Now that I've scared you all (haha), here we go! I'm not going to write much today, cos I've a heap of stuff to do.
I received a beautiful gift from one of the fab ladies on the CB forum today, a lovely stack of papers and peel-offs, some border papers, a handful of card blanks, a couple of CD-Roms and some stunning paper and fabric flowers. Her name is martine mcknight, and you can find her very own blog here: http://thecrafttable.blogspot.com/. Pop along and have a look!
I'm having a busy day today. Have been across to my lovely neighbours this morning, they're on holiday so I've been watering their garden. I decided to do an hours dead-heading while I was there so Al and Brenda can put their feet up when they get home - Al's one of those guys, if he sees something that needs doing, he'll do it! I also made them a welcome home card, they're on a canal boat. The card is here: http://www.crafts-beautiful.com/site/index.php/forums/viewthread/8480/ I really hope they'll like it!
I heard yesterday that one of the cards I've posted on the CB forum will be featured in the Readers Gallery of Let's Make Cards - I am so excited! It's nice to know that other people like what I can do - and the story behind the card is good too. I made it for Emily Davies, one of the magazines staff who helped me out brilliantly with a problem I had with some of the free stuff you get with the mag - I had replacements within 24 hours!
I bit the bullet yesterday and posted some pics of my tattoos on the forum - thanks to everyone for their open and kind remarks! Have to admit, I wasn't really sure how well they'd go down! People have been very positive...
I'm going shopping later, have some work to do in my own garden etc...so I'll pootle off here!
TTFN
Showing posts with label card making. Show all posts
Showing posts with label card making. Show all posts
Friday, 29 August 2008
Thursday, 28 August 2008
5 days and counting!
Well, only five days off left. i've been busily trying to think of all the things I have to do before returning to work. I still have to buy school uniforms for my boys, all the expensive stuff they have to have that's been printed and embroidered etc. But that's okay...
I am quite pleased with myself for yesterday though. I managed to find time to complete a card for one of the CB swaps, and have the bare bones of others ready to do today. I really enjoy these, because they give me a challenge, working in styles I'm not used to. I'm hopefully going to finish the rest of them later today for the September swaps. I've never made tags, atc's or bookmarks before...will be fun!
I thought I'd explain a bit about my screen-name today. It also explains how I got to meet Disturbed, and more specifically their lovely singer David Draiman.
I started making teddy bears when I was twenty, fully jointed mohair bears like Steiff make. I quickly got bored of following patterns though, so I began to design my own. In my late twenties, after I started listening to rock/metal and going to gigs, I came up with the idea of making bears to imitate musicians. As I had tickets to go and see Disturbed and had recently had a portrait tattoo of their singer I decided to make a David Draiman bear first. When choosing the material I looked through my fabrics and decided none of them were metal enough. So I looked in my local car boot sale and found a black suede waistcoat for 50p! Bargain. It was very hard to sew suede, as I sew all my bears completely by hand, but I managed. So I made an eight inch black bear, then the funny bits began! As anybody who knows David could tell you, he has a fantastic and very individual double labret (lip) piercing, in which he wears two spikes which hang down over his chin - like a metal goatee. It was hard to emulate this, but I managed to do it with some heavy gauge aluminium wire which I filed to points and put through the bears chin! I thought it looked great, and couldn't wait to try and get it to David.
The bear and I went to the gig. Hubby went before me to get us a place in the queue as I was working on the day, and while there he got chatting to a girl who had won a meet 'n' greet with the band, so she was given the bear, and she went and gave it to david. She reported back that he had laughed his ass off, then said 'Shame I couldn't meet the Metal Ted Girl'!
So there's my name, right there! A few years later on a return gig, we were once again queueing when one of the tour managers started walking up and down the lines with his digital camera and video recorder asking if anyone had anything to show the band. My hubby yelled himover to us and I showed off my tattoo. He asked if David had seen it - I said not. Then he said he was going to go show him it right there. So I told him about the bear and asked him to tell David I was the one who had made it. He gave me a pen and asked me to write a note, so I did. He disappeared and five minutes later came back to me and said, 'David sent you this.' I looked at his hands expecting to see an autograph or such, but he gave me a backstage pass! And that's how I got to meet one of my favourite musicians.
