Crafty Catz DT- It's All White

Morning all, 

It's the end of another week and tomorrow is the end of another academic year at the college - which heralds on 8 weeks of building works! (Time to load up the MP3 player and make sure the headphones are in place!) 

It's also the start of a new Crafty Catz challenge, which has been set by me and I want to see cards which are All White (images may be coloured but embellishments, papers etc. must be white) 

We are sponsored this week by The Stamping Boutique who are offering our winner 3 digi images of their choice:

I coloured the image with Promarkers: Apple, Lime Green, Cool Aqua, Sky Blue, Gold, Pastel Yellow, Satin and Lavender, lifted the two largest heads on pads to give dimension and hand cut the shape. I mounted the image on embossed base card stock, using Flourish Cuttlebug Embossing Folder and finished the card with Memory Box and MS butterflies, Cosmic Shimmer Mist - Pearls and gems from stash. 

I hope you like it and that you play along this week. 

Until next time, happy crafting!  

Wishing You Birthday Fishes!

Morning all,

Who stole the sun? it was gorgeous weather yesterday and today it's so grey and miserable I just want to crawl back into my bed. 

I'm here to share one of the many June Birthday cards I've made (19 birthdays in one month is a killer!) Thankfully, I can double up a lot of designs, which I did with this one:

So I'll own up to having seen a few 'birthday fishes' cards on good old pinterest and it entertained me so this is my take on the idea. 

The sentiment is just computer generated, I randomly punched holes using my single hole punch, which I edged with pale blue promarker, hand cut the shape out and the blue metallic paper underneath and then used half of the Whimsie Doodle image - Great Catch in two different sizes to get the fish, which I coloured in Pumpkin and Gold promarkers and highlighted with white gel pen. The fishes were also raised on foam pads. 

I'm pleased with the result and I think a few more of these will have to be in due course.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Crafting with Attitude - Anything Goes

Passion for Promarkers - Not Square

Craft your Passion - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you like it and until next time - happy crafting! 

Crafty Catz DT - Different Hair Colour

Morning all, 

Wow! it's been an insane few weeks I can tell you. Conferences, exhibitions (and water coming through the ceiling of the exhibition space - stress!), formal dinners at work and a few too many tears shed thanks to horrible members of staff. To say I need a break is an understatement, but we have another week of the academic year to go and then I'm off for a conference in Durham so who knows when I'll actually get some me time. 

In the meanwhile, I'm trying in vain to keep on top of card making and general crafts projects. But one product I was recently sent I just had to play with - free time, or lack thereof, be damned. And it was perfect for this weeks Crafty Catz Challenge which has been set by the lovely Nina and is sponsored by Inky Impressions. 

Winners Prize : $10 gift voucher

This week you are being challenged to colour your images with Different Hair Colours - so no browns and blonds; we're looking for purple, pinks and blues! 

So my project this week is a Postcard. I was sent this amazing tin of watercolour postcards by Hahnemuhle. You get 100 blank 6x4" watercolour card blanks for you to create your own images on and send. I love the idea of creating postcards, rather than just cards - it means I can colour images but not worry about layers and embellishments, and my friends can get more random notes in the post. 

So this week I started by using one of Mo's amazing images and colouring it with promarkers

I used so many promarkers I frankly lost track but it was good fun to do and although there is a small amount of bleed through on the reverse, it's not so bad as to prohibit this being sent as a card. What I do want to do is find some sort of sealant though to stop any bleeding if it gets wet due to the weather. I think a product like that used for art journalling may be the answer, but all suggestions are welcomed. 

Anyway, I hope you like my alternative to a card this week and don't forget to join in this week. Until next time, happy crafting!

Oh and I'd like to enter this into Craft My Life - Anything but a Card (I hope it qualifies - if not, just let me know)

Interesting Times and Maskerade - Discworld Reading Challenge

Published: 1994

Plot Summery: Two gods, Fate and the Lady, oppose each other in a game over the outcome of the struggle for the throne of the Agatean Empire on the Counterweight Continent.

The Patrician of Ankh-Morpork receives a demand that the "Great Wizzard" be sent to the distant Agatean Empire, and he orders Archchancellor Mustrum Ridcully of Unseen University to comply. As the spelling, "Wizzard," matches that on Rincewind's hat, the faculty decide to send him. Using the machine Hex, which has seemingly been augmenting its own infrastructure, they teleport him to the University from a desert island where he has been living since the events of Eric. They offer him the right to call himself a Wizard, which he never actually earned, if he will let them send him to Agatea; he agrees. 

