I Believe in...

...Angels.

Okay, so I know I have set some of you off humming this - you will probably either be thinking of the ABBA version or perhaps Westlife (depending on your age **giggle**) - sorry about that but the title seemed appropriate.

Over at the CDAC Progressive challenge site we were given this freebie (ages ago) to produce some thing for the challenge - I can't believe that today is the last day for entry and I'm tearing around trying to finish in time. The image was provided by "Shelly's Images".

I've been wanting to put together an angel journal for some time so here is the cover...

...the image has been 'washed' using Ranger Distress markers.
I didn't want too much colour but did decide to go with the blue accent...

...and used the blue to pick out some of the letters on the sentiment (also provided by Shelly).

I'm still in two minds as to whether I leave the cover like this or add a bit more decoration - not sure.

Anyhoo, that is my entry for the challenge. Why don't you have a hop over to the challenge site and take a look at what other folk have produced.....................................

Rocking your World Friday...

...has rolled around again and if you want to find out more just hop over to Virginia's blog.

A visit to the Celtic House (Virginia's blog) will explain that there are a small band of us who try to link up each Friday over there to share the positives/things that made us smile during the previous seven days.

I think that a lot of us are finding things a bit tough at the moment but actually stepping back for a moment and looking for even the smallest things can be very up-lifting.

So here are my 'happy' things...

I managed to finish off the memory book that a colleague had asked for and when it was handed over he was over the moon - makes a job worthwhile when the results meet with approval.

Didn't start as a positive...Monday morning as I headed for the station I got a call to tell me not to bother going in as there had been a serious water leak in the building over the weekend. The area where my team sit had taken some of the worse damage. The building was closed for the day whilst the bulk of the damage was dealt with but we all had to report for duty on Tuesday. Despite the disruption to my staff they duly found themselves places to sit elsewhere in the building and went about their duties to the best of their abilities - another reminder of what a good team of folk I have.

On Wednesday one of my staff received a recognition letter from our regional assistant director for work she did creating a virtual newsboard that all the staff in our region can view - a very proud moment. The day got better when I also received a letter thanking me for covering an absent colleague for an extended (on-going) period.

Thursday was the start of a lovely 5-day weekend for me and I just pottered about catching up on a few things and seeing some friends that I hadn't seen for a while.

Friday (today) was the awaited members weekend for March - which just happens to also be Easter weekend.

I have been keeping everything crossed that the new stampscapes stamps would arrive in time...and they did **YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!** These are the range of stamps that we recently had the chance to play with on a Pan Pastel 'try-it' lesson. As you can see... 

 ...just a few **rollseyes** jumped into my basket...

 ...the set with the rowboat was the one we had 'played with. In addition to a few 'bulid-a-scene' sets I also got these...

 ...the snowy covered bridge was probably the one that I was most looking forward to grabbing. It might not look much in the picture but the sample that is used on the company's home page is amazing.

I also managed to nab the latest limited edition Promarkers...

...the colours in this set are fabulous.

Apart from the bargains that are available during members weekend at Pinnacle Crafts, I always manage to bump into friends and we have a natter. The shop was exceptionally busy today so Hilary and I took a 'time-out' and went for a coffee and a chat...before heading back in for 'round 2' LOL

I think we were both very pleased with our purchases and we rounded the morning off with another visit to the cafe for a couple of hot chocolates.

The sun has been shining all day (although the wind has been bitterly cold) so things have seemed a bit more cheerful - isn't it amazing what a bit of sunshine can do.

Why don't you pay Virgina a visit and see what other folk have found to be positive about this week - or better still; why not join in too.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend everyone and don't forget to put the clocks forward............................................................

Boxing clever...

...with the help of my Crafters Companion Ultimate Pro.

I love my 'Ultimate' and I have to say that it has been worth every penny just for the box making facility alone (I don't think I could have made all those favour boxes for my niece's wedding without it).

So when it came to making a box for the Cluedo themed memory book, I grabbed my 'Pro'.

As I mentioned in the previous post, the book was actually a bit bigger than 8x8 so I was going to struggle to make a suitable box because I didn't have any CS larger than 12x12. Then I had the 'lightbulb' moment and pulled out some 12x12.
The lid was never going to be a problem as the sides didn't need to be any deeper than 1 inch so grabbing a sheet of 12x12, I scored along each side.

