Mermaid Mirror

Oh my goodness, this mirror has been sooooooo long in the making. When an idea doesn’t go/look/feel right within a couple of hours of starting, I am really awful and tend to put it aside, leaving it to niggle and fester in the background, until guilt makes me take it up again, which, with this, I did a couple of times ……

…… but now, it’s finally done, as I wanted it for Marc’s upcoming birthday.

It was the mirror that inspired me, found in the 3 for 99p box in a local charity shop, it made me think of swirling, underwater currents and at 33p (along with two other items) it would have been rude not to buy it.

The mermaids came from eBay ( a pack of 3 for £6.50), I glued them onto the mirror using B-7000 glue, which is when I realised that this wasn’t going to be a walk in the park, as the mermaids didn’t lie flat on the glass and the strands around the mirror didn’t offer much to glue anything to. So at this stage the mirror was “rested” for a while, while I had second thoughts.

Then …….. I found this box of aquarium bits in the Salvation Army shop in town for just £2.99 which inspired me into action (with plenty left over for Halloween?) …….

……. but oh boy, it was just as fiddly to glue, with so little to glue on to and for some reason said glue didn’t like the surface of any part of the mirror.  It drove me up the wall, even though I could finally see where I was going with the idea!  So it was rested yet again for a few more weeks, until it was make or break …….

…… as the time to get it finished was ticking. So over a long weekend I started to add the round mirror tiles and different sized, clear, flat back gems. It was so fiddly, even after buying several different varieties of Super Glue, things still didn’t  want to stick to any of the surfaces, goodness only knows why?

However, despite it nearly going in the bin at least half a dozen times, I got there in the end.

I could have titivated the mermaids some more, giving them glittery scales, jewelled bra shells and something in their hair, but against all the other stuff, it could easily have become overkill.  A mermaid, on her own, in a shadow box, against a patterned, blue background, then perhaps yes.

Once I had seen it hanging on the wall, I did decide to add a few more very small, flat backed gems, but I also removed the seahorses as they didn’t seem to go for some reason, against all the plastic and metal they just bought nothing aesthetically to the party!

With the glue issues, the mirror, with all the fiddle fart is not particularly robust, so I will suggest to Marc that when he’s found a home for it, it should stay there ……. and as for any dust that may accumulate, it’ll just have to stay where it is, with only the occasional gentle flick of a feather duster on high days and holidays.

Guest Crafter – Iris Roo’s One World.

My apologies, I really, really, really have lost my mojo of late, but thank goodness Iris Roo has been able to help me out by filling an otherwise empty post with this absolute treasure………..

If ever there was a set of dies that have proved to be worth their weight in gold, it’s the original Sizzix Doll Body, along with it’s various hairstyles and boy/girl outfits.

Iris has always spent forever putting them together, I even have a much treasured picture of her with Auntie Marc, cutting out hundreds of dolls and outfits when she was about 3 or 4.

We took an old Poundland bathroom plaque (25p from a Christmas sale years ago) covering the original image with one of the world, found on Google images and then printed off. 

I can now see in the picture (above) that it’s centring leaves a lot to be desired , but it’s Iris’s work, so “tush” Nanny!

She then added two googly eyes and a silver heart on the nose

I believe every doll had a special character, a family and a story ……..

…… with one having cancer, another with a broken arm, a queen ……….

…… and, I think, two missionaries, which is why Iris was very exacting when I helped her place and then glue them in place on to the frame.

Boy can that girl rock a self adhesive gem!  In all, it took Iris two mornings to complete her idea ……. two mornings of many, many memories ……..

……… where I proved that I could still multitasked showing Bertie how to use publisher, bless him, all be it on a very, very ancient version, he was soooooo chuffed!  Happy days!

Another Bertie Rainbow Jumper

Sorry, only one post this week ......... I am still completely out of ideas!!!!!!

Well, I’ve had my knitting bag out for the past couple of weeks and my evenings full of dropped stitches after young Master declared that “Nanny”, his last (No. 2) rainbow jumper was getting too small ………

Now in my 20s to 30’s I was never without a knitting project, but since everyone I used to knit for has grown up, I rarely feel inclined to pick up the needles but old Berts rainbow jumpers are our very special bond. 

