JoZart

Saturday, 29 June 2013

bloglovin post

To claim my blog, here's my code that I have to post, so I hope you'll be following on bloglovin when google reader closes 1st July!
Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Jo x

Tuesday, 25 June 2013

WOYWW 212

Listen... can you hear a whizzz or a burrrrr? A buzzzz or a woosh!? (Julia has just commented that it should be an AAARRRRGGGGGH!)

There must be some sound to indicate the swift passage of a WHOLE WEEK!! Where has it gone?

Last Wednesday I posted my desk and here I am posting my desk again. Nothing in between but if you pop over to LillyBo Quilts you'll see a super post about the latest deliveries from Super Star Stitchers, Jo (Twiglet) and Annie (Wipso). It made me so happy and made my week!

Well this week it's still via the breakfast table as there's no space whatsoever on my desk in my craftroom and I haven't sat by it for ages.

Note to self... do hurry up and tidy up, missus!

To peep in on almost 200, (yeah, really) that's 200, other people's workdesks, Julia makes it possible on her blog here ...Stamping Ground.

It's an unmissable treat for Wednesdays.

I've almost made another flag tag book but this one is made just for me especially as a keepsake to hold my ATC gifts from WOYWWers which we swapped in celebration of 4 years of fun and friendship.

It has brought me a plentiful return of both.

The concertina back where I added thin strips of scrapbook paper to match the covers.

It's not quite finished and I haven't decided what to add to the front cover but it will certainly include WOYWW4 and those ties will be random coloured to tone.

I must give you all a shout out for one of my bargain finds. For ages I've searched for a quality art journal, spiral bound and good paper to take paints and inks.

Look what I found in Paperchase... right by the front door on a sale table, (and they had a plentiful stock)

Perfect! Exactly to my requirements in every way, Daler Rowney, 7 x 10 pages for mixed media, good weight paper etc., but they also sold one for drawing which had even more pages but lighterweight paper.

Best of all it was reduced from £18.50 to £9.25 and it has a paintbrush and a magnetic closure. Bargain!

Now to face the blank pages and create and it's always exciting to make the first mark in a new book!

I must share one of my little crafty gifts from one of my DDs... .It made me laugh and they certainly know me well. I am always collecting odds and ends and found items on my travels and so I was given this little tin.

and inside, a return card incase I lose it!

I wonder what tiny treasures will end up within?

Thursday, 20 June 2013

Tag Flag Book, Asian Grunge Style

On the first Saturday in June I attended a workshop at the monthly group Victoria Stampers in Padgate , Warrington.

People come from all over to attend... Bolton, Manchester, Liverpool, Blackpool, Wigan, Derby and it's always a great day of crafting, stamping, eating, drinking tea and coffee and lots of nattering and laughter with a super gathering of lovely people and this one was no different.

Gill, one of our members was the class tutor for June with an excellent project...

a Tag Flag Book

I chose an Asian Theme in red, black and gold, and it ended up somewhat grungy and rather out of keeping with the neatness of Asian art but I preferred a bit of freedom.

Gill showed us the finer details, hints and tips of stamping on labels (after brayering colour on them) which was so effective.

Here's the inside showing all the tags....21 in all each with two sides to decorate.

so there were so many surfaces to decorate that I decided to explore as many different ways as possible.

Lucky envelopes to hold tags, emotive haikus, lucky coins.

Chop stick cover! top left

Washi papers and I even added the card from a restaurant we visited in Holland.

Of course there had to be some stamped images!

I made a washi kimono doll to add to a tag which slipped into an envelope and added some Asian pictured playing cards to another one.

This image was shadow stamped and I made mizuhiki knots.

Finally the back view before it is closed and tied with the ribbon.

I really enjoyed making this and thanks to Gill for such a good class which really kicked my mojo back into gear!!!

I'm now looking forward to July's class when Neet will be teaching techniques with metal and alcohol inks.

Tuesday, 18 June 2013

WOYWW 211, Birthday Candy & Mountain View

Last week, when I was away on holiday, my blog hit counter tipped over to 123456, a poignant figure at which I intended to do a giveaway, a bit of blog candy, a little thank you to all those visitors who bothered to stop at my place. With being away from home and only having intermittent internet connection, it came and went.

Today, Tuesday, is my birthday so I decided it should be now!

I have not yet decided what I'll give but I think I will make something special and also find some nice crafty goodies.

Maybe a mystery package would be intriguing!?

Just leave a comment if you'd like to be in on it with a chance of winning something from me and maybe over the next couple of days I will be able to fully advertise the package, meanwhile.... take a chance!!

Another Mystery!

Everyday, I notice on my live feed the range of visitors from all over the world and love to identify the countries by the flags. I often see return visitors and wonder who they are and why they choose to stop by my blog.

One visitor in particular pops in almost everyday, from Mountain View in California, and browses through my blog archives. Whilst I am so pleased that someone thinks there is enough of interest to drop by so often I also love to imagine that I might possibly give them some inspiration.

I hope one day for Mountain View to leave a comment and I'd love to say a personal thank you to them for all their visits but I have hesitated in writing this incase I frighten them away and no longer see them on the list.

Please keep calling! (but I'd love to know who you are)

WOYWW 211

My crafting this week has been to finish the tag flag book that we did in Gill's workshop at Victoria Stampers before I went away. There it is in the middle of the table tied with a red ribbon. It was such a good day even if I did have to rush home and start packing my suitcase.

I'll post it in detail soon.

My desk below is covered in all my lovely birthday cards and lots of crafty gifts which I have yet to be put on display as I've been out all day. I've had a lovely trip shopping in town and we had lunch in Jamie Oliver's Italian Restaurant.

Call in on our lovely instigator Julia at her stamping ground blog if you'd like to see an ever increasing and ever amazing range of the World's craft desks.

Here are my super hand crafted birthday cards but I received lots more fabulous shop bought ones and a couple of gorgeous Jacky Lawson egreetings too from Dolores and Alison CB. Thanks to everyone for all your wishes, they are all really appreciated.

from Gill VS

Neet

Enid VS

Joyce VS

Sandra Grimes OSA

Jacqui VS

Helen VS

Lorraine VS

AnnB

Janet Wilson KCUK

Chezzie VS

Sunday, 16 June 2013

ATCs for WOYWW 4th Birthday

Apologies for not posting pics, before now, of all these super ATC's I received in celebration of WOYWW 4th birthday but most of them arrived whilst I was away on holiday and it was such a joy to open my mail. I will thank you all personally as soon as I can but I must say a HUGE THANK YOU here for every single one I received.

I hope I have not missed anyone's photo and if anyone is still waiting for an ATC from me please let me know asap.

I have 6 zentangled ATCs (I doodled on the plane!) left over if anyone would still like to receive one from me..... Just email me with your snail mail addy and I'll pop one in the post, first come first served!