I'm a lazy crafter who doesn't 'do' all those measurements and calculations unless absolutely necessary - the 'Pro' lets me score at just the right place and I know it will fit.
Snipping into each corner to create a tab to secure the corners...

...I then used the scoring tool to create crisp edges. Then using DST I stuck the corners. One completed lid for a 10x10 box.
The base of the box was always going to be the problem area.

If I scored at the 2 inch point on all four sides I was going to end up with an 8x8 box base - not a lot of use! This was where I utilised 2 sheets of 12x12.
I only scored the CS on two adjacent sides...

...creating 2 walls and a base.
By creating two pieces like this I was able to slot them together to form a whole box...

...and by having a double layer for the base it makes the box a bit more sturdy to cope with the larger size.
Ta-da!!! One 10x10, 2 inch deep box...

...all ready to reinforce/decorate with some washii tape.

So as you can see - it is possible to make bigger boxes without resorting to the expense of having to buy A3 CS.

I handed the completed Cluedo book & box over to my friend/colleague Simon today and he was over the moon - it will be presented to Patsy tomorrow as she will be popping back to the office for a meeting.

Simon asked if I'd taken photos of it for my blog...doh!...bit late there Simon LOL

He also said that I should tell you all that I have the rights to this 'Intellectual Property' - the boardgame book idea (those of you in the UK will have probably seen the Compare the Market/Meerkat adverts...) - again - bit late there Simon...I've already shared with my crafting friends.

I hope the idea about using old boardgames for your crafting has sparked some other ideas for you and I'd love to see anything that you come up with.

I also hope that the tip on how to make a bigger box from 12x12 CS proves to be useful and that it helps to solve a few of those packaging problems..........................................................

It's all in the...

...presentation!

So you've made your memory book and now you have to hand it over...do you shove it in a carrier-bag ? Wrap it in some paper ? Give it 'as is' ?...doesn't look very good; does it.

The problem is, you got a bit carried away with the size and you have a book that measures 9.75 x 8.75 inches and it is quite thick...what do you do ?

This is what I did...

...a 10x10 inch box with 2 inch-deep sides - and all out of 3 sheets of 12x12.
Cutting was kept to a minimum...

...and the washii tape not only secured the joins but it provided some decoration too.

Pop back later and I'll tell you how I did it..................................

A Night to Remember...

...captured in a Cluedo themed memory book.

Lots of photos but I'll try and keep the waffle to a minimum LOL

You have already seen what the outside of the book looks like as I posted this pic in the previous post.

However, I thought I'd post it again and just let you know a bit about what you are seeing. I decided to go with 1.5inch book-rings rather than using my Bind-it-All (largest o-wires are only 1.25inches and it would also restrict the recipient from adding any other keepsakes)and used my crop-a-dile to set an eyelet at the leading edge on both the front & back to attach ribbon closures.
The first few pages just introduce the main characters - Mrs White (Patsy)...

...Col. Mustard (Simon)...

...and Miss Scarlett (Paula).
The playing cards from the game provided great themed embellies...

...and the "Detective Notes" sheets will be perfect for Simon to add some journalling before the book is handed over.
There is at least a double spread for each of the 'rooms' that appear on the playing board...

...this one, as you can see, is the 'Study' - well she is sat at her desk; what more do you want **giggle** - and throughout the book the RH page has backing paper created by photocopying the appropriate part of the playing board.
The LH pages are much plainer. Some have photos...

...with embellies and some just have the playing card embellies.
Some of the photos were 'staged' by Simon...

...it was the only way we could ensure that there were suitable pics for every room.
Some photos didn't need staging...

...food? - kitchen; of course!.
There were numerous group photos...

...and as you can see...

...the Detective Notes will be useful for Simon to record the names of the folk in the pictures.
A bit of a knees-up...

...in the 'Ballroom'.
Definitely a staged pic...

...I think she would have had more luck potting the balls with a cue rather than a pint LOL
At the back of the book I made a pocket page...

...which will be ideal for containing small keepsakes.
On the very back page I've used the 'Murder cards' envelope...

...I tucked a couple of tags in the envelope so that Paula and Simon can write their own wishes.
I didn't have a full set of playing pieces but the ones that I did have are joined together to create a 'danglie' from the book-rings...

...and all the book-rings were decorated with a mix of ribbons/fibres/string.
The title on the front cover was created on a panel of black CS edged with gold pen and the lettering was from the Papermania 'Deco' range.

