moxie fab world challenge: I want to ride my bicycle

I came across this challenge whilst blog hopping for play date cafe.  I love these ladies on bicycles, they make me think of Mary Poppins, and when I did this doiley page in my journal I knew I had to have them cycling around the edge!

They are from the Mannequin Cafe set, which I bought on my last trip to The Stamp Attic.  Head over here if you'd like to join in with this challenge too :)

Gladys and Ethel went to tea

in a beautiful china cup.

They wore their hats

and chatted of cats,

looking forward to crumpets and toast!

Talking of  The Stamp Attic, my recent order came super quick.  I'm so excited to get these!

I can't wait to use those 'shrooms' in my journal [and they'll go particularly well with my project for usartquest - watch this space! ] and how cute are those quails?  The really make me think of next door's hens, who wouldn't oblige when I tried taking a photo:

They were much more interested in leftover spaghetti (which Lou next door is sure they think is worms lol).  In the end I put one on my knee for a photo, she looks like she's giving me the evil eye and saying 'put me down, I'm eating!!'

off on a trip

I've been working on the next play date cafe colour challenge today so I can't show you I'm afraid.  Except to say it's my choice of colours this week so I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone does with them :)

I thought I'd show you a page from my ideas journal.  I've kept these for a number of years now and use them to make notes on workshops, try out new products, stamps or ideas, and keep a record of artists I admire.  When Julie gave us her colours, I needed to get my journal out to play with the supplies I had in those colours as they're not ones I use very often. I also wanted to use my new character constructions stamps in the piece so I stamped them up to get a feel for the images.  Playing like this before settling down to an idea really helps me get the ideas flowing. Although sometimes they just 'happen', like RSS week 8, that one I just sat down and made!  How do you get your ideas flowing?  Do you keep an ideas journal, or do you just get stuck in?

I'm off to Oxford in the morning with my three children.  We're going to see the first Steampunk Art exhibition [my husband declined the offer, it's not very 'him'!], I can't wait!!!  Squeezing in a trip to Wendy's Stamp Attic of course whilst we're down there :)

the play date cafe is officially

OPEN!!!
I'm feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness.  I can't wait to see what you all do with this colour challenge, especially our brand new design team whose blogs I'm heading straight over too!!!  And my fingers are crossed that you like my contribution!

Soooooo, here were the colours Julie challenged us with

And here's what I did

I used my new, slightly mad, character constructions stamps from Wendy's Stamp Attic to make this little book.  Then added washers, press studs and Tim Holtz gears, and hinges from B&Q! 

To get the colours needed I used card stock in a burgundy and a yellow ochre, raisin adirondack spray (over Tim Holtz alphabet masks on the background piece), grey Nick Bantock ink and regular black ink. 

I made the book by folding 5 pieces of card and using sticky tape to attach them together.  The hinges were attached with eyelets because I couldn't find my brads!!  I attached the hinges to the front cover, then the back cover, then inserted the inner pages.

Can't wait to see what you create!  Go to Julie's Open Window and add your blog post via Mr Linky.  Have fun!