I'm Thankful for...

Blog prompt #20

Todays Blog Prompt - 'I'm Thankful For...' and keep it craft related ;-)

I'm thankful for all the craft equipment I've been able to build up over the 7 years I've been crafting in a focused way.  I wouldn't like to have to start buying now, there's sooooooo much available it's overwhelming.


I'm also thankful for the craft group to keep me right! LOL - Ann, Ruth, Jane, Jeanette and Jean.


Thanks to other online crafting/blogging friends for inspiration and support.


Crafters are sharers!

A Word...

Blog prompt #19

Today's blog prompt is 'A WORD...'

Using one word, describe yourself and then ask another blogger to do the same. Mention in your blog post who you will be asking to do the same and link to their blog.

Oh, help! What on earth can I write... I know, ask hubby, he says,


Faithful


I've asked our friend, Blogger MaryNSC to help me out here!


She says in the Comments: CRAFTYLICIOUS.

How do you feel about Spring Cleaning?

Blog prompt #18

How do you feel about spring cleaning? Blog about it! Mention your favourite household cleaner and talk about the advert that always makes you buy...or perhaps you just don't do any because crafting takes over your life!

Invite a fellow Creativity Club member/blogger to join you in blogging daily. This could be a fun friendship. 

How do I feel about Spring cleaning? It's necessary but I haven't yet felt compelled to get into it since the weather here in Scotland is hardly Spring-like! It's cold and wet, so we are not happy bunnies.  Where is the mild, gentle, freshness?


I used to be able to buy a product called Swipe through home-sellers, suitable for cleaning just about anything at various dilutions.  Lakeland sells lots of reliable products: my favourite window-cleaner is Nil Glass; furniture polish Bald's Original Furniture Balm or anything with lavender and beeswax, I hate silicone-based furniture sprays; Stardrops liquid, Vanish soap are great cleaners.


Advert? I get mail catalogues from Lakeland.  The only TV ads that impact me are for electronic gadgets! I love all things computer.


Crafting certainly doesn't take over my life, although I was told that my whole online presence is about craft!  I have too many other things going on for that to happen.  Videos, photos and blogging - all using the computer, is way more fun than crafting - is that heresy?  Definitely time to start blogging about basic computer skills lol.

Ha-ha, Carddiva said about cleaning: Thats one of those swear words my mum warned me about.

Chuff Chuff Cheerfulness

Blog prompt #17

Create a cheerful card and blog about it. Dedicate it to someone special and write about your dedication.

I dedicate this card to Norman,

who faithfully puts up with the cost of all this craft equipment and supplies! 

I made this cheery steam train pyramage card for my husband's birthday.  The background paper shows all sorts of famous steam locomotives while the top is evocative of The Railway Children, with its happy feeling of childhood memories.

When we were last on holiday in Fort William, Scotland, I took a couple of videos: one of the Glenfinnan Train Station Museum and the other Steam: "The Jacobite" on the Fort William line - available on my YouTube channel, just click the links.

To Scrapbook or not to Scrapbook?

Blog prompt #16

Today's blog prompt touches on the subject of scrapbooking. I would love to know if you DO and why you DO IT and if you DON'T why DON'T YOU? This could be the opportunity for you to have a go at scrapbooking to show it on your blog.


I have only scrapbooked once - making a record of my son from birth to give to my lovely daughter-in-law.  To make it easier I bought the type of scrapbook that has slip-in pockets. Using the likes of Papermania 6x6 decorative papers as backgrounds, I applied an appropriate photo to each page, then added words done on the computer and embellishments. Unfortunately I forgot to photograph any of it! Now, if Shona still has it... 


I suppose I don't do scrapbooking on a regular basis because it's more stuff to store if they are not presents to give away. I was ill for 18 years and did a lot of simply-decorated journalling, not aware of how much decorative stuff was available out there. Of course, over the last few years the products have just multiplied, and USA was always more into scrapbooking than UK.


I discovered from reading Jeanne Lee's Post that there is such a thing as Digital Scrapping, so I have signed up to ScrapGirls to learn more. Meanwhile I have tried it out for the first time on Blog prompt #5 If Music be the Food of Love, using docrafts Digital Designer program. Have a look and Comment on what you think.


Reading other docrafters' blogs, I was reminded by Princess1's post that I used to do primitive scrapbooking when I was younger - just sticking memorabilia in the large sugar-paper scrapbooks that were available in Woolworths!


Failing to have any scrapbooks to show you, I'll show instead a large A4 card I made for my church to give our Pastor, who was leaving to be an Army Chaplain.

My Guilty Pleasure...

Blog prompt #15

Now you can make this craft themed or you can simply share a recipe (We love cakes here at docrafts) or a crafty project with us. It may even be stalking your favourite crafter and having to check their website or blog before your day begins.

I've just got in, and read what #15 is, and personally I don't think craft is a guilty pleasure at all, other than the cost of all the products!


However, chocolate is another matter entirely.  Especially with a cup of tea.  Also luxurious hot chocolate (also known as Snowman Soup) with whipped cream, but no marshmallows, please.  Annie's blog has a recipe for CHOCOLATE CAKE IN A CUP which looks yummy.  I only feel guilty though because I'm diabetic and need to reduce my tummy!


