ooh, a few new makes and a win

I can't believe it, I am gushing. The Happy New Year card I submitted to the Crafts Beautiful forum challenge won, along with Maggie (another great entry, as were they all!). Its my first challenge and has spurred me onto look for some more challenges to enter, and to top it all Draytonlady (who ran the challenge) says there is a goody bag as a prize-double bonus!

Well, I have been busy over the past week or so, the cold weather helps as the craft room is easily the warmest in the house, and the dulcid tones of Radcliff and Machonie on Radio 2 of an evening helps me craft along nicely. So, the first of my new makes:

These are my submission for the January CB Forum ATC swap. The theme is fantasy and the middle is one of my sticky notlets as a RAK (Random act of kindness) for Cambiel who is organising it (as is feeling under the weather at the moment, get well soon).

The next one is my triumph, its my scarf! Its taken ages and finally finished just in time for the cold snap to break! But I don't care even if its hot and sunny, I will wear it, because I made it all myself. Knitting, sewing and all those sort of things do not come naturally to me (I prefer a hammer or glue gun!) but against all the odds I have made a purple striped scarf, and all for £2.49 - a bargain (its a good job I don't charge for labour). I managed to buy some wool in the charity shop, grey and black so I am now on the look out for my next project, if you have any ideas, feel free to let me know (so long as they are easy!).

Since wool and needles are not my best of friends I went back to the heat gun and make myself another shrink plastic necklace. This time I used a design from an old tattoo book, colouring it with sakura pens and markers, adding a couple of jump rings at each side and using a double thickness of cording with a lobster clasp at the end:

Having said that me and sewing don't make happy bedfellows (well, I'm sure it was summit like that!) I have finally finished my first handbag. The felt bag is bought as a blank and I traced flower chipboard shapes onto purple felt and cut these out. These I glued onto the bag and added leaves and stitched glitter buttons as the flower centres (stictched to hold it all together at bit more secure in case the glue came away). I was going to use a large popper to secure the bag (living in a city I do like a bit of additional security rather than an open invitation to every scally) but after a trip to the local fabric shop and a chat to the very helpful staff I found out that there is actually a handbag closure for sale. Its magnetic and cost 99p (I am now seeing why handbags do cost a bit, the raw materials alone do add up, but then I have a unique piece). To cover the fixture I used a punch to stamp out a couple of pieces of felt and added a decorative button to add detail. I am really please with the result and am now waiting for my OH to take me out so it can have its first official outing (hubby-if you are reading this, a nice meal out would be a good outing for a bag of this standing!).
One final note, as we are both into 1940-50's style and the whole rockabilly alternative scene (hence my earlier blogs about carving tikki stamps from erasers and hibiscus style flowers in some of my makes and items like the mexican sugar skull necklaces and skull hair flowers to anem a few) we have just managed to locate Sailor Jerry rum, a spiced golden rum-wow, a sweet deliciousness that warms the cockles of ones heart! Yum.

Enjoy x

Li'l Pidge

Happy New Year all in blogland

Happy New Year!
Well, we had a lovely new year spending some time with my brother and his partner (the photo is them on the beach at midnight with sparklers-its hand held in the pitch black which is why its blurred, but how clever are they using the sparkler to make a heart. I would have posted a photo of my OH but he drew porn with his sparkler-typical!) in Whitstable, Kent. A few days down by the sea with fresh air in my lungs (though getting fed up with bronchitis by now-its starting to wear very thin indeed).

Came back to sad news that my OH Grandfather had passed away that morning, just over a year from when he also lost his grandmother. He was such a lovely man and always made us laugh, we'll miss you granddad, rest in peace.

On a lighter note, I have been catching up with my crafting.

These are two of my recent ATC swap on the CB forum. These are from Jintz and Ultramum-thanks ladies, we do love a bit of pink.

These are mine that I sent:

I am getting quite a collection of ATC's now and love getting some post that isnt just junk mail or bills! So, as my new years resolutions I thought I would try to enter some of the forum challenges rather than just lurking and reading the blogs!

So, in the spirit of things I have entered my first one. On the CB forum the set a challenge to design & send a new years card to the CB Magazine, and here it is:



So I am going to be on the look out for a few more challenges-find the time to look and then to make the stuff is the hard part, so if anyone knows of a site that lists craft challenges-please let me know!

