Mojo Montly 3

Mojo monthly is the best thing that has happened to me and my art, and I didn't even know it was happening lol.  Sarah over at her mojo monthly has cleverly made you look and learn different ways of seeing art within yourself.  The first montly mojo was about photos, and how you can make art using photos you take.  I decided to give this a go thinking at least I'd hopefully make so decent photos for cards.  But while taking photos you start to really look at things, objects, colour, placement etc, and the next thing you notice is you suddenly got craft ideas in your head from taking notice of everything around you.  The mojo monthly 2 made you see that you don't have to buy craft items as some everyday items are just as useful, and Sarah made an album/diary from envelopes.  So through that month I started to look and see lots of items I could use, mind you my partner put a stop to nicking the bead chain that attaches the plug!!! I thought it would look great linked through a tag lol.  That month I tried to make something like Sarah's album but to hold photos, and I was really impressed with the background I did, but the envelope ideas I did was awful, and even though I linked it I threw it away except a piece of the background that I could look at to have a go again.  You see, I had tried to copy Sarah's idea but changing it slightly as you don't want to think you have copied it, but it would never look like Sarah's as its her unique take on it.  Mojo monthly 3 was about using your stamps to the max, so this month I decided ok, 90% of my stamps I've never even tried yet, normally I have bought them as I have seen a fantastic card using them but when I get them home and play, I could never get the same look as the magazine so they went unused.  This month at last I have used them for my art, I've done it and I feel like I get it now.  I have always felt like I have always been on one side of the the bridge and all the other artists you see and admire are on the other side, I could never cross that bridge as I didn't know what artist I was, I always wanted to be like all those on the other side.  But this month I have found my art, I have played with so many wonderful stamps that were unused, I have played with different kinds of mediums even some that aren't meant to be for art and I have looked with on with these from the art within myself not what others have done with them.  In September I have entered a birdcage swap and tried the crackle technique and made a wall hanging (my first time), I have made a tag and completely came up with loads of ideas for a background on it, I am currently on a mini Halloween album swap, I have done my first art gift which was a wall hanging for my Sis, the idea came from the craft stamper magazine, Helen Chilton using fabric and embroidery ring, but the rest was my own take on it and I have done lots of challenges on my blog using my stamps, even one of them was a poinsettia wooden stamp which was the very first stamp I had bought 4 years ago and had never used.  I then felt I needed something to actually contribute to the monthly mojo, so I decided to pick one stamp An artistic stamper dotty background stamp and do as many different things I could do with it, to make a wall hanging.  I stamped on tissue paper, ribbon, grunge board, used the stamp in utee and even did a handmade mask by stamping onto acetate then making holes where the dots was on the stamp, which then I used on my project with texture paste.

At last Im finally crossing that bridge, sharing my art with others and at last I can shout out Hi, I'm Kerry and this is the type of art I love.  Please have a go with Mojo Monthly, its a great read on the first of every month, and Sarah even interviews popular artists, have a go and if your a beginner like me, start from the beginning.  You can't get me out of my craft room now, and the mess from creating, well you should look at my woyww posts.  Thank You Sarah and thanks for mojo monthly and I can't wait to carry on and be inspired each month.

Thanks for sharing.  Kezzy xxx

WOYWW 121

Hi to all the woyww'ers this week, I'm afraid I didn't get around alot of blogs last week compared to the week before so this week I shall be mega browsing.  If your wondering what I'm going on about zoom on over to Julia's blog and see a host of fab crafty spaces.  I have had a good week of crafting hence challenges on blog this week as it seems my mojo is liking this space at the moment.  I'm afraid one desk seems to be a dumping ground .......

I seriously need to clear some bits away, I can't help it though, when I'm mid flow I seem to turn around and dump whatever I'm not using as I have got more bits out lol.  My working desk still has the finished less is more card which I blogged last night.

