Busy but somehow not getting on with things

I am once again in that funny frame of mind where instead of getting on with things I have set myself to be completed I am procastinating by signing up to join in all sorts of additional crafty swaps. A lot of it has to do with my mind being busy with "real life" things. Today for example one of my team at work who has been with me for seven and a half years has taken voluntary exit under the public sector reductions. I have mixed feelings - we will miss her greatly but she has taken the oportunity to set up her own business to fit in with her lifestyle as a single mum of an adopted little girl and I can't help but admire her for having a game plan and acting on it. Way to go Julie!

And on Thursday we head South to take my son to Heathrow. He is going to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau on a concert tour with the National Youth Wind Ensemble so we are all very proud and despite the break from teenageness (he is 14 and more than a bit like the Harry Enfield character Kevin at times) it is far different from his recent school exchange to France where I could if necessary hop the channel and rescue him - from what I don't know - to going to the other side of the world.

So I've been cutting myself slack and opting to do some quickand easy stuff like these black and white ATCs.

These "Games" themed ATCs proved more difficult than I had thought. I didn't start them until the last minute, somehow I just couldn't get to grips with what I thought was an easy theme. However the football season isweeks away but in our house there is constant checking on Ceefax for the latest transfer news. Far more annoying than actually watching the ads in programmes but equally inspiring for a different take on the games theme. Dug out old stamps that got lots of use several years back for little boy's brithday cards.

And finally for now, a background paper made for another swap with lots of messy ink sprays, old book pages and gesso.

I will have to make strenuous efforts now to get my 365 journal upto date - likely to be into next week though before I catch up!

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.