Just a quickie

Was having a blog wander yesterday and found a wishing well.  I think it might be one of Meljens again.  If you know differently,  please feel free to correct me.    

I would like to enter this for the Water challenge on MSE card making thread.

I lied, it was not Meljens, it was Beccys place  http://beccysplace.blogspot.com/   Lots of absolutely fabulous digistamps.   thank you very much

The black ball

Some people are aware that I have a colleague who has recently had an operation.  It was suggested I make a card for him, but not knowing where to start, the colleague himself suggested an american "8" ball.  It took a while for further inspiration to strike, but I decided to attempt another new (to me) technique.   I am sure most cardmakers who read this are well familiar with the idea, whether or not they have attempted it, but I first saw it on Create and Craft when the Crafters Companion Ultimate Pro was being demonstrated.   I think it's called a pop out card.

My prototype attempt was with some fairly thin card, and I think I was a little enthusiastic with the scoring tool and went through the card in 1 or 2 places.  So I covered the folds with paper strips which were free with one magazine or another, but thinking it looked a little plain, I left it for a while whilst I decided what else to put on it.   After doing a bit of exploring in blog land earlier I discovered a site by an american artist called melissa jenkins  http://www.meljensdesigns.com/index.html  Using some of the fabulous freebies she has generously provided I added 2 bears to the front.

There is a hearts challenge out there that I wanted to enter this in, but I can't remember what it is, but as soon as I remember I'll be back to enter it.

I would like to enter this card into Challenge no 43 - Put your heart on it at http://meljensdesignsdt.blogspot.com/2011/01/challenge-43-and-new-release.html

Being fairly pleased with the prototype I progressed to the American Pool card.   For this, I was not quite so adventurous and cut out a square hole, and rather than attempting to cut out a circle, I used 2 circular gift tags and stuck them back to back.   I also used some images from a free colouring page.  It's quite plain, in fact it's very plain but considering it's really only a sample, then I'm ok with that.



Finally - I put together a card I've been messing about with for a while.  Still not sure what I think about it, but they we go.  It's from a MCS image, can't remember whether it's from Pure or whether it's the free download called Church Window.

I'm sure there is lots more I could say, but I'm all worn out now.

I may not get the opportunity to post again before next weekend, so have a good week everybody



The weekend again

Been a bit of an odd week.  As I may have mentioned before, the organisation I work for is currently undergoing consultation for closure.  The 90 days has been and gone and been extended by another 2 months.   So we still don't know what's happening.  When I went into work on Tuesday I discovered there has been a Voluntary Exit Scheme announced.  Those who apply and are accepted will be gone by the end of April.  So most of the week has been taken up with people discussing it.   And of course, more meetings.  I have pretty much decided not to apply, and will stay for a little while longer.   And in the meantime I will practise my craftiness

Earlier this week, I bought some Derwent Academy watercolour pencils which were on offer (£7.49 for 24) and also a little canvas on an easel.   I was having a bit of a practice and created a little masterpiece, well it would be if I was a 5 year old.   But I quite like it and it's currently sat on top of my TV.

I am still waiting for ink for my printer, and whilst I've been waiting I've been exploring my various MCS CDs.  I am very excited about making cards using them.   I also have Beatrix Potter CDs, which don't have the same level of designability within the CD, but the images are lovely and I can imagine making lots with them as well.  

I did have an image I printed with the new printer, but given that the red ink wasn't working it didn't quite come out as  planned (baby pink) it's a funny yellowy colour.  One of the images I printed was just a teddy outline so I changed my planned design and made something else.   Results below.

I am very pleased with the result, although my silicon glue patience has yet to reach the required level.   The scalloped edge pink and green is part of a scrapbook paper from a christmassy pack bought from QVC, as are the chipboard letters spelling "baby" and thee 2 little snowflake/flowers.  Washing line made with a wooden skewer cut in half and some yarn.  Pink peg from a selection at The Works, and ladybird backing papers from a selection that came with a free with a Scrapbook magazine about a year ago.

I had great fun making it, and the people who have seen it were very impressed.

Hope you like it.

Hopefully some more tomorrow
xxx

turning into my mother

On Saturday, I found myself using the word tiresome.  I cant say that it's a word commonly used as part of my vocabulary, but having been on the phone to the bank for 45 minutes - spoke to 4 different departments trying to sort out the free overdraft that should have been set up when I upgraded my account.  By the time I spoke to the last woman, I was getting a little irritable.  Now I know it's not her fault for the system, and I didn't get cross, but I did tell her that I thought it was very tiresome having to hang about for so long. 

The main reason I was so p*'d off was that I had a parcel to collect from the Post Office and they shut at 12.00 on a Saturday.  So I got into town, collected my parcel,  sent off my last ebay parcel, wandered round for a while, and came home with a new printer.  Yes, I can tell you aren't sure how that happened.  It's quite simple, my printer had just about run out of colour ink, and so, what with the full price for a Canon colour ink cartridge about £25, and black about £20 (about £25-£30 for both online, slightly cheaper for compatible inks) it works out cheaper to buy a new printer.  

So tonight - I set it up, got myself all sorted to print out the elements to make a lovely baby card, only to discover, for some reason, it's not releasing any red ink.  So I did it all again, did automated deep clean of the cartridge, and ran a diagnostic, followed by a further test page.  Nope, it still doesn't work.  So I've packed it all back up, somehow managed to mislay the driver disc (but it could be in with my crafting CDs) and now need to cart it all back to the shop.  I will get my money back, send for new cartridges from http://www.7dayshop.com/  and save up for an A3 printer, so that I can make lots of lovely big cards and matching envelopes with my soon to be delivered Ultimate Pro Crafteres companion thingummywatsit.

