WOYWW and Kate's Calendar challenge

Well, the end of the first month of the new year today... where did it go? and why so fast? Any answers please I would love to hear.
Here is my finished January calendar page for Kate's challenge... check it out and see the other fab entries.  Also this is my entry for WOYWW... check out Julia's blog if you don't know what I am talking about.
The observant amongst you may notice that I have completely redone my pages..as you know I was away overseas and did not have everything with me but I did the pages anyway.... but when I got home I decided they were just not big enough so started again from scratch...aah what a lot of work I made for myself.
I tried to make the pages similar to the previous ones with a few additions. I finally managed to complete it tonight but then had all the journaling to add... hence the small amount of words.... time ran out on me. You will see the little yellow dot for the full moon (something I watch all the time) and the dragon, thistle and map for THE days of importance in the month - Chinese New Year, Burns Night and Australia Day..
Never mind I have also almost finished February's page too so am really quite pleased with myself.
Also on my desk you can spy my Distress ink box all labelled now and a few odd stamps to the left with my ink duster brushes.
I hope you enjoy my desk this week and my calendar page too.
Do check out the blogs of Kate and Julia and see the other entrants offerings this week.

Alexander my Scottish Meercat

My challenge today over on my other blog is Scottish themed... in honour of the country that so generously adopted my husband and myself.  Last night was Burns night which is celebrated by eating the traditional dish of haggis, neeps and tatties.... ugh sorry not for me Scotland... I prefer  plain old English food.
My little Alexander meercat is a stamp from Hazel at Tabby Kat and I so love him. I coloured him with Copics and Promarkers and popped him into a little scene after stamping the trees, bushes and grass and again coloured them in.  The verse is from the same set of stamps.  I cut off the corner and added some tartan paper underneath... see it matched his sash very well.
Hope you like him... if so pop over and enter my challenge yourself and see the other lovely creations from my wonderful DT.
Hope also you like my new look blog pages... I thought I would have a slight change for the New Year.... note added comment button on here... wonder if this is a good idea or not lol??  Time will tell.
Have a great day whether in Scotland or elsewhere.

WOYWW New goodies

Well folks, at last I managed to get my internet to work long enough to post my WOYWW picture for this week... if you have no idea what I am talking about check the lovely Julia's blog right here.
My desk shows at the back the best and very new wonderful acquisition... my Distress Inks box specially made for me by a fab man called Rob.....it even came with the labels... but where is my label for Faded Jeans it has vanished into thin air ...? answers on post card please as it seems to have gone missing in my crowded craft room lol.
The box holds 36 inks and is wonderful as it closes so easy to transport when I do demos. Now they are all sorted and in alphabetical order too woo.
Then at the front you can see my super new Dylusions paints from Dyan at AFTH along with some black gesso - not tried them as yet but can't wait... maybe this weekend.
You can also see a creation too... page one of my 2012 journal created with very few supplies whilst away over the holidays ... yes I joined in with Kate Crane and her gang this year.. a first for me. You can also spot some new stamps to the right and a finished tag for my challenge this week... DRAGONS... do pop over and enter for fun and for Chinese New Year on Monday 23rd.
Have a happy 2012 everyone and don't forget to go to Julia's blog and show us your desk too.

Challenge # 188 - The Year of the Dragon

Well, after missing out last week's challenge I finally got to complete this weeks - then had internet problems and could not load my tag.... hey ho... technology sometimes wins.
I coloured the tag using Pan Pastels again... yes boring I know but I do love them...
I stamped the dragon and cherry blossom and the 2012 in black Stazon then over sprayed with Gold Perfect Pearls mist to add some shine.  I distressed the edges and inked with Distress Inks then added the little red dragon tag at the top using red ribbon and a staple to attach.  I added the large red hand made flower with a central gem and the little red rose, plus the Asian charm and red stone fastened with a Tim Holtz clip, (it says secrets)  and jump rings.
I hope you like my tag... if you fancy doing something with a Dragon yourself pop over to my challenge blog where the challenge is 'THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON' for Chinese New Year on the 23rd January...... have a Happy 2012 one and all.

Blog Challenge 186 - Travel Through Time To 2012

Happy New Year to one and all.
Hope you enjoyed the festive season and are now ready to start crafting again (if you actually stopped???)

We have travelled in time to get to 2012 so this is my challenge topic for this week.

I created the background for my large tag using Pan Pastels again ... yes I am addicted I know... then over stamped using black Archival inks with some of the super 'Time' stamps from Kanban. I stamped and coloured my exploring man and added some wings and attached him to the top of the tag with purple ribbon stapled together... he is flying through time. I hope you like him...and maybe you will get chance to enter my challenge this week... Joanna Sheen is my sponsor... lucky winner.
So go fly and travel and enjoy your trip wherever it takes you.

WOYWW and Art Journaling

So here is my first creation for this new Year... hope you had a happy one.
I have decided to try to do Kate Crane's journaling challenge this year so here is my January page. This was quite a difficult task as I am still overseas without most of my craft stuff here but I did make the effort.... Geoff bought me a new sketchbook today so made use of it already. I coloured the background with Pan Pastels after spraying with some fab White Spray Gesso I found over here.  I added some stencil markings using darker coloured purples and blues then some stamping using black Archival ink... with the only stamps I have with me.  I added the little decoupaged lady as I thought she fitted in nicely with my colour scheme.  I printed out the teardrop shapes and the lettering and added to the pages. Although this is not quite what I had in mind it is at least a start.... to be continued on my return to UK soon.
This is also for  WOYWW , what is on my desk/cum table this week...if you don't know what I am talking about check out the lovely Julia's blog to find out and go look at everyone's desks this week.