Friday 26 October 2012

Brrr Autumn is here



Well here we are again - another Friday and another blog and now I know that I'm not talking to myself it makes it all a bit more real.   First is the family stuff - my youngest daughter has been moaning that I don't mention her very often so a big hello Wendy!!  On your right is our grandson David on a school riding lesson - because he goes to a special school he gets riding lessons as part of his curriculum - he loved it but unfortunately we don't have a back garden big enough for a horse!!  The big tree has been taken down from the back garden and it seems really bare now - i'm going to have to start looking at gardening mags to get ideas on what to plant in its place.  The back garden is still a mess though and it will be a while before things can get organised to how I think it should look.

I've done a few ATCs to post off for an October swop on one of the craft forums - hopefully Anne has got them by now so I can put photos on next week hopefully - the theme was flowers so nice summery ATC's that are in lovely warm colours.   But that's for next week so back to this week's crafty work.

  I found an old box at the car boot sale - now I know that all the experienced crafters will throw their hands in the air when I tell you what I did to it - and it is probably everything that I shouldn't do so be warned - this could be shock horror time!   The box had shells glued to the top of it so the first thing I did was hack off all the shells and sand it until it was smooth - then I got my distress ink out and rubbed it gently all over the top and sides.   Silicone glued lace and ribbon on the side and added a couple of die cut paper daisies and put a blob of  yellow stickles in the middle of them.
I then chose a nice background paper and silicone glued it into the middle of the lid, then built up the die cut decoupage and stuck it down where I thought it looked best.   I added stickles fine glitter glue over the aprons to give a bit of shine.  I had some flower pots that I didn't really know what to do with for a long time and thought I would add it onto the lid to make it look summery - I blobbed green stickles on the leaves and the fine clear glitter glue over the pots and flowers to make them look shiny.   This is the first time I have tried anything like this and I like the look of it - I think I will have to read some blogs and use utube to see how to alter boxes properly as this was a real stab in the dark and not knowing what I was doing type of thing!!  typical of me though!!
 The last couple of things I want to show you is a cross stitch key-ring - it may look small but it took me 5 hours to do over a couple of days - I really like the celtic knots but it does hurt the eyes with all the small counting - I think I prefer big cross stitches but I've got a few more key-rings to make as extra stocking filler pressies - this one is for my friend Ann-Marie - oops sorry Ann-Marie I know you like to keep all your pressies secret until Christmas Eve ha ha ha (wicked laugh)

The very last thing is a knitted flower brooch - arghhhh this is my first attempt at knitting and I used an Usbourn How To Knit Book - ha ha - I'm not going to tell you how many times I ripped it apart and googled instructions but....I did it and like it enough to use as a present for someone.  It is simply (for other people not me!) knitted as 5 leaf type shapes that are sewn together to make the flower shape - I added 2 buttons for the middle and a large brooch pin at the back. I kept trying to flatten the petals out until one of the ladies in my craft club said it looked more realistic as a flower with the bent in petals.
I've started another knotted flower now but using a different method - I will probably have it done by next week.................so until the next time (if i'm not tied up in wool)



                 









Friday 19 October 2012

Quiet Craft day

Well here we are - another Friday so it's craft club again.   It's the Oct week holiday so 4 of our members were off too!  It gave us more room to spread ourselves out so more mess but....who cares when you're crafting ha ha.
The first thing I did (don't laugh) was to start on an Easter Card (yes.... Easter in October) - it's an idea I had for a good friend.  I started the iris folded cross in two colours and am pleased at how it has turned out - the next thing I'm going to do is make various wee paper flowers to kind of drape over it as though they are dangled from the left side as though they are going over the back to the right and then draped down the front to the bottom where it will look like a pool of Easter coloured flowers - well that's the plan anyway.


