Liquid Beadz Pendant

Oh my life, I’ve just discovered Liquid Beadz! I know they have been around for ages, but it was only when I saw them reduced in HobbyCraft that I decided that  29p was neither here nor there to have a little play,  ….. well, now I am addicted and wish I had bought a couple more pots!  Typical!

The instructions were very simple to follow …. 

For this first attempt I cut a 2 ins square of strong card and covered it with a mixture of Midnight and Topaz Beadz with a spatula (not supplied).  They didn’t feel that sticky, but held onto the card well. I then decided to embellish the Beadz with other gems and charms I had by pushing them into the Beadz base, but admit to using a bit of extra PVA with them, just in case they didn’t stick, and since it dries clear, nothing would be lost.

It looked a bit of a mess when wet as you can see in the picture above.

But when dry I was thrilled with the results.

I wasn’t sure what to do with this first experiment, but in the end decided to turn it into a pendant.  I coloured the little bits of card still showing on the front and the whole of the back in black, and then sealed the back using Anita’s 3D clear gloss and added a flat back bail.

I’m not sure how wearable/durable it will be, but I can always turn it into a fridge magnet later.  However, as I like the end result,  I will invest in a couple of proper pendant bases to make a more “professional” piece of jewellery next time.

Wednesday’s Work In Progress

This was a Christmas present from my husband, it’s for me embellish and make more nautical for the garden.  I am not quite sure where to begin, so I am Googling for ideas at the moment.  I have some seashells and a drill, so that’s a start ….. I think I need some star fish and some crabs …… any ideas are very welcome!

My Suitcase of Crafty Treasure and Happy First Day Back At Work Favors …..

I was given a box of “crafting treasure” by a friend a little while ago and I am trying to use something from it as often as I can.  It’s so special  that I keep it all in a lovely old battered suitcase, so that its contents don’t get mixed up with my other stuff.

Anyway, I was looking through it and found these lovely little handbag die cuts and immediately had an idea for “little silly presents” for “the girls” to celebrate our first day back at work in 2011.

First I assembled the bags, using just a bit of glue and mini pegs to keep them together while they dried. What to put in the bags I wondered ………

I knew everyone would be back on their diets and chocolate of any description would be a out of the question, but not emergency rations ….. so I covered a Dairy Milk miniature to pop in each bag.

As a finishing  touch I tied on a small metal charm, also from my suitcase of treasure …… they are so cute I can hardly bare give them away now!

Blog and Site Hopping

I’ve been hopping again and I’ve found the “Jam Jar Shop” – I am always on the look out for little jars for sweets etc. throughout the year …… and this place has some really interesting stuff http://www.jamjarshop.com/index.asp

 

This year I am determined to start knitting again and I know that this blog Little Cotton Rabbits will inspire me to make a start http://littlecottonrabbits.typepad.co.uk/free_knitting_patterns/

And Here’s One I Prepared Earlier…..

This is an idea I got from follower Marc, to make ready prepared centres for Elisabeth Shaw mints etc. to use with my Stampin’ Up 1 3/8 plain circle punch.  Before, I have handwritten each and every sentiment on my mints, a laborious task, but Marc suggested that if I wrote out a sheet of sentiments, it could be photocopied or printed off again and again. Now, why didn’t I think of that?

To make the sheet, I first punched out a circle to use as a template and lightly drew round it twenty times on a sheet of card,  then I wrote “Happy Birthday” in each of one, rubbing out the pencil marks when I had finished. All I had to do then was scan the sheet and save it as a PDF file.  How simple is that?

The sentiment now fits perfectly in the punch and has saved me hours of work.

I deliberately didn’t add any faux stitching round the edge of the circle as that would make lining up the punch a little fiddly.

But by using a fine black liner pen, you can’t see the difference once the faux stitching and a few little stars etc. are added. It would also be easy to add dots to the letters to turn it into a dotty font.  I am presently working on a whole file of sentiments which I will probably offer as a freebie once they are done.

Looking For …..

I think these are called pendant trays in US, so far I haven’t found any in UK – ideally I would like them to be quite large (bigger than 1in square at least) – square or rectangular. If anyone sees anything like it could they let me know.

Knitted Tic Tac Mint Cosies

And……  the prize for the “Most Unnecessary, Too Much Time On Your Hands Craft Award” goes to ……….. Moi!

My husband is seriously addicted to Tic Tac mints, so I decided to make him a set of cosies to fit the large and regular size boxes for his “New Years Tut”  They made me laugh so much that I thought they deserved a post of their very own!

 

Now…….  just in case anyone would like the pattern !!!!!!

