Wednesday 28 May 2014

WOYWW 260 5th Anniversary

Hi ya, yep it's the big day, What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday is having it's 5th Anniversary and it's a mega celebration all around with lots of us swapping ATC's and having a blast :-).  Luckily the accounts are done and I got to play today, actually apart from doing wages tomorrow I have until Monday off and it's a good job as I have mega loads of crafting to do for DT, swaps and show samples that all have to be done by Monday.  I started my ATC's today and they are nearly finished so I shall be sending them out tomorrow or at the latest Friday.  You see it's a special day for me tomorrow, I get to meet my first blogging friend Rachel who happens to be in my area and is popping in for a couple of hours, she won't have any craft bits with her but I told her not to worry I will get her working on mine lol, of course I will pay her with tea, coffee and chocolate biscuits lol.

As it's a special woyww I thought it would be interesting to
show how my desk was when I first woywwed and now :-)
12th January 2011

Here is my mad desk, what will Rachel think of this mess tomorrow
and I will be working all morning in here so it will be worse eeeek.
Ok lets have a peep, on the plastic drawers is my Creative Expressions DT box
(plus you can't see, loads of envelopes on the floor with dates on them)
and on top of that are Christmas papers for a tag swap I need to send by Friday.
On my desk where the netting is, that's a fathers day project I'm doing for CE which is
a worksheet, I need that done for Friday.
On top of the watercolours is the xmas tag plus an old tag that I got a comment
for regarding the shrink plastic piece.  I think I remember how to do it but
I have got some black shrink plastic out to have a quick go before I send
the instructions lol, I love when I'm asked about things and I love sharing, but I also
like to have another go to be certain.  Underneath the scrap paper pad is a 
little ATC peeping out, this is the background all done for my WOYWW
swap and all I have to do is the image which is hiding under the 
aquamarine archival stamp pad lol.
Oh yes and there is my dogs tail, I have took a couple of pics of her below :-)

Here is the desk that compares to the old one earlier, yep well
dumped on with lots of projects half way as well lol.
28th May 2014

And here is two pics of my gorgeous dog Jasmine.
She is 13 in October and I love her dearly, she is such a loving dog.
Now she is getting older she tends to not like being alone which
is ok as I work from home lol, but sometimes if she is mega
tired and I'm not downstairs with her, she will come and sabotage my 
craft room and keep telling me it's time to go downstairs lol.
I even sleep downstairs with her some days, two reasons really,
one so she is not pacing the bedroom and keeping Ade awake and
secondly I have huge problems with my sinus, I have had it
from childhood but have now been diagnosed with facial migraines.
But the big and hugely embarrassing thing is and I swore I would never say
this to anyone but how will I know if anybody else suffers,
I squeak when asleep, not just a bit, my sinus goes mad and the squeaking gets
to the point it sounds like sharp nails scraping down a blackboard, hence
why occasionally I sleep downstairs as my other half works so hard
and when I'm doing it he can't sleep.  It was so bad that even the kids recorded me
on my phone.  My other half is right, he reckons if he did anything to stop it
then in a court of law if they heard the squeaking he would be acquitted!!! cheeky sod lol.

And another pic of Jasmine, I do get so scared as I know 
realistically she is old and ............ I can't say it.
We keep her healthy and happy so touch wood we have lots of years left :-)

Right it's time for me to say goodbye, Jasmine is nudging my hand, a habit she does if I ignore her lol.  Can't wait to swap with my atc partner :-).
Happy Woyww :-)
Hugs Kezzy xxxxx                

Monday 26 May 2014

Creative Expressions - Simplicity

Good morning, how are you today?  For UK bloggers, I hope your enjoying Bank Holiday Monday, I'm afraid I'm still number crunching to get those accounts out by the end of the week, but I do keep getting an hour crafty time each day lol.  Of course it's Monday which means it's time for my creation for the Creative Expressions Blog and this week I have been playing with Sue Wilson's stamps again, they really are lush. As always I shall highlight Creative Expressions products as I go along :-)

A flowery hanging on corrugated cardboard.
The corner embellishment on the tag really needed some 
Enchanted Gold wax on it but I can't find it anywhere grrrrr :-)

Some close ups :-)






And now for the step by step ....................

