ooh new camera and some coasters

First of all, sorry its been so long between posts, I have not been very well but am slowly getting my craft mojo back (and downloading the photos). I am still looking for a free programme to resize, crop etc my photos ready for the web, so if anyone can recommend one then please post a comment.

So, what's been going on? Well, I have finally bought myself a new camera, a Panasonic Lumix and I am loving it, its so easy to use and takes wonderfully crisp pictures. It was getting a bit of a pain setting the SLR up for my art shots, so this should be so much easier and hopefully encourage me to upload lots more photos.

Whilst going through my photo's I came across quite a few craft ones that I don't think I have shared with the wider world...

These are the next lot of coasters I have made (hopefully for the present box I keep for Christmas and celebrations)

These 2 are plain MDF blanks that I distressed with distress inks, masking and stamping, adding various layers of colour and then adding depth by lifting some of the colour off with an alcohol free baby wipe.



I then made up my own spray bottle with some water and mica powder, spraying the coaster to add a little sparkle.

Then on one I added some vintage text from a book, distressing the edges with ink and over staming with a bumble bee (this is probably my favourite stamp at the moment). I then added a little stickles glitter in the corners just for a touch of bling!

I painted the undersides with 2 coats of black acrylic paint to make everything look nice and presentable then finished with 3 coats of yacht varnish to ensure that no hot mugs will stand any chance of damaging these little beauties (it takes an age for the varnish to dry, then lightly sand between layers, this part of the process can take 3 days, but its worth it as the coaster on my work desk has hot mugs standing on it all day every day for weeks now and there isn't one blemish on it).

Anyway, best crack on...

happy crafting

Li'l pidge x