I've been messing about a bit with acetate this week and thought I would try something with my daughter's 18th birthday card - It is an 8" square card and the topper is a decoupaged rose on nice background paper and acetate wrapped around it to make a kind of dome around it and I wrote on it with a calligraphy pen - I will have to try and improve my 'fancy' writing!  I went mad with ribbons and gems but I was happy with the finished product - I had a bit of trouble with the sticky pads that lifted the topper from the main card but after hours of it lifting up and curling over I discovered that if I put silicone gel glue on and weighted it until it dried it was ok - so a lesson was learnt through trial and error. 
Feeling confident about using acetate I tried something a bit different - so I popped some peel off angels onto it and coloured them using promarkers.  I cut them out and after putting background paper onto gold mirror card and going round edges with more peel-offs I cut small thin strips of acetate and attached them to the back (of the front) of the card and attached the little angels to dangle and dance about in the breeze - I like the movement in this card and will probably make more for friends children to make it a bit different from the usual Santa and presents kind of card I give them.  I'm slowly getting used to using acetate now and am getting more ideas on how to use it in different ways - so look out for some more acetate cards in the future.
Woo Hoo - I have actually finished the border of my wedding sampler - it has taken me ages and ages (sorry Colin and Sheila) and it will probably end up as a Christmas or anniversary present - for those who are interested it is the Wedding ABC sampler that has 26 little boxes for wedding type words/pictures with banner boxes for longer pictures and a big box in the centre for a cross stitch bride and groom (did I mention it would be Christmas 2013 or 2nd anniversary present ha ha).   I will post a picture every week to update you on my progress and keep me on track so I'd better get cross stitching tomorrow for next weeks picture!
The cross stitch is being held up by my wee assistant also known as my grandson David - he gets paid in juice and bacon rolls in the cafe!  He was helping me before going into Boys Club and decided to sit and do some crafting himself - he made a lovely wee Santa with strange pointy teeth because he was a 'nasty' Santa - hmmm I think he's taking being a boy too seriously as he really seems to like stories about 'bad' boys/pets/machines etc etc.  He is 7 and goes to Prospect Bank Special School and was really really really bored having to wait a whole 25 minutes for the club to start - thank goodness it was only 25 minutes - how many times in 25 minutes can a boy ask how long now?  The answer is too many ha ha!!!!
I hope that everyone who reads this has a good week..........until the next time






Sunday 14 October 2012

A horrible day

What a horrible day it has been here in Edinburgh - I think we have had all seasons and all types of weather in a 24 hour period!  I've not been feeling too good so I've been at home and the furthest I have got in tidying up is thinking about it.............full of good intentions but today the old body is refusing to do anything at all so it's been lots of rest and painkillers for me!
We are getting the big tree cut down in the back garden at the end of the week because it's roots are starting to affect my next door neighbour and it won't be too long before the buildings start to lift so the men are coming with their big machinery to chop it to bits - my poor old cat Koko is buried in the back garden so I will have to make sure that his wee plot isn't dug up too - thank goodness he's buried away from the big tree!  He is waiting at Rainbow Bridge for us now.   
Not been able to do any crafting today - it's taken me all my time to lift a pill to my mouth so crafting is out of the question just now - hopefully it will be better by tomorrow so..................until the next time

Friday 12 October 2012

Crafty Club Friday

Well here we are again - another Friday another Craft Club day and I really enjoyed it today - we welcomed another new member (hello Marcelle) and chatted and laughed our way through the session!
This is taken at the beginning before everybody had arrived and as you can see I am a really messy crafter ha ha - everybody else had beautiful neat organised piles where mine is just exploded all over the place.   The only thing missing is my coffee cup - I really need my mocca to start the day off right!   Lots of different things going on today - we had calligraphy, cross-stitch,felt sewing and jewellery making as well as my papercrafting so lots of things to look at and admire.
Thought I would work on some Christmas Cards today so here is my efforts - 2  easel cards (would you believe that I've never made them before so it's a first for me).  A decoupage winter scene with pinflair gel instead of sticky pads and a matted and layered one.


 I thought I would have a go at making a paper rose - so here is my practise one made from normal photocopy paper with the edges just lightly dabbed with distress ink - I'm quite pleased at how it turned out and I will be making more of them to put on my die cut type of cards - I have been naughty and got myself some more embossing folders and no doubt you will see them creeping in more and more over the coming months.   Well that is enough from me just now - so happy crafting everyone......... until the next time



Wednesday 10 October 2012

Busy day

What a busy day it has been - in fact what a busy week it has been!  I've not really managed to do much crafting but I have done atc's to send off to a forum member for a swop and it was one of my favourite themes - flowers.  I'm not going to post them here until I post them off and she gets them because I know she reads my blogs on the blog hops that we do - ha ha yes it's YOU - you know who you are!!
I've taken a real liking to making wee fairies for the tree or for hanging on things - I did try some with faces but I think I prefer them without - it makes them look a bit more mysterious and fairy like - I went a bit overboard with the glitter spray and the smell can still knock you on your back! ha ha
 here are a few of the smelly offending fairies and I hope leaving them out will let the 'glue' smell go away and I can pack them away to give as extra wee pressies before Christmas.  I thought it would be a good idea to give my special friends and girls in the craft club an early present of 12 different tree decorations - I've made enough fairies now so I think on Friday Craft Club I will make a start on the felt ones.

It is 'pink' day at my grandson's school on Friday and since he will absolutely refuse to wear anything pink (because he's a boy he tells us loudly) my daughter sat and made a pink pig brooch for him to wear using some of my felt and glitter gems - it has a proper brooch back on it and it's something that he will wear without too much argument!

