Jubilant at the Jubilee...

We don't let a bit of torrential rain and freezing weather spoil our days...so here is Granny and two of my Aunts sporting the Jubilee headgear I made them and enjoying the Great British outdoors!! lol  Pretty game to sit there for hours at 93, huh?? *Go Granny*

Actually, I think they came for the quiche and the pavlova as much as the Queen... ;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)

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 funky button ring...

Morning all, time for another 30 minute Thursday project...a rather funky button ring.  This is a great project to do with the girls in your life...young and old...and would make a great sleepover activity!

You will need some wire and a couple of buttons.  I cut my wire into three 9" lengths:

Loosely plait the middle section of your wires to hold them together {this is much easier if you have someone else hold one end!!}...just plait enough to go around your finger:

 Check it by bending it around your finger and twisting the wire together to keep the join where you want it:

Remove your finger...and you now have a ring with 6 legs!  Notice how your plait seems so much neater when you've bent it round into a circle? Magic! ;0)

Add your buttons to 2 of the longest threads by pushing the wire up through the back, over the middle and down through the other hole:

The back of your ring will look like this and you can stop at this stage, twisting the wire gently into a small spiral behind the button and trimming neatly {making sure you have no rough edges to catch on your finger} this will create a simple button ring...

...but i like to take it a bit further and add a coiled wire petals for extra fun to my rings!  Simply use round nose pliers to make a small loop on the end of each wire and then use your fingers to make loose spirals with each of the wires.  Arrange the spirals to look like petals all facing the same way and you're done!

And here is my finished funky button ring:

...and here is another...slightly smaller buttons this time {i only have small hands}:

...and finally...my favourite but most bonkers version...the super~sized funky ring!!

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

metal mania...

this week's challenge over on the simon says stamp and show blog is to use metal...and i had to play along with that theme, right?

i've used 10 seconds studio metal and embossed it by hand, and with folders, i've inked it, stamped it, cut it out, glittered it...accented it with glossy accents and sanded it! i've also used metal tags, metallic glitter and metallic paint...as well as a couple of staples...so i think i've got the metal thing covered... ;)


one of the things i love about metal work is how versatile it is and how much dimension you can get into even a basically flat project...




i was particularly chuffed with how this rose turned out...its cut in metal and alcohol inked, then covered in distress stickles so its all sparkly...very vintage looking :)

ooooh....and i haven't shown you the whole thing...so...can you tell what it is yet??? lol

its a new doorhanger for my craftroom!

whatever makes you happy...

...who can resist a theme like that??? this is the challenge over at the Simon Says Stamp and Show blog this week...check out all the deets here. My entry certainly fulfils this brief:

things that make me happy include:

handmade gifts *tick*, items that are both pretty and purposeful *tick*, using up those odd scraps of ribbon *tick*...

...stamps by Tim *tick*, painty backgrounds *tick*, glitter and bling *tick*...and flowers *tick*...

...a finished item that gets an "oooooooooh" when i show it to someone {usually whoever happens to pass by at the wrong moment!!} *tick*

so there you have it...my entry for the whatever makes me happy challenge...and a happy me!

al!x does t!m...

...or so to speak!?#$! those of you with eagle eyes might have spotted my grungy door sign project in this month's Craft Stamper...and here are couple more projects using the same stamps and techniques:

a Birthday card for the man of the house...and a little box with secrets in...obviously i can't share those...or the secret wouldn't be...well...secret, would it??

the stamps are all by T!m the fabulous...as are the dies...the paint dabber...and even the rock candy distress paint!

...and just in case T!m, or anyone else, hadn't noticed this was a tribute...on the box i've used one of his bookplates, with one of his tickets...and coated it in his delicious Glossy Accents!!

Hope you like what i've done...now get back in your own craftroom...and PLAY! :0)

wowyww...and winners!

hi there Wednesday folk...thanks for dropping by to see what is indeed on my workdesk today...and the answer is this...we've been drawing the winners for the sketch i posted two weeks ago...so without further ado...the winners are:

becky!

christina!

terri~ann!

if you lovely ladies could leave me your addresses as a pm to agirlcalledbob over on UKScrappers...i'll have your page kits on the way to you in the morning!

thanks so much to everyone who had a go...i loved seeing all your LO's...and i really enjoyed having you play with me! :0)

as for what else has been going on here over the last few days...well you may have noticed i've totally fallen in love with the embossed metal patchwork i've been doing...and here is another one...this time a letter A for my craftroom:

clearly, i've done it in the colours i love, and it matches the decor i've got going on in here...and i have to say i really rather like this one!! ;0)

i've covered it all round, which took a little bit of fiddling, but was well worth it...and in case you can't see...here is a close~up to show you just how shiny and pearlescent the peacock coloured metal is:

if you haven't seen it yet...i've done a step~by~step tutorial to creating this look a couple of posts back...

right...off you go on your rounds of all the woyww'ers...and don't forget to stop by Julia and leave her some love for starting this whole thing off...i just might see you there! :0)

Sketch challenge update & patchwork metal tutorial

hi all,

i've decided to leave the challenge open for another week...just in case there are any stragglers out there that haven't quite finished...the current LO's are gorgeous...just click on mr. linky to add your LO and to see the others :0) you've got to be in it, to win it, right?

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and as i've been asked quite a few times now, i've done a simple tutorial for my patchwork~metal technique

...hope you like it!

you will need:

an item to cover {mine is a mini~album which i've disassembled}

scraps of Ten Seconds Studio metal {or similar weight metal sheet}

scraps of grossgrain ribbon, ric~rac, trim in your chosen colours

embossing folders & big shot {or similar machine}

Humungo double sided super strong adhesive, and double sided tape {other makes are available...and i'm beginning to sound a little like i'm on the craft tv now!!}

glossy accents

nail file

alcohol ink & applicator

Step 1.

cut your metal scraps into suitable sized pieces for the item you are covering {the ones i used are 2 inches square} and emboss with the folders in a variety of patterns:

Step 2.

cover the front of your item completely with the Humungo tape, remove the red covering and begin applying your patchwork squares to the most awkward part of the shape first, making sure to alternate your patterns:

Step 3.

continue covering the shape until the whole thing is covered, folding 1/2 inch of metal over to the back {and through any holes} and trimming the corners as you would if you were covering the book with paper {cutting a triangle off at each corner to prevent bulkiness}:

Step 4.

use an old nail file or a sanding block to remover some of the coloured coating to the metal:

Step 5.

apply a few drops of alcohol ink directly onto the metal, and dab all over to spread the colour evenly with the applicator tool, then leave to dry:

Step 6.

apply a line of strong double sided tape over the join between each square of metal, with a dab of glossy accents at each end and stick down your ribbon scraps, folding the excess over to the back:

Step 7.

my cover had a window, so i've added a piece of acetate scrap and a photo to the middle by simply taping them in place on the back:

Step 8.

cover up all the messiness on the back of the cover with a co~ordinating piece of patterned cardstock and if you need one, re~make the hole!

Step 9.

reassemble the book...and its you're all done :0)

i hope all that makes sense to you...if you have any questions do leave them in the comments box and i'll do my best to answer them :0)