I have many other stories to tell on this - I have previously met Nine Inch Nails, Godhead, Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, Amen, Wheatus, Billy Talent and The Darkness among others. But they will have to wait for another day, cos I've got crafting and shopping to do! TTFN!
I am quite pleased with myself for yesterday though. I managed to find time to complete a card for one of the CB swaps, and have the bare bones of others ready to do today. I really enjoy these, because they give me a challenge, working in styles I'm not used to. I'm hopefully going to finish the rest of them later today for the September swaps. I've never made tags, atc's or bookmarks before...will be fun!
I thought I'd explain a bit about my screen-name today. It also explains how I got to meet Disturbed, and more specifically their lovely singer David Draiman.
I started making teddy bears when I was twenty, fully jointed mohair bears like Steiff make. I quickly got bored of following patterns though, so I began to design my own. In my late twenties, after I started listening to rock/metal and going to gigs, I came up with the idea of making bears to imitate musicians. As I had tickets to go and see Disturbed and had recently had a portrait tattoo of their singer I decided to make a David Draiman bear first. When choosing the material I looked through my fabrics and decided none of them were metal enough. So I looked in my local car boot sale and found a black suede waistcoat for 50p! Bargain. It was very hard to sew suede, as I sew all my bears completely by hand, but I managed. So I made an eight inch black bear, then the funny bits began! As anybody who knows David could tell you, he has a fantastic and very individual double labret (lip) piercing, in which he wears two spikes which hang down over his chin - like a metal goatee. It was hard to emulate this, but I managed to do it with some heavy gauge aluminium wire which I filed to points and put through the bears chin! I thought it looked great, and couldn't wait to try and get it to David.
The bear and I went to the gig. Hubby went before me to get us a place in the queue as I was working on the day, and while there he got chatting to a girl who had won a meet 'n' greet with the band, so she was given the bear, and she went and gave it to david. She reported back that he had laughed his ass off, then said 'Shame I couldn't meet the Metal Ted Girl'!
So there's my name, right there! A few years later on a return gig, we were once again queueing when one of the tour managers started walking up and down the lines with his digital camera and video recorder asking if anyone had anything to show the band. My hubby yelled himover to us and I showed off my tattoo. He asked if David had seen it - I said not. Then he said he was going to go show him it right there. So I told him about the bear and asked him to tell David I was the one who had made it. He gave me a pen and asked me to write a note, so I did. He disappeared and five minutes later came back to me and said, 'David sent you this.' I looked at his hands expecting to see an autograph or such, but he gave me a backstage pass! And that's how I got to meet one of my favourite musicians.
I have many other stories to tell on this - I have previously met Nine Inch Nails, Godhead, Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, Amen, Wheatus, Billy Talent and The Darkness among others. But they will have to wait for another day, cos I've got crafting and shopping to do! TTFN!
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
Wednesday - One week to go!
Hey!
Time to take stock of the summer (?!) holidays and what I have achieved so far, as only a week to go before work starts again! Well, we went to Anglesey for the first week, and had (despite the weather) a fantastic time. It's truly a beautiful place and I would highly recommend going to anyone who hasn't been there. The kids loved it too.
At the beginning of August I received confirmation that I passed my first year of Open University. I was thrilled, and relieved that the hard work was worth it! I have gained a Certificate in Humanities, and apparently can now use the letters Cert.Hum (Open) after my name, which made me laugh. A lot! And I'm looking forward to next years course, I'm doing Creative Writing, it'll be good fun!
I finally got broadband which has meant I can start using my computer the way it was meant to be used. I'm thrilled to have found the forum at http://www.craftsbeautiful.com/ - the guys on there are so friendly and make crafting so much more fun. They have welcomed me so nicely, and a big shout out to all of them for their kindness and support - it's like having suddenly gained a lot of new sisters! You should check them out...the challenges in particular are fantastic for stretching your crafty brain! I have also made contact with a favourite past teacher through friendsreunited, which was cool!
