Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge 2!

So the challenge set by Linda over at L3 is page 56 of Tim's book Compendium of Curiosities 3.

I downloaded this castle cut file from SVG Cuts as a Mother's day gift to me from me and promptly set about decorating the castle with distress inks through a stencil I made from Tim's brick die in Picked raspberry and the inside of the castle and the sky with Salty ocean.

I then followed the instructions on page 56 and covered the roofs of the castle with Rock Candy Distress Glitter.

Below you can see how the castle folds flat to fit in an envelope.

To get the "wall" across the back of the castle, I folded the wall back on itself and inked the top with Salty ocean, which then meant that the inside of the castle also had to be blue, but seeing as it is my castle in the sky...that is fine by me!

 Thanks for the visit.

Bella

What's on My Workdesk Wednesday 257? Cards and ATCs

Hello fellow Desker from Julia's place over at Stamping Ground.  Welcome to my desk in a sunny (though not too warm) Cape Town, South Africa.

Today is voting day and Google has made us our own logo!  Cool stuff!

I am however off to work even though it is a public holiday, but we have had so many recently (two last week) and because I work for myself, if I don't work, I don't earn, so class is going ahead today.  We will vote after class.

This is my desk...covered in random stuff from making cards from left over stash from all the conventions I have attended over the years.  Trying to get it used up. Oh and as usual my overflowing ribbon drawer...

Then there are the 4 ATCs for the April swap at my store.  The blue one with the crown is my make as I always make an extra one for myself to keep and the other 3 are the swaps I got!  I love doing these swaps.

I will be finishing off the ATCs for the WOYWW swap tonight and posting them to Ali H tomorrow or Friday so she can swap some at the crop for me.  How exciting!  Those of you who have agreed to swap with me, I will be posting yours tomorrow or Friday too so you can have them in time for the WOYWW party.  Thanks to Nikki C whose ATC has already arrived.  Talk about orgainised!

Have a great week.

Bella

CC3C Challenge 1 Marble distress on a Canvas

I participated in the first two series of challenges that Linda ran when Tim came out with his Compendium of Curiosities books, now he has come out with a third one and Linda is again hosting the challenges.  I have been like a kid waiting for Christmas as the anticipation has been killing me!

The first Challenge is page 43. Paint Marbling using Distress paints.

The wonderful people over at the  are giving 10% off any purchases if you are participating in this CC3C (details all on Linda's blog) challenge and they are also sponsoring every odd numbered challenge with a prize of $50 girft certificate!  How cool is that!  Even more reason to get a book and join in!

I have done another Snapguide for you to see all the steps I used to create my Distress marbled Canvas entry for this Challenge.

Check out How to Create a Multi Media Canvas by Belinda Basson on Snapguide.

Bella

What's on My Workdesk Wednesday No 255? Repairs!

Hello Fellow Desker, welcome to my repair yard this week over in Cape Town, South Africa.

As usual I see my ribbon drawer is bursting at its seams...don't notice in real life, only when I look at the photo!

The bathroom mirror has come apart and I found the silicone to glue it back together before it causes 14 years of bad luck (7 for each side!) Not really superstitious...but not taking any chances!

Then there are 2 pairs of grey school trousers draped over my Vagabond for my son that have had their hems taken down and need stitching (not my fave) as we are going into winter now.

Oh and a pile of 100 metal flowers...well that was what the label said and I found it hard to believe, so the little pile to the top of the big pile is 10...so I guess I believe them!

There is also a new little yellow butterfly punch as I have often wanted a small butterfly for my cards like the Gorjuss one below.

Check out How to Colour a Gorjuss Stamp on Printed Paper. by Belinda Basson on Snapguide.

This is the second Snapguide I have made and have decided I quite like it as a tutorial option.

What do you think of Snapguide?  Better than Youtube?  Should I go this route?

Bella

My first Snapguide tutorial

Here is my first attempt!

Check out How to Make an Anemone Flower Using Tonic Studios Die by Belinda Basson on Snapguide.

It would seem that Social media is constantly evolving.  I have tried to make a few Youtube videos and you can see the link to one I did a while ago in the right hand column of this blog for making Rolled roses.

The only issue with Youtube is the quality of the filming due to the fact that our link up to the rest of the world is rather slow here at the tip of Africa!

I noticed that Graphic 45 has started using the Snapguide system to show how their projects were made by their various peeps on their design team and so I thought I would give it a try.

It is easy to use and I think better in many instances for a "how to" tutorial for making projects if you remember to photograph each step clearly.  This way the person wanting to follow your instructions can move through your photos with the instructions as they are working on the project.

