Las Vegas Here We Come ….Our Holiday Countdown Board

Just before the Duke died Lucy told her dad that she was planning on going to Las Vegas for her 30th birthday, which was two years away. Well, knowing the Duke, he would have tried to sort something out so that we could all go, as he always wanted to be a cowboy, see the Grand Canyon and we always sat down to watch the TV show Pawn Stars together, without fail.

Well, I’ve told Lucy that we will go together, but rather than wait, we’ll go next year, as life, as we have found is too short to put dreams on hold for too long! We haven’t booked anything yet, because we need Tom and the Lovely Laura to set the date of their wedding first and then we can work round it.

So imagine my delight when I found this pack of stickers in Dianne’s parcel from the US!!! I knew exactly what I was going to do with them.
I found out one of the last Gisela Graham mini chalkboards I have that I found on e-bay some years ago and gave it a quick coat of paint.

When it was dry I stuck on the one armed bandit sticker so that I could work out roughly where to put the writing, for which I used a white Posca pen and when that was done all I needed to do was add the other embellishments.  OK,  so I might have to start the numbering at round about 320 but that’s all part of the planning and anticipation

“The idea of waiting for something makes it more exciting” ― Andy Warhol

My Satchel Off Marc

Remember the battered old satchel Marc bought me for a fiver while we were out browsing together in Portobello Road a few weeks back …..???
Well I managed to sew it back together as the puncture marks in my fingers can contest and I cleaned it up with a bit of baby lotion ….

And now it looks like this …… I am so thrilled with it. I haven’t done anything else to it and am going to enjoy using it for the next few weeks as it is - a battered very genuine vintage school satchel…… but, when I stay with Marc later in October I have asked him if we can embellish it together and turn it into something very different and unique.  I am also on the look out for another one to do up, but finding another at such a bargain price and with such a wonderful person in tow will be nigh on impossible!

Happy Happy News

I don’t think I have mentioned it, and if I have, please forgive me …. but last week my son Tom and the Lovely Laura announced that they were getting married next summer.  Well, you can imagine there wasn’t a dry eye in the house, we are all totally overjoyed ….. this has got to be the best news EVER after the past couple of months.

So, as Mother of the Groom I am very aware that my beauty routine must start poste haste ….. hence the LUSH chocolate face mask, of which half was almost eaten before I slapped it on my face …. no Mother of the Groom can afford to be seen with enlarged pores or pustules on the big day.  My hair is also cooking luxuriating in a deep penetrating moisture enriched mask under my Primani turban!  There is much to do on this old face and many treatments to undergo …. lol … and …. so far I have shed 2lbs of unsightly blubber ….. I shall hence forth be a stranger to the Malteser and carrot batons will be my nocturnal munchie friends!!Needless to say there will also be a whole lot of matrimonial crafting going on …..  when I can get away from the mirror and scales …. so watch this space!!! HAPPY DAYS!!!

The Wellington Papercraft Range

Two more cards using toppers made from the Wellington A4 die cut decoupage 2 pack – Time Out from which you can make four cards.

If I was really being persnickety, I wish there was a little more background to each of the decoupage toppers, which I made up before I had really planned what I was going to do with them …. I used everything up on the sheet …. but something seems to be missing. I know I could have bought the The Wellington paper pads but they just didn't appeal. 

….. Without a little more background image, for me, the toppers appeared to be look alone surrounded by a white space, which I felt needed to be filled and as a result I may have over egged the pudding, if that makes sense?

http://www.docrafts.com/articleviewer.aspx?articleId=1073&articleTitle=TheWellingtonPapercraftRange

Cross Eyed Teddy Card

OMG …. if this card doesn’t make you cry with laughter nothing will ……. just look at it’s crossed eyes!!!  ……

I’ve had these teddy heads for years, whatever possessed me (or possesses the poor bear??) !!  But seriously, just a shake and the bear will take on a perfectly normal expression.

The only way I could think of finally using these bears, (after them being in my drawers for at least four years) was to make them a body in a matching Bazzill paper and then add a simple decoupage layer for his body. I just hope it doesn’t given anyone nightmares on their birthday!!!!

Such A Perfect Day!

Oh my life, someone somewhere is telling me, very robustly, not to give up on the blogging!  I admit I am really struggling and worrying because my list of scheduled blogs is dwindling … after 22nd September I have nothing in the bag and I am afraid my mojo has all but disappeared ….. but then this happens …..

….. the most wonderful parcel from Dianne in Florida! What can I say, but a HUGE “Thank You”.  It contained so many beautiful things and so many treasures ….

