Branching Out...

...well, not me... that would be far to energetic! No, I am beginning todays waffle-athon with a tag made using my new Bird Branch Alterations die... this has been living in the Room of Stash for nearly a month now and... tis only the second time I have used it! The first time was on my 12 Tags of 2012 "April" tag... oh and if you haven't seen about this... click HERE to whizz off to the Duke Of Distress' website... all the deets are there.


I don't know about you but... I sometimes start thinking about projects just as I am about to fall asleep... I should keep a little book in the bedside cabinet so I can draw my ideas down and then feel free to zip off to the Land of Nod with a clear imagination... but no, I don't have suggested book (although I may just make one) and being as I couldn't get off to sleep last night, I figured I may as well get up and get inky. For some reason, I always find crafting during the night to be the most fruitful... even though I have been tippytoesing around so as not to wake Grim (and yep, guess what? I dropped said Bird Branch die onto the floor... cue frozen statue like stance and face holding a wincing expression... phew, thankfully I didn't wake him, although Alf was none too impressed as he was asleep on his bed and it made him jump *payback for all those times he has taken a flying leap at my toes in the middle of the night lol*)


Where was I? Ah, yes, insomnia... well, I have choices for these nights of insomnia, I could sit and read my book, watch the tellybox, try to get back to sleep or... get inky. You should see the state of my paws now! A rather fetching shade of purple they are! Can you see the background stamped onto the tag? It is from the new Mixed Media set - I stamped it in Coffee Archival onto the Texture Fade and then embossed it through Victor (who was not being quiet!) I love this technique and I really do need those Reflections stamps (next on the wishlist!) Once I had done the inking - Shabby Shutters, Broken China and Seedless Preserves, decorated the tag with bits and bobs, I decided to try out another of those Gem Clips. Now, I have used four so far and am trying to be frugal with them but... I love 'em. This time I added a Jump Ring and some Foliage to the clip and bobbed it onto the side of the tag.


This here card that I am showing...well, I was asked by my lovely neighbour if I could make a card for her dear friends birthday. Sure, no probs... it gives me an excuse to go "pretty" and make a "proper" card. I say proper because the cards I usually make end up more tag-like. I have used some cream cardstock and made it into an easel card (yes Caz, I tried the stepper card thingy and got cross... I am stoopid, tis official *must try harder* lol)



The papers are Basic Grey Capella which I have had for a yonk and a half and only stroked... and the flowers are from a packet that the lid has fallen off so I have nooooo idea who makes them or if you can still get them. I bought a shed load of paper flowers several yonks ago when I was into *dare I admit this....* cute cards. The thing is, I see talented peeps making cute cards all the time, I marvel at their layering skills, their colour finesse but when I try to create something like that it just turns out all inky and stampy. I shall stick to what I am comfy with I reckon.



Anyways... I just checked the time and it is nearly 7am! Which means that I should really go and try to get 40 winks... then again, there's that other thingywotsit that I was thinking about last night, I could go and make a start on that... ahh, decisions, decisions! Thanks for looking... have a loverly day! TTFN

Hels x