WOYWW #575- The Actually Finishing Stuff Edition.

I am, finally getting this batch finished. These ones had needed a bit of colour adding, and one needs fixing, as I stamped the quote, realised it needing stamping again. Didn't check my cardstock hadn't moved, so got a blurred repeat.


By the way, using the new Blogger update this week, so we'll see how that goes.











The one bottom left. So, how do we fix the unfixable? We just restamp on a separate piece, and matt it on top,lol.

Not totally happy, I think I should have just binned it, to be honest. But I expect in a couple of days and I'll be ok with it.










Made another batch, as I have more ideas. And there's always the UFO box.

For Belinda, I didn't use watercolour paper, it's just ordinary white card for stamping on.

Christmas cards using a Jennifer McGuire technique, Distress Oxide resist, in the post below.



Regarding the issue I had with my cardstock being lifted and moved out of place on my stamping platform- I have bought a bigger bar magnet off Amazon- just a rare earth magnet, not a special 'crafting' brand one-and that does help,most of the time. But, the absolute best solution I have for you, I came across on I think, SCS. Sizzix brought out some Sticky Grid Sheets, to use on Big Shot plates to hold dies in place, saves using tape. Well, some ladies had started using them in their stamping platform. I had a pack, so gave it a try.

You get 5 in a pack, they're the same size each as a Big Shot plate, so I'd guess roughly A5. On the Sizzix UK site, £7. Beware if you Google for them, as their are specific ones for the Sidekick too, which are much smaller. They really do work, they are tacky, rather than sticky, and hold your cardstock completely still and in place.

And so I'm done for this week, I'll be adding my link at Julias place, The Stamping Ground and popping round to see you all later.





Which just leaves.....And Finally......

WOYWW #532- The Birthday Edition.

Mine and Beloved Hubbys, that is. Yep, same day. Does sort of rule out the chances of forgetting,lol. Not a lot being done, still feeling stupid tired, although the breathlessness is improving. So, I'm afraid I have nothing to show except a teeny bit of enabling,😀.
The Sizzix die & embossing folder  are from their still ongoing sale, the Stamps by Chloe die set does have a stamp set to go with it, still waiting for that.

 
Also came across this happy looking snowman, by Two Jays. I do have a couple of snowmen stamps, but one of them looks decidedly sinister!

Trust me, there will be more serious enabling to come- Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous have new stamps out, there is a fab Skeleton Leaves one, and Toadstool clumps, and Lavinia have new stamps coming out on the 22nd, with loads of dragons amongst them. Really hoping I'll feel more like crafting soon, have lots of things I want to do, just completely can't be bothered right now.
Leaving my link over at Julias place, The Stamping Ground, as always on a Wednesday.

Which brings me to the health update. Saw the Oncologist on Monday, and to be honest, he was a little surprised by how it's affected me, as apparently these problems crop up more often with people having the IV and tablets version. So, here I am, keeping to my 'Don't be normal' system.😉
He suspects I may have some tiny blood clots on my lungs, as the breathlessness & tiredness came on suddenly, rather than gradually. He knows there  are no big ones, as nothing showed up on the chest x-ray, but he said tiny ones often don't show on them, and he's organising a specialist scan to check. He's also given me some blood thinning medication- anyone know those pre-loaded syringes you have to jab in your tummy?- so I have those to use twice a day for two weeks, just to be on the safe side, and we're having a treatment break while he gets to the bottom of it. He also said they start the IV dosage at 100%, but they can cut that down if  it seems to much for the patient, so when we restart it'll be a reduced dosage.

Which just leaves...................And Finally................................................................( and will most likely not contain a single vowel!)

WOYWW #528- The Not a lot Happening Edition.

And there isn't much happening, I'm afraid.
 Feeling very 'can't be bothered at the moment. Not ill, apart from a dry mouth driving me nuts, but what's that in the great scheme of things? Just very can't be asked.
 So I'm afraid today I will be mostly enabling.😉Follow up from last weeks Sizzix Sale mention, my goodies arrived. Lots of great bargains there, many half price, or even way less. Still on, by the way. The BS Caddy, for instance, £4.50, instead of £17.99. And anyone thinking about getting a TH Sidekick, now's your chance, they're £22.50 on there, which is half price. (Page 4, I think, lol).

My Gnomes stamps, from Chocolate Baroque arrived, called A Tomte Christmas.

Someone on FB posted a pic of this stand available on Amazon, for holding those PF, or the cheaper version, brushes. Comes flatpacked, you just have to put it together.

