At last a new mini.

Recently I've had seriously itchy fingers to create a mini album again. It's been a long time coming but by my nature I simply cannot create without a purpose and unless it's going to be a gift or have some use, I can't just create for the sake of it. That's why I've been art journaling so much as it's a chance to let go and create art freely on journal pages.

I've always loved to get involved in swaps as it's given my art a purpose and I've found I've loved the deadlines.  I went back to my old yahoo swap group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mini-books/ where it all started for me and jumped right into a swap. I was happy to find all the same names were there and it felt  just like coming home.

The swap is to create a mini with an Autumn theme. I've made a mixed media book using lots of scraps, card, envelopes and of course stitching.

Until my partner has received it I can't show you the whole thing but I can show you my favourite page which I'm also entering for the challenge this week at Wednesday Stampers where the challenge is stitching.

The stamps in the background and on the leaf have been partly hidden by the stitching but they are there! The page also includes some paper beads. 

In creating this mini i've reconnected again with some old friends like my Cricut machine (I had to blow the dust off first) and Bind it All which I've now brought down a shelf.

Sneaky spam!!! Take note.

It came to my attention recently while checking out one of my old posts, that I'd had a spam comment appear in my comment box.  What I didn't do in the first place was to change the comments so I have to approve them before publishing.  I really don't want to go down the word verification route as it's so annoying, but hopefully now I've turned on this approval facility hopefully it'll help.  Since then I have had one which I had to delete on a really really old post where I'd also already had several comments from spam sources.  I don't know how long this has been going on or how far back this goes in my archives but I strongly recommend you turn on this approval on your own blogs to save yourself from this rubbish!!

If it gets too much then I guess it'll have to be the dreaded word verification but for now it's under control.

A recycling challenge

It's my turn to set the challenge for the next two weeks on  the Creative Inspirations challenge blog and I've decided we should use a recycled element on our cards/layouts etc.  It was hard to choose something from my stash as I collect all sorts of stuff from tickets and tags to bottle tops and magazine images but I thought I'd include something a little more crafty and added these beads made from manuscript paper. They're threaded too onto a piece of ribbon cut from a blouse (you know the bits used to hang them on the hanger but annoy the heck out of you while wearing it)!

So here is my card with a close up of the beads.  The image is a digital image from Meljen Designs who are sponsering the challenge with a prize of a choice of 4 images from them.

The other sponser is Fantastic Ribbons and is donating a fantastic 10 ribbons as a prize. So 2 amazing prizes to be won this week  so get thinking recycling and enter.

Time to let the little birds go.

I was on a roll yesterday, turning out journal pages and this one was inspired by a couple of things.  Firstly, our house has also been home to several families of house martins in the last few years and although they make the most awful mess of our house and terrace, they're just so cute. They poke their little faces out of the nest frequently waiting to be fed and we're convinced that sometime very soon they'll be ready to leave. I can't say I'm too upset about that, as I scrape up birdie poop  from the terrace yet again, but I imagine they'll be back next year. 

Also, my youngest daugher has gone to camp this week in Germany and she's not having a great time of it. She's not as outgoing as her sister was at that age and is finding the whole camp experience a bit tough. I want to just get in the car and fetch her home but then she only has to hang on until saturday morning when we collect her and I'm sure she'll be fine. We just have to leave her to find her way and encourage her to make new friends. She's 13 not 5 so we should be letting her get on with it! 

This weeks challenge at the  Wednesday Stampers is to use the colour turquise so I thought I'd submit my page for the challenge.  The stamp is from Making Memories and is one of those lovely chunky foam ones, great for using with paint.

A seriously spooky moment!

I wasn't going to put this page on my blog, it was just an example for a challenge at Scrappy Accents to use a song title or lyric somewhere on a page but I had a really spooky moment when I'd finished the page and left it open on my work table and as if pre-ordered the song came on the radio. The thing is that the song, Feel by Robbie Williams is just not heard that much on the radio any more.  I obviously made the right choice here but then it is my favourite song by my favourite artist.

I have to appologize for the big stone in the top right hand corner but I had some page curl going on as I was taking the photo.

Yoo Hoo!!

The Gothic Arches are back after a short break and their latest prompt is using owls. 

My owl arch has been made using a punch from Martha Stewart and stamps from Hero Arts. I think this little owl stamp is just the cutest, that's why I decided to give him lots of colour.