Thanks Carla... and Patty ....!

A big thank you to my Carla for the use of her broadband as ours is off while we change broadband providers.
It has meant I could catch up with you all and find out about my wonderful surprise win from Patty ! I am delighted to have been chosen to receive one of her gorgeous canvases to celebrate her blogaversary.....Thanks Patty...I will treasure it x

We weren't meant to be left BB-less...but there you go....lack of communication...??? Lol.

Be right back....hopefully.......
...have a good weekend guys xxx

Altered Cutlery for SaWo

This weeks challenge at SaWo is "altered cutlery" I've made a pendant by bending a spoon and embellishing it with "gems", glitter and a silver dauber.
This would probably look better on an old chunky silver chain...but I dont have one.... so here it is on an old necklace instead !!!!
I hope you like it !!!

Bubble Wrap...for SaWo.

This weeks challenge at SaWo is to use bubble wrap to help make your background.
I scribbled over white card with pastels and rubbed it into the card...then I inked bubble wrap with Stazon and laid it on top and pressed down to "stamp" it.
I stamped the face stamp over the top of that and also stamped the face onto white paper which had also had the bubble wrap treatment !
I tore a piece of the white image to add over the main one and then added the words.
I don't know what's upset this poor soul but a few hours crafting should cheer her up !!!
I've been crafting since seven this morning so I must dash and get packed...we're going down to the caravan...hooray ! See you when I get back...have a good weekend x

Another Pocket for Ringbinder/Scrapbook

Here's another scrapbook pocket (for a ringbinder) to pop photos in...... or tags...or little keepsakes.
Hope you like it x

Something Round for M.M.M.

Here is my "Something Round" for Mixed Media Monday I used an old CD...some flowers and gems...an old pair of earrings... and the face stamp is from StampFrancisco
I used my Big Bite to make holes for the earrings and threaded them through the CD.
I hope you like it !

Passing on a Top Tip ....!

I love blog hopping, and looking at everyones work, but sometimes I struggle with reading what's been written as my eyesight isn't what it used to be. However.... I was given this little tip and its made life so much more enjoyable when flying around blogland....and also viewing internet pages.
When viewing pages on your computer if you press your control button (Ctrl) and the + (plus) sign, the page comes up larger depending on how many times you do it ! (if you want to revert back just press Ctrl and minus).
I thought I would blog this tip as it may be that, like me, you'll find it really useful ! x

More About "Pocket" Scrapbook....

The back of the binder looked garrish with the bare metal gleaming so I used fabric glue to put a strip of the cover fabric over it to "calm" it down.
The "J" was added using a jump ring and the squiggly orange bits on the binder rings are from an old keyring....but I could have used coloured straws cut into "beads" and threaded those on instead. Nothing on the binder rings is fixed so can be placed between any of the pages. There is still room to add loads of other things like keyrings, sports-day medals, mobile phone tags...or anything that has a loop or a hole basically !

Scrapbook Pockets......(or " pocket" scrapbook ?)

Here is the scrapbook I've been making for a gift for a non crafter to pop her favourite photos of her boys in.
Well I dont know what to call this, but as they say, "a picture speaks a thousand words !"
Anyway....this is an album full of pockets to pop photos into....and then they get popped into yet more pockets ! Just call me Lucy Locket ...Lol
....oh and I made a few mini books and tags as well....
Basically this is a re-cycled 8"x8" square ring binder,which I rounded the corners on, and then covered with cotton fabric. I glued card inside the cover to neaten it up.
I added letters to make the boys names to the front..along with googly eyes for the penguin and some other bits and pieces. ( the cover looks red in RL ..not the funny pink its turned out in the photo! )
I started the book by glueing a large stitched pocket in three layers...to hold more pockets !...inside the front cover. The photo shows two small corner pockets with bradded corners sitting inside the larger ones.
There are more pages but I thought I'd post them a couple at a time while I get used to the camera again....I forgot about trying to take a pic of glossy things ...!
OH..and I forgot to say ...I clipped the prongs off the brads and glued them on the corner pockets to stop the photos being scratched by any sharp pieces...My first remake after I realised what I'd done with the first ones ....duh !

Trying something new.....!

Sorry to be a non blogger while I've been trying something new ...well new for me !
I love scrapbooking and was asked to make a scrapbook (with no photos !) for a present, for a non-crafter who loves photography. I was told it was to hold photos of a mums three little boys.
Its been a bit of a journey trying to come up with something interesting that can just be used to pop photos into with the minimum of fuss.
I've thrown away more than I've kept but finally think I've got a book almost good enough to blog....and I've learned a lot along the way !
The camera's on charge so I'll be blogging some pics tomorrow.
Funny thing was...when I started my mind was blank...and now I've nearly finished I have ideas coming out of my earholes Lol......so I guess there will be some more....hopefully incorporating some challenge things, stamping etc ....and I can hand them out as pressies without all the worry of choosing the "right" photos!
Have a good weekend guys x

Fingers Crossed....!

