Experiments with PanPastels

Today sees a new challenge at PanPastel UK and I have been experimenting with the Pans and other supplies to try and achieve a distressed grungy effect.

I think I need to play a bit more before I reveal all, so that I can show you comparisons.

But this was the background before I added the second layer.

I love the effects achieved with the fabulous TH stamp and would you believe the image is in PanPastels?

Why not take a look at the challenge blog, the theme this week is GOOD LUCK and hopefully you will be inspired by our fabulous team and if you enter you are in with a chance of winning a fabulous PanPastel kit from Your Creativity Store. They have free P&P and a 10% saving on the PanPastels and tools at the moment.

I went to Ally Pally yesterday and got to see my friend Heidi (Little Claire's), Lin Brown, Hels, Alison and Hazel, I also got to part with money and bought quite a few bits and pieces - more than I intended to, but then that's often the way isn't? I was really lucky to find Tim's Mini Snowflake Rosette, so I am looking forward to using that and I also bought some of his new Christmas stamps.

Sorry if I am not getting round to you very much at the moment, my internet is going to be on a go slow or out altogether until at least tomorrow and as that is the fourth date I have been given, I am not holding my breath.

I hope you are having a creative weekend.

hugs {brenda} xox

WOYWW #172

Oh I am getting frustrated, my internet connection is in and out like a fiddler's elbow at the moment and trying to get into blogland is so difficult. Been going on for ages too, I was supposed to get a call from the complaints department yesterday or the day before, they must be inundated cos they haven't contacted me yet!!!!! Perhaps that's another complaint to make lol.

Anyhow, onto even more important stuff.

Here is my desk (photo taken last night) and as you can see it's a total mess this week. I seem to have about 5 projects on the go and inbetween I made a tag and posted yesterday just cos I wanted to.

You can see a canvas I am working on on the foreground and that's my next workshop later this month. My Compendium of Curiosities and tools and equipment that all needs tidying away so I can get a space to carry on.

So dear Julia and WOYWWers what do you make of this lot then?

If you are interested in taking a trip around the world to see lots of crafty workspaces, pop on over to the Stamping Ground and take a peek at Julia's space and then link yours up too.
Go travelling and see what fun you have.

Hope to see you there.

Have a great Wednesday.

hugs {brenda} xox

Vintage childhood - Great Happiness

Today I have made this tag with three challenges in mind, Simon Says Stamp and Show - Tape it Up,  Ink on my Fingers - Use Ribbons and Make My Monday - Vintage Childhood.

I used an acetate from Ephemera 1 by Crafty Individuals depicting a mother and daughter together, you can see the love of the young child for her mother. The bluebird has been over-stamped in picket fence DS with plate CI 214.

Christina Rossetti wrote this poem, it was her very first when she was 11 years old (1842).

Today's your natal day,

Sweet flowers I bring;

Mother, accept, I pray,

My offering.

And may you happy live,

And long us bless;

Receiving as you give

Great happiness.

I thought the very last line was perfect for the title of this tag.

Tag covered with music tissue tape then alcohol inked over using sail boat blue, sunset orange and pearl. When dry I blended walnut stain DI over it.

Got my granddaughter over today and had her yesterday to give her a break from her own 4 walls, she is doing really well and came out for a Frappuccino this morning. Taking the youngest one to ballet in half an hour. Oh and the skydive didn't happen again on Sunday, so my daughter has to wait till the middle of October and go through it all again for the third time. Her nerves are getting to her a bit I think, but then I wouldn't even consider it in the first place lol.

Take care and have some fruitful crafting time.

hugs {brenda} xox

PanPastels - Autumn/Fall

Today sees another new challenge at PanPastel UK and I have made a card that was inspired by being in my garden at the beginning of the week. If you remember we had beautiful weather last week but with chilly mornings and colder evenings - if you live in southern England that is.

The warm sunshine encouraged the insects to come out and my garden seemed alive with numerous bees who seemed to be clambering for the last of the nectar before the bad weather sets in. So although bees are not usually associated with autumn, they have certainly been busy buzzing around my plants and the changing of the colours definitely tells me it's the beginning of the fall season.

