WOYWW

 Another update for WOYWW, but only a quick one.

I made some more cards, this time once again with wallpaper.  The background is a textured wallpaper with a stylised cityscape.

I added my converse stamp (I do love this stamp its made by Deep Red, I have a few of their stamps, including the muddy boots one in the desk picture at the back) and they all produce lovely clear images) which I then matted and layered.

My "Man Bites Dog" cards this week are 'Exec Falls for Dog Actor'  - well, better than the various political ones that have been on my desk in the recent months!!

Happy crafting

Kyla

Tea or coffee appears to be a theme

 I have been a bit tardy at blogging recently, mainly because I have been out making art and wasn't sure how to get the photos off my instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/kylacotterell/?hl=en) but I think I have sussed how to transfer them across (just needed to book time on the laptop to transfer them). 

This page of my journal was sketched in a cafe over lunch.  I had spent the morning at a Repair Cafe in Bristol.  A group of volunteers meet in a church and if you have a broken item you can take it along and they have a go at repairing it.  I took my solder iron but sadly it was well and truly broken, however, whilst we were there they mended a large flat screen TV (the lady had brought it previously and they identified the spare part she needed to buy for about £25 and then they fixed it for free).  Such a great resource, and the local church make some money by selling tea, coffee and cake.

Also, over the past few weeks I have been taking part in Free Art Friday and the Art Abandonment groups (search for them on FaceBook for more details).

This tag was a stamp I made and then over painted with posca pens and  stamped the phrase "Imperfection is Beauty".  I left it on the back of the hooks in the ladies toilets of Herbies Cafe in Exeter!

This tag I painted whilst sat overlooking the sea at Sidmouth in Devon and I left it in the Clocktower cafe.

I am enjoying abandoning small pieces or art.  I haven't heard back from any finders (they always contain details of the FB group) but hopefully people have enjoyed finding them. 

Whilst keeping the sketchbook I have noticed that I spend a LOT of time in cafe's sketching though!  Keep your eyes peeled if you spot someone sketching over a coffee-it may be me!

Happy crafting

kyla

WOYWW after a fashion

Hello, no photo of my desk this week as things are a bit manic at the moment at chez Kyla but I still wanted to take part in the lovely Julia's Whats on Your Workdesk Wednesday so I thought I would blog one of my recent journal pages.

I am all travelling here and there at the moment and rarely at my desk so my trusty travel craft kit and journal has really come into its own.  This page is made with dylusion inks and stamps and I added a tag and handwriting that I 'disguised' slightly by making it messy (I am left handed so its not too difficult!!) and then went over with white pen too.

Happy WOYWW all

Kyla

 

A few more makes

Finally have gotten around to uploading some photos (does anyone know of some free software that will rezise photos for blogging-an automated function would be so much easier?) of some of my recent makes....



This one is using white dreamweaver paste

These are vintage adverts with embossed paper, handtinted flowers, punched leaves that I spritzed with a little colour and some holographic fibres



and this stamp I love-it reminds me of the great poem by Jenny Joseph:

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandles, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.


You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.


But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children
We must have friends for dinner and read the papers.


But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Jenny Jospeph




I love it-so, my previous post was the beer mat, being a crafter I have LOTS of pens and pencils and bits and bobs in boxes and to top it all I bought a purple dress last Saturday!!



Now...off to learn to spit.......

Woo-hoo crafting weekend

Hurrah, the sun is shining and I managed to get a bit of crafting done this weekend (and tidy up the old nest a wee bit!). Between getting my dose of vitamin D and getting more loads of washing dry on the line than I have managed for AGES (but good god, the ironing mountain now has wee mountain goats leaping from blouse to trousers, and I am sure I spotted a climber tackling the north face!).

As we are approaching Fathers Day, and in my attempt to raise some cash for charity I have made lots of male oriented cards that I hope to sell at work.


The card on both the left and right has my own handmade backing paper, where I coloured plain paper with Tim Holtz distressed ink in tea dye applying it with foam,then I made a mask using a rugby ball peel-off and over spraying with a mist ink. The green circle is fake grass made with flock-loving the flock at the moment!!


