WOYWW 496

With the exception of Candy Cane Christmas being put away, my desk looks identical to last week. Most of my crafty doings this week have been knitting, sometimes with Archie Cat on my lap lol. I am a persistent knitter, and usually knit in bits of time. I started this Briochelicious shawl in May 2017. I very rarely knit in the summer. In part because I am easily distracted by crafty things and in part it is just to warm for me to touch in summer. And this year I have zero Christmas Knitting to do, so it's leisurely knitting for myself : D.

Brioche is a lovely soft knit fabric after the fact. But it is fraught with ways to fuck it up lol. In this example I managed a new mistake which created a peep hole. It will bother me, so I am going to fix it the next time it comes by. I did not have enough coffee in me to watch the numerous how to fix brioche mistakes videos on YouTube the first time I saw it lol. Like I said, I am a persistent knitter.

I also started perusing this book. And in addition to instructions on making paint, paper, pigments, and prints... It has ideas for making BRUSHES!! Process crafter me is just giddy : D.

Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for more crafty peeks.

WOYWW 495

The current state of my desk lol. The cardstock is what is left after cutting a Papertrey Ink Favor It Box: Star. I found Alcohol Lift-Ink and Distress Resist Spray at AC Moore in time to use a 30% off total purchase. The stamp and die set is from Papertrey Ink (quelle surprise lol) called Candy Cane Christmas.

It was used on this (deets on the previous post for the Papertrey Ink Blog Hop).

Most of my crafting has been out of this pencil box though. The octopus finger puppet is the bit of knitting I did a couple of years ago to learn the magical cast on (which I have to relearn if it's longer than a few months lol). In the back are some Christmas gift coasters I stitched up (also from Papertrey Ink). The octopus will go into the star box I mentioned at the start of this post (it's alllll a circle round here). To the left are single ply hand spun natural brown cotton, 2 ply wool (from top), and 2 ply silk (bombyx top).

Needles are like spindles in that just one sort just will not do lol. For stitching things with holes already in them I prefer a large eye and a blunt tip (it makes it less likely I will stitch in the wrong place or stitch through the thread).

The snow last night was heavy and wet and fell pretty much without wind, so everything was covered including the chain link.

And the windshield wipers (I try to remember to lift them so they don't freeze to the windshield and thus last a bit longer).

I've put off clearing the car long enough. Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for more crafty peeks : D.

November 2018 Papertrey Ink Blog Hop

 The inspiration photo for the November 2018 Papertrey Ink Blog Hop.

And my take on it : ). I used the Stitched Gift Bag die to make the large version.

With the side panels and the rectangular base. The bag is made from brown wrapping paper and Classic Kraft cardstock for the base. The handle reinforcers are Spring Rain cardstock. The mat is from Limitless Layers: 2 1/4 Heart die set, stamped with Candy Cane Christmas. The thread is DMC 321 (which is ALLLLLLL gone from Joann's so is all the white, cream and black).

WOYWW 489

The booties I started last week are completed. Betsy Veldman stitched hello on the soles of her project that introduced these Papertrey Ink dies a few years ago, and I have been running with the idea ever since : D. I am all about gender neutral things as a rule, and I believe these fit the bill.

Having pulled out the various specialty sets, I'm now condensing the "regulars" and at the bottom of the stack is the Art Bin for larger dies, like Papertrey Ink's Berry Basket die, which will house the booties (fingers crossed). To the right is a set of stamps needing sorting out, my beloved Tim Holtz SideKick and the favored scissors. I had grand intentions of die cutting a good portion of the scraps I gathered last week, but I got distracted lol.

Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for more crafty peeks : D.

WOYWW 488

 In tail end of a cleaning frenzy, and the beginning of a new project making baby booties. There was a major excavation that led to the discovery of one known lost die and one die that was not known to be lost, and lead to seeking help for it's identity. The magnet sheet is already repurposed for sorting out another die set. The little pile of golden fluff in the middle is some of the holes from the booties to be after the die cutting.

This box is chock full of things that were stacked to the left of my work space. But especially since I bought the Tim Holtz SideKick, it's really handy to have a box of small pieces to rummage through close at hand.

Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for more crafty goings ons.

WOYWW 485

Still doing some organization, this time working on stand alone dies. For the record, the states are not realistically proportioned lol. I am finally over my "colon flu"... think stomach flu, but lower.

While I was recuperating I did find a 160 pencil case (the quarter is to show scale with four zippered compartments. It also takes up a lot less room on the desk than the Prismacolor 150 set.

 The ultra bright pencils come from a discount store though lol.

Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for peeks at more crafty spaces : D.

WOYWW 481

My box of stitching things left open from yesterday, when I was trying to find the actual size of a small stocking.

Urgent family thing interrupted me mid crank...

Cranked in the wrong direction this morning, hence the partial cut above the die. Fortunately I had enough room to place the die in a fresh section : D.  More crafty goings on can be found on Julia's Stamping Ground.

