WOYWW

Have just returned from a wonderful holiday on the Isle of Wight and for the last couple of weeks my 'workdesk' has been my lap, a field, a camping table... and I've been very tidy and kept everything organised and in it's place - cos you have too in a tent lol!

The bag to the right contains my wools and crochet hooks - crochet is very portable (I crocheted some of those flowers whilst standing in a fish and chip shop queue on Cowes night!) so easy to take away on holiday.

My little craft bag is pretty portable too, with pencils, pens, paints and blank ATCs to hand.  What you can't see is the small suitcase filled with other bits n bobs, and the jute bag that contained the little craft bag lol!

I decided to catch up on my ATCs whilst I was away.  These were made using Dyan Reaveley's Altered Originals Spray inks (collection 1).  I sprayed the card, allowed it to dry, then used a watery brush to merge the colours.  The flowers are Daisy Daisy (Stampotiqu) from The Stamp Attic, coloured with a white gel pen.

I also had a bit of a play with my new Stabilo Woody pencils (a watercolour, pencil and wax crayon all in one).  I picked these up in an art shop in London, but you can see them here, they are YuMMY! [think you're gonna love these Sue!!]  

I scribbled with the blue and brown pencils, used a wet brush over them, then a walnut ink spray.  I've wanted a white spray for AgEs and finally tracked one down at The Cubby Hole, Crewe.  It's a Memories Mist in Whipped Cream and I used it with a Tim mask over my coloured card.  A bit of stamping, a touch of collage and the ATCs were done!

Happy WOYWW!  Looking forward to having a sneak at your workdesk, and if you're wondering where all this started, head over to the lovely Julia's Stamping Ground for the info :)

I'm in love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wasn't feeling great on Thursday (suffering with sinisitis and waiting for my antibiotics to kick in - they now have - hurray!!) so when the postman knocked on and gave me TWo parcels, I was very excited, and they cheered me up no end :).  The first was from the lovely Dyan at Art from the Heart, and inside, a gift of her yummy new inks.  So I had to have a play straightaway - expecially with the granite one, I've wanted a grey ink for aaaaaaaaaaaaaages!

Then my favourite blues and greens:

which I then sprayed over using 'burnt orange', masking with a torn envelope.

before dabbing the envelope edge elsewhere on my page.  So what has made me fall in love with these inks?

well,

the colours are vibrant

they spray in a grungy way, a mixture of fine mist and splatters

you can overlay them

and best of all, you can work back into them with a baby wipe (or a wet rag/paintbrush) just like the Adirondack sprays

so watch this space for more play and journal pages :)

I can't share much of my second parcel as it contains highly classified play date cafe material ;), but will share what I can tomorrow.

Meanwhile, had a bit of a shop (ok, five carrier bags full over 2 days lol) on Thurs and Fri.  Since my painkillers weren't working, I decided 'distraction' might work against my headache, and went out to my local antique and collectables place to get some hardback books for my texture workshop at The Stamp Attic in Wantage on Saturday (click here for deets)

Some other bits n bobs happened to join the books in my pile :)  I can't wait for the workshop, we'll be playing with texture which makes for a great journal cover, but also looks fab on Maya Road die cuts or even around the edge of a picture frame.  [great for Chrissy pressies] 

Then yesterday, Sue Roddis asked if I'd go with her to her local antiques and collectables place and not to disappoint a friend I dragged myself there [ok, my antibiotics were working so I sang along to my music on the way and bounced into Sue's ;)  ]

and came home with this little lot and more!