Paint me a picture

Hi All

Well I've been painting! The miraculous thing about tidying my studio and creating a new space is I have found things that have been ... shall we say .... neglected and I have found myself wanting to play.

Its been quite a little voyage of re discovery, finding things I've forgotten and almost forgotten how to do but it has been so lovely, kind of going back to the beginning and reminding myself of sitting in the art room at school in Mr Hukins class after hours with my Bessie Jane and just painting!

Even that little yellow teacup that holds my painty water holds so many memories. It was one of a set that used to live in our caravan when I was a little girl and I treasure the memories of going away with my family. The cups and saucers would come out at breakfast time. I would have a milky cup of tea and one sugar lump which fascinated me as I watched the tea soak into it, we only ever had sugar lumps in the caravan that I remember and it makes me happy that somehow I have got to save this little cup and saucer which now sits proudly in all its slightly chipped, painty glory on my drawing board.

And I am spoilt with the views from my window while I work, inspiration indeed!

And what are my painted flowers for? Well my crafty friends that remains to be seen .... soon :D

That's the end of this little wistful post, I just wanted to share a little bit of my crafty life with you, thanks for popping by and I hope you're well and happy. I'll *see you* soon so until then, as ever
Happy Crafting
Love
MJM x

PS There will be more Serif and project tutorials and frequently asked questions posts coming soon, life's got a little busy at the mo but when I can grab some time I will get them online .... bare with me for the time being please ... thankyou muchly ;) M x

A Glitzy Hoopla winter

Hi all, I am so enjoying playing with all the new Glitz lines and fun products that they have brought to us. Hoopla is a really fresh and funky collection that is perfect for recording birthday and celebration memories, but also perfect for lots of other projects like this wintery offering I have for you today.


My beautiful captor

This page is a record of the 10 days I was trapped in our village in January this year due to a sudden heavy snow fall, it was very beautiful looking at the snow laden trees on the lane and Stanley my dog loved playing in the fields but it was very isolating and oh so cold! I think the colours of the hoopla collection lend themselves very well to the wintery subject and here is my Glitzy shopping list:

Glitz Designs Hoopla papers; Polka, pipework and frames
Glitz Designs Hoopla cardstock stickers; journaling
Glitz Designs Fancy frames rub ons
Glitz Designs Pom Poms; white/red/pink
Glitz Designs Tulle; Aqua
Glitz Designs giant rhinestones; green


I love the pattern of the pipework paper that I used as my base, there’s so much to look at in one piece of paper! I used a strip of the polka paper to give my photo grounding on the page and added a fancy frame rub on to further create a focal point to be built on, while also tying in the black around the edges of the patterned paper.


Next I cut off a length of the aqua tulle from the 12’’ long strip. I think this card of lovely coloured tulle is so much fun to play with and has so much potential to be used in different ways. I used some white acrylic paint to adhere my tulle to the page while also creating a snowy feel to the material. Because acrylic paint is a plastic based paint it is great to use as a decorative adhesive, just be patient waiting for the blobs of paint to start drying! Scrunching the tulle up also adds texture and intensifies the colour of it in places.


To tie in the use of the paint I also added it quite roughly to the bottom corner of the paper strip and to the top right corner of the page.


Using the lovely blue colour on the reverse of the frames paper I created a distressed mat for my photo and then had a play with the fun new pom poms. Using the white pom poms as snowballs I tied a loop in the cord that I hooked over the top corner of my photo, securing with some silicon glue and tucking a little of the cord behind. I trimmed off the excess cord to use later.


In the bottom right hand corner of the page I created a small embellishment for my journaling using one of the card stock stickers and scraps of paper to tie the page together as well as adding in some ribbon and lace that I used under the main photo and the little bit of excess cord I trimmed from my pom poms.


Using more scraps from the frames and polka paper I punched out some snowflakes and brushed them with some stickles for extra wintery sparkle ....


.... adding them in clusters around my layout, making a main feature under the corner of the photo by using 2 of the fabulous Glitz Designs giant rhinestones in the prettiest green colour alongside them.