What is your opinion on this new (to me anyway) concept called Snapguide?

Bella

All caught up on the Tim Tag front!

This year has just been crazy so far and each month I have not had the time to do Tim's tags.  It being Easter week-end, I am making the time to play catch up.

I started yesterday with April's tag and slowly worked my way backwards through the year.

Here are all the tags together, in order from Jan to April:

This is January and you can find Tim's instructions here.  I changed the fob watch die for the clock as I thought it was more funky...I do actually have the fob die!

For February I don't have the hearts stencil so I used the stars, cut my own heart to put glitter on and used the clear instead of the distress as I don't have any...The stamp was one I did extra on packaging while at Tim's convention in March as I don't have that one either.  This was just a lucky find in my stash after the convention!  Tim's original is here.

 March's tag was a tad tricky as it mostly revolved around a stamp set I don't have.  I do however have the stencil and the spritzer which was a real boon!  The feather is one I made from kraft paper and the feather stamp is an ancient PSX one.  The corner boarder is from Gorjuss and the nest is off an unlabeled set of stamps.

So here I am half way through April and finally ready to do May's tag when it arrives on the public holiday.  I should be able to do it straight away!  Whohoo!  Can't wait!

Thanks for the visit.

Bella

Tim's April tag of 2014 - Playing catch up!

This is the first of Tim's tags that I  have done this year! Yes, scrape yourself up off the floor stuff I know!  I am playing catch up this week-end.

I decided to start with the April tag and work backwards to January.

You will find Tim's instructions on his blog here of how to make this tag.

This is my version, as usual I don't have all his dies and papers etc. (more fall on the floor stuff...his biggest fan  - my friends call me a groupie - and I don't have it all!) I substituted his trellis die for the spelbinders one I have that is similar.  I had his pinecone die and I also used some of my special stash of his ribbon (which I was gifted) for this tag as I am no longer teaching these tags, I can use my real stash of stuff.  When I was teaching Tims tags at a local store before it closed, I had to use local substitute ribbon as that is all that was available here and my sample could not look different.

Thanks for the visit.

Bella

What's On My Workdesk Wednesday 254? Gorjuss

Hello there fellow Desker from Julia's place over at Stamping Ground.

Welcome to my desk on a Sunny Autumn day in Cape Town, South Africa.  The Gorjuss Tutorial is as it was a week ago, but while uploading photos from my phone to show you my market table, I came across these:

This was Marmalade when he moved himself in at the end of December...a rather scrawny motley coated cat.

This is Marmalade now, a sleek furred, somewhat filled out, contented cat!  He clearly chose the right house to adopt!  Food and love on tap!

My pink hair...can be parted further over, then you don't see it so much.  This is at its MOST visible pink.  Did it when I lost my best friend Claire to breast cancer in December...just had the roots done on Friday again.  Having fun with it as it makes peeps smile when they see me.  Had to buy the top to match as all my other pink things look faded next to my hair! LOL!

My table at the market at the local library last week-end where I did quite well.

The other side says the usual...Keep Calm and carry On.

I like this side better!

That is me this week as my desk is boring.

Bella

What's on My Workdesk Wednesday 253? Cutlery Pouch and lots more!

Hello dear Desker

Welcome to my desk in Cape Town, South Africa.

I am in the middle of lots of things...doing a step out post of how to colour Gorjuss...still manufacturing the cutlery pouches for Saturdays market and I have put the Pratliglo (like a resin) onto the tray for one of my students who did the paint technique and the decoupage cups.

Below you can see a finished pouch and how it will look with cutlery in it on a side plate.

So that is me this week, busy with lots and achieving nothing! Well, that's how it feels, though I am sure it will all get done in time.

I am keen to do extra ATC swaps for our WOYWW celebration, let me know if you are keen too.

Bella

What's on my Workdesk Wednesday 252? Cutlery pouch and window

Hello fellow Desker, welcome to my desk in a wet and miserable Cape Town, South Africa.

Surprisingly you can actually see my desk...I have been flat out busy making card kits for a birthday party of eight 11 year olds at the store tomorrow and then kitting up for the double scrap page I am teaching on Saturday

Left on my desk after the kitting flurry is the new die from Couture Creations which I bought yesterday and the card I made with it as shown below and then there is the cutlery pouch which was a sample I made to test a theory and it worked, so now I will be making lots to sell at a craft market next week-end.

Thanks for the visit.

EDIT!  Stop press!  Look what was in my post box when I popped in at home at Lunch time!  My RAK from Nikki!  How awesome and I have the afternoon to play with it too!  Thanks so much!

Bella