I wanted to use Creative Expressions Sue Wilson's Single Stamps Lily Spray
and Scroll Work Vase, so I had a play with how I wanted the layout.
The sentiment is one of my favourites from Creative Expressions Stamp Set
Whimsical Floral.

Next I decided on my colour range :-)

To start with I painted my corrugated cardboard with Cosmic Shimmer Matt Chalk
Paint Jade Mint and I gave it two layers.  I then mixed up some Cosmic Shimmer
Texture Paste Gold Pearl and a little bid of Cosmic Shimmer Matt Chalk Paint Pacific Teal.

I randomly added the coloured paste on the painted corrugated cardboard.
Then I tapped my palette knife to give it some texture.

I had quite a lot of paste left over so I gave a piece of Creative Expressions 
Coconut Card Stock a smooth layer.  When it was dry I was really pleased to find
that it was still supple to cut so I stamped the Vase with Archival Jet Black
and embossed it using Cosmic Shimmer Detail Embossing Powder Black.
At first I wasn't sure if I wanted it embossed hence why there are two images :-)

I used Ranger Tags and a piece of card, then painted a layer of Cosmic Shimmer Matt Chalk Paint Orchid,
then when it was dry I added Cosmic Shimmer Crackle Glaze.
Here is a happy accident, when I was layering my last colour paint (Cosmic Shimmer
Matt Chalk Paint Vanilla) I forgot to give it a good shake so it came out a bit
runny which meant the Orchid came through quite a bit. I really loved the end result :-)
I also at this point but forgot to take pictures, I stamped the Creative Expressions Stamp Set
Textures script stamp with Archival Viridian for the background and the
Maroon for the tag.

I stamped the Lily Spray and Vase with Archival jet black onto Creative Expressions
card stock.  At this point I didn't know that the paper covered in paste would work
hence why the vase was stamped here lol.

I coloured the flowers with Distress Markers (crushed olive, forest moss, picked raspberry,
seedless preserve, spun sugar and the vase from earlier was edged with
peacock feathers).

I stamped the sentiment and embossed it with black embossing powder.

For the Creative Expressions Metal Corner I painted it with the Jade Mint paint
and the Cameo with the Orchid paint.  I then highlighted both with Creative
Expressions Gilding Wax Patina, if I had found my Enchanted Gold I would
have highlighted the corner with that.  Actually I wish I had a plum/pinkish colour as that
would be nice.

Right I shall be off, I hope you have a gorgeous day and thank you so much for visiting :-).
Happy Crafting
Hugs Kezzy xxxxx

Sunday 25 May 2014

Paperartsy Inspiration - Face Art

Hi ya, hope your all having a fab Bank Holiday weekend (in UK), I am working on the accounts that have to finished by next week, but I couldn't help having a play this morning to join in over at the Paperartsy Inspiration Challenge.  One of this weeks designers Clare Lloyd is doing a mini series on faces, earlier in the year she did a video for us showing how to do a basic whimsical face, the video is fantastic but I never got time to play because of illness so I thought I would go back to the video and join in her new mini series.

I have to admit I am so happy with my first face, I have
been wanting to do them for awhile but was nervous lol.
Thank you Clare :-)
I was even more excited that my camera picked up the fact it
was a face, I ran off to tell my partner and kids, hhhhhhhmmmmmmm
they don't appreciate art lol.
The face is based on me, I have brown hair with red highlights and
grey!!!  I have a large nose due to sinus and my eyes are grey green and
according to my partner kissable lips lol.
All products I used are at the bottom of the page including the fresco mixes I did.

This is where I was doing the sketching according to the video :-)

Some close ups. 




