yet more holiday stuff

hi

actually i started these on holiday but finished them today.

the green piece of needle felt is an experiment i did using wool topps and pelmet vylene---- just to see if it would work. the vylene proved quite good as a background and the needle felting tool went through quite easily but not without pricking myself a few times (ouch). the wool is just laid across the vylene and there are various synthetic threads incorporated in it. a cobweb layer was put over the top as you would when wet felting, just to keep it altogether.

i held a felt workshop a couple of weeks ago and one of my ladies kept sheep, she very kindly brought me in some fleece, straight off the animal!

i did some research and washed and cleaned it, it smelt a bit rough at first but when it had dried it was beautifully soft and fluffy. the sheep are jacobs, so they are a mixture of white/black/brown wool so is proving to be lovely for felting. the picture just sort of developed as it went along depending on the shape of the piece of wool i pulled off. finally i added some beads and crystals to highlight various ares.

i really like the look of this piece so thanks very much for the wool nora.

more holiday stuff

hi there

i did manage to do a bit of crafting while at home last week.

i made some more fabric covered books.

here is some lovely fabric in the shops at the moment. or this is a good way of using up smallish scraps from 'the stash'.

patchwork fat quarters are perfect for these projects. the book on the left has some goldwork embroidery on it, quite simple pearl purl in the middle at the edge. it wasn't very good positioning really, but the fabric is really pretty. the book on the right has several matching buttons sewn on with gold thread. it is a bit difficult to see them as they match the material quite well. this time i managed to match the paper inside with the out side, writing paper doesn't have to be white!

if anyone reads this please take time to leave a comment.

holidays?

i 've been on holiday from work for a couple of weeks, so lots of time to do stuff! actually i had to look after my daughter.

i had intended to do lots of crafty things, but guess what, i didnt! surprise surprise!

i did make a few cards, this one is for vicky - a colleague from work. the stamp is one i made with my imagepac stamp maker. i embossed it with a steward gill bronze powder and layered it with some lovely bronze card.

i finished it with some star brads and dare i say it, a peel off greeting.

sorry i missed you vicky. there wasn't any point in posting it because of the strikes at the moment.

more atc s

hi world

i have been busy this week doing atc's.

its funny isn't it? how addictive these silly little cards can be!

i used to think they were a waste of time but now i have done a few i am getting into them. they aren't as easy as they look, i think because they are so small, you really need to think about what you are doing.

i like to make them completely different to each other, i think i have managed it.

i have sent some off to swops but the top one seems to have disappeared from scanner to envelope ! very strange.

i think my favouite is the magic flakes and the love fairy.

please leave a comment

more links

there is a brilliant new book out, (well new-ish) called 'Link It' by Susan C thomas. it incorporates chain maille techniqes with rubber o rings.

it is something a bit different and quite quick and easy to do once you get the basics. i have done a few projects from it already but had a play last night trying a few different ideas. this is what i ended up with..

i was very pleased with the pendants and just had to order more rings. the best web site for these rings is www.beadsisters.co.uk

here is loads of other beady stuff too and they are always really quick at despatching.

the only negative to this technique is the taste. whatever you do dont get your fingers near your mouth when you are making them yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuk!

wash your hands with lots of hot soapy water after

janet

happy birthday amy

it is my twin daughters birthday this week. i struggled to make cards for them today, not really feeling very inspired. but anyway here is one of the cards (i forgot to scan the other before i posted it.

this one is for amy. i was looking through my craft stamper mags for inspiration and came across an article on shrink plastic. i haven't done this for a while so i did.

i cut a large rectangle of plastic and stamped flowers on it with black staz on (must get some more colours!). i coloured parts of the flowers in with aqua promarkers. the plastic didnt shrink very evenly but i think it is ok.

i stamped the backing paper and a piece of pink card edged with brilliance ink with the same stamps to match the stamping on the plastic.

i kept the theme of stamping on the corners throughout the card.