I'm in the middle of doing my monthly mojo as well (mind you most of the posts have been part of my contribution to the mojo monthly over at sarah's blog.
I would also like to send my love to Annie and her family and may M, B and the twins be reunited at home soon, and a big thank you to Twiglet who has kept us up to date even though this must be a really worrying time for herself as well.
Thanks for sharing. Kezzy xxx

Less is more - sketch 2

Hi ya, I couldn't help myself and had to have another go at the Less is more challenge which is the below sketch

As seen earlier in the week I did a christmas theme, this time I did a vintage theme, I'm loving making my own embellishments at the moment and the above sketch is perfect to show my efforts off (ok so this is only the 2nd embellishment I have made the first one being the christmas theme, but I'm loving playing and having a go at making my own lol).

Thanks a million to the Limettes for encouraging me to have a go by producing fantastic challenges.  Thanks for sharing.  Kezzy xxx
Recipe
Kraft woodware ribbed cardstock - you can tell that I just love the stuff and I only started playing around with kraft card lol.
Creative Expressions vintage photography
Fresco paint vintage lace
Archival coffee ink pad
Lace
Old corrugated cardboard



Just Add Ink 86 - Sketch Challange

Hi ya, I seem to be doing quite simple designs at the moment I must have the less is more bug.  Over at Just Add Ink the sketch this week is

And my contribution, recipe below

Hope you have a fab crafty week. Oops you can see I have paused something in the back ground!!! My son and I are watching Saving Private Ryan.  Thanks for Sharing.
Kezzy xxx

Recipe 
Doilies
Adirondack shell pink ink pad (covered doilies, parchment stamped butterfly and stamped sentiment)
Sentiment - creative expressions whimsical floral stamp set
Versa ink pad
Martha Steward - doily clear stamps
Wow ultra fine embossing powder (stamped doily and embossed on paper doily and embossed butterly on doily)
Stampin Up - Flight of the Butterfly (stamped on parchment for both butterflys)
Cosmic Shimmer - pink embossing powder (stamp butterfly on parchment and doilies on cards)

Less is more - sketch

Hi ya, to keep with the theme this week I decided to do the new Less is more challenge for this week which is a sketch -

Yesterday while I was looking for some bits, I came upon some red gingham material and was totally inspired to do a crimbo card, so when I saw this sketch I was thrilled. 

I'm really impressed, my first crimbo card to give away, I also decorated the inside and the envelope with the stamp, materials I used below.  Thanks for sharing.
Kezzy xxx
Recipe
Woodware ribbed kraft cardstock (the best i've tested it's gorgeous)
Personal Impression wooden poinsettia stamp
Gingham material, red felt and hessian, berries from stash
Sentiment - Paperartsy noel plate 1 (I think!)
Colouring - Promarkers - leaves - marsh green, olive green, pear green (basically green lol) and poinsettia burgandy, poppy and red.

Less is more - 1000 challenge 2nd Entry

Hi, I'm afraid I have only managed to make another one for this challenge.  I stamped the owl (woodware stamps) and then had a go with my Derwent polychomos pencils, I really am struggling with the blending technique but I guess practise makes perfect lol.  Oops and the link to Less is more nearly forgot.

By for now, hope you have a fab crafty weekend.  Thanks for sharing. Kezzy xxx

EDIT:- My mate has been here all evening so I have been unable to craft until an hour ago and managed to do another 2 cards if I can get them on in time as its 11.50pm!!!

Kezzy xxx

EDIT, I'm afraid I didn't make it in time as linky wouldn't allow as it was an excisting post and I only had 2mins left and no way would I have made it.  Sorry xxx

Less is more - 1000 challenge

Hi, over at Less is more the limettes are trying to hit 1000 participating crafters in their challenge this week as they have over 1000 followers.  So last night I needed to do a card, so I grabbed some patterned paper (limited edition desert blooms), some spellbinders I haven't used yet, stamps, Kraft cardstock (woodware has some gorgeous ribbed 280gsm cardstock) and had a play, this is when I remembered about the less is more challenge so I came up with this ....

