ArtyFartyAnnie

Hi Everyone, Today I would like to share with you my last page as a Special Investigator for March over at CSI: Color Stories Inspiration . Here's the final inspiring Case File for this month ... Not the kind of colour scheme I would usually work with, but packed full of fun ideas for design elements and journalling prompts. I decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to scrap a photo of me and two of my favourite people in the whole world ... This picture was taken during a trip back to Cornwall in April 2011. It was the first time we had all been together in ages and I couldn't wait for Chel and Em to meet John, my fiance. We were to be married that summer, and Emma had made the most beautiful and unique tiara for me to wear - we had to sneak off to the ladies' to try it on without John getting a peek! So, how did I crack Case #159? You have to use all five colours in the Scheme, at least two pieces of Evidence and at least one item from the list...

Hi everyone, Today I thought I would have a go at this month's challenge over at Lessology - Ribbon Fantasy ! The idea is to make a crafty project featuring ribbons and using at least one recycled item. I pinched another idea from the talented Helen Allen - check out this video , where she shows you how to create a card using tiny scraps of ribbon. Here's my version ... This was so easy and fun to do, and very satisfying to use up some of those really tiny scraps of ribbon that you just can't bring yourself to throw away. My recycled items are some of the ribbons - you know those ones which are stitched inside the shoulders of garments and are supposed to help keep them on hangers, but really they're just a pain and they keep popping out and you end up cutting them off? Friends and relations save them for me - I often find some left on my desk at work and I have quite a collection now. They have all kinds of uses, but this one was the best so far! A couple of...

Hi everyone, The theme over at Tag Tuesday this week is "Dreams", which had me flummoxed for a while - until I came across this wonderful quote by Langston Hughes , the American writer and social activist. Here's my tag ... I wanted the words to be the main focus of the tag, so I just created a simple background using a home-made cardstock stencil and Distress Inks ... ... and then wrote out the poem with a Micron pen and added a coordinating eyelet to finish it off. I'm looking forward to seeing how all the other Taggers have interpreted this theme. Next week the challenge is "Easter Bonnet" - my head is spinning with ideas for that one! Thanks for popping in today, see you again soon :o) Annie xxx

Hi everyone, The theme over at Tag Tuesday this week is "Spring is in the air" - my tag was inspired by this You Tube video where Helen Allen demonstrates a clever layered stamping technique. It was great fun to do and I will definitely be using this method again. Here's my tag ... The butterflies (Stampin' Up!) were stamped first, using Archival Ink. Then the background was created by using masks cut from sticky notes and a gorgeous text stamp from BoBunny. Helen showed how to use Distress Ink like a watercolour paint to add colour to the images, and I used Distress Ink with a sponge applicator as well, to add colour to the background. The flower was stamped four times, then cut out, coloured and layered up. The stalks were made with scraps coloured with Distress Ink and some scraps of ribbon added the finishing touch. Pop over to Tag Tuesday to see how everyone else has interepreted this seasonal theme. Tomorrow the theme changes .... to "Dreams...

Hi Everyone, Case File #158 has just been opened for investigation over at CSI Color Stories Inspiration and today I'd like to share with you my second page as a CSI Special Investigator for March. Here's the Case File ... In order to crack the case, you need to make a scrapbook page using all five colours in the Scheme, at least two pieces of Evidence and one from the Testimony list. I decided to solve this case by telling the story of Ham - not the kind you might have in a sandwich, no! Ham is also the name of a special childhood friend of mine ... First things first - did I follow all the clues??  The Scheme : all the colours are there, plus some neutrals and a couple of tiny splashes of accent colours. The Evidence : twine tied in a bow, three fancy fasteners, wood veneer bunny, stamped stitching (from my Georgie stamp set), vellum die cut splats (from my Quirky Kit), mixed fonts, long title, fabric print paper and fabric brad. The Testimony : I ...

Hi everyone, I'm a bit late to the party, but hey, at least it's the right day! :o) It's that time of the week when a whole bunch of us gather over at Julia's Stamping Ground to show everyone What's On Our Workdesks this Wednesday and then have a good snoop around to see what all the others have been up to! Mine's a bit different this week - I've been sofa crafting whilst recovering from my op on Friday ... You can see some of my portable projects laid out on the coffee table by my side. Just out of sight is a glass of water, a heap of drugs and the TV remote (back-to-back Madmen at the moment!).

Hi Everyone, Vicky Papaioannou is one of my favourite You Tubers and I'm also nuts about Tim Holtz , so I nearly wet myself with excitement when I saw this super cool giveaway on Vicky's blog ... This week, Vicky is featuring lots of stuff from the latest release of TH products, so as well as checking out her wonderful YouTube toots, you can enter this giveaway to be in with a chance of winning some of those goodies. You have to be in it to win it, innit?? Thanks for popping in today, see you again really soon :o) Annie xxx

Hi Everyone, Back in January, I made this layout for Case File #151 over at CSI: Color Stories Inspiration - it was the first page I had made in absolutely ages, so I was thrilled to bits when it was chosen as a favourite and I was invited to be a CSI Special Investigator for March. I have really missed CSI and I thoroughly enjoyed working on all the March Case Files. Here's the first one, Case File #157, which is crammed full of fun colours, interesting evidence and inspiring testimony, and includes a fab sketch from The Nifty Pixel ... In order to solve the Case File, you need to make a scrapbook page using te sketch, all the colours in the Scheme, at least two items from the list of Evidence and at least one piece of Testimony. Here's how I cracked the case ... So far, I haven't managed to master the art of taking a "selfie" without making myself look like a proper charlie, as in this delightful example - but still I love this picture becau...

Hi Everyone, Well, all did not go quite as planned with my surgery yesterday - that is, it didn't actually happen. After being on tenterhooks* all day, my operation had to be cancelled because there was an emergency and they ran out of theatre time. As you may imagine, I was a bit disappointed at the time, but hey ho these things happen and it can't be helped. At least I have been rescheduled for tomorrow and this time I am first on the list, so no anxious waiting around. Today I have been mostly sitting about in my onesie watching TV and trying to follow a complicated cross stitch chart. I have also demolished an entire box of Maltesers and I feel much better now :o) I did manage to stop eating Maltesers for five minutes and make a quick tag for Tag Tuesday - this week's theme is "Anything But Paper ..." which was an interesting challenge because paper is usually my starting point. This must be the quickest tag I have ever made - in fact, it took me longer...

Hi Everyone, Today I would like to show you the most beautiful bone folder EVER - in fact that is a misnomer, because it's made of wood, but if I say "bone folder" most crafters will know what I mean. This one is special because my son Tom made it for me ... ... and because it's made from a piece of wood which he has sanded and smoothed into a shape which fits perfectly in my hand and just feels wonderful to use. Thanks Tom :o)

Hi Everyone, The theme over at Tag Tuesday this week was "In The Style Of ..." This gave me so much scope that I couldn't even decide what to do until this afternoon! In the end, I chose to make my tag in the style of one of my favourite You Tubers, Vicky Papaioannou . I've spent many happy hours watching this clever lady create beautiful cards and inspiring art journal pages and I thought it would be fun to try and emulate her distinctive style. Here's my tag ... There are several elements to my tag which I think are typical of Vicky's style -