Check out the Prima Iron~ons Product Focus...

...over at Bubbly Scrumptious this week.  We've all been playing with these easy to use, velvety wonders designed by Donna Downey...and I loved them so much i've made 2 projects for you!!

 one is paper based...a cute little gift bag...

the other is fabric based...and intended to help you get into the idea that these are not just for papercrafts...a cute baby's bib!

I added little die~cut felt pieces to embellish this...and its super soft and they tell me you can wash these iron~ons on cool...so we'll soon see how the bib holds up after being used!!

Details for how I made both these projects can be found here :0)

dreaming of texture...

a little canvas play today...all the details over on the its a creative world blog...just click here for all the details :0)

Bubbly Scrumptious update...Valentine projects...

have you been over to the Bubbly Scrumptious blog to see my latest creations...i've gone all romantic for Valentine's day :0)  if not...just click here!

who said Valentine's have to be red or pink, eh? ;0)

a little wine...bottle!

Hi there bloggers...i do hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to the New Year celebrations.

Despite alot of illness throughout the whole family...we all managed to be well enough on the big day to spend a few hours together and had a thoroughly fabulous time...which i plan to scrap later today! :0)  Have you scrapped your day yet??

Now...back to the wine...its not a Christmas whine...but a Christmassy bottle of mulled wine...a perfect but inexpensive gift {depending how much brandy you put in it}.  I decorated this empty brandy bottle with Viva Decor Croco paint and tinted it with Saddle Brown Stazon to give it a lovely golden glow.  I die cut the label using a Nestability die and stamped and embossed the words "a little festive spirit" in gold embossing powder using a PaperArtsy alphabet.  I edged the die cut with Cranberry Adirondack ink using some cut and dry foam to add a little age and depth to the label.

Obviously, the glass changes colour completely when you pop the mulled wine in...

To embellish the bottle i tinted some Prima flowers with the Stazon ink and then used Alchol Inks, dropping them directly onto the white pearl centres and letting the ink run along the veins in the flower.  I then dipped the edges of the petals into drops of ink placed onto my craft sheet to get the coppery colour around the edges of the petals.  Finally i added some Prima leaves and beads...and i think you have a pretty spectacular gift in minimal time...with maximun impact!  The lace i've used was also tinted using the Stazon so all the colours tone beautifully which really helps to create a project that *works* and looks well thought out.

Now...who can you think of in your life that needs a bottle like this..?  I think it would make a lovely gift to take to a New Years' Eve party...and if you're not a drinker...you could do a similar bottle and fill it with luxury bubble bath for an alternative kind of treat!

Happy New Year to you all, 

alixxx

a little advent idea that you still have time to make...

if you've not got yet created your own advent calendar...you might like to try this idea that i've posted onto IACW today :0)

sorry for the lack of posts lately...i'm struggling a bit with my chemo...but my brain is storing up ideas in the middle of the night {when i really would like to be asleep...} and there will be lots of things coming in the New Year :0)

I'm a creative girl!

I don't know if you've noticed...but i've been invited to join the fabulously talented DT over at Its a Creative World...and i'm sooo happy to join this super fun team who share a wide and wonderful variety of crafty ideas on their blog every day!

Today is my first offering for them...and you can see my creation and details on how to create something similar for yourself...just here.

Don't forget to add IACW to your blog list or follow us as this blog is well worth a regular look :0)

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...

more charming chainmail...

i'm loving this style of jewellery atm...check the previous post if you missed my tutorial...and couldn't resist making a slightly chunkier, more embellished version...this time i've added assorted large red and white glass beads {always buy annealed beads to avoid chipping :0) } and some cute pearly buttons.  its all mix and match and i just love it!

30 minute Thursdays...simply charming chainmail

Jewellery is beautiful...i guess that is the point of it....but it can take forever to make something that looks stylish and unique...in today's 30 Minute Thursday project i share my love of chain mail and my simple take on how to give the technique a go and create a pretty bracelet...in under 30 minutes!

You will need:
2 pairs of jewellery pliers {to open and close the jump rings}
75 jump rings {i use sterling silver ones to prevent allergy issues}
Toggle clasp
7 small glass beads
7 silver head pins

How to do it:
Creating a basic chain mail chain like this one is actually very simple...and endlessly satisfying! ;0)  Firstly use your pliers to open one jump ring and thread 4 more onto it, before using the pliers to close the ring again.

You should then have 5 rings that look like this:

Next, open another jump ring and hook the two end rings over it, and add 2 more jump rings, then close the ring.  Repeat this, hooking the end two rings and adding 2 more each time, and your chain will look like this!

Once you've got the technique, its surprising how quickly the chain grows so keep a ruler handy to make sure you don't make the chain longer than you need!  Add the toggle and bar onto the ends on a double link for extra strength.

If you want to, you can leave the chain at this stage...i think this is really *grown~up* and stylish for a subtle jewellery piece.

I have added simple glass charms to my chain mail chain.  This was done by creating a wrapped loop charm with each of my glass beads and attaching them to my chain with a jump ring at regular intervals:

I love how pretty and girlie this is...but understated too...although you could use bolder, bigger charms for a more chunky look if you should choose to!

As always, i do hope you've enjoyed seeing my make and if you do fancy giving this a go...i'd love to hear how you get on...and see the finished creation! :0)

30 minute Thursdays...a properly puzzling card!

Hello again Thursday crafters!

This week's offering is a properly puzzling card...literally a card made onto a puzzle...that you disassemble and pop into the post for the recipient to recreate themselves!  Cool, huh? ;0)  It can be made as my example shows from a pre~bought jigsaw blank {available in lots of craft shops} or by reusing an old jigsaw and sanding off the picture...so you have no excuses not to have a go!! 

