Off on a junket

Dear everybody out there. Tomorrow I'm tripping off to the Glaramara Centre in the beautiful Lake District. Don't worry, I've not got a sudden attack of adventure and activity unless you count learning a new craft technique. I don't just do cardmaking, oh no, I'll have a go at lots of stuff especially if it involves colourful bits and pieces and lots of fiddling about. Recently I've been having a go at dry and wet felting -recently as in for the last couple of weeks that is. On Monday I spotted the course which I really fancied - DH said get it booked and get off with you and tomorrow I'm off for the week. Ta ta. Tell you all about it when I get back ,if I'm still in one piece that is.

GO TO PREVIOUS POST

Don't know how this happened but obviously if you start a post on one day and finish it on another it posts on the original day AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO CHANGE IT CURSE, CURSE, CURSE.
So if you want to know my little tip for a nifty card format just go to 6th August post. I am now officially weary and done for the day. Signing out.

Quickest card ever

Free download from Two Peas in a Bucket printed directly onto the card front coloured with some pearlescent chalks. Image stamped with chocolate SU ink on same cardstock and coloured with same chalks. Eyes have been dotted in with sakura souffle pen and flower has been coloured with souffle pens and glamour dust tipped on. I cut out the bear and glued him (or is it her)directly onto the card front in the interests of saving postage costs and tied a tiny gingham bow which has been glued on with pinflair glue gel.

The downloads can be found here http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/

Think I'll be able to get loads of use out of just this one by changing the colours and resizing etc etc. If I can get to grips with photoshop I might actually spend money!!

By the way this is also my quickest post ever-cheerio.

Oh yes they are official Hero Arts downloads. I love this stamp but it's one I don't own.

Tip as promised

Have had problems getting this done as I just faff about all the time but I wanted to share with you a card format which I used a lot last Christmas. It's very simple to make but gives you a whole new world of decorating possibilities. I discovered it on my own but I'm sure someone else has thought of it before. I called it an offset gatefold and it fits in a C6 envelope. I can't work out how to add enough images to illustrate so will try to describe it and add some samples. Here goes

A4 card-using landscape place against folding board and score on A5 gatefold line.

Turn through 180 degrees ie work on the opposite side

Score on half fold A5 line

Fold score lines in.(if you have a bit of overlap just trim)

Now you can use it in this format or cut it in half on the A6 line.

SIMPLES but with endless possibilities which I have barely explored.

If you make some let me know please . A bit like a challenge really but I don't do them cos I just can't work out how to do the linky thing and plenty more besides.

Happy Birthday Zac

This card was made last week and posted on Sunday but didn't share it just in case it got seen before it should have been. They are inkadinkado transparent stamps and I bought them locally.

Just in case you thought I was really clever coming up with that design I have shared my inspiration from the back of the pack. Don't think the pack designer used the stamps though 'cos the guitar has been resized. It did help me out. All the pieces of card are from stash. The silver embossed mirri card came from Craftwork Cards aeons ago and I didn't know I had the blue until I spotted it last week. There's some Stampin'Up cardstock and some Papermill Shop as well.

I'm working on a little (very very little) tip thingy for my next post. Don't expect a video. If you want really fancy go on Spyder's blog, she has some smashing technique videos

Sunday in the park with...........

about a thousand triathletes. They may have been taking part in an Ironman competition but women were involved and I took my camera along to prove it. I'm only used to taking shots of cards so I was quite pleased with these. Shame about that chap at the back. Think I recognise him-ah yes it's the madman who decided to get up at halfpast four in the morning to bag a good spot to watch the cycling. I didn't go with him but couldn't sleep and I was hanging out washing by seven o'clock---SEVEN O'CLOCK AAARGHHH.

Felt very virtuous. Shan't be doing it again in a hurry. In case you wondered we only had to stroll a few yards from the house to see all this but that is not chez nous in the background.

This is one of the leading women and the

fella at the back is my DH. There was a bit of a cool breeze so we wrapped up warm!

I have also been doing some cardmaking. Me and Tim or make that Tim and I have got a thing going on and here are the results. First there's coated cardstock with peeled paint/dusty concord/pine needles/black soot ink all blended. This was my first go and I loved the effect. I then stamped the image with stazon-versafine doesn't dry on coated stock but s'pose I could've embossed it. Next I used old paper and walnut stain on uncoated card and stamped the same image first with old paper then with walnut stain. I was very good and made them both into cards. Bit challenged on that bit but think it's so striking it doesn't need much else. Could gold emboss a sentiment in the top right of the coloured one but sometimes I like to leave them and decide when I use them. Now if you want to know about the image I'm going to disappoint you. I know them when I see them at shows but they are unmounted and at the mo' I just can't remember

Just to end I think you may have noticed I don't do card challenges. It's 'cos I prefer not to pressure myself, just go at whatever pace Ye Olde Condition dictatates. I do challenge myself though and my ongoing one is using up stash. Anyway I decided to print out a sheet of Pink Petticoat Christmas trees and try to use every one in a different way. I managed four but I'm not the fastest of cardmakers and each one got a little bit more complicated than the last. This is what I ended up with. Managed to use a bit of my peel off stash. Don't know why I succumb to them but they do accumulate and you never get to the end of the sheet. For the circle background I mounted the peel offs en masse onto mirri card and cut with a nesty then coloured them in with permanent pens-and these started off as quick cards ha ha ha. Think I will play about with the ribbon threaded through idea but keep the next one ultra simple. This is my mantra -ultra simple Betty, ultra simple Betty. That's the cards not me. Tata