As is typical for Rincewind, his dedicated efforts to run from any kind of danger quickly embroil him in momentous events, and coincidence makes it appear on several occasions that Rincewind is responsible for significant feats of magic. He encounters his friend Cohen the Barbarian, now accompanied by a "Silver Horde" of elderly warriors, who is planning to infiltrate the Empire and live a luxurious retirement by taking over as Emperor. Rincewind eventually learns that the first Agatean Emperor supposedly conquered the land with the assistance of a "Great Wizard" and a "Red Army." Now, a new "Red Army" movement of young people, dedicated mainly to the promulgation of mildly worded slogans, has been inspired by a supposed revolutionary tract, which turns out to be a travelogue of Ankh-Morpork written by Rincewind's erstwhile traveling companion, Twoflower, whom Rincewind ends up freeing from a dungeon and whose two daughters are leaders of the Red Army. It turns out that the villainous Grand Vizier, Lord Hong, has made the harmless Red Army appear to be a threat to the Empire and had Rincewind brought to Agatea so that he could blame the problems on foreigners, then put the "revolution" down violently and turn to the conquest of Ankh-Morpork, whose culture he secretly seeks to emulate. But when Hong murders the Emperor with the intention of framing the Red Army, it inadvertently creates the opportunity needed by the Silver Horde, who have infiltrated the palace. 

As the battle begins, Rincewind flees and inadvertently discovers the actual Red Army, a multitude of terra cotta warriors that can be controlled by magical armor that he accidentally dons. The automatons destroy the Agatean forces. Once Cohen realizes that he is now recognized as the Emperor, he prepares proclamations to relax the regime's oppression of the people. He invites Rincewind to serve as Chief Wizard and found his own university, which convinces Rincewind that something horrible is about to happen. 

The Luggage had followed Rincewind to its native Agatea, but became distracted by meeting and mating with a female Luggage. Upon Rincewind's disappearance, the Luggage leaves its mate and their offspring to once again follow its owner.

The Lady has won the game against Fate. And she interfered in Hex's calculations so that Rincewind is teleported to the unexplored continent of XXXX where he lands safely, while a XXXXian kangaroo (instead of Rincewind) suffers a fatal collision with a wall at Unseen University.

Adaptations: None Known

Favourite Quotes: "Stercus, stercus, stercus, moriturus sum."

"Luck is my middle name," said Rincewind, indistinctly. "Mind you, my first name is Bad."

Rincewind could scream for mercy in nineteen languages, and just scream in another forty-four.

Reading Time: Started Friday 5th June 2015 - Finished Friday 12th June 2015 

Published: 1995

Plot Summery: The story begins with Agnes Nitt leaving Lancre to seek a career at the Opera House in Ankh-Morpork. When Granny Weatherwax realizes Nanny Ogg has written an immensely popular cookbook but has not been paid by the publisher, the witches also leave for Ankh-Morpork to collect the money, as well as to attempt to recruit Agnes into their coven, to replace Magrat Garlick who left the coven when she became Queen of Lancre (in Lords and Ladies). This has the side benefit of distracting Granny from becoming obsessive and self-centred, or so Nanny believes to her great relief.

Agnes Nitt is chosen as a member of the chorus, where she meets Christine, a more popular but less talented girl. The Opera House Ghost, who has long haunted the opera house without much incident, begins to commit seemingly random murders staged as "accidents", and also requests that Christine be given lead roles in several upcoming productions. Due to her incredibly powerful and versatile voice, Agnes is asked to sing the parts from the background, unbeknownst to Christine or the audience.

Having discovered the problems at the opera house and also having coerced the publisher to pay Nanny richly for her book, the witches investigate the mystery, with Granny posing as a rich patron, and Nanny insinuating herself into the opera house staff. Agnes unmasks Walter Plinge, the janitor, as the ghost, though as he is seemingly harmless, the others are unconvinced. Another employee is suspected, but turns out to be a member of the Cable Street Particulars. The witches determine that the finances of the Opera House, which are a complete mess, have been made so intentionally in order to hide the fact that money is being stolen, with the murders being used either as a distraction or to cover evidence.

It is finally revealed that two people had been masquerading as the ghost. The original (and harmless) ghost, Walter Plinge, was being psychologically manipulated by the second ghost, who assumed the identity to commit the murders and theft. With the witches' help, Walter is able to overcome his fears and help defeat the murderer.

Adaptations: A stage adaptation by Hana Burešová and Štěpán Otčenášek (partly using adaptation by Stephen Briggs) premièred in Divadlo v Dlouhé, Prague in April 2006. Pratchett attended the closing performance five years later

Favourite Quotes: 

Ahahahahaha! Ahahahaha! Aahahaha!