I made my stencils from acetate so I can keep them.
All I have to do now is do the fabric tag wrap for next time :-)

Right I shall be off, back to accounts :-(.  Hope you have a lovely evening :-)
Happy Crafting
Hugs Kezzy xxxxx


Recipe
Paperartsy Fresco Paint - Tag (zesty zing, yellow submarine, tango, blood orange), Top (mermaid, beach hut, south pacific, bora bora), Eyes (elephant mixed with a hint of hyde park, snowflake, little black dress), Lips (very berry with rose), Face (blush, nougat, vintage lace, caramel), Hair (chocolate pudding, blood orange and a hint of french roast)
Paperartsy Stamps - Words 6, EEV05, 06 and 02
Paperartsy smooth stamping card
Archival - jet black, monarch orange, manganese blue
Silks - apricot nectar
Fabel Castell Polochromas Pencils - white, paynes grey, warm grey ii, caput mortuum, walnut brown, earth green, burnt carmine, ivory, sanguine, dark flesh, light flesh, cinnamon, indian red, bluish turquoise, cobalt torquoise, indanthrene blue, cobalt blue.
Montana white paint pen.

Wednesday 21 May 2014

WOYWW 259

Hi ya, it's Wednesday which means only one thing!!!  It's time to show our desks, clean or messy, over at Stamping Ground where all us crafter's can get to get to participate in What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday :-).  Next week is the mega fifth anniversary of WOYWW and this year we all get to swap ATC's again which I have loved over the last few years.  If anybody would like to swap with me as extra then that would be great, I'm making quite a few ATC's in hope lol.

 This is how my craft desk looked this morning, lots of mess lol.
I am behind on a DT project which I have almost finished, it's
heading underneath the paper on top of the drawers :-)
I have managed to have my desk back as my accounts this week is
over the dining room table lol, best thing is, the accounts should be done
by next Wednesday hurray :-)

Dumping desk is well errrrrr dumped lol.  I did sort them into piles the
other day but think I have messed them all about again lol.

Right I shall be off, don't forget if you want to swap as an extra just leave a message, I will be sending them out next week the day before the big Wednesday WOYWW, I am happy to send abroad :-).
Happy Woyww :-)
Hugs Kezzy xxxxx

Tuesday 20 May 2014

Queen Bee

Hi ya, how are you this evening?  As you probably know May is a mega busy accounting month for me preparing end of year accounts.  I have promised myself an hour a day crafting which has been taken up with a lot of DT work, now one of those I was preparing tonight (as it's late as I did the wrong challenge oops) need to have some drying time overnight so over the last 45 mins I decided to have a play with Dragons Dream Tag It On Challenge which is the letter Q and Gold and it finishes tonight.  I so wanted to join in as my very good blogging friend Julie-Ann Lee is on the DT and had chosen the challenge so here is a mega quick tag that I wish I had more time as I reckon it looks awful, but at least she will know I tried.  I will pop on all the products I used sometime tomorrow as I want to get another hour work in before bed :-)

Two pics as I can't decide which one does it credit if any lol.
Don't as me why, it could be the water in the chipboard I used but
look at that Q, all I did was one layer of Gold UTEE and it
was bubbling everywhere and I love it so I turned the heat off and
didn't burst the bubbles, how cool is that :-)
I really do hate it, I am definitely going to have a better go at some point.


Right I shall be off, I will be back tomorrow with a picture of my work desk.  I would also like to say a mega hello to my new followers, I have decided that when I get to 200 I am going to have a mega giveaway :-).
Happy Crafting :-)
Hugs Kezzy xxxxx

Recipe
Tag (obviously lol)
Embossing powders - Gold UTEE, Cosmic Shimmer Aurora Sparkle
Stamps - Stampotique Large Bee, Creative Expressions Textures and Botanical spray and Stampendous Small Typewriter Alphabet.
Paperartsy smooth card, Fresco Finish Metallic Glaze and Grunge Paste
Mr Holtz Alterations Heart Wings and Stencil Honeycomb
Archival jet black and red geranium.
Black promarker
Distress markers - mustard seed, squeezed lemonade, wild honey, black soot.
Treasure Gold - Paperartsy ltd Ed. 5, Renaissance and Ruby
Tissue paper
Ranger glue and seal matt
Reeves Acrylic Gold paint
Bombay India ink Orange
Silks Luminarte - Honey Amber, Apricot Nextore
Versamark
Faber Castell - Gelatos - lemon, mango, black, red cherry, tangerine