I thoroughly enjoyed myself and am going to carry on making some more tonight.  Over at Sarahs Blog  her monthly mojo is re using some lost stamps, my problem is that 90% of my stamps I haven't used yet, so this month everytime I do some crafting I am challenging myself to use those 90% stamps (some of them over 2years old) and also using new dies which haven't been open and basically using things I haven't used yet). 
Hope you all have a fantastic crafty week and hopefully I will be here tomorrow adding more to the Less is More, I hope they meet their 1000 entries.  Thanks for sharing.
Kezzy xxx

WOYWW 120

Hi to all the woyww's out there, if you would like to see some crafty desks jump over to Julia's blog.  Just a quick hi this week as it's my sisters birthday and I have just finished her pressie, initially I was going to do a handmade card and had ordered some patterned paper with music and theatre on and they haven't come, so Monday evening I decided to make a gift instead (the fact that I only had a day!!!), and started making plans.  One thing I'm terrible at is making a mess when I'm crafting, nothing gets put away and gets placed anywhere, well as these pics show, this is the worst yet, even managed to mess the floor up.

The floor

First desk

Second desk

And now for the finished piece that I took inspiration from the latest craft stamper magazine and this was done my Helen Chilton, she did a Jane Austin theme.

Right now I need to clean up before working out my next project lol. Hope you all have a fantastic crafty week.  Thanks for sharing.

Kezzy xxx

WOYWW 119 and TH Bird Cage Swap

Hi to all the woyww followers, if your wondering what I'm harping on about jump over to Julia's Blog and have a good old nosey at some fab crafty desks.  I can't believe is Wednesday already lol, so here's my really messy desk, left from last night when I finished my tag for dragosweb tag challenge that I just got in on time, its so nice that I'm back to challenges. 

Not so sure that my ribbons in colour co-ordinating clear jars is such a good idea, under all that ribbon is the jar!!! lol.  I am also trying to start using my die cuts more often and was searching through some on my desk hence my other desk looks like...

I would also like to say a really big hello to my new followers, I can't believe last time I looked there was 18.  I am planning to catch up and check out my new followers blogs and also visit my other followers blogs.  I try and do this ever so often and its nice as I get to sit on the sofa catching up and looking through loads of posts since I last visited.  Thank you so much for following me.

Right next is my TH bird cage swap which we are allowed to view today, it was Frankie's 300th post last week and to celebrate she had a TH bird cage swap which was fantastic, you can check out Frankies blog here.  Now I feel a bit guilty as I had forgotten about the swap until I received an email from Frankie with my swap buddy so I ended up sending it two days late, the problem with this is it has to go to Ohio, I sent it via airsure which says 4 days and I have managed to track it as far as America, now I am hoping it will get there ok as I used the expensive postage as I send Elizabeth and Bleubird two rocking horse charms and they haven't got there yet and it is now a month but I sent it via airmail, so if this arrives ok I'm off to find more charms!!! I don't think my swap buddy will have received my swap yet so I feel a bit guilty showing mine but even if she sees pic I think its always different in real life.  I have two photos as one was done by the window and one done on white card and I can't believe how both pics make the colours quite different and to be honest I can't remember which colour is closest doh!!!

And even though we should be showing the bird cages we did I have to show everyone the one I received

Isn't it gorgeous it was sent from Sherry and her blog is fantastic to, sorry about the pink ribbon at the bottom of the pic but its hanging on the wall with my other tags.
Right I better be off as I really have babbled on and on and on and on well you get my drift. Hope you all have a fantastic crafty week.
Thanks for sharing
Kezzy xxx

DragonsDream Tag It On - Red Red Red

Hi, over at dragons dream tag blog the theme is red red red.  At last I'm back to doing challenges and I have wanted to do these tags challenges for awhile, so after entering the TH bird swap over at Frankie's I decided to enter her tag challenge (ok the above is repetitive and bad English I must me tired lol).  So here's mine

