Thinking Of You...

Hi Everyone...welcome to another week on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog...thank you for joining us for last week's "Autumn" challenge...we hope you can join us this week too...

and the theme for this week is...

THINKING OF YOU

my thoughts are never far away from special "birds of a feather" friends who live in far flung corners of the globe and today especially I'm thinking of my team mates Barbara and Zoey and all those affected by the earthquakes in Italy...

I was intending stepping out of my "Tim Holtz" comfort zone to create my art journal page and use products from other designers only...new products that I've had for some time and never got round to using but who was I trying to kid...addiction is a powerful thing and as you'll see I didn't even get past first base...

I covered the pages with Tim Holtz Postale Tissue Wrap using Distress Collage Medium Matte and once dry gave the pages a light coat of White Gesso...

then applied Distress Paint with my fingers and smooshed (technical term) it around to blend. I used Dylusions Black and White Paint Pens to create a border but wasn't sure if I liked it so moved on to the next step...

Then comes the fun bit...adding some interest to the background using one of my favourite Paperartsy/Lin Brown stencils with White Gesso...Mini Layering Stencil from Set 21 with Worn Lipstick Distress Paint and stamped images from Tim Holtz Correspondence with Potting Soil Archival Ink...

I die cut the Memory Box Woodland Branch from cardstock coloured with Vintage Photo Distress Paint and splattered with Walnut Stain Spray Stain

stamped the Scribbly Little Birdies on to Ranger Watercolour Card with Black Archival...coloured with Cracked Pistachio and Mustard Seed Distress Markers and cut out.

stamped letters from Tim Holtz Worn Text with Black Archival, highlighted with Dylusions White Paint Pen...added Idea-ology Design Tape and woohoo...Dina Wakley's New Media Tape...

I die cut the "U" from cardstock coloured with Worn Lipstick Distress Paint using Simon Says Stamp Big U Words die...stamped the sentiment from the matching stamp set...added circles using the Lots of Dots stamp set and created lots of splatters using White Gesso and Walnut Stain Distress Spray Stain.

At this point I decided the chequered border had to go so I painted Black Gesso around the edge and highlighted the border with white dots using Dylusions White Paint Pen.

You can find all the products I used over at the fabulous Simon Says Stamp online store...just click on the links below...

Why don't you pop over to the Monday Challenge Blog and check out the amazing creations from my very talented Design Team mates and our October Guest Designer...the lovely and talented Nikki Acton. As always you all have the chance to win a $50 gift voucher to spend at Simon Says Stamp. You have until Monday 8am Ohio time...1pm UK time...2 pm CET to join in...

You can also follow Simon Says Stamp on Instagram

and if you use Instagram...

please add #sssmchallenge to your entry uploads so we can see them on there too

I look forward to seeing what you all create this week

Have Fun and Happy Crafting

Hugs Kath xxx

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"12 Tags of 2016"...October

Hi folks...crikey here I am skidding in by the seat of my pants with this month's tag for...

"12 Tags of 2016"

and to be honest it's a miracle I've got a tag to share at all...

and when all's said and done...this month's "adapt and overcome" adventure didn't go according to plan at all and not even the state of the art photographic studio could make this month's effort look good but hey ho...you win some...you lose some....I'm not beating myself up because there's been more than enough gnashing of teeth trauma in the cubbyhole over the last few weeks...the Fiskars samples parcel has still not been delivered 27 days after it left here...it's been sitting at Hermes International Hub since 8th October with an "Address Query" and despite contacting them on numerous occasions to confirm the address (which I've been using for years with no problems)...that there are no problems with access or parking and suggesting they use the recipient's contact telephone number I provided to facilitate delivery...they have now decided in their wisdom to return it to me and that can take 2-8 weeks apparently....seriously you could not make this up if you tried...their incompetence and lack of common sense is on a whole other level and what can you do when you're dealing with people who were given a brain but are reluctant to use it BUT pray that the parcel eventually arrives back home safely because science as far as I know has not yet found a cure for STUPID.

But there's no time for meltdowns in the cubbyhole...we're moving on to Round 2 of the Fiskars New Product Samples this time with a Christmas/Valentine/Easter theme...another sewing adventure with the new Fabric Circle Cutter and Chenille Maker...

and if things go according to plan...she says with fingers crossed...they may well be travelling to Paris in the company of their Round 1 friends. If I had a say in the matter it would be on a first class BA flight to Paris with me as chaperone but it's more likely to be via a "once bitten twice shy-lesson learned" more reliable courier.

But hey...it's Friday and a day out with the girls beckons...first stop a Fiskars Christmas Fabric shopping spree followed by lunch and a good old natter. Enjoy your weekend whatever you are doing and I'll see you all on Monday to share my project for the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.

Hugs Kath xxx

OK...buckle Up...

HI folks...I have no idea why but I get lots of questions about how and where I take photos of my projects...let me start by saying that David Bailey I am certainly not...if my photos turn out half decent... it's probably more through luck than skill...in fact my all singing and dancing camera has never in it's life ventured out of Automatic mode and if you're thinking that I have a state of the art studio with all the latest gizmos...it's time to buckle up and fasten your seat belts while I bring you right back down to earth with a warts 'n all tour of my photo-taking space which is a small store room at the back of the garage...home to all sorts of clutter...my Fiskars mower...duplicate products...craft items looking for a new home...DIY bits and pieces and store cupboard essentials...

no daylight tent...no special lighting...in fact no "bells and whistles" gadgets whatsoever...instead I use this shelf by the window that gets great natural light...even on dull rainy days.

 and a handy flower pot to prop up my backdrop and foreground papers...

 then I grab a can of something (anything will do) from the store cupboard shelf...

to support the project I want to photograph. 

and after all that high-tech faffing around and a little bit of  tweaking on a photo editing programme...here is the today's card using the "Holiday Background" stamp the "Believe In The Season" collection from Simon Says Stamp...click on the link to see all the fabulous products in this release...

The moral of the story...don't believe everything you see and yes...the camera does occasionally lie but hey it's all about what works for you. Have fun whatever you have planned for today...for me it's some "12 Tags" fun.

Hugs Kath xxx

InLinkz.com