ATC's

There has to be a little weekend Magic!

I've been crafting to refresh my heart and soul when I could this week.I've found I can create artist trading cards reflecting sentiment quite easily in the week without too much tidying around and I get lots of 'lost in positive and beautiful thoughts space' ..... matching embellishmnets, reading through sentiment...it is this lost in beautiful thoughts space that I love...I don't know when I started to need this space but I always know when I don't get it! I've had to buffer myself from harsh comments, unhappiness and negative words some of the week.....I refuse to be unhappy! but it does have a wear and tear effect on my soul...I and am so looking forward to a little retreat at Lou's today she is a stampin up rep and we are having a workshop at her's.Her blogspot is 'always look on the brightside...' she's not only a talented crafter but a lovely friend to have....Linz will be there as well she's amazing! she gets us together! motivates folks and has started craft workshops for the children's centre she works in...we used to all work together I loved those days soooo much and grieve a bit every now and again...So hey you two I cannot wait to see you I'm bringing my camera!!! this time as I've just been listing to Stacy Julian's latest class on big picture scrapbooking and am following her 'scrap happy' class. Big Picture are great and when I listened to Stacey everything she said I connected with!I'll add the site to my links.I also received my little books from the compendium company.... people you must look at this site the merchanise is sooo inspiring.I would love to promote their items here in the U.K but have difficulty in knowing where to start,I must ask around about how to get some sort of selling licence.. their items have to be shared with the world!!!

tiny spirit folk ..mica minnows

I have enjoyed creating these tiny 'fit in the palm of your hand sculpts'. They have mermaid type tails tinted with mica pigments embellished with mica flakes they have delicate elfeen spirit folk faces...in the main they are quiet and un assuming living in harmony with the other water folk.Look carefully into the water when the sun shines you may sea one curled around underwater plant life or resting on a stone...

Mica Minnows

creating with friends is great

Dawn, Pauline and Tess came over to create ! Thankyou girls it was a lovely Saturday afternoon.Dawn had some amazing templates.She took us through the steps of creating a mini exploding box.We all created one it helps to have company as I'm not an instructions person so we all helped each other fathom out what folded where and which lines to cut down!So here's my finished product I'm looking forward to creating another and the ATC's holder Dawn... come again girls same time same place the first Saturday of next month.My pals linz and Lou are going to like this little box can't wait to share the template with them.

creating with friends..with mothers day in mind

completing my first sculpts

She has evolved......This water Sylph is a cheeky fast moving little spirit created with the water sign of pisces in mind and the celtic festivals of Imbolc and Beltane celebrated february through to March.'Sylph' are the spirit folk commonly associated with this time She has a shyer little friend I've called Smokie who nests in a little barnacle clad shell I'll post a little piccie later.

Mermaids, water goddesses and sylphs

I've such a craze on these mythical creatures...I've been reading the little mermaid it's quite a sad story and so is the celtic tale of Sinann but these gorgeous little spirits journey on interwoven into tales that are apparent throughout all of the centuries.I'm really wanting to add to that and 'celebrate the sea spirit...'
I've created some lovely creatures in polymer clay. It is exciting and pretty time consuming learning the art of armiture making, sculpting, adding eyes /ears and hands... ooooh the hands have taken such a long time thankyou to my buddy Dawn for guiding me with them.... the cooking is a little scarey I'm so scared I may end up with a singed product!

Sinann water goddess

I've just pre baked her she's so OOAK

The wonders of creating polymer clay fairies

I'm at the beginning of learning how to sculpt with polymer clay....I've created a couple of 'chatty little fairies' in fimo as a starter.I must thank Gemma from ebay for parting with a few of her items..I'm sorry she isn't able to sculpt the fairies anymore but am in awe of the reborn work she does anyway thankyou these lovely little fairies would not have been the same without their lovely wings and hair.

my first fairie sculpts

Friendship albums for viewing

Inspired by Art...

