Bubbly Scrumptious

Project Thankful

 
I'm in the midst of exam marking again right now and haven't had a moment to be crafty :(  So I was going to continue my underground inspiration tour and then I remembered that it's Thanksgiving in the USA this week and I thought I'd think about giving thanks as a point of inspiration this week instead. 

There are loads of inspirational 'thanks' related things out there.  Tessa Buys, for example, has had a month long 'Attitude of Gratitude' going on her blog this month and is thinking of things to be thankful about all month and there are lots of pretty things on her blog. 

There's this pretty candle from the coordinations blog by Melissa Oliveira :

(These products would help: Prima Journalling chipboard, rub on alphas and some ribbon)

There's an unusal LO by Larissa Albanez and a lovely 'Thanks' pen set by Ally White on the Crate Paper blog that you could easily make using Caroline's chip daisies, some more ribbon and some chipboard alphas.

And I love this LO by Shirly on the SuzyQ blog: 

 
(Products that you could use: hearts, flourish, flowers, word 'family')

And I bet there are always people you can send a card to. 

There are some great quotes to do with thanks out there but perhaps my favourite is this 'Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone.  ~G.B. Stern'.  So this week, why not show your thanks for someone or something and come back here to share it once you're done.  And I'll share where this thought led me with you next week...

A Sketch to kick off the week :)

Monday comes around so quickly doesn't it?!  I have a little sketch for you today.   
I was looking back at some LOs this weekend and this is still one of my favourites that I made last year.  I love how busy the LO is with lots of photos and embellishments so I decided to turn it in to a sketch to share today.  I would love to see what you do with it so please add a link to the comments section.

Is it too early to talk Christmas presents??

Lots of crafty people start their Christmas cards early in the year I know, since they often have a lot to make.  I'm not sure if it's too early to be thinking about Christmas presents but since the pubs, hotels and restaurants are advertising their Christmas party packages and the supermarkets have started the war of the roses (Cadbury's of course!) I thought 'Why the hell not!' :) 

I bet there are some people in your family who you are always stuck for presents for and you resort to the ever faithful gift voucher.  These days these gift vouchers tend to be cards however and actually as a scrapper these are much more craft friendly I find.  Here I've used a Maya Road circle, Maya Road snowflakes painted with acrylic paint and some paper snowflakes that I had kicking around after last year to make a gift card holder that doubles as a Christmas card with the greeting hidden behind the gift card.  Sadly Tescos don't have their Christmas gift cards in yet so it's not terribly Christmasy but you get the idea ;)  I've applied a liberal amount of croco azure to the chipboard circle so that it would crackle nicely- looking all icy.  The snowflakes are attached with staples and glossy accents.

If you refuse to think about Christmas just yet, what about applying the idea to a different
occasion?  A new born baby celebration using the Maya Road baby grow?  Or perhaps a Birthday with flowers replacing the snowflakes on a circle?  Just a thought.  Hope you like it :)

The Day I Met H!m.

Before I go any further ... I must say ... you did ask ... so when I go on and on and on about Tim ... the man that can cross mountains in his lunch hour while designing new products and preparing Chrissy tags for his blog ... Holtz ... you have only got yourselves to blame!

Where shall I start? The beginning seems like a good place!

I fell in love with Tim's Mona stamp ... back in the day ... when I was young and naive ... from there I discovered the book and the DVD ... at this point I just worshiped his crafting and never thought in a million sparkly bits that I would one day meet him!

Then a phone call ... Tim was appearing in London in a craft shop in a few day ... Could I make it? Duh! Yeah!

A holiday request ... two train rides and three tubes later there he was! I think he got a plane actually ... it was me that got the train :0). He sat down and made magic with buff tags and distress inks and blending tools and paint dabbers and stamps ... that is when the Ranger bug bit me ... I couldn't get the stuff in my basket quick enough and I have wondered from that day to this why they don't have trolleys in craft shops!

He was patient and gentle and handsome  and uber talented ... he demoed for about an hour and then invited questions ... I asked him to give me a cheeky grin for my camera and he said ... "Come around we can have a picture together"  *swoon*. 

I do recall telling him I loved him ... he studied the pieces of our art that we showed him ... he signed anything and everything we put in front of him ... he was kind and complimentary ... he sent this tag to my mate that compensated slightly for the rather blurred picture I took of him ... with her ... what? ... I said sorry ... my hands were shaking ... then he left ... and I have been grinning ever since! What a great bloke he is!

So c'mon you guys ... spill ... Who inspires you?

World Cardmaking Day

Today is World Cardmaking Day!!

On the Bubbly Funk Forum today we are having a mini crop with inspiration, projects, techniques and fun for all!  Its a very informal affair and you can pop in and out as you like, anytime.

See you there!