Not Art Journal Share - All Change

Cue lift (elevator) muzak - da, dum, da, da, jingle jingle.

Do not adjust your set, normal services will resume presently, but I'm currently in...(Warning: Flashing Image and screammming follows)

Quick here is a calming picture of a kitty resting in a kitty-shaped kitty basket, double kitty for your money...

Cue lift (elevator) muzak again - da, dum, da, da, jingle jingle 

Oh that is better. 

'But Kim,' I hear you cry, (go with me on this) 'that looks like your normal working conditions. What is so different?'  Well, we have finally exchanged - YAY! Cue fireworks! What? Run out of fireworks? D'oh! - and we are moving house next week. 

Yikes! After all the waiting and the 'this week we will exchange' for the last month or so, you would think we would be ready wouldn't you? Obviously not. 

Quick, another calming picture of a kitty is needed...

Man, I needed that kitty hit, not panicking, everything is under control. Do I look as if I'm panicking? What do you mean? I always look like that.

Stay tuned, normal blogging services will be resumed shortly and perhaps even some projects here and there in the meantime too.

We like to move it, move it, we like to MOVE IT!

Catch you later movinators.

Kim

Add A Bit Of Colour For Creative Expressions

Today I thought I would go for a bit of colour with my ATC project for Creative Expressions.

This week I've used one of my favourite techniques with the Henna stamps and the Archival Ink Pads.

It is a really simple technique but I love it! I've dabbed different Archival ink pads onto the stamp. You can of course make your own ink pads if you like by adding ink to a piece of felt or foam but if you are short of time the direct dabbing method works just fine. If you are worried about contaminating your pads just rub them on a piece of spare paper once you are finished.

The photos might look a little different on my blog this week? I'm trying out a new lens for my camera, I've finally taken the plunge and broken away from my kit lens. I've now got a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II for my baby and I love it! The new blog profile picture in the sidebar and on my Facebook page were also taken with it. So now I want... Oh dear... new expensive addiction alert! Better save me pennies!

Catch you all later

Kim

Jack Frost Has Been Redecorating

It was a different world when I looked out of my window this morning, a harsh frost had settled and left a layer of ice crystal diamonds everywhere.

After a quick trip to the post office out came the camera and snap happy Kim!

Taking lots of pictures of this frost landscape and

crystalline world.

So I now have lots of Winter pictures to play with, question is what to do with them next!

Hope you are keeping nice and cosy warm.

Kim

Sunday Round-Up

Ok so here we are, it's Sunday morning, I'm sat with a HUGE cup of tea in my left hand and typing badly with my right hand, I'm watching The Avengers: Earth's Mightest Heroes and I've just had breakfast of a Matzo with Marmite - Perfect Sunday Morning!

It has been a fabulously busy week I've been meeting up with crafty bloggy friends and meeting new crafty folks at various crafty events/ meetings. I've come to the conclusion that crafting events are like buses, you know, you wait around for ages and then four come along at the
same time.

I've also managed to sneak in a bit of making and I have some slightly different blog posts coming up that I hope you will enjoy!

So one of the bloggy folk I managed to meet this week was the lovely and talented Anika from Anikraft. She was holding her first market stall yesterday (some of you might have seen it mentioned it in my Friday post) and I wanted to go say 'Hi' as we hadn't met in real life yet and show some support 'coz us maker/ arty/ crafty folk should stick together!

Anika makes absolutely gorgeous things, I've always loved her work and they look even more fabulous in real life! I'll let you know when she does her next market stall but you can always go follower her to find out first hand and of course see her Folksy shop :)

And no, she hasn't got me on commission LOL!

I'm still trying to get my act together and gather up my courage to do a market stall! Maybe
one day.

I had some fabulous and surprising news on Friday morning, Irina (the owner of La-La Land Crafts) spotted this:

Yep, it is my recent article for Papercraft Essentials UK on the cover of the sister magazine published in Australia! Wahoo! I used lots of La-La Land Crafts stamps for an article on using different colouring mediums such as Prismacolor pencils, Copic markers, Kuretake ZIG Art and Graphic Twin pens. 

I was well chuffed (translation: very pleased indeed) as I've not made the main cover piccy on the UK Papercraft Essentials yet LOL!

Ok so tea is drunk, Matzo is eaten, cartoons are watched and blog post is finished, better go do some work then!

Enjoy your Sunday.

Big Painty Kisses

Kimx

Some Spring Inspiration

The Spring cards are on the Crafty blogs and the Daffodils and Crocuses are pushing through the earth, so I think we are almost there, the Spring Equinox is on it's way!

If you are looking for a bit of Spring inspiration and colour I hope this little field of Spring Sunshine fits the bill!

Take care of yourselves this Saturday.

Kimx

Clouded Views

Hey Guys,

It is Friday, how has your week been? The weekend is almost upon us and there are only 43 days until Christmas or so Ebay tells me LOL! I have no make to show you today so I thought I would show you one of my photos just for fun.

