A challenge

So, over on theshabbyshed.blogspot.com, home to the lovely Kaz that I met at the Tim Holtz paperartsy event she has a gorgeous tag for a challenge run by Hels (http://pinkleart.blogspot.com/.  After being a watcher on her fabulous blog for an absolute age I thought I would finally enter one of her challenges.  No-where near the standard of the other entries, but I really enjoyed making it.

The theme is Diamonds and Pearls.  I embossed a tag, smearing rangers paint dabbers in white, black and pearl then a little acyclic in teal and removed most of it by dragging a damp baby wipe over the tag.  I added a little teal foil, stamped the face and cut it out, adding a grunge crown.  I added a pearl necklace and decorated the crown with pearls, adding a flower with a bit of bling in the centre.

If you got the chance check out Kaz and Hels blogs-they are both inspiring.

Anyway, Mars Attacks has just started on TV (I cant help cheesy sci-fi, its SO addictive!!) so best fly.
Happy Crafting

Li'l Pidge x

My first tutorial

So, last weeks WOYWW has 2 mysterious sheets on my desk.  I have been having a play with my alcohol inks.  At a recent craft show it was demoed and I thought I'd have a go and instead of using the pieces as backgrounds I'd run them through my new die cutter (still loving the big shot-if your in 2 minds about buying one or the Vagabond-go for the big shot....I've cut metal, leather etc all with my rheumatoid arthritic hands no problems, and its a FRACTION of the price...thought the vagabond does look very cool-not being a pink laydee I wish they'd make it it just black, or maybe purple...ooh, purple and black, that's be nice....I digress!).

Anyhoo, I thought I'd take some photo's and try my first tutorial, please let me know that you think.

 Step 1

• A sheet of acetate (I used old OHP sheets from a dumpster dive!! Too tight to pay for acetate).
• dribble glossy accents (I used glossy accents and 3D art gel as I had some old stuff lying about) around the edge of the sheet, then scribble all over the sheet making sure the glossy accents overlap

 

Step 2

• drop alcohol inks onto the sheet. I made 2 sheets, one in natural hues, browns, golds and greens and another sheet with teal, purples and cerise

 Step 3

• When you have covered the entire sheet with alcohol inks add a little glitter, maybe some chopped angelina fibres

Step 4

• Crumple up some tissue paper and spread all over the sheet, pressing to down to get good adhesion.  You may want to wear gloves or use some old plastic packaging to poke the tissue paper down as my fingers got VERY stained the first time I tried this!!

 Step 5

Wait 24 hours to dry

Step 6

Use!  I put mine through the big shot, but you could punch it or use it for some nice matting and layering

This is the finished card.  I have NO idea what is wrong with blogger, the card is saved in portrait and on the screen but when its uploaded it seems to change direction!  If anyone knows why, please drop me a line and let me know any ideas?!

I hope you enjoy my first tutorial.

Happy crafting

Li'l Pidge

WOYWW

ANOTHER week gone?!.....some would say (misers may say the year is going so quick that Chr***mas is almost upon us-sorry too early to actually say the C word!)...however, trying to be a bit more glass half full some would say, hurrah..summer holidays, the schools off....a much quicker commute to work in only a few weeks!!  More importantly its almost Julia's WOYWW Pay It Forward in week 104 !

What am I whittering about?  Have a look on the blinkie on the right and check out all the other workspaces you can have a good old snoop around! (admit it...we all love a snoop!)

So, my mess desk is covered today! I'm not going to reveal what I am making yet as I am going to try and do my first tutorial when its finished!  In the middle is my first tattered floral flower I made last night, I've now glued it to the lid of my kilner jar filled with liquorice!  Well, a plain glass jar is SOOOOO boring!

Feel free to have a snoop around Julia's blog...I know I am!

Happy crafting

li'l pidge

Arrrgggg...what's going on with blogger

So, I have quite a few weddings this summer so cracked on with making some cards with my new nesties....I took some lovely photos but blogger doesn't like them!  They are oriented OK but blogger keeps moving them!!!!  Sorry but you'll have to wait for the photos.

So, what have I been up to?  Well my Tattered Floral sizzix die arrived this week (SO excited) so I have come home early from work, hubby is at band practise, so I can PLAY for a couple of hours...I have lots of different materials to try and cut them with......so this will be a really quick update as its taking up my crafting time!

Later this week I am going to my first Stampin Up party (held at Coven HQ)...flexing the plastic, eating some good food and maybe a glass or 2 of the grape of the gods....I cant wait!

Anyway, best go....crafting to do!
Take care
Li'l pidge

WOYWW

Wow! (or should that be WOYWW!!) its been another week?  Still not very well so not too much crafting going on, but I have managed to make a card from my ever expanding scrap box (the bird is cut from an old tomato paste tube, gotta love recycling!).

So, with an eye on using up scraps I thought I'd have a play with my new scalloped circle nestie cutter.  After cutting out a medium scallop I then cut through one edge and tore all around the edge, leaving the centre.  I then curled the thin scalloped torn edge around itself, letting it unfurl a little then turned it over a flattened it a bit to bend the petals out and voila! A pretty rose from scrap. Its quite bulky so I'll try it out on some thinner paper,

Here's a close-up of the card I made from the scraps.  I didn't use the rose as it adds a bit too much bulk for the British postal systems.

I have made my PIF (pay it forward) for week 104 of the WOYWW and its not on my desk so don't bother zooming in!

Feel free to pop over to Julia's blog and check out some other desks...its always nice to have a nose round!

