2 Awards!

I have been blessed with 2 awards this long weekend, and am not sure which to show you first and answer each or whether to combine the two! So here goes, the first one was given to me by Tracy and is a beautiful blogger award, thank you Tracy! I am supposed to tell you 10 things about myself, and nominate 10 people too.

The other award is a Creative Writer award from my dear friend Wendy. I have to display the award, and tell 6 outrageous lies about yourself and one truth, or switch it about and tell 6 truths and one lie............and nominate 7 people for the award.

 So I have improvised and joined the 2 together, and here are 7 little known facts about me....truth or lies?
1. I once met Prince Charles dressed only in my underwear...
2. I love to eat bananas and salt and vinegar crisps together
3. I gave birth to my daughter in an ambulance.
4. I ran the London marathon when it first started.
5. I once worked for Sir Bob Geldof.
6. I have written a book on rubber stamping.
I have found it extremely hard to nominate anyone as there are lots of you who deserve these awards, so I have chosen 6 to make it fair...

Shar

Susie

Sid

Lucy

Nicky

Lottie

Have fun and enjoy your day!
Hugs

Recipe for Floral Happiness!

Ever since I saw a post on my good friend Wendy's blog about an evening she spent cutting out fabric flowers from the Tattered floral die, I have wanted to try it. here is my recipe for them!
Ingredients: Masses of fabric scraps in co-ordinating colours (hunt down bits in your local charity shop), a Tattered Floral Die , a sewing needle, cotton thread, a bead or two, a large eyelet, and a good pair of eyes ( these are needed for threading the needle!!)
Method: Cut out the flowers in lots of colours, pile them up high together, and scrunch. Sew tightly from the back squeezing the material so it bunches up, add a bead or punch a large eyelet through the front....add a brooch back or not!...Floral Happinesss......

Hugs

WOYWW...

Wednesdays! Always the middle of the week, almost always busy, always What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday! I love being nosy, and this is a fab way of doing what I like best , peeping inside other people's drawers...or desks, or boxes... Are you one of those people who always asks to look round someone's house when you go to visit? Do you open doors, do you open drawers? I confess I do! How bad is that? I am the one who opens tins in shops, and then all the contents fall out, how embarrasing, but I have found wonderful things this way, so open your drawers and cupboards and show us...that is show Julia over at The Stamping Ground, she who has started this phenonomen... we are all sooooo nosy!!!
My desk is a bit out of focus, never was very good with the camera! lol but the project on there is for a magazine, so better it is a bit out of focus, but the contents of it never change much, and the other photo is of my boxes of sprays and distress inks (must find a better system for them (as I route through them and generally pick out the ones on top! hence the same colours all the time..doh!) piled up under my desk in hand's reach.

 

Hoping to get round some of desks to be nosy today but off out and busy, so may be tomorrow before I comment.
Hugs

Playing with fire!

no not really...but actually this post should really be titled a happy accident. A while ago while prepping the frame workshop for Pickleberry Crafts, I sprayed the frame on the floor , like you do, on loads of newspaper, (mainly because the Packing Pixie gets quite cross when I paint the carpet!) , and happily sprayed away with my mica sprays. I left it to dry, and  lifted the newspaper and went to throw it away, when I noticed how the sprays had covered a headline on the paper... My did I get excited! lol. I have had it sitting on my desk for a while, and after reading Gerrie's post yesterday where she has recycled some paper towel, thought I would show you it. Much too good to tear up or die cut, so I mounted it on some paper, and here is the result....

I see myself looking at headlines now with a view to painting them! You can get Crafty Notions sprays now in the shop.. I do have to add some colours swatches, but they are all sooo good, I truly don't think it matters as the colour names describe them exactly!
Have a great day!

