A mini book make

 Hello, just a quick update as I realised I hadn't shared a recent make.

I made this mini book for a friend a couple of weeks ago (waves at Julia!) and used mount board for the covers stained with distress inks and some clear crackle paste.

 I made concertina pages which I decorated with distress inks and various images and quotes.

 Just a small, simple thing but great fun to make

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Day 2 and 3 of Creative Chemistry 102

 Hello peeps, just a quick catch up with Tim Holtz Creative Chemistry 102 course.

As usual, I don't have many of the products but I have tried nearly all the techniques, some are mahoosive fails since I didn't have any similar products but others seemed to work quite well.

 The right hand tag was made with a homemade stencil cut from an image from the sunday papers!

On this tag you can hopefully see the depth I managed to get with embossing with a stencil (I really like this effect).

I do have some rock candy glitter so was able to do this technique (tag on the right) and I loved the 'smudge' technique on the left hand tag.  This gives a real muted retro feel to the tag and one I will definitely be using again.

Several people have mentioned to me that they don't have many Tim Holtz products so decided not to sign up for the course.  I would say if you have distress inks then a lot of the course you can experiment with your own paints etc.  Yes, the results may not be the same but once you have the knowledge you can experiment with other products and brands and see what results you get!

Either way, I have enjoyed the course and its pushed me to try new techniques with some old and forgotten products!

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Creative Chemistry 102

 Hello peeps.

So, after my ankle surgery (which I timed to coincide with Tim Holtz next Creative Chemistry class!!) I have finally managed to do a little crafting (not easy with keeping my ankle above hip height I can tell you....my craft room is now a hotchpotch of stools and cushions which I balance my leg on for about 15 mins at a time before I need to move around a bit....its testing my patience I can tell you!!)-but it is worth it as the course have been fabulous so far.

Now, the course started with Distress paints of which I owe none!  Tim says that its all about understanding the principles with these courses, so I decided to try different acrylic paints on his effects and see if they work.  I tried Anita's, Windsor and Newton and Rowney but the one that worked the best was Eco Green paints.  Now, they are not the same as distress paints so I had to pre mix them down with water, however, now I have learnt the techniques I have the knowledge to try and experiment and hopefully at some point I may get some distress paints.

 This card was made with the tag (I have another which I have printed out the instructions on and added to my Creative Chemistry 101 tags) demonstrating rusted metal. 

 I used the Eco Green paints again mixing the brown top layer in with Bronze Distress Stain and I really like the effect.  I added a metal cog I cut from a metal food tube and coloured with alcohol inks and a cog I made with my ever trusty hot glue gun (I SO love making mould and using hot glue to full them!!) and a rusty washer that I rusted myself with vinegar and cheap cola!!)

The marbled effect didn't really work with any of the acrylics I had (they still produced a nice effect I wouldn't have experimented with unless I was doing this course) but the tag above was the best with the Eco Green paints once again.

Finally I made a metal tag.  Now, once again I didn't have the metal, the embossing folder or the paint.  However, armed with the knowledge from Tim's instruction I decided to have a go using some metal tape from the tool box ( I think its what you bind round pipes?), black gesso and a different embossing folder.  I thought this would make a perfect background for my cyber man topper I made a couple of weeks ago from some resin!

So there you go.  Proof that you don't need to have all the products, but once you have the knowledge you can take it to the next level and start experimenting.  I know I will certainly be playing more with the oxidized metal technique on my first tag as this has lots of potential.

Right, time for my next lot of pain killers and another ice pack around ,my ankle!!  Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Vintage Royal Navy inspired card

Evening all, for those of you in the USA, Happy Thanksgiving and for those of you in the UK (especially down here in the south west) I do hope the storm and flooding hasn't impacted you too severely.

On a brighter note, it was my dad's 70th birthday at the weekend. 
Dad was in the navy and travelled the world, used to collect stamps and more recently has taken up photography.

so I took all these elements and made them into a card for him. 

The swallows and anchors represent his navy career, the map background, his travels.  I used old stamps and a page from a vintage stamp catalogue which is valetta harbour in Malta (where both my parents were stationed).  I then added some TH mini film strip and attached it all with my new tiny attacher I bought at the NEC (I recommend this attacher, I have rheumatoid arthritis so my hands are not too great, but I have no issues using this....basically its great!).

As to the gift....what do you get a 70 yr old who needs nothing?  The answer was an MDF (from MDF Man) remote control holder (I swear remote controls breed!) which I covered in pages from a vintage stamp catalogue (the stamp catalogue is a great find, it cost about £2 and has hundreds of thin pages perfect for craft!) and distressed it a bit.

I think he liked them both...they are certainly unique!

Anyway, the rain is lashing outside so time to settle down to some steaming hot veggie chilli and some trashy TV!

