Ironing ...

... pah! Hate it with a vengeance but sometimes it's a necessary evil and today was one of those times :0( I sometimes think it's putting all of  it away that's even worse. Anyway, it's up to date again, stowed away and I've packed my case for the weekend.  Not much needed so didn't take too long to do - which is more than can be said for that dratted ironing *lol*

I'm going to post one of the shoebox projects that I managed to complete at the House Party. I really didn't get many made at all but that was fine as I hadn't really planned on doing any. I might try to get some posts scheduled for when I'm away, if I get time :0). If I don't, then it will be back to catch up next week *LOL*

Anyway, the first one ... Greta's contribution. Hers was based around the memory wire bracelet as opposed to the card. The card is a little 3x3 inch card done as a gift card to go with the bracelet.  We had a choice of colours and Greta had matched the colours for the card with the colour of the beads in the packs. Very pretty and I love it!

  Thanks for dropping by .....

Well, I didn't ...

... expect that!  Stupid it may be but I couldn't help but have a few tears as I was taking my old car to swap it for my new one. Never felt so attached to a car before and didn't think I was that attached to this one but seems I was when it came to crunch. It's only a box with a wheel in each corner at t'end of day but it's been my box for 7 years however, I think it's more than that. Mum paid for part of that car and it's the car that took her to all her hospital appointments as her health deteriorated, took her shopping, to the theatre and generally out and about.  It's the car that took me to the hospital every day when we knew she wasn't coming back home. I think it's the car that I've had most history with in one way or another, so it came to mean something to me except ... I didn't know it until today! I'm now in mourning and if I think about it I'm in tears. As I said - STUPID!

New car is lovely though. It's a dream to drive, although I need to get used to the brakes. Now I've got to learn what all the bells and whistles mean. The dashboard info is a bit space age, although the speedo isn't a problem as it couldn't be more in yer face *LOL* Tomorrow will be a 'getting to know you' day, after I've taken the MOT out to the dealers as I forgot all about that today - *ooops!*

OK, back to Saturday ... after I'd dropped the car off at the garage for the aircon check I planned to visit a bead shop that I discovered was just round the corner from the garage. Been there donkey's and it took a friend from Essex to point me in it's direction - *LOL* Problem was - car dropped of at 08:45 and shop didn't open until 10. Time to kill. Strolled through the North Laine area which I hadn't strolled through in years. My, how the shops have changed, but they are really individual and not one normal 'High Street' shop in sight.  

The bead shop, Beads Unlimited, is the shop with the Sale signs in the window, far right, in the pic below.

Stopped for a coffee in a shop that used to be a good, food discount store. Wonder how long ago that changed? 

Then I saw this in a shop window.  Superb caricature.  

Couldn't take the pic straight on as I had to negotiate a security grill to get it *grin*

... and round the corner?  More amazing work!

... and reflected in the old local newspaper building which has since been converted into city centre, luxury loft apartments but - love that architecture.

So many different types of crafts and in such a small area

Finished with a lovely hour in the bead shop. Not too happy about having to count out 500 little beads though. Reckon they need to do them by weight - *LOL

  Thanks for dropping by .....

Here's one project ...

... from our crafty day at Greta's last Thursday but which one will I show first?  I think I'll start with Greta's contribution.  She decided we'd make a memory wire bracelet.  We had a choice of colour-ways and I chose green and bronze, thinking it would go with one of the tops I bought for my up and coming holiday only to remember, when nearly done, that the top isn't green and bronze at all but hey, I've a dress it will probably go with.  I loved making this and I can see me making more.  Just need to find somewhere to buy the beads but I've not gone searching yet :0)

Had my massage today and back is a wee bit easier.  The masseuse stretched the base of my back instead of pummelling it and it does seem to have had some effect.  This massage turned out to be a really good deal.  It was a full back massage (legs, feet and all the way up), a full head massage and a facial.  I bought it on a Groupon deal and, before I left the salon, I bought a voucher to repeat the experience at the price I bought the Groupon voucher for.  This time I've 6 months to take it up in instead of the 3 via Groupon.  When I'm back from holiday hubby and I will be using another voucher we bought for a 2 course dinner at quite an expensive (normally) Italian restaurant at the Marina.  We've eaten there before but paid full price.  Food was delicious so we're looking forward to that, especially if it's a nice evening and we can sit outside and eat alfresco.  I'd certainly recommend people sign up for the daily emails.  You never know what deals are going to come up that could be of interest.

I've been loading up my Kindle with books. Had a fair few anyway but Amazon have a Spring Spectacular with selected titles up to 75% off. Couldn't have come at a better time 'cos now I've got loads of choice, if I get time to read while away. If not while away, on the long, long flights - *LOL* Need to load the MP3 with some toons now.