I'm working on a project that I am really excited about at the moment, here is a sneak peek! It is still in the development phase as I work out what colour combo to use and what it will actually be, but I love that part of the creative process as you let ideas cook :)

Right my lovelies, you all have a good Friday.

Catch you later.

Kimx

Monday Is Photo Share Day!

Happy Monday to you all, I have no makes to show you today so I thought I would put up one of my photographs from a trip to China some years ago. I kinda love this photo as it has a lot of atmosphere and is just a wonderful insight into the daily life of another culture. I love exploring different cultures and the way we Humans are all basically the same.

Mondays are my favourite day of the week, which is a large improvement to when I was doing the 9-5 and Monday was my worst day of the week! Now Mondays are full of the promise of new opportunities and the start of a week of possibilities. 

This particular Monday has not started at it's best as I have a touch of a migraine trying to take over my day but I won't let it as I have so much I need to do this week :)

Right I shall let you get on and I hope that you have a wonderful day full of opportunities.

Oh and if you have any Photos to share today I would love to see them - just leave a comment

 and I will come and have a nose :)

Kimx

Autumn Colours

It might be raining and it might be grey but there is still glorious colour out there to behold! Autumn, what lovely colours, it just makes me think of cozy jumpers and brisk Autumnal walks, roast dinner on Sunday and snuggling under the furry throw on the sofa.

It is the simple things in life that give the most joy!

I think I might burst into song so I better go and do something creative in my workspace instead!

May this day be full of Autumn colours for you and the things that bring you joy.

Kimx

What Did You Do This Weekend?

Well it was a quiet weekend for us. We didn't do an awful lot, just relaxed. We did have some dim sum at one of our favourite restaurants, I had my camera with me so I took a picture to tease you all with the lovely food! 

Then spent the rest of the weekend watching Harry Potter movies and eating sweets. Think I might need to do some exercise next week! 

Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

Kimx

Out And About

Been trying to cram a lot into my weekend. Yesterday David and I were up early to Carpe Diem, seizing our day well and proper! We set out early for the Barbican to see the Céleste Boursier-Mougenot commission in The Curve which was wonderful.

To explain - it is an instillation piece with a walk through aviary where Zebra Finches can perch on guitars. The guitars are wired to loud speakers and as the birds build nests, clean themselves, chat to each other, they interact with the guitar strings filling the air with abstract strumming and bird song.

It was amazing. As you walk amongst the birds they will perch on you from time to time. There was something really calming and nice about being able to interact and get that close to the birds. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures so I can not show you anything but if you are interested then pop to this link here, the exhibition is open until next weekend and well worth seeing if you can.

I did take some pictures in the Barbican though and I really liked the lines and colour of this one so I thought I would show you it instead :)

We treated ourselves to lunch at a Sichuan restaurant in the King's Cross area called Snazz Sichuan which was yummy, then off to the free map exhibition Magnificent Maps at the British Library. I don't know what it is about maps but I love them. The exhibition was fabulous and totally packed, which was quite a surprise.

There were many amazing maps going back several hundred of years with amazing details and insights into the world and beliefs of the time. Amongst my favourite from the exhibition was the 2008 satirical London map by Stephen Walter called 'The Island'. If you are a bit of a mappy like me then I would highly recommend going to see this exhibition - just try to get there at a quieter time then just before closing which is when we went - Oops!

Today has been busy too, a little bit of crafting, hopefully you will see the results later in the week. I've also been slowly but surely listing more items into my Etsy and Folksy shops.

I shall leave you with this silly photo I took of him and me reflected in a mirror window - I dread to think what the people on the other side of the window thought whilst we were taking the picture, LOL!

Catch you later

Kim

Craft Barn Mini-Album

Hi Guys, hope you are having a lovely weekend. I'm sure that you have seen that The Craft Barn have been doing a fabulous mini-album tutorial and competition with sketches to follow and fabulous inspiration from the DT.

I've never done a mini-album and have wanted to have a go for ages so this was perfect way to ease me into it, LOL! Thanks The Craft Barn!

So here is my attempt! The Craft Barn gave us a sketch for each page of the mini-album to play with, one sketch per day. I've used Japanese book binding on the finished piece, threaded with fibres and calico, and you can see it on my picture for Day One. The rest of the pages where photographed before binding.

I decided to use as my theme photos from our various wanderings around our home town London, which I've taken over the years. With a rough and ready feel and lots of distressing.

Day One - The cover

Day Two

Day Three

Day Four

Day Five

Day Six

Day Seven

Day Eight

Day Nine (I've swapped the sketch around slightly)

Day Ten - there wasn't really a day ten but here is my back page :)

You still have a chance to join in the competition as the closing date is 15th May so get cracking!

Have fun!

Kim

Materials:

Stamp - Paper Artsy; Prima Marketing; Studio G Alpha; See D's Alpha

Inks - Ranger Distress inks; Archival inks

Papers - Basic Grey Ambrosia

Usual Suspects - Paper trimmer; Double-sided tape; Silicone glue

Other - Seam ripper; Fibres; calico; Acetate; Brads; Crop-a-dile; Photo-tags; Buttons; book plate; Underground map