Happy crafting

Kyla
 

A quick fabric printing tutorial and a 101 Tag

 Its blooming freezing (glad I am not in Scotland they have blizzards!) this time last week it was 20 degrees warmer.......what's that all about?  So, heating has gone back on and I am SO pleased I was lazy and didn't pack my winter clothes away last week as I seem to be wearing most of them at the moment!!


Anyhoo, I did realise that I haven't shared with you the card I made for my nephew's Christening

The background paper is TH which I distressed, adding some torn and distressed music paper, an inked piece of grungboard flourish and printed a photo onto fabric using freezer paper.
 
It is not as difficult as I thought:

1. cut your fabric and freezer paper to size
2. iron the freezer paper, waxy side up, onto the fabric
3. run it through your printer.  
4. To ensure the ink sets I then iron the fabric with a piece of brown paper over the top to heat set

 Simples.....I then added some freehand sitiching around to finish it off.

This is  a tag I made using a technique from the 101 Creative Chemistry.  I covered the tag in distress stains, over stamped with archival ink then splattered water over to distress slightly.
 

I stamped the bird, colouring with DI, adding a small amount of glossy accents for the eye, cut it out and mounted the bird on the tag.  I then added small amounts of gold foil around the edges.

I have a stinking cold and chest infection at the moment, so I am off to try a glass of chilli beer my hubby bought me (meant to help my throat!!) - it has a WHOLE chilli in the bottle......I may regret this.....but you have to try new things right?

Happy Crafting

Li'l Pidge x

Woo Hoo....mojo is back!

Hello Peeps,

As I blathered on before, in an effort to not work too late and have some sanity time (that'll be crafting then!) I signed up to Tim Holtz Creative Chemistry class by onelinecardclasses.

Yesterday was Day 1, understanding the differences between dye and pigments etc.  Now, I have crafted for more than 30 years (gulp!!) but I tend to learn visually, so some things just don't sink in, let alone stay in the old grey matter (yes, it is probably an age thing also...or maybe too many ciders whilst locked in the craft room?!), however, by george, this seems to have struck a chord!!  Bloody marvellous!

So, I experimented last night with various mediums and papers....

For example, this is a pearl acrylic dabber over some rather nasty patterned vellum and overstamped with pitch black acrylic dabber

Now, I cant be the only one who buys multi packs and finds half of the pack is not really their style?  This vellum (I am NOT posting a before photo....take it from me...it was nasty!) would have been consigned to a charity bag...but now, its a great background for a new project-genius.  I have NO idea why this never occurred to me before-thanks to Mr TH I broke out of my comfort zone.

 This one was some sticky backed metal contact paper from the hardware store, I dyed it with alcohol inks, overstamped with stayz on and coloured the bird with acrylic paint-again, I would never think to overstamp acrylic colour card (I applied the paint with my fingers....it gives a lovely flat finish.....and I was lazy and couldn't be bothered to find a brush!!)

Next, Day 2 of the class...understanding distress....

This is the wrinkle free distress (which I have tried before but it never really worked.....NOW I know what I was doing wrong!!)

This is the watercolour technique (didn't have an watercolour paper so have used some heavy card), I quite like this technique, its quick and easy but looks like it took a while (my perfect style!!).

So I have now managed a little sanity time, I cant wait to find out what the next class entails-its all about experimenting and understanding why a product behaves like it does rather than making a set design, card etc...right up my street!

Also, hello to my new follower, my cousins lovely wife, Kristina.  She makes some delicious dyed yarns....its a times like this I wish I could knit properly!

Anyway, best go and clear up the mess that is my craft room....(yeah right....off to watch CSI!)

Happy Crafting

Li'l Pidge x

Use it Up and a crafty top tip!

So, one of the benefits when I work from home is seeing sights like these-goldfinches on my feeder on the garden, a lovely distraction from all my paperwork.

In an effort to keep to my Use it Up pledge I decided to make a card from only my ever expanding scrap box on my desk-now this isn't that difficult as it does contain a bit of everything!!

The Tim Holtz papers were already cut to size (hurrah), the fabric already stamped and all I needed to do was grunge it up a bit-perfect!  How did I not notice these went together and were just sat there (it MAY have had something to do with the fact I couldn't see them for the ton of stash dumped on top!!)?

This tag was also made with left over stash (but made at Coven night), the tag coloured with distress stains (I am so frigging loving this product).  Tracy brought in some mushrooms-so in an effort to get more with less I decided to cut it in half!  Is there anything that Tim Holtz scissors won't cut through??  I have even cut through one of his glazed dolls before with them!!

That's another couple of makes from old stash (the gorguss die cut above I have had for over a year!!).

Top Tip Alert!!!

