50th Burlap Birthday Card

Wowza it's been a while!  My poor little ol blog has been severely neglected.  I have been doing some crafting just not got around to sorting the photos till now. 

Look at that number, it scares me a little I have to say as it's not that far off for me either, yikes!  Where did all that time go eh.  I really like the colours in this card, duck egg blue and kraft great combo.  The border on the little tag was cut with an Anna Griffin punch that I absolutely love.

 

Scallop square cut with Martha Stewart punch around the page and inked around the edges.

Waste not want not, even the little threads that I pulled to fray the burlap have a use as string for my button.

I'll be back with more soon, I promise.

Lolo xx

New Pink Petticoat Papers

Just treated myself to these little beauties from the lovely Liz at Pink Petticoat.

At the moment she has them on offer, both sets for £2.00!  I cannot wait to start using them.  Oh and you get these free, what's not to love!

Lolo xx

Polymer Clay and Stamps

It's only taken a year but I have finally gotten around to trying out what Kirstie Allsopp showed us all in her handmade christmas programme last year!  Better late than never.  I purchased some packs of Fimo White Polymer Oven Bake Clay from eBay a while back, think it only cost £1.50 a block so not expensive.  Here is what my first batch came out like.

They clay is quite 'stiff' but you just knead it for a few minutes in your hands and it soon softens up.  I rolled out small quantities to about 3mm thick, I did this using just a pen as I don't have a roller small enough but it worked fine.  Next I took some of my rubber stamps, you can use clear stamps as well just make sure they are good quality as some are too soft to make an impression, and pressed quite firmly into the clay.  I also tried using some buttons, you need to experiment with different types as some buttons don't work so well and just look weird.  

Next it was into a low oven, 120C, for 30 mins on a baking sheet or you could use a ceramic tile like Kirstie did.  Let them cool down for a while and then either leave plain, or decorate them with paints.  You can also trim away any unsightly edges at this point and sand them back if they are a little rough.  They clay is set when it comes out but is not like pottery, it still has some flexibility to it, almost rubber like if that makes sense.

Some close up shots. The images really do stamp rather well, better than I thought.

 I love this script stamp and as you can see I didn't clean it properly before using so am left with some ink residue.  Rethinking this I would now probably ink the stamps before using them and see what that looks like.  I freehand cut round mine but using cookie cutter shapes would be much better and cleaner looking, I was just too lazy to get mine out of the box!

Wouldn't this cute little snowflake make lovely tags on pressies or cards.  You would need a hole to put thread through which should normally be done before you bake them but if you have one of the Cropadiles this will punch through the clay real easy.

Since using this I've heard about another type of clay which is paper clay and cures by air drying, Martha Stewart makes some but is a bit pricey.  Have now found some on Panduro Hobby which is much better value, you can view what they have for sale here.

If you've been playing around with clay and have any useful tips I 'd love to hear from you.  For instance I did hear that using the Fimo Clay in your oven isn't particularly good for your food!  Is this true?

Thanks for popping by.

Lolo 

xx

Doillies, Butterflies and Bunting

Today I made a card for a colleague at work.  She is 22 at the weekend, so young, sigh.  Never seen her wear pink at the office so avoided the sugary girlie look and chose a subtle polka dot print in putty from my Pink Petticoat digital papers, which are lush I might add!

 Sentiment was added to the background paper before printing using Photoshop.  I love how you can really personalise stuff this way and be able to mix up the fonts.

 Bunting stamped using a set by Anna Griffin recently purchased from QVC and have to say it stamps like a dream using archival ink.  Triple bow made with seam binding and good old garden twine .

Paper doillies were stamped using a set from My Minds Eye purchased from Create and Craft, I am really loving their style of stamps and have made some more purchases since then. 

These butterfly stamps by My Minds Eye are so cute, just stamped onto some white cardstock and cut, attached with 3d glue dots and drew their bodies with a sekura glitter pen in soft gold.

Hope you like the card.

