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

Summer Solstice

I can't believe we have now had the longest day....I haven't even had a summer break yet! Its lovely and warm and the evenings are so wonderfully light....the biggest bummer is that I haven't been really well enough to do much crafting, I have managed to make some elderflower cordial though. So much nicer than the bought variety (I am loving hedgerow cooking).

So, whilst I may not be doing too much crafting I have been catching up with downloading my photos, so I have a few makes that people wouldnt have seen yet.

This is a money box I made for my best friend, it is an upcycled whisky cylinder. She is trying to save to go back and visit Japan, so I thought I would give her some incentive. I used crackle glazes, netting, various images, stamps, gems, playing pieces and not in the photo around the back I also added a saying from a fortune cookie.

Happy crafting

Li' pidge x

ooh, its like being a kid again

So, I have been practising my colouring in with my pro-markers and some stamped images, I must admit, not my usual style but I am really enjoying getting the pens out and having a go.

And its great if you are away for a day/weekend you can take some stamped images and a few pens and you can craft on the go!

happy crafting

li'l pidge x

a bit of grunged jewelry

These are my latest creations, made with my new ranger memories slide holder. I distressed a page from a dictionary for the definition of time, adding the words 'fly' and time', silhouette of birds flying, some stained lace and a little stickles glitter bling and finally I disassembled a pocket watch and used some of the cogs

I also decorated the back with more ravens

This is my grungepaper cuff. I distressed it, adding black stayzon stamped flourishes and added some grungeboard precut wings and heart which Ionce again distressed and added a little homemade distressed stickles (i apply the glitter rubbing it in with my finger, then wet my finger tip, to be honest I find a bit of spit is best as its not too wet, yuck I know, but ot works!! and rub it over to randomly remove some)

I then attached it all with eyelets set with my crop a dile and added a tim holtz hitch fastner to fasten the cuff around my wrist.

I then applied matt modge podge to seal it all, then I sprayed acrylic sealant to reduce any tackiness from the modge podge, and voila, in matter of a few hours 2 new pieces.

Happy crafting, off to watch a bit more of the Chelsea Flower Show (such an inspiration)

Li'l Pidge

must stop buying.....stuff

So, the other week I went to a 50% off sale at the Stamp Bug....so many goodies at least 50% off, some stamps were only 50p!!!!......I thought I was quite restrained.

They stock amazing lady art moulds, these are a couple that I bought made up with friendly plastic, the one on the left is a stylized kiwi leaf, as I have family in New Zealand I thought this would be perfect on their cards and scrap pages, and the key hole for some steam punk makes.

I also met Lucy from 'true colours' blog (see blog list to the right) who has some amazing items on her blog, I recommend you stop by some time.

I have been making lots of cards, and have also made a rangers memory glass necklace and grungepaper wrist band..but I need to download the photos of them.....so here are a few cards I have been making.

These are 2 great stamps from the stamp bug which I hand coloured and inked with some distressed inks

The bottle and glass are black peel-offs I stuck on coloured paper scraps and hand coloured

and this card is distressed with inks again (loving the distressed inks).

I was also lucky enough to visit my brother in London for the Tate moderns 10th anniversary, a great show and the shop is SO good. I bought a book of 1000 altered and reclyed projects....so much inspiration, thank goodness we have a bank holiday coming up (a whole day of crafting with any luck!).

Any way, happy crafting

lil pidge x

Hurrah Spring is finally here

It's been a long time coming, and bet it doesn't hang around for long but the sun is out and its warm enough to consider not taking a jacket out suring the day, I say consider, this is the UK after all! But the blossom is out (how lovely is it at the moment?)


and the plastic flamingoes are sunning themselves by the pond (that'll be a bucked sunk into the ground-we have a frog though, so there is a bit of wildlife in it!

Fingers crossed the weather lasts a bit-the last 2 summers were a non-event, Britain could do with some good luck at the moment!