My decoupaged Christmas Hot Chocolate card is enough to give a warm glow, especially after the weather we had here in Scotland on Sunday! And there is still a cold wind, where's Spring and Summer?

What's your guilty pleasure? Comment and leave your own blog link too.

Day in the life of... Hudson the black labrador

Blog prompt #14

The day in the life of... This could be yourself or interview someone!! Have fun blogging and have fun discovering someone's typical day! How about getting a fellow Creativity Club member to guest post for your blog? Or do a call out for a docrafts demonstrator to write about their demonstration day?

I've been a very happy dog living with Mummy and Daddy in Scotland.

Two years of fun and their undivided attention.

5 April 2012 changed all that.  They brought home a little brother called Evan  for me! He smells strange! 

I've suddenly grown up. I'm not a teenager any more, I am really gentle around Evan.

I look forward to all the playtime we are going to have when he gets bigger. I hope he doesn't pull my tail or bite my ears! We will have fun playing on the floor. Already we are great pals.

Granny M makes me birthday cards too!

Your favourite craft product

Blog prompt #13

It would be great to show us a few cards that you have made using your favourite product too!

My favourite craft product of the moment has to be my Ink Dusters - the big double-ended brushes we've been using to make the inky pictures in the  Playtime two videos.  I suppose any chunky or shaving or blusher brushes might work, but of the two types I have, I would say the Ink Dusters work best for a smooth effect.  The pictures we've made so far have already been shown on these four previous inky blog posts. 

I have also tweaked my inky sea scene used in More Playtime, dusting more heavily at the sand edging the sea and adding white caps and seagulls.

Your storage solutions for both outside and inside

Blog prompt #12

Are you a gardener? Tell me more about life with green fingers. Are you mega organised in the house?

Yesterday you saw my storage solutions for the CraftyStudy, now today it's other storage solutions both inside and outside! Well, Emma of docrafts, if some Creativity Club folk didn't want to show their messy craft, think how we'll feel about our cupboards and sheds! LOL I don't have any particularly nifty storage, I would just love to have some solutions such as Ikea offers for hiding everything neatly away in the house. As for the garden, well, I just leave the shed to be messed-up by my hubby as he does the gardening! So with these cop-outs, I leave you with a decoupaged CraftsUprint garden card and a decoupaged New Home Garden Shed card. 

Since CC Emma was talking about sunny weather in the Forum, here's a rainbow that appeared yesterday evening.

Photographs of your craft room

Blog Prompt #11

Write about and show off photographs of your craft room! How do you store everything? Any nifty and thrifty ideas to share? I also want you to name your favourite episode of Creativity TV to date...

Today's post is to show off photos of my craft room AKA The Crafty Study. Now do I tidy it first? No, show it as is. 

First up the Ikea wooden self-assemble storage drawers for A4 card, similar wooden storage rack for magazines which I've used for the embossing boards.  Jewellery bead stacks, Cuttlebug, Kindle, acoustic guitar (teacher Mark Cameron of Awaken/ Glasgow Guitar School). 

I use a large Really Useful Box to store my rubber stamps (Christmas ones in another box) after I had a really good clear out of them! Tuff clip boxes and folders store decoupage and various bits. More drawers for assorted card, labels etc - plastic this time, wish I'd bought the metal mesh ones.

This is the workspace looking out on my view. 

Crafty computer with new storage shelves bought at the Craft Fair. 

Have Ink Dusting equipment-->will travel.

I also have to name your favourite episode of Creativity TV to date...

Creativity TV Episode 117: Watercolouring Techniques with Michael Powell

I like this one because I love using Twinkling H2Os/ Cosmic Shimmer watercolours or Copic alcohol pens to colour in digistamps/ rubber stamped images.  I also like the look of the new docrafts Michael Powell rubber stamps - I particularly like beach huts and plan on buying these two. 

Coastal Getaway

Shore Thing

What makes you smile?

Blog prompt #10

Is it a product? a crafty friend? a particular blog? An event? Your family?

What makes me smile? Ooh, choices, choices... 

My new baby Grandson Evan, of course. CraftyGranny is NOT biased, oh no, LOL. Here he is about a month old now, with his new comforter, which my son called Kebab!

What else? Hmmm. Laughing with CraftyWhippet when the Outtakes happen.

Crafting can make me smile, if I'm pleased with how a card turns out! I liked this one, again made using docrafts, Digital Designer program for the stepper and decoupage.  The pergamano-type embossing was done on vellum with the Cuttlebug. 

I'm sure I will think of more and might add to this blog at some point.

My Favourite Quote

Blog prompt #9

Who was the quote by? Does the quote make you smile? reflect on life? Get you crafting mojo going?

My favourite quote is from Thomas Kinkade - the Painter of Light - 


It really is possible to colour a dark canvas golden, even with the tiniest of brushes. You just keep on dabbing the paint, and sooner or later you transform the surface with brightness. In the same way, if you keep on making joy choices, small and large, your heart will eventually display a joyful tint that is more durable than you ever imagined. 


I use the Joanna Sheen Thomas Kinkade CDs which are full of his wonderful paintings.  Three Christmas cards I made with them are these. 

I was saddened to hear of his death on 6 April 2012.