Seaside Treasures

As you may have gathered I am a bit of a beachcomber …. and when I come home I like to have the things I’ve found around me as a reminder not only of the lovely places I’ve been …. and also that there will be many happy holidays to come.

These vases are on the glass shelves in my shower room, which is completely white except for a bit of chrome in the shower.

All the small stones are from my favourite beach in Devon to which I’ve added bits of driftwood, shells, holey stones and dried seaweedy stuff, plus a few other bits I love like delicate glass balls, that remind me of bubbles, and old I Ching coins and thimbles for lost treasures …… I’m such an old romantic …….

I’ve cheated with the star fish though, I’d never be so lucky as to find anything so beautiful and perfect on any beach I might comb, they were a present from my sister and I just love them.

Fluffy Bead Necklace

Please bear with me, this is just an experiment!

Whenever my friend Lisa and I go to the Hobby Crafts Show at the NEC Birmingham I always make one dodgy purchase,  and it’s taken me until now to admit what that purchase was …….. bags and bags of these fluffy beads that look like some sort of suckie sweet!  They were 50p a big bag and I bought them in every colour, what possessed me? …. Anyway I decided the other night that I would never use them and was putting them ready to give to a friend when I thought I would have a play, before saying goodbye to most of them ….

I cast my mind back to how they were presented on the stall, which was knotted on/and between  two lengths of thin coloured cord and this is what I came up with. 

I used a purple and a blue cord and threaded two or three on one colour, then the other and also on both at the same time, making a knot after each section  (if that makes sense).  To be honest it looks OK and I would wear it, but really the cords could have been a lot longer.  I knotted the two ends together, I didn’t think as this was my first attempt it was worth putting on a proper fastener.

I found this picture on Google and think that this was the sort of thing I was trying to do in my mind’s eye …. oh well back to the drawing board!

Newspaper Card For A Model Train Enthusiast.

This card is A5 in size and is made using white linen card.

I so hope you are not fed up of my Newspaper Cards, I make at least one/two a month and as they are all quite different it seems a pity not to use them.

 

I had the card design in my head and the fabric sticker train embellishments ready, the fiddly part was to get the spacing on the card just right to fit the trains. The train background was a clipart image I found on Google that I cropped and then stretched.

I’ve made a simple decoupage layer of the train sign and put Ranger Glossy Accents on the number 70.  Do and dusted!

Docrafts Boofle Birthday Card

The card measures 8ins x 4ins and is made using a white linen effect hand cut card blank.

Well, this card takes me right out of my comfort zone, I can’t remember the last time I made an large oblong type card! I’ve simply made up the decoupage from a two sheet A4 Docrafts pack, which contains six sets of images.  The background is just scraps leftover from my Boofle 6ins x 6ins paper pack,  with a bit of bunting to continue the celebratory theme.  Done and dusted!

Butterfly Wedding Card

This card is A5 in size and is made using a white linen effect hand cut blank.

I had my reservations about this card as I was making it, not being too sure about the black, but now (she says modestly) I love it!

I was asked by a friend to take elements a “save the date” card (above) to use in another card for her to give for the actual wedding day

The foliage and butterflies are both made using punches.  The butterflies, took a while,  as I coloured them as closely as I could to the ones on the “save the date” card  and then double layered them to give dimension. Finally I added a tiny amount of Stampin’Up dazzling Diamonds micro glitter to give it a fairy tale type feeling.

Placing the black foliage was tricky as it was so small and I wanted to keep it as symmetrical as possible.  I joined the leaves up with a little doodling and then added small very, very sparkly iridescent glass flat gems here and there to finish the whole thing off.

To be honest the picture doesn’t bring out all the sparkle and vibrant and contrasting colours …… I just hope my friend likes how I have interpreted the initial theme.

A Shoal of Angry Fish and an Elizabeth Shaw Mint Crisp!

Following on the Angry Fish  birthday card from a few days ago,  I couldn’t resist playing some more and making a few more exotic Fish ……

Then I got to thinking ….. I could make a chocolate to go with the card ……

…… and here he is

I call him Bert The Angry Fish!

So What Have I Been Doing?