Lolo

xx

Tilda Angel with Bird

I finally got round to making my first rag doll from Tone Finnanger's Tilda range and have to say am just a little bit chuffed with how it turned out.  She comes in a kit form like the one above, the packaging as always is just as gorgeous as what is inside.

 Taking in the evening air out in the garden.  Oh dear poor birdie looks like he is hanging on for dear life!

Her hair isn't quite how it should be and one of her legs is a teeny bit shorter but I still love her!  The nice thing about these kits are the pattern pieces are full size, none of this englarging lark.  Even in her books the patterns are full size.

This is her full stretch and she as amazing 64cms tall, but she can't stand up though bless her.  I think I will be adding a loop to the back of her so I can hang her on my craft room wall.

That's better we can see little birdie now and he looks much better the right way up.  In her instructions the birdcage is sewn onto her hand but I have just tied the ribbon round her wrist so it can be removed easily.

Overall she was very easy to make and took only 3 hours to do.  This has now spurred me on and am now itching to make other things from her books which before now I have just flicked through and then put back on the shelf.  I am imagining a whole line of tilda dolls hanging from my walls.  Better get cracking then!

Thanks for popping by.

Lolo xx

Annie Sloan and Kirsty Allsopp

Just heard that the wonderful Annie Sloan paint will be featuring with Kirsty Allsopp in her new 'Kirsty's Vintage Home'!! Am beyond excited!!

Lolo xx

 

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Simple Sepia Photographs

Photographs, I love them, take them all the time, on my camera on my phone.  But only recently did I discover the sepia setting on my camera.  I've changed normal photos into sepia with Photo Shop but in all the years I have had my camera I never realised I could take them in sepia there an then.  I get there in the end lol!

 Some clouds and a fast growing Eucalyptus tree makes for an eery photo.

 Peeking through Jasmine.  A bit romantic.

My new little reading corner and freshly made over bench with Annie Sloan paint.  Need to cover the cushions obviously but that will be another project.

Just love how my pink flowery PJ bottoms take on the look of granny's vintage bloomers!!

Yes I am liking this style a lot and can see this being used to create photos for frames on my walls, I've never been one for colour photography.  In fact my niece will say I've never been one for colour full stop!

Have you recently discovered any settings on your camera that have lay hidden for years?  Would love to hear about them.

Thanks for popping by.  Lolo xx

Happy Birthday Mum

Twas my wonderful mum's birthday the other day.  The weather was good, she had a lovely day out with her own mum and my sister followed by a family meal in the evening with all of us.  Presents and cards were given and we all watched on happily as her little face lit up with glee on opening them.

This card was to my mum from her mum.  To be honest I was struggling to come up with a design and ended up chucking a load of bits together from my scrap box. 

Mostly Anna Griffin products plus a paper doillie and some flower heads cut in half.  I got these fabric flowers from Wilkinson for a couple of pounds and took them apart which has given me loads of flowers to use.

As you can probably guess this is her card from me!  I adore this paper set from Papermania it is just so pretty and reminds me of Tilda.  

I love to corregate card and paper such a quick way to add some texture.  Embellishments were stuck down using Pinflair glue and have to say it worked very well, gave some dimension and is easy to use with the syringe that comes with it.  Got mine from Create and Craft, they have some good prices.

Doodle, doodle, doodle. Just can't stop and have progressed to little flowers now.  Where will it all end!!

Thanks for popping by.  Lolo xx

A little bit of twine

Twine.  That old fashioned brown string you find in garden centres.  I've had a love affair with it for some years now.  For a while it was just practical stuff and then it crept into my crafting and home decor and now if I run out of it I slightly panic and have to rush out and get me some more.

It's cheap, so you can slap it just about anywhere and not break the bank which is great in these hard times. Around some tins that have been painted and punched for tea lights.

One orange terracota pot now a soft shade of blue and suitably twined!  Minutes and pennies to do.

Charity shop find they had no lids but the openings were large enough to get your hand in so perfect for candles.  Some play sand, muslin and yep, twine.

It's a hard life!  Completely zonked.  If you're not careful Alfie you may get twined, lol!!

Thanks for popping by.