Happy Crafting

Li'l Pidge x

Not much crafting

Not much crafting this week.  I was lucky enough to go and see The Leisure Society play a gig, such an amazing group with a unique sound.  I tried downloading a video I took but blogger doesn't seem to keen on it!  So here is their official one.

.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8HAmWbqgvs&feature=player_embedded 

No crafting as I have been so busy at work after my week off-still there at 7pm on a Friday is not much fun I can tell you...a lonely office when its sunny outside!  I did however get the delivery of my nestabilities from Crafty Paper Devil - they turned up 3 days after ordering, what great service (I borrow fellow coven member becky's nesties but no more as I now have my own to cut to my hearts content!) all I need now is the sentiment stamps I ordered from Lili of the Valley (why does it seem to take an age when you REALLY want something?!!?) and I'll be as happy as a pig in ****!

The only crafting I did get done today was to make this magnetic storage for my nesties-that took it out of me though.  Bad day with my rheumatoid arthritis today, feeling so shattered I have spent most of the day in bed feeling like I have the flue, hopefully things will pick up-I'm sure they will, they usually do.

Off for a mooch around blog land for a bit then an early night.
Happy crafting

Li'l pidge x

WOYWW

I can't believe its already a week!  Last week my and my OH were lucky enough to have a weeks holiday in the sunny south west.  When the sun is shining, you really can't beat the south coast (the moors on a dark dank august day also have their attractions-but I must admit not as many as a nice sunny day!).  SO a week in a caravan, nice but difficult to craft, which is why on my WOYWW you can see I have been busy with my promarkers.  Stamping tons of images on waste card at home, I then packed them and my pens and sat happily colouring away.

On the right is my scrap box-now overflowing, so I need to set my self a challenge and make a couple of cards just with the scraps!  Hidden at the back is my new Tim Holtz die, I think the wee houses can be used for so many things....now I just need the time to craft and experiment!

Please pop over to Julia's blog to see other WOYWW (there is a link on the right) and be inspired at other crafters desks-some of which are tidy!!

Happy crafting
li'l pidge

WOYWW

Now, this is a much better WOYWW than my last!!

On my desk are a couple of things I am working on. On the left is a pot I have made for my parents-its a re purposed vitamin container and the lolly sticks on the desks each have a location printed on them. These go into the pot....why? Well, my parents can take a while to decide where to go out for the day so I thought I would help them with these decision sticks!! When they cannot decide they can pick a stick and see what the suggestion is for the day!!

behind that and to the right is a chipboard scrap book I am making celebrating my 40th birthday (party, weekend away and Paperartsy Tim Holtz event), the page you can see is the weekend away my husband organised complete with a hot stone massaged (the photo top right). It seems like so long ago-I think I need another (hint to hubby if you're reading this!!)

In case you are wondering what all this WOYWW is about, check out Julia's blog (there is a link to the right) and before you know it you'll be hooked...people from all over the world are!!

Happy crafting

Li'l Pidge x

YES! I finally have my craft room back AND hot water (boy, the first bath since boxing day was certainly welcomed! We do have an electric shower so no, we didn't hum since Christmas,but through all that snowy weather in Jan and Feb it really isn't the same as a deep, long, hot, bubble bath!!).

So, back to some crafting. This card is a gate fold card, but to find out who it's from the recipient has to undo the corset card! I am loving the paper-the background is quite glossy and the pattern is slightly raised and matt, adding some great texture.

Can you guess what the paper is?

Did you guess? It's wallpaper!!! How cool is that? I'll share a crafty secret with you....pop along to your DIY store and in the wallpaper department there are some great papers....ask, you'll be allowed to cut off some samples and hey presto unusual paper for free!!

So, what have I been up to this Easter? This weekend saw the wedding celebrations of friends of ours Chris and Helen (congratulations you guys) . They love the 50's rockabilly styling and got married in Vegas. Helen looked stunning with her bright red hair and Vivian Holloway white wedding dress-simply stunning.

So I designed this card for them. On pearl card I stamped in white, very pale grey and red (stamping it off the paper first to lighten the stamped image) with some 50's inspired stamps.

I then stamped a sailor Jerry inspired tattoo heart and stamped their initials with stamps that look a little like the CBGB font, adding a couple of scroll peel offs and matt and layered it on red mirror card and holographic card for a little sparkle, finishing it off with some organza ribbon.

In case you were wondering, I coloured the image with pro markers.

I hope you are all crafting and if you are in the UK and enjoying the nice weather-remember you can craft outside!!

Happy crafting

Li'l Pidge x

WOYWW

Happy WOYWW (whats on your workdesk wednesday), where has the week gone?

Its certainly been busy, hence not as many posts...Saturday saw me and my OH go to the seaside, sun and a warm sea breeze in April-I could get used to that! Sunday saw a crafting coven outing to the Shepton Mallet Craft fair. Not as busy as usual, I'm guessing 'cos Ali Pali was on in the same weekend down in London, but I think we all managed to bag a few bargains.


As you can see there is NOTHING on my workdesk!! Not even a desk! This is because after the boiler decided to break on boxing day (no hot water since then...its been fun!) we were finally able to get a plumber to fit a new one....only problem...the pipes are under my craft room!

There was no way round it, everything had to be VERY quickly packed up and moved until the work is done!!! Hopefully I can move it back in at the weekend...after all, I NEED to craft!!

If you haven't come across WOYWW, pop over to Julia's blog (there is a link over on the right) to check it out...

Happy crafting (for you, not me for a few days!!)

Li'l Pidge