I also got a handmade card from my OH for Christmas-bless him, how lovely was that. He sat in the craft room and said he was going to make me a card. Then those words all crafters dread to hear......"can I use ANY of the stash in here?".........what should I do? Nuture the creative thread he was displaying and the loving effort he was going to? Or, be honest and explain that some of the stash is SO pretty that I didnt really want him potentially hacking away at it? Well, of course, I did the only thing I could and resonded "use whatever you want me dear..." then pray to every god and goddess you could name that he couldnt use that lovely glittered vellum you'd been saving or those swarkoski gems!! 2 hours later he emerged-triumphant, though bemused at how long it takes to make a handmade card (what did he think I did up there all this time!). His card to me included my favourite of the moment-owls. What a lovely card, and even more so because he made it for me.
This is the card I made for him. The cat is from a stamp I carved myself, embossed and adorned with a flocked hat with big chunky glitter. I also added a glittered stamped image and used a heart shaped brad that I embossed then dipped in red glitter for that bit of seasonal bling!

Having been SO lack at updating this blog, there is a fair bit of catching up to do. I made my first 18th card for my cousin in New Zealand, her birthday was New Years eve.
I am hoping she liked it-I've not done one before so had to pick the brains of the girls at our weekly crop (thanks Jill for lending me the cuttlebug to cut out the pieces, to Becks for the great silver paper and to Tracy for the ribbon and idea!).

I also made some earings, a handbag charm and the box for my OH's aunts birthday just before christmas:
Well, that's probably about as much excitment as you can take for now, so I'll do another installment in a few days (during these sub zero days the craft room is the smallest in the house and the warmest! So, I have yet another excuse for spending time in here!!).
I hope you are all well (and if not, then I really feel for you, if I cough anymore I am going to SCREAM, apart from the fact that would hurt my poor old chesty, so I think I will just clench my fists in a spurned evil nemisis kind of way!).

Happy Crafting

Li'l Pidge

ooh the CB Forum Secret Santa

What a wonderful Christmas (apart from us both being sick-me bronchitis my OH stinking cold)-the CB Forum Secret Santa gift was torn open to reveal some lovely gifts. I love the ribbons and the brads and I havent even seen the covered chip board letters before-I cannot wait to try them out on my scrapbook.

I got some many nice pressies, but am too busy using them-so I will post some piccies later.

Happy christmas everone
love
li'l pidge

Oh Christmas Tree......

Ah, all topped up with anti biotics and lemsip..so I can carry on with a bit more updating...I have finally managed to make some Christmas cards over the past few weeks.

I'm liking the shaky beaded trees (even if i do say so myself).

I have also had a few birthday makes in the past few weeks ; the first card is for the lovely Becks husband, Nige the Goth and its a shaky cobweb design...oooh loving shaky cards. The 2nd card is for Micky, our resident token bloke at our weekly craft get together (great with the cuttlebug and making tea-well done Micky).

This is a set I made for my sister-in-law's birthday. Its ear-rings, bracelet and a handbag charm with Haematite beads. I made the box with my crafters companion which really speeds things up.

Happy Crafting

Lil Pidge (back to my nest to snuffle and cough in a pathetic way!)

Big Catch up

Sorry folks, the last week has seen me laid up with bronchitus-not much fun and it means I have spent most of the time since Friday in bed. Luckily the past few weeks saw me on a massive crafting spree trying to get all my gifts ready for my family in New Zealand (why oh why is the last posting date down under so early!!) and my brother in London and since I havent posted on here for ages there is loads to add (between coughing and blowing my nose-SO attractive).

First up, a big thanks to my secret santa from the CB forum, a parcel was delivered today (how I did not managed to rip the wrapping off then and there)-ooh, I wonder what it is...shame I will have to wait. Also, my latest ATC's from the CB forum. The theme was snowmen, and these two were from Hellybelly and Magentasnowflake.

Also in a moment of what can only be described as total muppetry I decided that the event journal I spent some months making for my mums combined Christmas/Birthday pressie was not good enough and decided to make a new one! What the hell I was thinking I don't know-by the end of the project I was wishing I just bought her the new Enya CD! The idea is that there are 12 double pages, one for each month, and each month has key birthdays/anniversaries detailed with lots of space to keep adding more. On the opposite page is an envelope containg some handmade cards ready for the appropriate event-all ready in one easy folder.

Well, I did say it was a mammoth task!

