New Years Eve 2012 – Out With The Old ……

OMG,  you must be thinking, what on earth has possessed the Duch ? …… Well, this is how I shall be ending 2012 ….. with a very empty looking Craft Room!

Things were looking very tired …. so I have got the decorators in over the next couple of weeks to freshen things up, in my upstairs regions, nothing major ….

….. but as I am preferring the minimalist look at the moment, it will give me a chance to have a really ruthless sort out of all my crafty bits and pieces …. and then hopefully with a lot less clutter and stuff I will never use …. I will feel a lot less bogged down and  inspired to spend a lot more time in my “new look” work area!

Happy Christmas ….

Mahooosive and robust festivities of a Very Happy Christmas type nature …..

…… from Chateau Castle Greyskull

To Chez Vous!

xx A Huge Thank You And A Very Happy Christmas To You All xx

Oh my, what can I say ……

….. except for a MAHOOOOOSIVE “Thank You” for all the lovely Christmas cards you have sent to me.
It’s been quite overwhelming when I have come in knackered from work to find such beautiful cards waiting for me on the doormat.
I have appreciated each and every one for all the work that has gone into them …….
….. and the wonderful heartfelt messages inside them …..
…. it really, really has meant so very much to me …. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart…….

…. as the Monkeys are so oft heard to say “I feel very blessed in a Hello Magazine type way!”
Talking of whom ……  a very robust THANK YOU from Monkey, Darrell and Nigel too …. for all their little presents and cards …..
…… it never ceases to amaze me how they have been embraced and taken into the hearts and bosoms of their followers!They have kept me sane, if that’s the right word……

……. forcing me to go out and do things, even when I really wanted to stay under the sheets,  and to look at the world through their innocent and whimsical eyes ….. to find something funny to photograph and write about.

Marc said that his partner Rick had commented, after meeting me that he realised that each monkey was (loosely) based on a different characteristic of my personality ….. so that’s my straight jacket ordered and in the post then …..!!!!  Oh my life! – Anyway THANK YOU again on behalf of The Boys …. (who will, hopefully, be posting each day, over the holiday)

I don’t “think” there will be any Fiddle Fart blog posts in the week leading up to New Years Eve/New Years Day, but hopefully I can use part of my time off work to get a few posts scheduled, because at the moment, I confess,  there is very little in the pot.

xxxxx Once again, can I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your kindness and thoughts and wish you all a VERY, VERY HAPPY AND PEACEFUL CHRISTMAS xxxxx

Hip Hip Hooray!!

Jewelled Mirror No. 2…. But Shhhhh…… It’s A Christmas Present!

I use E6000 glue on all my mirrors.

As soon as she saw it “The Lovely Laura” wanted a jewelled mirror just like the one I made for my boudoir ….. and it was most fortunate that I had acquired this old mirror measuring approximately 40cm x 40cm from a local charity shop for £3.99 …… the frame was originally dark green, but I sprayed it gold before the gluing fest commenced!

Unfortunately, the mirror was not as cheap to make as my first one, because the original had used up most of my old jewellery ……..

….. so I am afraid that to get it done in time for Christmas I spent a fair few pounds in Primark on pieces of jewellery that I could disassemble!!

…. but I did have quite a few acrylic flowers, pearls and other gems to fill in the gaps.  Not a cheap present by any means …. but something very unique and special present for Laura.  However,  I have enough bits to start (but probably not finish, another mirror) and I will no doubt now be found prowling the aisles of Primark in the sales ready to snaffle up any reduced items that can be used to finish off the project.

…… Forget All The Top Crafters and DT Designers ….. They Will All Pale Into Insignificance Once You’ve Seen This ……

The most anticipated and cherished Christmas gift in all the world has finally arrived …… this is what my mum was presented with by the coach guides when my multiply disabled brother Stephen arrived home on Thursday.  I could fiddle about ‘till kingdom come, using the very best and latest materials,  but I could NEVER make anything as beautiful as this ….

Stephen was 50 in November … and my mum at 79 still cares for him at home, so we cannot thank the staff at his centre enough for the love, care and respite they give her and Stephen during the year.We know that Stephen probably only sat at the table and hummed as he watched the staff put his Christmas tree together for him.  They may have put a paint brush in his hand,  but he’d have just chucked it, as he does with everything you hand him (except for his cups of tea and chocolate buttons!!!!! ) ….. but as I said above, we can NEVER thank these wonderful people enough for working with him and making our Christmas so special with this irreplaceable gift …… they really are unsung heroes!

Christmas Snowflake Penny Bags

These are the other “Penny Bags” I made for the school Choir …. again using Christmas tree decorations from Poundland, bought for half price, working at 5p each I think.

Whenever I go shopping and see a “bargain” or a something that’s bit different, I will always stand a while and think about “what else” I can do with it. By just adding a little extra sparkle, no matter how simple, something ordinary can be turned into something that looks extra special.

Santa Penny Bags

I’ve only made two lots of sweet bags this year,  both for my Music Dept. as a “Thank You” to the choir who are always very busy at this time of year.

I tied Poundshop Santa Christmas tree decorations round the tops of cello bags that I had filled with an assortment of Christmas money and santas, lollies and chews.  I got the Santas in the Poundshop sale last year for 50p a pack, purchasing all they had left, knowing that they would probably come in useful for this year.  I notice that they are still available this year, but at full price!

Not a lot of work I know, but I priced them at costing me 60p each to put together, you couldn’t buy a chocolate bar for that! Hopefully,  for a just a little effort the girls will go home feeling that they have been given something a bit different in appreciation for all their hard work.