Next up, more backing homemade backing paper. The card on the left has a large peel-off oriental stork and I have backed this onto silver oriental writing embossed card. The card on the right, I used a pack of cards stamp in ink called London Fog (what a great name!), then addedd retro star stamps to a piece of textured card with silver leaf around the edge then mounted 3 miniture playing cards with a polka dot brad.


Then a dandelion card, double mounted and distressed and tucked behind vellum, but the best has to be my own fathers card- handmade backing paper again (this time using the watch necklace as a mask), but the origami shirt on the front looks like a generous £20, but it is a fake £40 note that is actually an advert for a local furniture shop that I have had put to one side for several months waiting for fathers day. I cant wait to see his face!!This card was designed by my very clever OH for his brothers 40th birthday. The crumpled and dyed green part represents a mod parka jacket, the pink check and button a Ben Sherman shirt and the fake badges have been glazed with judi-kins art gel for that high shine.

This card uses this months free Crafts Beautiful Beatrix Potter toppers and I have over dyed some papermania secret garden paper stacks then mounted the toppers with foam pads for a bit of dimension.These cards have a bit of bling on each, in the form of jewels, stickles glitter and mirri card, not my usual style, but I think they are still pretty.

This is a box I made for my fathers day gift and I stamped uo the white card before cutting it out and assembling, complete with a scalloped topper.


Open it up and it reveals its gift...A keyring I made with some silver leafed edged leather which I embedded a fishing fly into and then wrapped blue wire around. I hope dad likes it.

This week has also seen me making LOTS of elderflower cordial. So far I have made 2 lots of plain, 1 lot with added root ginger and 1 lot of mixed citrus. Its a race against time to make enough to not only last us the year, but to use as pressies also!

Anyhoo-CSI Miami beckons so I must fly,
have fun playing and happy crafting

Li'l Pidge

Finally my mojo is back (and I'm skint)

After killing my sewing machine AGAIN last week (thank goodness it was only £25), rumour was there was a bounty hunter after me for 4 needless slaughters of machines! Coupled with the fact that my mojo up and went (probably travelling round warmer climes!) after I produced some cards that were SO ugly they went in the recycling bin and a bag charm I made my mum that just didnt look right, add to this tooth ache (STILL havent plucked up the courage to have it pulled out as the dentist suggested, I will, I just have to work up to it!!) and some other bits and pieces I had just about had enough (my poor OH, what he has to put up with! The sewing machine nearly landed on him as he walked through the door last Friday!). But, my mojo is back-I managed to make several cards in one night...look!
During the week I girded my loins and went to a new crafting night at the local Cath Kidson shop. They run craft classes for free a couple of times a month, so I thought even though I didn't know anyone I decided to go along, and I am so glad I did. This week they were making egg cosies. The other ladies made some lovely ones decorated with flowers, gems etc....me? Well, what did you expect?
Yep,a mexican day of the dead skull!

They were also making drawstring bags, or as we say in the west country,Dap bags!. I ran out of time so brought the fabric and ribbon home to make it.....

Dah-dah!
"How did I make it?" I hear you cry? Well, that'll be on my new sewing machine.......Yep, I decided 4 killings were not enough!! I bought it 2nd hand from a great shop in town and they will throw in a free lesson in using it after Easter-its electronic and has several stitches-I love my new machine! I used it for the first time today to make this bag. I have even managed to change the thread colour-basic I know, but for me that is good!!
Look, Isn't it beautiful...
Fingers crossed it lasts my a LONG time (as it cost me a lot of money).

A few weeks ago I made my Nan a birthday pressie of a scrap book of photos of my nan (and departed grand dad) and me as I grew up. I couldn't post a photo before in case my nan looked at this blog-but she has opened her gift now so the coast is clear!
Boy, did it bring back memories making it, and a few tears.
I have also made a tag book for my pen friend in NYC (we became pen friends in our early teens and have stayed good friends ever since) of his vist more than 20 years ago!! Hopefully Josh would have received it by now so I am taking the gamble and posting a photo...
And then I have made one final card with one of my new stamps from Crafty Individuals, I hope you like it.Happy Crafting

Li'l Pidge