An unseasonal LO...Christmas at Berko!!

Hi everyone...its beautifully sunny here and so hot you could fry eggs on the pavement...so i thought i'd scrap a very unseasonal photo and immerse myself in cooler times. ;0)

I only allowed myself to use papers and cardstock from my scraps pile...and i even created the background pp with a scrap, some Versamark ink, a few mica powders and my hand carved damask stamp...did you spot it?
{To see the LO more clearly just click on it and it will pop up big enough for you to see all the details :0) }

The embellishments all came from the tray on my desk where I keep leftovers from other projects.  The paper flowers are both dipped into UTEE after being coated in Brilliance ink, and the wire flower is held in place by a cute brad that was also in my tray.

I stamped the journalling block using an ancient stamp and rounded the corners to match the tag i've used (upside down) on the top left.

Its another case of, not feeling great so throw it all at the page and see what happens...but i'm quite liking how it came out! :0)  And how can you fail to love the cheeky look on my BIL's face!!

I do hope you are managing to keep cool...and not get burned...but taking the opportunity to have an ice~cream or two!

30 minute Thursdays...interchangeable faux amber charms!

I love it when a happy crafting accident leads to a discovery...and today's 30 minute Thursday project is a classic example of this...i discovered through laziness that if you don't clean your Melt Pot thoroughly enough when you've been using gold embossing powder in it...and then you add clear UTEE...you get something that looks remarkably similar to amber!!  Personally, i've always had a love affair with amber...so i'm particularly tickled by this discovery :0)  Add into that the fact that it occurred to me that this technique could be used to make interchangeable charms...and i have to say i'm rather chuffed with today's offering! *blushes slightly*

What you need:
Clear UTEE
Flex
Ranger Ink Essentials Memory Frame
Chipboard shape/costume jewellery pieces/small flowers...whatever you like really as long as it fits in your frame!
leather thong

What you do:
This is such a simple project that i haven't even bothered to give you step by step photos...i really don't think you need them.
First off, melt the clear UTEE in your Melt Pot with a tiny smidge of gold embossing powder {less really is more here and the gold powder is opaque and we want a beautiful translucent liquid}...while that is heating...lay your frame onto a non~stick craft mat and arrange your inclusions in the frame.  In the sample above i've used a chipboard flower {from Bee Crafty} which i coloured with gold Brilliance ink.  When the UTEE is liquid carefully pour it into the frame, over the flower and gently press half a press stud into the flower centre...leave it to cool...add a thong and some beads and you're done!!  See...i told you it was easy!!!  I''ve only popped a short length of thonging on this one as we both like the look of it hanging in the kitchen window.

As long as you are careful not to add too much UTEE {no going over the edges}...and because of the way the frames open and close...you can remover the cooled charm...and then do another one with all sorts of other things in the *amber*...i've used a chipboard letter with a fabric rose and some small flowers with some glass chips...but if you want to go for realism with your pendant maybe you could try a dead fly!! ;0)

My favourite of the pieces i tried was this one...with a rather yummy piece of broken jewellery in the middle and i've hung this one on a long thong to wear as a Winter necklace over a cowl neck jumper.

The jewellery piece was quite chunky so the gemstone *ahem* section sticks up above the *amber* and the whole thing feels rather sumptuous. :0)

And there you have it...a simple idea that can be used to create pendants to wear or for hanging in the window...even to hang on the Christmas tree would be lovely.  I'm bursting to make a steampunk version of this too with clock parts and cogs...i think that would be fabulous!

Thanks for stopping by and i do hope you'll give this technique a go...

Bubbly Scrumptious update...another slice of apple

Hi all,

if you fancy seeing what i've created here...just pop on over to the Bubbly Scrumptious blog for the full details :0)

Bubbly Scrumptious update...the whole hydrangea

Hi all...limited crafting still here due to the surgery...but i've got a Bubbly update for you...the full instructions on how to turn your hydrangea heads from last week into a full bush!  Do click here to see my full post.
Back soon...hopefully with the return of 30 minute Thursdays...watch this space!
:0)

Bubbly Scrumptious update...a whole lot more utee

hi gang,

apologies for the lack of blogging...i've been having some surgery and couldn't use my right arm for a while there...bummer, eh??? but i seem to be back in the land of craft now...so i'm happy again :0)  i will have to have some nasty chemotherapy over the next few months so blogging may be erratic i'm afraid...but hang in there with me...and i'll share what i can...when i can...and your little comments will keep me going through the difficult times :0)
**if you have breast cancer too and want to say hi...please do!**

anyho...enough of that...today over at the bubbly scrumptious blog i have another UTEE project that i hope you'll enjoy...pop on over to see it here.

Bubbly Scrumptious update...a whole lot of utee

today's post should be available now...just click here for the details :0)

bubbly scrumptious update...

...do pop along and see my latest projects on the Bubbly Scrumptious blog...today i've made a ring and a card from one Tando chip shape for you...i hope you like them!

12 days of Christmas swap...

its not a regular thing for me taking part in swaps...but over on UKS atm...i was tempted by the 12 days of Christmas swap...inspired by a project in Craft Stamper Magazine...designed by the fabulously talented Linda...

the idea is that 12 people make 12 thrinchies {3 inch squares} and decorate them, leaving the corners clear for attaching with jump rings...then when we swap...we end up with 12 different Christmas themed squares and it makes a lovely wall hanging for the festive season :0)



if you're wondering why i've made 9 turquoise and silver thrinchies...its because some of the people have requested specific colour schemes {including me!}

this red, green and gold is my chosen colourway...

this totally golden one was just for fun...

