Merry Christmas

Just popped on to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas. I hope you have a great holiday and I look forward to having you back on here in 2008 where I hope to post alot more and be alot more creative!

was I creative?

well I did work on some more christmas cards which I was very happy with and I had fun making them. The windmill cards are fun to make because I get to cut squares, then fold them a couple of times and then attempt to glue them all together to make a nice windmill. It seems to have worked so far so I am happy. It makes me think of a rosette and hopefully my family will like them. I did a couple more small snowman cards as well, I got some white wrapping at the weekend with something so I have been using that for a snow effect on the bottom. I think it just adds a little something to the card. I only need to make a couple more cards to finish my family. I was going to make them for close friends as well but don't think I am going to have time so I will buy some nice cards to send to them and still continue to make snowman cards. Then I will have some made for next year already done to send to my friends :)

I also did some work in the journal I have at the moment - I tried to not to worry about what other people would think of the work but just write and add onto the page what I wanted to add. In the end it was only squares of snowflake paper and sparkly card so it is still a sparse page as such with writing but I was struck by the idea from the paper and I just decided to go with it. I thought about taking some pictures but then realised the person who's journal it is might see it. Then it madew me think about how if you never take a picture of it, its like secret work that only the other people working in the journal and the owner will ever see. Part me thought thats sad because you want to share your work with others and the other part thought wow, it means if you see it you are a part of something special.

I have a problem

a creative problem and that is that I worry too much about my work and accepting myself to just create what I want. I don't actually consider and accept I am an artist, I say I do craft bits. I worry about how my work will look compared to other people's and the style of it rather than just going with the flow and coming up with whatever is in my mind. Even now as I have been working in a journal for a journal swap. I write what I want and put bits of the page and I look at it and think "what will others think, I bet they will think it is no good" because I have mainly written on the page, than been arty on the page.
I realise that this is a block to creating some good work because the idea's never make it out of my head onto the paper. I have abused them and then discarded them without even giving them a chance to take life. I am about to leave work and I am going to finish my christmas cards and then I think I am going to just see what Idea comes into my head and run with it. Just see where it takes me. I definately will need to just experiment more and have some fun whilst on my 2 week christmas break from work!
Anyway a bit of a download from my brain :)

Journals

I am currently in a journal swap with some mailart people and I currently have seren's journal and so I have done a couple of pages worth of work in it. I have some idea's for other pages I am going to do. I am off to Panto tonight and so think I will do a page on it when I get back this evening. It will be late when I get back but I know that all the memory and excitement of the panto will be there and thats what I will want to come across in my page. We are seeing Dick Whittington and I am going with a couple of work colleagues.
I will take some pictures of my work and post them up so you can all see. I have been quite bad in photogrpahing my work and showing you all so I aim to be better with this. I think pictures help and make it much easier to comment. Plus then you can see the colours.

Rushing by

Its the 12th already and less than 2 weeks until christmas. Woohoo. Bring on the present giving. I know this is not all what christmas is about but I love seeing what I am going to get for christmas and seeing other people's reactions to the presents I give them.
I spend the 2 days of christmas working my round different sides of the family so make sure that everyone gets some christmas cheer.
This means that yes I am still behind on crafty stuff however I have 2 weeks over christmas as I have taken some vacation time and so I am hoping to enjoy having some time to just relax and have a play in a creative way.

We moved into our house at the weekend and although I am not going to permanently in it until mid february it was great fun and of course tiring. Lots of moving of Sam stuff and heading round shops whilst we had a van hired to buy a bed and a washing machine. We were putting our bed together at 10pm at night on the friday so that we at least had a bed to sleep in.
It was sad to have to leave the house, after having put alot of work into getting the house, it seemed such a shame to not be in it. But I am heading back up this weekend. We are thinking about boarding the loft and doing some gardening work so that it looks less unruly.

Christmas is coming

Now we are in December I am excited, really starting to feel it now. We watched the Santa Claus on saturday evening which I had never seen and enjoyed alot. Always good for puttin in the christmas spirit. I will be watching Elf at some point because I love that film. Not sure if I own it on DVD though. I also need to do some serious christmas shopping as although was good and got some throughout the year, I have done like zero since and therefore I am behind. Need to get on it!