If you are looking for cheap supplies and are in the UK, then I have a tip for you....poundland!!  Yep, forget the craft dept and head for the hardware section.  For £1 you get 3, yes 3 rolls of very sticky double sided tape (yards and yards of the stuff for only a quid-bargain!!).

If I come across any other bargains I'll let you know!

Happy Crafting
Li'l Pidge x

I knew it.....I knew the big shot would change my life!! Now I don't think this is an overstatement...I have tried embossing and cutting EVERYTHING, I have been through my recycling bin and fabric scrap box!! You have been warned, you visit the nest, expect to be frisked for goodies that can be put through the big shot. In fact, it's become a member of the family...so I have decided to name it...Bertha! Yep, big Bertha the big shot!!! So this weeks play... This is the card I made for my Mum's mothering Sunday card. The background papers are torn and distressed and I have added a small piece of vintage text that I gesso'd and distressed and then over stamped. The bird is cut out of dove grey glove leather over stamped. I then made 2 eggs out of air drying paper clay which I painted and glazed for a high gloss, then made a needle felted nest to home them in! As you'd expect I then assembled the whole lot with my glue gun. I use my glue gun so much its knackered! I 'borrowed' it from my dad and its over 20 years old and now the rubber tip has finally broken off so there is now an exposed metal point-which gets VERY HOT (I am speaking from experience here!!) so I think a trip to Axminster tools is overdue!

This card is an order from work for a male's 21st card. The brief was he was a member of the Real Ale Society and a fan of Radio 4 comedy, not an easy combination but I think it turned out ok.

The background paper is BRA (Bristol Real Ale) and embossed some acetate to represent the head on beer and a I added a customised train ticket from Bristol to Mornington Crescent!!

Like I said, I am falling in love with Bertha!!!!

Off to play some more.....

Li'l Pidge

The things I do when I can't sleep!

So, Saturday saw another coven outing (our weekly crafting get together where the men reckon we are witches and gossip rather than craft...I must admit sometimes there is more gossip than craft, but its a great night away from reality so who cares!) to the Exeter craft fair.

A great day out, not much buying (I'm saving myself for later in February when I go to the Paper Artsy Tim Holtz event!!-yes you read that right, Tim Holtz-yeah! A whole day dedicated to getting inky and grunging I cant wait) though I did by a handbag! Only I could buy a bag at a craft fair-but the good thing with handbags is that they always fit!!

So, after a lovely day out with the girls I ended up waking on Sunday at 01:30, wide awake, what a mare! And why did I wake? First of all cos I was disappointed that the craft fair had very little in the way of storage, I mean I can't be the only one who'd like storage for 12x12 papers in a DRAWER rather than a box where you cant dump a ton of junk on top of it and STILL get to the papers (if you work for a storage designer, please call me....there are things that NEED to be designed for crafters rather than the quite frankly rubbish storage that seems to be swamping the crafting outlets-I mean WHY do they do such big embellishment boxes? You could store THOUSANDS of ruddy sequins in one of those little boxes and HUNDREDS of buttons, I know I have a lot of stuff, but purlease give me a break and make some boxes designed for hoarding crafters (not sure there is another type of crafter!). So, I decided to tidy the craft room....(when the sun finally decided to grace us with its presence)

and so I started to pull everything out...

and then it spread to the bedroom....then I decided to drive to Tesco's to buy their A4 4 drawer units (£14, with a 3 for 2 offer, 12 drawers for £28 not bad) so that I could organise stuff.....

It felt like the stuff was expanding to fill the house....and then I remembered I had been asked to make a 21st card for a lady at work so I decided to stop cleaning and crack on with the card.

I stamped the image, colouring with pro markers and adding some shimmer with a sakura pen. I then stamped and distressed around the edge of the image, mirroring the stamped border around a red card base, finishing with a peel-off number 21 and a red and black ribbon that I singed slightly on the edges with the heat gun.

So, no more crafting until I finish the craft room (nearly done but Big Fat Gypsy Weddings is on so I think I'll call it a day until tomorrow!).

Red wine and TV-now there is an antidote to a crappy day at work and a craft room that looks like a jumble sale!!

Happy crafting

Li'l Pidge x

Playing with Promarkers

So, I have been spending some time playing with promarkers. After watching members of the crafting coven colour so expertly (Trace and Becks take a bow-you know you are both colouring masters) I think I am finally starting to get some results that I am pleased with.

To this coloured image I distressed the edges, tearing and distressing some glazed and glittered paper across the card adding a little raffia for texture and some mini brads. I love layers and texture.

I think I need to practise more, but i am seeing an improvement...its just like being a kid again and colouring in!

After a crappy day at work (and today was VERY crappy) there is nothing better then a bit of crafting to ease the days stresses away, so I'm off to craft!