The corrugated background was blended with PPs over embossing ink which had been dragged over the surface. Over the top of that a Crafty Individuals text stamp (CI 161) and then some dylusions sprays.

The hive and bees were stamped on brown parcel paper and cut out, coloured with prismacolors and white distress marker. The hive needed 'grounding' so I tore a picture into smaller pieces from a gardening book and blended yellow and brown PPs over it. 

Can you see the bee in the middle of the flowers?

If you have a project for autumn please link it over at PanPastel UK Challenge blog. You don't need to use PPs to enter and you could be the lucky winner of a set of two pans and some tools from 

Your Creativity Store.

Have a great Sunday whatever your plans are today.

hugs {brenda} xox

Challenges to have fun with -
Anything But A Card - Add texture

Creating a collage

Well I hope your Saturday is going well. I am looking forward to seeing my daughter do a skydive tomorrow, that's if air traffic control don't clear the airspace like they did two weeks ago. I'll let you know if it 'happens'.

For Unruly PaperArts this month I have a column called 'JUXTAPOSITION' which is about placing or arranging your elements for collage.

The theme for the month of September is 'Collage' and I have focused on where to start when making decisions about what to use and where to position your pieces to get the best effects.

Please pop over to the UPA blog to see the full information and lots of photos. Shar does a magnificent job as Editor of this blogozine and there are lots of wonderful and useful articles for you to read.


Those of you who know me, know I love collage work and use the collage style alot in my card making and canvas work.

I would be pleased if you would leave me a message on UPA if you find the column useful. 

All feedback helps me when preparing my next piece. Thanks.

Another update about my grandaughter. She is HOME. We really can't believe that following a 5+ hour operation last Saturday morning, having 30 cms of her bowel removed, further work done on the rest of her bowel and her appendix taken out too, the hospital said she could come Tuesday.  Because she is not in a local hospital and wanted to be certain things were ok she chose to stay one more night and came home Wednesday. I can't thank you all enough for your supportive comments and your thoughts and prayers, it is wonderful to know that blogging friends care so much. You are true friends indeed.

Happy collaging and enjoy your weekend.

hugs {brenda} xox

WOYWW 171

It's Wednesday and the day that all over the world crafters show us what's currently on their desk, hosted by Julia over at Stamping Ground. 

So what's on your workdesk today?

For me it's another nearly empty desk, but a couple of things of interest here.

In the background you can see a card which is an update of one I made last year that got published in Craft Stamper magazine. It is for a class tomorrow at The Art of Craft, one of my lovely ladies emailed me and said she would love to make it, so I have obliged.

A collection of bits sitting around for about 3 days, I have the seed of an idea, but it really hasn't developed from there, so it might or it might not LOL. I think you can see it will have a Halloween theme to it if it happens.

I'm off to see what you other lovely people are getting up to.

Have a great day.

hugs {brenda} xox

Crafty Individuals - Last Days of Summer Postcard 2

Today I am sharing another postcard for the September Crafty Individuals challenge - The last days of summer'.

But first I just want to update you about my grandaughter (see last post).
She is now back on a paediatric ward and making very good progress. Yesterday she had all her tubes taken out except a feeding one and she was able to go to the bathroom on her own. She also started to have something to eat, which all sounds very positive considering the surgery she had done and the number of hours she was under anaesthetic on Saturday. Thank you for all your good wishes and prayers, they are certainly working and we look forward to a speedy recovery so she can come home as soon as possible.

So onto my postcard.

This piece is all about texture.

The background was made by applying different paints and some inks to a piece of card creating lots of texture by using different implements to lay it down.

Once dry I stamped this beautiful CI 119 stamp of a vintage bathing belle with the message 'Wish you were here', it's the very last postcard you might pick up and send before the last of the summer days have gone.

Once the image had been stamped over the dry backing, I coloured it using my brand new Prisma Colours that dear Terry bought me in Michaels when we went shopping in Valencia. 