I did step up and do some more work on my Christmas cards last night and so have finished some. I moved on with some of my snowmen cards and I know have 2 big ones complete and 2 small ones. Thinking that I will be getting them out to my oversea's people. My homemade christmas cards are mainly going to family as don't have enough time to make some for friends as well. But did buy some nice winnie the pooh cards so they will still get cheery cards.
I also working on some snowflake cards which involves some folding technique that makes like a giant snowflake which is not too hard to make so I am enjoying making them. I only did one last night but I am planning some more as they will look nice.
I also did some work with some peel off's which I am not always keen on working with but I think in the end it did make a nice effect and although a simple looking card, I still think it looks nice none the less.

Have been busy working on my ATC's for the christmas garland in one of my ATC groups and I am behind as want to get them off in the next couple of days and need to stitch like 12 so need to really but all my spare time into it and get them off ASAP because Erika needs to get them completed and sent off to the overseas people at least so might send those I have done and then send the 2nd batch as quick as I can!

Christmas Cards

Thats right I have finally started working on my christmas cards and I got lots done last night.

I made some bases for christmas cards -

I made 2 cool snowmen which are going to be the main feature on some of my christmas cards. This was fun, I took the concept from a card magazine which gae me the main instructions and then made it my own a little bit - the main thing being that I am changing the background on which the snowmen will go on - they are quite big snowmen but they look so cute. I just need to work out how I am going to do their eyes. Shall I get some black brads? As you can see I didn't get black brads, I just used pens to make eyes in the end.

I also started a stocking card which is cut in the shape of a stocking. Only done the basic on it at the moment, added red in the middle and then over where the white and red meet put silver glitter glue across to make it sparkle and give a nice smooth cross over as such. I need to think about how I am going to jazz up the card - they had some ideas for it in the magazine I got the main idea from but I want to do my own thing - just need to work out what I think will work.

I still have not worked out how to jazz this card up yet but have not really taken the time either.

Finally an update

Yes I have been rubbish and I apologise to you all. Mainly its being busy with work which is my main access to the internet, I could give more excuses but why, they are excuses and no fun. So on to some fun stuff. This ATC is from Michael Leigh who sent it to me which was nice as well as saying how much he enjoyed readin my blog which was also nice. I did not realise he read my blog so maybe there are others out there who read the blog but never comment. It made me happy to know some people read this rather than me doing it for no reason.
In terms of me doing art, there has been some action finally. I finally finished the puzzle piece I was for Sissy, where she sent everyone out a piece, they decorated and sent back and she is going to put the puzzle back together. I just need to get to the post office to send it and I'll be all good. I have forgotten to take a picture of it though. Music on the background and different coloured punched notes scattered across it.
I also have finished my ATC's for the bonfire swap I am hosting on Mixed Media Group and I again have not taken picture but I have not sent these yet so I will add them in the next couple of days. I used thread to make fireworks on a dark blue background. It gives a good effect.

Finally I have made a start on my H letters for a our christmas garland which is where everyone has a letter and makes in this case 17 of these letters for ATC's exactly the same. We send out letters to the organiser and then they make up the garland with each of the letters and send one out to each participant for them to hang up ready for christmas. I am cross stitching my letters with holly on them as I am doing H, to give it that christmas feel. I am planning to mount it between 2 bits of card but then I haven't decided what other decoration to add to it. But means I am going to have get stitching quick to get them sent off in time for the 1st december so everyone gets their garland in time for christmas.
So I have finally found some time to do some art but it is not enough time!

Following on....

from the last post I actually did some of what I said I wanted to do. A miracle it seems but it makes me happy. I finished off my halloween postcards which can be seen. The pictures are not great as I only seem to find time to take pictures when its dark outside thus I have to use artifical light and it never quite looks that great. We have a spider postcard which I find amusing for the googly eyes. And then a general halloween theme card which I made using some great embellishments i bought from the art shop down the road when I went recently and have so far only used the one. I have much bigger plans for my halloween makings and yet here we are with very little. I also used the cobwebs which were sent to me as part of my grab bag winnings and I though gave it just what it was missing. These postcards are going to Zoie who set up the halloween card swap on my livejournal penpal group and to Cayleigh who made this awesome halloween postcard that I wanted so I offered a swap. These went in the post only today so they probably won't get there until after halloween but I hope they are appreciated anyway. And that is why at the moment I have not made any more because they would not get to the destination in time for halloween anyway! Maybe I will make some and keep them for next year. I really need to be thinking of my christmas cards as I worked out today it is only 8 weeks and 1 day away and I have not at all started them! AHHHHHHHHHHH is what I say to that! Plus I did some more of my halloween stitching but unsure if I will have it done by wednesday. I hope so because then I can put it up and make it halloween themed as such in my room.