WOYWW 480

I have been a "sort them by company" person for years. But for some stamps, I am sorting them by theme where possible. I have a travel section, a journal section (writing spaces mostly), alphabets, and now, sea and space with plans for another food and drink after I get another order in the correct box size lol. Why spend money on organization when I can spend it on crafty things : D.

Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for peaks at more crafty spaces.

WOYWW 477

Putting a new to me stamp set on duralar and attaching the labels. This is Papertrey Ink's birdwatching. To the left is a little shrinky dink I made with Lil Inker Designs Super Coffee. Also managing to get in some spinning everyday, mostly embroidery thread aka tiinnnnnnny art yarn lol. We are having some rain so it is easier to spin wool not that the temperature has dropped.

Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for more crafty peeks : D.

WOYWW 476

Betwixt projects = clear space in the middle. Still having fun with the Lil Inker Super Coffee set. A side view of Altenew's Faceted 3D bowl, stamp sets to put away, Papertrey Ink's Favor It: Box 5.

The one benefit of hot weather (it was 97F in the shade on Monday), is that it is wonderful for spinning flax wet. The flax dries quickly, and it's warm enough that I don't mind if I spill water in my lap lol. For the record, this is a spindle I made with a wooden toy wheel, a dowel, an eye hook twisted open and some paint. The flax is bleached flax top (combed). One day I will buy a flax strick and spin off a distaff.

Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for more crafty peeks : D.

WOYWW 475

New favorite stamp set, Super Coffee by Lil Inker. I did this right after opening the package lol. Much more to come : D. I had a kidney stone a few years ago, and had to cut back my tea drinking severely. Knock wood, coffee is still a-okay!

This is the state of my desk today. On the left are the things for my Super Coffee project(s). On the right a card of a different sort I want to make. Looks like a craft off is about to ensue lol.

Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for more crafty peeks : D.

WOYWW the real 472 lol

The last of the stamp sets to be filed away alphabetically. The question is to fill the last bin or use a new box. I have started using boxes to store stamps because why spend money on storage???? Found out I am missing one set, but I am doing pretty well about not freaking out, so there is that. I have OCD, not the tidy sort obviously, but the "I need to know where that thing is" sort. Better clutter that put away incorrectly I always say lol.

I found out from our fearless leader Julia that this week is actually week 472, so I follow her example : D. Head over to her Stamping Ground for a gander at this weeks selection of crafty peeks. The goose you'll have to find on your own : D.

WOYWW 472

Papertrey Ink had a big sale, so I bought some things lol. I love making little boxes and the two in the back are my two newest dies for such a thing. The triangle isy Favor It Box 5 and the star is Favor It Box: Stars. The tag cuts are from the For You set.

But I'm just getting over a vicious bug with a large topping of allergies, so it was a few weeks of doing absolutely zero crafting. So now I'm at the well, there goes my (x) day projects. So it's either start over again or pick up where I left off. Probably the latter.

I know I've said it before, but really I am so in love with the Distress Oxide inks because I can stamp away on colored cardstock but fast drying (no heat setting needed) and so easy to clean up especially compared to other pigment inks. And that banner die just makes me swoon with happiness. Okay maybe I need to get out more lol.

Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for a gander at more crafty spaces.

WOYWW 467

Doing a little stamping as one does lol. This is my long pined for, now on clearance Papertrey Ink World Map stamp started after finishing up a tough "de-glittering" of a second hand stamp set. Embossing powder is nothing compared to fine glitter! Still plugging away at the 100 day scrapbook project, though some days it's just hunting for the stuff lol. Still, I'm counting it : D.

I finished my Harry Potter 7 part 2 blog post finally. No photos, and all handmade embellishments and the hard part was condensing allllll the words lol.

Check out the little doe patronus though : D.

Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for more crafty peeks! Next week is the 9th anniversary. Time flies so quickly as I get older!

Harry Potter 7 part 2 layout

 

This is one of the most complicated layouts I've ever made, summing up my enjoyment of Harry Potter's adventures and my feelings about the last of the "new" events. The focal point is the slide cover of  the Harry Potter 7 part 2 blu-ray. It's a motion image showing Harry and his friends on one angle

and Voldemort and his cronies on the other. The frame is made with strips of Tapeworks lime green polka dot tape and American Craft green Glitter Ribbon.

The paper is from the Recollections Floral Fantasy Paper pad. And had this drapey pattern that reminded me of the veil. I started by stamping the clouds from Altenew's Rain or Shine set with Distress Oxides (Hickory Smoke, Iced Spruce, and the last layer stamped twice with Antique Linen and Black Soot slightly off center).and embossing the lighting with Ranger Weathered White Antiquities embossing powder. For the record, I can not adequately express my love of stamping with Distress Oxide inks on dark paper! All the frames are made with Altenew's Framed stamp and die set. All the cardstock used to make the frames is from Papertrey Ink.

