Robin - 2

Here's the robin page. I faded the black & white around him as it was a bit busy. I used paper from the Beautifully Grungy Garden kit by Chelsea Parsons at 2Peas, some brushes from Rhonna Farrer's Sweetpea Brush Set and Typeset Letters, and my favourite font AL Modern Type. I don't know if I'll remember how to do the effect next time though. I know - it only takes practice! A good challenge though.

2Peas Challenge

This little robin is my attempt at the challenge "hand tint a black & white photo". I'm rather a novice Photoshop user and love it when someone gives instructions for a technique in simple language (thankyou Jennifer Pebbles!). I haven't uploaded it as I haven't turned it into a layout yet - perhaps tonight....

Peek-a-boo and origami boxes

I'm always looking for good ideas to copy/adapt for my own needs and these two little boxes are just what I was looking for as little gifts I could give to friends I haven't seen for a while. Both ideas came from the wonderful Splitcoast Stampers website. I made the brown box to hold Post-it notes but it ended up a bit too small and I had to cut the notes down - not an easy job! The peek-a-boo boxes hold sweets. These will be very useful as Mothers Day and Easter treats too.

$20 for me

Well I've managed to upload my 20 projects to 2Peas in a Bucket - the last ones today. Most were pages I'd already created but I did do a couple of layouts this week and this is the one I like best. Its me on the right, Hazel from next door and my cousin Dafydd. In my designer comments on 2Peas I've put how I remember Dad developing his films in the dark in the bathroom, all the paraphernalia, mysterious liquids in trays and the spooky red light. We certainly weren't allowed in until he'd finished developing - it was like magic.

How much???!!!

I made this card for a friend in Denmark who collects stories written by the author Rosamunde Pilcher and were published in Woman & Home magazine in the 50s & 60s. We both collect the mags and I had 6 to send to her today. I expected to pay around £12-15 postage but it was £28.99!! I nearly died! I could probably have flown there to deliver them for less!

I've had rather a miserable weekend with a heavy cold and spent most of it knitting by the fire - which gave me a chance to finish the lap blanket for my sister. I made one for my Mum for Christmas and she's used it a lot during this cold weather. I bought 2 cones of this yarn in a charity shop some years ago and until now never found the right thing to make with it. I'm very pleased with they way they've turned out. I used my favourite Addi circular needles. The gathering bands stop the blanket constantly falling off your knees. Lovely to cuddle up with. On to the next project....

10,000 hits - amazing!

Here's my try at Linda Lloyd's (Purely Stamping) sketch challenge - you can see it here:

http://purelystamping.blogspot.com/2009/01/

and there's a link on my side bar. Its another card for St Dwynwen. The stamps are from Paperartsy's Squiggly Ink range. Another of my favourite brands.

20 projects = $20

2Peas in a Bucket are offering $20 credit for 20 projects uploaded to the gallery by 31 January. This will be hard as I can only offer digital layouts (you have to tag 3 products to each project) as I've only bought digital from them. I will use some of the layouts I've already done but its so hard remembering which digikit I've used from my library of about 60 kits! HOWEVER, I've successfully uploaded 4 so far and am delighted that I've already had some lovely comments. This is especially pleasing as there are over 55,000 digital layouts there! I've had the most compliments on this layout in memory of Sarah.