Photofunia

I've had so much fun on this site today. So many great effects. This sketchbook one was my favourite:

Yup they are both me - one as I am day to day and one as I am when I go see Alice :D Can you tell which is which? Definitely a fun site to go and have a play on.

And on a totally different note... Ally Pally tickets for the September stamp & scrapbooking show go on sale next week. Wooohooo! I got fed up of keep refreshing their ticket site and emailed them to ask :)

Coraline Duckie

This is my project for the Coraline Copy+Paste challenge - this duckie is inspired by the super-de-duper film Coraline which I hope to go and see again soon before it leaves the cinema - it was absolutely fabby in 3D and now one of my favourite films.I feel like Duckie is not quite complete but not sure what to add - I'm leaning towards some paper butterflies around her head. What do you think? She just looks bald to me - Craig says I have this nervous tic unless every spare inch of space is covered with something! He might be right. For once - har har! 

You might be pleased to know I've run out of ducks and if I nick any more of Ruby's she might suspect that I, her beloved Mummy, am in fact the phantom duck napper. However I am visiting Craigs parents in Hastings tomorrow and I know for sure there is an ELC there... 

Thanks for stopping by :)

Team Green Britain Billboards

Aren't there some lovely billboards and advertising around at the moment? I'm loving this one that's just gone up in my local town. Craig thought I was a right loon for pulling over in the truck stop to take a piccie this morning. It's advertising from this campaign to get Britain greener. Some lovely images on their site too - want those boots!
Have you seen any inspiring advertising or pictures/blogs? I'd love to see them. Feel free to stick some links in my comments :)

Mum...

Summer Solstice this weekend. I can't believe it will be 2 years passed since Mum was taken from us. It still feels like she's just down the road and I've been a lazy moo and not been to see her in a while. I still have her email address in my contacts and her number in my phone. When something special happens I still can't wait to tell her or catch myself saying "you wait till I tell my Mum on you..." whenever anyone winds me up. It doesn't seem possible that she isn't here anymore and that she will never meet Ruby who is so, so much like her. She has her filthy laugh and her sense of humour and her love of singing, any-time, any-place :) I've decided to upload this page I did last year.

 Actually - it's the only one I've been able to do of her and I'm still adding to it as and when thoughts occur. The journalling now goes up the side of the photo too.
It's inspired by this one on Elsie Flannigans blog - hers was for her Grandad who is thankfully very much still with her but I thought it was perfect for my page of Mum. So thanks for the inspiration Elsie :)

The heart in the photo is raised on foam pads and in real life stands out so the focus is on Mum. All of us girls love this photo of her. It's from a holiday she was on with my sister and you can see how blustery it is. But Mum being Mum was at the beach so she WAS going for a paddle - this picture just sums up her character completely.

I'm posting this early because I wont be able to on the day. I've been a right old grouch all month and it was only Craig who realised I was the same last year so I thought maybe if I wrote it down it might release some tension. Save everyones sanity a bit.

Mum, I swear you are still here, playing tricks on us all, giving us little signs. I also like to think that it's you that Ruby chatters away to when it seems no-one is there. Whoever it is makes her laugh which makes me think it's you. We know, we really do. And it helps. It does. I miss you so much every day Mum and I like to think you see the things we are accomplishing in our lives and are proud and not sighing to yourself *too* much. I hope you and Nan are together, causing merry mayhem. Please keep giving us the signs. Miss you, love you always.

Carmen xx

Tattoo Duckie

MWAAAHAAAAHAAA! Who's laughing now? I shut the duck up with 3 layers of loo roll and a pva/water solution. I think I got the ratio wrong as it took a day and a half to dry. But we got there in the end. I actually did it to give some texture and I do quite like the effect.

Once dry I painted Duckie in my purple So Soft Fabric Paint which is quite shimmery and lovely. I then added some Marah Johnson rub-ons all over and added about 3 layers of sealant - those suckers are never coming off ;)

I then added some Papermania bling eye detail, some Sharpie lippy and a ribbon choker complete with black brad clasp :) I have realised why Duckie and I were having such issues. I have been saying 'him, he' and quite obviously Tattoo (as she is now known) is a gorgeous girl. Tsk. I would get the hump too. So we have kissed and made up now. I do hope her recipient loves her as much as I do.

Saying an emotional goodbye to Alice duckie...

Duckitude

The duck is laughing at me now. Look at that face - that's a smirk if ever I saw one. No that's not a black eye from my torturing it, though goodness knows he has been challenging me! It's paint from yet more removal (accompanied by some choice words I might add) Now how, tell me this, how does he manage to retain the marker pen design I did over the TOP of the paint once I have scrubbed the paint off? With a brillo pad! How? Mocking me I tell you!

I've had one more idea. Last chance saloon for my little friend here and then I take the blowtorch to him, he is seriously damaging my, fragile at the best of times, mojo. Y'hear me Duck? Last chance! Co-operate!

Rubber Duckie, Rubber Duckie...

I always think of Sesame Street when I think of Rubber Duckies ;)

I'm just uploading the rubber duckies I did for a UKScrappers swap a while back to show Angie. Mine were Alice Cooper themed of course. I think I ended up doing 5 in all because we had to do 4 for the swap (3 to send and 1 to keep yourself) and then I promised another friend she could have an Alice duckie too. The ones I sent off turned out slighter deeper red than these just due to differing times I made them so the mixes of paint were different.

To make Alice I got a box of duckies from the ELC. I painted him in red acrylic paint and made up a solution of pre-mixed silver poster paint, pva glue and water.

I layered torn up silver tissue paper and strips of Marah Johnson Rockstar scrapbook paper over his body (making sure I cut out his guitar first) using my sparkly silver pva solution and set him aside to dry. I added some bat punchouts and some all important eyeliner using a Sharpie marker. I then gave him a couple of coats of sealant and added his pretty black bow once he was nice and dry again :)

The duckie I'm doing at the moment. Well. Lets just say he and I are having issues. He's already gone through 3 transformations and I'm still not happy. I'm wondering whether to just give in gracefully and do him as another incarnation of Alice. I know, I know. I'm obsessed!