Seashell Picture Frame

Yesterday, I had planned/promised myself that I would finally clean the utility room as it was an … erm, mess!  But I had this idea niggling in my head and I just had to go up to my craft room …. after all, the dust would only come back …

So I used a wooden frame that I got from Hobbycraft for £1.29 (I think), the opening of which measures 4ins x 6ins and some seashells (the sort that come in half a coconut shell) that my lovely friend Marc had sent me in a wonderful treasure filled parcel, plus a few shells that I had collected on various holidays.

 

….. Then I got to thinking about the large plastic roses I had disassembled from a Primark bracelet a while ago and wondered if they would sort of go together with the shells.

So starting again and positioning the roses on the frame first, I gradually built the shells up around them, trying to keep the design symmetrical but without looking too regimented using a glue gum to fix them in place when I was happy.

It looked pretty good as it was, if I say so myself …. but then a nagging voice in my head said “Now spray it with the £1 can of car paint you got from Penkridge Market”  Agghhhhh, I liked it as it was ….. and if the paint didn’t work, it would all be ruined …… but despite my angst I gave in to the voices in my head!! 

Anyway ……. I love it!  I think I am going to use it as a mirror, I reckon  a Poundland bathroom mirror will fit into the back quite nicely.  Thank you Marc …. I couldn’t have done it without you x

Denim Pocket Card

This card measures 5ins x 5ins.

This card feels like a huge cheat as there is nothing to it.  I’ve used part of a 12 x 12 denim paper from the Carol Wilson set I got from the QVC Outlet shop a week or so ago to cover a card blank and then added one of the (real)pockets that were in the set too. I thought you could have a bit of money poking out of the top …….instead of putting it inside the card.

Tivoli Whirl – Ruffled Scarf

My apologies as my pictures just do not pick up the bright vibrant rainbow colours of this yarn.

 

I’ve been knitting again!  The shop I go to in Wolverhampton always has such interesting bits of knitting by the till, it must be a cunning selling ploy, because curiosity always gets the better of me …. I ask what it is and how it knits up… and before I know it another ball of wool has found it’s way into my bag!

Anyway, this scarf is made using one ball of Tivoli Whirl, it cost me just under £5 and it is enough to make one scarf.  The shade I have used is called Bright Rainbow Shade 962 and took me about 3 hours to knit on 8mm needles and 9 stitches. You knit it in the same way as Rico Loopy yarn and demos can be found on YouTube.

A Trip To Manchester

The Cath Kidston Shop.

My sister has been raving about the Cath Kidston store in Manchester for ages now and as we were in Manchester last Friday it would have been rude not to pop in.  It really was beautiful and naturally I wanted everything …. however I showed restraint until I saw the gift bags (above) they put my purchases in …. and then I did squeal …. I have kept them in pristine condition … as I have a project in mind for them….

However my main reason for this post was say thank you to the lady in the materials department who was very patient with me when I asked for a few couple of swatches to make these badges with.

Paperchase

You know I have a big thing about birdcages …… well look what Paperchase have gone and done to me!

Lets put it this way …… I showed no restraint whatsoever!

Celebrating 2 Years of Happy Blogging Today!

And as a THANK YOU I have a giveaway …..

Hmmmm,  you know me, of late I have been a little reticent about reviewing products, but when Liz from My Memories, an American based company specialising in digital scrapbooking called  contacted me to ask if I would like to try My Memories Suite scrapbook software I thought, why not? I wanted to have a dabble, mainly because although I have used downloaded digikit images on my newspaper cards etc. I had never actually used a scrapbook software programme and was curious to see how they actually work and how easy they are to use but I am not going repeat all the blurb from the site here …… just go and have a look!

 

I downloaded the software and had a good old fiddle fart with it …..and these three pages are what I came up with in a very short time ….

…. and I think you can see my progression as I became more confident in using the software, the last picture took me about 5 minutes…… I just love the paperclips!

Now, as I am celebrating my second year of blogging today, it is very fortuitous that My Memories have offered one of my readers the opportunity of winning a copy of the My Memories Suite Software.  All you have to do  is visit their site at  http://www.mymemories.com/ and then leave a comment here telling me which digital paper pack or scrapbooking product you would like to put on your wish list (I’ve got my eye on Happy Holly Days and Christmas Joy) and then on 27th August I will get my teapot of fortuitous fate out again and along with a “celebrity”  will pick out a lucky winner of a free download version of the My Memories Scrapbooking Suite.

Please, please, please use an e-mail address where I can contact you if you win. You will have 48 hours to respond   before another winner will be chosen. How exciting!!

And now the small print:  I was contacted by My Memories to do this giveaway. I was given a copy of the software to facilitate the giveaway but I can't give any warranty or guarantee of product and am not liable for any subsequent use of it.

And There’s A Little More To Come ….

The My Memories giveaway is open until 27th August …. but as I am in celebratory mood I have some other little stamping surprises up my sleeve for the coming week that will only run for the day they are posted ……no links to follow or complicated stuff like that …. just a comment with a reliable e-mail …. and I’ll get my teapot of fortuitous fate  out at about seven o’clock in the evening to find a winner.

Engagement Card

This card is A5 in size and is made using ivory linen effect card.

Lots of punching today using a daisy style punch in a variety of sizes.
 

I’ve printed the sentiment using Papyrus Font size 14 on ivory linen effect card and then have drawn round it using a heart shaped template. This was stuck on background of the same card and then mat and layered onto gold mirror card.  A bit of faux stitching and the punched daisies with a pearl centre complete the card.

Tatty Teddy Kraft Card

This card measures 14.5 x 14.5 cms and is made using a ribbed effect Kraft card.

