Oh, Men!

I had to share this...

A few days ago, here I was sat typing away, when I was distracted by something flying in front of my face. I turned in my chair, but could see nothing - maybe just a trick of the eye then? I carried on typing... well, for a couple of words anyway... it was then that I realised my "T" key from the computer keyboard was missing. Yes, it was my "T" that had flown across my vision. Do you know how hard it is typing without a proper "T"? I wondered as I typed what words I can use to replace words with a "T" in them... and it's so slow when there's no "T" and just a little rubber nipple instead. You realise that the English language is littered with way too many words containing the letter "T"! It's a conspiracy - or a conspiraTy :)

I complained to hubby - dropping a few hints that maybe I needed a new computer with a "T" that worked? Hubby needs the hint to be wrapped around a brick and aimed at his head to notice it. Still, he went shopping that evening, came home and put the shopping away then came upstairs to my craft room.

"I've got a surprise for you" he said.

Oh...oh...ohhhhh.... my mind raced, I held my breath, and waited for him to step inside my crafting haven with a new laptop in his hands.

"There you go" he said as he placed his gift on my workdesk.

It was a cup of tea.

Yes, hubby really can't take a hint. He thought I had been complaining that I couldn't work without a TEA... not a "T" key.
It was a nice cuppa though :)

Right, I have wittered and whined enough... time to get ready for a trip to HobbyCraft. Oh, the temptation is going to be so great - will I resist the Graphic45 papers, the punches, and the carrot cake from Haskins next door?
I only need sticky dots and small magnets... but what will find it's way into my basket before I get to the till?

Crafting Mishaps #5

Just because I haven't written about a crafting mishap since October 2011, does not mean to say that they don't happen any more... just sometimes it's too embarrassing to reveal them! I mean... can one person really be so dumb?

For years I've owned an ATG (Advanced Tape Glider), and have always finished off placing a line of tape on a page with a little flick of the wrist to break the tape. It has limited me somewhat, as it really hurts my wrist joint. Today, whilst crafting and making some more pages for my mini album, I discovered that all I have to do when I want to stop a line of sticky, is to take my finger off the trigger. Why on earth had I not figured this out before???

I really should have dyed my hair red when the kiddies asked me too - I am such a dumb blonde!

The ATG mayhem does not stop there...

Poor little Miss Violet (Baby, one of our kitties) is not happy with me.

I had been making photo mats for the album, and trying to get a sort of conveyor belt thing going? Cutting all the mats, inking them, taping them, then sticking them all onto the bases. Easy :)

I had the photo mats all lined up, ready with the ATG tape  on them to be stuck onto the backing sheets. It was at this moment when Baby jumped onto the craft desk... and placed her little paws onto the sticky photo mats. Oh, she did look a sight, taking a step and violently shaking a paw to get the paper off of it. I tried to help - really I did... but laughter isn't conducive to helping kitties from sticky situations. Oh, my! She glared at me so much!

This glaring was nothing compared to the hisses I got when I took her to the bathroom to gently wash the tape from her pawpaws.

Perhaps now she'll stay off the craft desk?

Not likely - she's here now! *lol* It's like she knows the ATG gun is the source of her sticky paws, and she's sat here eyeing up like it's going to be supper as soon as my back is turned. Time to hide the pink gun, methinks!

What Kind Of Woman Am I?

This is NOT a crafting post :)

I was just sat here, thinking to myself...

"Am I a 'behind-the-bike-sheds' kinda gal... or more of an 'up-the-treehouse' adventurer"?

Either way, it's probably best in either situation that I don't have egg-nog, as I'm likely to throw up. Maybe a gin & bitter lemon, a Sheridans or a Baileys?

If you think this is all a bit random, but still enjoy a smile, then I suggest you take a quick trip over to Pixies place and get involved! Make friends with her pals, and join the gang :)

Gosh, I haven't giggled so much in ages!

Up a tree house, indeed! Not with my head (or lack of) for heights... I'll just stand look-out :)

And a quick Congraulations to Di... wow, 800 posts (plus)!

You'll wear your fingers out!

A Crafty Snippet :)

This post is a bit photo-heavy (8 or 9 piccies I think) so I do apologise for that.

Anyways... I thought I'd share one page of the mini-album I'm making - it's all made from scraps and leftovers from previous projects (as I'm in a super-frugal frame of mind!). So far I've made 5 pages, 2 envelope pages, and 2 chopped pages... this is a 'chopped' page - so called just because it's smaller than the main pages. As it's all made from scraps and stash-finds, I thought I'd enter into Pixie's Crafty Snippets (week 57) and try to win a little prize too. The prize is just a bonus - the fun part is seeing what other people can do with leftovers and 'snippets' from their crafty stash. Pop over to Pixie's Crafty Workshop and have a go :)

So... here's my page - the front:

The red patterned flap opens up to reveal a journalling spot and a photo mat...

The photo mat is just held onto the page by a band and a small semi-circle piece of card, and slips out easily so you can see the pretty paper underneath...

Next, another photo mat will be revealed if you pull the journalling spot upwards and out of the pocket...

 Turn the folder over and there's a journalling spot...

This opens up each side to reveal another photo-mat and two more journalling spots...

Now onto the back of the original page - the pocket... showing yet another pocket with another photo-mat...

The phot-mat can be taken out completely to show the papers underneath.