Bare Tree And Heart Christmas Card

This card measures 15.5cms x 11cms and is made using white linen effect card. (sorry about my shadow hanging over it!)

I have not made many cards to send this year, but this card is the one that will be sent to all the special people who have been with me over the past few months …. it’s very simple but reflects how I am feeling as Christmas approaches.

I’ve used a stamp from Art Impressions (no. G-1277), mat and layered on silver mirror card, with a dusting of Hunkydory Diamond Sparkles, Butterfly Trails and the tiniest heart flat backed gem I could find. 

Two Tatty Teddy Christmas Cards

Both these cards measure 13cm x 13cm and are made using a blank of white linen effect card.

For me, these cards are quite fancy!  They are made using the Tatty Teddy decoupage sheets I found in a sale for £1.74 a pack of 4. After I had  assembled them I added a little Ranger Glossy Accents to the bear’s noses and an extra  sprinkling of Stampin’Up Dazzling Diamonds micro glitter here and there for extra bling.   I’ve teamed them up with grey gingham and pink polka dot paper strips from Handy Hippo and glitter photo corners from Papercellar.

To finish them off I’ve also added a bit of faux stitching, small punched snowflakes and flat back gems.

Fame At Last …… And My Favourite Festive Bargain!

Oh my life …. I didn’t expect this …. I was really trying to get the Monkeys faces up in lights in Oxford Street via Marmite,  as it would have caused a festive flurry of robust excitement for chez nous ….. but all the pictures I uploaded of them on Facebook were rejected, so I thought I would see if my picture would be acceptable …… and so that’s how my little chubby cheeks got their moment of fame!!! Sooooo funny!   Why not have a go yourself:-

http://www.facebook.com/Marmite/app_478792335486805

I haven’t done much shopping this year and to be honest anything of a crafty type nature in my favourite Poundshop hunting grounds has been pretty much the same as last year (and the year before!) so there is very little that I haven’t seen or used before ….. but this are my favourite purchase of this year, to be put away for next year …… because all my presents were wrapped up ages ago …..

..... this little bag measures 8.25ins across by 6ins,and is gusseted and embroidered ….. I have seen similar ones in very expensive shops …. take away the tag, perhaps add a few small sparkly gems and no one would know it had only cost £1, bargaintastic!! 

Very Simple Christmas Card

This card measures 3.75ins x 3.75ins and is made using an ivory linen effect card.

The centre panel for this card started life as a gift tag, but the pattern made me think of mistletoe so I turned it into a card. All I have added are a few very small flat back pearls.  The circle Christmas sentiment is a die cut from CraftWork Cards.

Caterpillar Peg Fridge Magnets.

I can’t pretend that this is my idea, I found it on this brilliant site http://www.skiptomylou.org/2009/05/18/caterpillar-clips/ and just had to have a go.

Using pegs, small pom poms, wobbly eyes and a strip of self adhesive magnetic tape on the bottom, how simple? These would be brilliant for children to make for presents for Grandparents, Aunties, Uncles etc..

Snowman Shaker Card

This card measures 5ins x 5ins and is made using a hand cut linen effect card blank.

When I saw these domed shaker stickers in the 99p Shop near the main entrance of New Street Station in Birmingham I just had to have them. I may not use the majority of them all this year but there was no way I wasn’t going to buy a few packs to put away. 

There were several different design packets from Santas and snowmen to Christmas stockings, and I bought one of each as I knew I would probably never see them again.  I think they would look brilliant on gift tags too.

The sentiment is from CraftworkCards.

http://www.craftworkcards.co.uk/default.aspx

Christmas Jumper Day – Friday 14th December 2012

I shall be wearing “one” of mine!

The day is for a good cause raising money in a funny way for Save the Children by wearing a Christmas jumper on Friday December 14th

http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/christmas-jumper-day

National VELCRO® Month – Top Fiddle Fart Tip No. 30

The Velcro Top Tips just keep coming ……. Jose e-mailed me and said “Just thought I would tell you how we use VELCRO® in our Church http://www.sjayeovil.co.uk/ it holds the gift aid envelopes and stops them dropping on the floor and getting dirty (they are attached to the ends of the pews).

Jose’s blog ……. http://josesjottings.blogspot.com/

Freebie - Doodled Christmas Pudding Card

This card measures 5ins x 5ins and is made using white linen effect card.

This is the first card I have ever made from scratch just using a couple of pens and my doodling, and again it’s all down to Marc for just giving me that extra shove that I sometimes need to get me out of my comfort zone!

So ….. I used a couple of red pens with a touch of black fine liner to make the background panel, then I doodled a frame and did a bit of writing for the sentiment panel and finally doodled and cut out two parts of a Christmas pudding …. praying they would all come together ….

I mat and layer the two panels on silver mirror card for a touch of festive shine.

It was all a bit of an experiment, so when I put the checked panel onto the card i went for broke and decided to doodle round it too.

The sentiment panel was next using adhesive foam pads for more layers and dimension, followed by the pudding and topping (with an added sprinkling of Hunkydory Diamond Sparkles)  also using foam pads to hold them in place.  The only things not doodled were the table confetti holly leaves and red flat back gem berries.

If you would like to download this a file to help you make this card please click on link below:-

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dsguzj7slnb0bnm/FiddleFart%20Christmas%20Pudding%20Card.pdf

*All I ask is that if you use the doodle on your own blog you credit the design to me with a link back to this page. *I also ask that you don’t use the design for any challenges or competitions … but,  if you want to spread the word and tell others that there is a festive freebie going here …..  please feel free!