At first I was unsure about the combination of grey and the brown Kraft card but it’s grown on me …. The Tatty Teddy topper comes with the 12 x 12 pack of Docrafts “Me To You” papers.   To add extra dimension I’ve used Ranger Glossy Accents on the bear’s nose, the parcel tag and the stars on his hat, plus a tiny cream bow and purple flat backed gems.

Framed Badges

Please excuse the nail and I apologise for the quality of lighting in my craft room.
 
After fiddle farting about making badges/buttons yesterday I was wondering what to do with some of the ones I’d made.

Then I remembered this picture frame I had bought as a set of three from a car boot sale for £1.00. A quick spray of cream enamel paint and a piece of ribbed Kraft card as a background ….. and Bob’s your Aunt Fanny!

Bandai Badge It

I had an e-mail from Becky asking if I had tried using fabric with my Badge It and not using the plastic covers ….. well the answer is yes, I bought mine for that very reason as I wanted to make badges like I had seen in Accessorize, (but couldn’t afford) that could be worn or put on bags etc.

 

As you can see from the first picture I have a several materials to demonstrate it’s versatility. First I’ve used a light cotton.  All you do is use the template to draw round the material and cut it out.

…. and then pop it into the drawer marked 1, on top of a badge front, slide it all in and turn the winder on the top until it stops, it makes some weird and wonderful noises which almost convinces you that you’ve broken it, but touch wood It hasn’t happened yet!

The next stage is to add the back, which you do in exactly the same way, but using the drawer marked 2.  That’s all there is too it ……. but I have to stress this is sold as a toy, not a craft tool, but I have had mine for two years now which isn’t bad going.

This next piece of material is a little thicker and a very small sample obtained (ahhhhem, cough, cough) from a lovely material shop in Shrewsbury, I dread to think how much it was a metre …. but let’s say I couldn’t afford even a fat quarter, but it is exquisite.

The material for this final badge has been cut from an old embroidered table cloth, bought from a car boot sale for 50p, sacrilege I know ….. and perhaps I’ll live to regret it … but at least the beautiful embroidery lives on and can be admired in another guise.

You can buy Badge It’s new for about £20 from many toy shops, or Amazon but it’s worth looking on e-bay first, however charity shops and carboot sales are good hunting grounds too …. I got a spare machine for 20p, including badges because the lady said she didn’t want to take it home again!  Badge It refill sets are also available direct from Bandai or Amazon for about £9 for 30.

http://www.bandai.co.uk/brand-home.aspx?BR_ID=9

Again – I stress this is sold as a toy not a craft tool.

Little Monkey Cards.

These cards measure 5ins x 5ins and are made using white linen effect card.

 

I can’t resist monkey stickers when I see them …

These were from HobbyCraft and I think they cost £1.99 a packet.  All I have done is add a pair of googly eyes to each of them to make them just even cuter.

 
I’ve doodled the leaves and branches and the sentiment is in my own handwriting.

I got four cards from the one pack, but you could make them go an awful lot further if you wanted,

Displays Using Tim Holtz Dies

I once spent a whole year just doing displays in a school where I worked, it was such hard work!  I still do displays in the school where I now work, but not on quite such a grand scale.

A few days ago I showed you the display of Replica Photo Albums I made for my schools centenary celebrations and thought that today I would show you a few of the others I put together.
The display above is the Music Lesson Board and you will see that I have used Tim Holtz Tattered Florals, Tattered Leaves and Caged Bird dies to make up the borders, as well as old musical instrument Christmas decorations, and old sheet music. Some of the music I have used as it was and some I have photocopied onto green paper for the leaves.  The music symbols were cut on the office Craft Robbo, (which I asked for not long after I arrived) …. this board was a labour of love!

The next board was also for the Music Department, it was so big that I decided to divide it into two.  The one half celebrates the achievements of the girls who gained distinctions in their music exams and the other side is a montage of old photographs from past concerts and productions.  I scanned the original pictures (both modern and old) and then re-coloured them in sepia tones to give it a shabby chic /centenary type feel.

Again, I’ve used old sheet music and covers for the background and borders

The next display board for the RS Department is a bit brighter, with a more modern feel to celebrate 400 years of the King James Bible.

I’ve taken a poster for the event, photocopied it to A3 size and then cut out segments to use as a background and as a frame for the information and photographs.

I think I enjoyed doing this display the most! During a sort out of cupboards I found boxes of old sewing paraphernalia and some original smocking, then imagine my surprise when looking through the archives I found photos showing girls actually doing the smocking!

In fact at one of the Open Days an Old Girl actually recognised her own smocking!

Finally a display of pastel drawings done by the girls this year of various views of the school …..

…… intermingled with old photographs of the same views.

Putting up of a display doesn’t take that long, but the preparation ….. oh my life, that can take me days, although it doesn’t really show ….

….. but when I am doing something really special I like to double mount everything ….. I must be mad!

Two Baby Cards

Both these cards measure 5ins x 5ins and are made using white linen effect card.

The rabbit embellishments were leftover from my none too successful foray into making Easter cards from a kit, I didn’t want to waste them, then I had an Ulrika moment and thought babies ……

I’ve just added  ribbons and  rattles. The rattles match perfectly and came from a pack of puffy stickers from Hobbycraft.  I don’t usually mix plastic stickers with paper embellishments, but with the closeness of the colours I think I’ve got away with it this time.

Birthday Cake Card

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

I’ve got quite a few packs of these Anita’s die cut cake toppers so you’ll probably be seeing them in lots of different guises over the next little while.  I’ve just mat and layered on a patterned birthday paper, followed by red and then silver card, with flat backed gems for extra bling!