Now, I am sure I am not alone....you see some fab stash, finally you give in and buy it, you get home, stroke the stash, covet the stash....anything but use the stash!
Now, a few weeks ago I made this tag with the idea of using a pen nib as the body, but I only had 3 left in my stash! After days of agonising I decided to buy some more before I used it, only to find the shop I bought them from no longer sells them! Panic started to set in....whilst I love TH nibs (with the cute words on) they are far too expensive for everyday use.....what was I to do?
Then I had a brainwave (no idea why it took so long!)....try on line auction sites! Hey presto, a few days later I was the proud owner of over 100 pen nibs for only a few quid!
So this meant I can now use my nibs with no fear of running out any time soon!
I mounted the tag on some TH paper which I distressed with some wild honey (my favourite colour at the moment) and stamped the TH splatter stamp in wild honey to tie it all together.
One nib down, 99 odd to go!
Happy Crafting
Li'l Pidge
Hello peeps, time for the weekly cry of 'Wednesday? Again?'.
I am feeling slightly smug, as several weeks after cleaning my craft room (or 'the pit' as my hubby called it!) its still tidy(ish).
The past week I have been reading blogs and searching the net for some new techniques for me to try out with my stash.
My thinking is, if I like the technique then when I go to the NEC craft show in November I can buy some more stash in the knowledge that it will be stuff I will use (yeah right, hands up who comes back from a show and uses 100% of the stuff they buy!)....see I am already justifying the spending spree!
Anyway, part of the technique challenge I have set myself is on the desk (the photo was taken Tuesday). I tried TH metal patchwork technique, using some old metal flashing tape that I liberated from my father's shed!
I taped it across a blank tag that I cut out of an unwanted manilla folder and made marks with my Ten Second Studio metal tools, I then rubbed black acrylic dabber all over and wiped it back. I added some metal tacks I bought in the hardware shop (£1 for 50) and cut the backs off with wire snips. I added some metal corners, metal cogs and finally attached some chain with a brad to finish it off.
For a first attempt I am quite pleased with the effect, and that it is using up old stash that I have (always a bonus).
If you fancy a nose around desks from across the globe the feel free to join in with the queen of WOYWW, Julia, here
I quite like this weeks random 'Man Bites Dog' cards....they really are drawn randomly, sometimes they work, other times not......its just a bit of fun!
If you are in the UK I hope the floods are not having too adverse an effect on you (one months worth of rain overnight!).
Happy crafting
Li'l Pidge
Happy weekend everyone. Its a fabulous sunny autumn day down here in the south west (shame the sun has lost its summer heat...but still fabulous). After a couple of hours gardening I decided to make a card for my friends birthday. She loves frogs, newts, snakes....basically most animals and creepy crawlies.
So inspired by the garden I thought I would use another of my dylusion backgrounds and hand colour a stamped image of a lizard, die cut a tattered floral and a velum moth.
I am loving making my own backgrounds, dylusions makes it SO easy. One tip is I use a wet wipe and rub it over sequin waste, it removes a little of the colour, but not as much as spritzing it with water.
Why not have a go yourself? It's really easy,and the great thing is that you can have any colour combination your heart desires not just the paper stock you happen to have to hand.
Happy crafting
Li'l Pidge x
Hello. Wednesday again?!?!? Really?
I swear the weeks are flying past, already we have had 'that' conversation at home about turning the heating on!!!
So, on my desk this week is.....the laptop! I know, but hubby needed to print out some documents so I 'allowed' him the smallest of space to balance the laptop whilst he connected up to the printer (it really is balanced, there is even a pair of TH scissors hiding underneath the computer!).
Hubby chose the random Man Bites Dog cards....ooh....they are interesting cards!
Anyway, I will keep this short, please pop over to the lovely Julia's blog here to see the hundreds of desks all over the world, it really is a sight to behold.
Sorry if I didn't get round many desks this week, things have been hectic at work (when you work 10 hrs a day in front of a computer the last thing you want to do is come home and start all over again) its sloppy I know.
Hope to meet some of you at the 'crop'
Li'l Pidge x
Hello peeps, did you all have a nice weekend? I know I did.
I travelled down to Exeter with my hubby for a visit to the 'Crikey Its Vintage' fair. We are both influenced by the 1940's and 50's and love the whole rockabilly style, and lets face it as crafters we tend to be hoarders too....so a vintage fair is a great day out!
I fell in love with the black and gold tea set below but was very restrained (well its only 2 pay packets until he big NEC craft fair!!), there was also a fab combo on double bass and guitar called The Bonneville Barons that were playing swing music during the day, complete with a record stall (which kept hubby happy!), retro makeup and hair parlour and LOTS of lovely jewelry and clothes....a fabulous day out, all for an amazing £2 entry fee. I have been to LOTS of vintage fairs and this is the BEST.