the ribbon on the card is a sort of metallic mesh, it is not very flexible so didn't lay very well (but better than it looks in the picture).

i free wrote amys name in the corner and then placed a plastic square over each letter. i was quite pleased with the card in the end, it is a different style for me , but it is good to try different styles.

good omen

how is this for a good omen?

today my daughter and i went up to london zoo. amy had an interview as a trainee reptile keeper. she has just finished her masters degree in zoo conservation at plymouth uni and really wants this job!!!!

she thinks it all went well, but she wont know for a week or so.

anyway when we arrived home i checked my post and found that i had won a freebie from papercraft essencials magazine. i made amy a quick card with one of the stamps, it is very appropriate, dont you think?

the stamp is called' jungle pals' from woodware craft collection.

i stamped the image twice then coloured the crocodile in on one and the background on the other, i used sakura pens and aqua promarkers. i cut out the coloured croc and layered it on top of the background with foam pads.

the background paper is a giraffe pattern i had in my ever expanding stash. i punched out some leaves and wrote the greeting on with the sakura pens.

she liked the card as she loves crocodiles, she spent 3 months in peru doing a research project into feeding habits of caimen crocs!

thanks very much papercrafts mag!

please leave a comment

not quite venice

hi everyone

i saw this project in last months craft stamper and really liked it, so i thought i would have a go.

i won some of the new clay on from a magazine freebie and i was wandering what to make with it. i love the project in the magazine.

i also like going up tall towers like the campanile ( i have been to venice but didn't get time to go up, but i did go up the one in florence). My tile wasn't as big as the one in the book but i am quite pleased with it . i am going to hang it in my craft room.

the clay has ben stamped wih various rubber stamps, some whole and some just part of the stamp. i used several colours of perfect pearls on the clay before and after cooking, it has given it a lovely sheen. i also painted on glossy accents to protect the surface of the tiles. finally after cookong i glued on 3 gems just to add a bit of bling.

a bit of sparkle is almost as importan t as chocolate!

if you read this please leave a comment.

janet

one of the tiles has the word beleive pressed into it : beleive, you can do anything if you want to enough!,

well done lucy

My youngest daughter lucy has just started her first full time job. in these difficult times it is hard to find a job at all. she is really lucky to get a job doing something she wants to do; working in a daycare nursery looking after 'little people'.

i know she is going to have a brilliant time there and do really well, she deserves to as she worked hard to pass all her exams.

i made her a good luck card, but she started straight away so i didnt have long to do it. it was a very quick make, but it is pink which is her favourite colour, also it is glittery and fun, just like her!

well done emma

this week i went to my daughter emma's graduation from the royal school of needlework.

it was held at hampton court palace, where she has been working and studying for the last 3 years.

i made myself a felted flower corsage to wear. i was very pleased with it. these flowers do not take long using the clover needle felting tool and moulds. i used 2 colours of fetlz it wool tops with some texture yarn threads incorperated in the felting. it is finished with a big shiney button.

i made emma a graduation card with some of her work on. the bottom picture is a self portrait of her that i made into a rubber stamp and coloured in with sakura pens. the main picture is silk shading with painted lettering.

the apprentices were presented with their certificates by zandra rhodes. she was lovely, wonderfully wacky and genuinly interested in all their work.

if anyone reads this please leave a comment... ta

janet

happy birthday boys

this week i had to make cards for the boyfriends of my eldest 2 daughters.

here are the cards i made, both have a pirate theme, the pictures were free in papercraft essentials (last month i think).

both the cards had hidden suprises (one had a cheque in the treasure map and the other had theatre tickets hidden under a trap door. they seemed to be appreciated ok. who says pirates are just for little boys (it works for johnny depp)

yes i have been doing stuff

yes

i have been busy 'doing crafty stuff', i just haven't had time to blog.