Weather is still amazing!  I'm so hoping that this isn't our summer come early.  We're having higher than average temperatures for this time of the year and mainly into the low 20s (centigrade).  It's beautiful.  The only thing spoiling it is the smell of BBQs wafting around but that's only 'cos we've not got ours out yet - *lol*  By the time we get ours out the weather is likely to have turned :0(

Thanks for dropping by .....

Crafter's House Party 2010 - #5

A bit of a change. Two projects that weren't cards. One was part of the shoebox packs, the other wasn't.

Kaz's card.

Well, Kaz decided on something completely different - a wall-hanging calendar, or potential photo 'frame'.  This was made using coasters, DP, flowers, ribbons and a blag of flat-backed pearls from Trace and ... I love it!  Don't think anything else needs to be said about it really.  Picture speaks for itself.

Anne-Marie's project.

This was an extra and not part of the shoebox card collection.  Anne-Marie kindly offered to show us how to make a necklace, bracelet and earring set.  I'd never made any jewellery before and loved doing this.  So far I've resisted buying a starter kit and some beads but for how long ... who knows!  Necklace has a toggle fastening and is strung onto tigertail.  The bracelet is on special elastic and the earrings are on wire.  The beads are black seed beads and black/clear crackle beads.

Enjoy!!
 

Crafter's House Party ...

No more slideshows, either here or on the Ramblings but this is instalment number 6 ..... the project one!

As mentioned previously, there was nothing formal planned, just a list of what people were prepared to show/demo/instruct on and a list of tools to play with and materials for use. Everybody contributed something with most people bringing a selection of stamps. There were Cuttlebugs, folders, nesties, dies and a Slice to try. Demos/projects on the list included ....

Beaded Flower
Giant Chrysanth
Watercolouring
Slider card
Prisma colouring
Copics
Basic Backgounds and word circles in Word
Basic FPC pointers
Medallion using corner punch.
Rollagraph
Quilling
Trifold card
Dreamweaver stencil & glitter
and ...... surprises with a possible visit to local craft shops?

I think most were covered even if we didn't all get to do what was listed due to lack of time and other 'stuff'!
I was going to demo the giant chrysanth - didn't happen!
The quilling - going to be demo'd by Jak's Mum - didn't happen although she was quietly quilling at the end of the table and her samples were something else! Beautiful work so, perhaps next time ... if there is one - *LOL*
Dreamweaver stencils and glitter - didn't happen (unless I missed it).
Basic FPC pointers - didn't happen!
Basic backgrounds and word circles in Word - didn't happen!
Visit to local craft shops - didn't happen!
Not sure if the Trifold card happened but I've got measurements and a pattern for a card that could be the trifold ..... *der* senior moment methinks!
I missed the slider card because I was having an Indian Head massage but I've got a template and a piccie of Kim's nearly finished one to go by so, I can play with that later.

(Click on an image for a larger version)

There was one FPC item and it was a 'surprise' one - *hehe* Papercraft Inspirations had a flower made from scalloped circles in the newest mag so we made that - very quick and quite effective although nothing like the geranium they said it was. More of a carnation and ... it could be improved on.

Another 'surprise' on the flower front! We tried a bit of flower pounding - not at all successfully. The pounding, in the Cuttlebug, was fine but the flowers chosen just didn't work. The flowers we tried? Pot chrysanthemums! Yep, just can't get away from 'em but they were far too juicy! Expected the flowers themselves to disintegrate - just didn't expect the watercolour paper to as well *LOLOL* Every attempt ended up in bin and no photographs were taken. Perhaps we should have done to show the disasters as well *hehe*!

There were plenty of images being stamped covering all spectrums of the latest stamps to the oldies but goodies. There were Gorjuss Girls, Magnolia, Olifant, Sugar Nellie, Whipper Snapper, SU sets ... to name a few. There were a variety of colouring mediums to try - Prismas, Copics, paints, watercolour pencils and we took full advantage of some of the experience available.

We made a beaded flower under the expert tuition of Debs, before she was taken ill and rushed to hospital and we made medallions using Corner Adorners - demo'd by Pippa (mine not yet photographed). We - OK, I - made a mess with the Rollagraph, SU wheels and the embossing powder (piccie on Jak's blog). Technically the mess was the embossing powder 'cos I spilt it. Yep, there has to be one and it was me! Loved the end result though and a couple of the wheels are currently on order .... I have the handles as I have several of the Rollagraph wheels anyway.

For me, the piéce-de-résistance was Olly Owl! Toni had made owls out of SU punches and bought with her, what I thought were her examples - a 'standalone' owl and one on a post-it note cover, all made by her fair hand. The surprise came when she gave them both to me! She'd bought them with her as little gifts. How kind was that? Anyway, she also bought the punches with her so punch we did! I didn't put an owl together there but I've made one since I've been home .... and called him Ozzie!

I managed to get a quick lesson in PSP on how to make a watermark for my piccies - which I've promptly forgotten *Doh* and some people trialled the Slice but I didn't get to see it working, although I heard it, 'cos I was busy on the only card I made all weekend ..... to be continued!

Enjoy!!