Monday 19 May 2014

Creative Expressions - Just A Note

Good morning, how are you this gorgeous morning here in the UK.  It's Monday which means it's time for my creation for the Creative Expressions Blog and this week it's another card!!! I know I hardly ever make cards and this month has been full of them lol, this time I am using the Creative Expressions Single Stamp by Sue Wilson called Just a note.  The minute I saw this stamp the first word that came to mind was Tranquillity, peaceful and gentle.  I think it's because of the flowers being set against the sky and I knew I wanted to make a card and that I wanted the clouds from the stamp to flow over the card.  As always I shall highlight the products from Creative Expressions, over on their sight you can find your nearest stockist and also the products they sell, it's way more then I realised lol.  Also don't forget to have a browse over at Craft Clearance Online Shop to buy past products and mega cheap prices :-)

I tried the no line colouring technique to keep it soft, I did use
grey so some lines could be seen, I did try white but wow 
no way could I even work out where to colour lol.

Some Close Ups :-)




And now for the step by step :-)

I used a square piece of Creative Expressions Coconut Card Stock and
blended in Distress Ink Pads Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean and Broken China.

Next I flicked with a paint brush Cosmic Shimmer Watercolours Pastel Aqua and
Sapphire Sparkle.

After it was completely dry I embossed the Creative Expressions Single Stamp
Just A Note with Perfect Medium and Cosmic Shimmer Detail Embossing Powder
True White.

Next I stamped a piece of watercolour card with the same stamp
using Archival Wendy Vecchi Watering Can ink pad but
using the second generation.

Then I gently coloured in the image, using a mix of Distress Markers
Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Salty Ocean, Festive Berries, Ripe Persimmon,
Pumice Stone and Mowed Lawn and Cosmic Shimmer Watercolours Golden Scarlet,
Topaz Sparkle, Golden Mint, Pastel Aqua, Sapphire Sparkle and Blue Pearl.
The cosmic shimmer watercolours were mixed in with the markers for a more
gentle sparkle and the clouds I used some Cosmic Shimmer Mica Pigments Pearl
mixed with some water.

I then used the Special Touch Cloud Stencil with a mix of Cosmic Shimmer Paint Pearl
and Cosmic Shimmer Matt Chalk Paint Warm White with my finger.
I then used water and Distress Marker Broken China to add depth to the clouds.

Next I used Creative Expressions Texture Stamp Set (script stamp) with
Perfect Medium and Cosmic Shimmer Embossing Powder Lapis Sapphire Lustre
and randomly stamped in places.

I matted the main panel with some navy Creative Expressions Card Stock,
I wanted to bring the rich orange from the image panel onto the card so decided
to add some pearls in each corner.  I am terrible for trying to get them straight so
I find using a marker to dot the area helps.

For the pearls I decided to use the Cosmic Shimmer Coloured Pearlescent PVA 
Berry Red, here you see it how it is added but as you can see from the main picture
it turns into a gorgeous red metallic pearl.

Right I better be off, lots of work to do and hopefully some more crafting later this evening.  Hope you have a fantastic Monday.
Happy Crafting :-)
Hugs Kezzy xxxxx

Sunday 18 May 2014

Cameo and Pearls

Hi ya, hope your having a nice weekend, I am popping on to show you another make I did for the Creative Expressions Dies from the amazing Sue Wilson.  Again I used the Creative Expressions Sue Wilson Spanish Collection Granada Die and again I tried something a little bit different :-)

The depth of the piece is the thickness of the shelve, this
was cut out from the centre piece :-)





Right I better be off, I shall be back tomorrow for my weekly Creative Expressions creation :-)
Happy Crafting :-)
Kezzy xxxxx

Recipe
Creative Expressions Spanish Collection Granada Die
Eco Green Black Paint
Cereal Boxes (lots!!!)
Creative Expressions Metallic Wax - Midnight, Pearl Moon, Cast Bronze
Creative Expressions - Vintage Cameo
Creative Expressions - Glass Vial
Creative Expressions - Finishing touches pearl string
Creative Expressions - Metal Dangle Embellishment