Last Saturday I decided to do exactly what I wanted to do ….. so I plonked myself down at the care worn Ikea table in my utility room, tuned into Radio 4……..

…… and did this …….

Oh my life!!  I have since given it six coats of varnish  …… and I absolutely love it.  It’s not finished yet though, there are six drawers of assorted sizes  to Decopatch as well, so guess what I am planning on doing this weekend? 

I find Decopatch very soothing and relaxing …… so be warned, there is a lot more Decopatch to come ….. hmmmmm is it me or is the bath panel looking a bit boring …….??????

New Look Crafting Space and Online Again!

I love my kids so much  ….. over the past four weeks they have so wonderful, I don’t think I can ever thank them enough, they have sorted absolutely everything out for me, and I mean everything, the only thing I have had to do on  my own  is work out how to order my weekly shop online from Tesco!!  I am soooooo pathetic!!

I moved ‘my’ computer up into my craft room, it made sense as the office is no longer an office …… but with the move I lost my internet access ….. however the Lovely Laura (Toms partner) consulted her dad and he being a computer wizard came up with the idea of a usb wireless adapter …… and as you can see by this post it works a like a dream! I feel I have a tiny bit of normality back ….. and can put my energies into something more creative than just sorting and cleaning which is what I have  mostly been doing …… as you can probably tell by the neatness of the room!!!

Blue Moon Card

This card measures 14.5 cm x 11cm and is made using a blue leather effect card.

If I was being critical,  the starry square (made from wrapping paper) is a little too big and needs perhaps another half centimetre trimmed off.  The moon was a charm I found at the bottom of my bits box. I wanted a whimsical look …… but I don’t think I succeeded!

An Angry Fish Birthday Card

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

I thought I would have a go at “doing” a punched art fish …….. a sort of Angry Fish based on the Angry Birds!!

I am dead chuffed!  The card is finished off with punched aquatic leaves, flat backed gems and a Craftwork Cards die cut sentiment.

Retro Kitchen Cards

These cards all measure 5ins x 5ins

Marc sent me these J Ellory Design cardstock sticks,  I just love the retro style and colours.

…. And as I spend quite a lot of time in the Food Room at work I thought they would be brilliant to use on “end of term - thank you” cards.

Simple Spotty Card

This card measures 7ins x 5ins

Nothing fancy today, just an excuse for using up scraps of paper.  The thick cardboard embellishment came from a pack  from The Range (99p) and the paper lace edging is  self adhesive from Paper Cellar. Done and dusted!

Hello Kitty Tags

These tags are made from using children’s wooden dominoes bought in a charity shop and each measure 3.5cms x 7.5cms.

Some of the Hello Kitty stickers I got in the £1.50 pack bought while on my jollies in Dawlish  were a little too small to put on cards, so rather than leave them to be forgotten at the bottom of a drawer  I thought I would make a few tags to go with the cards I had already made.

I thought that if people had already bought one of the cards they might also be tempted to buy a gift tag to match!

Docrafts Boofle Cards

Two cards today both measuring 6ins x 4.5ins and made using a white linen effect card.

I’ve made up the images from one of several Docrafts A4 decoupage sheet packs (£2.00) plus papers from either the matching Boofle  or  Papermania birthday paper packs, circle sentiments from Craftwork Cards, Paper Cellar glittered photo corners and a few tiny buttons and felt flower embellishments…….

…….. not to mention a bit of faux stitching, phew!

Purple Wedding Card

This card is A5 in size.

This is another wedding card made for a friend who requested that I took elements from a wedding invitation to make a wedding card. Now all I can say is the invitation was very purple and offered me very little in ideas other that it was quite opulent, and included silver ribbon and a tassel.

Now I am assuming/hoping that the purple of the invitation is going to follow through to the wedding ….. because as you can see my card is also very purple!!

I have taken a handmade paper and covered the front of an A5 blank, adding a silver ribbon to take the edge off the pattern a little.  The sentiment is printed on a metallic silver paper then mat and layered on a matching purple and silver mirror card.

To finish the whole thing off I’ve added a scattering of iridescent glass flat backed gems to the middle of all the daisies.  I shall await her opinion!

