Wednesday 6 March 2013

WOYWW #196

Wednesday... Yay!!!
Playing again for
I'm showing a really boring desk this week. This is because I've mainly finished all my current projects - the photo frame made from a broken shaving mirror is finished (see previous post HERE), and apart from journaling, The Family Recipe mini album is finished too. I bought a couple of die sets - the clock one was such a bargain, I blogged and bragged about the cost - just £2.06! and I had to make some badges for a baywatch themed party my daughter is having - I obviously will not be attending, as no-one deserves to see me dressed up in a red swimsuit *lol* Of course, I guess I could roll in as a beached whale?!
So... that's all on my desk this week. I guess I should take this opportunity to have a tidy up before my Wednesday Night Craft Time... but tidying means that I'll spend the next month (at least) remembering where I tidied things away to!

If you want to join Ms Julia and a tonne of other super-sharing crafty geekstars, just pop on over to
and follow the instructions - easypeasy :)

Tuesday 5 March 2013

Upcycled Broken Shaving Mirror

I finished 'upcycling' the broken shaving mirror :) I didn't have to buy anything new for this project - everything I used was leftovers and already in my stash drawers. I'll be taking this project to the Playground too, as it's all snippets and leftovers :) I may add more embellishments at a later date... I'll just have to see how I feel *lol*
I started with the double-sided mirror that had been broken on one side. I still use the magnifying side when I pluck my eyebrows, so didn't really want to throw it away... but it seemed to be such a waste of space keeping it lying around for that odd occassion. That's when I decided to make it into a photoframe.
I started off by taking the mirror off of the stand and covering it with the torn book pages I had left from other projects (I did mention that these would be use a lot! *lol*). I used a mixture of white glue and water to fix the pages to the frame.
I carefully put glue just on the frame and avoided the mirror. After it had dried, I just ran a craft knife carefully around the edges of the mirror to remove the excess paper.
I pressed a sheet of copy paper into the frame to make a template for the photograph.
Bethany (youngest daughter) wanted me to leave to decoration as the book pages, but I wanted something older looking - shabby chic and vintage. I had a pot of distress crackle paint (brushed courdroy) that had dried out. I mixed this with a bit of water and hoped it would still crackle when I painted it on. It was a bit thick, but seemed to work :) I then rubbed the frame down with sandpaper to expose the paper underneath. Vintage Photo ink was used to darken the whole project and give it that aged look. I sealed the whole thing with my leftover mix of gloss and matt ModPodge.
I had some paper flowers left over from scrapbooking projects (mostly Prima) and so used these to embellish the frame and the stand. I didn't want too much on the mirror side, so just used one Prma rose and hoped the embellishments poking round from the other side would be enough.
 I had chosen the photograph I wanted to use and found some half-used lines of flat-backed pearls for the edging after I had laid the photo in place. I didn't want lace all around the frame - and didn't have enough anyway as this was just snippets and leftovers. I gathered up a short piece and glued it onto part of the frame, and then added flowers and leaves to the photo. To cover the rough running stitch used to gather the lace on the stand, I used more flat-backed pearls. They are on a bit wonky, but it seems to look as though it was supposed to be that way - following the contours of the gathers.
 I used my last piece of lace for the bottom of the stand with the last three roses I could find that matched the colour scheme. The leaves were leftovers from some flowers I had bought for another project (I think it was a bridal bouquet). Then I ModPodged everything... well, almost. I left the lace alone :) The reason I use ModPodge on the flowers and the photograph is so that it can be dusted and cleaned much easier.
 Hubby liked the finished project, and so do I :)
I will probably add another couple of layers of ModPodge to the photograph in the coming weeks just to make sure it's sealed in safely.

I really enjoyed making something out of what was basically rubbish... and there's several rooms in the home this could be placed and look really lovely.

Right, I'm off to Di's now for a wander around other Crafty Snippets projects this week :)
Pop on over to join in the fun at the playground HERE

Bargain!

With the prices of crafting items always seemingly on the up, up, up!, I always enjoy bagging a bargain. I was out shopping at a local store looking for the new creativity! pack when I cam across a set of dies I wanted... at such a low price I nearly wet myself with excitement! :D
Someone had obviously priced these wrongly, and so I picked up a set and marched to the checkout. When they let me have the dies at this price, I only wish I had bagged the whole lot they had!
Here's the set of dies... and yes, the price really is just £2.06. I saw the same set in HobbyCraft for £12.99, and I think the price here should have been £12.75.
I never did get the creativity! pack, and the store attendant took all the other mis-priced die sets off of the shelves :(