Finally adding my jounalling to record the memory, my wintery page was complete. Glitz products come in such pretty colours and all co-ordinate beautifully and I really enjoyed working with the colours in the Hoopla line, by playing on the turquoise and aqua colours a seemingly bright and spring coloured collection can look quite wintery and I hope you have fun recording some Glitzy winter memories this year!
As ever thanks for stopping by, and if the temperature is starting to plummet with you stay wrapped up, safe and warm, see you soon with a Glitzy festive offering and until then Happy Crafting
Love
M x

Do not open until December 25th

Hi all
It's my turn to share over at It's a Creative World today and I thought I would bring out an oldie but goodie, well it only gets out once a year LOL
Here it is




An interactive memory advent calender that will fit in with your Christmas decs and if you'd like to know more, like how I did the text transfer or stretched the paper to paint, pop on over to IACW and read my far more detailed post over there as well as getting Christmas inspired by some of the other creative girls on your visit .... well it would be rude not to :)

Now while I'm here I want to ask ... how are you? It has been an age since I sat and wrote a real life blog, it was way back at the end of July so I must rectify this soon, if for no other reason than to share some pics of my woofs, they are well and bonkers as normal!! Life just seems to be going so quickly doesn't it! I know the battle cry as we get older is time goes fast but oh boy! this year them upstairs certainly have ther fingers pressed on that super fast forward button don't they!

And while I find myself chatting can I just say a huge thankyou for all the lovely messages I've had in various cyber places I frequent about the Serif POW shows on Create and craft, I do really appreciate you all taking the time out to find me and leave me some love :)

Ok rambling now, I'll save up the rest for a real life post ... very soon I promise!

I hope you're all well and happy, until soon Happy Crafting!
Love
M x

PS do you remember I mentioned retreats a couple of days ago? Well I've just been officially announced for the Scrap-A-Mia retreat in May, check out the side bar for details .... I am so honoured to be with such an AMAZING line up of teachers (if not a little nervous LOL)

A quick catch up!!

Hi all

Well it's been a while hasn't it! I was doing so well with my scheduled posts and thought I was so ahead of the game then someone shouted 'scream if you want to go faster' and my world started going full tilt LOL Busy, busy, busy but it's all good and I'm just holding on tight to the roller coaster that is my life at the moment and enjoying the ride :)

So I thought I should pop in and do one of my 'live' posts. I can't believe the 2nd of June was the last one eek! Where have I been? Sadly enough I just had to get my diary out to remember LOL with teaching and telly and hubby to and fro at silly o'clock day and night my poor brain is addled.

Hubby is as busy as me, I think my car could find it's own way to the airport, I just wish people would book him on flights at a normal human being time, I'm rather tired of seeing 4am LOL. (and was rather surprised to know there were two 4 o'clocks in one day LOL)

I've done 2 more shows on Ideal World/Create and craft since my last visit. I NEVER thought I would actually say I'm enjoying telly ... but I am :) Everyone there is so lovely and makes it so easy. Of course it's meant I've had to create lots of Purple Cows samples and over time I will share them with you as they get published over at the ranch :)

I've also been teaching. Mid month I was at the Scrapping angels retreat and had a fab time with all the ladies. I will share my Glitzy classes with you soon and I would share photos of the classes but can't find the pictures I took (I'm working between 2 computers and 2 hard drives at the moment!!) :( However I do have pictures of last weekends workshop at Bee crafty.



I work shopped my pop up pirate ship (in my web gallery and shop!) A tall order but all the ladies were up for the challenge and we had a blast, they created some great projects!

I've been on 2 product training days too. I was on my way to one of them and got stuck in traffic!



I couldn't resist that photo LOL

The first training day I was very honoured to be in the company of Julia Andrus, a crafting goddess with an amazing story and an amazing company Eco Green crafts and I have to say products that I LOVE!!! The acrylic paint is like nothing I've ever used before and I urge you to get some and have a play! That day inspired this



Live today on the Banana Frog blog with step by step instructions, hop on over (after you've finished reading my waffle LOL) and check it out!

My second training day was fab too and I'm playing with a 'new to me' product, I will share soon, I promise, when I'm allowed to ... I am super excited about it though and it will be something you won't expect from me :)

Now I've written this down it doesn't look a lot, what HAVE I been doing LOL but that's it, the quick catch up on life in my world so I guess all that remains to say is ...

and finally ...

My boys are a constant source of entertainment and of course unconditional love. Ollie is growing up fast and really is the yin to Stan's Yan.



Although not quite big enough to get on the settee himself yet, he mithers me until I put him up there much to Stan's disgust .... goodness knows what will happen when he CAN get up there by himself!!



But they are cute together at times ... were does one end and one begin??



And this was just after Oliie's favourite new past time .... emptying the water bowl! He seems quite partial to an indoor swimming pool, I think I may buy him a paddling pool LOL!

Well that's it my crafty friends, enough of my waffling! I hope the sun has been shining with you and that you're well and happy. I'll be back soon .... honest :)
Thanks for stopping by, happy crafting!
Love
M x