All the photo mats can hold photographs 6x4" - I've tried to keep all the spaces for photos as large as I could, and then used smaller spaces and tags for journalling.

I'm trying not to throw out any pieces or scraps of patterned card until the project is finished - and then using all the small pieces within the project. It's easier than I thought it would be so far - especially with so many pockets that are matted with small pieces of the patterned paper, and I've also made quite a few pages where a photo mat is held to the page with a simple band of card and a half-oval at the bottom of the page.

So... a crafty snippet.

Don't forget to pop over to Pixie's Place and join in :)

love Love LOVE Stampington & Co!

I wrecked my favourite stamp. It was one I had bought second hand from EBay a LONG time ago...and I loved it! It has been so well-used that I wore it away, and the rubber started to disintegrate :( I've tried so hard to replace the wooden-backed stamp... but nothing was available. So, I looked onto the online site of the makers of the stamp - Stampington. I didn't think thay would still have this stamp after so many years... but they did! I ordered it (and some gorgeous 7Gypsies tissue papers), and then waited not very patiently, for the postman to deliver.

I have to say that, as usual in these matters, the postage was incredibly reasonable - and the prices for crafting supplies so much cheaper in America than here in the U.K. I've even written to JoAnnes begging them to send items over here - but they've no plans to do such a thing right now   :(   *spoilsports*

Anyways... here's what all the fuss was about... my lovely new stamp:

Now I have to find a way of incorporating the old wooden block from the original stamp into some sort of project - it's so grunged up and old looking - gorgeous!

Busy, Busy, Busy...

I have been so busy crafting, that I haven't had time in the last few days to blog anything. But that's a good thing, right? My mojo has returned from vacation with a zing, and I'm raring to go, firing on all cylinders :) I'm making some of the items that will sit inside the new clock case I've finished (yes, I've actually finished the case now) - starting with the 'mini' book.

Trouble is, I'm a messy crafter... as my mid-flow workdesk will show:

What a disaster area! Still, it does show just how 'tight' I can be... and maybe quite inventive too :) I don't have a craft-sheet (and think they are so over-priced too!), instead I have a large cork coaster that my mum was going to throw away, slipped into a plastic bag that some 12x12 papers came in. I can blend inks into papers so easily, and wipe up any mess left on the plastic covering with a baby wipe ready to use again and again :) I even keep the babywipe in a plastic bag so that is stays dampened for longer, so I can use it for days :)

Now I need to find a way of making cheap blending sponges...

I'm even trying to make my workspace a bit more 'green'... by having a recycling bin as well as a 'normal' bin in my craft room. Any bits of discarded card or paper large enough to recycle are promptly placed into the correct bin. Cardboard packaging is stripped of  sellotape and sticky labels and recycled (or given to hubby to re-use for his E-Bay hobby). I'm trying to use little bits of paper leftovers on my mini-book pages... and toying with the idea of turning tiny scraps into whole new sheets of paper - though I have no idea how difficult or easy (or messy!) this may be.

So, what's your crafty-frugality? How do you save money - or the planet - with your hobby?

I'd love to know of any tips and tricks - time to share!

KaiserCraft Drawers Finished

I decided before decorating these drawers, that they would be for my youngest daughter Beth - a little gift because she's worked so hard at college. The trouble is that her tastes are somewhat eclectic... she's into naval/sea themes, shabby-chic, vintage, old maps, steam punk, market, british, quirky and grunge... sometimes all at once at sometimes not at the same time!

So... how do I make and decorate a little set of drawers for a young lady with a huge range of tastes? I started with her favourite (sometimes) colours of blue and green... and kind of made it up as I went from there.

I had in my head some sort of idea where the drawer set would look like it had been found under the sea - like treasure. For this I needed the finished product to have some sort of patina or rusty effect.

I started by painting the chipboard shelves (glued together with aliphatic resin) with a mixture of: gesso, poster paint, white glue and dye. This dries really quickly, and after an hour, I rubbed back some of the 'paint' to reveal the chipboard base. Next I rubbed 'weathered wood' distress ink onto the exposed edges. I knew that I would use silver alcohol ink for the top layer... so I needed something under that to look rusty and worn. I just sprayed the shelves lightly with cosmic shimmers - a brown and a navy. then it was a simple matter of choosing papers for the sides and the back. I sealed everything with a modpodge mixture (gloss and matt - it's all leftovers!) and whilst that was drying I made up the  three drawers. I wrapped them in plain white copy paper, and then wrapped the front and sides with paper to match to shelves. I inked the edges with the same distress ink as used before. Mod podge out again... and I had to wait until this evening to finish off, as I caught a tummy-bug!

Here's the drawers waiting for the finishing touches:

Beth loved them as they were - but I wanted something a bit more 'finished'.

I used matching brads to decorate the front of the drawers, and then went slap-happy (or is that 'smudge-happy'?) with the alcohol ink in silver. A little chipboard piece (edged in silver alcohol ink too), and some baby blue liquid pearls, and Beth's little set of drawers is all finished. She's chuffed to bits with them :) She's just lucky that there isn't a room in the house that matches the blue and silver theme except for her room... because I quite like them too :) My favourite bit is the way the ship on the side actually starts at the front on the drawer, though I am quite pleased with how the patina effect turned out - not bad for making something up as I went along *lol*