Anyways, the last papers I printed with my Canon printer were dinosaur ones (from one of the MCS CDs I won on ebay).  And what's more, I did something with them.  Haven't cleaned the house though.

G'night folks
xxx

My craft studio

No, not "my" craft studio, because the place where I do my crafting tends to be all over the living room floor.  It starts of a bit neater, but I usually end up on the floor.  I'm actually referring to the CDs sold under the name of My Craft Studio.  In my last post I said I might have become a CD crafting convert, and I think there is no longer any doubt about it.  I've made another couple of cards using background papers printed from the CDs, and I have printed out bits to make a dinosaur card.  But, much as I want to do it tonight, I think I should really go to bed.

My friend "Nelli-Lou" nominated me for some blogging award, and as my "prize" I get to tell you 15 things about myself (it might not be 15, it could be 7, or perhaps 10, but it's certainly some things) and award the prize to another pile of blogs.   But I haven't had the chance to do much about it, but by all means go and read hers.  She's got a lovely husband apparently who keeps buying her flowers!!!!  It's the blog called "My Life Diet"

I'll write some more tomorrow, but for now I'll leave you with the cards

The outside of the card is one of the donated digi-stamps via http://www.jakheath.com/ I coloured him in with promarkers, and then added a bit of a background.  The "shrubbery" to the right of the card, was a bit of a accident which turned out quite well, after a bit of a rescue attempt.  I was trying to do the distressed edge thing, but I went a bit mad and ended up with a "splodge" on the edge.  So I turned it into a bush (of sorts).   Matted it on some dark brown and then gold.  The background paper was one from MCS.

The inside of the card, I used an insert from MCS, then added a couple of the images from a different disc.    Unfortunately, due to all this usage, the ink in my printer is now very low, and like it does the ink starts to separate on the printed image.  So on this, there was a faint pink outline, so I got out a promarker and drew over it.   It's the first time I've put an insert in, and it did go a bit squished at the bottom, but you can't see that.

I also made another card, but this time I printed the background on to a small piece of watercolour card, then added some of the toppers from one of the current cardmaking magazines. There is no insert in this one.

I have spent nearly all my earnings from last weekend's ebay success on crafting CDs (also from ebay) but was tempted by the Beatrix Potter stuff on Create and Craft yesterday.

Frugality for January is no more.

xxxxxxx



Blue Monday

The experts reckon that today is the worst day of the year.   So if today is as bad as it gets, the rest of the year should be quite fabulous.   I did knock my small tub of buttons and little sparkly gems over though.  And discovered my library books were a week overdue, so owe a fine of £9.20.   So I renewed them online. 

Over the weekend I sold all of my ebay items and have spent most of my winnings on craft stuff.  Having always said I didn't particularly like CD crafting, I explored the "My Craft Studio" CD I had, just for the cost of postage with Making Cards magazine in November or December, can't remember which.   Then I found the website (http://www.mycraftstudio.com/)  and found FREE downloads to add into the CD I had.   Well, the word FREE, just sums it up.  I had to download them and then had a bit of a play.   I was rather impressed with some of the stuff, and so printed out a couple of bits last night whilst watching some TV (probably the recorded episode of Larkrise)

And then, having a bit more of a think, and a bit of an explore round ebay - as you do, I found quite a few CDs, and so put in a couple of bids - so far I've won 2 with bids on another 2.    IT'S AN INVESTMENT!!!!!!!

Anyway, here's the card I made with the printed out bits.

xxx

Doing quite well

I am so chuffed.  As many of you will know, I'm trying to be a bit frugal, and thrifty, and money neutral, blah di blah di blah - for those of you who don't know, being money neutral involves earning money to pay for things you want to buy.  Which many people would think is what they do by going to work.  But it's oh so much more than that - it's things like using the points on clubcards to buy gifts, it's selling stuff on ebay, it's mystery shopping, it's using cashback sites, it's doing online surveys - some of these activities reward you in cash (such as ebay) others reward you with points which you then convert into vouchers for various places (eg amazon) where you can buy gifts, and then there are others, whereby if you are fortunate you can get free gifts.    It all makes sense in my head but when I try to explain it I get a bit confuddled - a far better explanation can be found here http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=2940122  (post 1 although if you are new to MSE, then go have a bit of an explore whilst you are there)

So with money neutrality in mind I listed 5 items on ebay last weekend when it was free listing weekend which means I didn't have to pay extra for asking for a starting bid over 99p.  At the time of writing 4 of those 5 items have bids on.   I sold a book on http://www.greenmetropolis.com/ hopefully I will sell some more but it's a start.  I have, as blogged before, done a bit of bulk buying, with free delivery by  using a discount code and got cashback via a cashback site. (so far up to about £50 ready to claim back on there).   Shortly before Christmas a friend offered to buy me a magazine subscription, and not only did I get about £15 via the cashback site, I got free gifts for subscribing, and due to joining (and subsequently cancelling) a magazine club thing, I got a check for £15 in the post this morning.

And yesterday, with the remains of my chicken (although the carcass is still well covered in the fridge, but might need to be disposed of) I made a chicken pie by adding a tin of condensd mushroom soup (about 50p) and half a packet of ready to roll pastry which I bought when it was discounted recently.

The most exciting thing of all (for me) is that I sold 2 cards today.  Plus I asked whether I could have a table at our quilt xhibition which is planned later in the year.   I have done a bit of colouring, but no assembly so I will show you the 2 cards I sold

Later folks
xxx