Happy Easter Everyone!

Yep! 2nd blog in a week! I've had a lovely week at home and managed to fit in some crafting! The Craft Room is still a Jumgle Room although I have tied up my 'heaps' into orderly 'piles'. So a bit like my Jumgle Room, where do I start? I think I might just upload random photo's and take it from there!

So, this is my April page for Kate Crane's Art Journalling Calendar, 1st two layers! The 'starburst' in purple at the top right and lower middle is actually a piece of 'mopping-up' kitchen roll that I saved from a workshop at the Artistic Stamper with Jennie! As I 'mod-podged' it onto the page it slightly disintegrated so I moved bits and pieces around until happy with the layout.  Yeah right! Actually, I stopped when my fingers got glued to the page!! I'm still peeling it off my fingers- very therapeutic!!

 Layer three is Paper Artsy Fresco Finish Paint in Nougat through a TCW stencil and the hearts are from the 'cut-off' remaining when I die cut the hearts for the next layer! (My motto is 'Never throw anything away' - I'll probably be on telly in 10 years on that Hoarders programme!!)

And from a different angle.  I was really pleased with this!

 And for the first time, I remembered to add the month first before adding the calendar bits! I die cut the hearts using the small Tim Holtz Movers & Shapers mini hearts before colouring with DI. For some reason I went for Milled Lavender, Worn Lipstick and Dusty Concord rather than sticking with the yellow, orange and green of the back ground. Still not sure if it works!!

But I do quite like it!

And my workshop piece from the Artistic Stamper last weekend! Finally finished after inspiration came!

The chipboard background was coloured with Distress Stains in Pumice Stone, Tea Dye and Tumbled Glass. I then stamped 'Hardwood' from Stampin' Up! in Walnut Stain all over.

Must say, I'm rather pleased with this!!

Finally a couple of cards (yes, I'm still making cards!!)

This first one is from Georgina's free make and take for Easter at the Artistic Stamper yesterday, and yes, the stencil found it's way into my shopping basket!! This happens to be the same stencil I used on my Jig Saw piece (bottom middle panel - you can just about see it - purple shimmery bit) and it is also the pattern mopped up with kitchen roll and used on the journal page!!

 I used Cut 'n' Dry to colour using Distress Paints in Scattered Straw, Spiced Marmalade and Ripe Persimmon

I'm really pleased with this as I don't often use yellow and orange. I love the way it looks totally different depending on how you fold it!!

 And finally (thank you for being patient and getting this far!!). My dear friend Barry's uncle is 98 on St George's Day and Barry was bemoaning the fact that there weren't any combined St George - Birthday cards, so I stepped up to the plate and made this:

 I masked and painted the cross using Adirondack Paint Dabber in Watermelon.  The Lion is from the Tim Holtz Visual Artistry Regal Flourish Collection, and was embossed using Queens Gold embossing powder.

I added a sentiment .....

....and finished it off by stamping the name and date using the Tim Holtz Worn Text letters and numbers.

Thank you for popping by and I hope you enjoyed reading my blog!

TTFN xxx

P.S. Please can I enter my JigSaw piece in the following challenges:

Sunday Stampers - 304 - Memories

The Artistic Stamper April - Texture and Embossing

Hello? Anybody out there??

Haven't posted for so long I've forgotten how much I enjoy it!! Anyway, Jennie's call for creative design team members over at the Artistic Stamper has been just the kick up the bum I needed to start blogging again!! Yep, you've  guessed it! I'd love to be on the design team and one of the requirements is......an active blog!! So ...............................ACTIVATE THE BLOG MRS CASTLE!!!............................
We had a wonderful workshop yesterday, with Georgina Ford! It was very well planned and everyone behaved and stayed on schedule! We all completed the three projects, working on all three at the same time (see, told you it was well planned!!)

Created using Fresco Finish paints, Distress Inks, Chipboard flowers 
and Melt Pot hemispheres.  Ooh! and grunge paste and stencilling too!!

Small jewellery box and chipboard shapes. Fresco Finish and stencilling again

And finally, a little plywood photo frame using the Tattered Florals die

And a round up! 

I did think the brown hemispheres looked like chocolate and the yellow ones definitely resembled lemon cough sweets!! 

And finally, something totally unrelated:

Yes, there really is a recipe for Ham and Baked Bean Soup and it is totally delicious! Just what's needed after a day crafting and it takes just 30 minutes from onion chopping to plate! Nom nom!!

Thank you Slimming World!!

Thank you for looking and happy crafting peeps!

TTFN

Sand x