…. including this lovely locket, complete with shells, I adore it and think putting a picture of The Duke in it will just be perfect.  Such a thoughtful gift and though I have never met Dianne,  I feel she knows me so well.

Also in the parcel were some Halloween goodies, which is all VERY SPOOKY because when I was talking to Marc about my lack of mojo he told me to think about doing some Halloween bits and bobs …. and Ghost Sucker Wraps (above) and stickers are just the inspiration I needed, so tomorrow, after work, I am going to get me a bag of suckers,just love the name!!!!!!

……  and speaking of the gorgeous, marvellous  Marc ….. I managed to get a pair of bargain train tickets so that I can go stay with him for a couple of days in October ….. I am so excited …… we are just going to sit on his settee all day long, watch Create and Craft, do some fiddle farting and perhaps indulge in the odd one, two three vodkas …bliss !!!!

And then when I didn’t think things could get any better ….. look what arrived in my e-mail, OMG!!  What can I say, but another HUGE thank you to The Decopatch Place in Witney ….what a wonderful surprise …. and like I said at the beginning of this post …. someone is defiantly telling me something, and it’s time I got off my bum and started to fiddle fart again!!

First Wedding Anniversary Newspaper Card

I thought my newspaper template would be ideal to use as the base for this card, especially as “paper” is the tradition gift for a first wedding anniversary.

The champagne bottle was a free clipart image that I found and made into a simple decoupaged embellishment, adding Ranger Glossy Accents to give a glass effect and Stampin Up Dazzling Diamonds micro glitter on the foam.

The card is then finished with small scattered punched hearts.

Hello Kitty Birthday Cards

Each of these cards measures 4ins x 4ins.

Three more cards today using the cardboard stickers I bought from a cheap and cheerful seaside shop a few weeks ago and lots of paper scraps, corners, faux stitching and flat backed gems

80th Birthday Card

I know there is nothing remarkable about this card that I made for my Father In Law but I thought I would use it to illustrate something I really wish craft companies would make ……

……and that is sheets of self adhesive letters that make up certain phases like “Happy Birthday”, which on an ordinary alphabet sheet uses up 2h’s, 2p’s 2a’s and 2y’s instantly!!  I have a couple of boxes full of sheets with none of these letters …. but lots of f’s and j’s  etc. which I don’t have call to use that often..  I know I could make sheets of my own on my Silhouette, but I am not that organised and forward planning.  You can get peel off sheets of single letters in gold and silver …. but I’m being fussy here …..I want pretty patterns ….. AND the moon on a stick!!!  Any ideas?

First Day Of School Chocolate Bars

Whenever I see Cadbury chocolate 4 packs on special offer for £1 I snaffle them up, (after checking that there is at least 8 months on the the best before date) because at 25p per bar they are a REAL bargain ………

….. especially for something like this.  As you know I like to make little”fairing” gifts for my colleagues at school to welcome in the first day of the new school year.  All I have done is put a paper wrapper on the chocolate bar using scraps of paper and then just added a sentiment and a few paper flowers.  Cheap as chips but a sweet way to start the year!

Gardening Golden Wedding Anniversary Card

This card is A3 in size and made using an ivory linen effect card.

This card is very similar to quite a few I have made before but as the couple this card was for are keen gardeners I thought I would add a couple of brass trowel and tiny bee charms to make it special and pertinent to them.

The flowers and leaves are all made using punches with gold coloured flat backed gems in the centres, again to continue the gold theme.

Two Little Bluebird Cards

These cards measure 5.75ins x 4ins and is made using a white linen effect card blank

The above card is a very simple, but when I looked at the picture as I started to blog it  I  didn’t think it looked quite right, perhaps needed a little something more or the backing panel was too big …. so I went back to the drawing board to make the second card below.

I’ve used my Martha Stewart self adhesive embossed labels and felt birds from Michaels sent to me by Dianne, and my “not used often enough” nestabilities label die. I prefer the second card, but I think it would have looked better if I’d used the spotty paper, but after all the fiddle farting about I’d used it all up, typical!

Tuxedo Card

This card measures 10.5cms x 14.5cms and is made using white linen effect card.

Not an original idea I know, but with the Prom Season approaching in schools I thought it would be a good idea to try my own version.  I fiddle farted around with the buttons for ages plumping in the end for these flat backed pearls ….. I now wish I’d gone for real buttons! Oh well, back to the drawing board.

Therapy – My Decopatch Coffee Table

When we had to remove The Dukes marine fish tank it was heart breaking, but there was no way that Lucy and I could maintain it and if anything had happened to the fish we would never have been able to forgive ourselves.  In the end we managed to contact two lovely gentlemen from a local aquarist society who not only very kindly found new homes for our fish, but also completely dismantled the tank and all its gubbings for which I will never be able say “thank you” enough.

