Determination is the buzz word

What do I mean by that? Every time I mean to do a posting I put the dashboard on and that's it. The good resolutions fly out the window and I'm immersed in the blog world and all the wonderful cards and everybody's news.

So what's new with me? Today we have mostly been doing HOUSEWORK!!!!

Before you get out the garlic I need to explain that as the ole condition has improved this year I've actually been able to do said..............housework without having to go to bed after one little bit and take pain killers. In fact I've been revelling in the novelty of being able to do it and having a brain and body left over at the end. No pushing though-just in case you FMS peeps out there are worried for me- I've left the bathroom for tomorrow. DH and I are feeling exceptionally virtuous so we are rewarding ourselves with playtime. So if you feel like popping in I won't have to do too much fast tidying up (unless you are thinking of popping into my craft room that is -which reminds me............

I've spent over two days searching for some stamps. Haha-must be some old ones you've put away and thought about using again Betty-no no no I say, just the opposite. I tidied up in my craftroom for a play day with little sis and Jeannette and it was sometime later that I remembered I'd got a do crafts goody bag with Daisy and Dandelion stamps in. Now I know I got those stamps, heck I made a card with one of them and now I wanted to make another one. The more determined I was to find them the more they eluded me. I tried all my favourite search techniques which are as follows:-

1 Look under your nose

2 Look under your nose again

3 Look in the place you would put them usually

4 Look under your nose

5 Have a cup of tea and make a card

6 Look where they definitely wouldn't be

7 Search every blasted box, shelf, drawer, file, in among the magazines.

8 Straighten the craft room and pretend you weren't looking for them anyway

9 In desperation empty the rubbish bins-just in case (which is why there are scraps all over the floor AGAIN)

10 I GAVE UP

Guess what, I saw a bit of blue poking out from under some fabric that hasn't moved for years, definitely, and underneath it was the goody bag just being goody goody and sitting right where I put it when I tidied up to make room for Jeannette and lil sis.

That took care of most of Saturday and Sunday morning

DH said "spose you want to craft then and not go out this afternoon"

I thought, "No I'm going out with my dearly beloved".

We went to the Haworth Art gallery which is just outside Accrington, not in Haworth as you would suppose. It has the largest collection of Tiffany glass in Europe. We didn't go for the glass though, we went to see an exhibition of prints produced by an artist called Agnes Miller Parker for a collection of Aesop's fables. She trained at The Glasgow School of Art and later in London and is famous for her beautiful book illustrations. I am lucky enough to own a book called Down River by H. E. Bates (Darling Buds of May fame) which was illustrated by her. I've given up collecting illustrated books since I couldn't work any more, I daren't even look at them in case I'm tempted but I can go to exhibitions.

Anyway it was a lovely afternoon out and I did pay homage to the Tiffany which I adore,especially a particular lava glass vase in purple and gold. If you've only seen Repro Tiffany lamps you'll be stunned by this collection and the complexity and variation of the work. The scale of some of the projects they undertook was mind boggling.

We are having more culture this week. It's Cardiff Singer of the World every night on BBC4. Yes I did watch Britain's Got Talent but Mozart, Handel and all the crew sung by the world's great up and coming (young and fit too!) singers, without buzzers to interrupt them, is breathtaking.

In between the culture, the cleaning and the searching I have made some cards

Number one is what I did AFTER I'd found Daisy and Dandelion. Weary but determined I managed something. He is stamped with chocolate SU ink on some great Papermill Shop paper from my stash (of more later)Number two is a stamp from Little Claire (must get this one in the post) mounted on some mirri then some Craftwork Cards papers and painted with Lyra Aquacolors. The lefthand tree has been lifted slightly but the others are glued on top to give a hint of dimension without compromising postage costs!Number three is another of the images I stamped with Jeannette's SU set. Coloured with chalks, bit of mirri then SU Bashful Blue textured card good ole Swiss Dots embossing folder and the little buttons on the back are a cuttlebug folder border set. The sentiment is some lettering from another stamp I scaled down (by guesswork) and used my hotfoil print wizard to do it. Should use it more often really 'cos when I make the effort I'm happy with it especially when I'm stuck for the right words. A bit of PVA and glitter too.Number four is all Craftwork Cards except the ink and the gold mirri card. The stamp is from the set called Misaki and I inked the leaves with Olympia Green Versafine stamped them, cleaned the stamp, masked the leaves with acetate inked the pot with toffee versafine and lined it up and stamped. This idea really excited me (go on -you use it all the time-well I just thought of it myself) and it worked first time. I love this stamp

Saved this one for last 'cos it's my favourite. Can't claim the colour scheme idea for myself. I saw it in the Stampin' Up catalogue and fell in love with it. Remember the first card? It's the same paper stamped with SU chocolate ink again. The stamp is called "girl in grass" by Stamps Happen and I've had it years. I used white and brown coloured pencils. If you use them on their side you get that chalk look and you can use the point to get the detail. I love this monochrome effect. The paper has a light texture to it. I'm sure you could do a bit of distressy type thingummy with this but I kept it simple as mine just look a mess when I try that. The colour scheme was from the SU catalogue too -cream, brown and the blue textured again.

Before you say eh oop you could use this idea with other stamps- I have tried it and it's brill. In fact I tried it on daisy, or was that dandelion? Anyway it looks great. I've tried it on a care bear too. What's that? You've not got any, well nip round and you can have a borrow!

Was going to put a piccy up of my test bits but it's tea time now and my man needs feeding so ta ta from the North of England (IT'S GRIN OOP 'ERE THA KNAWS)