Back again!

Well, how about this?!  I did get to sit down at my craft table after putting the boys to bed and this is what I made...

...the image is Verity standing, from Sugar Nellie Stamps and she is absolutely adorable!  I coloured her using PS, though I had to find a new way to go about it because of the pencil sketch style of the image, but she worked out lovely.  I decided to just use the top half of her, to give the image more impact and just had to try out my new beaded oval nesties to frame her!  I inked the frame, whilst still in the die, with Worn Lipstick DI using the Inkylicious dusting brushes - it is something I'll have to practice with...you have to be quite patient (something I'm not very good at!) and build up the colour gradually, but it gives a very soft effect.  The blue flower is from Wild Orchid Crafts, the white ones were from a spray of silk flowers and the tiny pink roses are from Crafts4u.  I finished the posie with pearl bead string and flower stems wound around my pokey tool.  A touch of glamour dust and a few diamantes finished it off, not to mention the beautiful giuper lace from WOC, that I had to put a metre of in my basket when ordering the flowers!  Once again, it's very girly, but I think it's apt for a girly image!

I also thought I'd post you a pic of a card we made at our last workshop...

..this one used the Mo Manning image, 'Sprout'.  It's quite a contrast to the Verity card, but I love it just the same...I'm not sure which one is more 'me' - on one hand I love pink and girly, but on the other I think this combination of green and orange is really funky.  The sentiment reads 'plant a seed of friendship...' and inside the insert reads, '...and reap a bouquet of happiness'.  The papers were from My Mind's Eye Wild Asparagus paper pad and the flowers were an XCut punch I have.  Once again, I coloured the image using 'old faithful' and inked all the edges to tone down the billiard green cardstock that I used!  No glitter on this one, amazingly!

Hope you like them and take inspiration!  I'd best be off to feed the troops and get ready for a school meeting - they're (our local council) planning on closing 3 or 4 schools in the area and ours is on the chopping block, so we're trying to find ways of keeping our little village school open...

My craft room...

Hi guys,

I am uber busy at the moment doing design work for my next project and don't want to stop whilst I am on a roll and the creative juices are flowing - hence the shortage of posts yet again!  I am sorry!  Instead, I decided to update you on the progress of organising my craft area and just look at the result...

...I have to say, it's not always this tidy, but as I was hoping, in between crafting moments I can take 10 minutes and put everything away...plus, I know where everything is!!!  I know, it's not normal, and if I had spun around 360 degrees and taken a pic of the other side of the room, it would look a lot different to this! I am contemplating saving up and getting some more cabinets so that I can tidy away all DH's computer and electronic stuff (which is what I was talking about on the other side of the room!)  but until then, I have to be content with my tidy half of the craft/work/supposed to be dining room!

Well, I do have a card to share with you...

I made this little easel drawer after seeing Rachel's version that she made for her grandparents at Christmas.  I wanted to do something with Valentine's Day in mind and just loved Shy Valentine Nessa over at Mo Mannings shop and had to have her!  I coloured using PS (though I am seriously considering buying a set of Promarkers - I know, I know, where have I been?!)  The little drawer would be lovely lined and filled with expensive chocolates, or jewellry, what the heck, I'll have both!  The flowers were from in my stash, though I have invested in some paper roses from WOC, just haven't had chance to make something for fun with them yet!  Once again, designing takes over my life - when I'm not ironing that is!  I'm sure the neighbours are sneaking theirs in when I'm not looking, the pile seems to be never ending!  I am determined to sit at my now empty table and create something just for the heck of it, maybe once the kids are in bed I might get to play...until next time, Happy Crafting!