Crikey Gromit its Mail Art

 Hello peeps, how have you all been keeping?  It's blooming gorgeous here in the UK...fingers crossed it lasts through July, August and September (I don't ask for much do I!).

I don't know about you, but staying indoors in this weather is too difficult...the draw of the sun means I keep moving my craft space outside.  This does mean the paper crafting is limited (after a breeze had me skipping across the garden trying to retrieve my papers!) so I tend to stick to painting (much more outdoor friendly and easier to clean up!

This is my latest mail art which I have sent to my Aunt in NZ as her birthday card.

Both the stamps are free ones from Craft Stamper and I watercoloured the background (the colour didn't come out too well in the photo) and created a mask so I could over stamp the flowers-nice and cheerful I thought.

The sunny weather also coincides with the Gromit Unleashed trail in Bristol.  80 Gromits around the city, so today we set off to see if we could find some.

We managed to find about 20 so far (all on foot and public transport), they are here all summer so hopefully I will get plenty of opportunity to find a few more.

Right, I am typing this in the garden so I think a chilled cider and the Sunday papers are now calling my name.  

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Sun, Tennis and WOYWW...could it get any better?

Happy WOYWW.

I hope if you are in the UK you are enjoying this fabulous weather...its been 3 years since a nice summer so it's well overdue and fingers crossed it lasts several weeks yet!

I will keep this short and sweet.

My desk is my garden today!  On it is some batik (my first try) I made at my friends house on Sunday (sat in her garden, watching Murray win the tennis on her laptop whilst crafting outside...what could be better?).

 

My "Man Bites Dog" cards this week....'Tycoon Bites Heiress Again'!  I will definitely be looking out in the papers this week to see if this one comes true!!

So, if you fancy a legal snoop at desks across the globe all you need to do is pop over to the lovely Julia's blog (link on the right hand bar) and click away!

Happy crafting

Kyla

I finally made a card!

If you are in the UK, I do hope you are enjoying the FABULOUS weather we are having at the moment (it makes such a change from the last 3 awful summers we had, I wonder if this means the farmers can finally breath a sigh of relief?).

I thought I would blog a card I made recently.  I don't tend to make many cards these days but this one was made out of scraps from my scrap box.

When I am able to make a card like this mainly from scraps then I know my scrap box has become TOO big and I need to make a few to help whittle it down a bit!

I am going to keep this short and sweet (for a change).

Happy crafting

kyla

 

WOYWW

 This is a very quick post.  I have been away for a couple of weeks and now the full mess of my desk is on show!!!

The desk literally has my travel art kit dumped on it as I have just returned from a holiday in Malta (see previous post if you'd like to see the photos).

As you can see I am using Shaz Silverwolf's suggestions for using a poundland paint pad as a stamp cleaner....it works a treat!

 

 My "Man Bites Dog" cards this week are: 'Naked Dead Wife Tricks Crazy Angel'...well I never did say they all make sense!

Finally this wonderful ATC is from jozart 

I love the idea of stamping and zentangling (is that even a word!!) over the top, so effective.

Happy WOYWW

Kyla

 

Who'd have thought there would be so many skulls in Malta!

 I am back from my trip to Malta, the post is a little photo heavy so grab a coffee and pull up a chair! 

My parents met and lived in Malta about 45 years ago so after the death of my father I accompanied my mum on a return visit.

Now, I have never been before.  All I knew was that it was going to be hot and with very little greenery....2 things that as a nature lover don't rub particularly well with me.

How wrong could I be!  Yes it was hot, and yes there was very little foliage...however, the architecture was simply stunning and I would return for this alone. 

The capital city is Valletta.  They are doing a serious amount of building work (including the city gates...which one local said to us that for the gates looked like garage doors so it was good they were making them more intricate!).

The new buildings appear to be merging well into the old.  The guide books say that the buildings are old and tatty, however I like to think of them as timeworn and interesting.

 Many of the streets are narrow and steep with lots of steps and cobbles.

 There were plenty of opportunities for photos of texture.

 Though I did get a few odd looks when taking them!

This fellow decided to join us for lunch one day.

 

 Malta is a very Catholic country and there are many beautiful churches, however, St John's co Cathedral in Valletta is worth a visit.  The floor is made up of 400 marble tomb stones from the Knights of St. John and for a holy place there are a LOT of skulls and cross bones!

 The entrance stone is amazing and has the grim reaper on it with the saying "Trample on me today and I will trample on you tomorrow"....needless to say I walked around!

Whilst others took photos of the beautiful oil artworks etc......I turned my attention to the floor and small details on the larger pieces.

 Throughout the few days I was there I noticed more and more skulls 

I also have a love of insects.....and yet again I got strange looks as I hunted this beauty down and waited, and waited even longer, for the shot!!

 Whilst my Mum was showing me her old stomping grounds I was able to coincide this with a visit to the St Paul's Catacombs.  Now, considering we were there in less than perfect circumstances some may feel a trip to the catacombs may not have been the most psychologically sounds.....but it was the most amazing place and covers more than 200 square meters!

 Back above ground and in search of interesting structure we came across these MASSIVE wooden doors! I know I am short but I felt like a gnome!

For those that don't know, Kyla is short for Michaela.  I have spent my entire life spelling it and repeating it when asked my name.....but in Malta I came across others with the same name...and even a boat!

 

 These are the fishing boats that used to also act as a water taxi when mum was last here. They are so beautifully painted.

 Whilst there were so many old shops and signs I thought I would take some more photos with the idea of making some Tim Holtz inspired backing papers but with MY images! Here a just a few I took:

 

 

 

As you can see, against all the odds I fell in love with Malta.  If you love architecture and the unusual then I recommend a trip.