BEWARE!!!!!

Yrs sincerely

The Opera Ghost

People who didn't need people needed people around to know that they were the kind of people who didn't need people.

"...my father is the Emperor of Klatch and my mother is a small tray of raspberry puddings."

A day ago the future had looked aching and desolate, and now it looked full of surprises and terror and bad things happening to people... If she had anything to do with it anyway.

Reading Time: Started Saturday 13th June 2015 - Finished Wednesday 17th June 2015

Crafty Catz DT- Clean and Simple

Morning all!

What a week! or should I say, what a fortnight. I just need to sleep for a month to recharge. Sadly, that isn't going to be possible, but oh well! 

Friday mornings  mean the latest challenge for Crafty Catz and this weeks theme is set by Jac who wants to see Clean and Simple Cards. We are sponsored this week by Aurora Wings who are offering our lucky winner $15 of images

We were given a couple of gorgeous images to play with and I picked Pansy Corner, which some of you will realise is similar in style to a sweet pea stamp I have and adore, so I'm thrilled to have a different design on the same style to play with. 

The image is coloured with promarkers in lilac, amystgyst, plum, sky blue, cool aqua, china blue, moss and lime green. The central pansy and the butterfly are decoupaged to give the image some dimension. 

The awesome sentiment is from Tiddly Inks and is part of a set of life sentiments you can buy. I double mounted the image on some scrap purple and teal papers to finish. 

Now it's been forever since I entered a challenge so I thought I'd give it a go again; therefore I'd like to enter this card into the following:
As You Like It - Favourite Flower and Why : Pansy's as they were one of the first flowers I ever managed to grow successfully as a child (I do not have green fingers)
Crafting With An Attitude - Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp- For the Love of Plants
I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes

I hope you like it, don't forget to swing by the blog and see everyone else's amazing creations. Until next time - happy crafting.

Men and Arms and Soul Music - Discworld Reading Challenge

Published: 1994 

Plot Summery: Edward d'Eath, an Assassin and son of a down-and-out noble family, becomes convinced that the restoration of the Ankh-Morpork monarchy will solve the social change in the city which he blames for his family's humbling. He researches the history of the royal family and determines that Carrot Ironfoundersson is in fact the rightful heir to the throne. 

Meanwhile, Captain Samuel Vimes, captain of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, prepares for his imminent wedding to Sybil Ramkin, the richest woman in Ankh-Morpork. He also must deal with a new group of recruits that he has been required to take on for the sake of diversity: Cuddy (a dwarf), Detritus (a troll), and Angua (a werewolf--but Carrot is unaware of this, and believes she is included because she is female). When a string of seemingly random murders occur among the Guilds of the city, Lord Vetinari forbids Vimes to investigate in a successful ploy to ensure Vimes does investigate. Cuddy and Detritus are forced to work together, resulting in them becoming friends as they overcome their deep-seated racial enmity. Angua works with the talking dog Gaspode, and also forms a romantic connection with Carrot, who loses his virginity to her but handles the discovery that she is a werewolf poorly. 

It turns out that d'Eath has stolen the gonne, the Disc's first and only handheld firearm, from the Assassins' Guild, with the intention of discrediting Vetinari's government through the murders. Any possessor of the gonne seems to become obsessed with the device. After d'Eath reveals his plan to Dr. Cruces, head of the Assassin's Guild, Cruces murders him and takes up the plan himself. The Watch prevent Cruces from killing Vetinari, but Cuddy and Angua are killed in the process. Vimes and Carrot confront and disarm Cruces, and Carrot helps Vimes resist the gonne's allure. Cruces gives Carrot the evidence that he is the royal heir, upon which Carrot kills Cruces with his sword and has both the evidence and the dismantled gonne buried with Cuddy. As a werewolf can only be killed with a silver weapon, Angua is revived upon the moon's rising. 

Vimes and Ramkin are married. Recent events have raised the Night Watch's profile, bringing a slew of new recruits. Carrot visits Vetinari, who is expecting Carrot to make personal demands as he is now in a strong position to blackmail the Patrician. What Carrot actually brings is a request for Vetinari to implement a plan for reforming the City Watch into an effective, integrated, comprehensive police force with better working conditions. Vetinari accedes, making Carrot Captain of the Watch and elevating Vimes to the recreated position Commander of the Watch, and the rank of Knight. 

Adaptations: None Known 

Favourite Quotes: If the Creator had said, "Let there be light" in Ankh-Morpork, he'd have gotten no further because of all the people saying "What colour?"

