WOYWW

After a hectic few weeks I am hoping that normal service will be resumed and I can get some crafting (and blogging in!). Whilst the 'pay the bills' job does indeed pay the bills I must remember that crafting is therapeutic and is a great way to just be in the moment-when I craft I rarely think of anything else. I don't know if that is just me, but it works and I just need to remember to do it.

So that is what I did, I took a day off work and crafted.  It was BLISS!  I made tons of cards and felt a lot better after.  I think it is something I need to do more regularly (makes a note to herself.....and add it to the long list of notes I regularly choose to ignore!)

So, fingers crossed I am back in my stride and with that in mind here is my desk:

I am in the process of making Mothering Sunday cards which in the UK is in March.  

My "Man Bites Dog" cards - 'Crazy Prez Defends Fake Wall St'........seriously you couldn't make this up!!!!

Happy crafting

Kyla

A day of crafting and doing nothing

 I finally took a leaf out of my own book (telling others to 'take care of themselves' and 'you cannot pour from an empty cup' etc) and decided to take a day off work with no intention of doing housework, ironing, paperwork etc.  All I was going to do was rest and craft.

Now I tend to be a list maker and ticker off....I rarely sit still and talk too much BUT I do meditate on a regular basis and I have found that when I have too much 'internal chatter' going on that crafting takes me out of my zone and allows me to be more mindful by concentrating just on that one thing.  To be honest I have crafted for almost 40 years so I don't even really concentrate on technique anymore more of a 'go with the flow' and see where it takes me!

So I decided to make my husband a birthday card

and finally get round to using up some of these lovely images I stamped ages ago from a friends stamp I borrowed.

Before I knew it I had a stack of cards all made and a few hours of not thinking about work, housework, finance or my RA-what bliss.

So I need to remember this and schedule more days (or even just half days) into my diary for 'me' and to allow time for myself to rest and repair.  I love my daily walks (which I have been doing for over a year now) but I need something else.

How do you give yourself some precious 'downtime'?  I am open to ideas.

Happy crafting

Kyla

A good use for old jeans

For those who don't know me (or follow me on instagram) the past couple of years I have been doing Weight Watchers.  

I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and had several doses of steroid and periods with very limited mobility especially following an ankle operation which led to slowly increasing my weight (as well as picking up some bad eating habits in my early 40s).

When I started feeling better I decided to get back in the gym, increase my strength and loose some weight.  I have lost quite a lot (almost 50lb) and have been at goal for 10 months.  This does mean that NONE of my clothes fit (as I am at least 3 sizes smaller).  After various trips to the charity shop I suddenly looked at my jeans I was about to donate when inspiration struck.

I made round bottoms and a lining to create denim 'buckets' that could be folded down or opened up to create pretty storage of different heights.

I used these as a basis for my Christmas gift hampers for family filling them with homemade elderflower cordial, sloe gin, chutney, spiced sugar etc.

I forgot to make one for myself so now I am on the look out for some cheap jeans in the charity shop so I can cut them up for me!!

Happy crafting

Kyla

WOYWW

Another Wednesday and that means "What's on your workdesk Wednesday" where we bare our desks to fellow crafters across the globe.

On my desk this week are my birthday cards that I plan on upcycling into new cards which will hopefully get another chance to bring joy to someone else.

Also my 365 Journal as I try to get ahead and make March pages (though to be honest the journal has been sat there for a few days now with no movement whatsoever)!

My "Man Bites Dog" cards this week 'Judge Sues Thousands Again'.....sometimes just the addition of the word 'again' makes it sound so more sinister!!!

So, if you fancy joining us then please pop over to the lovely Julia's blog (link over on the right) and bare your desk, floor or room of shame/crafting/paperwork taking precedence over art etc!

Kyla

Mail Art RAK

 Look what came in the post?  Fabulous hand drawn and painted Mail Art all the way from France!  A huge thanks to the lovely Donna of http://redoingsofdoone.blogspot.co.uk/

I met Donna via the WOYWW blog and when we met at one of the early crops we got on really well and when she moved to France we kept in touch (see Julia, your hard work on WOYWW creates real as well as virtual friendships).

It has been great to follow on her blog Donna and her husbands hard work in building their dream in rural France (which is odd as two other friends of mine have recently also moved to France to build their home and another two friends are planning on moving there in a few months!!) and now art is being made too.

I love this postcard and the delicate ink drawings (so fine and detailed) and the free abandonment of the watercolour splashes.

On the back of the postcard is also a sketch of a young woman.  

Donna, I love it and thank you-watch the post as something may be heading your way too!

Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) of an arty nature are lovely and this is now sitting proudly blue tacked to my craft room wall which is filled with postcards that people have sent me over the years on their travels.

Happy crafting

Kyla

last lot of Christmas cards!

 So not had too much time to craft recently (pay the bills job, illness you know how it is) but I did have a final push on my last lot of recycling of Christmas cards and tags.

I made another 7 cards using different elements, stamps and some additional glitter (can a card ever have TOO much glitter?!)

 So that is just over 20 cards made ready for December.  I won't make any more but it just means that when I am panic making presents later in the year that I know that I have some cards already made!

Happy crafting

kyla

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

WOYWW

Wednesday again and I finally got some crafting in!

Ok, so these cards take very little time to make but I do love the odd little pictures and they are great for a variety of ages.

The pictures are from wrapping paper-it's a great way of using up pieces too small to 

use as wrapping.

My "Man Bites Dog" cards this week are 'Secret Feds Indicted DA'......ooh!

Kyla

More Christmas Cards upcycling

 In an effort to upcycle whilst still clearing out my stash (and scraps box) I have made some more Christmas cards from this years cards.

I have used the rounding punch, gems, glitter, gloss and patterned papers to alter them and make more new cards out of them.  In many cases I have cut out just a small part of the original design and used that as a feature.

Slowly but surely I am hoping that I will have enough cards made ready by the end of February as that takes some of the stress away in November when I am often panic making presents for the family!!

Happy crafting 

Kyla

WOYWW

Wednesday again and that mean that its time for 'Whats on Your Workdesk Wednesday'.

I missed last week (and the return visits, sorry) as the past few weeks at work have been rather hectic meaning I have had NO time for me, hubby, house or crafting!

Anyway, that is why my desk looks the same (apart from the paper bag which is full of sugar free Gin and Tonic sweets!!)

My "Man Bites Dog" cards this weeks are 'Tough Beauty Blasts Killer Movie'........not been to the cinema for a while (something I plan on changing) so no idea which movie this could be!

Happy crafting

Kyla