check out these inchies!!

This is the result of the January Inchie swap!! brilliant turnout this month, and some amazing inchies. just check out that bird, isn't it cool!

so name check!
top row : Me Anamaria Caz Vickie
2nd row: Seona Jan Mandy Linda
3rd row: Gillian Anne Louise Karen
4th row: Michelle Sarah Ana Emma.


They are all ready to post, but as we are forecast heavy snow I'm not sure I'll make it to the post office tomorrow, or if it will actually be open. but I'll get them all out to you as soon as possible.

Thank you all for taking part.

February's inchie swap theme coming soon.........

valentine giveaway

I've decided to do a little giveaway as a valentine gift to my blog readers. All you need to do is leave a comment on this post and I will randomly choose one winner. (shouldn't be hard, I'll probably only get two replies, then I can toss a coin)
The winner will receive this crocheted rose corsage.
I shall do the draw next sunday evening (about 5pm GMT).
I am happy to post this anywhere in the world.

sock monkey

I have been meaning to have a go at these for ages since seeing the ones that Monkee Maker made. So "carefully" following Web Goddess's sock monkey tutorial I made this from a child's pair of socks. there are so many things wrong with it, so don't look too closely, but I'm quite proud of it.

If you stumble, make it part of the dance

Gillian set a forum challenge to make 6"x6" hanging with an egypt theme. I NEVER turn down a challenge, but I thought this one had beaten me. my first piece was a disaster, and is now happily residing in my kitchen bin, where it belongs.

The problems are
a)I have nothing egypt themed, and I can't even download something as my printer and computer are not getting along (I think the computer started it!)
b) I can't do something as big as 6x6. I know it sounds silly, but that's just huge to me!!

I was all for giving up when I remembered this bellydancer stamp from stampsmith. and as bellydancing originatied in egypt (probably, please don't email me and tell me I'm wrong, I'm happy in my own little bubble, please don't burst it, just know you are right, and I'm a bit misguided). so one problem solved. next problem the size. the answer? cheat of course!! so I have made it on a 5x5 square which I have then mounted onto 6x6!! problem solved.

The quote is a metaphor for life, but you probably worked that out. but Ironically it was also a metaphor for this item. when I tried to hang it I found that the circular bead stopped it hanging straight. but then I realise it would hide a piece of blu-tack quite nicely, so now it is a hanging that doesn't need a hook.

I stumbled, I made it part of the dance.

flower soft

There's a product called flower soft that I've been thinking about buying for a while, it looks really useful, but unfortunately all the samples I've seen are really twee, not that there is anything wrong with twee - it certainly has it's place.
I decided to go ahead and get some so after standing looking at the pots for about 15 mins- and starting to get funny looks from the staff. I decided on a pot with mixed colours which are sort of heathery. I was determined I would only get one pot, until I had seen if it was any use.

I've made this card. The flower soft is the dimensional bit below the fairy and on her hair band. if you are not familiar with the product you glue it on with pva, and sprinkle it on like glitter, but it's a lot lighter than glitter.

The background papers are a very generous gift from one of my inchie swappers. The stamps are by inka, and I've painted the fairy girl with pearlescent paints

hmmm I suppose it is a bit twee, but I like it! lol

valentine for a man

Cards for men! sends a shiver down your spine, doesn't it? lol
I have come to two conclusions regading cards for men.
1) they may as well be quick cards as they don't appreciate them anyway
2) the only cards they do appreciate are funny ones.

so bearing those in mind I have made this valentine card for a man. it was very quick to make. The collage image is from Inka (the collage image didn't scan very well,as these images are beautifully clear, I think I'll take a photo tomorrow, if it's light enough). And I think it's funny, even if no one else does. I saw this picture and the quote (and strangely the names) just came to mind.

don't you just think they look like a harold and a claudette? lol

EDIT TO SAY: I've added a better picture now

button fairy

The theme at wednesday stamper this week is "button dollz" I have to admit that I can't make my mind up about what I think of the whole button doll thing. They often look a bit freaky and their tails remind me of scorpions. but nonetheless I decide to have a go and see if I could make something I liked. I have stamped the fairy (Inka) onto shrink plastic, painted with pearlescent paint, and stuck the shrunken image to a button and then made a straight "tail" which I thought of more as a hangy bit. I also attached a tiny flower button, and attached a brooch back. I thought it could be worn as a brooch or a necklace (pin to ribbon). hmmmm I still can't decide if I like it but at least I had a go.

as you can't see the scale, I suppose I should mention it's less than 5cm long.

the photos are rubbish as it's dark. I could wait until tomorrow, but to be honest the days aren't a lot better at the moment! roll on spring!

for the inchie swappers

regular participants of my swap may have noticed that when I return the inchies, I blu-tack them to a background I have made. I was preparing the backgrounds for this months swap, and thought I would like to present them on the front of a card so that it feels like receiving a valentine card. however, now I've made it I'm not sure I want to cover it up. so I have to decide whether to stick them over it or inside the card.

