Artful Times Challenge 73 - MEN

Well, I am back over this side of the world but not really in the land of the living as I suffer badly from jet lag.  My waking hours seem to be around 2 am until 6 am and then the rest of the time I go in and out of sleep mode.  Very deep sleep mode too.

Thankfully, whilst I was in America my friend Mary made a card similar to this one for a workshop of hers and I took the opportunity to more or less copy it.  So here is my DT card for Men:

The whole card is using Distress Inks with the background having second generation stamping on it.  Then there is a small piece of hessian going across and a torn piece of card, stamped with two stamps (sorry, did not make a note of them but I think they were SU ones) on top which has been wrapped with string.  Finally there is a ship in an oval on the very top.

Guess this could be a Bon Voyage card also.

Now what will you do?  Hope you join us as entries have been low for a good few months now.

WOYWW 295 (long - sorry)

Well, here I am, back in the cold and missing Mary and the family - and the warmth!  Journey home took far too long, if only Dr Who was around and he could transport me between America and the UK in the blink of an eye.  Still, must not grumble about the weather as yet, look at what the east coast of America is experiencing - hope everyone is safe over there.

Am still suffering jet lag - usually takes me about three weeks to get over it - mind you, with the amount of unpacking and putting away I have who could blame this foggy brain from staying where it is?  Here is my mess - desk, sorry.

OK OK, you don't think this is a mess!  Right?  Well it is the tail end of my clearing up and I thought I would be gentle on your eyes and show you one or two things I made whilst at CHA.  Top left is a felt bag I decorated (stuck flowers on with glue - very difficult) in a Make and Take for a glue company.  Next to it is a Journal (workshop) we decorated with Tammy Tuttrow and next to that one done with Marje Kemper - again a workshop.  Both thoroughly enjoyed but I didn't learn anything. Then we come to the heart - my Andy Skinner workshop which I loved.  Learned lots about paint techniques (can I remember?) and got lots of free products as a bonus.  Missing is my Oil Smudge workshop but as I turned my results into cards and sent them off I cannot show you them now.  Later maybe.

The other things are all Make & Takes - first is a card made with Heartfelt Creations using their new dies, real pretty; then a bookmark made with Spellbinders; a scarf made with someone using faux Indian Block stamps and finally a box, still needs putting together, made to showcase the gel pens.

This is the desk/room as was on Tuesday morning (I am writing this ahead of time as jet lag will mean I sleep until Wednesday lunchtime from about 6 am having been awake most of the night)

NOTE:  I am awake and have been since 2 am - no sleep in me - so much for my thoughts above!

A mix of Christmas and CHA/America

You can just see my shopping bag - four panels painted by four Design Team members at Ranger - Dina Wakley, Dyan Reaveley, Wendy Vecchi and Tim Holtz on the chair back.

View Left

View Right - can't wait to do that clock

Inside the brown box are some paints courtesy of Andy Skinner's workshop and Decoart who were so generous to us all.

Below is a photo including some Christmas stuff left when we set off for America - still not unwrapped my book from Art from the Heart sale.  It is so prettily wrapped I am struggling with taking it apart.

And now for my freebies.  I didn't think I had got so many but when I unpacked there seems to be loads - mainly from Andy Skinner class as mentioned above - thanks a lot, can't wait to play with these paints, stencils and stamps.

and finally stuff bought

My lovely wonderful Chameleon pens, thank you Mary.  Tools, beads, stamps, Gelatos (dies and new case which I had put away when I did the photo) - thanks to the family and friends for the vouchers, I had such a wonderful spend.  

The rub ons (seem to be very much in vogue over there as they were used a lot in workshops), hessian, paper (as if I needed more), journal and alarm clock which I just had to buy were all purchases from Michaels, Joannes and Hobby Lobby.

Well, that is it.  Now to try to find room to put all of this extra stuff - what can I throw out to make room?  And I haven't shown you my early birthday present from himself yet?  It's a big box and needs careful storage, something I have longed for for such a long time.  Maybe next week I will show you.

In case you are wondering who I am talking to pop over to the stamping-ground and see what is going on in various corners of the world as crafters come together to share Wednesdays.  See you there later.

WOYWW 294

Gosh, six posts from now and we will hit 300!!  If you wonder who or what I am talking about visit the stamping-ground and find out about this lovely, wonderful group of friends who post each and most every Wednesday.

So what do we, wonderful members of this "club" do?  Why we show our desks, real or temporary and here is mine today - a temporary one as I am on holiday across The Pond.

