My First Tag Book.

The swap on the Art n Soul flickr group this month was to make a 4 page tag book. The only proviso was that each tag had to show at least one button on each side.
I have never tried to do tags before so this was my first foray (as with the ATC playing card challenge) into playing with paper.
The pictures are free downloads from a lovely blog owned by Jody of Home and heart.
Each Friday Jody hosts a selection of picture images that you can download to your computer and these are some that I spotted a while ago.
I matched up four flower prints and four images of girls and then delved into my stash of ribbons, lace and beads to embellish with. I really had fun making this and am pleased how the book has turned out. It has now been sent off in the post and I hope my partner will like it too.
I used thin satin ribbon and a pearl and glass bead trinket to attach the tags altogether at the top and of course each tag has a butterfly on it somewhere too.

Close up showing the tag fronts.


And the corresponding backs.

I am entering this into the following challenge

Anything Goes are asking for butterflies on your project.

I am also linking up to

Make it Monday Party

Me Making Do.

Birthday Celebrations.

Well I'm offically 1yrs old today.I started this blog a year ago not really knowing what to expect.
Have I had fun? Hell yes!
Have I met some wonderful new blogging friends. I sure have.

So lets get out the cake.
But first the accountant in me has done some facts and figures and suprised myself into the bargain.

I have 135 (I know it says 133 but blogger can't count) bloggie friends.
I have posted 167 times.
Made a staggering 103 items (giving 77 of them away).
Completed 9 swaps.
I have had a staggering 1368 comments left (and yes I have read every single one of them again last night to come up with the following statistics).


My top 3 blogging buddies to leave comments are


Faye. Stampin fluffnstuff.
Terry. Crafters Delight.
Sherry. Sherry's Simple blog.


I then worked out the average for each and every person since they started commenting and came up with an extra 2 blogging buddies

Bernie. One of a Kind.
Ali. My Crafty Desk.

So to celebrate each of you can choose an item that you would like me to make for you. (Just so long as it isn't quilt size!!!!!) Just send me your suggestion and colour requirements and I will do the rest.

To give you an idea Faye has already asked me to make her 3 (dinner plate size) daisy flowers to go on her snug wall. Does that girl had imagination or what.

'The Docs' Gems!

How is it that every time I go into the local charity shop I always come out with more tat and trash to stash but when 'The Doc' does the same he comes out with in his words 'Gems' A tray just the right size to hold 2 cups/mugs which matches our kitchen work top perfectly for 50p and a coffee perculator for £1.50 After spending ages in the garage cleaning and polishing this is how the perculator looks.
Now I think it just needs that little bit extra. Let me see.


Yes. thats better. A nice French Press cozie.


The yellow matches our kitchen/dinning room walls and the green is The Docs favourite colour. Both these fabrics came from my lovely blogging friend Terry who lives in America. (I won them in a little competition she was running a while back).
Thanks Terry. I said I had a use for them.

I spotted a family friend also had a coffee perculator in her blue kitchen looking all forlorn so I made one for her too. It's a suprise but is going to be her most must have item for 2011. She just dosen't know it yet!!

Butterflies on both. These are going to be my entry for January's A Monthly Make being hosted by Annie (aka The Felt Fairy). Talk about leaving it to the last minute.

And the Ace is on!

Here are my next two ATC playing cards. I decided to keep with the aces for January so next up is the Ace of Diamonds depicted as a stained glass window.
I cut a piece of clear plastic (the sort you get stamps and dies packaged in and normally discard) to the correct size and then with my black glass liner drew the design and then filled in with my glass paints. Quite please with the result as it does look like glass. Once dry I attached to white card.

Below the reverse side showing the material butterfly very carfully glued on and an A made to look like a branding iron mark.

Next up is the Ace of Spades which I have depicted as being an Oak tree with attitude!

The back using distressed ink with fake brown stitching and one of the new stamps that the naughty 'Bernie' inticed me into buying.

A butterfly of course.

The last one to do for January will be the Ace of Clubs which I havn't a clue about at the moment but no doubt Mojo or Flo (as in go with the ) will be on hand to help me.

Workdesk Wednesday 86.

Well whats on my desk today you ask. Nuffin!!! Except Side Kick who I rescued down off the Teddy Bear shelf last week.

Whats it all about then. The answer is two fold. Firstly I have been sorting my stash out into plastic boxes and storing away. Secondly 'Sweet Cheeks' came for a flying visit on Mon/Tue and my craft pod needed to be reverted back into a bedroom.As he is doing a return flying visit this weekend it must remain so. Until then I am living out of boxes! The top small box houses my glass paints that I was just finishing using on a project that I will post up later today. The middles and bottom boxes are work in progress that I took downstairs last night to work from in the lounge.

Normal services will resume again next week.

Work Desk Wednesday again.

Wednesday again and what's on my desk today. Well I thought I would do a spot of painting today.Need to start/finish my next card for the playing card challenge. Going to do the Ace of Diamonds. Only another 50 cards +jokers to produce but I have all yr so not panicking just yet.

Other goodies on my desk are what 'Bernie ' inticed me into buying from a very nice craft website. In the long box is a non stick craft sheet. I need that so that the Heat'n bond ultra will stop sticking to the ironing board! ! A stack of ATC's, have been cutting out my own so far and a new butterfly die cut . Also an ink blending tool to take me into the 21st century (was using kitchen roll paper crunched up into a ball). Naughty Bernie inticed me onto another site and I just had to order goodies from there too all in the name or art you understand. Will show them next time as I don't have any more room on my desk. I also have something I can't show you cos it's way too big my noo Omnigrid cutting mat. It's 18" x24" so just perfect for on the floor. 'Wipso and Twiglet' are on the naugthy step for showing off their embellisher machines.

I want one of those, I need one of those, I must have one of those. I'm off to go cry into my hankie and have a mini tantrum.

If you want to see what everyone else is up to this week head on over to Julia's blog.

Art Nouveau

Back in October last year I ran a competition the prize being another of my 40yrs old silks(the winner to make her choice from the 4 left) to be made up into an embroidered box. Well Sherry was the outright winer and chose this aquamarine and navy blue silk. She commented that it looked very 'Art Nouveau' so what else could I do but make an art nouveau box.
Out came all my really old books and I finally found a black and white photo of a box originally made in gold work on red leather by Audrey Chorley which I thought fitted in exactly.
Trouble was I had no pattern and no instructions on how to do it but was that going to stop me? Hell no! (In for a penny in for a pound as the saying goes.)
It took me a week to construct the design 3 dimensional from the photo and get the right proportions. Did I mention that the box was made up of five different sections?
An overlapping lid box, 2 side drawers, a hinged lid box and a drop in lid box. Simples!



This is the drop in lid box. Lined in navy felt.
Picture below shows the hinged lid being constructed.


Now we have two sections completed.
The hinged lid and drop in box lid boxes joined together.
Can anybody guess what it is yet?


Below shows the overlapping lided box which is oval in shape.



Lastly the side drawers which were the hardest part to make.
If in doubt resort to corrugated cardboard and a couple of plastic bottle tops. (Yep I really do keep every thing).


And one set of drawers later.


Put it all together and 5 weeks later and what have you got.


An 'Art Nouveau' Fish complete with fins that's what.


Sherry received her box back at the beginning of December (so no butterfly) but due to Christmas and Nasty flu have only just gotten around to sorting out the pictures for it.