Design

Typography excercise by hand

Design is in so much of what I do.  Cards, formatting, DP, websites. Last night I was really quite out of my comfort zone  with trying out another new venture. A nightclass! It is in Graphic Design but with handmade elements being the key. I had hmmed and heyed about this class, and I had thought no its not for me, and then on FB it appeared as a posponed start...well it was a sign. Just you know that feeling that you are meant to try it. So along I went with a few scraped up pencils, and not much drawing skills since O' levels. A lot of my classmates were right into their drawing and I realised how much I now depend on my computer. Doing so much DP I do it all the time, but have become more and more frustrated by not being able to create unique graphics. Hence the course.

So I didn't really use my pencil like I would have liked to, but I did feel inspired. I loved using the lightbox and tracing all my letters. Jeffrey said what I produced as a Typography excercise was like an early primary effort. And that made me laugh, because it can be looked on like that. But that doesn't bother me. Jono has a fine way of jogging you into thinking and he made me think of the inner shape of the letter..  and  mine was D as you can see. D for me and D for design. The letters are not all finished because they are being designed, and the colour is expressing my need for colour. The letters are very similar in both words, but there is no A in design. A is the start of the alphabet and is the beginning.

I have taken on another new challenge this year...life experiences and pushing yourself a little further is what its all about.So I must break out that pencil a little more, but I know I am scared to, but I am going to try :-).

Crafting New Season

Well thats the new Stamping Up catalogue here and I just sat on the floor with it as it came out of the box in a trance for about 3/4 hr. Jeffrey came in and looked at me and when I managed to say "new book"...he nodded understandingly. A SU hubby!

Beautiful Season swaps

I have finished gluing my swaps for the other demonstrators on the team at as I finished my breakfast and rushed them off to Rhoda this morning. They looked so pretty glittering together. These are from the new book and are called 'Beautiful Season'. A blender pen and this set can give you a whole lot o' happiness!

Contempo Christmas

Contempo Christmas

I have also been trying out the Contempo set this year along with the ornament punch. I think there's a lot of mileage in this one, and a value for money set, in the clear, I would say.


I have been prepping for two parties this weekend, so its a busy crafty place in here. But I am so looking forward to seeing everyones faces when they glimpse the new book. Its just lovely.

Wildlife and OWLS

My Owls

Thought I would experiment with uploading some of my cards, and there's a bit of a wildlife theme going on here as you can see. I have been busy with the owl punch here and creating various characters. The limit is your imagination!! I used a 13 x 141/2  piece of chocolate chip card here. And the 3mm taffeta Espresso ribbon. The paper is from the Nursery suite collection. I also used the scallop trim border bunch.

Seasonal Owls

And here's some more for the collection. Warlock, elf and santa.

In the Halloween card I used pear pizzazz and perfect plum cardstock, tangerine tango paper from the brights paper stack. The mini tag punch and the boo stamp from mini tags. I used the swirls die and the bat from the Every Little bit set set.

In the crimbo card, the label punch and tags came in handy. I used real red card nad very vanilla card stock and stamped with olive ink. The paper is from the Love letter set.

Razzleberry period

I am just loving the Baja breeze and Razzleberry combo.  Here I used the Botanical set. I loved the grosgrain striped ribbon, so it features heavily. I used very vanilla, razzleberry, pearpizzazz and baja breeze cardstock here. Corresponding inks. The baja seam binding ribbon is wonderful to drape and here its ruched by pulling a thread. I used the flower texture folder on the tags and distressed the pattern with razzleberry to stand out. I used the butterfly dies, and made the flower with a 6 petal template. Oh and a dusting of light blue glitter.

Autumn leaves

And one more butterfly before the winter. My demo card for next week. Same idea as the owls, but leaves! Old Olive, choc chip, and rust inks for the leaves. The botanical paper, the botanical stamp butterfly. The tags punch and the Happy birthday from the Afterthoughts hostess level 1 set.

And now I must go and play with some christmas ideas.....lots of people wanting to get going on their cards.

Autumnal feel

Autumn Crafting

I just find it hard to believe that I am here in Autumn again. What happened to the summer! I think I blinked and missed it. I am still hanging in there with my Stamping Up and as you can see from the photo I have been busy preparing for some autumn workshops. The new catalogue is winging its way to me and giving me sleepless nights in anticipation. Oh I know I am a true craft addict now!!

So I am onto blog 3 , and I have become aware of all the wonderful crafty blogs out there...and maybe that is where this will all come in useful. I am building up to it obviously. Reflection and crafting seem to go well together.  And I could get used to this. Iphones are a great help for snap shots of inspirational crafting moments. So I may be snap happy too.

I have settled into my Folk Festival position again and I have to say being part of the 2011 festival was such a buzz, and the easiest festival I ever did. They were very gentle on me, and it was fabulous to have my week being a fully fledged crew member and no children in tow. Soul food if ever there was, beginning to end. We move on now to prepare for the next year, and it has all begun again. I need to go and fill up my data stick with lots of homework. Much to look at.

My family problems roll on and its hard looking to an elderly member of the family, but we continue to do our best for my dad  in his poor state of mobility. Its been the hardest road of my life so far, but I travel it with my sister and we are holding hands all the way.

So I look forward to the shortening nights because it will be filled with candles, crafting, friends and no doubt coffee, nibbles and wine. Lots of functions throughout the community and wider afield. Its a busy time in Shetland in the Autumn!!