I have a sample of Oil Smudge, a technique I learned at CHA, or rather the beginnings of one on my portion of the main desk at my friend's house.  Rather a last minute thing, I am going to try to show her how to do this wonderful technique which so intrigued me when I first saw it.  As you can see I have not progressed much since doing the class but I might, just might, have a play whilst on the plane going home.

There is also a sunflower image (to be precise two) on the right waiting for me to colour them in and make into cards.  Might end up going home naked!!  The card not me!

I realise I have not shown you the rest of the workroom so here it is

This is behind me

Down a bit

Carousels with 'for sale' stuff

Workshop stamps and stuff

Blue box has the Shimmer Sheetz stuff we have been working on and this shows that as how big the desk you still end up working on a small section.

shelves opposite where I am working

Prima dolls below - if you like you cannot go wrong here

That's all for now folks ...

But ... yesterday the 'girls' came to visit me, only thing is it looks as if they visited Chas who was quietly working on his laptop in a corner.

Night night (it's still Tuesday here and we are just back from a marvellous meal out with David and Kim and their lovely family - more on that and other things tomorrow).  See ya!

Artful Times Challenge - Time

Well I didn't do the first challenge of the year, left it all to poor Wendy (and she had the flu) but when I saw it I was already in America and short of cutting my friend's cards up I found it difficult to enter. Hoping I am forgiven I quickly dashed off this card for the current challenge and then promptly lost track of the days (again!) so although it is Friday here it is Saturday early doors at home.

Sorry - here is my card

Shock Horror I had to use my friend's rubber stamps to make this.  As I am living in a stamp shop that should be overwhelming but to be honest I didn't want to buy any more stamps for this theme as I have loads at home and it isn't a topic she is particularly endowed with in her personal stamps.  

So I took a slightly different stance with it and based it around a Tim Holtz sentiment saying that time is a companion going with us on a journey.  Of course I used my favourite Distress Inks and had a wonderful time.

Hope you find time to join us with this one - please. - see you at Artful Times?

Bye Bye to CHA and Hello WOYWW 293

Well, last night we made our way home from CHA, tired and footsore we had an early night and then this morning it was a case of downloading the rest of the photos.  Some of the photos I have shown in previous days and some I am going to show you today but I will probably put a medley up when I get home and on my own computer.  I am using Chas's and he does not have a mouse - I cannot do without my mouse.

One thing I did yesterday was walk through the Designers Showcase

This colourful work was by Rita Barakat

you probably recognise the work of Julianna Hudgins

and look at this centre piece

Love this designer

Here I am with her

(check her work out)

Now to Envirotex imagine these next three items with a real high gloss on them created by pouring lots of Envirotex (clear resin) over the top of them.  Awesome!  And they do so much more than just pouring resin.

A Jigsaw

Ooh La La

I should do this with my dominoes

Yes, Anna was there and I love the picture below her

These trays were fabulous

and they come from Lancaster, England

Like this Designer's work, also for Prima

Faces, faces and more faces

And to end today with me let's go through
the wardrobe

into Narnia

to see the Lion and the Witch

In A World of Yarn (yes, all knitting)

As for my workdesk this is all that is on it - my excuse is I have been so tired today and I had to put all my stuff away ready for my trip back home so please all you WOYWW'ers will you forgive me - and most importantly will you Miss Julia?

A Ranger Trophy

Told You - I don't Know What Day it Is!

It is now Sunday evening which means that this morning's post could not have been Monday.  Doh!  Told you this jet lag has got to me this time - or is it just old age?

Ready for some more photos - not anywhere near as many as in previous years - there just aren't the lavish stands that used to be - but these were amongst my most photogenic.

Anyway - here we go

First of all my second workshop of the day was brilliant!  I went all the way to America to do an Andy Skinner workshop and it was worth it.  He had prepped it so well and we got lots of goodies and made a fab piece exploring various techniques.  This is some of his work on the Deco Art stand.

No more workshops so off around the show

Faber Castell had this huge canvas as well as the one Limor had done for the class last night which you have seen.

Graphic 45 had the usual clock and delightful furnishings showcasing their new lines

Heartfelt Creations have brought out a new flower shaping tool which sounds, and looks terrific!  In the meantime here are some of their glorious creations

it was lovely to see Richard but I always seem to miss Emma Lou

Will try again tomorrow

One person I did catch up with was Kim from Spellbinders

Tired Feet?

Well, my bed is calling me, Chas is snoring and I think I will have to leave it there for tonight.  I have lots to show you from Prima and wait for it ... the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ... (if I say "clickety click" will it give you a clue?)

See you another day!