Make and takes and make and bakes..!!

The studio is a hive of activity at the moment , getting ready for the Demo Day on Saturday. Tomorrow will be the big reorganisation and tidy round. So be warned now, if you come near you will be given a job. And yes, I am being serious..!! Thought I would show you the make and takes that we have in store for you.

Cards using 7gypsies stickers, papers and hardware.

Inked and pearled tags using Blonde Moments and Ranger.

Pearl spritzed cards using Blonde Moments, Ranger and Tim Holtz.

Beeswax collage ATC, using Ranger, Lisas altered art.

Hope that's whetted your appetite a bit. All make and takes are £2 or 3 for £5, and remember , all of that goes to Carers Resource. Thank you to everyone who has bought raffle tickets or sent donations, it is greatly appreciated. You can make your donations Here or by ringing the studio on 01423 873739. please note , if you ring before 9am , I will be too busy, dancing to my Northern Soul, to even contemplate answering the phone. You have been warned, lmao..!!

Carers Resource is an independent charity whose work is recognised , nationally , regionally and locally. Carers Resource cares for the carers in our community, who are very often overlooked. Carers work tirelessly providing care for their loved ones. More and more now the onus of care falls on to a relative. Hospital stays are shorter , people are living longer, services are overstretched and help is hard to come by. Carers are very often the forgotten hero's in our society and are invaluable to those who they care for. But it can be a very tiring , lonely, frustrating and confusing time, and they need help, advice and support, whether financial, practical or emotional. This is what Carers Resource aims to provide.

This is a charity that has been very dear to my family. My Dad had Parkinson's Disease for nearly 20 yrs and could not have managed without Mum being his carer. She received a lot of help and support from Carers Resource and made many friends there. She volunteered with them for many years as well, helping to man the offices and fund raise. And again when she herself became ill they were brilliant.

Young Carers are young people who care for a parent, grandparent, brother or sister who is ill, has a disability or experiences mental health, drug or alcohol issues. They need a lot of help and support in coping with this. They also need to be able to feel "normal" , by participating in normal everyday activities. Funds raised help to provide these youngsters with with fun stuff like outdoor pursuits, bowling, ice skating, cinema trips, skate parks and big theme parks. It also helps pay for youth clubs and after school activities, where they can meet other youngsters going through the same situations. For quite a number of years now, I have been providing them with regular art workshops during school holidays and it has been truly humbling seeing their courage and determination. You never hear a woe is me from them, and I am honoured to be involved.

All this does, of course, take money and it is vital that we continue to raise funds for such a fabulous and worthy cause. And anything you can spare would be fantastic. If you are a carer yourself and need help, advise or support, please don't hesitate to get in touch with them , it will be the best thing you have ever done. There is no need to struggle and shoulder the burden on your own.

I have been making a cover for one of my new journals, and I thought I would show you its progression.

First of all I applied Adirondack dabbers onto my white board, smudging it all together with my fingers. Although there is a myriad of colours, it works because I have kept to all the same tones. These are all from the brights palette. I then started to add some stamping details with Jet Black Archival ink. Love this ink, it is oil based and dries quickly and permanently whilst giving a fantastically crisp image. It is available in lots of colours, with black being a desert island must have.

All the stamps are from Tim Holzs unmounted sets. I honestly don't know what I did before these became available, as they are in constant use. So much so that I have a full set at home as well as at work, lol.

More stamps were added to build up the collage.

Here's a close up.

And finally I stamped all over completely with Tims tiny dot stamp. Although there is a lot going on, on this cover, sticking to the black helps to give a pleasing overall look.

I then had to decide how I was going to accent it. I like many people, have a lot of little quirky things that make me , me. I cant explain them, but have to do them. The funniest quirk of mine , seems to be hilarious to all those who find out, and who genuinely believe I am pulling their leg. Unfortunately this is not the case. I have a thing about the number 5, and I have to do a lot of things in 5's. Not everything, but certain things always. , and the funniest is I have to eat in 5,s. Yes you heard me correctly. lol..!! I, as you all know, have many, many issues with food and I have done this one for as long as I can remember. If I am eating anything I, either have to have 5 of them, or make it into 5 bites. I cant eat 2, or 6 or 3, its got to be 5. So its either 5 biscuits or 1 biscuit with 5 bites. How weird am I..??? lmao. I know its irrational , but there you go, my secret is out. I count in 5's, I drink in 5's, I have to have 5 sheets of loo roll (too much info??, lol). I am actually a 5 in numerology, I wonder if there's a connection..?? Thank goodness I don't have a thing about the number 25, I,d never get owt done would I..?? ha ha .

Anyway, back to the story.... So I decided to cover the cover in 5,s. I started by mixing up 3 sets of Grunge alphas, spots, swirls and stripes.

I painted them with the dabbers, sanded them lightly to remove the paint from the raised areas and the applied Adirondack inks over the top for contrast. The largest number 5 has got Glossy Accents highlighting the spots. That's as far as I got tonight, lots more to do to it so will report back tomorrow.

Here's some more pages from my other journal.

Tomorrow is also baking day. we will be making and decorating muffins ready for Saturday. Ben and the lovely Katie made their share tonight. They sent me a pic on my phone and they look fabulous, but I don't know how to upload it , so you,ll have to be in suspense, sorry. Bet that's shocked you hasn't it, Ben baking. He is actually a brilliant cook, and its always a treat when I am invited around. Surprisingly all my kids can cook and bake. When they were little, as a single mam, I had very little money for activities, so we always made games of household chores. And everyone chipped in. And of course I was ill for all those years, as well. This means they are all extremely proficient in all household tasks ,when they choose to do them, that is. But don't let on I told you, lol..

You can give your verdict on Saturday. Right its 1.30 am and I,ve still got tons to do, so I,m off.

Enjoy xx