You know when you commit to things and they all start off fine....then as time passes by they become a bit of a chore? Well I was feeling a bit like this about a Newbie CJ I signed up for on UKScrappers. The first few months were fine and inspiration flowed but this CJ was really becoming rather tough as it is so very "scrapbooky" as opposed to the arty style of the UKStampers CJ I finished earlier this year. I have struggled to come up with pages as I really don't want to send out too much personal "stuff" but I think that this month I am finally happy with my entry! And this has re-awakened my enthusiasm for the CJ! So apologies to all my fellow CJers if you are less than happy with my efforts; it has been a challenge to do at times.
On the other hand I am still REALLY enthusiastic about Shimelle's "Scrap Your Year". This is October's entry and for once all the colours worked together. They are always such busy pages with all the photoes crammed in so at times they don't really "gel" but this month I managed (accidentally!) to get colour co-ordinated photoes!
Now I have treated myself and signed up for another CJ.....another stamp one on UKStampers again so watch this space.....

This is my entry for this weeks Weekly Challenge on UK Stampers. Our challenge was to create a 6x6 page using fabric and stamps for Halloween! I have done a Halloween ATC using this fabric and making a spider from buttons before, so I decided to scale it up and go a bit wilder!
For the base I used a very thin piece of wadding on my cardstock before free-hand machining the cobweb onto the fabric. That is a square cut from a charity shop skirt that cost me £1....just 'cos the fabric was so lovely. Mrs Spider is felt, hand embroidered and then stitched on and lightly stuffed and her legs are beaded. I then remembered the "and stamped" bit of the challenge and as luck would have it this gorgeous corner stamp (I think it's Fancy Pants but I bought it from a friend so I'm not really sure!) fitted perfectly. I very carefully embossed the edges and managd to melt the fabric slightly...I call that "distressing" ... and then just added a touch of glitter to the web as it didn't show up!
It probably isn't very PC to say but I am rather chuffed with this one!!

As you know, yesterday was the 25th again so I was at large with the camera! I wanted to share my fave two pictures. This little robin was singing his socks off in my one and only tree! I spent ages fiddling about, swapping lenses etc but I am really chuffed with the end result, especially the blurry bits!! The tree was one I spotted on the way to taking Eliza to ballet and I took the shot looking up at the sky through the leaves. Our task this montth was to bring some "space" into the photoes so I think this has shown that well. And last but not least is my doll! Eliza wanted to sew this half term and she wanted to make a doll. Good ol' Google came up with this and so this is MY version! You could call it a trial run as I realised I have sewed her legs one back to front! Never mind, she just looks pigeon-toed!

So I have FINALLY bitten the bullet and made a start on my Christmas cards! Yesterday I went to The Glitterpot (FAB shop, always spend far too much there!) to buy ONE stamp for my cards this year. Well I decided to get a cuttlebug embossing folder instead....and then there was this lovely card there with the die cut snowflake on it......and the polar bear stamps are for the children to use but I had to test them! I have to confess that the 2 cards with the lettered "let it snow" on are not my design but inspired by a design I saw on display in the shop. I loved the effect of the sanded off core-dinations card but I have to say it hasn't really photographed terribly well!

So now I have a few designs to work with I shall put them away and no doubt remember that I haven't made anywhere NEAR enough about 2 days before the final posting day!

Ok so now I'm REALLY rockin'! Last night I DID manage to get my crafty bits out and did 9 "Autumn" Inchies for UK Stampers. I also managed to complete their weekly challenge too, for the first time! The challenge was to use a building or architectural stamp to create a 6x6 page. I bought this stamp from a forum friend and have never used it, even tho I love it. I guess the main reason is that I don't have a block big enough for it. So I improvised and used the lid of a box instead. All simple stuff; I seem to be going back to using pastels for b/grounds as I did when I first started out on the papercraft lark! I can't ever seem to get inks to mingle as well!

Oh my goodness! Twice in 2 days! I think that must be a first! Well I am home from work early so I quickly thought I would add my latest ATCs. These are for a swap on UK Stampers with the challenge to use your newest stamps. I HAD been very good and not bought any for ages. These gorgeous birds were a gift for my birthday so I used them. I have got some other ones more recently but as I have lost my cheque book and not yet paid for them I thought I better not use those ones! And for once I have my October swaps in before the last day of the month!
I seem to be getting back into ATCs again. We are just re-starting the monthly swaps over on Tandastamps too and I am the new host! Why not pop across and join us for November!

Now I AM still here! But since I last blogged I have been on my holidays (to Corfu....amaaaazing!) and then the new term has started at school and Guides AND the dreaded Weight Watchers! Which means that I have done hardly ANY crafting and no blogging. In fact I haven't had a Sunday"off" for ages. I did manage to squeeze in this.....taken from this months Craft Stamper and an idea by Gail Milburn. It is my entry for the UK Art Raffle and this months theme is "Dark"
Talking of Craft Stamper.....our CJ group was asked to write a piece for inclusion in the November issue. Sarah did a great write-up of the whole event and several pages were printed. I was lucky enough to have one of mine included! I was so excited, I have never submitted anything for publication so it suddely feels rather grown-up to see something I did in print!
Well....I now have another CJ to catch up on!