Countdown to the weekend

Monday again and I'm already counting down the days to the weekend...no wonder the time seems to fly by. I don't usually tick the days off like this, but there's so much to get through that I'm noticing every hour that comes and goes! Today has been all about getting samples made for Saturday's event at Coleman's Craft Warehouse in Rushden. As well as my Doo Lally Pip range they have stocked up on lots of my other stamps, so I'm racing to get a good mix of projects made using them.

Here's one of today's "makes".....

.....using my "Keep on Smiling" (PICSA6208) and "Hoist the Flags" (PICSA6207) sets. I covered one of the larger square boxes from a Tim Holtz Configurations box with papers from a DCWV paper stash then inked up a square of blank card for the inside back, using browns and greens. I drew some fine brown lines and knot holes on the card for a bit of a tree bark effect. I covered the edges of the box with TH tissue tape.

I stamped, coloured and cut out the door from the Keep on Smiling set and glued that to the backing card, then added some foliage around it using twisted and rolled up pieces of paper towel that I'd used for wiping up my craft sheet. I used Glossy Accents applied to the card in lines or dots for this as I find the tissue pieces stick almost immediately and it allows you to twist them into different shapes. I then stuck the backing into the box.

Next up I cut some little stepping stones from card, inked and glued them to the base.

 I stamped the character from Keep on Smiling a couple of times, coloured and cut her out, with a second dress to decoupage over the top for added depth. A bit of extra card stuck to her back helps to stiffen the image and I used folded back tabs of dark card to keep her upright in the box. One is behind her back and the second is behind her feet - I cut that one into a tuning fork shape so that one "prong" could be glued behind each leg.  The words are from the Hoist the Flags set and I stamped it a couple of times so I could outline the separate words before inking, cutting and gluing to the front edges of the box. 

I'll have this little project with me on Saturday, so do have a peek more closely at it if you're coming to Coleman's.

I've added a new painting to my Etsy shop...well, it's not a "new" painting as such, but one I did a few years ago. There is always a choice to be made about paintings and when, if ever to sell them. I've always sold my art work, but I sometimes like to hang on to certain pieces for a while and sometimes they are definitely ones I want to keep. I decided that it was time for this painting to go into the wider world now though!

 It's a fantasy landscape called "Icy Mountains" and you can see more details if you click onto the thumbnail image below my Etsy shop link in my sidebar. I added the Celestial images to the frame using acrylic paints to add to the slightly unearthly feel that I wanted to create.

Now for a few links that I've been sent that feature projects made using my Doo Lally Pip stamps. I was teaching at Samuel Taylor's in Leeds on Saturday and the ladies, and I, all had a great time making Steampunk themed cards. Here is one of the cards that I made as a sample for the class (unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of the other card!).....

 ....we used gorgeous Graphic 45 papers along with my "Steamed Up" and "Time Traveller" stamp sets...plus lots of Tim's Idea-ology hardware. I love the crow on the Graphic 45 paper holding the "Carter's Little Liver Pills" sign. Priceless! Joan was on my workshop and she sent me the link to her Late Night Stamping blog to show me the cards that she completed at home. I love the quote at the top of Joan's blog by Jack London..."You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club."....absolutely true, as I know every time I have a deadline looming! Thanks for the link Joan.

The next link is to A Maze of Memories, a store that I get to visit about twice a year and always enjoy my time there. Christina let me know that there was a great project on the blog made using some of my Doo Lally stamps, so do pop over and take a look at what the talented Julie made.

The last of the links is to the blog of Ali-Craft where there are some step by step projects using Doo Lally stamps by Jane and Ali. I love the tags they've made, especially the fabulous colouring and I like the use of the vellum too. I'll be demonstrating for Ali-Craft at the Great Northern Paper Show in Harrogate in October, so really looking forward to that.

That's my round up for today. I've been so busy I even forgot to put Wimbledon on in the background - darn! I am now trying to catch up with what's been happening on court and the dramas that are unfolding as I type...I do love Wimbledon fortnight!

I'm off to get a shower now and do my best to scrub away all the inks that are under my nails and ingrained into my fingers...I really don't want to be assisting at tomorrow's funeral with multi coloured hands. Just hope that it all goes well and that I remember everything for when I have to assist at the one on Thursday without the full time Verger being there. 

No fresh veggies for my dinner tonight as I'm letting them all grow a little bigger before picking them. The outdoor courgettes are flowering now too though, so I think I'll have a good supply for a few weeks at least! Just waiting for the first of the cherry tomatoes (black ones!) to ripen now. Definitely must grow more veg next year and maybe some fruit too.....