- "It could be a torture chamber or a dungeon or a hideous pit or anything!"

- "It's just a student's bedroom, sergeant." 

- "You see?" 

From the back, Vetinari looked like a carnivorous flamingo

Reading Time: Started Monday 25th May 2015 - Finished Saturday 30th 2015 

Published: 1994 

Plot Summery: A young harpist, Imp Y Celyn from Llamedos, comes to Ankh-Morpork in hopes of becoming famous. Unable to afford the Musicians Guild fees, he and fellow unlicensed musicians Lias Bluestone (a troll percussionist) and Glod Glodsson (a dwarf hornblower) form "The Band with Rocks In," named after Lias' tuned rocks. When Imp's harp is destroyed, he acquires a guitar from a mysterious shop, unaware that it contains the awareness of a primordial music that was responsible for bringing the universe into existence. Imp takes the new name "Buddy," as "Imp Y Celyn" literally means "bud of holly," and Lias starts calling himself "Cliff." 

Meanwhile, Death is upset over the deaths of his adopted daughter Ysabell and her husband, his former apprentice Mort. Their daughter, Susan Sto Helit, was initially raised with an awareness of Death as her grandfather, but they later withheld the truth from her and she forgot about it. When Death abandons his post in an effort to forget the painful memories, the fabric of reality forces Susan to take on his duties and she begins to remember her past. She becomes aware of Buddy when he is scheduled to die in a riot while performing at the Mended Drum, but instead the crowd is overcome by the spirit of "Music with Rocks In," which apparently has no musical merit for objective listeners not themselves possessed by it. After this, Buddy's life is powered by the music instead of by his natural life force. 

Buddy is becoming less and less like himself, and barely seems aware of his surroundings when he is not playing the guitar. Susan tries to protect him from the influence of the music; though she does not acknowledge it, she has developed feelings for him. Buddy wants to perform a free concert at the music's behest, and Dibbler agrees after realizing how much of a profit he can earn through merchandising and concessions. A large number of the copycat bands participate in the largest concert of all time, culminating in the Band with Rocks In's performance. Buddy also performs his own folk song on his harp, which Glod has had repaired, which briefly restores Imp's natural personality and grants him a moment of peace. Afterwards, the band flees from their crazed fans, pursued by the Musicians Guild, Dibbler, Susan, and Death (who has been brought back to his senses by his servant Albert). The music intends to create an immortal legend by crashing the band's coach into a gorge, with no survivors. Susan rescues them, but the music begins to alter the timeline so the band will have died. Death then arrives, playing an "empty chord" on the guitar to stop the music, having Buddy play a chord to restart it, and then destroying the guitar. 

A new timeline is created in which Mr. Clete was the only fatality, although Susan remains aware of the original course of events. She is returned to school (and also has been there all along) with a new self-assurance. The next day, she runs to reunite with Imp upon realizing that, in the new version of events, he came to Quirm instead of Ankh-Morpork and is working nearby. 

Adaptations: An animated adaptation was produced by Cosgrove Hall Films for Channel 4 in 1996. 

Favourite Quotes: People came to Ankh-Morpork to seek their fortune. Unfortunately, other people sought it too.

The students were staring at her in the manner of those who have heard of the species 'female' but have never expected to get this close to one.

The Patrician was a pragmatist. He never tried to fix things that worked. Things that didn't work, however, got broken.

Reading Time: Started Sunday 31st May 2015 - Finished Thursday 4th June 2015 

Crafty Catz DT - Stitching

Morning all

 

Here's to another Friday! this weeks challenge at Crafty Catz is set by Christine and she wants to see Stitching (real or faux) on your projects this week. We are sponsored by the amazing team at Bugaboo, who are offering our lucky winner 7 images of their choice

 

So I figured with a theme like this it was about time I did a non card project and it fell perfectly to coincide with a project I'd been working on for a friend of mine who is a Priest



 

 

The pattern is by Lizzie Kate designs and should be available at most retailers who supply cross stitch patterns - it's certainly available all over the internet.

 

I tweaked the design to add the bottom boarder and carefully matched the thread colours to his chair (as seen on the photo). The cushion I made using a mottled wool and the back is fastened with toggles. I finished each corner with a mother of pearl button.

 

He loves it (thank goodness) and I've been asked to make another couple in due course for other Priests. They're going to have to wait a while though - my eyes are shot from stitching on linen in poor light!

 

So there you go, my project this week. Hope you like it and don't forget to swing by and look at the other fab projects on the blog. Until next time - happy crafting!