Encaustic card

Suddenly encaustic art has had a revival! In the space of just one week, Michael and Shona have appeared on Create & Craft with their encaustic art demonstrations, my forum friend Hilda has blogged an encaustic art square and I have been asked to do a workshop in encaustic art! Not having looked at my encaustic art products for more than 5 years, I was persuaded to have a play. Here is the result.

Clarity landscape

I finally got around trying my first Clarity landscape yesterday and here is my second attempt. The first attempt was really brilliant................ at how not to do it! i.e. stamp and mask off your image before you do the sky and background! Remember how you tore the paper to make the hills as you will need it later to make the next layer! Anyway, I managed to cover up my biggest mistake with a little "hedging" on the hills. At least I managed to do the brayering to a degree of satisfaction this time! Just don't look too closely!

SECC craft stash!

As you can see I certainly did my bit for the UK economy at this year's craft fair at the SECC in Glasgow. In fact, I have it on good authority that they all positively RELY on my being there every March in order to keep the venue alive - lol! I had a great time as usual and was thrilled this year to meet Sheena Douglass in person and to have a chat with Barbara (Gray)as she wasn't there last March. These ladies are such an inspiration to me and countless others. Now, the problem is, just where to put it all?!

My beautiful birthday cards!

Now that I have returned from Scotland, I've been able to put all my cards together and here they are! Many thanks to all my lovely family and friends who have bought or made me such stunning cards and gifts.

A special birthday card

This is a 70th birthday card for a dear friend in Italy. I made it using my new My Craft Studio "Fab Glam Fifties" CDs. On the CD, the image is called "Sharon" so thought it was appropriate somehow, though of course, she'll never know that! The placing of the image and the greeting were both dictated by "happy accidents"!

Whose Birthday card is THIS?

I've got a few friends' birthdays coming up next month. Could this one be yours?!

Ghostly apparitions!

This week sadly sees the last Lots To Do challenge so I just had to enter, even though the challenge was my "bete noir" - brayering! I bravely brayered onto Clarity glossy card with B&J Hydrangea then spritzed with water and covered with cling film which I then scrunched and left to dry naturally. I was pretty pleased with the result - I swear I can see Marie Antoinette on the right-hand side with her big hair and little triangular face. Is that the flapping of white coats I hear? Anyway it seemed a shame to cover it up so just a little matting and layering and a stamped greeting completed this A5 card. Click on the image to enlarge and you too will see her. lol!

Boxing Day at our lake

Guilt overtook me and I went with Teddy to the lake for a bracing walk after a very indulgent Christmas Day dinner! The weather was superb and although the sun was in the wrong position, I took this photo anyway.

Favourite card of 2010

At Lotstodo, the challenge this week is to enter your favourite card of the past year. Here is mine. It was quite difficult to get the spacing right with the trees but I am happy with the result. The tree is a Clarity stamp and the text is by the Stamp Barn in Canada.

A snow dog!

Teddy loves the snow and enjoys running around in it, though I usually have to "dunk" him in the bath afterwards to thaw out his little legs where the snow freezes to his fur! Don't forget to click on the photos for a better view.