TIO #121 - Alice & the Rabbit Situation - Opps! Out of the Bag...

Hi... over at DragonsDream Tag It On, my design team have excelled themselves with their entries for our lastest challenge - Alice and the Rabbit Situation, lead this fortnight, by May.Why not visit the blog to see their creations, be inspired, and join in!! The work on their own blogs is WELL worth a visit too...

So what did I come up with? Well, the recipe calls for Alice, the Rabbit and a situation. I dreamed the rabbit hole, swirling round, and all the consequences of Alice following the rabbit down... so I envisaged all the characters spilling out of the book as the rabbit reads....

 The rabbit is minding his own business, when a great gallumphing girl begins to drift out of the pages.To follow are lots of other images, characters rising up and out of the book to have their own adventures...

 Here he is in close up! I have used the My Craft Studio disc images, as I don't possess any Alice stamps. Awww!!! I fussy cut him out then made a decal-scissors-cut black shadow to make him stand out. The book image is decoupaged

 This pic shows a GIANT Alice, slowly drifting from the book, so much bigger than all the rest...

 Here you can see a corner of my background. I created this from Tim Holtz  stamps and distress inks. embossed with clear ep - well,  when don't I??!! I used the new specialty matte coated stamping paper and it is FABULOUS!! However, I think it is rather expensive per sheet and therefore too much to use for an "ordinary" project... I just needed to have a play with it!!

 This one shows the twins off as they emerge, and how the watch and the tea and cards just keep moving outwards from the page, as the rabbit looks on - rather wistfully I thought??

 Hope you are liking the 3D quality of this tag, and the texture used... I love how the colours have blended together, creating a garish dream-like backdrop...

Here is the whole thing again, then. I am very pleased with how it turned out and more especially how wonderfully well my design team members have given us their interpretations... do go and have a ickle look at the Dream blog, you won't regret it!!

Thanks for looking and leaving comments. I value every one, and they certainly keep me going when my pain is bad!!
Love and Light
Frankie
xx

WOYWW #164 - Good Week Getting better!!

Hello Hoppers of the world!! Snoopers of the world unite on this, yet ANOTHER Wednesday, to peer and ogle, and yes!! covert (well I admit to it anyway!!!!) the stuff on desks all over the place. All courtesy of the chief deskarian, Julia... be whisked away on soft zephyrs here...

So how has the week treated you?? Hope you have been ok. I am walking with my friend BlackDragon, whose dear grandad died this week.... peace BD

And how am I??? well, feeling a bit better with this sun and bright light all day... serotonin levels rising a bit now, with the lamp and the real thing!!! Hands are about to be done on Thursday - OH!!!! HELP!!!! I HATE it!!!! It is SOOO painful, but better when they settle!!! So it just has to be faced... and just realised it's tomoz!!! Ugggh!!!

And crafting?? Well, I finished the book and started another, this time for our cruise memories of a couple of years ago... pics later. I have also worked on a commission - a bracelet for a teacher pressie. I did the chain threaded through with stretch cord one, with turquoise chips and beads, with silver tone findings and charms... you should tell me what you think?? I hope she likes it!! So here we go with the pics then. Hope you enjoy..

 Desk as of 23.20 Tuesday evening. The two books are really fun to make and I always enjoy working with my beads... They are in a handy tray, cos I cheated and beaded outside in the sun!!!! Good stuff, eh??

 This tray is really useful, but it's actually the lid of the box you have seen on my desk before, to take photos on...

 The bracelet turned out quite pretty... might have to make myself one... easy technique too... simples

 Here is the book from last week and the new one for the cruise photos... don't know what I will use the first one for, just LOVED the papers and the making... so here are a couple of spreads...

 And this is the front cover of the cruise book. I have used Tim Holtz Destinations stack and Kaiser Craft Check In... plus a couple of papers from other collections which suit the scheme of things... I am LOVIN' it... can't wait to print and mount the pics... the pockets are big enough for ickle booklets on a theme eg Santorini...

 LOVE the closure too... it's  G45 small keyhole plate with a Tim Holtz clock key. The chain is fastened at the back and clips into the key handle. I have punched a Vintaj long tag with the word "cruise" and filled it with a Vintaj patina to make it pop!! A couple of pages follow...

