a needle since I blogged about it.  The cross stitch I still have good intentions to do but it is the lack of time (as always) that has stopped me from really getting on with it and residential school trips, snotty noses and a general feeling of tiredness that is known in the educational circles as the 'end of term feeling'....except it is only half term.

So what am I inspired by this week.....



The creative License by Danny Gregory



I bought it to inspire the teen to practise his drawing but I haven't put it down for him to read it yet...




I love his style of drawing...



Lots of ideas to get you journaling and drawing...



Drawing everyday items...



  I tried Art Journaling once, not sure why but it wasn't for me.  Maybe because of the time issue, maybe lack of ideas or maybe it was the preparation of the backgrounds.  But this style is simple and quick.  All you need is a black pen and a sketch book.  Take 5 or 10 minutes a day to draw an everyday object, add journaling if you want, colour if you wish....or leave it as it is.

Here's me first effort.




Without colour...

With watercolour pencils...

It took 10mins to draw...no really! No lead pencil or rubber allowed, the first stroke is the hardest.  It's not perfect but I think that is the beauty. I am really going to try hard to  fit this in each day, taking my sketchbook with me on the bus, to work or do it while eating breakfast.

I'll let you know how I get on.

My week in pictures

Not much doing this week apart from blowing my nose and coughing:( Took a trip to the Tate Modern, great to see some of the more famous pieces in the flesh so to speak ...... Still can't get my head around some of the more abstract stuff. I mean, two wooden chairs stacked together with two small balls hanging off it???? What's that about? Although I don't mind Pablo Picasso I couldn't find the bowl of fruit in his painting when it clearly said that was part of the title. Give me Monets Waterlillies any time, so clever. Loved the pop art also. Some of Andy Warhols screenprints are massive.

A right pair...

Laundry done....check

Housework done...check

Various appointments made...check

Autumn clothing ready...check

Cold clearing...improvement but still lingering

Energy levels restored...nope

Teen nagging commenced...check

So after my simply spiffing if not exhausting week away I thought it was about time I did some scrapbooking.  I love these photos of my friend Jackie and I, a self portrait taken in Devon.  It was our first trip away together (we have been separated by two corridors, a hall and a dining room that divides key stage 1 with key stage 2 for the past....ooh...mumble years) I'm sure after working together when we were first employed at our school we have been parted due to either a. bad behaviour or b. we have too much fun together.


The sentiment card is from Jellibean Soup and paper from Prima.  The white piece of card is just to cover  the name of where we went for this photo.

Anyway, back to the layout.  We are a right odd couple, so completely different except for one thing....no two.  We love our jobs and love having fun.  I have to say that without Jackie I certainly wouldn't be involved in so many fun activities.  She encourages my naughty side.  Needless to say we never stopped laughing when we were away. 



A little spritz of cosmic and glimmer sprays...

The photos show us looking rough and ready for action.  You don't have anytime at all for yourself when you are away with 46 children and are on call 24/7 and sleep in a hostel style bunk bed.  Hence the blotchy eyed, non makeup, hat covers all sins, cosy hoodie look.  Sometimes we looked worse....like when we got stuck in the river bank mud after kayaking and ended up crawling up the bank on our hands and knees.  Don't worry, we got hosed down by the instructor with cold water....thanks for that matey.



Couldn't resist this line in my journaling...I have lost count of how many times I have heard it:)

And we were still laughing;)



My week in pictures

Phew! What a busy week. Early mornings, lack of sleep, good food, bunk bed bumps, bruises, windy beaches, cold rivers , unflattering wetsuits, kayaking, surfing, bodyboarding, obstacle course, climbing wall, absailing, tunnels, scavenger hunts, pool olympics, night walk, raft building and sailing. Breakfast, lunch and dinner with 46 children. Lots of laughs and giggles. Followed by a heavy cold, loads of washing and a Victoria sponge cake.

My week in pictures

This week started with a little stash stroking, arranging and buffing my conkers:), lots of laundry, DIY fringe cutting, a busy week at work and a great but hot school visit to Hatfield House.