MIAM

MIAM

Thursday 25 August 2011

Papers

I have drawers full of design papers and yet it's something I rarely use. I think it's because stamping is my 'thing' and I usually like a CAS design, it can sometimes get a bit busy with both. Anyway, I've recently been inspired to use my papers, but did I use any of the hundreds lurking in my stash???? Noooo....I printed some more from a CD! Kirsty Wiseman's CD rom Colour Burst of Fanciful Things is a veritable Aladdin's cave of lush designs.




I also used a chipboard frame coloured with distress ink and stamped with a tiny Hero Arts flower, a die-cut butterfly embossed with a border folder and a tiny tag. It's certainly not CAS and a bit different for me, but I'm going to enter it into One Stop Craft's Bold & Bright Challenge this week.

It's a grim day today in Sussex, very grey and wet, hence an indoor shot of the card. Sorry it's not better.


TFL
Fiona x


Monday 22 August 2011

Allotment Scenes



Here are some recent snaps I took when visiting the allotment last week. Still using my point and press but concentrating more on composition and content than the technical side at the moment. (I'm sure some purists would photoshop that dead bit of foliage out of the frame in the dahlia shot, but I don't know how to do that yet!)










Before I go, just wanted to share this beautiful birthday card made for me by my very talented friend Eunice.





Isn't it stunning?

LinkThanks for taking the time to drop by.
Fiona x

Saturday 20 August 2011

A Happy Accident

What to do for this morning's new challenge ? I had a think and then another and then remembered that I needed a card for my Uncle who is having an operation later this week. Being a very rural sort of bloke I thought a certain stamp of mine would fit the bill, and even better I had it all stamped up and coloured. It was abandoned several weeks ago during the 'Something with Legs' challenge, and although it got lobbed across the room in disgust because the card just wasn't coming together, I did have the foresight to save it. I'm glad I did now as this is what I have created with it for Less is More's challenge, Things that Move and it also qualifies for Casual Friday's latest challenge - embossing.

(click for detail)

The image is by Crafty Individuals and was stamped with Versafine, clear embossed and coloured with soft pencils, I added some twine and attached a dangling greeting by Hero Arts.
Must shake a leg now as on the late shift today, thanks for looking and for all your lovely comments. I do enjoy reading them all.

Fiona x











































Thursday 18 August 2011

Late LIM

A late entry to LIM's latest challenge - One layer card USE INK
** This does include ink pads **

and also to Clean & Simple's sketch challenge.

I haven't had much time for crafting this week but am now on days off so am getting some 'carding' in. This card is my third attempt, my first was abandoned as the cardstock was too textured for the image to be clear and the second was ruined by my grubby mitts!


This one's not going to win any prizes as there is a small smudge on the bottom left corner of the image and now I look at it, the sentiment looks a little bit squiffy, However, I need to get on with some housework so I'll have to go with it. The saucy lady is by PaperArtsy and the sentiment is by Paula Pascual, I used Distress Inks on a masked area of the card. Hopefully next week's entry will be better.

So thanks for looking and a 'happy hello' to my new followers.
ttfn.

Fiona x





Saturday 13 August 2011

Another Year Older



It's been a bittersweet day today as it's my first birthday without Mum. I thought of her often throughout the day, about how she always made me a cake and how she never failed to find a card with lovely words, but never gushy. As I sat in the Albert Hall this evening at the BBC Proms I thought how much she would have enjoyed hearing the BBC Concert Orchestra.


My evening out was a lovely birthday treat from my friend Debbie who has 'introduced' me to the talented musician and lyricist Tim Minchin, who compered tonight's show. I'd never heard of him until a couple of months ago and then googled him to see what he was all about. I'm glad I did because while we were hanging around outside before the show I recognised the eccentric looking Aussie and quickly papped him.


The above shots were captured on my point and press camera (haven't got myself a DSLR yet) as were these I took yesterday when I had a mooch around Ditchling, a lovely Sussex village.




So no cards to share today, just a few snaps as my enthusiasm for photography grows. Hope I haven't bored the pants off you!

Thanks for looking.
Fiona (aged 49)

Saturday 6 August 2011

Are you sitting comfortably? then I'll begin........

I've had a busy old time lately and was so busy last weekend I didn't manage to enter Less is More, sorry girls. This weekend I'm still busy but I've had time to produce something. The current theme is


I chose the Union Jack (or flag, I think the correct term is!) and thinking along the same lines I thought "what could be more British than a cup of tea?"

I stamped my Craft Stamper freebie onto a piece of Stampbord and coloured it with Distress Inks (Worn Lipstick and Faded Jeans) I mounted it on white card with the words generated on the computer. I used a gold Krylon pen on the sides of the Stampbord to hide the nasty brown edge. Et voila, hope you like it.



**********

As I mentioned earlier, last weekend I was flat out and on Sunday I was booked on one of Kirsty Wiseman's London photography lessons. It was a brilliant day with three other lovely crafty ladies, (Sarah, Rubina and Keilly) and there was loads of raucous laughter between us. Kirsty explained the importance of Aperture Priority and ISO rating, the golden rules when composing a photograph, depth of field and tons of other stuff which hopefully, will make me a better photographer.


Asymmetry


Continual


Rule of thirds


We had a great afternoon snapping away along the Embankment and in the Savoy Gardens and before we went our separate ways we headed off for cocktails in Covent Garden. Bliss! A perfect end to a very memorable day.

**********

This weekend I'm not working, so tonight I'm off for a 'Ruby' with some friends and tomorrow I'll be going to the pictures to see Bridesmaids, which is my mate Sue's choice. Anyone seen it?

Hope your bum's are not too numb after reading this long post. Have a lovely weekend and thanks for looking.

Fiona x