i 'm into chain mail and rubber at the moment. in the form of jewellery that is! there is a lovely new book out called link it by Susan c Thomas. there are some brill projects using little rubber o rings and coloured metal rings. just one thing. . . dont eat while making anything, they taste disgusting.

here are a couple of bracelets i have made, but they are a bit dificult to scan so they look a bit odd in shape.

once you get the hang of the technique they are not that difficult to do as the book has very good instructions and clear photos.

busy busy busy

HI

i have been really busy over the last couple of weeks making a mini scrapbook of my hols to spain, why does it take soooo long. anyway that done normal business will now be resumed!

i went to guildford on fri (rained all day) and visited the bead shop there, i brought some lovely flat green stones.

vicky at work has just started beading and thinks you should only buy beads one project at a time. . . . good idea in theory.

so i decided to try it and made something with the beads i had just brought.

actually it worked quite well, but it was a simple design. i decide to try some wire wrapping with some wire i had already, i really just wrapped the wire around randomly. then i joined the beads together with wire rings and crystals. i was quite pleased with the bracelet, and just had enough to make a pair of matching earrings as well.

the only problem now is that i have about 10 years of unused 'stuff' to use up.

i had another table top sale at the weekend, it went quite well, i think we had more people through the door this time.

i made some pretty button brooches, mostly using covering buttons, clover yoyo makers and flower sequins. the blue one and the browny one have fused angelina fibres on the top. i enjoyed making these and i will beexperiment with different patterns and fabrics. keep you posted. . .

janet

everyone is moving

well ok, not everyone, only 2 people i know

my hubby's cousin has just moved into a new flat so good luck we hope he will be happy, here is the card we sent him (a good way to use up those left over colour charts

the other 'card' is a tag ( inspired from one done by work college vicky)
maggie gave me a lovely farewell card from paperchase, which she really liked.
i scanned the card and printed it on to white card. this i then taped to a chip board label and decorated with sakura pens and perfect pearls.
next i covered it will my new best friend ( UTEE) .
the hanging letters are made from shrink plastic and highlighted with glossy accents. the fairy is my favouite stamp from butterfly kisses (you may have seen it before on my blog!).. the window is from a stamp i made from a photo of one of the windows in Bath Abbey.

this is a different style for me but i quite like it , i hope maggie and her family do too.

its amazing what you find at the bus stop

hi world,

here are some earring i made with something i found at the bus stop in spain. the bus stop was next to a pine wood. i thought these large pine nut cases looked interesting so i picked several up, you know as a crafter, as you do !

when i got home i intended to varnish them and make them into earrings, a tricky fiddly job i thought.

then i remembered vicky had given me some UTEE to try. brilliant, it was so easy.

i drilled a small hole in the top to put a ring through then i brushed on embossing fluid. i then dipped them in the UTEE, shook off the excess and heated them, i dipped them 2 more times and i was really pleased with the results. the first one was a little bubbly (i think i over heated a bit) but the second was better. they have a lovely shine.

now i love UTEE too

M for maggie

hi world

maggie, a lovely work colleage is moving on to a new life in newcastle. i will miss her as we share a similar sense of humour and have had lots of laughs at lunchtime.

as a crafter i prefer to make gifts rather than buy, so i made her an M initial in pmc silver.

some necklaces i have made in the past have had quite small bails to put the chain through so this time i made it larger and decorated the join with tiny flowers. the back has a slight pattern on so she can were it either way. i hope she likes it

GOOD LUCK MAGGIE

back in business

hi world

well it is a couple of weeks since my hols ( we had a brilliant time, good company, food, booze weather and places, what more could you want), so i thought i should start blogging again.

so here goes;

i have been busy doing lots of crafty stuff lately, here are some pictures

the top 2 pics are greetings cards

the flowers are stamped and coloured in with sakura pens. the lady picture is a bookmark which can be removed and used. the fairy is from butterfly kisses and my favouite stamp at the moment

the bottom 2 pictures are covered books. i am really into the books at the moment, the blue one has beads sewn on in spiral patterns ( cannot see in picture) and the purple one has irridescent flower sequins sewn on. the 3 smaller ones are just fabric covered.

i have been persuaded to have a table at a local craft morning, so they will be for that, if they dont sell then i am all set for christmas (what a thought and much too organised for me!!!)

