One World One Heart 2011

Hello fellow bloggers, you're here! Great, now what happens?

I guess I tell you about me. I'm Kate and I like to spend my spare time expressing my creativity through crafts and photography. The rest of my time is spent as my alter ego ............. mummy! (pics of my side-kicks are on the right. Page down past the crafts stuff, not that that reflects my life's priorities, just my blog's!)

So that's me, now what about you? Leave me a comment and I'll be over to visit and see what you blog about. I've prepared a 'door' prize for one visitor ........... a package of Angels.

There's a little angel - I've attached to a clip so she can fix her to a purse or charm bracelet.

And there's a spare set of wings too, in case you're in need of a lift.

I've made a sparkling Angel decoration to hang up. It's blank on the back to write a wish on or perhaps a message to give to a friend.

Lastly, there's a pack of Angel craft toppers, in case you're inspired to make some Angel gifts of you're own.

I will send the package of Angels to someone chosen at random from the comments on this post at the close of One World One Heart on 17th February 2011. I will post worldwide and contact the winner using the blog details in the comment.

THIS is where you need to go to find other links to One World One Heart participants all of which will be offering up something of themselves. If you haven't posted your own OWOH entry yet then go HERE to get all the details.

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to leave me a comment.

** Kate **

One World One Heart

The 30th January sees the start of the 5th and final bloggers event - One World One Heart.

I hope to be joining in so pop back later tomorrow to see my entry. Here's the link if you want to know what it's all about. Spread the word and join in.

** Kate **

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Book #3 - Graceling by Kristin Cashore.

Worryingly my 3rd 'teen' novel of the year, I'm reading other things too, honest!

I first saw this reviewed on Karenika's blog and wanted to have a read of it. I was going to say that I don't usually read fantasy novels, but I like Terry Pratchett, Trudi Canavan, Tolkien, JK Rowling and Frank Beddor to name a few so I can't really make that claim. I like my fantasy worlds well thought out and I think Cashore stands up to the task. Although a lot of the names are either very unimaginative or a bit odd, but that might just be my Englishness.

It's a world where some are born gifted with a 'Grace', an exceptional skill, which for most is not a blessing and frequently turns out to be not as it seems. Katsa discovers at about 8 years of age that she has the Grace of killing and the path of her life is mapped out before her in bloodshed and grief until things begin to change with a chain of events starting with a royal kidnapping.

I enjoyed Graceling and it ended with me wanting more which is lucky as the book happened to contain a few pages from Cashore's 2nd book 'Fire'. I was a little worried at first as it reads like it is another fantasy world altogether and I have serious misgivings about the dilution of quality when a writer invents multiple fantasy worlds, but all is not lost as the reviews reassure me that it is the same world and forms a kind of prequel to Graceling.

You can't read Graceling without considering what your own Grace would be. I have concluded that I have only one option - the Grace to eat chocolate, cake and crisps without putting on any weight. However, how I could adapt this Grace for the greater good is still unclear.

** Kate **

What's On Your Workdesk (Pile)? Wednesday

And on the conveyor belt today we have:

• A canvas that I've just started.
• A box of punches with a task to do.
• One of my newest Tildas waiting to be coloured.
• A cuddly toy.
• Some letters that went wrong.
• Bits and pieces pulled out for several projects I have on the go currently.

Ok, so I lied about the cuddly toy. If you want to play alongwith WOYWW, or see other workspaces, then pop to Julia's here and join in, all are welcome.

I don't think I managed visits to more than half a dozen desks last week, so a 'C- must do better' for my homework.

Is anyone else trying to lose the post-Christmas and New year bulge at the moment? I put on a whole 7 lb and have managed to lose 3 of them, but I just find myself ravenous! I blame the grotty weather. It's such an effort to drag yourself out and you end up soaked. I'd much rather snuggle under a blanket with a good book and some chocolate!

** Kate **

New Year, New Start

That's the theme at the Burtonesque Dolls this week. I've gone for the new home option.