No Crafting

I have not forgotten you my lovely readers, I have been very busy at work and this has impacted on my art work. I have had a couple of new pieces come through and I do want to put them on here which I will try and do asap. I have things to work on I just haven't done them.
My plans are:
A paper journal to work on for ATC group where there is a big group of us involved and its going to circulate so I have the journal I just need to start.
A 5/5 hand drawn ATC swap on a USA group I haven't traded on in ages
A 3/3 Bonfire swap which I am hosting on a UK Group
Some halloween postcards which I have started but need to finish
A letter postcard which I have all planned out I just haven't made it - the letter Q.
A couple of handmade postcards to send in response to a couple I have received
and finally a cross stitch piece i started for myself which is halloween themed which I wanted to have ready to put up for halloween but not sure if I will manage it now.
So that's what I am looking to do, now I need to find the time :)

Carolyns Journal

My work in Carolyn's Journal in our ATC group round robin is totally finished and went in the post today. Which also means no more journals in this swap as that was the last one for me. Horray! I am glad because it means I have passed on everyones journ als fine and I am sure Craolyn will be very happy to have heres back. It also so sad as its the end of this however we are just starting a new journal round and I am in that one so it's all good. Also with my own journal and the one I am making for Serendipity's swap as such I am a busy journal lady.
There seemed to be an overall theme of the sea with Carolyns journal so I tried to stick to this. It was a hardback book (like tiny kiddies book) so this made it easy to work on. I firstly used acrylic paint and cotton wool to dab the paint onto the page to give a nice blue sea effect. Using the cotton wool had its issues as at times it tried to stick to the page but it worked out in the end.
I then thought that the swirl punch I had would give a good effect so i used this to make dark blue swirls. Having done that I realised the the imprint of the punch looked great and so I lined the edge of each page with this. I randomly put the swirls on the ATC side page as I knew the ATC would cover most of this page however was at 1st unsure what to do on the other side and what in fact I was going to put on the ATC. I liked the thought of waves on the pages and so I cut these out in card and then put wave upon wave on them which are lines from a biffy clyro song which I really like. Very fitting for this page.
What that left me with was an idea for the ATC, I considered a couple of lines about the sea from a well known book or poem and then I considered drawing a mermaid but was unsure how I would do that (my drawing skills are mediocre I would say). So I looked online searching on google for sea poems and found this one which is not by anyone well known - was on a site where you could vote for the poems. I though giving the poem a torn edge effect would look nice and then to join it to the pages I put blue swirls on it for a sea effect. With just this I flet it was missing something so looked at what embellishments I had from what people had sent me and found these from when Pat sent me the Yak Pak when I first joined blindswapsATC group. Seeing as its a poem about love the heart was perfect and although i couldn't find a sea related embellishment, I felt that the cog was fitting none the less. I hope that caroly likes this page, I quite like it, not the best in the journal but nice none the less. I was unsure what to do with the theme but I definately think its fitting to the rest of the journal and I think that is important. Now Carolyn will finally get her journal back and get to enjoy the wonders in it.

More Mail In

Thats right I've had more mail in, one piece for the contortionists call and some RAK ATC's so check it out.

http://seussscatpost.blogspot.com/2007/10/contortionists-and-atcs.html

Scavenger Pack

Thats right I received my scavenger pack from Bonnie in our ATC group and its great. I got some images, lots of fibres, 8 ATC backgrounds, some tacky tape which looks interesting although I am going to have find out what fun things I can do with it. As my surprise she made me this cool christmas themed mini plate, its like a mini carboard sleeve which opens up and there is a glass slide in it which is mounted in with an image behind it. As you can see its something different and she did a great job with it. She included a couple of black ones for me to have a play with so I am glad the glass didn't break during posting.

Also over the weekend I did another journal page. Nothing complicated as I was at Sams at the weekend so no supplies or anything but I like the simpleness of the page and I enjoyed just sitting there and getting engrossed in drawing - trying to make the tree as real life as possible. Drawing is not a strong suit of mine but I enjoy it none the less so sometimes its nice to just draw.

