Man swap

 

These "Men" ATCs were a few of my offerings for a monthly swap over at Chrissy's ATC Club Swap til You Drop blog, which can be found here. 


I used a copy of hubby's FT (before he'd even opened it, oops!) and burned holes in especially interesting torn out bits.

I added stamps and some gorgeous Vintage guys from one of my favourite stores Crafty Individuals, before distress inking with Rangers, adding some texture and throwing on some UTEE.

Don't you just lurve the look of the Vintage man??? Well I do... I'm married to one, lol!

Punkin around

Woohoo, found some blogging time :)  It's been months since I popped in so I might just go into overdrive and post everything I've done since my last visit. But then again, might not. Depends on the distraction.

Decided to go all punky with Fimo earlier in the week. My play room is usually the garage, but with hubby away I sneaked all my lovely toys inside and got dirty on the kitchen table.

These are my fave stash items, lovely shiney clockwork bits n pieces. Great for steampunk creations and oh so delish on mixed media projects.

Mica powders, various gauges of wire...

and pliers for cutting, prodding and wrapping...





And using Fimo, this is what I did with them...

The making of Nellipunk...  This steampunk elephant can be worn on a hat, in a pocket, or on a bag, or she can just sit there looking terrifically strange. Wha'eva!

This is the most bejewelled and bedazzling flying punk my fingers ever laid eyes on. I used old jewellery pieces, watch parts and a couple of old nails as embellishments, but not before stamping her wings with a gawjus vintage-style stamp.

                      

Meet Chamelepunk
 
I know... he's UGLY as! But so enjoyable to make.





Of course I couldn't have done any of these things without the magicalness of Christi Friesen, author of Steampunkery. Thanks for the inspiration Christi xxx

Better late...

'Flourish' frame. I loved making this little number using
Crafty Individuals' stamps, Paris Nights papers and oodles
of embossing using a scrummy blend of gold and copper.

It's 3am on Monday, it's soooo peaceful and yet my mind is a whirr. So, better than late than never, I thought I'd post a little on my much-neglected blog before the year suddenly comes to an end!


'Cherish' is a simple wood panel covered in Crafty Individuals'
images, vintage lace and gorgeous stamps. I've added depth
using Tim Holtz distress inks and lashings of embossing to
add even more texture. It sure feels good!!!



Oooh, this is my fave I have to say! I enjoyed every moment
creating it. The romantic Crafty Individuals image so
deserves its place in this Boudoir-style frame. 

OK, this is a peek at a couple of pages from an art journal I decided to
start a few weeks ago. Having completed seven pages I'm now
stuck because I chose THE WRONG PAPER for just one page! One
page is all it took to completely lose my inspiration. It's gone. So....

... this is the front cover, not yet complete, but when I get the
calling to finish this book I'll put the lot up. Watch
this space (this time next year I guess!!!)

CREATIVE WRITER AWARD

  Thanks to my darling friend Chris, of Bling-kin-eck, I've got a bit of work to do.  Like I soooo need this on a lazy Sunday afternoon Chris!!!  Oh welI, guess it's as good a time as any to burrow into my warped mind and set some truths free... or lies???

The rules of the award are as follows:
. Thank and link to the person who gave you the award.
. Display the award on your blog.
. Tell 6 outrageous lies and 1 outrageous truth about yourself , or switch it around and tell 6 outrageous truths and 1 outrageous lie about yourself.
. Then, nominate 7 others and leave them a message to let them know.

Okay here we go.... can you guess which way round they are?

1. On a visit to Dubai some years ago with a group of  journalists, I gained my camel driving licence. I was the only one sober enough to stay the course, while three hacks honked up on their camels' humps and two didn't even make the hike up their camel's back. 

2.  On my 14th birthday I received the Cheshire Life Award for being the fastest hula-hooper in Holmes Chapel. I made 104 hoops in one minute while my cat, Blacky, was draped over my shoulders.

3. For three years leading up to the year 2000, I kept a bearded billy goat in my front garden. His name was Gruff and he had only one eye. He kept the lawn neat, politely took our post from the postie, and was far better behaved than any guard dog.

4. I have a writer friend who is preparing to test out his own theory about hiding Ingleby Barwick from the rest of the world - just for one day. He has managed to convince the majority of IB's residents to tie their bedsheets together and hide all our houses behind them. The Guinness Book of Records will be attending - if they can find us.

5. Yesterday, I was so upset when I saw my hubby re-shaping my prized three-tiered buxus box tree into a pyramid that I went into the garden at 4 this morning and cut a pyramid-shaped door into the back of his polythene-covered greenhouse.

6. Every year on 21st March, I buy a small Red Haired Eel (quite a rare variety), put it in a large fish bowl on the coffee table for a week (for Persian new year) and then transfer it to the garden pond where it acts like a hoover, ferociously feeding off the bottom of the pond. These eels rarely survive beyond 9 months, but one of ours lasted 2 years!

7. I once pan fried and ate 17 garden snails as a bet, but was shocked when my best friend beat my score. She ate 23 snails, plus two fried garden worms, a slug and three toe nail clippings (yes, of course they were her own!). 


Now, as an avid follower I have chosen these seven arty peeps to receive the award. They are:


Nigel
Helga
Linda
She
Pen
Sherry
Lin

LA FEMME STEAMPUNK!

I thought I'd create a few pieces of Steampunk jewellery in readiness for next Sunday's craft fair at Gisborough Hall.  


I love the rather masculine cogs and wheels and weird "inventions" some artisans have been selling on the likes of ebay and Etsy, but decided on a more feminine style. 


I've altered some wooden hearts using various coloured embossing powders and UTEE and decorated them with tiny cogs and wheels, brass and copper findings, etc. I've arranged the pieces on brass and copper chain and added antique-style keys and other findings to compliment the mini fob watches I bought in specifically for this project.  

Vintage ATC Swap

 Almost didn't put these on... sorry Chrissy (ATC Club), hope I'm not too late for your Vintage swap? Well, to make up for it I made 6, so you get to keep one! I've used layers of organza, lace and embossing powders on a couple of these, then burned holes here and there to give them that aged feel - hence the grainy texture on the attached pics (they look better in the flesh)!

SPRING HAS HATCHED

SPRINGTIME: Easter's coming so I thought I'd share some of my eggs with you before I take off for my hols!
They look like they are about ready to hatch...

HAPPY EASTER!