Well after my laptop decided to die on me I have finally scraped up enough to buy a new one.... so ...fingers crossed...I can get back to blogging again. Hopefully I can catch up with everyone now and join back in with some of the challenges....but first just a few more tweaks and I will be rocking and rolling ( not literally of course...lol!)
Bye for now.....hugs and stuff....x

Photo for ABAA

A few days at the caravan with no stairs to climb seems to have sorted my bad back out, thank goodness....
....so I finally finished my piece for ABAA and, hopefully, I've made the deadline by the skin of my teeth !
We were challenged to make a piece using a photo of Jaqi's aunt. I dont know why but as soon as I saw the photo I had the old Marie Lloyd song "Don't Dilly Dally" buzzing around in my head...so I've written some of the words on the sides.
The fabric is Anna Griffin and the photo was tinted with a mix of stamp cleaner and pink acrylic paint as it was too glossy and I wanted to make it matte.
Darned if I could spot the bird so I stamped one...! (clever Patty spotted where it is though...!)
Hope you like it !

Free For you

I own these cards and wondered if anyone can make use of them. If so please feel free to download them and use them. (If I've made a mistake and they can't be downloaded properly please let me know...fingers crossed as I'm not known for my computer skills ...Lol! )
I am still having problems with my back and I'm still struggling to sit crafting for very long, so as a thank you to everyone who has been so supportive through my year of blogging, I wondered if anyone would like one of the pieces on my blog and I will also send a little surprise with it.(Happy to post to anywhere!) Please leave a comment and if you would like something I will sort out addys and post an email addy to write to when I get back home. (We are at the caravan for the weekend)
Have a happy crafty weekend guys x

"On The Beach" for Mixed Media monday

I'm afraid crafting is a bit slow and erratic at the moment as I've done my back in, so I've been spending most of my time feeling sorry for myself, and cuddling a hot water bottle....!
I've managed to finish a 4x4 for Rosie's "Beach" theme at MixedMediaMonday and hopefully I can get some more things finished soon.
The "sand" is silicone glue covered with gold dauber. The "waves" are strips of scalloped card, edged with ink and layered. And the image, which I tinted with ink, is from the Bill Blanton archives.
I was hoping to think up a witty caption for this but nope ...nothing...so I think my brain has gone the same way as my back...Lol!
Thanks for popping by x

"Glamour Girls" for Theme Thursday

Here is my "Glamour Girl" for this week's challenge at Theme Thursday which is "glamour girls"
My girl was courtesy of Art-e-zine
The background was made with paisley stamps...stamped in black and gold on a "stone" backing which was scuffed with silver.
The scary thing is I remember using this make-up....but it never made me look like that!
Catch up with you all on Sunday...have a good weekend x

"Numbers" and "Altered Postcard Back"

Here's my "Altered Postcard Back" for Wednesday Stamper
...and my "Numbers" piece for Lots To Do
I finally got to play with my TH clock mask for this one !
DH and I walked for miles last Sunday and woke up on Monday feeling like "death warmed up" so it wasn't long before we were wishing we were a bit younger and could put the clock back....heres my take on going back to the past....!
I used distress inks, gold dauber and "Paper Artsy" stamps.
I triple stamped (using sepia, mahogany and gold) on the words.... and double stamped (using mahogany and gold) on the numbers.
I hope you like what I've made....!
Many thanks to The Feathered Nest for the shared "postcard" download.

"Fossil Stone Technique" for SaWo

Cleo is our GD at SaWo this week and has asked us to make a piece using the "Fossil Stone" technique.
There's a brilliant tutorial on Cleos blog showing us how its done so I thought I'd give it a try.
Heres what I came up with...I hope you like it !

I hope everyone's having a lovely Easter weekend x
...We're going to have a couple of days away so I'll catch up with you all on Monday when I get back home x

Crazy Background for SaWo and Tim Holtz for Crazy Amigos

Heres an ATC for the challenge at SaWo which is "Crazy Background" and also for the challenge at Crazy Amigos which is "Tim Holtz"
I thought it would be fun to use an invoice from The Artistic Stamper to put my background on so I scrunched it up and scuffed it with Rangers Distress ink and then sprayed it with water. I added some drops of gold alchohol ink and then ironed the paper flat. (one of Tim Holtz techniques on his DVD)
I cut a piece of my paper for the ATC and put it onto cardstock and edged it with gold dabber. As the invoice had been for T.H. ideology masks I used one of the masks to make borders with a gold dabber.
The invoice printing (The Artistic Stamper) was showing through so I thought I'd do some stamping and colour it.
Thanks for looking !