I used size 4 1/2 mm needles and some double knitting wool.  For the large size - cast on 27 stitches and knit 25 rows of knit one row, purl one row and then 3 knit rows for the top, before casting off.  Sew up.

For the smaller size cast on 16 stitches, knit 16 rows of knit one row, purl one row and then 3 rows of knit  before casting off. Sew Up.

That should keep his mints warm!!!

HobbyCraft Sale And A Bit Of Planning Ahead!

Just to let you know that HobbyCraft have reduced their porcelain pens to 99p each.  I managed to get an extra red one as I am thinking of painting a couple of mugs for Valentines Day.

I’m also looking for packs of baby’s Christmas socks. I have seen some for 99p for 3 pairs (which works out at about 17p each) I thought I might make a sock Advent Calendar later on in the year!!  Nothing like planning ahead!

Happy New Year - Starting with Fireworks Over Wolverhampton!

Don't worry this is a very, very short clip!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Happy New Year - 2011!

This was a Christmas present from my sister-in-law, she knows me all too well! Gym?  What’s one of those?????

And here before you/me is my lovely tidy craft room ….. I wonder what this New Year will bring?  Perhaps, it will be the year I can give up my present job and go into crafting full time ……. me thinks pigs will fly in great flocks and herds and hell will freeze over first!!!

So here goes with my revolutions ……!

To lose a stone by February 1st so that I can get into the ski trousers that sit on my bed post for my Czech Trip, goading me ……!

To try to do more RACKs (Random Acts of  Crafting Kindness) – I was been on the receiving end of so many last year, this year is pay back time.

And to keep on crafting and blogging!!!!  Happy New Year xxxxxx

New Years Tut Part 2

 Just a few more bits of Tut today ......

My Brother In Law is a bit of an artist, so  I have taken three pictures from his website and turned them into this set of badges.

I’ve made my mum two brooches using wooden laser cut embellishments with a broach pin glued on the back.

The “dinosaur fossil” above  was my son Tom’s Christmas Pillow Present.  It was embedded in a piece of “rock” and Tom had to chisel it out, giving him hours minutes of festive fun!  I thought that it could have been easily lost or cast aside in the tidying up after Christmas, so I rescued it,  with the idea of making a Bind It All notebook and using the fossil as an embellishment, making a more lasting reminder of our Christmas night! The fossil kit cost me 25p, the newsagent across the road takes all the free gifts off the magazines and sells them for 30p each or 4 for £1, it’s a little box of treasures and I usually pop in once a week to see what’s new in it.

And finally, I have made everyone New Year sweetie bags using Milky Way Magic Stars

On the front they say, “Wish Upon A New Years Star”
It’s all quite exhausting ….. all this thinking!!

New Years Tut 2010

Last year, when I posted this idea, several people said that they were going to start this tradition in their own families too, I’d love to know if they have……

I’ve knitted a lovely messy/rough looking scarf for Lucy.  Last year I knit her a lovely mohair one, which she washed and shrank to an inch of it’s life ….. but nothing lost, as I have now used it to make felted flowers with my Tim Holtz Tattered Floral die.

This is a family tradition going back to the days when my daughter Lucy was young and said she didn’t really enjoy bringing in the New Year, as nothing really happened, so we came up with the idea of everyone busying themselves in the days after Christmas making New Years Tut…….

 

I’ve also altered an old set of jewellery drawers for Lucy, that cost me 20p from a car boot sale (which I will post in the next day or so)

We call it Tut because that’s what everyone usually does  when they open their parcels!!!

After Boxing Day we all start scurrying around and being VERY secretive as we start  making little presents for all those we will be seeing or thinking of as we see the New Year in. 

On New Years Eve afternoon I will make my Father in Law a bread and butter pudding that he can slice up and eat cold …… instead of layering the bread, you mash it all up to a cake like consistency and sprinkle with sugar, Nom, nom, nom!

It’s funny, but I can remember most of my tuts from years ago vividly, like my Derek Acorah night shirt, made by Lucy, or the bananas and custard with chocolate buttons on the top made for supper by my son Tom, a frozen shepherds pie from my Brother in Law and a simple jigsaw of Jose Murino in a jar from my sons girlfriend …….. oh how I tutted!

My brother is Lego mad, so when I found these Lego sweets in amongst the “pick n mix” I just had to have them.  I’ve made the box using my box scoreboard and then found pictures of the Lego logo and bricks on the internet to decorate it.