Lolo xx

Friends Graduation

3 little dresses all in a row. I want to put one on and twirl round and round to the music forever.  Okay back to reality, twirling makes me dizzy now and I haven't had a waist like that since I was, like 10!!

See, tiny waists.  I love this pattern from Anna Griffin, one my all time favourites, hard to get hold of over here so I use it sparingly.  These wonderful little frocks are made using the Woodware giant dress punch I think they measure approx 3 inches when cut out.  Doodling round the edges of my card is a recent obsession picked up from the lovely Polkadoodles lady over on create and craft tv.  It's addictive!

Thanks for popping by, I'm off to find me some shoes to go with me frock, lol!!

Lolo xx

Nephew 21st Birthday

Back in July my wonderful nephew turned 21 and of course he had to have the obligatory handmade card from his aunty.  Poor boy!

My recently purchased retro paperpad by Papermania had some masculine orange papers which were perfect for his card.  These papers are actually more like cardstock, they are great quality and a dream to work with.  I'm not sure what theme you would call this card, I just chucked everything at it, bit of a collage I think.  Give me girl cards any day of the week.  

Now that rope was meant to be woven, oops!  Hope you liked the card and thanks for popping by.

Lolo xx

Mummy Loves You Porgy

My beautiful boy went to sleep last Sunday for the last time.  The tears falling from my face onto his as I kissed him goodbye.  He was a very special cat who from day one would love nothing more than to lay over my shoulder like a little baby and snuggle into my neck.  Morgan, porgy, woowoos, tiggy wiggys, you were a boy with many names, a mummy's boy, where I was you were never far behind.  You gave me so much love and made me smile.  Mummy loves and misses you so so much Porgy.  Forever in my heart and never ever forgotten.  Rest easy in your new home with your cousins and listen out for the love and kisses that I send to you each and every day. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Friends 21st Birthday Card

It's Easter weekend, hope you are all able to enjoy a long weekend break.  Could do with a bit of sunshine but hey ho, least I'm not in work, woohoo!  This week my friends daughter turned 21, she was sooo excited bless her.  So of course I had to make her a special card.

She loves the colour pink, these papers from Homemade magazine were perfect.

The layered were edged using Anna Griffin border punches, sentiment from pc and trimmings from my stash.

Happy to say she loved it.  It's been 2 days since her birthday and I believe she is still celebrating, you go girl!

Till next time.

Lolo xx

My Favourite Makeover So Far

Am really in the swing of this painting lark now.  Garden looks like an artists studio and my hair has taken on a nice grey tinge from all the sanding, thankfully nobody has knocked at my door as I fear they would have run off screaming!

Hmm must clean patio this weekend before the hosepipe ban next week.

This little mannequin came home with me last summer from a car boot sale.  I wasn't loving the outfit though.

Coat of grey applied first, can you see the theme I'm building here.

Here she is in her new outfit.  Much more feminine. 

I only painted a top coat of white onto the body and left the stand in the grey.  Did some light sanding using one of those foam sanding sheets which are washable and have to say they are brilliant.  Because they are so soft and pliable you can easily get into all the little crevices and details of an object.  Your fingers don't take such a bashing either.  Really love how she turned out and she goes beautifully with the newly made over coffee table.  Photo frame in the background is from Ikea in case you were wondering.

Till next time.

Lolo xx

I have a poorly car

My little rover which I've been happily driving for the past 10 years has sprung a leak!  I whisked her off to a garage for a diagnosis and it wasn't good.  Head gasket madam and your radiator is knackered as well.  £500 to fix it, car worth £300 so not going down the repair route then.

So now I am on the hunt for a replacement which I have to say am finding a little stressful.  This is partly due to my indecisive nature, and the fact that I get a bit panicky when faced with a large purchase and no money back returns policy.  Anyway after much internet searching and driving the OH slightly mad with my silly girly questions I'm gonna go for a Ford Focus.  Reliable, economic to run some nice luxury touches like a heated windscreen and one ginormous boot that I can. as he says, fit all my 'crap' in lol!

Now all I have to do is find one that is in my price range.

Lolo xx