A Trip To Corfu Town

Lu and my holiday to Corfu was wonderful, the beach, the food and just the rest, doing nothing but drinking in the blue sea, a bit of people watching and quaffing the odd 3 for 2 cocktails! Arillas, our resort was very small, so we decided that we ought to tear ourselves away from the beach for just a little while for an evening trip in Corfu Town and a day trip to Kassiopi. They did disappoint. 

Thank goodness we chose to visit Corfu Town in the evening, it was still pretty hot, but Lu and I are women who were born to mooch, so by taking on plenty of liquid refreshment we did our best not to wilt in the heat

  The old town was stunning ……..

……. so many romantic alleys, leading to mysterious places.

And, in one of my moments of pondering, I couldn’t help wonder why other peoples washing, hung out of windows and on balconies looks so quaint, where back home, it just looks, well …… shonky!

The shops were full of lovely things, but because all the shelves and sills in my flat are just as I want them (for the time being) I had to be restrained………..

……. so my money was safe with this little festive gathering, although I am always on the look out for vintage or “different” Christmas bits and pieces, but it made me smile!

I also decided that if I were ever to get married again (????? heaven help me, and no, I have no such plans) …… but if I did ….. I would definitely go back to Corfu for my trousseau.  The lace was stunning, and so feminine …..
…….. however, perhaps the ensemble below was a little over the top ……
…….. I don’t know why, but Joan Collins springs to mind!!!There were so many objects of desire …………

…… and inspiration, like this display of hand-painted magnets, which gave me an idea, using children’s wooden dominoes …… if I have the confidence to have a go at drawing and painting.

 

Happy days …….. 

Gingerbread Men Christmas Tags

I love gingerbread men, and I think Iris’s love for them too has got my creative juices going ……… so today I have bought you some gingerbread man Christmas tags.

After cutting the gingerbread men out, I put a scrap of red spotted paper behind the hearts, faux stitched round the edges with a white gel pen, gave them eyes, using tiny domed stickers and finally a red bow.

I used a ready made Kraft tag for the base, removing the hole protector ring to fit the background paper underneath, then glued it back down again, setting an eyelet in it using my Crop-A-Dile tool. I also edged the background paper using black lines and white dots.

Then, all that was left to do was add the gingerbread men at a jaunty angle, with a few small punched hearts, a scattering of three dot groups here and there, outline the hole protector.……..

……. and thread a narrow, red ribbon tie through the eyelet.

I also decided to carry the detail on to the back of the tags …

…… just because I could!

Christmas Tree Label Holder Metal Frame Decorations

Another festive project today using the Simply Gorjuss Santoro Tweed Metal Name Plates I got for £1 a pack (6) from NEC HobbyCraft Show.

I also used the last of some metal Christmas tree embellishments I bought many, many years ago, and that I wish I could find again ………. I made the backgrounds using scraps of blue and white glitter paper, attaching them using E6000 glue onto the back of each frame to ensure a good, strong bond.  I added a few silver stars ……….

……. and then carefully flooded the space (minus the Christmas Tree) with Ranger Glossy Accents, leaving to set completely for 24 hours.

When I was sure the Glossy Accents had completely set I glued two label holders/bookplates together, again using E6000 to make double sided decorations. These were left under a heavy weight for a couple of hours to make sure they were well bonded and flat.

Next followed jump rings, beads and wire loop hangers, not one of my most favourite of tasks, jump rings being my crafting nemesis, as Marc will contest.

And then, I could add the Christmas Trees (using E6000), to finally see if my idea would come together as I had imagined.

I am dead chuffed!  These will be put away and then given at Christmas to friends and family as a Christmas greeting that I hope will come out year after year instead of a card.

Gingerbread Men Red Gingham Bunting

Iris is mad about gingerbread men so I promised her I that I would cut some out for her on my Big Shot (now sadly deceased, but that’s a story for another day).

I have to say that, for me, the Originals Red Sizzix Gingerbread Man has to be the best designed gingerbread man die. It could only be bettered, perhaps, if the hearts were an optional feature. I paid rather a lot for it via an eBay auction, but it had been retired for quite a few years by then and it was something I really, really wanted.  There are a lot of gingerbread man dies out there, but I can’t be doing with the curly, boat shaped feet, if you know what I mean.

Anyway, while I was cutting, I thought I would try to make Madam some bunting for her bedroom for her birthday.I decided that twelve gingerbread men would make quite a generous length for her longest wall.  After cutting out I outlined the edges with a white gel pen, and put a scrap of red paper behind the cu out hearts.

Each individual panel measures 4ins x 5.5ins.  I layered red gingham onto plain red card and edged both layers with faux stitching using a black fine liner pen.  I then added the gingerbread men, giving them a red bow and two tiny domed, black circle stickers for the eyes.

The final touches were made by using the hearts that were left over from the cutting out and groups of three dots scattered here and there, again in white gel pen and black fine liner.

I used a tacky PVA glue to stick the panels on to a length of white ribbon at intervals of 7cms, holding the edges together with pegs until the bunting was completely dry.

I am really chuffed with how this bunting has turned out, it’s only something I have recently tried making and have really enjoyed it  ………  I now await Madam’s approval!!!

Metal Label Holder Christmas Tree Decorations

I am not sure what the proper name is for the metal frames I have used in this idea is ….. label holders, name plates, bookplates?

But, I bought several packets (£1) with the specific idea of making some simple Christmas Tree decorations with them.

The first thing I decided was to make them double sided, so the design could be seen at any angle on the tree.

I started by cutting and gluing the backgrounds using scraps of script and music manuscript design paper on to the back of each plate using PVA glue.

I made a tree template which measured 1.5cms at the bottom by 4cms tall, and then cut the trees proper from a sage green spotty type paper.

Next followed the trunks and a silver star at the top……..

…….. and finally tiny weeny gold/yellow flat back gems, all glued with equally tiny dots of PVA.

The next stage was to carefully flood each frame with Ranger Glossy Accents, I wanted to cover the design completely, but knew from past experience too much Glossy Accents can wrinkle the paper underneath , and going back to fill spaces you missed first time round is also a recipe for disaster. I wanted to get this bit right and so had to forget all about them for at least twenty four hours, if not longer, to make sure the Accents was well and truly set.

When I was happy that everything was dry, I glued two matching sides together using E6000, as I wanted a really strong bond ……… and then to make sure they were really married together put them under a large weight for a couple of hours!

Using a matching bronze coloured jump ring I added antique silver heart charms to the bottom of the decorations.

And through the top a thin wire hoop with a matching bead.

All through this project my fingers were well and truly crossed, as earlier attempts have ended up in the bin …….. this time, I think I got it just about right! This is an idea that I will definitely be visiting again, I am already thinking snowmen ………..