"Art" for Lots to Do

The challenge at Lots To Do this week is "Art"
....Well I'm not sure if this is art but I did enjoy doing it and there's been a lot of splodging around while I tried out different things !
... so here's another double-page of my altered bird book. This is double-page 4 so I'm slowly getting there. (The others are quite a few posts back...17th march-ish!)
I used dabbers, acrylic paints,sequin waste, stamps, pearlised glue and gold paint to build up the background.
I hope you like it...and thank you Sam for the challenge x

"Felt " for ABAA

Well the last couple of days have been manic after getting a phone call to say our caravan had sprung a leak from the mains water pipe! As its down in Cornwall it was a mad dash to try to sort it out especially as we're hoping to go there for Easter. Fortunately its all sorted now so I'm glad to get back ....and get stuck into a challenge !
Heres my "Felt" pincushion for ABAA this week.
Basically its a square of felt, folded into a triangle, stuffed and stitched ...and the "ears" tied with ribbon. The flowers are stamped on felt and cut out....and then fabric-glued to the cushion. (Stamp is a "Home and Heart" one and ink was Rangers Distress in Aged Mahogany) A piece of lace and a few pretty coloured dressmakers pins for decoration, and there you have it !
This could also be made to hold lavender or pot pourri I guess.....anyway...I hope you like it !

Come on...Lets twist again......

I've made two more pieces of altered cutlery for the ABAA challenge because I was determined not to be beaten at trying to twist a fork!
(See post below.)
I've also managed to twist the handle of a spoon till it was back to front.. Lol!
I've got four of the metal masks so theres only one more piece to go to make a sort of "set" of four.
Once the fourth piece is done I should have got this out of my system... (oh yeah?)
...off to finish number four.....Catch you later !

Altered Cutlery for ABAA

The amazing Patty Szymkowicz is the guest designer at Awfully Big Art Adventure this week and she has chosen the theme "Altered Cutlery". Patty's altered cutlery is absolutely stunning so theres a lot to live up to !
Nothing ventured nothing gained... so I set about twisting a fork with a pair of pliers...the fork didn't budge...but the pliers twisted beautifully !
Then I tried making a hole in a spoon...which shot up in the air and landed in the sink...so not a good start ! Lol!
I finally decided to just go for embellishing an egg spoon while I was still in one piece !
I gold dabbered the spoon and heat embossed various colours of powder on the back and front of the bowl.
I then wired some beads...making a loop for the charm and threaded the wire back through the large bead to secure it. I wrapped the plain end of the wire around the base of the bowl and twisted the wired beads around the handle.
Finally I gold dabbered the mask and added it to the bowl with silicone glue.
This has got to be some of the most enjoyable crafting I have ever done...Thanks Patty ...and Thanks ABAA !

Card for "Truly Scrumptious"

Here is my card for the Truly Scrumptious challenge which is to follow a sketch......and add something shiny. (My "shiny" is the gold embossing)
I stamped and embossed a piece of cardstock for my image...and then added the other things until I'd built the main card up to follow the sketch.
(The sentiment looks pale blue in the pic but its white in RL !)
Thanks for looking x

Oriental for MMM

The theme at Mixed Media Monday this week is "Oriental" and Rosie has made two beautiful boxes to inspire everyone.
Here's my entry for this week.
This is a book I already had made....it hasn't been entered for any challenges so I thought it would be nice to enter it for this one
.... I hope you like it !

Sew an ATC for SaWo

ATC Front

ATC Back


The challenge at Saturday Workout this week is "Sew An ATC"
Well its nice to do something different and making this ATC was a first for me. I must say I did enjoy myself !
I've made my ATC with fabric and added a pocket so that a small card (or photo) can be put in it.
I didnt have any stiffener so I placed a piece of card between the layers before stitching through them all. (I used my old hand Singer for this as it will stitch through virtually anything !)
The fabric on the back was stamped with Stazon.
I hope you like it !

"Birdhouse" for ABAA

Well I was getting a bit stuck with the altered book I'm making and "Hooray" because the challenge at Awfully Big Art Adventure is "Birdhouse" ! ( My book is a birdwatchers pocket companion so I've been using a bird theme for it)
I've had a lovely afternoon playing again so here's another double page towards finishing my book.
Thanks for taking a look......
(More pages below...!)