You'd better sit down...

I'd hate the shock of finding a new post to cause any accidents, and this is likely to be quite a long one given how long it is since I last posted!

One way or another I've been if not always too busy, then too preoccupied with other matters to get creative for a while. I've had serious ill health in my family (which continues but I am coming to terms with), redundancies and changes to job profiles and terms and conditions at work and my son doing his first GCSE papers all going on at once so my mind has been a bit all over the place.

I'm glad to say though that I'm starting to do a bit of crafting again and have kept going with my 365 day journal, although a bit sparse with entries. So here by way of a catch up...

My March page in spring colours and we did have some daffodils but not many other flowers by then.


April is music themed for no other reason than I liked the bright colours and have quite a few music related crafty bits because my son is a keen musician.

May in the early stages. I have to confess I had a blitz at the beginning of May to catch up a bit and then have fallen behind on the actual journalling. I will add some more over the long weekend though and get ready for June.

Also since I last posted I have made ATCs and a row of houses for swaps, and been tinkering with a few other projects that are work in progress too. Much to the annoyance of my partner and son the entire kitchen is permanently completely covered in craft stuff whilst I potter for short periods each day trying bits out, rearranging pieces etc.

The ATC swap had a music/dance theme. My partner sent me very elegant ballet themed ATCs in soft colours and decorated with lace. (Note to self I must get round to taking pictures so I can share with you). I hope my jazzy bright musical offerings weren't too much!

The row of houses swap required the use of a button somewhere in the design. These swaps are great fun because you get 5 houses back, one from each of 5 swappers so they are all very different. You can tell I still had the same stuff out in the kitchen when I made these because some sheet music crops up again. These were entirely constructed with materials that were selected at random from what I already had out in the kitchen. The dots on the roof are stamped with bubble wrap and coated in Matte Accents. I don't know why but I do not get on with that product. Often the result is shiny not matte and if I am heavy handed in application it sometimes dries wrinkly. I didn't mind here as I had no definite plan and just wanted texture. I added more texure too with stalks made from painted string.

Pinch, punch, white rabbits etc

Friday saw the start of a new month and hopefully Spring proper. At last we have frog spawn in the pond, more daylight and sunshine and there are lambs in the fields. More excitingly though, Friday saw the launch of the Craft Stamper magazine e-zine. Containing 12 favourite step by step projects from 2010 as voted by readers, this e-publication is available free to download. Click on the image below to go to the magazine web site and take a closer look.

February finshed

Almost there with my catch up now!

Here is my February page completed. I forgot to say before, the typed quotes on each page are lines from Flanders and Swann's take on Sara Coleridge's poem The Months. March ready to start will be along soon - I just need to summon the energy to learn how to retrieve things from the new external hard drive to post the piccie.

Also in February I did a 3 for 3 ATC swap with the theme "abstract" which is fabulous for using all those experimental bits and pieces and off cuts from other projects. The first three below are the ones I sent to my swap partner on time but which somehow became separated from their envelope en route so she only got the envelope and a note from the PO! The bead bit on the first one makes me think of a headless giraffe - very wierd I know and unintentional when I put the glue on.

This set are the replacements I made which are waiting to be addressed and posted - with lots of extra glue and sellotape to make sure thet stay in the envelope this time.

AWOL

A big hello to anyone reading this who has come back to visit despite such a very long time with no posts.

Since Christmas I haven't had a whole lot of time for crafty things and just when I was getting my 365 journal page for January ready the PC had a breakdown (and quite frankly at times I felt like joining it!).

Happily, after a stay in pc hospital, a return to factory settings and the very slow process of getting things installed again we're back in business so to speak.

First here is a picture of January completed.

And another of February ready to start.

I'll post again later with the end result.