Happy Birthday Marti!

One of the most fantastic things about blogging is that, across the miles, people can connect and become friends. We can share parts of our lives with others - good or bad - and know that someone, somewhere will appreciate our knowledge, experience or courage.

Today is the birthday of one very special lady, Marti. We've never met. I only know her first name. And she has probably never even heard of me. But that doesn't really matter, because this special lady has her very own support team - Team Teal - masterminded by her daughter (and my good blogging friend) Deb @ Paper Turtle.

Happy Birthday Marti by Obstinate Pursuit

You might be wondering what all the fuss is about. Well, Marti was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer on 18th February 2011 and, since then, has been battling with chemotherapy treatments to reverse some of the damage. Her family has been bravely rallying around to support and encourage her - and I think, a birthday wish from some complete strangers might just help to make her day that little bit more special. Really, it's the least we can do!

If you get chance today, pop over to Paper Turtle to see Deb's own post and leave a little birthday message for her mum.

Happy birthday Marti x

The Month Of Works In Progress

I've been a little bit on the quiet side this month and I've realised that this is because I much prefer to share finished projects, than works in progress. There's just something wonderful about proudly showing off a completed project! But, this month has been a month of works in progress and I've decided to share. That way, when all is done, I can feel extraordinarily smug.

We're about halfway through the redecoration of our hallway. I say that lightly because, really, we're in the finishing stages. We've lived with holes in the walls, no carpets and more dust than you can believe for at least the last three years. We're finally at the painting stage, but who would have thought a hallway could have so much woodwork? *sigh*

There's been a little re-organisation of the craft space as well - am I the only crafter that seems to spend more time organising than crafting? I'm making an effort to use more of my stash, so I've been methodically working through my huge box of paper scraps. Larger pieces are now back with my full sized sheets; smaller pieces are now in a dish on my desk, so that I can rummage through them easily and I've made a huge stack of ATCs - there's well over 100.

Of course, the box looks just as full as it always did, even though I can't figure out why! I swear the scraps are multiplying faster than Tribbles.

My buttons and brads are now out of their packaging and displayed in a little, vintage dish just at the side of my desk. It makes looking for the right one just that little bit easier and reminds me to use them. Plus, a little bit of eye candy never hurt anyone, right?

There's also been a little bit of beading. I've been working on my first piece of bead embroidery for this month's Monthly Moodboard over on Operation Tackle That Beadstash. I'm even using a pattern shared by one of our contributers, Liz, which was featured in Bead Magazine. For my first piece, it's coming along really well (just not fast enough) so Liz's instructions must be fantastic!

Okay, I'll admit it. That's a brad in the centre of my beading. It just worked so well with my beads!

Another Simple Saturday

Just popping by to show off another simple, but 'oh so cute' card that I made this morning for Make The Day Special.

Since my cardmaking breakthrough last week, I've been embracing the 'clean and simple' with the help of the Sophie's Sentiments stamp set. Who would have thought that a simple (though lovely) little sentiment set could change the way I feel about cardmaking?

I've made a few this morning, but this one's my favourite. I stamped directly onto my ribbon using Stazon - no bleeding of the ink! Hurrah!

Have a good weekend folks x

Using Mists To Make Your Own Paper {The Alphanumeric Blog Hop}

Hello and welcome to The Alphanumeric Blog Hop. Hopefully you'll have arrived here from Michelle Loves Allsorts but there's no need to panic if you haven't. You can start the blog hop from the beginning by heading over to I Speak Melsh where you can find a list of all the participating blogs. There are prizes to be won, so do join in.

When Mel asked me to take part, I was originally thinking that I'd be assigned just the one letter or number. Imagine my shock when she asked to write about the whole bloody alphabet!

I like to get the most out of my crafting supplies, so I hope you'll join me in some appreciation of the humble negative - the way to include typography (and a little interest) to your scrapbooking pages. Those of you who know me will already be aware that I'm not a stranger to using the leftovers from my chipboard alphas or creating with the remainders of my sticker sheets. So today, I wanted share a technique that's new to me - even though it's been around forever - stencilling.

If you want to have a go you'll need a spare piece of cardstock or watercolour paper, an old (but still useful chipboard negative) and some spray inks. You may also want to have your art journal on hand if you have one.

1. I've set up my desk so that my cardstock background is lying on top of a larger piece of watercolour paper which happens to be part of my art journal. You'll see why later. If you don't want to do it this way, at least make sure that you're not spraying onto your best tablecloth. Learn from my (bad) experience.

2. Pop your chipboard piece down onto the cardstock and choose one colour of spray ink. Now spray. The closer you are to your page, the darker and more concentrated the colour. Experiment. It's good for you.

3. Now lift off the negative carefully and if you have an art journal handy open it at a blank page. Pop the stencil in with all that lovely ink still swimming around on the top. Close your journal and press down over the surface.

4. Take your negative out of your journal and re-position it on your cardstock, choose another colour of ink and get spraying.

5. Again, take your negative off carefully and pop it into your art journal. Remember to apply a bit of pressure across the surface.

If you're lucky, you'll be left with some awesome backgrounds in your art journal as well as your original background cardstock. Result!

Now, I've not tried it, but I'm also thinking that by piling some of my old and dusty mis-matched letters onto a piece of cardstock and getting busy with the inks I could come up with a different look altogether. Hmmm....

The next stop on the hop is Over At Our Place, so before you get your fingers all inky, pop over and say hello to the lovely Amy. She's bound to have something special up her sleeve.

Note: If any of the posts aren't up yet, please bear with us - the different time zones and the peculiarity of blogging platforms when it comes to autoposts may mean that one or two posts don't appear on time! If that's the case, head back to the list at I Speak Melsh and pick up from the next blog, but do please pop back and try the other link later, when the post should be there for your enjoyment.