Off Line .... But Not For Long I Hope!

Because I am in the process of winding up Andy's business, I have had to cancel the office Internet account, which is where I do all my blogging. However, I am planning on moving the computer into my craftroom and having Internet access in there, but this will take a little time and sorting ..... To keep the blog going I have moved all my already prepared Christmas posts to cover August/September, hoping that I will be sorted during that time.

But I'll be honest with you, before I lost Andy I had planned to end ItsAllFiddleFart on 1st January 2013 anyway, as writing two blogs takes so much time .... so perhaps this is a spooky Derek Acorah way of telling me that in the coming months I will need to concentrate my time doing other things. 

Simple Flower Cards

Each of these cards measures

I have had these card embellishments from The Range for ages (99p per pack of 5) and as my quest to use all the stuff I have instead of adding more continues I was determined to finally use them…

but …. the patterns were a blasted nightmare to match up … so in the end I decided that the only way to go was via the  less is more route …..

….. and simply just add a stem, punched leaves and a sentiment.  Done and dusted…..

….. and another pile of stash disappears!!

Four Cards In A Hurry

Each of these cards measures 5ins x 5ins.

Sometimes it might take me over two hours to do one of my larger commissioned cards , but sometimes I need to fill my staffroom box with quick and simple cards with as little fiddle farting to them as possible, otherwise the stock would never get replenished.

I’ve made these cards by simply covering the front of the blanks with mostly Stella and Rose papers (My Mind’s Eye) and then adding a Craftwork Cards circle sentiment which I have mat and layered using my Stampin’Up scalloped circle punches on top of a contrasting strip of paper and gold mirror card. 

A couple of flat backed gems complete the effect. Done and dusted!

You're In My Heart ......

Friday15th June was Andy's (The Duke) Celebration of Life, it was a very sad day, but seeing how many people came to pay their last respects was also very touching, the chapel at the crematorium was packed, with some people having to stand at the back. 

We chose a picture coffin of a pebble beach for Andy because just days before, we had returned from a lovely weekend in Weymouth and had visited Chesil Beach, which has always been one of our most favourite places, so it seemed perfect, and indeed it was beautiful. 

We asked that there were no flowers, but close family made up bunches of flowers picked from our gardens. In mine I placed three of his fishing floats and then tied a brass radiator key and some small cork floats in the string with which I bound them together, and finally, I sprinkled it liberally with some translucent micro glitter .... because the poor chap always seemed have some on him, despite never using it himself!!

We chose a humanist service and Donna (who wore black and gold in honour of Andy's beloved team Wolves) conducted it so beautifully. Last Saturday she sat with us for two hours while we talked and talked about Andy .... and she everything she then said at the service was perfect.  People who had never been to such a service were very taken with the dignified and moving way it was all put together.  Andy loved his music and as he particularly loved Rod Stewart I choose "I Don't Want To Talk About It" as people entered the chapel, followed by "You're In My Heart" at his committal and finally Queen "Love Of My Life" as we left. 

Afterwards we had a small buffet made up of all Andy's favourite foods (all prepared by his sister and her family), salmon sandwiches, crusty bread and cheese, Fondant Fancies, Manor House Cake, mini apple pies, mini Cheddars, jelly babies and marshmallows and we toasted him with Blue WKD, his drink of choice (for which I always teasing him, saying he was very in touch with his gay side!!)

It was a strange, exhausting and very long day, I didn't really feel that I was there in a way, but it was perfect.

STILL WITH ME .........

In the week, to keep myself occupied, I decided to clean out the deep freeze .... all was well until I came to the bottom drawer where Andy kept his marine fish food, however as I delved I thought I had found what looked like some long lost mince ...... however, on closer inspection what I had actually found was a big bag of frozen maggots (which I have since discovered are very on trend in the angling world!) .... aghhhh, did I cuss him .... so rather than being all lovey dovey on my flower tag I decided to give him what for!!!

THANK YOU ...........

Can I take this opportunity to thank EVERYONE who sent e-mails, cards and flowers, I was so unbelievably touched ..... it meant so much to me you will never know.  From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU xxxx Your kindness and thoughts kept me going, and is something I shall never forget.