I’m not really sure who this gift is for, I think I may keep it for myself ….. it’s a string jar, all I’ve done is drill a small hole in the lid of a squat coffee jar and then squeeze quite a fat ball of string into it. Aye Walla!!  I had wanted to embellish it with my ceramic pens, but the effect was a bit too opaque and so didn’t show up too well.  I could add stickers I suppose, but I think I’ll leave it plain for the moment.

More Tut to follow tomorrow ……

Foundling Museum - London

My Mum and sister went to London for a short break a couple of weeks ago, and my mum very much wanted to go to The Foundling Museum.

http://www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk/  - “The Foundling Museum tells the story of the Foundling Hospital, London's first home for abandoned children and of three major figures in British history: its campaigning founder the philanthropist Thomas Coram, the artist William Hogarth and the composer George Frideric Handel.”

It was very moving for them both and hopefully when I go to London next I will be able to pay a visit myself.

Just before I went to see my Mum for Christmas my sister text me to say, “Take some of your ribbon to Mums, you’ll see why when you get there”

I am sorry that this picture just doesn’t do justice to what my mum had made …. but it was based on an exhibit at the museum  called The Falling Thread by Annabel Lewis. By adding my ribbons I feel another family Christmas tradition has been started. All  through the coming year I will be looking for small pieces of beautiful ribbon on my travels to add and perhaps make something similar in my home next year.

http://www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk/exhibit_temp.php

I’ve copied some of the information for the website, thinking about all those babies brings a big lump to my throat…….

Threads of Feeling  - 14 October 2010 - 6 March 2011

Fabric swatches from the 18th century tell stories of mother and babies parting

“Threads of Feeling will showcase fabrics never shown before to illustrate the moment of parting as mothers left their babies at the original Foundling Hospital, which continues today as the children’s charity Coram.

In the cases of more than 4,000 babies left between 1741 and 1760, a small object or token, usually a piece of fabric, was kept as an identifying record. The fabric was either provided by the mother or cut from the child’s clothing by the hospital's nurses.  Attached to registration forms and bound up into ledgers, these pieces of fabric form the largest collection of everyday textiles surviving in Britain from the 18th Century.

A selection of the textiles and the stories they tell us about individual babies, their mothers and their lives forms the focus of the Threads of Feeling exhibition. The exhibition will also examine artist William Hogarth’s depictions of the clothes, ribbons, embroidery and fabrics worn in the 18th Century as represented by the textile tokens.

John Styles Research Professor in History at the University of Hertfordshire received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council to curate the exhibition. John comments: “The process of giving over a baby to the hospital was anonymous. It was a form of adoption, whereby the hospital became the infant’s parent and its previous identity was effaced. The mother’s name was not recorded, but many left personal notes or letters exhorting the hospital to care for their child. Occasionally children were reclaimed. The pieces of fabric in the ledgers were kept, with the expectation that they could be used to identify the child if it was returned to its mother. 

The textiles are both beautiful and poignant, embedded in a rich social history. Each swatch reflects the life of a single infant child. But the textiles also tell us about the clothes their mothers wore, because baby clothes were usually made up from worn-out adult clothing. The fabrics reveal how working women struggled to be fashionable in the 18th Century.”

My Christmas Gifts

I didn’t ask Santa for many gifts of a crafty nature this year, because I have so much stuff it’s untrue, but there has been a bit of kit that I have desired greatly from the minute I knew it existed, a Stampin Up, Bigshot Matchbox Die.  I don’t know how he did it, and I love him to bits for doing it, because my lovely son managed to find one for me!!!!  How brilliant is that?

  

My first fleeting fiddle with it (for the purposes of this blog) was on 27th December, in a bit of a hurry and I have to admit that neat folding isn’t one of my greatest talents …. but my second attempt didn’t turn out too badly. I can’t get into my craft room at the moment, but as soon as I can I have so many ideas on how to use it, including an Advent Calendar!!!!!

I’ve also wanted this stamp for a while, from Lili of the Valley,  as I work in a girl's’ school, it’s just perfect for a few ideas I have ….

And now for a couple of non crafty gifts …….  this is the most fantastic present, another of my objects of desire for years, a crystal ball – not sure if I’ll be able to see the future in it …… but it’s beautiful.

As is my sandglass pendant and necklace ……

I am such a lucky girl lady!!!!!

My mum gave me this Peanuts book,  the pictures and words are so lovely and very true.

I am hoping that I can use it as a source of inspiration for my family Christmas cards next year – so I expect you’ll see it again sometime in the future.

And finally, a lovely bit of fun from my husband ....... a technicolour shower head to make the drudgery of my morning shower before I go to work a "Disco Experience"