I'll be a little late visiting some people, as I have a Diabetic Eye Test Screening mid-morning, which involves drops that blur your vision, so will be a while before I can see clearly enough to type, I expect.
 And I'm done here, now. Leaving my link over at Julia's place, The Stamping Ground, and I will gradually get around to everyone.

WOYWW #527- The Post Holiday Edition.

.....Aaaand we're back! Had a great week away, I'll add a few photos at the end. Back to our regular Wednesday meeting over at Julia's place, The Stamping Ground.

 First up then, the desk shot. Actually shots, as I can't get it all in in one. Not that its a huge desk, but only have a couple of feet between that and the table along the wall behind me, so I can't stand far enough back.

A stack of ATC's started before we went away, for some swaps within one of the Lavinia stamps groups on FB.
All pretty self explanatory- a pot of paint brushes, my cauldron!,the twirly boxes full of stuff and things.

The UFO boxes- yes, they multiplied- a few finished cards. babywipes,microfibre cloth, a Corner Chomper, mini Tonic guillotine, which is identical to the one that's the TH/Tonic one, except for the colour. It cuts perfectly, which, as the Tim one is Black & White, rather annoys me, lol.

Now, I have some new Chocolate Baroque stamps on order, the Gnome ones, but they're not here yet, so that'll be next weeks enabling!😁.
But, in order to maintain my reputation, I will tell you that Sizzix UK currently has a huge sale going on, with loads of their own, and Tim Holtz, cutting dies/embossing folders, and some stamps at really excellent prices. So, I'll just leave that there.😉

Above are a couple of things I brought back for my windows- they're Good Luck charms, and intended to ward off the Evil Eye originally.
Now this pic has a story behind it. When we go on holiday, we have a challenge to buy each other gifts, but they must not cost more than 5€ in total. We did it twice this time.The cat is sweet, as are the tiny penguin & pig.
 The Island shape soap is made from Goats milk, but the funny one is the donkey shaped soap- it really has Donkey milk in it! Who knew that was a thing?
I'll probably be late round today, as I have a hospital appointment at 9.10 to have a PICC line inserted in my arm ready for my chemo, the first treatment is on Friday morning. The PICC line stays in for the next 12 weeks, but is a much better way to do it than them having to find a willing vein every couple of weeks! Having had chemo once, my veins are rubbish- it's a bit like trying to get blood out of a stone- and as for trying to get anything into them well, that's a whole other story.
 So, that just brings us round to .....And Finally........

True Dat!














And now for a few holiday pics, so you can skip past and carry on visiting if you want.😊

There was alcohol involved- regularly,lol. After all, hydration is important in hot weather.😎

 This one above shows the only working traditional windmill in Greece.

 Amazing scenery from up in the mountains.









A very silly, cheeky parrot in one of the beachside bars.

  

And these last screen shots from Google maps, show how much of the Island we covered on the Quad. I can also say, with clear & definite knowledge, that many things classed as roads by the Greeks, and Google for that matter, use the term in the loosest possible sense. Mainly meant there wasn't actually any trees growing in it! The orange dots in the top right mark out Kos town, where we were staying. Most of the south side of the island is only accessible via boat.

WOYWW #499- The Full of Christmas Dinner Edition

Yep, 'cos we are. Full of Turkey, stuffing, sprouts, Pigs in Blankets, and probably most of all, cake. Joining Mrs Santa, aka Julia, over at The Stamping Ground, for the last WOYWW of this year! New Year, and the massive 500 for us all next week.
 Well, no crafting done, it's all about the crafty pressies this week. Santa did bring me a Big Shot, as a replacement for my poor 'Bug.














He also got me a hard case for my Prismacolour pencils. I'd have bought the bigger box if I'd known how much I was going to like them, but I went with the mid sized tin, and buying extra colours left me with no way to store them safely.

I also got a TH Travel platform, here it is alongside it's big brother for comparison.

A few stamps also appeared in my pressies, two Lavinia and one Card-io.

  A plush Baby Dragon, guarding my mug which reads 'Witches Brew' on it,lol.

Some crystal obelisks and a stand for them. They're about 2" high.

And a cauldron for my desk! It's quite heavy, being cast iron.

  
This one not a Christmas pressie, - Doug bought himself a new Gaming monitor, so I get his old one. Quite a bit bigger than my old one,feels like it's almost on my lap!
 I hope everyone had a fab Christmas Day, and can have a nice relaxing Boxing Day today.
To everyone going out to celebrate the New Year, have a fun, safe evening, and Happy New Year to you all.
 Which just leaves.....And Finally........

