not got a necklace to go with an outfit-no problem

So, all dressed up with somewhere to go...disaster, no adornment for the old neck, what is a girl to do......I have spent too much on craft goodies (well, they are a necessity, a bit like food-food for the soul that is) so I turn to the craft room and.....voila!



I used a couple of microscope slides and a memory frame from Rangers. I cut pages from an old dictionary, coloured them with distress inks adding stamped images, a little bit of lace, some stickles for a small amount of bling (on one side only so I could wear a non blinged side when feel a little more sedately, well it may happen one day) and a touch of glossy accents. I then added words from the dictionary.


I have been waiting for a good reason to use this bird stamp from Paper Artsy, what better time for 'a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush'.

So, quickly added my trusty black suede lacing and then I was ready for the off.....

Now, where was I meant to be going.....
and why did I come upstairs.......

age is a wonderful (but often wondering) thing!!
Happy crafting
li'l Pidge x

A quick challenge

So, I have entered a challenge on a great blog, called 'lotstodochallenges.blogspot.com

The theme is monochrome so I have added this green card with a domino affixed.

Its a great blog, pop over and check it out if you have a chance.

Happy crafting

li'l pidge x

Is there such a thing as too nice a day to craft?

Basically YES! As we are now in Autumn (my favourite season, crunching through leaves, picking blackberries, sloes (for sloe gin-a great Christmas favourite in our house) and sweet chestnuts.

We don't get as many sunny crisp days when it is still warm enough to get out and about without piling on the layers...so we decided to head off down to the coast and spent a day by the sea in Sidmouth in Devon.

Its a great old fashioned holiday resort, nice beach, lovely promenade and some great independent shops (I even found a small craft fair the village hall!).

But most impressive was my hubby spotted some guerrilla knitting (the last time we saw this was in Whitstable)...

Itsnt it great?

Happy crafting
li'l pidge x

Alcohol Inks and charity shop finds

Searching through my SD card, I came across this photo which I can't remember if I shared with you.

The cutlery was picked up for next to nothing from a charity shop and the box frame was a cheap Ikea frame (other soul-sucking, impossible to find assitance shops are no doubt also available) and decorated them with alcohol inks, vintage words, wire and beads...it now hangs in my kitchen...a little bit of craft when I am burning water for my morning boiled egg.

Charity shops, bins and skips are now all open terrority for me and my quest for altered art!!! (my hubby is not going to be impressed, he lost his music/computer room-now a craft room and the dining room table looks like a jumble sale some days!!

oh well, I'm sure he must be used to it by now, after all, he married me knowing I was an obsessive crafter (is there any other sort?)

Happy crafting

li'l pidge x

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

What have a barrister and a pirate got in common?

The answer to the question? Well, they are both cards I have made recently!

This is a stamped image which I coloured with pro-markers, distressed and inked the backing paper (which is plain cream card, stamped with YO HO HO and a map stamp) with some craftworks card candy in the corners and some ribbon wrapped around.

I must admit, I quite like him...

This is a card I was asked to make for a lady whose son has just become a barrister, again I am using my favourite courdory distress ink and card candy in the corners again.

Then finally, a moving home card. The key and padlock are made from friendly plastic melted and pressed into a mould,the bird cage is layered and slightly domed to give the effect of depth and patterened background paper is over stamped with the word Home and some trailing leaves.

Best get back to crafting,

li'l pidge x

What else now?!

Sorry, but I have not been in the right frame of mind to blog recently, after a reasonably wet weeks holiday after all those lovely hot and sunny weeks we had I thought my luck must be up for a change of direction.

Oh how wrong I was!
lady luck is a fickle mare and seems to be in a bit of a hissy fit with me at the moment! Driving home from work, I noticed smoke coming out of my boot!!! I had to look twice as I couldn't believe what was happening, actual smoke from the boot of the car! Now, I don't smoke, so I quickly pulled over, fearful that my craft bag may be in the boot still!!! But it was ok, it was only work stuff! Phew!

Well, finally I have the car back and its as good as new (easily fixed, but something I could really do without!), so I took a days leave and spent the day crafting!

A day spent applying gesso to MDF coaster blanks, altering stuff, inking (boy, how do you get distress ink off your fingers-they're great products, but good god they stain!), filing down brass watch parts (more of that later) and playing with hot glue guns-finally it feels like I am a bit more human again!!

So, remember those brass parts I was filing down? Well, the microscope slide necklaces that I have been making are now stocked in a art/craft gallery, so fingers crossed that the discerning public realise style and individuality when they see them!

I still have to download the photos of them, but as soon as I have I'll post them on here for you all to see.

Now, after my day crafting I have LOTS of UFO's (unFinished objects), so I'd best get on and finish some of them!!

Happy crafting
Li'l Pidge x

Ooh look what the postie brought me

One of the Crafting Coven, the lovely Becky, posted me this fab gift! A wonderful Tim Holtz paper and a couple of great quality stamps! what a lovely surprise.



I couldn't wait to experiment.
Becky bought me this stamp as my cousin is a tattoo artists and specialises in Japanese tattoo's, so the koi ties in nicely. I coloured in the image with pro markers, distressed the edge with my ever useful distress inks, matted and layered on a couple of pieces of card and added a ribbon and message.

I coloured in with promarkers and added a bit of glitter on the wings with my sakura pens. Distressed the edge of the design and mat and layered it. I punched ferns from green vellum that I stamped with bits of bown ink to add depth, layering up some angelina fibres that I ironed into a sheet and separated into smaller pieces by tearing it, adding a fabric brad for a bit of dimension.

Finally adding some gems for that little bit of sparkle.

I am looking forward to experimenting with these.

Happy crafting

li'l pidge x

So, fine weather and a day free...what to do, what to do?

Off to Dorset to the Tolpuddle Martyrs festival.

What's that then? Well, on 24th Feb 1834, six farm labourers from Tolpuddle were arrested on a charge of taking part in an illegal oath ceremony. The real offence was that they had dared to form a trade union to defend their livelihoods. For this they were sentenced to seven years' transportation to the penal colonies of Australia. The sentences provoked an outcry, leading to the first great mass trade union protest. The campaign won free pardons and the Martyrs returned to England.

Considering the political situation in the UK at the moment this is ever more important, the festival was a great day, marches of all different trade unions, marching bands, Tony Benn did a rousing speech and many great bands.

Great weather, great company, for a great cause.



Ade Edmondson and the Bad Shepherds

The fabulous Mr Billy Bragg

Folk royalty Eliza Carthy

For me, this was the best banner of the day

and just a few of the TU's present....

Finally sorting out me photos

Finally I have downloaded the photos off my sim card so I can share a few of my makes with you.


This was a sailor jerry inspired tattoo engagement card

Happy crafting

li'l pidge