...and this black and gold colourway was chosen by another swapee...i hope she likes it!

the more observant of you will have noticed my absence and may like to know that i fell down a rather nasty poorly hole last week...but i'm doing much better this week...hope its a good one for you too...

back with another challenge!

so here i am again...with another challenge entry for the Simon Says Stamp & Show blog...and this week's theme is layers...the more the better...and here is what i've created:

using a bingo clipboard as my base, i've layered one sheet of pp, some bazil cardstock and a photo i absolutely love, of my sister and BIL on the way home from a fabulous tennis party {hence the shorts}...see how the light catches the sunflowers...and his pint of beer...and they are all laden with presents :0) love it!




over the photo & mats, i've layered an enormous chipboard flower that i got from Bee Crafty...and coloured with Distress Inks...on top of that is a huge plastic flower that came from a QVC scrapping kit yonks ago...and then on top of that...joy of joys...i have discovered that Nestie dies will cut grungepaper!!! how did i not know this before...now i have a thousand more reasons to play with both these wonderful toys!! the grungepaper is also coloured with distress ink...and layered over two layers of Sizziz die~cuts of branches and leaves...coloured...well...you can probably guess ;0)...and layered again with some purple plastic flowers topped with brads!

on the right hand~side, i've tried to use up all the bits i cut off the die~cuts on the other side...and created a flower from pp dipped in the melt pot to create a thick and super shiny base...then stippled alot of gold perfect pearls in the centre...and sprinkled with black/brown glitter...all was looking dandy until i lost patience waiting for the pearls to dry and tried to brush off excess glitter a little heavy handedly...so i've lost the seed effect in the middle of the flower...bummer...but i guess i'll make another one tomorrow...when i'm over the fact that i cocked up the first time!! lol

so there you have it...to hang it i've cropadiled through the whole thing on both sides and tied a toning ribbon :0)

if you want to play along and make a multi~layered creation too...and maybe win yourself a stamping prize to boot...check out all the details here!

happy today...

Happy Anniversary...

...to us! *Team Waterhouse* has officially been *united* since the 19th July, 2008...which makes today our 2nd Wedding Anniversary! In honour of this momentous occasion...I've made his Nibs a picture to go on the wall:

...the text is a little *in~joke* referring to his Nibs' fondness of remarking what *tiny little hearts* small birds must have...it is not a reference to his heart...which i have to say...is...**huuuge**
i've stamped the text and covered it in Glossy accents so its nice and shiny...and if you look really closely you can see a row of tiny little {gold} hearts along the bottom of the birdcage :0)
the birdcage and bird, i'm sure you'll recognise as Sir Tim's Sizzix die...the birdcage has been embossed in gold then again in my own powder that is a mix of black, bronze and Walnut distress powders...which gives a lovely textured, grungy look that i adore...like it? the bird has been glittered to within an inch of his lovely life...and given an eye...i don't like these faceless creatures that keep popping up everywhere! lol

the canvas is coloured using distress inks...and is much greener irl...i've been playing with my camera's settings...and have clearly not put them back quite right, yet!

of course...you can't let an anniversary go past without taking the opportunity to make a card...and this one...he loves :0)


...its a swirl of swirly stamps in various colours of distress ink, watermark and gold embossing ink...with various layers of embossing powder, mica powder and a few gems for fun...

the centre of the design is embossed in verdigris powder which gives a lovely rusty old look to the text and the chipboard frame is triple~thick embossed in clear and then stamped into while warm with the gold ink on the swirl stamp...its super chunky and super shiny...so i like it!
the motif at the top is a flattened bottle top with chipboard heart {embossed in red tinsel then clear powder} and sunk into a bed of Sepia Glossy Accents...

so there you have it...how to craft for an Anniversary...now all i need to do is pop off and enjoy it!

Style School!!

Hi everyone! Thanks for the lovely comments on my last post...you girlies really cheer me along from day to day, so thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with me :0)

now...i promised details of Elsie and Leigh-Ann's Style School class that i'm taking...but i've been hit hard by a monster migraine this week...so i'm a bit behind i'm afraid...but thankfully the classes are generally fairly cute but quick makes...so i will catch up!!

the first class was a wreath project, wrapped in wool and decorated with flowers made from a double layer of PP and acetate...to make them shiny like vintage broaches...here is my version:

i am a rubbish student it would seem...i didn't use a wreath...i didn't make the PP&acetate flowers...and i didn't wrap the whole thing in wool lol...so what did i do? well...i made my faux enamel flowers {as i love to do} by dipping PP flowers into UTEE using my melt-pot and layering up...adding a few buttons and bits of bling...i used simple photograph frames as the *wreath* part {these are to become a part of a wall display i'm already working on for my lounge} and i painted them with Distress Paint...one is wrapped in string and one has small sections of ribbon tied to it...then i adhered the flowers to the frames with silicone glue. Easy...and i must say...i love them...even hubby likes them and has already allowed them up on the wall!! ;0)

when i get the Melt Pot out i like to make lots of things while i'm about it...so i have plenty more of these sort of flowers to appear on a blog near you soon!

project number 2 is a wall art display hanger...and i hope to complete it today *wish me luck*

hope you enjoy seeing what i've done so far...and stay tuned...i will have lots more fun projects to share over the next 6 weeks!

blooming lovely!

I've had this monstrous vanity case forever...and never liked it much...so I finally get around to altering it...and now I think its blooming lovely! :)


I've made the embellie out of UTEE, card and a fabric flower, and decorated the case with alcohol inks, stamps {by Autumn Leaves} and an OHP pen. The ribbons are from The Scrapbook Store {their ribbon bundles are to die for...check them out here!}

Anyone spot the *deliberate* mistake?