Googled in Goole

Dear Reader

Well it's been an age since my last blog. Where does the time go? I got a message from my lovely friend Janet to say "where are you?" and I suddenly realised that I'd completely disappeared off the blogging radar map. Sorry Janet. It's been a bit busy but no excuses really. I did have a bit of a week last week work-wise. The week went downhill from Monday. I had a meeting in Goole on Monday evening and got lost. I worry about getting lost in strange towns as I am directionally challenged so had taken the precaution of googling the address and a map of the company I was going to. I set off in plenty of time too. It was that baking hot day and the temperature in the car was hovering around 30 degrees and I was melting, travelling down the motorway with both windows open and conequently unable to hear anything on the radio and worrying about sucking in flies! When I arrived in Goole - after only a small town centre traffic jam - I only had to stop once at a garage for directions before finding myself at my destination. Congratulating myself and sighing with relief I turned to look at the company headquarters. OMG - the building was boarded up and everyone had gone. Of course I got on the phone and found out the company had moved (wish Google had moved with them) and set off again but by the time I'd found the new place I was a quarter of an hour late and extremely hot and bothered. Got in the meeting and tried to give an air of 'I know what I'm doing really' by putting on my reading glasses to study the agenda but as I put my head down my left lens fell out and bounced off my saucer. Really not my day.


Anyway, have been doing some crafting and below are the results of my endeavours. The first card is for The Sugar Bowl Challenge, which I followed the sketch for and used the theme which was to use the colour blue. Thanks to all the DT for the inspiration.I used a Sugar Nellie stamp and coloured in with distress inks. The image is outlined with China Blue distress ink The beige patterned paper is K & Company and the blue papers are from my stash - I think one was Bazzill. I decorated the card with a tiny baby shoe which I won in Jane of Jane's Lovely Cards candy giveaway a while back. The prize included six charms and they were all lovely. The ribbon is from my stash and I chose it to co-ordinate with the china blue ink.
















I've booked a table for the Chamber at the Ball below. It's being held by a Chamber member Nicky whose mum has been fighting breast cancer. Nicky and her husband Colin have arranged this event to raise money for breast cancer charities and Nicky has written to loads of celebs and local business people to ask for prizes for the auction she will be holding on the night. I'm currently saving up to be able to bid for a couple! I've crafted this card to send to my guests who are coming along on the night, along with their tickets and details of the auctions.

Last weekend I visited the Doncaster craft fair and came upon a stand called The Studio Partnership. They specialised in crafting technique/paper called Decopatch. I was quite taken with their examples and bought several sheets of paper to try it out at home, as I had lots of alterables in my bottom draw waiting their turn to be altered. Well, I have to say its the easiest craft in the world but very effective, with quick results and I think a nice finish. Perfect for little gift boxes or for anything that's a slightly funny shape. I used my papers on a mirror, an oblong box, a round scalloped lid box and a lovely photo frame that my crafting friend Lynda bought for me recently (thanks Lynda - it's lovely) and put in a picture of Maurice and I on holiday this year. And yes, before anyone comments I know I did pick predominantly green and pink papers but I'm still stuck in the pink/green rut with no sign of coming out of it yet! All you basically do with the papers is randomly tear them into small pieces and stick them on to your alterable with a pot of special paper glue. The boxes and frame were done with this technique but the 60's style altered IKEA mirror paper was cut into squares and placed a bit more carefully(unlike my finger which you can see in the mirror lol). The trompe de l'oeile picture is one paper stuck randomly and then one paper cut into the indiviudal motifs and added,. Can't say I'm overly keen on this one but I thought I'd blog it so you could avoid it! Maurice likes it though so perhaps it's a matter of taste..... Don't have a website for the company if anyone fancies a go but if you Google Decopatch you'll come up with lots of companies that do it - worth shopping around for best prices. A great summer holiday craft idea if anyone has young children or grandkids to entertain on wet days. Sorry about the sun shining and shadows on the photos.

Here is a card I made with a new stamp I bought at Doncaster. I really wasn't supposed to be buying any more stamps but I just fell in love with it. It's Penny Black. The spotty card and matting and layering card (bazzill) was from my stash and I added a tiny punched Woodwasre tag and a ribbon. It's for a friend not a Challenge. I have done a similar one in black which I'll post tomorrow as I posted it in this blog and it's disappeared. Doh!

I made this card one evening to use an image I'd coloured in some time ago. Someone at craft crop at RWS lent me the stamp after I'd admired it and I can't remember for the life of me who it was. Oh the shame! Anyway, thank you very much and in my defence I think it was some months back. Anyway, finally got round to making up the card when I came across some K & Co paper that made me think of the coloured image. I like Sarah Kay images - they remind me of the 70's! I've matted and layered using Bazzill and used some flowers given to me by Tracey (thanks Tracey!) with a jewelled brad and some pearls from RWS.

Phew that was a long blog! Thanks for reading........