Welcome to 2011 - Happy New Year!!!

Hello to everyone out here in Blogland and welcome to 2011.  For those of you who haven't quite made it past the date line - hurry up! - you're missing out!  Haa haa!

Okay, now I know I've been totally slack about the whole posting thing for two weeks, but I've managed to get some stuff done which, while still relating to crafting, didn't have a lot to do with postable, commentable achievements.  I have tidied my studio, which was a long, tedious but overdue job and now I have at least some of my table back for actual creativity.  I always find it amazing (and I know it's not just me) that the creating spirit grabs hold of us and gets us into such a frenzy that there is no time to put things away.  So even if you are lucky like me and have table space which is 180 cm square (6x6 foot), you work in a patch which might, if you are very very good about keeping it clear, be the size of a 12x12 piece of paper!!!  We're all insane :)

Have also had time to catch up on a swag of magazines which needed reading and I got some inspiration from the most recent Take Ten.  I have been playing with making my own backgrounds again, with DTP work using dye inks (Adirondacks and spritzes of Tattered Angels' Glimmer Mist mostly - yummy combos).

Throw down a shadow stamp and a sentiment, mount it on to a couple of layers and see what you get:

Not too shabby, huh?!

Now I spose you'll be after some details - and today I actually took notice of what I was doing.  I'll wait for you all to pick yourselves up, now, LOL.

Cardstock is SU! Elegant Eggplant and Blush Blossom

Patterned paper is Black market Paper Society's 6x6 pad called "Let it Bloom"

DTP was done with Adirondack Eggplant and Butterscotch, and Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Antique Brass and possibly the leftover of the Juneberry Wine

Stamps are SU! Just Believe (flowers), Happy Harmony (sentiment) and the dragonfly came from Sunday International - an unmounted rubber sheet set I bought waaaay back when (we're talking 2002, maybe) and I have no idea of the name of the set, or if it's even produced anymore.

And although you can't see it particularly well, I have gone over some of the Eggplant coloured specks with Ranger's Stickles glitter glue "Golden Rod".

The ribbon and brads are from my stash - have no idea which companies - the ribbon was lurking down the bottom of my scarily out of control ribbon mess and peeped out at me, then dove out of sight and had me searching for it for another 10 minutes.  An off cut about 20 cms long, but the perfect colour.  Sometimes it's good to be a hoarder :)

Ooooh, and another thing I almost forgot to tell you:
I made the coolest little flags to put into my little pots of condiments for the Christmas ham - you know what I mean?  The little pots of mustard and chutney and pickle and relish...
Well, they were all looking kind of mushy and unappetizing, plus I didn't want anyone confused over what was available.  I was wondering how to let everyone know what each one was and I had a rush of blood to the head, raced to my studio, punched out 4 tags a big tag punch (Paper Shapers), punched two little holes into the tapered end of the tag with the SU! Double Circle punch, wrote what the condiment was and put a skewer/round toothpick through the holes - it worked a treat:

I received lots of comments telling me what a good idea it was.  And now I'm thinking - flag for a ship card, flag on top of a castle, pennant held by a knight or in some kind of sports themed card (basketball, baseball...).  And then there are little flags with kids (or adults, for that matter) names on them to put into cupcakes to let them know where to sit at the table at parties.  Bling them up a bit, maybe some patterned paper... even get them to make their own - that would keep 'em occupied for a little while.  Oh yeah - I'm having fun with this one...

Okay - enough brainstorming for one day - especially for the first day of the year.

Happy crafting,
Bron