Journal Work

Having seen Serendipity's post about a journal swap I decided that I wanted to join in and so last weekend I went out and bought a journal from WHSmith. Its got thicker art paper on it and a hardish cover so I think it will survive in the post. The premise of the swap is that you work for 15 days in your journal, then let seren know, she'll give you a list of people who have signed up and will be the people who work in the journal. Everyone passes it on to the next until it gets back to you. I thought this would be great fun and I have been doing a bit more journal work, having refound carolyns from our ATC swap.

So this 1st page is about the fact that we put an offer in on a house last saturday and about how I feel about it all. I drew a standard looking house as I can do this where as attempting to draw the house I've bought would have been trickier. Its something thats very close to my heart at the moment as its my 1st house and without knowing her it will all go, some strange feelings going with it. Waiting for our offer to be accepted i've never felt so queasy and we had to wait a few hours.

This 2nd one is more of a fun page and was inspired by all the inchies talk going on. Obviously Lia's been doing squares for ages but its invaded my ATC groups as well - inchies seem to be everywhere which is fine by me as I like them. So into my head popped, every body's talkin but squares and the rest just developed. I love this page as it creates the saying in so many different directions. Make me smile.

So apart from these 2 pages I've done some work to finish off carolyn's journal - just need to add a couple of bits before I send it to her however this is going to have to wait until after the postal strike!

Time ATC's

ATC's galore. The 1st one I have had done for ages apart from the words and I just kept not getting round to it. So I finally printed a number of different sizes at work and then added it on. I really like this ATC - I think the picture is fab and I am going to send it to Pat as part of her scavenger pack.

These next 3 are all part of a "Time" swap I'm taking part in with a UK group and I had to have them sent out by Monday and I made Sunday night. I had the ideas for ages it was about finding the time to make them so when I got back from Sams sunday evening I set about creating them and I really enjoyed it. So we've got one based around a clock and the hand move round so I liked that - deciding what colour to make the clock was tough but these 2 colours just kind of found their way together when I was looking through my different colour papers. Its a nice contract I think.

Then I did one based on old means of telling time so a egg timer as such. I like the though of making the sand glittery to give the card a bit of sparkle. I know its a simple card but I like it.

Then the final one came to me as a last minute idea - so many of us these days base our time around our diaries. I hate the fact when someone asks me if I can do something I have to check my diary but its one of those facts of life. So I though a clip as such of someones diary would be a great way to show the passing of time. I made up the events so its not an actual clip from my diary but some of the things very well could be things that i'd do in a day.

Bought cute pots

I actually bought these a couple of weekends ago but finally got round to putting some stuff in one of them. I put all my buttons in them. Its great because I can see them all and the tops pop off - in terms of the side handles hold the lid down so you have to undo them. I find it amusing. I don't know what I am going to put in the other one yet. I only bought 2 but I am hoping to start gathering better storage items as when we buy a place I will want to move all my stuff into our 2nd bedroom and Sam has already pointed out he doesn't want it junked up so proper storage is the way to go!

I did finish an ATC last night but no picture at the moment. Its a lady with a big hat and then i wrote the phrase does my head look big in this. Just made me chuckle - its a great picture. I am planning to include it in my blindswap sister scavenger pack. This is something that bonnie on our ATC group set up. Everyone makes a pack which they send to the next person on the list and so everyone gets a surprise pack. There is guidelines on what needs to be in the pack and one thing is an ATC you have made. I think Pat will like this ATC. I just need to get the rest of my pack together and sorted so I can send it out. I will be sure to show you guys a picture before I send it out!

Scrapbooking

Thats right its something I have been wanting to get into for ages. I have had a subscription to a scrapbooking magazine for over 2 years (I have used idea's and papers for other stuff, I have a big scrapbook (nothing in it) and the only thing I have actually done is when my friend jenny went to Japan over 2 years ago I made her a mini scrapbook. However I am closer to actually completing my 1st page - I printed all the photo's I took from the roadtrip I went on for a couple of days with Cayleigh in the states and I bought some fun embellishments which say things like road trip and stuff on them. I do now however need to actually make the page and have I found time - not a chance. I feel good in that I am slowly closer to actually achieving it but with so many art/craft things I am working on/want to work on, it seems like it may never happen.
I guess I should really take the photo's with me and mabe try and draw a layout plan so when I do come to actually doing it - I have some idea but then without knowing excatly everything I am going to use, I might not like my layout. So many questions and few answers. Do any of you scrapbook? Do you create a rough layout design with pencil and paper 1st of just play as you go?