Happy Crafting

Li'l Pidge

Lots to Do Challenge - Alter

So, after entering last weeks monochrome challenge over on the Lots To Do Challenge blog I decided to entrer this weeks challenge-Alter.

So, on Saturday I scoured the charity shops and found this very boring and plain letter rack for £2.49

and turned it into this:

First I sanded the blank rack and applied a layer of white gesso to give an even base. Then I painted it with ranger paint dabbers in lake mist and pearl and distressed the edges with distress inks. Next I stamped some old text, earth post stamp and post marks onto tissue paper with green and black stayz on, adhering them with modge podge. I added a vitage postcard sticker and a postage stamp and gave the whole thing a coat of modge podge.

I then got out the hot glue gun, adding scrabble letter tiles and then a coating of varnish to protect....once its dry it sit proudly by my telephone.

I hope you like it and enjoy checking out the other posts on the LTD challenge site

Happy Crafting

Li'l Pidge x

Finally a few new makes

So, you must be thinking that I havent been crafting AT ALL! Well, I have, but I havent got my sh*t together to photograph it. So, a big thanks to my dad who took some photos (with his v. posh nikon slr and light room box) so i can finally share my goodies.

This is a hair slide I made. The flower is made from wired ribbon, with small beads in the centre. I have needle felted 2 leaves and on the left, you can just see i hid a bumble bee!

This is my valentines gift I made for my long suffering crafting widow-husband! Its made from grunge paper, which I cut out, distressed with inks, stamped, glittered, punched holes and added eyelets.
I added a hear pin, some black trim and used a glaze to highlight the 'with love' stamp so it was glossy.

I also decorated the back, adding grunge board wings (glittered, then wiped off to distress them), a grunge board crown that i used a gold leaf pen to add a bit of colour and some more black trim.
At the bottom of the heart I added a chain, shrink plastic winged heart and a skull key to finish it off......1,2,3........aaahhhhhh.....

Happy crafting

l'il pidge xx

Well, this is a photo from the back window of my wee garden looking all clean and tidy whilst covered in snow. It stayed like this for nearly 2 weeks but is now back to a muddy mess, though they have given out snow for tommorow, so who knows, maybe I will get to go out and play in it for a bit longer!I have made lots, but havent yet taken photos (or gave then away and forget to take a photo!!). This is a distressed vintage card I made for my mum's birthday with paperartsy stamps and some distressed inks and crackle paint, I also had a go at sewing on the card also, hope you like it.I was really pleased with how this turned out and think I will try combining lace, paint and all manner of bits and pieces again.

Happy vrafting
Li'l pidge x

Crafting, crafting and a gargoyle

I know you shouldn't open a statement with an apology, but rules are made to be broken aren't they? So, sorry, I have been really pants with updating this-the weather has been too nice to sit in front of the computer. But I'll make up for it (honest guv).

So, what's been going on then in the world of Li'l Pidge? Well, I have been stretching my wings and flying south for a bit. I took my new bag that I made with some of the material my friend Jill bought for my birthday on my new machine (which you will be pleased to know is still alive). I made a lining:
and included a small pocket with a little label and a magnetic clasp

and then made the cover, added a handle and then some of the lovely material on the covering flap:


I am SO proud!! I have been parading it up and down, and took it around on a quick tour of Devon (where we saw a great gargoyle)

and possibly the maddest scarecrow EVER (just check out the eyes!):


Back on the crafting front, I made a pair of gloves out of some bits of wool I had (dont look too close or you will notice a couple of holes that lead to no-where!):

They even have sparkly white glittery wool in them-a little scratchy, but sparkly, so its worth it. I am knitting a matching skinny scarf at the moment-I know, I should knit something summery, but I can only do a few basic stitches and this is my first attempt at switching wool (thanks mum for the instructions) so increasing and decreasing (and not creating holes that shouldnt be there) will have to be my next lesson!.

The postie brought my latest ATC swap from the CB Forum (who again published a photo of my tag book on their e-newsletter-gosh! I am so chuffed),
The ducks ATC was from Crafty Kayleigh 85 and the elephant from Purple pixie - how cute are they? The theme in March was of course "BBQ wild foraging stylee", (joke! I am a veggie of nearly 20 years!) it was of course Animals.

This is one of the latest cards I have made with my new Crafty Individual Stamp of the trees. I coloured it with distressed ink using a makeup sponge, then distressed the edges, tearing and sanding it down, then inked a dark brown around it image.


I mounted this on patterned paper then attached stamped acetate and attached with brads to get over the problem of seeing glue/tape through the acetate

I have also been experimenting with another new stamp from Crafty Individuals (loving their angel policy) and some mica powders, in dark and pale colours:

and a bit of grungy/rockabilly influenced red and black card:

So, that's most of the catch-up, and the new series of CSI is calling-so time to fly off.

Take care peeps, and happy crafting.

Li'l Pidge