I've created a stamp from my Tim Holtz spooky house die by cutting it from sticky backed funky foam and attaching it to an old CD case. I've added a little freehand vine to help join it into the picture.

Challenges:

Burtonesque Dolls - New year, new start

Allsorts #87 - Male/Boy - I think it would be just right for a chap with a new cool pad!

A Spoonful of Sugar #135 - Blue and green

Supplies:

Skeleton stamp - Sugar Nellie

Foliage stamp - Banana Frog

Text - Digi font 'Chiller'

Snail stamp - DoCrafts

Coloured inks - Distress Ink

Black ink - VersaFine

I've been looking at this card for most of the afternoon trying to think what else I had planned to put on it. Just remembered it was a few black butterflies, how could I forget my black butterflies? I will see if I can add them later.

** Kate **

New Storage!

It's Wednesday and that means the sharing of work spaces with like minded crafts people. Visit Julia HERE to see what all the fuss is about and pick up the links to nosey at a surfeit of other WOYWW blogs.

I'm very excited to share a picture of my new storage that I put together at the weekend.

It's not in its final position yet and as you can see there are still some unpacked boxes of paper to be dealt with, but I am very pleased with it. Each cube is 40cm square which means it is big enough to store 12x12 papers as well as albums and other scrapbook storage boxes. I was going to say that I had scoured the internet to find reasonably priced shelves for 12x12, but since I bought these from JoJo Maman Bebe just before Christmas I see that the price has almost doubled!

Fingers crossed for a new catalogue discount code from them soon.

** Kate **

Whiff of Joy Guest Designer

Katharina is on her regular search for guest designers over at Whiff Of Joy and this time around she is asking to see your best WOJ project past or present. Now this was a hard decision, not because I thought my cards were so fab I couldn't choose between them, ha, no, because my over critical eye kept spotting things I would do differently. In the end I went for little shivering Willow on an Alota sleigh that I made last month.

I like the limited number of colours and the purple/white combination. Ive used Copics to colour Willow and the sleigh. The background paper is BoBunny and there are some Stickles highlights added all round.

So there it is my favourite WOJ, so far.......

** Kate **

Ash by Malinda Lo

Book #2 - Ash by Malinda Lo.

Another of the Dinky Diva's rejects, that she said she "Couldn't get on with."

A Cinderella story with malevolent fairy folk thrown in, I was going to recommend that she give it another try as it's the type of story she would like. Then about two thirds of the way in Cinders (Ash) decided that it wouldn't be the handsome prince that she ran off with, in a slightly unexpected twist that would have possibly taken a lot of explaining to a 10 year old.

A good read for late teens/young adults, but beware the 'teen' novel if you have early teens or younger children with a good reading ability!!

** Kate **

Girly or Grungy

There's a new blog on the block. The Simply Sassy DT are crafting projects, tutorials and inspiration using the stamps created by Sugar Nellie from Krista Smith's wonderful designs.

One of the things I like about these designs as they can go 'Girly' or 'Grungy'.

I've gone 'Girly' with the 'My Friend Kitty' stamp.

She's been coloured with watercolour pencils and don't ask me where the peach and dark pink colour scheme came from, it just sort of happened.

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the card and embossing folder are from DoCrafts.

Now for 'Grungy' using the 'I give you my heart' stamp.

All the papers and acetate swirl are by My Minds Eye and the little ticket is from Pink Paislee.

I've coloured her with Copics and made the background using Distress inks. There's a little bit of matching Distress Stickles for the water and some Tissue tape - so definitely the influence of Sir Tim here.

So 'Girly or 'Grungy'? I know which is my favourite in this instance, the blue one!

A few challenges:

Sassy Pink

Cooking it up with Katie #44 - Embossed pink

Fab 'n' Funky #55 - Lets get warm and toasty

Bunny Zoe's #8 - Love is in the air

Sassy Blue

A Spoon Full of Sugar #134 - Thanks you

Creative Inspirations #94 - Brown, blue and white

As I mentioned yesterday the search for guest designers over at Simply Sassy is still going on so pop on over and have a look.