Apart from that I had a couple more people ask for leaflets to join in The Contortionists Mail Art call which I put in the post today - I did a little more stitching on my witch last night (although was late in from work and had tired eyes so only did a little) Hoping to get away early from work today, to head up to Bristol and see Sam. We are viewing 4 houses tomorrow as we are looking to buy which is exciting - aiming for 2 bedrooms so soon some space to store all my craft stuff - horray! I did in fact by 2 smallish nifty boxes from woolworths which one I have put my buttons in - they look great, its see through so I can see all my buttons which I like. The other I have not put anything yet but part of that again is down to time. Ahh the weekend is nearly here - maybe I will manage something this weekend!

Contortionists Call incomings

Thats right I've had a couple of pieces in for the contortionists call which I have posted on Seuss's Cats Post - http://seussscatpost.blogspot.com/2007/09/contortionists-call-incomings.html follow this link to view the pieces.

One of the ladies who sent a piece in Marlene Russum Scott currently has a mail art call going on at the moment which you can see below: -

MAIL ART CALL:
As a member of Chicago Hand Bookbinders (CHB), I plan to create a book for the annual show that will begin at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee Wisconsin in January 2008 and at Northwestern University in Evanston Illinois during the summer. I’d like to spread the word about mail art and plan to create a book that will display all mail art received through this call. The book style is called "Storage Book" and was taught to me by Hedi Kyle.

The theme for the exhibit is “Forever 29.” The theme was selected because CHB isn’t sure ifthis is the 29th or 30th exhibition. What does “Forever 29” mean to you?

If you’d like to be included in my book, here’s the info:

Theme: Forever 29
Deadline: October 15, 2007
Size: A6 flat card (4 1/2 x 6 1/4, thickness up to 1/8”)
Documentation to allPlease mail to:

Forever 29
c/o Marlene Russum Scott
204 N. Kenilworth, Unit B
Oak Park IL 60302
USA

journal page, inchies and more

Thats right, last weekend was really quite productive. I spent a little bit of time in my local library where of course i wandered round and picked out some books but I also went and sat in the upstairs quiet bit and worked on a journal page which I had the idea for quite a while ago but hadn't gotten to give a go yet. So i took my journal and pencils with me and just got on with it. I found it relaxing working there and there was nothing around me to make me think of other things i needed to do plus it was quite quiet and i generally just found it very enjoyable to work on the page there.

I might see about doing it again in the future. Its not often i get a weekend to myself so it was nice to just spend some time somewhere else.

Following on from this i designed another halloween inchie. This time its a ghost - i just drew the design out myself, trying to work out what would look like a realistic ghost as such and then started stitching. I think it turned out well. In the end i posted 3 to bonnie but I am making another set which I plan to send to someone else but I am reversing the colours. So if in bonnies set they were orange, in the other set its purple and vice versa.

And lastly i completed the halloween bear which I have now mounted on some purple card but cannot decide what I want to do with next. Do i make it into just a halloween card to send or do I go for the trick or treat bag. I think I am going to attempt to make a trick or treat bag because i think that would be more fun and something I haven't done before. Then I can send it to family in the states for them to make use of. So following on from this I have now started on my other halloween stitching which I am making for me so when I have my own place and its halloween I can get it out as a decorative picture as such. Its of this cool witch, its from a stitching magazine and I am sure I will show the progress of it on here - well definately when I complete.

Halloween Inchies

Thats right I actually made a couple of halloween inchies last night. Having got all the bits to do my halloween stitching and with an episode of House on my DVD player I set to work, creating the pattern to stitch the spider and the bad. That took a bit of time, playing around with how manay stitches and such so it looked likie it should but on a small scale. Spent ages trying to work out what angles I wanted the legs on my spider. Then i stitched them, I had already made cut the backgrounds up so it was a matter of deciding what ton put on them, i decided to draw on them and then adding my stitching. I am happy with them, i think they look cool and I hope Bonnie likes them when she receives them in our swap. I am going to try and do a couple more before sending them out to her. She's being lovely and letting me send however I make rather than have a set number - bless her.

I know the pictures aren't great and I may replace with better ones in next couple of days. I just wanted to get something up!