I AM GOING TO SEE DISTURBED IN OCTOBER! I am dead excited about that, they are one of my favourite ever bands, don't get anything like the publicity they deserve. I have met the band previously, and they are really sweet. Plus, I haven't been to a gig for over a year, so it will be awesome to get back out there and remember who I am.
Craft-wise, I have made some of my very favourite cards this summer. I have started making Christmas cards to sell, my best ones are monochrome and pink. I'm loving them. I also found some brilliant little ragdolls that are just the right size for cards, so have been playing with those, and for the first time I have tried heat-embossing with some lovely results (I think!) on an autumn themed card for one of the CB forum challenges. Other challenges I have entered have had such diverse themes - bunnies, oriental, 70's/80's/90's, wedding anniversary - and I have put my own challenge forward for a tattoo-themed card or other craft item - if anybody fancies joining in, better go join the forum!
I have also managed to volunteer to work as a runner at the London Tattoo Convention, which I am really thrilled about - it's been a couple of years since I was in the loop, and I'm so looking forward to the sound of the machines and the smell of ink and antiseptic again! Would love to have the chance to get some work done, but I don't think I'll have the time. Should be good for shopping opportunities though, if you're a fan of tattoos and piercings, you really should go along. It's 26/27/28th September, google it for the address!
Well, housework waits for me so I'm off. TTFN
Time to take stock of the summer (?!) holidays and what I have achieved so far, as only a week to go before work starts again! Well, we went to Anglesey for the first week, and had (despite the weather) a fantastic time. It's truly a beautiful place and I would highly recommend going to anyone who hasn't been there. The kids loved it too.
At the beginning of August I received confirmation that I passed my first year of Open University. I was thrilled, and relieved that the hard work was worth it! I have gained a Certificate in Humanities, and apparently can now use the letters Cert.Hum (Open) after my name, which made me laugh. A lot! And I'm looking forward to next years course, I'm doing Creative Writing, it'll be good fun!
I finally got broadband which has meant I can start using my computer the way it was meant to be used. I'm thrilled to have found the forum at http://www.craftsbeautiful.com/ - the guys on there are so friendly and make crafting so much more fun. They have welcomed me so nicely, and a big shout out to all of them for their kindness and support - it's like having suddenly gained a lot of new sisters! You should check them out...the challenges in particular are fantastic for stretching your crafty brain! I have also made contact with a favourite past teacher through friendsreunited, which was cool!
I AM GOING TO SEE DISTURBED IN OCTOBER! I am dead excited about that, they are one of my favourite ever bands, don't get anything like the publicity they deserve. I have met the band previously, and they are really sweet. Plus, I haven't been to a gig for over a year, so it will be awesome to get back out there and remember who I am.
Craft-wise, I have made some of my very favourite cards this summer. I have started making Christmas cards to sell, my best ones are monochrome and pink. I'm loving them. I also found some brilliant little ragdolls that are just the right size for cards, so have been playing with those, and for the first time I have tried heat-embossing with some lovely results (I think!) on an autumn themed card for one of the CB forum challenges. Other challenges I have entered have had such diverse themes - bunnies, oriental, 70's/80's/90's, wedding anniversary - and I have put my own challenge forward for a tattoo-themed card or other craft item - if anybody fancies joining in, better go join the forum!
I have also managed to volunteer to work as a runner at the London Tattoo Convention, which I am really thrilled about - it's been a couple of years since I was in the loop, and I'm so looking forward to the sound of the machines and the smell of ink and antiseptic again! Would love to have the chance to get some work done, but I don't think I'll have the time. Should be good for shopping opportunities though, if you're a fan of tattoos and piercings, you really should go along. It's 26/27/28th September, google it for the address!
Well, housework waits for me so I'm off. TTFN
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