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

A Night Spent At Nonna's House

I had both Lily and Alistair stay over last weekend - what a tiring time... but so worth every moment. Lily was as cute as she always is - even when she lets one rip and coyly says "I farted!" with the biggest grin on her face (is she the only child to ever be able to fart on command?). Anyway, Alistair took a little while to get used to his Nonna feeding him and telling him that he was gorgeous (rather than his mummy being there to do it) - but when he did, he was so adorable! He even smiled at me (and, no, it really wasn't wind! lol). I took so many photographs of both my grandchildren... and of course had to have a new layout of Baby Alistair, because he's changed so much in the past month. The photograph I chose probably isn't the most cute one... but I love the expression on his face, as if to show that he was as surprised as me for him to be spending the night at my home.

I used Tim Holtz and Basic Grey (Snow Queen) papers, and stamped along the bottom using an Artemio stamp and on the top left using a Sheena Douglass stamp (A Little Bit Sketchy 2 - "Faith"), with Papermania bright teal and Color Box Chalk Prussian Blue inks. I embossed the bird on a branch and one stalk of meadow flowers with a clear embossing powder. I cut ovals out of the papers and distressed the edges (Tim Holtz distressing tool) and used Broken China distress ink to colour the edges a bit - the photograph also. Stitching by hand with embroidery threads and also cotton was used to add a little texture and interest to the photograph of Alistair, and also to highlight a circle around the letter "A". This letter is a glitter cardboard from Dovecraft. I inked it with the Broken China ink and then used Weathered Wood distress embossing powder over it... then added a little more ink when it was dried fully.

I had quite a few of my handmade flowers left over to match this layout, and I also added some Prima flowers from the Pastiche collection. There were literally hundreds of brads to choose from... and some of the best to match this layout were from Doodlecraft Designs Inc - the Boutique collection, Swimming Pool assortment. There are also Dovecraft brads, and some blue buttons. Some buttons are from the Capsule Collection, but most are plain, everyday buttons - as well as a pretty little blue glittery rocking horse button I just had to use!

The butterflies are called Fly Stickers by a company called KandyToys... they are very similar to the ones you can get from Anita's - but they come in a variety of sizes. I don't like the holographic patterned edges, so I cut them off - this makes the plastic backing quite difficult to peel off, but it is worth it if, like I feel, the sparkly backing doesn't match with your layout design.

I think that's about it - apart from the little blue roses which I buy from a local bookstore that has a small crafting section. They cost £1 for 28 blooms - not a bad price at all. I quite enjoyed the little finishing touches - like all the buttons being hand sewn onto the layout... it was a relaxing process after running around after the grandchildren!

In The Summer Of '64

Actually, this layout is called "Hugs On The Beach"... and I love this photograph of my parents so much! It was taken (I think) at Lulworth, before 1966 (I know this because it was before my parents were married – no wedding rings) and I think it may have been around 64-65-ish. They always have been a very lovey-dovey couple, and it's nice to look back on photographs and see that they were in love from the very start... so sweet! For this layout, I first cut a circle out (using pattern-edge scissors – scallop edged) of 'imaginisce' “Now and Forever” collection (Roman Columns). I edged the circle with burgundy pigment ink, then quickly sprayed onto the edges Ink Potion no.9, holding the paper up and letting the ink run in rivulets over the paper. Next I used a blending tool which had been used with brown ink and blended over the whole paper, edges first and then over the surface so that where the Ink Potion had run, it would pick up some of the ink. Next, I sprayed with 'Ancient Copper' Cosmic Shimmer Mist from a distance of about 12-18 inches or so (outside!). When dry, I pricked out another circle about an inch in from he edge. I folded some almost-sheer scrap ribbon in half and gathered this lightly as I sewed it onto the card stock using the pricked-out inner circle as a guide to where it should go. “Sonnets” (Creative Imaginations) was the next choice – using this as my 12”x12” backing paper (cut into a scalloped circle) and also to mat and layer the choice of photograph. For the photograph and layering I roughed the edges with a scissor blade and used the burgundy ink on the edges too. Burgundy thread was used to circle the photograph, to help pull in the black and white photograph to the colour scheme. This same thread was also used to create some swirls (seems to be quite my trademark now *lol*) from the edging of the photograph, that I decided to offset from the centre towards the right of the layout. Liquid Pearls in “Gold Pearl” was used on every scallop round the edging of both scalloped circles (ever started to do something you wish you hadn't? *lol* It took ages!). Next came the hardest part for me... leaving the Liquid Pearls to dry properly without poking them every few minutes! Now for the absolute favourite part of scrapbooking for me (apart from finding old photographs and finishing a layout)... Stash Diving!!! Brads, Prima flowers, Creative Imaginations chipboard pieces, a lot of bits'n'bobs I got from “Feathers-n-Favours”, and just 'stuff' I've had cut out and floating around for ages. The hardest part here was sewing on the little ribbon roses, but I managed it in the end without tearing or ripping the cardstock. More Liquid Pearls to add a few extra flourishes here and there, and all's finished :)

Callie Cat in the Garden

Our little kitten, Callie, having a jaunt out in the garden at 8 weeks old. Yes, I finally had time to do a layout - even though I've been interrupted several times (including when the kitten decided to use our granddaughters toybox as a litter tray - how unco-operative of her!). She actually hated being outside - too many sights and sounds to take in all at once I suppose - but she did enjoy sitting with me watching the fish in our pond. Somehow, I don't think our thoughts were the same at that moment. Lily the dog has been no trouble at all - even though she's not at all used to having a little kitten around the house (Bagpuss, our old cat, had been an outside cat all his life, and we had him before we had Lily). Callie's attitude towards the dog has taken a little longer to become amiable. She's learnt that hissing and spitting at Lily just encourages the dog to want to sniff kitty-bottom and so she has now begun a new tactic... She has discovered that the dog is actually a bit afraid of her (after Bagpuss, I'm not surprised!). Callie sneaks around the dogs basket and tries to pounce on her unexpectedly. The dog whines and runs away - of course, the kitten just thinks this is all part of a fantastic funny game and starts hurtling around the front room like some sort of demented furball! Mayhem ensues until I manage to catch the little criminal-minded feline and the dog gets her peaceful sleep in her basket again.
I used a Prima paper called Grape Twilight, and cut out the middle so I could lay another paper behind - one sheet from a book I have of My Minds Eye papers - the Jen Wilson Collection. Of course I stitched! I didn't make any of the flowers myself this time though - just layered up some I had from Prima (the E line collection). I also used the leftover paper bits to make some butterflies from two punches I have, and stamped the lettering on punched circles then layered them up onto punched flowers to make it all stand out a bit. Not too much distressing technique this time - but I did use Ranger inks a little to blend in the colours of the papers and the photograph.

Hope Is...

Hope is but the dream of those who wake ~ Matthew Prior
I wanted to do a white LO, but couldn't find the right papers to use... so I compromised, and used a grey instead (well, grey is just a dirty white... right? *lol*) I used Basic Grey "Snow Queen" paper and Prima "Say It In Pearls" for the bling. I also chose the word "Hope" in a Fancy Pants Glitter Cuts design... then stitched round the actual letters so that the word would show up better. Another LO with a lot of hand-stitching... I must be a glutton for punishment! IRL the LO is actually a lot more pale than it shows here, and the white writing shows a lot better too.