Mystery sneak peek!

Evening everyone, well, it's just gone 10pm, so I should say Night everyone I suppose! It's been a busy day here with sample making and parcels coming with products for me to make them from, all leading up to Stitches in just over a week's time, as well as my demonstration at Martin's Cards & Crafts in Liverpool this Saturday.

As promised here are a couple of photos of some of the things that we did at my workshops last Saturday. These are two of the cards that I used as samples and feature Tim Holtz images stamped onto coated gloss card. You'll notice that I've got quite into twine at the moment, as well as those addictive little bottles of Liquid Pearls! Everyone made variations on my samples and there were some really lovely creations...which I didn't get to take pictures of...darn! The afternoon class was using various Ranger products to make jewellery pieces as you can see below. The little Idea-ology clip at the top of the fourth piece from the left means that it can be unclipped to hang a different pendant. We simply used ribbons and cords for the workshop pieces, but if you're using a chain it's very handy being able to have just the one and swap the actual pendants over. The first three pieces are made with UTEE (the first one edged with Beadazzles), the fourth one is a Memory Capsule with a stamped background and tiny shells enclosed. The Gorjuss Girl image is adhered behind a Facet using Glossy Accents with an Idea-ology Bauble hanging from it and Martha Stewart Micro beads edging it. (This piece is one of the items featured in my project for the March issue of Crafts Beautiful which is out now - so I think I'm okay to post this picture!). The floral brooch uses handpainted silk fabric and sticky backed canvas edged with....you guessed it....Liquid Pearls! The centre is made using the Epiphany Button Maker. This brooch is a very simple one and can be made with most fabrics - they're an ideal project if you are making items for sale at fairs being both inexpensive and relatively quick to make. Leaves could also be added, beads used in the centre etc.Now for the mystery sneaky peek! Mmmm, wonder what this can be? Well, it is something that I'm working on for Stitches and the fact that I'm using the cover card from an almost used Vintage Shabby paper stash is not significant at all. I have some creative pals helping me with this project, so will reveal what it is when it is all done. Looks pretty awful at this stage I have to say! Good thing I have faith that it will all turn out fine!! I must, before I sign off, mention that Heather is without her computer at the moment. It went off this week and she is waiting for her techy friend to call round and give it an emergency check up and possible operation! So, she asked me to say hello to everyone and explain why she may not have replied to any emails or posted on her blog or left any comments. Hopefully, she'll be back on line soon.

Okay, well, I am off now as it's been a long day. There seems to be a glimmer everywhere, and I'm not sure if it's my tired eyes or, more likely, the glint of glitter and micro beads that I have managed to leave around the place today! Well, you know what it's like! Lindsay

Ouch!

Hello everyone, well, it's been a pretty dull day weather wise...must be a Bank Holiday weekend! In a way I was rather pleased that it wasn't a sunnier day, as I would have been fed up at having to stay inside and work! (That sounds really selfish, and I don't mean it really! Or do I?!?)

I had a rather nasty accident on Saturday as I was tidying my craft things away. Those of you who I have met may have heard me say that I often work on the floor - I know it's a little bizarre, but I just sort of spread out! I was kneeling down and picking up scraps for the bin when I felt a little pin prick at the side of my right knee. It wasn't painful, but, when I looked down, the handle of my heavy duty pricking tool was sticking out of my leg and the thick, needle part was in my leg up to the hilt! (An inch and a quarter - I measured it!) It wasn't bleeding and I gritted my teeth and began to pull it out - it came out a few millimetres and that was it, it was absolutely stuck. My skin was pulling up with the tool but it would not come out...and that did hurt! I realised that it was probably the dried on glue on the tool acting like a bee sting's barb. David was washing the car so I rang his mobile, only to realise that it was charging up on the shelf! I was upstairs and manouevred my way gingerly into the bathroom which overlooks where the car is, but I couldn't reach the window to call to him, so I threw a note of the window along with a plastic razor, which was the nearest thing to hand, to attract his attention. Nothing! So, I began waving a big towel up to the window, throwing all sorts of things down to him as well as shouting my head off...still no response. I gave up and stayed on the floor wondering what more I had to do to attract his attention. After about half an hour he appeared and it turned out that he had washed the car and gone straight to Sainsbury's! He hadn't even been outside as I rained down all the stuff!

Thankfully, after a few minutes of gentle tugging, twisting and tugging, David managed to pull the tool out of my leg whilst I stuffed a towel in my mouth and felt a bit sick! Amazingly, it didn't bleed and (apart from whilst trying to pull it out) was not painful at all...the only time I have ever been glad that I've got little fat legs!

Anyway, just to warn everyone - do keep an eye on where your pricking tool is at all times! Although it was a painful experience, it was very funny too!

I found some old card samples this week whilst I was rummaging about for some card stock. This first one was made several years ago when I was heavily into using little scrabble tiles - as you can see! It's odd looking back on things that you created a long time ago, and trying to recall what inspired the design. The one below was made as a project for Making Cards magazine and featured UTEE panels stamped in purple Stazon with vintage ladies (both from the Beryl Peters colection by Personal Impressions). I used Alcohol inks onto shiny card which had a sort of mother of pearl, pinky effect, which really softened the colours.I've just finished clearing away again (no stabbing myself this time!) and am now going to start typing up some projects before a relaxing evening watching some telly...if there's anything on worth watching of course!

Take care everyone, and watch out for those pricking tools! Lindsay