Woo-hoo crafting weekend

Hurrah, the sun is shining and I managed to get a bit of crafting done this weekend (and tidy up the old nest a wee bit!). Between getting my dose of vitamin D and getting more loads of washing dry on the line than I have managed for AGES (but good god, the ironing mountain now has wee mountain goats leaping from blouse to trousers, and I am sure I spotted a climber tackling the north face!).

As we are approaching Fathers Day, and in my attempt to raise some cash for charity I have made lots of male oriented cards that I hope to sell at work.


The card on both the left and right has my own handmade backing paper, where I coloured plain paper with Tim Holtz distressed ink in tea dye applying it with foam,then I made a mask using a rugby ball peel-off and over spraying with a mist ink. The green circle is fake grass made with flock-loving the flock at the moment!!


Next up, more backing homemade backing paper. The card on the left has a large peel-off oriental stork and I have backed this onto silver oriental writing embossed card. The card on the right, I used a pack of cards stamp in ink called London Fog (what a great name!), then addedd retro star stamps to a piece of textured card with silver leaf around the edge then mounted 3 miniture playing cards with a polka dot brad.


Then a dandelion card, double mounted and distressed and tucked behind vellum, but the best has to be my own fathers card- handmade backing paper again (this time using the watch necklace as a mask), but the origami shirt on the front looks like a generous £20, but it is a fake £40 note that is actually an advert for a local furniture shop that I have had put to one side for several months waiting for fathers day. I cant wait to see his face!!This card was designed by my very clever OH for his brothers 40th birthday. The crumpled and dyed green part represents a mod parka jacket, the pink check and button a Ben Sherman shirt and the fake badges have been glazed with judi-kins art gel for that high shine.

This card uses this months free Crafts Beautiful Beatrix Potter toppers and I have over dyed some papermania secret garden paper stacks then mounted the toppers with foam pads for a bit of dimension.These cards have a bit of bling on each, in the form of jewels, stickles glitter and mirri card, not my usual style, but I think they are still pretty.

This is a box I made for my fathers day gift and I stamped uo the white card before cutting it out and assembling, complete with a scalloped topper.


Open it up and it reveals its gift...A keyring I made with some silver leafed edged leather which I embedded a fishing fly into and then wrapped blue wire around. I hope dad likes it.

This week has also seen me making LOTS of elderflower cordial. So far I have made 2 lots of plain, 1 lot with added root ginger and 1 lot of mixed citrus. Its a race against time to make enough to not only last us the year, but to use as pressies also!

Anyhoo-CSI Miami beckons so I must fly,
have fun playing and happy crafting

Li'l Pidge

Platered of a different kind

So much for blogging regular-the last 5 weeks or so have been totally crazy. The house has been turned upside down as we have had walls and ceilings plastered and painted-it looks great now, but packing the entire ground floor of the house and moving into just our bedroom (meaning NO craft room for all that time-I cant tell you how patient my OH has been, I have been a 'mare not being able to craft-serious withdrawl) and the dust! Oh, the dust! Never in my life did I ever think I would see a day when I wanted, nay, looked foreward to dusting the house and cleaning!! But I am ok now, and that dark time of my life (when I wanted to clean and not be able to craft) has passed and the general dishevelled chaos of my home life has been restored! Hurrah!!

So, whats been happening in the 'Lil Pidge nest? Well, apart from all the plastering, painting and general hell of it all-we bought a couple of folding bikes!! Easier to store and can be chucked in the back of the car-its been great, we have been slowly getting out each week whizzing around the cycle lanes of the south west, we even cycled to our closest town at the weekend to get the shopping and cycled back with our rucksacks bulging-only 7 miles but its a start (the old wings are getting tired so a bike sounded easier).

And finally a bit of crafting (but nowhere near as much as I would have liked). I managed to use some the new stamps I bought from the 3D Jean website for a girlfriends birthday card this week
I used the rollagraph hibiscus stamp to create the background and hand coloured and glittered the 50's pip-up adding a little animal print ribbon and a polka dot brad.

Next up, a few Fathers day cards. Once again I have made my own backing paper by randomly colouring a piece of paper with a Distressed Ink Pad in tea dye then over spraying with an ink mist in diet cola colour, spraying over a cheap (£2) ASDA necklace of a fob watch. I then stamped a deckled edged piece horizontally with a script stamp and distressed the edges, adding a stamped clock face which I glazed.

All of this is mounted with eyelets onto a piece of textured wallpaper!.


The card at the front also has textured wallpaper-the black is fake stitched leather wallpaper, with an embossed piece of contrasting card, a ribbon and a holographic peeloff shirt mounted onto acetate and folded in a way to give depth to the card.

Finally, I made a baby girl card for an order at work, hopefully it will fit the bill.


and that is about it for now. Hopefully I will be able to get lots more crafting done over the coming weeks

Happy crafting

Lil Pidge

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

Finally my mojo is back (and I'm skint)

After killing my sewing machine AGAIN last week (thank goodness it was only £25), rumour was there was a bounty hunter after me for 4 needless slaughters of machines! Coupled with the fact that my mojo up and went (probably travelling round warmer climes!) after I produced some cards that were SO ugly they went in the recycling bin and a bag charm I made my mum that just didnt look right, add to this tooth ache (STILL havent plucked up the courage to have it pulled out as the dentist suggested, I will, I just have to work up to it!!) and some other bits and pieces I had just about had enough (my poor OH, what he has to put up with! The sewing machine nearly landed on him as he walked through the door last Friday!). But, my mojo is back-I managed to make several cards in one night...look!
During the week I girded my loins and went to a new crafting night at the local Cath Kidson shop. They run craft classes for free a couple of times a month, so I thought even though I didn't know anyone I decided to go along, and I am so glad I did. This week they were making egg cosies. The other ladies made some lovely ones decorated with flowers, gems etc....me? Well, what did you expect?
Yep,a mexican day of the dead skull!