Too Busy To Blog

hola

I've been much too busy to blog this week i much prefer to actually craft.

This past week i have been doing a bit of everything.

My favourite piece this week was a clear stamp from a doodle of a flower.

Ihen I made a brooch in PMC silver using the stamp, I was pleased with how well the brooch turned out, the edges are quite irregular but I like that as it makes it unique.

I also made a couple more embroidered books. I enjoy the process of making the books. you start with really basic ingredients and finish with something lovely (hopefully) and useful too. l items, the leaf fabric is lovely, I didn't need to do much to it.

I brought a copy of crafts beautiful which had some lovely papers featuring Paddington Bear (who i love) so i made some cards with them . I sent one to my daughter at Uni, along with some emergency food vouchers (for Thorntons).

I also managed to finally get some beading done, I have started making a beaded box, this will take a while though they are quite complicated.

Finally I have been trying to learn a little bit of Spanish before my hols (failing badly)!

off to spain yey !!!!!

P.S just for Anne at work I have used capitals . . for 1 time only, it takes me too long to type, sorry anne

a handfull of fairies

today i made a handfull of fairy cards to hopefully sell in aid of breast cancer research. i love this stamp from butterfly kisses. the stamp comes in 2 parts, a front and a back, thus making it ideal to hang in an aperture. i have put pretty backing paper on the inside so that it shows through the aperture. there is a variety of embellishments, punched flowers and sequins etc on the outside. 2 of the cards have stamped flowers on the outside with some silver peel off highlights which are the same shape as the flower stamp.

the idea for these cards came about because i brought 11packs of 10 cards from smiths for 1p each pack. however the cards were silver wedding invitations so i had to cut out the middle and cover the inside invitation part. i knew this when i brought them but they are lovely square cream cards, too good to miss at that price. i have just used up the last 8 cards.

also today i made some more clear stamps using my image pack system, but it was a bit late in the afternoon , so they didnt work that well as i think it was a bit dark, i will try them out tomorrow

a very productive week

hi world

well last week was a very productive time for me , hense no blogging. i'd much rather craft than compute.

anyway i have made cards, silver, a watch strap, 2 knitted brooches, a rucksack bag and i even did some housework

i made a batch of cards for a friend to sell at work, i give the money to breast cancer research. here are some little bears made with a stamp i won in a magazine give away, lucky me, as it is rather cute. the bears are actually on the inside, there is an aperture on the front so the bears can be seen on the outside. they have been painted using letraset aqua markers, these are very versatile pens, when using a water pen.

the 2 silver pieces are made from pmc silver clay, they have been drying for quite a while, so i thought i really should finish them, so i did! silver clay is easy to work with but you need to be quite quick as it dries out. i like finishing projects it gives me a real sense of acheivement.

i finally got around to making a beaded strap for my new watch (brought because i couldn't easily read my other one, my age you know). i have had the blue beads for a while, brought because i liked them and not knowing what to do with them, i still have quite a lot left so maybe i will make a bracelet to match, the swarovski crystals between are gorgeous and have a wonderful colour name. . .padaradscha,

a few weeks ago i dyed a coat i have had for a while, it was brown now it is bluey green, i knitted a couple of brooches to go on the collar, the popular hairy yarns are good for this type of brooch as they look quite random, i knitted wire with the yarn to make the brooch flexible, then i embellished them with some beads and shell buttons.

i also made a new rucksack bag to go with the coat, the fabric is a curtain remnant i brought in a sale a while ago. the extra weight of curtain fabric is brilliant for making this type of bag as it is much stronger and hard wearing.