He loves colour and lordie boys clothes are boring enough in both colour and theme for a boy who is his own person. Last month the children in school had to wear something that expressed who they were for Mental Health Week, so it was a no brainer what his lordship wore!

I guess I’ll have to keep on knitting them, even when he’s in his 40’s and a big and burly 6ft 2in, so that he’ll never be without one. His first one is in his treasure box and I think No. 2 will be too, now it has a replacement.

This time round I decided to use black on the cuffs, sleeve top and neck which helped make the colours pop even more, and little added extra texture I worked two rows of garter stitch to the end of each colour band. I can knit all day and sew in all the ends without too much grief, but boy do I hate sewing the garment together.  I used to be so good at it, but sadly over the years that particular talent has completely left me.

And how did he like it? LOL, he loved it, especially the bumpy bits! Precious, precious moments and more memories made, but I think I’m going to get another one started, with a slight variation as he is growing at a stupid rate of knots!!!!!

The Cost Of Living, The End Of An Era(?) …… But A New Tactic…….

Since I’ve been listening to the little ones read at Iris and Bertie’s school, I’ve been relying on The Works for their 10 books for £10 book offer, to give as a little Christmas/End of School year present to the children to help encourage them to  “keep on reading” during the holidays. Alas, it seems The Works are only doing 3 books for £5 at the moment, I’ve emailed them to ask if that’s it for now, as there’s no mention of the aforesaid 10 for 10 in any of the stores I’ve visited.

It was such a do-able bargain, what else can you buy of substance for diddies for just £1 a head these days?  However, as I really can’t do 3 for 5, I’ve decided to look for books elsewhere, to wit, the charity shops of Evesham and let’s just say this girl dun gud, very gud!

I’ve been extra super fussy, only going for the most pristine books I can find, many of which don’t even feel/look as if they’ve had their spine broken …….clean, no curled corners, no creases, scribbling, etc.

……. and it’s absolutely criminal, but I’ve managed for pick them all up for 5 for £1 in one shop and 20p each in another! In one shopping trip I found enough to give at the end of the summer term. 

Now …… my next challenge is to find 25-30 Christmas themed books for this coming Christmas, which might not be quite so easy and a little more expensive,  but we shall see  ……….. happy days

Bertie’s Birthday Frame

Sorry, only one post this week ......... it's been a busy Easter break and other things just got in the way ....... I think I'll just keep to one post a week for the next little while, be it crafting or charity shop finds until I get my mojo back!

It’s become tradition that I make Bertie a sort of shadow box for his birthday that reflects his interest(s) at the time  ………

……. this my effort for his 6th birthday, to go with his interest in tea, …… he’s a strange child, he’s even got his own Tea Team website ……….

https://wwwteateamcouk.mailchimpsites.com/

Below is the permanent little table in his bedroom where he comes up with all manner of tea based concoctions.

I bought these plastic frames in large quantities about three/four years ago from Poundland, the best was when they were reduced to 25p each, when I cleared the shelves, I think I may now be down to my last three, but occassionally they still turn up on my travels in one or two stores.

I simply removed the back and covered over the backing picture with a scrap of stripy blue/grey patterned paper.

The MDF teapot, cup and saucer and spoon set came from eBay, I really wanted to paint them keeping the lines, but the paint just soaked into the the MDF and roughened up the surface/finish, so in the end I simply covered the pot and cup and saucers with Ranger Glossy Accents, as the Sharpie pens I had were too dark for the look I wanted.

However, a silver Sharpie pen did work on the spoon, which I then covered with more Glossy Accents.

The wooden letters (from The Works) also got the same treatment, pen, followed by Accents.

All I had to do then was fiddle fart with all the pieces to make them look balanced before gluing them down.  It’s a pity the camera hasn’t picked up the glossiness of the pieces, as they look rather drab and flat in the pictures.

To bring everything together I added a scattering of gold stars and clusters of three black dots (using a fine liner pen).

I think it’s turned out pretty OK and am sure the little man himself will be pleased with it, hanging it along side all his other frames at the end of his bed. 

Happy days.