They were also making drawstring bags, or as we say in the west country,Dap bags!. I ran out of time so brought the fabric and ribbon home to make it.....

Dah-dah!
"How did I make it?" I hear you cry? Well, that'll be on my new sewing machine.......Yep, I decided 4 killings were not enough!! I bought it 2nd hand from a great shop in town and they will throw in a free lesson in using it after Easter-its electronic and has several stitches-I love my new machine! I used it for the first time today to make this bag. I have even managed to change the thread colour-basic I know, but for me that is good!!
Look, Isn't it beautiful...
Fingers crossed it lasts my a LONG time (as it cost me a lot of money).

A few weeks ago I made my Nan a birthday pressie of a scrap book of photos of my nan (and departed grand dad) and me as I grew up. I couldn't post a photo before in case my nan looked at this blog-but she has opened her gift now so the coast is clear!
Boy, did it bring back memories making it, and a few tears.
I have also made a tag book for my pen friend in NYC (we became pen friends in our early teens and have stayed good friends ever since) of his vist more than 20 years ago!! Hopefully Josh would have received it by now so I am taking the gamble and posting a photo...
And then I have made one final card with one of my new stamps from Crafty Individuals, I hope you like it.Happy Crafting

Li'l Pidge

A sad day

Well, Saturday night saw the 10th Anniversary of 'Trailer Park Trash' gigs that my OH has put on in our 2 closest cities, and sadly, this is the last one! After ten years of stress, punk and rock and roll he has decided enough is enough (blast the credit crunch) and he will leave the promoting to someone else. Its was a great gig and brings to an end an era of both Trailer Park Trash and The Junction:

Hacksaw kicked off the night-including some of their well known hits (well in the west country at least) such as 'Go Bath City Go' (the Bath City FC theme tune) and as you can see in this photo 'Bog Roll' where packs of loo rolls are thrown into the crowd and then thown back!!

The were followed by the fantastic punk band 'The Setbacks' (well with my husband and brother-in-law both in the band I may be a tad bias)

Then followed the Cheater Slicks a powerful rockabilly trio, then onto the main act, Dragster with front woman Fi giving it her all as usual.

Someone asked me last night what I would do with my OH home more-I dont think there is any danger of that, what with him being in 2 bands (which gives me lots of time to craft!!)

Talking of which, I managed to make a good luck card today for a colleague who is leaving. She is into her gardens, painting and jewelry so I used some seed beads and wire on the card and lots of flowers. I hope they like it at work.I also started making my first tag book of a few photos I have from 20 years ago when my pen friend from the USA visited. We are still in contact (hello Josh) so I wont post a photo of the make on here until I have sent it-boy making it is bringing back the memories (and really dodgy clothes and haircuts-what was I thinking!!).

Happy Crafting
Li'l Pidge

blackbird I'll 'ave 'e

Hurrah! 2 years ago a blackbird nested in our tree in the back garden, boo! Neighbours cat killed all the young birds (you can buy mole traps, rat traps why not cat traps? Humane of course, what with me being an animal loving veggie)-so this year we prepared ourselves and made a chicken wire balcony-type thing under the nest to try and stop the cat. A very quick look yesterday and there are eggs! Woo-Hoo!!

When the female blackbird has flown off for a bit I will try and take some photo's as the eggs are a beautiful speckled blue/green-so pretty.

Anyhoo, sunny day again (I could so get used to this) so off out...

Happy Crafting
Li'l Pidge

A bird house for the soul and some sublime stitching

What a change in the weather-sunny all week and warm-how lovely! This spurred me on to get cracking with some crafts. First I made this bird house with a removable lid for my mum. Its a pringle tube! I covered the tub in torn pages and then after inking it with Tim Holtz distressed inks I covered it with glue and tissue paper which I inked again and stamped birds on with stayz on. I added a cocktail stick as a perch and added a bird ornament. Of course, to make it, I needed to eat the contents-shame! But I think it was worth it, I hope you do.I also decided to have a go at some embroidery using an iron on stencil from my sublime stitches design book my OH bought for my birthday. The shirt is £2.50 from Asda, but I think it now looks really cool. When I go to london shopping for rockabilly clothes, shirts with a bit of retro stitching (and sometimes just a transfer) can set you back around £40, so I think I got myself a bargain!
I also received my Feb ATC's from the ladies on the CB Forum-arent they lush!
Last week also saw me receiving a commission from someone who walked past my desk and saw the sign I had about cards and asked me to make an A4 retirement card for a lady who likes golf and gardening and wanted a card to reflect this. I had never made a card this big before, so this was a real challenge. I hope they like it.

And then, lots of cards, mothers day, babies being born, my neices birthday etc....so many cards....That's about it for now, I have had a several xrays taken at hospital today and lots of blood tests (I'm not sure they can take THAT much in one go, boy did I feel faint, and now my arm is black and blue)-so I think I deserve a glass of wine and a bit of crafting (though I did sew quite a few yo-yo's to make into brooches later whilst waiting at the hospital)!

Happy crafting

Li'l Pidge