Warning!

You'll see from the photos that i have used a selection of the fabulous Dylusions mica and non~mica sprays to create this design...so do work in a protected environment and not over the dining room carpet...and if you've got to go to work later...wear gloves!! lol  These sprays are gorgeous...but they do get everywhere...so don't forget your non~stick worksheet...

To begin with, spray some colour onto the blank jigsaw in a light colour, leaving some areas uncoloured:

Next layer some mica infused colours over and around the first colour and allow to blend.  Shake the bottles to allow some splattering to occur:

Move your jigsaw to one side to dry.  Spritz the ink on the non~stick sheet with a little water and create co~ordinating embellishments by allowing plain paper flowers to absorb the colour:

Dry these with a heat gun and draw in two stalks for your flowers using a large marker pen:

***Glue your flowers onto the stalks, being careful not to glue over the lines of the puzzle ;0)***

Now add a little stamping around the edges of the puzzle {this makes it more fun to put together} and if you wish a message at the bottom:

To finish the design, swipe a permanent black inkpad all around the edges, add a little pen work with a fine black pen and glue some gems into the flower centres:

Turn the puzzle over and create a simpler version on the back...and write your message:

Now all you have to do, is heat set all the ink, and pop all the separated puzzle pieces in a sturdy envelope...and wait for the excited call when your properly puzzling card reaches its destination!

I do hope you've liked this idea...and as always i'd love to hear what you think...
happy crafting,
Alixxxx

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.

30 minute Thursdays...the pom pom coaster...on a Saturday!!!

ok...so there has been a definite lack of 30 minute Thursdays of late...but better late than never, here is the project i prepared but you never got this week! :0)

its a cute and practical coaster for your cup of whatever to rest on while and the colours can be adapted to suit your colour scheme...so why not give it a go..?  a handful of these tied with string would make a super gift too ;0)

You need:
a coaster base ~ an unwanted coaster to recover, a coaster blank or as i've used some unwanted cork floor tiles die cut into circles in the Big Shot!
Tacky Glue {or similar strong glue}
String
Pom pom trim

Coat the entire top surface of your coaster with a thick layer of the Tacky Glue {i spread mine with a lolly stick} and apply your pom pom trim all the way around the edge.  Overlap the ends slightly.

Next take your string and create a tight spiral starting in the middle of the coaster and winding round and round.  Press the string into the glue as you go and it holds nicely :0)  Don't worry if you're not exactly in the middle...this becomes obvious as you increase the spiral and you have plenty of time to slide into the right position.

When your spiral reaches the pom pom trim, apply a line of glue onto the trim {not the pom poms...the flat bit} and overlap your spiral to hold the trim firmly in place.

Trim your string to the right length and use a pokey tool to tuck the end underneath the spiral to finish off neatly and prevent little fingers undoing all your work...now leave to dry!  The glue doesn't show at all in the dry version :0)

what now..?  time for a cuppa i think and a sit back to admire your handiwork!

30 minute Thursdays...a fabulous star decoration...

Another Thursday quick project today...how to use what we learned on Monday's Bubbly Scrumptious Blog posting...not to make a starbook...but to adapt it to make a rather fabulous star shaped decoration! These are great for parties, children could even do them...and they'd be super for Christmas fairs if you want to use a little bit of stash to raise a whole load of cash! :0)

Firstly, cut yourself 21 strips of double sided pp, to the sizes listed below. This is really quick if you use your paper trimmer.

Secondly, use a wet glue to stick the sections together...one strip of each size, glued as shown below with a little glue on either end.

When your sections are all glued together, stack them by glueing one on top of another adding the glue as shown below:

Now add some ribbon with some strong tape and glue the first section to the last section, opening the star out to form the shape.

Your star should now look like this!

Add a flowery embellishment to the middle of the star with a generous amount of glue...this will help to stabilise the points if you've used thinnish pp...but it looks lovely even if you don't need it!

Finally, hang your decoration up...this one is going to go to my sister and her hubby to decorate the nursery they are preparing for their much anticipated baby...

Warning:

You may well be asked to make lots of these...people do seem to be disproportionately impressed with the skill required to achieve these babies...but i won't tell if you don't!! ;0)

30 minute Thursdays...personalised keychain...

Hi all...its Thursday again...so time for another 30 minute project...this week i've created a personalised keychain with a photo of my hubby on it. Of course, you're unlikely to want my hubby on your keychain...so feel free to add photos of your children, pets or favourite flowers...whatever you love!

Materials:

1 large Tim Holtz facet and the jump rings you get in the pack

Glossy Accents

2 charms of your choosing

alcohol inks

Stickles

a scrap of ribbon

a keychain

a scrap of pp

a photo

The first step is to adhere your pp to your facet using a smoosh of Glossy Accents. Move the facet around a bit {wiggle it} to spread the glue and allow it to dry for about 30 seconds. Cut carefully around the facet.

Next, adhere your photo to the reverse of the pp just as before, wiggling the facet for good adhesion...and allow to dry. Trim as before and using a pokey tool, remake the hole all the way through so you can attach the jump ring.

Using the jump rings in the pace of facets, make a simple chain of 5 rings with the keychain on one end and the facet on the other. Take your charms and colour them by dabbing with alcohol inks and when dry {again about a minute unless you've totally soaked them!} add a dab of glitter glue with your finger for some subtle sparkle. Leave this to dry, then using two more jump rings attach the two charms to the chain.

The final step is to simply tie on a piece of co~ordinating ribbon and attach keys!

And there you have it...a simple but personalised keychain perfect for a gift or as in my case, just for yourself...because *you're worth it* muahahahahaha