** Kate **

Late WOYWW

I forgot it was Wednesday! How can I forget that it's Wednesday? Wednesday is 'What's On Your Workdesk' day over at Julia's blog, pop over and see.

I quickly snapped this.......

Which I'm working on right now. My only regular design work is now for By The Cute And Girly so I have been looking around for some other projects to get involved in. Simply Sassy and Katzelkraft have both caught my eye so I'm busy making stuff.

Then I remembered these............

Just before Christmas I was lucky enough to have a win at Magnolia-licious Highlites and these are the stamps I chose.

Back with my Simply Sassy entry soon.

** Kate **

A New Home

I've played with my new Papermania Country Companions stamps this time. Strangely it wasn't the cute little characters I reached for 1st, instead it was the lovely cottage door that I used to make this new home card with co-ordinating tag.

The image is stamped with a charcoal chalk ink so that it is not as harsh as black and I've 'painted' it with Aquamarkers.

The green patterned paper is Black Market Paper Society, I got it from Craft Obsessions along with the fibres.

The orange flowers are from a QVC kit. The lettering stamps are an old StudioG set that I have had for a couple of years now and are invaluable.

Challenges:

Craft Your Passion #40 - Tie one on

Moving Along With The Times #80 - Old and new

Simon Says - New beginnings

Crafty Calendar #16 - New Beginnings

** Kate **

Birdsong

It's been raining here on and off for days now and so I desperately needed to find some crafting time to cheer me up. I'd already said I was itching to get started with the new Birdsong collection from Papermania and, inspired by card designs in the latest magazine by Phill Martin and Melanie Marshall, I made these.

The stamps work beautifully and I was especially pleased with the quality of the large tree. It's a big stamp with lots of details, but it worked well. I also liked that there were some absolutely tiny bird stamps in the set that I used to add extra birds in a contrasting colour.

Challenges:

Simon Says Stamp And Show - Newest Stamp

Craft Your Passion #39 - Anything Goes

My Time to Craft #122 - Up In The Air

Scrapbook Sisters #17 - Anything Goes

I think my next order will have to include a few more bits from this collection. The only non DoCrafts thing I've added to my creations is a little branch on the front of the gatefold card. I couldn't see anything to use instead but there are 2 more stamp sets in the collection and I think I have already spied something in there!

** Kate **

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

I've just completed my 1st book of 2011 and I thought it would be fun to review it on my blog and see just how many books I do read during the year.

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Book #1 - Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly.

This is a book aimed at young adults (obviously I include myself in that category ;p)

It's the story of a teenage girl during the gorey terror of the French Revolution, with parallels drawn with an overly suicidal American teenager in the 21st century.

The story winds its way to an inevitable end (in the style of 'we all know the Titanic sank'), with a few twists and turns along the way that made me want to keep reading.

____________________

Finally managed a decent night's sleep last night. My youngest monster has some late teeth coming through and has kept us up the last few nights, but last night the peace was bliss. Feel quite refreshed today, might even fit in some crafting.

** Kate **

WOYWW

It's Wednesday again and followers of WOYWW are gathering at Julia's to check out each others crafty spaces.

Before Christmas I showed some empty frames that were sat on my desk waiting to be filled. Here's the contents of one of them (photographed without the frame).I've used Inkadinkadoo stamps and Distress inks.

I've not created anything else recently, I seem to spend all my time tidying now that everyone is back to work/school. I've been taking the Christmas decorations down this morning :(

I'm entering the birdie pic for a few challenges:

Fab 'n' Funky #54 - Anything goes

Kaboodles Doodles #48 - Anything goes

Ladybug Crafts Ink TLT #9 - Anything goes

Lothian Crafts #10 - Anything goes

Artistic Stamper - Things with wings

Although I've not been crafting, I have been spending.

My haul from the new DoCrafts January launch. Now I need to find time to get playing.

** Kate **