 The largest is made with Papertrey Ink's Stormy Sea cardstock and heat embossed with American Craft Zing! Neon Yellow embossing powder. Twisted Citron Distress Oxide was used to pretty much cover the entire image, then painted with Stormy Sea ink and a very liberal use of water using the Distress Sprayer.

The frame was made using Honey Nut cardstock and Lindy's Stamp Gang King Midas Gold embossing powder. The inside of the frame is colored by brushing the Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide inkpad over the cardstock, painting it with a paint made with a drop of Spun Sugar and Scattered Straw Distress Ink reinkers blended with water. Which was then spritzed heavily with the Distress Sprayer.

The books were made by cutting a 1 inch strip of cardstock from Altenew's New Day card kit. Fold a crease about the width of the book spine. Round a bit more than the width of the spine on a edge, then make another crease and cut. Glue flat edges together. The numbers were written with a gold Uni-Ball gel pen. The spines were dipped in a puddle of Frayed Burlap Distress Ink blotted on the craft mat and spritzed with water. Then when they were dry, highlighted with Frayed Burlap Distress Crayon (smudged with finger).

Weathervane cardstock with Turquoise Antiquities embossing powder by Ranger. Painted with a drop of Peeled Paint Distress Ink reinker spritzed with water. Then spritzed with water when it dried and dabbed dry.

Winter Wisteria cardstock. The frame is embossed with American Craft Zing! Cricket embossing powder painted with Weathered Wood Distress Ink. The center is stamped with the book from Papertrey Ink's All Booked Up and Super Fine Detail Gold embossing powder by Ranger. This is also sprinkled above the book. The book is colored with Picket Fence and Candied Apple Distress Markers. Sparkles are drawn with a gold Uni-Ball gel pen.

Because the focal image had a bit of height I cut the frame again out of fun foam covered with Papertrey Ink Adhesive Paper (much easier to attach things to fun foam with this on it). Then cut away the parts where the frame is.

Started with Spring Moss cardstock and Weathered White Antiquities embossing powder by Ranger. The frame was painted with a drop of Peeled Paint Distress Ink reinker and one drop of Weathered Wood Distress Ink reinker spritzed heavily and blended. The Deathly Hallow symbol was drawn by hand.

My favorite embellishment. Stormy Seas cardstock with Wendy Vecchi Sky Blue embossing powder painted with Stormy Seas ink and misted with water. The doe is from Papertrey Ink's Make It Market kit: Tinsel & Tags with Silver embossing powder by Ranger. Picket Fence Distress Marker to give it more of a "patronus" feel.

The banner is a strip of patterned paper from a very old K&Co collection, distressed with a Tim Holtz Tonic Distresser, and written on with a gold Uni-Ball gel pen.

I Know You Re-Do

New: The journaling now a more natural fit, the middle strip guides the eye to the connection between the two people, coloring the letters and their shadows connect them to the page. I used a combination of Squeezed Lemonade, Dried Marigold, and Tattered Rose Distress Markers.

 

Old: The problems I had were the gaps between the letters and the patterned paper, the writing on the bottom distracting, no natural space for the journaling (which was key to the page).

WOYWW 465

Editing the elements for this "Like Father, Like Daughter ... Sort of" page. My dad collected postage stamps (for about 75 years) and I collect (and use mostly) rubber stamps. It's been "in the works" since 2015 after he passed away, but doing the 100 days of scrapbooking inspired me to pull it out and work on it again. Also finished the journaling of a layout I did in 2015.

In the back is a jar of Stampendous Super Chunky Gold embossing powder. Sooooo shiny. Used on a layout (scrapbooking focused lol).

Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for peeks at more crafty spaces.

Cantankerous When I Want to be Finale

I've been working on this page a while (2015), but I THINK it's done. The journaling is finished! I love altering photographs, but never the originals. I scan the originals and then print out a new one. I also love twisting the expectation with a contrasting first glance and the actual subject matter.

I added a die cut indicating the journaling is pulled out using a little arrow from Papertrey Ink's Movers & Shakers Sentiments set. I die cut a scrap of glossy paper and stamped the background with Papertrey Ink's Monthly Moments: Tabbed set.

I might add a couple more F Bombs from Kelly Purkey's F Bomb set.

Paper: Anna Griffin, 12x12 vellum, Papertrey Ink Sweet Blush cardstock, Vintage Glassine (for postage stamp collecting).

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Honey Bees, Monthly Moments: Tabbed, Movers & Shakers Sentiments, Simple Alphabets; Kelly Purkey F Bomb

Cricut: Cricut Explore doesn't show which images were used. No idea about the Vellum, letters, speech bubble, and the beetle. The toads are from Spells & Potions.

Miscellaneous: Stickles, Handsput Silk Embroidery Thread (used to stitch translucent pieces in place), Deckle edged scissors (for Journal Pocket), White Opaque Embossing Powder, Glossy Accents

There is something so satisfying about making embellishments : D. This little toad is one of my all time favorites.