And finally, the back cover with the other half of the Destinations paper. I am loving the suitcase paper for the spine too...Here you can see that I made a hole and fitted a metal eyelet, through which I added the chain. It all went together very well.

So that's about it from me this time. I loved visiting you all last week and look forward to seeing your comments again this time. Thanks and welcome to those new followers who have joined my journey recently. I am so flattered and proud that you find my blog and work worth a visit or two
Love and light
Frankie
xx

WOYWW #163 - Quiet Week???

Hi Wyggers... another WOYWW has raced round again... where has the year disappeared to?? Anyway, it's time to snoop and spy on the desks of the world, courtesy of our dear leader, Julia at Stamping Ground. What would we do without this session each week ? I know I would be lost!!!

The lamp is on; the new book is coming along; the paper is strokeable; and fairly tidy thinks you??!! Well reasonable to say I am working on something...

Anyway, dear reader, what are happed chez vous this week?? !! I would LOVE to have no news to tell you... mum is mostly settled, my pains are about the same ( but what's new?? -well I have a date to have them injected again on 26th July!!! YEY!!) New car is FAB etc etc... The boys came for a sleepover at the weekend, and the 6 year old, Matthew, announced in the morning that there were "drippy drops of water from the ceiling, Nannar!!" Oops and he was not wrong!!So leaky flat roof had to be done post haste!!! Will the disasters ever stop??? Well I have decided that they won't so I just keep keeping on!!

Short and sweet this week, guys. Hope to see you all chez vous this next week...
Love and light
Frankie
xx

WOYWW #162 - Good Stuff v Bad Stuff

Morning, evening, night, afternoon wherever you are in the WOYWW world... what a dreary, miserable, wet, dull, rainy, disappointing (tennis!!) painful, depressive, dark, dismal, galling and breakdown (horse lorry) week it has been... bad stuff eh??

Good stuff - Thank goodness for my weekly snoopy dodge around your fab blogs, and for your WONDERFULLY supportive comments on my own... last week was particularly nice that so many of you were glad for me winning my fight!!! and a plus, my dear readers... the whole new prescription arrived in Friday, so no struggling on until August !!! Yippee from me and mum...

Bad stuff - Tried to take the big mare to her first jumping show of the year, what with one thing and another... all set, picnic packed, horse loaded, boys on board, my mother safely left behind!!, everybody happy.... few miles travelled, then lumpy engine and no go!!! Horse was on for hours and we never did get there... we were brought home in a pick up and Freddie waited with the mare and was towed home... anyone know of a mobile lorry mechanic????

What's that you are shouting ???? Pest - oh no, I hear you now it's DESK isn't it?? Well here goes

Not half bad, eh?? Those of you who know it well, will see that most of the same stuff is out but there is a new occupant!! Yep, I finally had to resort to my SADlight or get further down in the dumps!!! Had it on a couple of days now, and hope it helps...

So how did the TIO tag turn out??

I am really leased with it, as it has lots going on and it's fun... it's a great recipe this week so why not have a look see and do it yourself!! We are starting a feature called DreamBoat3 where we choose our faves and pick 'em out for a mention... no prizes unfortunately, but a bit of pride for the shout out!!

Next few things are sneaky previews of stuff made for my good friend, back saviour and one-time-Taiji teacher, Peta... but can't show the whole cards as she reads here and has not seen them yet!!! Stuff for her family...

for her nephew

for her niece

for her sister

for herself for displaying her soaps at the fayres she does - a vintage suitcase like those I made for myself, but in different papers... woo, it's SO pretty!! 

Anyways, that's all folks... the good stuff is all the art I have made this week... I am just feeling so creative, even though in pain, so I craft to forget it... just in my own ickle world - are YOU like that I wonder?? with a time warp in your crafty space doorway!!?? Well I am away now to try to sleep - that's a hoot, but I have to try. Thanks for ALL your support, it means SO MUCH to me.

Love and light

Frankie

xx

WOYWW #161 - Another Week to Forget but...