Right I have the downside of returning from a holiday...a mountain of washing and ironing...and lets be honest I have plenty to distract me...but it really won't do itself so I suppose I'd best show willing and at least make a start at it!

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

An ATC from Egypt

Now this just goes to show how far reaching craft and art truly is.

This is my swap ATC for WOYWW from the very talented Roudi all the way from Egypt!

I really recommend popping over to her blog here

There are some wonderful makes on her page, especially her fimo work (check out her baby fairy made of fimo....SO cute).

Happy Crafting

Kyla

 

365 Challenge

Six months into the 365 Challenge. Its been a terrible six months so far (more root canals than I am sure I have teeth, Rheumatoid Arthritis flares becoming more regular, pay the bills job stressing me more each day, then my Dad dying-father day yesterday was NOT a good day I can tell you).  However, the great thing about taking part in this challenge is that it only takes a minute each day and when you flick back though the previous months you realise that there were little snippits of sunshine, albeit short, but they were there.

So, to TRY and be positive I stamped a sunrise style stamp around the edges of my flaming June pages and added some beach huts and a bike with a wicker basket full of flowers....nice and summery I thought!

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

WOYWW

Hello everyone, happy Whats on Your Workdesk Wednesday.

No desk today (or Man Bites Dog cards), sorry but I was on holiday all last week (hence the scheduled post last week) with no internet  which meant that I didn't really get round to many desks and this week are long shifts at work so only a quick post!

Part of the reason for being on holiday last week (SO lucky with the weather, the first time in 4 years we have had sunny weather all week on our UK holiday!!) was to attend the Devon Guild of Craftsmen Contemporary Craft fair.  3 days of the most beautiful craft and art.  Everything from gold and silver work, stone masonry, paintings, felt etc. Meeting the makers and buying direct is such a lovely way to purchase new art (some pieces were only £1.50....others were THOUSANDS!!).

After the WOYWW crop the other week, Donna kindly gave me a spare lino cutting handle (as mine has broken) and I promised to use it and experiment.

So, true to my word....I enrolled on a one off lino cutting session!

My first piece was a mark making experiment and I decided to cut ploughed fields with a fence.  My second piece was a seed head (I am a big Angie Lewin fan!). I must admit I am a bit hooked now!!

Also in the photo is a painting pad head from poundland!  At the crop Shaz' top tip was to use it as a stamp cleaner (a little like the considerably more expensive Stampin' Up one!) so I took myself off and bought one!  I have not tried it yet (too busy to craft since I got back off holiday) but I will let you know how I get on.

Right....off to finish unpacking from the holiday!!

Happy crafting

kyla

 

WOYWW photo heavy Crop update

Happy WOYWW one and all!

Welcome to a fabulous sunny week here in the UK (its been rare to see it here for more than a day in the past 3 years so I am celebrating!).

This week, my desk is a bit of a cheat, its actually my deskspace at Saturdays WOYWW crop...did you come? It was a lovely day (sorry if you couldn't make it...you missed a corker!!).
The day was a packed one, we all met, chatted, ate cake, chatted some more...then Julia started banging die cutting plates together in a desperate attempt to get herself heard (it didn't work...we all kept chatting!), finally we noticed she was stood in the middle of the room so we decided to pipe down and listen....we then got told off for not crafting!!! It was true, some of us had been there for over an hour and were still gossiping with friends old and new!

These are the lovely lino cuts that Donna was making (see the action shot below), and thanks to Donna I tried my hand for the first time at using Oil printers medium (I forgot to take a photo of my first ever print from Donna's fabulous hand carving).

Several of us also helped Morti make a 'stem' for her wedding bouquet....with some fabulous black, purple and sparkly buttons, such a lovely idea.

As you can see Sam (Hettie) and Fergus were busy with Lacemaking, so fine and delicate a true work of art.

Shaz had the brilliant idea of bringing a die cutter and LOTS of dies and a cutting station was set up in the middle of the room

Finally an action shot of Julia actually crafting!!!!

So, this is my desk......proof that I DID get some crafting done (and check out my "Man Bites Dog" cards!).

It was a fabulous day, shattering, but fabulous. A huge thanks to Julia for organising, Jan for a wonderful lunch, Shaz for the die cutting, Donna for helping me with my lino cutting (BIG thanks for the new handle and printers medium) and for listening. To Janet for the totally moreish cake, Helen for letting me have a proper look through her wonderful journals (though i don't think I even asked!!) and for Sam and Zoe for catching up and making me laugh. There are people I have forgotten as I am rubbish at names, but you were all marvellous!

One final photo...here are the ATC's I swapped on the day and the lovely goody bag (minus the chocolate...that didnt make it home!).

Ladies....it was a blast!
Kyla

 

WOYWW 4th Anniversary

 Hello and Happy WOYWW Anniversary. 

4 years of legal snooping at desks, all thanks to the lovely Julia who runs it (and magnificently so if I may say).

This year we are taking part in a WOYWW ATC swap, I have made a few and will be taking half a dozen to the WOYWW crop on Saturday if you are able to go. 

If you would like an ATC then please leave a comment and message me your address and I will pop one in the post.

 On my desk this week is my 365 Challenge journal pages being made up ready for June.

My "Man Bites Dog" cards this week?  "Killer General Sues Brave Cop!"-after the last few cards I have picked I don't think I will comment on what I think it may mean!! 

I will keep this short and sweet as I am sure there will be a few more desks to try and visit this week!

If you are lucky enough to come to the WOYWW crop on Saturday, then I look forward to seeing you there.

Happy crafting

Kyla