Waxing Lyrical

I admit, this past weekend has been hard for me to even think about working (lots of lovely hot sun, and gardening!), let alone creating anything, but I have had on my mind using beeswax, and altering a few things with it. I have to admit I am not very "au fait" with wax, but did learn some techniques at Ranger U, and already had some wax in a meltpot project pan, which has been sitting on my desk for a couple of days! It is best to heat the beeswax in a separate pan, as too much heat will set fire to it! To experiment, and learn more about its effects, I used a tag I had already spritzed with Crafty Notions Mica Sprays with a bird mask, and I just brushed white melted wax over the tag. I then very gently heated it with a heat gun, and stamped the Calligraphic mat directly into the wax. I did mask off the bird, so it didn't get wax stamping in it, and then continued to melt the wax until I got the effect I wanted. I brushed the finished tag with perfect Pearls in gold, green and blue. It is very hard to photograph the shimmery effect, but all in all, I am very pleased with the end result. Strangely enough it makes the whole tag translucent, and hung up on my tag hanging thingy ( the overhead light!! lol) you can see right through it... The first picture is of it without Perfect pearls, so you can see the finish the Pearls has on it.  

Hope you have a sunny and creative day!
Hugs

2 in a row...

Birthdays that is.. well along with my DH's of course...and I got busy and made cards. Cards are , like I said never really my forte, and Tim's bird came out and hopped into both of these! I know both of the recipients have got them , so now I can blog them :)

Have a very Creative weekend, I am working on my garden this weekend, and hoping to get a little bit of crafting in too.
Have a sunny one!

Sew and sew!

This week, seems to me like I am in sewing mode! well not quite, but I have yet to pick up a sewing needle, but I have come across some brilliant finds! On Monday I found an amazing tin full of mother of pearl buttons, and on Wednesday I was looking at Freecycle ( the best forum in the world for finding unwanted goods) and someone very kindly was goving away some sewing machines. Now, don't get me wrong, I have a sewing machine, which is perfectly good, old but good, touch wood, and which I use when necessity takes, but I have wanted a sewing machine for the workshop, which really I can set up and leave and which requires no knowledge at all, and I am hoping I have found it. It is old, but not electric, so I can use it without plugging it in, and it will do simple stitches. ( excuse the pictures as they were taken in situ, amongst what used to be known as my kitchen! as we opened it!) But the most amazing thing about it, is what was with it!

 There hidden in the end box was a VERY large mother of pearl button! This baby is 65cm wide, and next to it is the smallest set of needles in the most gorgeous of paper covers. Added to this was some old lace, and I have yet to go through the rest of the box. So even if the sewing machine is useless, it was worth it for the finds!!

So go on tell me what you have found recently.. would love to hear...
Hugs

Construction card

Today is a day to celebrate as my DH , aka The Packing Pixie lol (a nickname I gave him when I left him in charge when I travelled to the USA earlier in the year!!) is celebrating his birthday today. I did go shopping yesterday but got no further than my local high street, as I got him one of those multi fangled watches ( you know the type that has lots of dials, and buttons!) , so my trip to TK Maxx's and Hobby crafts was severely disrupted! Mind you I suppose I could have gone, but decided the time was better spent making a card for him, and a couple of other friends who have a birthday today and tomorrow :) Happy Birthday Wendy and Caroline for tomorrow! Cards are not my forte, and I struggle to make them.. give me a wooden box and some stamps, and I am happy. Give me a folded piece of paper and ask me to make a card, and I just look at it, and ponder!! Maybe I should take classes? However lurking in my boxes, I knew that I had picked up some tools ages ago, and I used these and some new steampunk stamps from Julia Andrus, and cobbled together a card for Mal. I have shown it the way up I made it but he immediately turned it around, so opinions please.. upright or sideways? lol

I will be back tomorrow with my find of the week.... :)
Have a Creative day

What's on your workdesk Wednesday is here again!

It's one of those weeks again! Seems I take take 2 steps forward and three back, but what the heck! It is sunny outside, and the garden beckons..but actually I have to go and look for a birthday present for the Packing Pixie, and like all men, he hasn't a clue what he would like, although the word "watch" keeps coming up! I feel a trip to T K Maxx coming on..mind you there is a Hobbycraft round the corner, and Maxx's always have the most wonderful boxes in store...lol
Anyway on my desk today is a new toy.. an electric Big Shot, and it arrived yesterday, and was set up this morning, and oh life is so easy now! No turning of the handle, no humphing and grunting to get it all through! Love it! ( if you would like one, email me as I will do them on special order)

 My normal desk,( the one with the mess, push it back, pull it forward, can't find it ) desk has a bunch of beads on it ( bought this week from Punky Pins,on the advice of my DD) and I have yet to go through them, so they are piled up ready to be sorted into a box or bottles depending on how I feel! The first aid tin is my bargain of the week, and was £2 in my local antique store, and contains the most gorgeous mother of pearl buttons! Was amazed when I found it, and grabbed it immediately.