Well, dear reader... I don't know where this week, or the summer have gone, but they seem to have gone to the same place!!! The week is important 'cos that's the time for spying, poking around, snooping and generally enjoying being a voyeur - in the best possible taste, you understand!!! - courtesy of the admirable Julia at the Stamping Ground. The lack of summer is important because I have S.A.D - seasonal adjustment disorder - for those who are baffled -: quote

SAD usually begins, in the Northern Hemisphere, around November reaching its worst point for sufferers in January and February. It is caused when the shorter days of winter reduce the amount of sunlight to the retina. The lack of sun causes the body's level of serotonin to decrease while increasing the level of melatonin, which in turn causes seasonal depression. SAD symptoms disappear in spring, and many sufferers may experience a short period of hyperactivity or hypermania when the light begins to increase. 
Summer sun picks me up and I feel better, less in pain and find it more easy to cope... not this year with the wettest and least sunny spring/early summer since records began!!!! Oh well...

Anyway, where was I?? Oh yes, my week. Well it came and went, without much done in my crafty'oom. However, I did tidy my awful desk and made it look as though I always have it that way!!! tee hee... starting another book when I can do a little , with some wonderful Graphic 45 paper, which is kraft colour. It looks fabulous with black, so I used a couple of precious black chipboard sheets for the cover. Will show you next week, if it gets any further along. So here we go - finally, I thought she would NEVER show us the photo!!! -

And the final "but" from the title??? Well, something that went right, for a change!! For a couple of months now, I have been battling the powers and gathering evidence about mum's need for pads, bless. We have some that are woefully inadequate, leading to her being wet several times a day.instead of comfy and dry!! Not to mention risk of skin problems and infections, or the amount of washing that piles up in a single day!!!

Finally, yesterday, I was called by a district nurse who asked if mum really needed to take all the pills she does, and also why I don't ask the carers to take her to the loo when they come!!!! OMG, I was cross but SO upset and in floods of tears... I actually called this woman a coward for not visiting for a proper reassessment and she had the gall to tell me it was "quicker this way" !!!! She also wondered why I was getting upset and said I should not, in a very condescending way, so I put the phone down on her!!!! YAY!!! She rang back...

The problem appears to be that you can only have 3 a day of the big monster ones that mop it all up, and you have to buy any others yourself... mum spends all her pension and allowances on the care we have 7 days a week... nothing left to keep her dignity and health intact!!! So I would have to pay from my pension...

Long story short - well THAT will be the day!!! - my social worker - oooo get her!! - rang this morning and said that she had asked the doctor if mum needed the pills she takes!!!!!! WHAT???? I guess he gave her short shrift from what she said!!! I kept cool today - that makes a first!! - and laid it on the line... I told her I would go public and tell the press how badly we are being treated, and all I wanted was dignity and dry pants for my 88 year old mum!!! She rang back some hours later and.... yes , you guessed it WE WON!!!!! We CAN have 4 big monsters, so my persistence won the war, after MANY battles and skirmishes. But it shouldn't have to be like that, methinks...

OK, the high horse is now back to grazing, and all is quiet on the western front - just a small cheer rings out in the night, for a fight well fought!!!
Thanks for the visit and reading my drivel!!! Still, the desk was good, eh??
Love and light
Frankie
xx

TIO Challenge and Simon Says Stamp and Show distressing

 We continue with our FABULOUS recipe challenges again this week, where it is Silvie's turn to tease and inspire us... her choice is "Don't Fear", with the ingredients, a scary image, a crowd of purple and texture - how zany and amazing is that!!??  I stamped on shiny cardstock for maximum depth of colour and texture from my clear ep.

 That yummy texture shows up here in the light from my window, and you can see that the two crows are raised off the tag.

 WOOO, I am LOVING this huge image.!! With my old blog layout, I did not have room for this, but now I can, I shall!!!! So this is the whole tag. My scary image is the crows, 'cos I think they are evil-looking, and how shocking that one should have the key to the door in his beak... what if he flies away with it???

And, of course, the crowd of purple is all done with the range of yummy distress inks we have now, from the new lilac to the new raspberry, through concorde and berries... ooo they are so scrumptious!!! The door and the key are from a set by Darkroom Door; the birds are from a set by Invoke Art; the moon came from a set by the Stampman, many moons ago (get it????!!! - ouch, no need to kick me SO hard!!) and the tree is a Judikins one from Stamp Addicts.