The building is part of the community centre that I volunteer in - there is only 2 paid staff and that is the manager (full time) and an assistant (15hrs a week) so it is up to all the local volunteers to run it - I do the office/front desk and some admin work and the other volunteers do everything else including running the busy cafe - all funds going back to the Centre for groups and clubs we run.
The weather is getting colder now - it's frosty in the early morning and it won't be too long before people are scraping their cars so it really is time to put the heating on now - goodbye summer hello autumn!  I love the trees at this time of year - the colours are beautiful and I'm thinking about taking some nice photos to use as backgrounds or toppers for cards - not done this before but quite fancy it - possibly do it over a year starting now to make a nice calendar to give next Christmas........oh no the crafter in me has taken over and I'm planning for next year before this one is over!!!  Time goes too fast as it is...........anyway........... until the next time

Monday 1 October 2012

What a waste!!

This is Edinburgh's answer to what people want to look at when they look out their windows - it doesn't matter that budgets are being slashed, voluntary projects are having to close and people are losing their jobs right left and center   Yes - what we want is........sticky up stones placed in between plants and shells (yes shells and not even local shells - shells transported to a coastal city with it's own shells on the beaches!) shoveled around them and can you guess how much this is costing the tax payer of Edinburgh .......£35,000 (thirty five thousand pound!) What a waste!!
Anyway onto more pleasant matters - can you guess - yes my favourite hobby - crafting!

Christmas card and 2 birthday cards
matting and layering
Well here we have my usual messy chaotic table in my craft club and from that mess I was able to make the cards that you see in the photos - and you will no doubt notice that I have discovered how to make them smaller so I'm not taking up all the room on the page!
matted and layered fairy and 2 decoupage birthday - I like the middle one best 
fast quick cards and I even stamped on one
my favourite 3 cards of the day!













I had really good fun making these cards - lots of chat and tea and laughing with my crafting pals so a good time was had by all - I even attempted a card flower - it was stamped and kind of folded into shape with the tips of the flowers rolled over - I used distress ink and shaded it in using my new ink blender and I think I'll take it to craft club next week to have a good go at it.   The photos were taken in the office that I volunteer in because the light was better there and the table was such a mess when I finished in the club it took me ages to get it cleared up - ah well I suppose it's not crafting if there is no mess - well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!  Until the next time  x


Tuesday 25 September 2012

A rainy day

Ha ha - since this is such a horrible rainy day here in Edinburgh I thought I would cheer everybody up with a picture of my lovely grandson after baking at school - as you can see he is as enthusiastic about baking as he is with everything else and I think he worked under a cloud of flour.  His teacher took this picture but it is so typically him - messy, cheeky, enthusiastic and just plain cute!
 I've rediscovered my passion for ATCs' and am in the middle of sorting out the tool box I use to keep all the ATC stash in so that I can get to work on them - as if there is not enough crafty things to do in the lead up to Christmas.  I've put a couple of my old ATCs' on to let you see what I do - the first picture is of daffodils because they are really my favourite flower - really bright happy flowers that make me smile every time I see them - the top left one is stamped and coloured with promarkers and mounted twice onto backing paper and stuck down on daffodil backing paper that I downloaded.  Top right is iris folded daffodil using bright origami paper - when I finished the iris folding I covered it with another apperture daffodil card and sprayed it with silver glitter spray (love glitter) then just mounted and put some gems on it.  Bottom one is daffodil topper mounted onto card with green metallic thread
threaded around it then mounted onto card with paper ribbon and brads.
 
The next few are 2 x love theme - one simple and basic with topper mounted onto different layers and paper ribbon with heart brads - the other one is peel off on white card and simple colours dabbed into the flowers and leaves.  Mounted on heart spotty paper (and sprayed with rose perfume).
The bottom 2 are Chinese New Year and really just toppers mounted onto backing card and mirri-board.  I drew (ha ha yes I drew) a hare on black pearlised paper and cut it out and the writing on the sentiments are just written with felt pens.
I'm just back from the community council meeting for our area and it was interesting - think I might have rubbed a couple of people up the wrong way though - ah well such is life and I don't think i'll loose any sleep over it.   
Until the next time....................................


Friday 21 September 2012

Another crafty Friday


Well as you can see I had my usual chaos around me and lucky I got in early (well I run it so I have to be early) so I could spread myself around ha ha.  I had lots of wee things that I wanted to do today so after being made a lovely cup of herbal tea from the cafe (thanks to John and Paul who run it) I started.  By starting what I mean is putting my stuff out, chatting to our other members, looking at their goodies, setting out the club goodies (for anyone to use) and ordering my lunch - then down to business!   First of all I made a few Christmas cards - I find it easier to make the cards first thing so we can all chat and look at what everyone else is doing.  Although I made 5 these are my favorite two - the first one is a simple pyramage one and I used some clear sparkle glitter on it and I like the colours on it.   The second one uses 2 toppers - one big one stuck down with double sided pads and one small one dangling from a wee bow using black thick thread - I don't know who i'll give this one to - think i'll give it to youngest daughter so I can have it here!


