Relight My Fire

Wowee it's been a while, eh? I've not felt like being around the pc much lately and haven't really felt like scrapping or making cards either, hence the reason there's been no blogging and I've missed a couple of Dares (sorry girls!). Still, I thought it was time I got back on the old horse and started riding again, so here I am...

First things first, I did manage a card for this week's Dare. Kathy dared us to use 20 of something on a card. Being an utter wimp, there was no way I was going to use 20 blooms or suchlike. Instead, I made a relatively simple, yet very effective card using 20 thin strips of coloured card. I cut them different lengths and stuck them down on a piece of scrap card so if I made a mistake I wasn't mucking up the whole card. I then added a thicker strip of card at the end. The letters for the name are stickers from the Lisa Bearnson kit, stuck on black circles of card. The '13' is die cut using sizzlits 'Nouveau' set. Apparently, this was Matthew's favourite card as it was 'made with love'. Aaah, bless 'im.

So. Other stuff. I passed my Ofsted suitable person's interview and the new nursery is all set to open on Monday, unless something's gone drastically wrong between Friday night and now... It looks fantastic and I'm so proud of it. All the staff have been over to have a look and they all want to transfer to the new one now! Not a lot else to tell you at the moment.

Today I went up to Lach Dennis in Cheshire to Kirsty's Photography and Scrap day. It was great! I learnt loads, some of which I actually hope to remember and use sometime!

We learnt how to do things like this, where you can get a nice, sharp focus on an object but the background is blurry. We learnt how to take pictures of Natalie O'Shea walking past some 'interesting' curtains so that she was blurry but they were not and vice versa. I'm thinking much practice is needed at this, as most of the time she had walked right past and all I got in the frame were the curtains...

We did two amazing classes in the afternoon - a lovely technique one from Kirsty and one by Debs, which was fabulous and the result of which can be seen below. Kirsty's technique involved using Glossy Accents or similar on acetate to draw patterns, but I haven't finished the LO yet, so I can't show you. I lay in bed thinking of other variations, so that definitely inspired me. Debs' class was one of the best I've done - she really is talented.
Using a fabby canvas and easel from (I believe) Poundland and a generously supplied freebie photo taken by Ms Wiseman herself, as well as the lush Blush papers from Basic Grey, we created the gorgeousness that you see here. The overlay is acetate, stamped around the edges with Rhonna Farrer swirls, generously lent to me by lovely Laura (thanks chick!). It's so effective, and yet really easy to do, even though it involved acrylic paint and *gasps* scrunching the paper!! I (genuinely) took a few deep breaths before I could will myself to do it - it's so far out of my comfort zone it's not even funny. I can see me making these left right and centre for gifts (but without my ugly mug on!) Now I know I have to get me some Rhonna Farrer stamps...

A good time was had by all and I'm glad I went - I was so nervous about not knowing anyone, but all the girls were lovely, as were Kirsty's hubby Mark who worked hard to keep us fed and watered, and daughter Ellie (even if she didn't pick my ticket for the raffle!)