Well off to add it all to the challenge blog, where most of my team have already posted their fabulous inspirational pieces... do pop over and have a look, and do visit their blogs too, as they are all immensely talented!! Thanks for coming to look and for leaving your uplifting and supportive comments, they really do help me when I am feeling low, after yet another set of wet clothes for mum!!
Love and Light
Frankie
xx

WOYWW #160 - What a Week!!

Welcome to my week of hell... not boring you except to say mum was taken off to hospital, quite unnecessarily, as I told 'em all  at the time!!! Anyway, back now and just as honery  as ever... But I am trying for a Blue Badge for me and am advised to apply for attendance allowance for me too, to get help for me with mum!!! Complicated eh?? But I shall try it.

Anyway, to why you are here - well I thought she would NEVER get on with it!!! - It's THAT time of the week again and we are running amok through the worlds' desks and work spaces, to see what we are all up to, with the permission of her highness the Julia of Dunnit, here... I visited many of you last week but had insufficient time for commenting, unfortunately... visiting the hospital is a time-consuming pastime, and jolly costly in parking fees!!

 So here is my desk - photos from top to bottom equals right to left across my space. Junkyfied eh??? Untidy and jumbled but I was making a tag for TIO... and I am still able to find stuff - only just though, lady!!! -

 The middle portion is the actual bit I work on... barely big enough for a postage stamp!!! All my purple distress inks are out to fulfil the recipe for the TIO challenge, and also for Simon Says Stamp and Show some distressing... yummyliscious!!!

This far end is where the paper scraps live for a while, the glue gun, heat tool, melting pots, baby wipes, silicone glue etc etc all live at this end, under the paper bits shelf.

And for those of you, including the illustrious Mrs. Dunnit, who wanted to know about the big box and what might be inside... well, nothing much just now. It's what I use to elevate my work for photography, as above. Here I have a single sheet of Bo Bunny Weekend Market paper as a background, but often, I have a whole paper stack, and it fits on the box well...

And finally, here is a close up of the tag I was making ... the crow has the key in his mouth for Silvie's "Don't Fear" recipe challenge... it's another great one this week so why not have a go yourself??? To see the whole tag properly, you can go to the DragonsDream Tag it On blog, or here on my DragonsWeb.

Thanks for popping in again and leaving your lovely, uplifting comments
Love and Light
Frankie
xx

WOYWW #159 - Oh Deary Me!!

Well most of you were very tolerent last week and said my desk was ok... but Oh deary me, this week, I think even the most untidy amongst you will be utterly dismayed!!! And why would that matter??? Well, we love to snoop, and pry and oggle, all with the express permission of the lovely Mrs. Dunnit at the Stamping Ground... she said we could and so we do... but no-one expects (the Spanish inquisition... tee hee for those old enough to remember Monty Python!!!!) to see a scene of such utter devastation!!!

Do I have an excuse, I hear you cry... well a ickle bit yes and a ickle bit no... yes, because I have been in the garden trying to sort the chaos that has been two winters of bad weather - actually, folks, she had one of her "issues" with it again, and could not bear to go in it for months - and no, because I should tidy after a project, and be good!!! The last thing I made was for the Stampman DT challenge, here, and it can be seen on my window sill below...

 So go on... what can you see?? What do you find interesting or puzzling here then?? Feel free to ask or guess!!! And I truly KNOW it's a horrid mess, but am having some problems with the pre-tidy, tidy up!!! I began weeks ago byr seem to have stopped and run out of steam... oh well, wood for trees or something, so I MUST adjust it to cleanliness!!!

 And here are a few ickle pressies I allowed myself this week, some wonderful metal and TH bits, so I shall have a lovely play with them very soon.

And speaking of pressies, I collected my NEW mini yesterday (Monday) It is wonderful - a special Olympic edition, only 2012 made, with leather, heated seats and all sorts of other mod cons... shall post a piccie of it later in the week oif you care tocome back and see!!! She is a beauty, and so comfy... - fewer if even less crafty goodies for you then, my girl, with a ickle jobby to play with!!! Oh well...