I also had my first jewelry order for 2 sugar skull necklaces from a friend. I must admit I ruined a whole sheet of shrink plastic-the only problem with a larger pendant is that the plastic does have a tendancy to curl and buckle and is your concentration waivers for a mere second-burns! (and boy does that make the house stink!). Any way, I managed to make 2 and am really pleased with the results-my first jewelry commision!

I think that's enough for a bit-I need to take some more anti-biotics and have a bit of a lie down (I had no idea that bronchitis took it out of you so much-this sucks!).

Happy Crafting

Li'l Pidge

off to the crafts beautiful on line christmas party now...

here.......

Christmas Cards, knitting and marmalade-all with a hangover!

Finally I have made a start on some Christmas cards. It is SO difficult to sit down and concentrate on just one topic-I usually end up flitting between projects, and finishing very little! I am loving both the pink and turquoise with a bit of glitter to add that sparkle and sakura glaze pens to add a little glossy definition for the darker colour on the baubles. I can't believe that we are only about 6 weeks to Christmas-madness, where has the year gone? Now, I'm told its an age thing, but I refute that!

I also made some white on white cards, with an embossed tree dusted with mica powder, and a double sided peel-off greeting with white holographic glitter applied all over.

I also finished my very first knitting project, a green scarf that doubles as a dishcloth! (well, there are a few holes, but then it is my first attempt). I embellished it with a row of green sequins and a large button. I wore it out for the first time yesterday-warm and toasty!

I also managed to make some marmalade with ginger and whiskey-nice! I decided since my dad loves all 3 ingredients I would make him some for his upcoming birthday, and decorated the jam jar with some pretty papers-nice! I cant wait for the tasting....mmmmm hot buttered toast.....

Not bad crafting for a wet and windy Sunday, especially since I am a little fragile after last night's party at Jill's (my friend who runs our weekly crop)-a great night which meant we all got to show our OH where we spend a few hours every week gossiping/crafting.well, the two go hand in hand don't they? Oh, and talking of our weekly crop, look at these gorgeous mini mosaics Tracy brought us all-aren't they cute? I cant wait to make something with them.


Phew, I need a lie down now........

Li'l Pidge

Scrapping, swapping, shrinking and gigging

Its been a busy couple of weeks in the Li'l Pidge nest. First, I have made my first ever skirt (no photo though, I'll take one later and post it), and I have been busy on the scrap book pages. This is a double page spread of Rotorura and Wai-O-Tapu in New Zealand. I stitched zig-zags around the chocolate and blue border panels, mounted lots of fabric flowers with various jewelled brads, added an acetate pocket to hold the leaflets and used Rangers distressed inkpad in Broken China to colour some chip board shapes, added glue and 2 differently coloured glitters to represent the water gushing up.


This week also saw the Oct STC swap from the CB Forum. This months theme was Decoupage. A big thanks to Shelleyhope, Copse (for RAK ATC and organising the swap) and Paulrw (who, would you believe it actually received one of mine-spooky!). Mine are below, including a Halloween sticky notelet to say thanks to Copse for organising this months.

This is something new to me. Inspired by some of the blogs I have been reading I thought I would cut out some flowers and cult up the edges before sticking them onto the card. The large background is actually self adhesive wall border paper from the local DIY store, it matches my free flower stamp from a previous issue of the stamper magazine. I must admit I quite like the effect. I added a little yellow stickles (I love their glitter glues, they are so fine and easy to apply) in the middle of the flowers.

I also received this all the way from Canada, a lovely thankyou card from Freehartz for participating in her Halloween, bloghop. Your welcome, its was a great evening. I hope you enjoyed the actual day itself.

This year saw us celebrating the next day, which is the Mexican Day of the dead festival. My OH had a gig with 4 acts, 3 of which were 1950's garage and a one was a one man band who played drums, guitar, harmonica and tamborine all whilst singing! It was a great night out, and to celebrate (I wore my new skirt!) I made a sugar skull inspired necklace from shrink plastic. Coloured it with sakura pens, pencils and markers and sealed the lot with diamond glaze. I added a few rings and beads then threaded it all on a cording.

I also had a go at making a ring. A black cat on an orange background. I must admit I am trying SO many new crafts at the moment (I am blaming the Crafts Beautiful forum as I keep seeing new things to try!). The house is starting to fill up, so I think I need to turn my attention to making Christmas presents instead. Speaking of which....best get a wriggle on...

Happy Crafting

Li'l Pidge