Do pop over to Julia's to check out all the over WOYWW participants, and I will be round to see your workdesk later, as have a birthday card to make, and a present to find!
Hugs
 

New in stock!

Just a quickie to let you know that some more brand new Alterations embossing folders arrived today, namely the bingo and cracked and Damask, and the Swirls all landing at my door this afternoon!! All pre-orders are packed up and ready to ship.

 Now just to have a play!  I have played with a couple and they work wonderfully with metal and paper, and grungepaper , of course.
Will be back tomorrow with whatever is on my desk in the morning!! lol Bet you can't guess!!!

Free as a Bird!

Saturday was another one of my workshops at Pickleberry Crafts. I thought I would share with you some of the photos I took. The workshop was a multi media workhop, and we made a mirror incorporating lots of different techniques, which involved,collage, mica sprays, utee, Tim's dies,grungeboard, metal, distress inks, sticky back canvas, in fact almost everything you could think of! I loved teaching this, and if you are thinking of coming to one of my workshops, please contact Kate at Pickleberry to book a place.

A big thank you to all my ladies, who worked so hard, it was fun teaching you.
here they all are (bar one Sarah .. who seems to have been missing!) and Rosemary who is hidden! I think I took this at the beginning of the class as they don't seem to be busy!! lol

and here are some of the wonderful creations the girls made...

Have a wonderfully creative day!

The early bird catches the worm..

It is official I am hooked on birds! In fact I am hooked on the Sizzix die Caged Bird, designed by the illustrious Mr Holtz of the USA. I am sure regular readers of my blog know that I run with a theme, and then drop it like a hot potato, but I have found lots of uses for the bird die, and today I have done a tutorial using the bird over on Gingersnap Creations. To find out more fly over to Gingersnaps, and join in the fun. Here is a sneak peek...

I am writing this a couple of hours before I wing my way over to Pickleberry (can I find more birdie words..lol) for a mixed media workshop I am giving, which includes more birds, and which I will show you tomorrow.
Hugs to you

It's a Bird week!

When I was at Port Sunlight on Saturday, I spent the day demonstrating Tim's new bird cage die, using Ten Seconds Studio metal and tags. I think I am hooked on them, and we have plenty in the shop. I distressed inked the tags, and then sprayed them with Crafty Notions mica sprays and let the tags dry. I then stamped on top with distress ink. I used a TSS mould to emboss the metal. Add the metal to some card and humngo tape to make a sandwich, and then run it through the Big Shot to cut out the bird. Easy Peasy! I even added the wing made from left overs. The metal was sprayed with Mica sprays and some Precious metal colour added to them too. I had great fun making these.

This one was made wby accident, and really does need a little more work, but the Birdcage was cut out by accident, and I just added it to the tag.

It is not often that I moan about shows, but sadly my little wooden book bird has gone missing. He was hanging up beside me, and I cannot find him anywhere :(. I fear he has flown to a new home, let's hope he is happy there and the person who has him looks after him....
Take flight today and be creative!
Hugs

It's Wednesday again!

For those of you who have never even thought that Wednesday is THE day, then think again as it is!! I know it is the middle of the week, the day after Tuesday, and before Thursday, the day when you think it is almost the weekend, but no it is WOYWW day! This is the day that  the world shows their workdesk, called and blogged by Julia ( the woman with the inspiration and words to keep you going!)  I admit, that I haven't always blogged on a Wednesday, and I haven't always shown my desk, and worse than that I don't always visit everyone's desk (slap wrists!) , but I do love showing my desk, and absolutely adore all the comments I get. They make you feel you are not alone in this virtual world of ours..isn't the internet virtual? or is it unvirtual ? Answers on a postcard please! Anyway I am rambling and making no sense at all, so here is my desk taken this morning at 7.00 AM! I am awake... mmmm eyes propped open , and thinking about startng work..MAD! I also swung round and have shown you my pile of boxes containing idea-ology bits and pieces ( did I have a some sort of brainstorm, and did a bit of organising...?) that was a while ago, and they are now a mess again! The book arrived yesterday, and is on my desk for a perusal. I shall no doubt have time today to read it! not!