I am off then now, as I am trying not to bore you ridgid this week... mother watching and gardening duties permitting, I shall endeavour to be less naughty and get to more of your desks for a snoop this week... keep the comments coming, as they REALLY help on a dark day!!
Love and Light
Frankie
xx

Stampman Design Team - Lead Week

Hi Readers... back on Firefox to upload my pics... what a pain blogger is at times eh?? But at least it puts me back in business.

So today, it's my turn to lead the Stampman Challenge blog DT for the next game.. The theme Jill chose for me was Time or Travel - well, right up my street eh?? So thanks Jill!!

 I decided to have a TH car as the focalpoint of my piece, which is 8x8...  I also used tickets and metal pieces of idea-ology.

 This is shot of the whole piece. Tickets, vintage photos, images of cars and related memorabilia...

 I made a compass and popped it on a chain with a threepenny bit charm.. There is a sun charm at each top corner.

 The all-important clock, to tell what time to depart for the next leg of the journey.... made from a Graphic 45 brass flower with TH bits and spinners added.

 The background paper is from 7 Gypsies, with a Union flag and a passport, appropriate for my journey along the scenic route.

So it now takes pride of place on my windowsill for a while, as inspiration in the coming weeks. I really had a quiet day, on and off, sitting planning, making and creating my piece, so I hope it helps to inspire those joining in Jill's challenge. She offers a great prize, so why not have a go and enter your own piece over there.

So there you have it. Thanks for coming to have a look, and I hope you will leave a comment.
Love and light
Frankie
xx
PS I would also like to submit this piece to the following challenges:-
Simon Says Stamp and  Show - anything goes

WOYWW #158 - They Keep Multiplying!! - UPDATED

Morning, Evening, etc wherever you are in the world. Welcome to another WOYWW, facilitated so adeptly by our great leader, Julia at the Stamping Ground... where would we be without this each week?? - up a creek without a paddle, or an excuse to blog!! - Welcome, also, to my week from a little hell!!! Mum has been poorly, with a cyst in her nether regions - oh very nicely evaded!! - which necessitated calling out of hours service at 8.30am on Saturday morning no less!!! And THAT was a battle and a half... she has antibiotics and a sore spot... and has done much complaining of same ALL week, until today...

And what of myself, I hear you cry - well, maybe not but she will tell you anyway, you know what she's like!! - My blood pressure is no longer elevated... no, it's UP and mostly high!!! OMG, I NEVER have high BP, even carrying 2 babies... oh well. Freddie bullied me into going to the docs on Friday. And did that get it sorted??? - no actually, she saw a "doctor" who is not her own who told her to keep monitoring it!!! drip!!! Various appointments with social type peeps and a visit with dear daughter to the hospital for a check on that ankle, have precluded a second visit, but I PROMISE to go on Thursday morning, honest... - yeh, we will believe that when we see/read it

So what delights do I offer here then?? - opps, be prepared for that desk again, folks, you know how sluttishly untidy she is!!

OMG I HATE blogger... I have been trying, with absolutely NO success, to load photos here... they are loaded, in fact, but won't save, so only this text will save... so sorry not to have pics... kinda defeats the object eh??? Suffice it to say the desk is untidy and the new album is coming along SO well....

Any ideas?????
Love and light
Frankie
xx

Well at last I think I have cracked it, so pictures without more ado!!!

 See...told you it was messy!!! And it's just how some of you imagined eh???

 They are multiplying!!! The latest one, nearest the camera, is an amalgamation of a design by Laura Denison and a similar one from Kathy Orta... using my own measurements, so that it will fit in the suitcase!!

 I am using a mixture of DCWV Tradewinds and Bo Bunny Weekend Market - which IS to die for... I now have to buy more sheets to sniff and stroke, after cutting into so many of them - that sent the BP high again too!!! tee hee

 And this is my cover, with some triple embossing using antique gold, a lapis blue and some gorgeous Egyptian stamps... well, enough already, and so SORRY for the topsy turvy nature of my post... I have used a different browser to get this far, so hurray and farewell!!!
Love and Light
Frankie
xx
PS Thanks for coming back, if you did!!!! and here is my tag for TIO, as a bonus prize!!! tee hee - Industrial Chic, no less, so why not join in?? xx