Anyway ….. with the tank gone, the room looked tired and empty and Lucy and I decided that it needed a completely new look ….. so guess what …. I decided to Decopatch (!!!!!)  one of our Ikea “Lack” coffee tables …… to create the colour palette for our new “girlie lounge”

….. and because I am incapable of choosing just a couple of Decopatch papers , I ended up using all the designs I had …… and you will no doubt realise that it also matches the table in my utility room that I had already done ….. no imagination me!!!!   Once covered I applied about six coats of Ronseal Quick Drying Varnish to withstand the rigours of our coffee mugs etc.

When the table was finished Lucy pointed out that as we had two Ikea “Lack” tables, rather than go for the Decopatch overkill look, we could mix and match them depending on our mood – Decopatch top with plain legs …….

……. or plain top with Decopatch legs …..

The rest of the lounge is a work in progress with much gratitude to my very talented brother Andrew, but when it’s all finished I will post some more pictures so that you can see the finished results!

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/20011413/

Punched Art Penguin/Elizabeth Shaw Mint Novelty …..

Now …. I am being very lazy here, trying to save time by being economical with words and typing, but hope you can still get the gist of how I have put this paper punched penguin together …..

These are the three punches I used ….

….. and these are the punched parts I have used to put “Percy” together …… not a lot to him really!

I’ve just popped him on a makeshift background to show how he would look on a Christmas card…. but you know what I am going to say next …… he would make an excellent embellishment for an Elizabeth Shaw Mint Crisp….

……… by just adding a matching plain black circle on the back!

Crabby Birthday Card

This card measures 5.5 x 5.5 inches and is made using white linen effect card.

This card is just a bit of fun, made it for the Duke's birthday last year as he had the most amazing marine fish tank which included crabs, so it became a bit of a running theme in my cards for him!

The background paper came from a free pull out in a card making magazine and the crab and other creatures are spongy, self adhesive foam shapes from Poundworld with googly eyes added to them. 

Snowman Tags

Can you believe these tags were made back in February?!  I found the wooden snowman embellishments marked down to half price at a local garden centre and at 74p for 8 they were too good to resist, but I knew if I didn’t use them almost straight away they would linger for too long in my Christmas box of bits.

I thought that the painted effect was rather dull, drab and flat ….

So I re-coloured their noses and cheeks, added a few stripes to the scarfs and then added a generous coating of Anita’s 3D Gloss Finish, giving them much more luxurious feel.

I then cut out the tags using a strong Kraft card, covering the front with a polka dot paper and white glitter card, adding faux stitching round the edge of the blue paper and on the back of the tag.

The final touches are made by adding punched snowflakes, a tiny handwritten tag on the hat, plus holly leaves left over from other projects and red and clear flat backed gems. I kept a couple of the heads back as I I want to try and make a few cards based on the same design and using the same materials, watch this space …..

Snowman Let It Snow Card

This card measures 4.5 x 4.5 ins and is made using white linen effect card.

This is the card I made to go with the tags I am posting tomorrow.  The blue polka dot paper is from Doodle Bug and the metal snowflake from a pack from Craft For Christmas.

A Project …. Having A Go At A Decopatch Chair

I have said a couple of times already that I am struggling with my mojo, which is why you are seeing a lot of my Christmas stuff now, because I have had to bunk it down so I still have posts to post if you see what I mean ……. but at the moment I do find Decopatch very soothing …. and it takes no thinking!

So, when I saw this chair outside one of the  village shops going free to a good home, it would have looked rude not to avail myself of it and bring it home ….. The Duke use to just tut and sigh when I brought “more rubbish” into the house ….. but I have been wanting to have a go at a Decopatch chair for ages and fortuitously Tom and Laura had bought me a pile of new papers a couple of weeks ago ….. so it was fate!!

I am also having a bit of a reshuffle in the house at the moment and I need a new chair for my bedroom, and this could be it!  I have never reupholstered a seat before, but I have a staple gun …. so how hard can it be?  So watch this space!!!!

Since writing this post on Wednesday I couldn’t resist making a start …. all I can say is that it is lot fiddlier than anything I have decopatched before ….. and I am dreading the knobbly bits on the legs!!! However, a little and often I think.  It is interesting to see how Decopatch works when put straight on dark wood … I thought it might be more subdued …. but it still looks bright and fresh. I am thinking that I am going for a cerise seat cover …. and if I could find a knitted jumper that I could cut up for it, it could look pretty FAB!!!