So if you are the mood, photograph your desk, and show us all.. we are a very nosy bunch!
Have a Creative Day!

Port Sunlight, London, and a Winner!

I am so sorry, I should have done this yesterday, but Port Sunlight exhausted me (I think I am now too old to be doing shows! ..lol) and I spent a wonderful day in London seeing a very good friend, and then my daughter, and shopping! Port Sunlight was such fun as always, and I met up with so many people, and had a blast, making metal birds ( when I wasn't outside have a quick blast of the sun!!!rofl), and generally having fun! It was good to see Wendy and Sue, and Lorraine, and Sid, and so many others.

One of the friendliest shows I go to. Yesterday, I spent with my friend Sulie from Vienna, and we talked a lot, and went shopping in the antique market in Covent Garden, and ate lots, and talked some more, and then met up with my daughter and talked even more...lol

A fun day! Back to work today :(
I know you want to know who won the Tim Holtz die and the little bird, so here without much further ado, is the winner chosen by Random.org...

The Crafting Owl!

Please email me your snail mail address, so I can send you your candy!
Have a great day!

On your metal!

We are off on our travels again today, this time to Port Sunlight Happy Stamper's Festival, and a show I always love doing. This is my sample for the show, and involves, lots of Ten Seconds Studio metal, and Mr Holtz's dies, amd Crafty Notions sprays. If you are coming along, I will be demonstrating this tag :) If not, then have a great weekend.

Hugs

GIngersnap GC53 Chestnut Theme-Read

Over on GIngersnap Creations, the Chestnut theme is Read!  You can interprete this anyway you like, using a well loved book as a starting point or text or anything you like!  I , in my normal jump straight in , don't worry about it, used some pages from an old book, which I bought especially to tear up! Many years ago I took a class at CHA on altering books, (and I am an avid lover of reading and books), and up to that point, desecrating them was an enigma to me! Tear up a book, turn over the corners, write in it! NEVER! But the class taught me to do just that, and although initially it was hard to tear out pages, and paint them and write all over them, I now can, and have done, and will continue to do so. In fact I have 2 altered books on the go, and love creating new works out of old discarded , unwanted pages.
My project for the theme was to grab some pages and glue them with Studio Multi medium direct to the wooden bird. I then used mica sprays, and gently sprayed  all over the text. Allow it to dry. The number 35 for the eye, just fitted perfectly. I did gently stamp over it with the open Sequin stamp.  I then used one of the wings from Mr Holtz's Fanciful Flight die to add to his tail. , and I had embossed some Ten Seconds Studio metal and made a sandwich with it sticking humungo tape to card and then the metal to the card, and running it through the big shot within an embossing folder. I cut them out , turning the metal upside down on the second cut to get a mirror image ( if you see what I mean). I added a little strip of embossed metal to the bottom of the bird. I also cut up a few pages and made a mini book to hang at the bottom of the bird. I did spray and add black paint to the metal to give it a bit of depth.

 So grab an old book from the charity shop, and just pull out one or two pages, and decorate them and enter Gingersnap Chestnut theme! Go on, I dare you!! lol

Tweet, tweet....

or should that be sweet, sweet?, as I have candy on offer. I have spent a very enjoyable morning, while the rain has come down outside,indulging in making a little wooden hanging bird with distress inks, rock candy crackle paint, dotty stamps, and the crown! The wings are from Mr Holtz's Flourishes die set, and coloured with Rusty Hinge and Barn Door. The crown is painted with Viva Decor Precious Metal in red.

 I am a great lover of those penny sweets that you get in sweet shops, (you know the kind, pink shrimps, blackjacks, flying saucers) and I often buy 50p bags and munch my way through them before I am even home! But the candy on this page is of the crafting kind, and a must for anyone who loves competitions. All you have to do is comment, and add the candy to your sweet shop to be in it twice. I am giving away a Tim Holtz die, and a new wooden bird that we have in the shop, along with the darling little crown to add to your bird.

I shall pick the winner on Monday 10th May.
Hoping you are having a great Bank Holiday weekend despite the rain!
Hugs