I really am trying to practise my inking techniques as their virtually non existent but I have to admit I'm impressed with what I have done, the problem is when to stop lol. I use a tag I already had so I'm not sure if I had precut it with TH tag die, I don't think so as even though its the same size it was chipboard with a nice white finish.  I used barn door distress ink and covered the whole tag.  I used a TH blank mask and cut out the heart wings, I then used the masks using the inside and outside on different parts of the tag using fired brick inkpad.  I spritz and flicked with water and used kitchen towel to dab water off to give some texture.  I stamped the creative expressions textures stamp words over in archival vermillon and then the cracked stamp with black in random spaces.  I used at the bottom dylusions around the page stamp but you couldn't really make it out with the cracked stamp effect so it ruined it slightly but I carried on, after deciding it wasn't bin fodder just yet!!!  Using the archival inkpads in black and vermillon I stamped the creative expressions vintage heart dotty little heart randomly over the tag, at that point I decided to stop, even though I was really enjoying doing the background I knew anymore would be a mess.  I die cut the TH heart wings, and on the heart used burgundy stickles (alot of), the wings I covered in black ink, then painted a bit of the same stickles over it, tried it quickly then put ranger crackle accents on them at that point I realised that I had to leave them overnight.  I cut black glitter card with TH Elegant Flourishes die cut, and also painted with the same stickles used above. I put dots of cosmic shimmer pearl white and pearl black on my mat so they could dry also.  Now I have never used the crackle accents before and this morning was a bit disappointed as it hadn't really cracked much so I picked a wing up, bent it and slapped it around abit, then thought later on I would get the craft hammer to it, so this evening when I was about to finish my tag one of the wings had cracked perfectly and the other where I had not been so kind to it earlier on in the day most of the crackle was falling off, mmmmm guess I will learn to wait next time lol.  I used viva inka gold in silver ( I so love this and love using my fingers to pop it on) all around the edges of the wings and heart and also cover the cracks with it before wiping it off again so it was in between the cracks.  I used watermellon alcohol inks on the white pearl glue dots, stamped love from creative expressions fancy flourish and the word hurt from paperartsy words 4.  Then stuck on a premade flower after swiping black ink over it.  Before I added all the bits I edged the tag with black distress ink and viva inka gold silver.
Wow job done, when I visit blogs I see crafters explaining what they have done and I enjoy that as I get to learn and see new products, but I really think I need to try and shorten mine in the future LOL LOL.
Thanks for sharing
Kezzy xxx

WOYWW 118

Hi to all the woyww's out there, if you would like to see some crafty desks pop over to Julia's Blog.  I'm late again today so I will make it a quick one (I always say that after writing an essay lol). 

It was my b'day last Thursday so my kids got me Sheena Douglas's paint fusion christmas stamps and dvd and my OH bought me Sue Wilsons dvd and some spellbinders dies but they haven't arrived yet.  With my money from my mum and dad I bought TH mini rosettes and grungy sign thingy lol as you can see in the pic.  I have also bought a few other bits that I'm still waiting for.  I have been busy playing with punches and dies but not actually produced anything to put into a challenge!!! 

Above a parcel I received from papercraft essentials, I won a big giveaway of all male oriented Paper Cellar products, which I just dumped on my desk over a TH bird cage thingy I'm making for a swap that I forgot about, I'm just trying to finish it off so I can get it in the post tomorrow, its going all the way to Ohio.  Not allowed to show you until we reveal on the 14th September (which I have just seen is a Wednesday so I will get to share).  The swap is a 300th post celebration over at Frankies Blog  (oops I hope she doesn't shout at me for not sending it today lol but I have told my swap partner).  300th post wow I am only on my 65th but pop over to have a look, her blog is so interesting and she also does a tag challenge every week at Frankies other blog, I am definitely going to take time to have a go as I am now trying to do tags for some challenges so I can display them on the wall so I am reminded of techniques.  Better go and finish swap thingy, I managed to visit quite a few blogs last week but couldn't comment alot as my table (ipad equivalent) just didn't want to type, found out from OH that if you don't clean the touch screen sometimes than maybe I could type and see better and just keep wiping it on my sleeve won't help!!! oops lol, hope you all have a fantastic crafty week and thanks for sharing. Kezzy xxx