ATCs, homemade pickles and even a few cards

After a holiday in Devon (since when did a holiday in this country become a 'staycation' we always had holidays in this country as kids, we couldnt afford anything else, it was just known as a holiday, surely a 'staycation' is when you stay at home, in your home town or do day trips? ). Anyway, back home and I had a nice surpise, I forgot that the CB Forum ATC swap was due on the theme of 'No White', and I received 3 great ATC's from 2Belle, Cleene and Catherine Harper, thanks ladies they are lovely.

My return home saw lots of chilli's on my plants, so I have now pickled them! Lovely, sweet pickled chillis-blow your head off but great with cheese.

We had some good news when we were away, my brother-in-law and his wife completed on their first home! Congratulations to you both. To celebrate I made a selection of homemade goodies: Elderflower cordial, pickled chillis, pickled nasturtium, spicy rhubarb chutney and spiced sugar to welcome them to their new home.

I also managed to get some time card making, a leaving card for a Nightmare Before Christmas fan:

I also made a couple of girly cards and a shaker card.

I also finally took out a subscription to Craft Stamper magazine. I have been waiting until they had a subscription gift i liked-this time some goodies from Paper Artsy, a great company with a full angel policy-so I am off to buy some U-mount and get stamping with my new stamps-watch this space!

Happy Crafting

Li'l Pidge

Sick to the back teeth, but not of crafting

Sometimes, you have to admit that life sucks. You get good weeks, and you get bad. The past week was a bad-un. My hands, knees and feet have been hurting like hell and to top it all the temporary filling my dentist put in when my root infection cleared up is still in as the dentist cancelled and it is now all swollen again and so painful I cannot touch it-so lets just say when you are feeling pretty damned grotty, its hard to pick yourself up and get on with things, yes I know you have to, work demands, home etc etc, yadda yadda. But, even then, it still boils down to the fact that sometimes life sucks! But as we all know, the wonderful world of craft allows us to express ourselves and to a degree lose ourselves, even if only for 15 mins to make a card.

So, with this all in mind, I have managed to get a lot of crafting done. Some of it I cant publish yet as they are for pressies, but even then I managed to get a lot done.

I also got my prize for the New Year Card Challenge on the CB Forum, from the lovely Jane, in the post this week, a lovely array of paper crafting products which I am going to love playing around with.

I made another of one of my favourites this week-shaker cards! A couple of friends have just had their first child, so this was the perfect excuse I need to get out the acetate and the micro beads.

I am such a sucker for a shaker card, a bit of noise and movement in what can be a boring everyday object is always a bonus (just think of John Travolta in a 1970s white suit!!)

So, in an effort to try and forget my woes (lets not even go into the gas bill that came this weekend-I know its been cold, but I didnt realise that I signed up with Dick Turpin utilities!) I threw myself into making valentine cards, using glitter glue, acetate and some light airdrying clay to make heart shaped lock and keys.

Gotta love a bit of embossing

oh, and there's the acetate and glitter glue....
and the airdrying clay (I am loving this card...big hint to my OH!!)

Then I decided that I need a bit of bling in my life to cheer me up so I made myself a large statement piece, of a lovely green wooden and pearl ring

I dread to think what I must look like, so far I have made a skirt, bag, jewelry and a scarf-well, at least I know that no-one else will be wearing the same!

And to top it all I have made some fabric brooches, a few of which I have managed to sell, so that is even more money to charity (but now I need to make some more to replace them!).

Well, I did say I needed cheering up!
Then to top it all, I decided that I would try something new. I made a handbag. I made the whole thing in 2 hours, including cutting, interfacing and stitching and even adding a magnetic closure. I lined it and added a gussetted bottom (ooer) so that I could cram even more goodies into it when out shopping! This time I am really pleased, as I am a bit of a handbag fetish, and they arent very cheap-so this is a great alternative!














I am loving this material-so far I have made an apron, skirt and bag from it! I am SO proud of this, especially since I bothered lining it also (as I tend to cut corners when its something for myself). My OH said that when I went into the office in the morning I was SO down, in pain and generally ready to give up, and when he came home he didnt know what to expect. What he wasnt expecting was a flurry of activity, with scissors, ironing of interfacing, sewing machine etc all happening at speed and a happy me!! I would say that crafting is cheaper than therapy, but as any of you know, for every bit of re-purposed wall paper and old junk we use, there are expensive stamps, glitters, flocks and a whole host of lovelyness in the craft shops (as well as craft fairs)!
As I said, its been a busy week. Yes, it has taken me longer than usual to make some things, but the main thing is that I have spend time doing something I enjoy, and what is life if you cant have a pice of happiness now and again (and to spread this around, I also sent out a few random acts of kindness to some of the ladies on the CB fourm, well karma is always good to stay in the right side of!!).

Anyway, off to play in the craft room.
Happy crafting

Li'l Pidge x

Toothache motivates me to craft!

I know it's hard to believe-but 4 days of
toothache and I got my mojo back!
My dentist says its my widsom teeth playing up and to see how things go over the next week or so-wisdom eh? I knew it was in there somewhere! Anyway, between feeling
sorry for myself and the ironing I managed to make a monochrome flower shaker card for my friend Sam's birthday and the double heart card is mounted onto vellum and then acetate with a couple of beads and thread to keep all the layers together. Then to top it all I managed to make a R.A.K. A.T.C. (Random act of kindness artist trading card) for the organiser of this months Crafts Beautiful forum ATC swap (I wont post a photo yet just in case the person concerned reads the blog beforethe post comes!), then walked in the rain to the local post office to post them (I can only spend so long at home feeling sorry before I go stir crazy and need to get some fresh air!).

Then to top it all (the mojo was still active) I managed to finish my first proper altered art project. Inspired by the magazine Cloth Paper Scissors. They are EPNS cutlery coloured with alcohol inks and then wire, beads, threads and sequins wound around them and then I cut words from an old book (well, I copied them first as I really couldnt bring myself to cut a book up, even if it was only 40p in a charity shop-its a book after all!) which I mounted in a box frame that I also decorated.

For a first attempt I am really pleased, it has pride of place on the mantle piece, but now I have to think what to do with it (and all the other pieces of cutlery I bought at the thrift shops, let me know if you have any ideas!).

Anyhoo, pain killers and my bed are calling (with of course my copy of this month's CardMaking and Papercraft that I bought today) so happy crafting.

Li'l Pidge