The heart stamps (autumn leaves) were a very thoughtful present from one of the swappers. The text is by non-sequitur, the word by vap, the pattern down the side was a lace stamp from non-sequitur but was too weedy so I stamped over it with some flourishes from crafty individuals. the red ink is fired brick distrss and I went round the edge with a black marker pen

crochet

just to prove I really can crochet (I tell people often enough). I thought I'd show this little jacket I made as a gift for Kaz's daughter. I saw the patten on lion brand yarn (some of the best free knitting and crochet patterns on the web)And it was such a simple pattern I had to make it.
I originally planned to do it all in pink, but it soon became apparent that I would not have enough so I decided to use cream for the edges, sort of a bit "chanel" don't you think, lol.

p.s. did any knitters watch the golden compass movie and spend a good part of the time sat there working out the pattern to Lyra's woolly hat? I know I did! anyway, they have the pattern free on lion brand. (you need to register to access the patterns but it's all free)

Think monday, thank atc

I haven't taken part in TMTA for ages, but the theme this week is photo stamps. I love photo stamps. I usually use versafine on smooth (but not glossy card). versafine will not dry on glossy card, and although ranger archival is great, and does dry on glossy card, it's just much more hard work. I find it takes longer to get the stamp inked properly and I just don't quite like it as much. plus I love versafine grey so I had to find a way to use it.

this time however I was a bit more brave. inspired by Jo, I dug out one of the two pieces of stampbord (thanks shaz) that have been sitting in my drawer for ages, and decided not to be afraid of them any more, and have a go.

This ATC is the result. I have used distress inks for the colour and versafine for the black. I used a nail file to distress the edges, and scratched into the stampbord with my piercing tool.

The words and the circles are rub ons (thanks jo) and everything else is Inka stamps. you can click on the image for a larger picture.

hope you like it, please remember this is the first time I have EVER used stampbord, lol

She's back!!!

and this time she's holding a really big flower!!!

I needed to make a quick thank you card last night, so I thought I'd see what else this girl could hold. I found thse flowers in my local haberdasherers last week, aren't they pretty. in fact it's one of these flowers that is inside the jar in my last post.

I've stamped her in sepia this time (versafine) as it went with the background paper nicely.

The background paper is by papermania, and I cut out a flower for her to stand on so she didn't look like she was hovering in mid-air

miniature jar fairy

the story of this piece starts with a story of marmalade. while I was shopping I really fancied some marmalade, but I knew that if I bought a whole jar I would leave most of it, but they had some tiny little jars, so I got one of those. As soon as I held it though my mind wandered to jar fairies. I have made one before, although she was actually a pepperpot fairy.

so anyway, this jar is tiny, less than 2 inches high (and quite a bit of that is lid) so my main problem was finding a fairy small enough. but then I remembered I had this one from Inka stamps

I have put a really pretty hessian flower inside the jar. I have glued green fantasy fibre for the ground. glue and fantasy fibre- what a nightmare. it went everywhere. I also put some clear fantasy fibre inside the jar to look like magic trapped in the jar. I then glued a flower to the lid.

so the question is did I subconsciously buy the marmalade just so I could make the jar fairy?

you make my day...

I have been nominated by Kaz and Kirsi for the "you make my day award" it means alot, as after all that's why we do this.

I've had a long hard think about my nominations. and here they are (in no particular order)

Jo Capper-sandon - for being a constant inspiration and a very good friend
Monkee maker- for making me laugh on a regular basis (warning I think this woman may be unhinged, lol)
Nancy dooren, not just for her beautiful work, but her generosity in sharing images
Audrey Hernandez- for the beautiful inspirational work
Inka Heaton - for making my favourite stamps, lol, and her regular giveaways on her blog
Louise Granlund- for her lovely work, but also for doing great things with inchies!!
Nancy Maxwell James. for showing us what we can do with vintage images
Suzan Buckner- just because I love what she does- outside the box doesn't even come close!!

and finally Galina and Deb for being great, consistent forum friends and having wonderful unique styles of crafting.

thank you all you wonderful bloggers, blogland is a better place for having you in it. I hope you pass this award on to 10 other bloggers that make your day for whatever reason.

This week I am mostly...

...making this little girl hold things! I love this stamp from Inka stamps. I think her hands are just crying out to hold something. so as well as this one and the flower one, I have also done an easter one which I will show another time.

This weeks wednesday stamper theme is keys. This made me think of two things
1) ooo I can make her hold a key! lol
2) I need to make a new home card for a very good friend who is moving house shortly.

There is also a bit of a trend going around the blogs of triangles, so not one to be left out I had to have a go!

The background paper is papermania with some silver embossing round the edges, nounted on silver card. The words are done with a dymo on white card and rubbed over with silver ink.

turning my creativity upside down

This card was a different way of working for me. I usually start with a main image and work from that but for this one I started with the background.

I wanted to create something simple and pretty as it is for my nine-year old niece Sasha. so I made a simple background by tearing a rectangle out of copy paper and using the frame as a mask. I stamped over this with a music stamp, but kept the frame in place and dabbed the same ink around the edges with cotton wool.

I then sat and looked at this background for a long time. I tried a few images and nothing seemed to work. then I felt I wanted to use a button and a punched flower, which I placed over the corner and sat and looked at it some more. then this little girl stamp from inka just popped into my head wearing a party hat, so I used that (I stamped the girl in grey to make it a little more subtle). then I saw it!!! I had to put the flower on wire! perfect for any little girl I think. The wire is cheap floristry wire, which is strong. I attached it to the back of the flower with silicone glue and made a hole in the girl and attched it to her back with more silicone. I then added Sasha's name using a dymo label maker and plain white card which I then rubbed over with the same ink I used for the background.