i painted extra areas on the flowers with dylon and stewart gill fabric paints (copper and verdi gris) , the copper colour has a lovely shimmer to it. the 2 areas at the bottom have been embossed with stewart gill glittery embossing powder, again it has a shimmery texture. i haven't embossed on fabric before but it worked realy well

and finally i did do some housework, well i had to hoover up after making the bag didn't i! anyway i'm off to paint some fairies for more cards, oh and eat a curly wurly, yum.

be crafty and eat chocolate

more atcs

i had another go at making some atc s at the weekend, the theme was birds. this was not that easy as i didnt have much to stamp with, or much time, it was a busy weekend!

i resisted the temptation to make a stamp specially, mainly due to lack of time. so i managed with the few choices i had,

nothing really complicated on these. the bird house opens up to reveal a little bird inside which is painted with sakura gel pens. the pink atc has some real feathers on the tail and glittery writing . the background on the time flies card was stamped using magic foam. this is a brilliant product which can be changed again and again using different texture plates or anything which can leave an impression on the warmed foam. i used a texture plate from my pmc3 stash.

anyway, i dont think they turned out too bad. what do you think?

by the way i dont 'do' capitals, does it matter? its just for fun!

janet

finishing stuff.. . again

hi world ( not that anyone is watching)

this week i have been finishing more projects that have been on going for a while.

the butterfly is a gold work piece from an anne butcher workshop from the rsn. all i needed to do was mount it which i did on tuesday, it didn't take long, it's just getting around to these things

i also mounted the hat silk shading, this was from a shelley cox workshop from last year.

the beaded scissor case i started about 4-5 months ago. i reaaly pushed on to finish it as i have made a new resolution not to start new things until i have finished the current project. . . a bit harsh but it's the only way. of course i can still have several types of projects on the go at the same time!!!!

happy retirement julie

hi

here is the quick card (coz it is late ) i made for my sister in law as she is retireing this week.

i dont think she will be spending very long in bed though.

the paper is from the forever friends series by papermania, i know its a cheat but they are really cute.

i cut out an extra bear and parts of the quilt, added foam pads and layered it to look 3d, then i cut out the letters with my sizzics sidekick.

i like the mix of lower and upper case, but also, it makes it quicker and less wastfull too. the edges of the paper have been inked with a brillience ink pad.

this has to be the quickest card i have made for ages

finishing stuff

i have had a really good go at finishing stuff this week, so far i have finished repairing my daughters bracelet, her phone dangley i made and i also made her a pair of earrings from bits left from the bracelet, (sorry no photos).

i also finished a knitted top for my hols in a few weeks time, a scrapbok page called sisters and a new watch strap for my bigger watch, so i can read it at work.

embroidered book

well finally here is the embroidered book i made last weekend at the rsn at hampton court palace, it is a lovely venue for a workshop. the reacher was kelly aldridge, it was a very entertaining weekend.
kelly was very good at bringing out our designs, based on our fabric. mine was like cracked stonework.
prior to the workshop i had taken photos of winchester cathedral, i decided to do something different to my usual flowery/natural designs.
however when i was there i took some photos of the ceiling of anne boleyn's arch at the front of the palace and decided to use those instead.
i used the zoom on the camera to enlarge sections of the pictures and used those for my designs. kelly suggested we draw lots of thumbnails to develope our designs, it was a really useful way of doing it. i was please with my design, but i dont think the picture does it justice.

weekend away

well this weekend i am on a jolly..... i am doing a weekend workshop at the royal school of needlework at hampton court palace, i am making an embroidered book.
so look in next week to see how it turns out
no cooking , no housework , just play : )

greetings cards

hi

here are a few cards i made a week or so ago. a friend sells them at work and i donate the money to breast cancer research. i dont sell loads but it adds up to a couple of hundred a year which is good for the charity. i hope you like them, some are very simple as i dont like to spend too long on then as my time is limited and i only charge £1.50........i even charge myself.... bargain!