I was lucky enough to also manage a quick dip (it was quick as the sun was setting) in the sea at Sidmouth, the reason I wear a bright yellow cap is so boats and fishermen can easily spot you!
I finished the weekend off with a spot of crafting. Fellow Coven member, Trace, had her birthday yesterday so I made this card for her.
I created the background with dylusion sprays, stamped a TH grunge background stamp with distress stains then used a baby wipe through sequin waste to 'lift' a little of the colour then used the spray and flick technique to lift a little more colour.
I matted this onto a card and added a torn page from a marine engineers instruction manual (gotta love these finds!) which I aged with distress inks.
Then I used some of the leftover homemade background and cut a tattered flower, added a crystal pin and 3 gems in the centre and added a motorbike brad (as she is a biker). Then finished it all with a hand coloured witch that I cut out and added a little glossy accents to.
I must admit, I have never been a fan of making my own backgrounds (they always look rubbish when I make them) but the dylusion sprays are so great and the stencils and grungy stamps make it much easier, I think I will have another go!
Anyhoo....off to catch up with this weeks Dr Who I missed!
Happy Crafting
Li'l Pidge x
Hello peeps...welcome to WOYWW, my the weeks have been flying by.
On my desk this week is a card I have made with my bombshell stamps (the devil and flaming eyeball), another butterfly tag.....and guess what...I have gotten over my problem of using my lovely stash of pen nibs.....the box on the left is about 160 nibs I bought off ebay!!!!!!
The envelopes are filled with die cuts. My good friend from school days has just had a 'big shot' for her birthday and to help her decide which dies to spend her hard earned cash on I cut a few of the ones I already have, hopefully if she can think of a good use for them she won't end up with dies that she doesn't use (we all have them I am sure) - Sam, if your reading this I posted them today!
Man bites dog cards this week.....Devoted Beauty Weds New Prez......ooh!
If you are wondering what all this WOYWW is about, the queen of desks, Julia can be found here
Happy Crafting
Li'l pidge x
I hope you managed to enjoy your weekend, and those of you in the UK....it was a sunny weekend-I hope you managed to make the most of it?
I certainly did.....I managed to do 2 wild swims this weekend. I donned my new bright yellow swim cap (so that fishermen and canoeists can see you), wet suit and surf booties (to keep my poor tootsies warm) and off I went....I cannot swim very far, but I do love it.
Sometimes if I walk with a stick (when my rheumatoid arthritis flares up) down to the beach I get odd looks, but once if the water....I'm off and its like I haven't a care in the world!
On the craft front, I must
admit I am a little obsessed with tags, and after making SO many I
decided to start using them to make cards. Now I make tags especially
for cards as they add some lovely dimension to the cards.
This card had a mixture of distress dyed ribbon across the bottom, hand cut bunting at the top, a mini ticket and some torn music score all backed onto some muted but summery flowery papers.
Right, off the watch the rest of the paralympic closing ceremony...I have watched the paralympics every night (and especially Adam Hills Last Leg...the after hours show). I don't normally like sport but this has been fantastic, especially the wheelchair rugby (I can now see why it is called murder ball!).
Happy crafting
Li'l pidge
Happy WOYWW everyone.
I will keep this short and sweet, on my desk are my usual randomly picked words from the game 'Man Bites Dog' and a card I am making from a tag I recently made. The tag is made with a distressed background, stamped with white distress stains and over stamped with my TH papillon stamps in archival ink.
I cut a moth out of one of my TH papers and gave it some depth by curling the edges over the blades of scissors, stuck it on the tag, added metal page corners and am deciding whether to use one of my last pen nibs as the moth body (using nice stash is SO difficult!).
So, if you fancy a legal snoop across the globe at some work desks on a Wednesday, then check out the magnificent Julia's blog here
Happy Crafting
li'l pidge
Hello Peeps, hope you have all had a fabulous weekend?
Now, the title may confuse you a little, but it does sum up my weekend!
Down here in the south west of the UK we were lucky enough to have a dry Saturday, so after a day out I headed off to the coast. Even though I have rheumatoid arthritis and sometimes I find it difficult to get around, I love wild swimming! So Saturday just before sunset saw me swimming along the coast....in my new shorty wet suit and surf booties...I was as warm as toast, unlike my poor hubby who does not have a wet suit and managed only a few minutes before the British ocean got the better of him!
The sea was calm, the sunset spectacular and the feeling of looking back to the coast is amazing, I didn't swim far (need to build up my strength), but I do love it.
Anyway, back on the crafting front, as its the 1st day of Autumn this weekend, thoughts are starting to turn to Halloween and I decided that my favourite colour combo this time of year is purple and orange...so had a go at colouring in an image with pro markers.
The orange background paper is slightly embossed so its got some nice texture going on as well.
Off to watch some more of the paralympics....I have been watching it every day, its inspiring, and if you are in the UK then I recommend the after hours show The Last Leg which sums up the days events, its brilliant!
Happy Crafting
Li'l Pidge