Because we all know how true this is! I know last year in Tesco, one side of an aisle had reduced price Christmas stuff, and the facing shelves had Easter Eggs!

WOYWW #494- or the too many UFO's edition.

Well, I don't know what it's like by you, but it's gone darned cold here!Staying inside, keeping snugly is the name of the game right now. So, time to link and visit at the Mother of Desks, Julia over at The Stamping Ground.
 I'd seen one or two cards on Pinterest a while ago, featuring stamped scenes set behind a feather die cut, and kept the idea in the back of my mind. There's plenty of room, lol. I do have a feather die, but it's a bit too small, so I had a search amongst what I have, and came up with a Sizzix Birch Leaf die, amongst others. While looking for images to use, I came across so many UFO's it's shocking. This is only a small fraction. I need to get my butt in gear and turn them into cards.
The other thing I've been doing is scoring and folding a bunch of card bases. Sort of realised that 9 times out of 10, I use white bases, as that's mostly what I have ready made,so I have made a selection in various colours. Bet I never have the 'right' colour though!
 Short and sweet this week. On Saturday we're off to a Papercrafts show at The National Motorcycle Museum, which is opposite the NEC. They have a big list of exhibitors, tickets are £4, and parking is free, so what's not to like? They have this 3 or 4 times a year, and have been meaning to visit for a while, but always forget. So, there may be goodies on my desk next week.😁
 Which brings us to......And Finally........this week it's a cute!

EDIT:!!!!!
 I was sent this info by another crafter last night.Apparently there are huge copyright issues with some stamps- both old & new- by Sheena Douglas. Due to this, crafters who own these stamps should not use the images on cards for sale/donation to charity until the issue has been resolved. Link HERE and HERE to the FB articles with more info.

Wedding Anniversary card

Yep, this week saw our 9th Wedding Anniversary, and this is the card made for Beloved Hubby.
 It features a UTEE embossed heart, and also a sentiment die cut treated the same.

The card base is an 8" square one, and the design is matted onto some black linen cardstock, cut to size on my Rotary trimmer with a deckle blade, to match the card base.






The heart was die cut from thick card using an old Red Sizzix die of a large heart.
 I applied red pigment ink, then a single layer of red embossing powder, one from Moonglow Two Toned powders, called Hollyberry Red/Gold.
This was followed with 3 or 4 layers of UTEE, with Versamark ink being applied before each coat. It is possible to add the UTEE without the Versamark, but you have to work quickly, and it's risky, as the heated UTEE is VERY hot, and sticky.  Safer to let it cool, Versamark, then add another layer of UTEE.
 You can use normal clear EP if you don't have UTEE, but you will need more layers.

Plan A had been to include some Mica powder, which you can sprinkle lightly onto a UTEE powder layer, then carefully melt with the heat gun.

You need to hold the gun higher than normal, to let the UTEE start to melt, so that you don't blow the Mica powder off. When you are finished with the UTEE layers, the Mica seems to have drifted down through them. Unfortunately, the original heart was cut from a smooth white coated piece of thick card, and by the next day the embossing had started to shrink away, and the more I tried to fix it, the worse it got!

 This is what it looked like with the Mica powder, and some WOW! Coral Beach Sparkle Glitter added. It's much more red than the coral the name suggests..

It worked fine on the words die cut, so it was clearly the cardstock I used for the heart.

This die cut sentiment is from Tonic Studios. I can only find it available on E-Bay, so I'm guessing it's discontinued.

 Here was the original, all finished. You see the dimple on the left of the heart? If that happens, just heat again with the heat gun until it melts. You can also heat it and sprinkle a few grains of UTEE on it, then continue heating.










The 9 comes from a Tim Holtz set called Mini Numeric. Coated in Gold Pigment ink, then gently stamped into the top layer of UTEE whilst still hot. Because the UTEE is still liquid, you need to take care not to move the stamp as you press it in. Be gentle, you do not need to press as firmly as you would when normally stamping.
Leave for a few seconds, then lift off, and your number/image will be permanently set into the UTEE.
If it does go wrong, you can wipe away the ink with a baby wipe, although a little may remain, then remelt and try again.

The heart and sentiment were added to the card front with some dabs of Pinflair Glue gel. You may want to place some acrylic blocks on top whilst it sets.
The Peeloff sentiments for Happy Anniversary were added when the heart was set, 2 on each side, with a tiny peeloff heart between them.