Is It Too Early?

Good Morning All.  Is it too early to talk about Christmas?

It's been on my mind over the past week as I prepping for some November workshops and, trying to come up with ideas now that the sun is finally shining, has been a real challenge!  I'm really pleased that I've come up with 4 very different designs and thought I'd show you one today (on the hottest day of the year so far!).

I like to teach different techniques at the workshops and have been threatening them with a brayer for quite a while now!

I started with a square of gloss card, cut a circle from a post it note to use as a mask and kept the outer from the mask.
I masked off an area for the moon and picked up some Broken China Distress Ink on the brayer.  You need to remove the excess ink from the brayer before you start.  Roll the inked brayer diagonally across the card and build up the layers of ink until you're happy with the result leaving about
a third clear.  Repeat the process with the 2nd colour of ink (I've used Wild Honey Distress Ink).

Remove the mask and use the outer from it to protect around the edge.  Pick up a little Wild Honey Distress Ink and lightly colour the moon leaving a little bit of white in one area.  Go back over the outer edges of the moon to give definition.

I've used Sam Poole's (Creative Studios) lovely set of stamps called Winter Wonderland and stamped the trees and stars with Black Archival Ink.  I've also used a white highlighter pen to add some dots of white in the sky and to highlight some of the stars. To finish, I've matted and layered and added some Creative Expressions 8mm self adhesive black pearls.  Hope you like it (and hope the ladies at the workshop like it too!)  I must thank Barbara Gray for reminding me of this technique....my head is so full of "new stuff" that I sometimes forget the "old stuff"!

We're back off to another auction today.  I saw listed 2, what they are calling, little banjos.  I'm hoping that they're banjo ukuleles (think George Formby!).  I fancy playing one as the chords are the same as the ukulele.  Did I forget to tell you that is my secret vice!

Now on to todays travel photo...where shall we go today?

How about a little island called Nuku Hiva in French Polynesia.  It's a little dot on the map in the Pacific.  Talking about the ukulele reminded me of it.  We (me and the "better half") were booked to teach ukulele on a cruise ship sailing from Tahiti to Peru last year and this was one of the ports of call.  Surprising where a ukulele can take you!

Well, that's all for today.  Lots to do as apart from the auction I'm determined to finish my mini book today and I also need to pack a back to take to this weekends journaling workshop being run by the fabulous Dyan Reavelly at The Artistic Stamper in Faversham.  Hurrah....finally a workshop near home!  Don't forget that Sam Poole is on Create & Craft tomorrow (Stamping with Creative Expressions) and will be showing the Wise Owl and Enchanted Trees stamp sets.  I'll be back soon so until then, have a happy, crafty weekend and many thanks for visiting and leaving comments.