I think that all the hard work and long hours that I put in at work last month have finally caught up with me. Despite a complete slow down - almost to the point where I've been a little bored at work this week - I've been so, so tired. I've been in bed by eight most nights this week. I'm such a party animal!

So, all I've got to share with you this week is a clean and simple card that I made for one of my bestest friends. She's just had a little girl and I thought something appropriately pink and pretty was in order to celebrate the occasion.

I used the Martha Stewart Daisy Border Punch to create some borders (I finally treated myself to a border punch so expect to see this motif on everything for a little while!) and my set of Sophie's Sentiments stamps. Just a couple of little ribbon roses to accent the card and I was done.

Thank Saturday for simple projects!

There's something about card making that I always find really difficult, so it was with some surprise that I made a little card that I actually like. I think I'm starting to get into my card making groove - a little like scrapbooking it's all about becoming happy with your own style.

Today I'm sharing a little card for my sister who's a bit fed up with being ill and off work. A 'Get Well Soon' card didn't seem appropriate but, luckily, the Sophie's Sentiments set from Lawn Fawn has something that will work for almost any card.

I've used the 'Thinking Of You' sentiment, along with one of the stamps from the Naturally You set - which is just peeking out behind the embellishments. This set is only available in stores, so head on over to Make The Day Special and snap yours up. You'll be the envy of all your friends!

The papers and embellishments are all from this month's Counterfeit Kit - including the little ladybird. Isn't she cute? So, all you beautiful blogreaders, have a wonderful weekend x

It's Counterfeit Kit Time!

I think we're all aware of just how much I love the Counterfeit Kit Challenge. I have truly had so much fun playing along with the challenge; putting together cute kits from my own stash and creating some much loved layouts as a result. And the love affair is not about end any time soon.

This month the Counterfeit Kit DT chose the amazing A Little Birdie Told Me kit - the first from Front Porch Kits - to counterfeit. Since it sold out within such a short period of time, I have no hesitation whatsoever in a little copying.

The kit is based on Echo Park's collection For The Record and, although I have the kit on order, I just could not wait to play along and put my own kit together. (Though I'm sure that once it arrives, some of the papers may find their way into my kit this month.) So, in my version of the kit, I have tons of Bazill Cardstock - I'm a big, big lover of Kraft - and some of my favourite patterned papers from American Crafts.

This time around I've 'splurged' on the embellishments and I've added a huge amount of flowers - some bought and some handmade - along with a variety of leaves, brads, buttons, chipboard shapes, beautiful trims and some yarn remnants. Disappointingly, I couldn't find my 'googly eyes' so expect them to appear in the kit at a later stage if I manage to hunt them down!

I'm also using my new stamp set from Make The Day Special - Naturally You. How perfect are these stamp sets? I couldn't believe it when I saw the kit and knew I had just the right stamps!

In the process of putting my kit together, I also pulled rather a large amount of scraps - some paper, some fabric - and although there's no add on kits with the original I've made my own - Birdhouse In Your Soul.

This little kit is perfect for making mini-books, cards and smaller, little projects and is made up a ton of paper scraps in colours and patterns to match the main kit. Also included are several fabric remnants, burlap and some tidbits of ribbon, along with more delicious trim and another stamp from Itty Bitty - Dreams Make 'Em Happen. What do you think? Can I manage to make teeny, tiny scraps look appealing?

I can't wait to start creating with my counterfeit kits, but before I love you and leave you, I just wanted to say a massive thank you for all the comments on my kits and layouts last month. I'm overwhelmed with gratitude, especially for those of you who wanted to scraplift my layouts - what a compliment! Please go right ahead! And then show me? Anyway, I just wanted you all to know that during what was a tough month at work, you all seriously kept me going. Much love x

Enjoying The Spring

Today I'm enjoying the spring - even though it's a little gusty - and I'm looking forward to visiting Mitsy over at Artmind to find out what everyone else has in their flickr favourites this week.

"Science has never drummed up quite as effective a tranquilizing agent as a sunny spring day." ~ W. Earl Hall ~

1. MMXI::SEVENTEEN::AFTER, 2. Sunset, 3. birds, 4. family of five, 5. Vintage Fence, 6. Sweet Peas

Where would I be each week without my stock of quotes? What makes a photograph a favourite? Tell me. I'm interested!

An Indian Summer!!!

So, it's official. I'll be spending two weeks during the summer in India! At the university where I work we have a dedicated charity which, every year, sends teams of staff and students to development projects around the world to work.

This year teams are heading to India, Brazil, Mauritius, Uganda and Malawi - and I feel so amazingly privileged to be heading off to a country that I have never visited (have never even dreamed of visiting!) and to be working with the local community on a project which will benefit them long after we come home.

In the run up to our departure I'll be getting to know the other members of staff who'll be accompanying me and meeting the team of students we'll be taking with us and, together, we'll all be fundraising to cover the costs associated with our project. The journey starts right now!

To make sure that I don't miss out on documenting any of it - the 'getting to know you' meetings, the fundraising, everything - I've put together a mini-book using some of my Counterfeit Kit.

I've used a lot of papers from my versions of Into The Woods and Sunny Clearing, because the colours are so vibrant - just how I expect India to be. I've also added in scraps leftover from my projects using the other kits, so I've used up quite a bit of stash!

To add extra details to my mini-book, I've added some stamped images using my Make The Day Special. stamp sets, All About The Journey and A Girl & Her Adventures. I don't think there could be any stamps sets more perfect for documenting this trip. And aren't they beautiful?

I'm so impressed that I've been able to use my kits from the Counterfeit Kit Challange this month despite being extremely busy. Obviously having everything ready in kit form is just what I need. I cannot wait to find out which kit we'll be counterfeiting next month!