After the cards (and another tea) I decided to make some Christmas ornaments - the 1st one was an easy one made from paper - 7 shapes cut out and folded in 1/2 from top to bottom and then glued the 1/2's together to make the decoration.  I used garden twine for the hanging loop because I quite like the scruffy sort of look it has.   Here it is.......
Then I thought I would have a shot at trying a wee fairy - I wanted it to be really simple and easy to make (so I can do this with the children in the girls club).  I threaded my twine through a bead leaving enough to hang it from and tied a knot at the top.  I left the twine long enough to make wee legs and tied knots at the bottom of it and then used another piece of twine to make the arms with knots at the end.  I cut out 2 dresses from sticky backed felt and sandwiched everything between them.  For the wings I used parchment paper but instead of embossing I just settled with pricking - although I think when I make more of them I will use stickles or glitter gel pens for extra sparkle - after all what is a fairy without sparkle.  Not a very good picture but in all honesty not a very good fairy but ok for a first attempt.   here she is

Then onto my hat pins - well beady pins I call them.  I got some long pins (blunt) and glued a variety of beads onto them.  I like a bit of colour but I especially like pearls or cheap pearl look alikes ha ha - anyway finished them off and here they are all ready to be added to my posher cards for special people.
I had a large heart shaped bead and found a pin to go through it and attached it to a chain that I use for my bag charms - I think it makes a pretty nice keyring - hope you think so too!
And my final finishing off project today was my kusudama ball - to make it I had to make 60 origami type petals - they made 12 five petal flowers when glued together.   The ball was made in 2 halves with 6 flowers in each.  To make it nice and secure it had to be wet glue that held it all together and while it was drying I secured each petal and flower with paper clips so nothing moved!  When it was time to stick the 2 halves together I slipped the wool to hang it from (could be ribbon or twine) and left enough room to add some nice beads to dangle from the bottom!  It's easy to do but time consuming and fiddly - I had everything attached except the beads so that was my job and after it was finished the manager of the Centre liked it so much I gave it to him to hang in the front office - that's where I do my volunteer work so I can look at it every day.  Hope you like this as much as I do - it's the type of thing that I'm going to give my special friends at Christmas for good luck and good health.

Anyway - I think that is enough for today - you will be cross eyed with all the reading as this seems to be a long post.   I'm glad I've got everything in it though.........
until the next time.............

Saturday 15 September 2012

A busy day

What a busy couple of days it's been - yesterday was a flurry of cardmaking at my craft club in the Millennium Centre because it was the Table Sale in a local Church.  Emma was selling her bracelets,ear-rings and necklaces and I wanted to do some cards for her table for added interest.  It wasn't fantastically busy but she sold a few bits and pieces.   David had a good time and managed to buy lots of dogs for his vast collection of stuffed dogs - poor Emma was loaded down with them all. I will post some pics of crafty things as soon as I can get back on the computer and download them.  Woo-hoo - happy dance (well happy arm swing) - I was actually here when my felt delivery arrived so I don't have to re-arrange delivery and can start on my.................(I'll whisper it).............Christmas decorations - yes it's that time of year already.   It's not a secret that I'm making most of my presents this year and it's not because I'm tight......ha ha well it might have a tiny bit to do with it - it's just easier and combines two of mt favourite things - you guessed it......the 2 C's .......Christmas and Crafting!  Now for some serious planning and looking through books - ha ha altogether a good day.  Until the next time..........

Wednesday 12 September 2012

First Post

Oh - how scary is this - my first post on my first blog so I'll keep it short to see if everything works the way it should.   It's really strange to be typing not knowing if anyone will ever read this.......but if you are 'hello'!   I'm going to use this a kind of diary with pictures of what i'm doing both in my life and my crafting - it won't always be perfect but will be honest!!  I thought I would start by showing you a photo of my sour faced old dog Dylan - he is a big part of our family alongside our ancient cat.  As you can see from his face he is not impressed with being down at the beach for his morning walk - all he wants to do is lounge about on his cushions and he really does US a big favour by coming out with us - and he lets us know it too!!  Anyway i'm going to attempt to put a photo on now so fingers crossed.....here goes.   Ha ha now I know the photo gets put on the top - i'll remember that the next time.  Until the next time ......