I've started to alter a little book I purchased from a charity shop... It came about as a project for this evening... and had a little therepeutic value..Last week and the week before had not been the best weeks at work in history but Thursday I found myself having my lunch break in Saltaire and had a peruse around the gallery there.. it was like a little Oasis in the middle of my desert. I'd written a journal entry about it and then thought it was time to start and decorate this little book and add some snippets/copies of art work by artist I feel a real connection with... I started with J W Waterhouse.. Ophelia I haven't finished the pages yet but this is my little art journal!! There's always a little bit of light and sparkle no matter what sort of week your having you just have to stand still enough and breathe to find it....

My Boys all grown up

Melu is 15 years old on the 24th of February....I cannot believe I'm the mother of a teenager..I can still actually remember being one myself..and what a rebelious one I was ..so I'm trying to be understanding but anyone who has been there or is in the throws of coping with a young man or woman well into adolescence knows how trying it can be or should I say IS.

Saturday I met with my scrapbooking buddies Lou and Linz (my inspiration also!)and they had completed Shimelle's project 'worth a thousand words' so inspired I thought instead of a small photograph album of last year activities with friends I'd create 'a little story about a boy..who' and here it is I've gathered photo's going back 15 years and brought the album up to date thith the latest picture of The Afro ... The Afro is going to be a keepsake in its own right I can tell you....

Forever and Always

I have used lots of my 7 gypsies bits and pieces in this chipboard album I'm entitling forever and Always.I selected a few photos from the past and just started cuttignand sticking.I used my ranger distress inks and some great journal jewellrey and have it all just about bound for valentines day. My Chell is a good one he puts up with my perpetual crafting and burnt pans not to mention my late nights when I'm a little obsessed and lost in my book making.

Two little albums of love

I've just created two of these wee albums , loved the quotes and then thought I'd go for different styles a warm vintaged style and sassy hot pink one.I did have valentines day in mind but have created a special 6 x 6 for my hubby and these two are now on ebay I hope someone enjoys giving them to a special someone.I've some simular 4 x 4 friendship albums as soon as create them they seem to find good homes but I'm going to get the two I made last month onto the blog spot.Photographs look great in these little albums too... in an earlier posting I put quite a lot in an album I made for my son's friend but in the ones with quotes one carefully selected photo per page or even just one at the beginning of the album is just as effective and not over the top!

amor album

love and kisses album

inspiration for mothers day

I have just edited this post with a completed book I gave to mum last week on mothers day...I felt quite emotional this mothers day creating this keepsake..my mum is so special and life has not been an easy ride for her and I'm so grateful for all she has given me...... I have such fond memories of my nana and grandmother also they are very vividly in my mind as kind, funny, resiliant individuals.

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

Keepsake thoughts and feelings reflect and share with mum using these lovely 6x6 albums

Here are two of these gorgeous little keepsakes they convey simular sentiments but have different designed pages to compliment the quotes on the pages. I'm a mum and a daughter and loved creating these books and asorbing meanings of these pages. These albums were inspired by a request from my friend Julia to create one for her freind Nikki.. thankyou both yours was the first....they are all different and so OOAK.

A glimpse at some of the closer detail

Albums to celebrate 'mother'

In celebration of 'mothers' 6 x6 album some detailed pages

A Happy New Year

What a lovely christmas time it has been.... quite a relaxing time and I've been able to take stock and get some creative ideas together for for 2008!I am excited about sharing them as the months progress. It has also been a time for reflecting on the lovely relationships I have with my friends and family..I feel so very lucky and thankful to them all.. to my mum and sister my lovely pal Linda and her family, my running buddy and 'sounding board' Kirsty and of course Chel, my rock! and sooo many more lovely people.
Here is a little book created as a gift for my son's childhood friend.. they have known each other since pre school and it was a joy putting together sassy little shots of them in this album..Cheeky moments in the school nativity play... a nursery photo around the sand pit and evidence they were the masters of funny face pulling on trips out especially whenever I insisted on taking a photo ! and now into their adolescent years I see two lovely young men at the beginning of the next stage of their journey... I just love standing still long enough to register all the changes that pass and the way individuals adapt grow and evolve through life..it is pretty amazing whilst at the same time being so simple... after all it simply happens! well any parent might argue it isn't quite as simple as that...! I plan to carry on standing still long enough to appreciate all the love that has gone into supporting that change in others and myself throughout 2008!

Keepsaking gifts ...what a joy to create

Putting those litttle books to creative use!