Then I finished off by running it through the TH 'distressed frame' embossing folder , applying salty ocean and peacock feathers DIs and the Stampendous vintage gold enamelling powder.

Finally I added an altered postcard backing, downloaded from the internet.

I hope you enjoy the last days of summer, we were very lucky last week here in the UK with some glorious weather, but it's cooled off quite considerably now.

So, pop on over to the Crafty Individuals blog to see the latest fabulous inspiration from the design team and perhaps join in with the theme.

Wishing you happy crafting time.

hugs {brenda} xox

PanPastel - By the Sea

Hi Everyone

It's been a different week this week, busy but also the end of the week has been filled with worry and then tinged with real sadness.

Some of you know my grandaughter was diagnosed with Crohns earlier in the year. She has been on steroids which got her through our holiday in California, but this week she has been in severe pain and was taken to A&E on Friday. Test showed not only had the Crohns flared again, but she has a perforated bowel as well. This resulted in her being quickly transferred to Southampton General and she underwent emergency surgery and has had part of her bowel and her appendix removed. She is currently in intensive care.

I also got an email tonight from a dear blogging buddy who lives in Canada. After contracting cancer earlier in the year, her husband sadly passed away recently. Ken and I had the great privilege of meeting them both last year when they visited England, so it was with real sorrow I read the news.

I dedicate this tag to my dear friend and her family.

*********************


My DT piece this week is a tag that uses PanPastels for the background

Firstly I blended phthalo blue, ultramarine and white for the sky, phthalo green, turquoise and white for the sea and yellow ochre, dairylide yellow and a tiny, tiny amount of raw umber for the sand. I used an eraser to rub out some white clouds and white tops on the water.

To vintage it up a bit I painted white gesso over the three different areas which makes it look more like a painting..

When dry I ran this through the Sizzix 'Rays' embossing folder which made me think of rays of light from the lighthouse and sanded it down, then blended vintage photo around the edges.

The lighthouse I blended with black and white pans, 

then painted over that with permanent red, yellow ochre and white pastels mixed with matte medium and water. The gel medium helps to mix the pastel with the water and gives a very smooth consistency.

To finish I added a stamped sentiment and other embellishments. I thought the lace was a complete contrast for the theme.

Looking forward to seeing your entries this week. Summer will soon be gone so it's almost your last chance to use those beach and sea themed stamps. Don't forget you don't have to use PanPastels to enter the challenge and the lucky winner receives a fabulous trial pack so I hope to see you there.

Have a wonderful Sunday.

hugs {brenda} xox

Challenges to have fun with -
Take a Word - Numbers
Simon Says Stamp - Use a stamp
Frilly and Funkie - The great outdoors
Cards and More - Maritime

Altered notebook for Crafty Individuals

I would like to share this altered notebook which uses a new stamp from Crafty Individuals 

(CI 357).

I made the background using distress inks and masks ............

...... then when dry I painted a thin layer of gesso over it to take out the depth of colour otherwise it 'argued' with the focal image, which was coloured with prismacolor pencils. 

Diecuts by CI and memorybox and I finished off with some lace and a button.

This little flower was made with the MBox Fancy Blossoms die and paper from Crafty Individuals background papers Book 1.

Do pop over to the Crafty Individuals blog where Jean has also made a fabulous card with this stamp using Transfer Artist Paper (TAP).

BUT ALSO there is 

BLOG CANDY from Jean 

with over £70 worth of Crafty Individuals goodies 

and will be given to one lucky person who leaves a comment on her post before the end of next Tuesday and if you can post it on your side-bar even better.

Good Luck.

hugs {brenda} xox

WOYWW and giveaway reminder

A very short post from me today as I am away from my desk and visiting my sister.

This was my desk last night after I had cleared everything away and then remembered WOYWW for the morning. So nothing interesting to see, but I gave a wider scan showing the drawers full of scrummy goodies besides the workbench.....

Also just a reminder that I have a Give-Away posted and you can link to it from HERE or from my sidebar, it is only for followers as I am celebrating yay.

Have a great WOYWW day, catch ya later when I get home.

hugs {brenda} xox