Who you calling PUMPKIN FACE?

 I make no apologies for using these pumpkin stamps AGAIN.....I just LOVE them and it is nearly HALLOWE'EN.

 I saw someone else somewhere replace the heads of the STAMPOTIQUE figures with pumpkins but I can't remember where.......if anyone knows let me know and I will give credit for the idea. I thought it was such a fun idea I had to play with it.

 I think they just look so comical with pumpkin heads and bows!

 Pumpkins hanging from a trailing vine across the top of the page!

I am entering this journal page for the WEDNESDAY STAMPER challenge where the theme this week is FACES..... these pumpkins have faces do they not!!

Do you want a trick or a treat?

 Today is the day for the next STAMPOTIQUE DESIGNERS challenge which is to make a trick or treat bag/container.

 Here is my trick or treat pouch. It is folded from book pages (I stick three together for extra stength) and then stitched with a sewing machine.....the stitching went a little wonky but I think it adds to the look....well, that's my excuse anyway!

 Add CHOCOLATE!!

I picked up this cute skull bead at a recent bead fair.
All stamps used are by STAMPOTIQUE and are availabe in the UK from 
THE STAMP ATTIC
Altered Happy 7174
Halloween 7216
Two sticks 6006
Swirl stalks 3028
Halloween cube 2 6110

A bit of an OWL day

 Yesterday turned into a bit of an OWL day! First I made this little hanging, I cut out a VERY rough owl shape.....it is a very forgiving shape, almost as soon as you cut it it becomes an owl......then I attached it very loosely to the fabric (glue stick) and then stitched RANDOMLY around it with my sewing machine. Add feet, a beak and rays around the eyes and VOILA an owl!
You might notice I used some of my goodies that I picked up the other day.......the centres of the eyes are press studs, I used a piece of that ribbon along the top (I found out it says in eternal/everlasting/perpetual memory) and the hanger from the black thread.

 Next I made this little book........again stitched the owl but this time on a felt square (about 12cm), stitched two squares together to make the covers.

 Then came the owls long legged bird friend............

 here you can see the pages......these were stitched to an extra piece of felt and........

 ......that was stitched between the front and back covers

And finally here is a sneak peek of another owl project that will be appearing on THE STAMP ATTIC blog in a couple of days time, so keep a look- out for that!

TEA (bag) ANYONE?

One of my favourite challenge sites is OH ALICE....every Saturday a new Alice themed challenge is issued and this week we are challenged to use TEA-BAG FOLDING as part of our pieces......also TIME but that's not essential!
Now you may not know this but way back when tea-bag folding was very popular especially here in the UK I used to teach it! So this is a bit of a blast from the past for me!

I made my folded flowers/tree tops from old book pages.....my fav thing to use if I can fit it in! When I sprayed them (with Distress re-inker in a spray bottle with a little water) they popped open like real flowers!

 The clock in the centre of this flower is on a very rusty bottle top I picked up yesterday.

 Another bottle top clock.......the paper I used for the clocks and in the background is a new one from 7Gypsies called PADDINGTON

Alice and the White Rabbit stamps are Mabel Lucie Atwell drawings from
THE ARTISTIC STAMPER.

And finally this is the back of my piece........you can see it is the covers of an old book! The wires you can see are holding the twigs I used for the tree trunks/flower stems in place.
I rarely enter the same piece for more than one challenge but I am making an exception this week as I ran out of time! So I am also entering this for the SIMON SAYS STAMP AND SHOW challenge where this week the theme is NUMBERS.

Not so exotic........

......but interesting, ........well I think so, life is not all bling and big chandeliers!
On Thursday I went with a UK friend and a local Russian friend to a place called BARAHOLKA. It can best be described as a market/bazaar where you can buy just about ANYTHING. As we are only about 300km from the Chinese border here in Almary a lot of the goods are very cheap Chinese.
We went looking for craft/haberdashery stuff for the things we are making at the handicrafts group for sale later in the year at the IWC charity bazaar.......a very good cause as the proceeds are used to make food parcels for eldery people here in Almaty.

 As you can see it's all very make-shift......lots of the stalls/little shops are made from old shipping containers.....I now know where old containers go to die!

 Camel hair socks.......ouch!! ITCHY!!

 The day was not helped by the fact it was POURING with rain! The market runs alongside the road for a few miles.

 My little haul from the day.

 They sell skeletons n Kazakhstan!!! Pull the cord on his head and his tongue goes in and out!

 Nice thread, braid and paper ribbon......all very cheap. The circle of leaf head pins was about 50p!

And finally.......this is a DOMBRA, a local two string guitar like instrument and I bought this for my husband as it was his birthday yesterday and he likes to mess with guitars!

Altered Alice

There is a new blog out there set up especially to feature ALTERED Alice in Wonderland projects, it is called appropriately........ALTERED ALICE.
As you may have realised if you have visited my blog over the months.......I like Alice!! So, I was very honoured when Lynne Phelps who runs the Altered Alice blog asked me if she could feature some of my Alice projects.....of course I said yes! My Alice/steam punk book is the current featured project along with a lovely write up from Lynne.
Lynne is also on the design team of another Alice themed blog.......OH ALICE! .....a curioius little challenge blog where all is not as it seems!!! Every Saturday a challenge inspired by Alice is issued!

Not that I love pumpkins.......

 but I do!!

 A5 journal this time...........a pumpkin patch under a starry sky.........

 

...........where Mr Stripes and his stripy friends are just hanging around!

Pumpkins are INKADINKADO and Mr Stripes is STAMPOTIQUE

More of my world

Today I am offcially a member of the International Womens Club here in Almaty, a great way to meet new people! The meetings are usually held at the Intercontinental Hotel but today it was at the newly completed Golden Tulip Hotel.

This is the foyer! That chandelier is HUGE!

The room where our meeting was held......more chandeliers!

Today we had a talk on the work of UNESCO here in Kazakhstan and the neighbouring countries

A VERY shiny black and gold sofa! Here in Kazakhstan it seems that gold and shiny is the order of the day, the more BLING the better!

After the meeting we wandered just down the road to what looks like a mosque but is in fact a restaurant.......we did not have time for lunch today but I intend to go back, it looks lovely.

 The main part of the restaurant......

 with tables outside but under cover or you can eat in

 a seperate, private dining area where..........

 you sit cross-legged around a low table

 this guy guards the entrance way!

beautiful wooden carved doors at the entrance.
Hope you enjoyed another taste of kazxakhstan!

My world......

.......for the next eight weeks!
 I am now back in Kazakhstan, arrived EARLY on Sunday morning.
I thought I would share some of what is going to keep me sane and entertained for the next weeks!

 This is the living room space in our apartment

My contact with the outside world!

 A pile of journals waiting to be filled!

Some of my limited supplies.......it surprises me how little I actually need to work with!

Part of our little library.......you need something else to do when you tire of journals etc!

I will, of course, be venturing outside of the apartment and I will show pics of what I get up to out and about but I do spend a fair amount of time here so thought I'd share this part of my world.