I hope she likes the book and it really does bring back memories of a night to remember....................................................................

Thinking outside of...

...the box - a boardgame box to be precise.

When a colleague asked me to do a memory book for someone who had recently been promoted and would be moving to a new office, the first thing I asked was - are there any particular colours or themes you want used.

The reply was; "Funny you should say that but..."

The 'but' was that the book should be linked in some way to the game Cluedo as the leaver was known by the nickname 'Mrs White' and her closest friends/colleagues as 'Col. Mustard & Miss Scarlet'.

I didn't think that obtaining related images would be a problem (the web is a wonderful place...) but I thought it might be a bit difficult obtaining charms/embellishments in the "weapons of choice" - after all, how often do you need a lead pipe on a layout ???

Being slightly stumped for ideas I placed a question on the UKS forums asking if anyone had any ideas about Cluedo related stuff. I had been thinking along the lines of getting a travel size version of the game but having looked at them in the shops they seemed to be in a new print format and I really wanted the traditional style. Whilst looking at the new games a thought struck and my re-cycling tendancies came to mind.

A quick visit to a local charity shop and I came away with this...

...it cost me the grand sum of £1.99.
I had originally thought of photocopying the board at A3 size and using the paper to cover some chipboard/greyboard to make the covers but seeing the actual board I had another idea...

...and attacked it with a craft knife.
By cutting at the right point I created a cover just slightly larger than 8x8...

...it also meant that the inside of the covers were already lined with the actual playing board (or at least part of it).
This was the starting point for the memory album...

...a lovely textured board set of covers.

This is how it ended up...

...the polkadot washii tape finished off the edges (hiding the fact that there were cut edges) and the book-rings will allow the person receiving the book to add other bits if they so wish.

I'll show you the inside of the book in another post - be warned it will be photo-heavy and you'll probably need to grab a cuppa before you start LOL

I wonder how many of you have old boardgames tucked away in the cupboard...pieces missing so you can't actually play the game but you have never gotten around to throwing them out ???

Now obviously my £1.99 at the charity shop did not get me a complete game but the board was there and in very good condition. There was a complete set of game cards which have been very useful as embellishments and there were 'some' of the playing pieces. What have you got in the cupboard that you could use?

Howabout creating a mini album using the pieces from a boardgame to hold Christmas photos - in our family we always had a new boardgame every Christmas and we sat down as a family after lunch to play the new game. Wouldn't it be great to pull out those photos and place them in a 'themed' album?

The game might come in a box but it is amazing what you can come up with if you think outside of it.........................................................

Rocking your World Friday...

...is three years old **toot-toot**

For those of you dropping by who haven't got a clue what I'm on about (nothing new there then LOL) just hop on over to the lovely Virginia's Blog where she will tell you all about it as she kindly hosts the weekly gathering of 'Rockettes' who take a look back at their week and share their positive moments...you might even decide that you want to join in.

I've been AWOL for a few weeks but Virginia says that's okay as we all have lives that 'get in the way' from time to time.

Work has been rather stressful for some time now so it hasn't made for a great background for trying to pick out the positives of my life but I decided it was time to get a grip and dig deep otherwise I would never get back on here...so here goes...

This is a mish-mash of the last few weeks all rolled into one.

Spent a whole day with some crafting friends at one of Andy Pearson's "Tim Holtz Style" workshops - lovely messy day (yes, I know I don't 'do' messy but I always go prepared - pinny, gloves, babywipes LOL) and we got to stay in the warm 'playing' whilst it was pretty awful weather outside.

Have had several mentions on the 'Blog-bits' section of UKS in recent weeks - it is such a lovely feeling when someone thinks what you have blogged about was worthy of mention on a national forum.

Decided to do a bit of sprucing up on the old home-front - the Dulux offer of 3 testerpots for £1 has been great and has allowed me to add a bit of colour here and there without splashing out huge amounts on big tins of paint that will go to waste.

Treated myself to a lovely lime green kettle to add a bit of 'zing' to the kitchen - it looks so lovely and cheerful first thing in the morning, irrespective of what the weather is doing outside...think I'll be adding the matching toaster.

Had another lovely day with a crafting friend at an Andy Skinner workshop held at the Artistic Stamper - am I glad it was last weekend and it was only raining...if it had been today it would have been SNOW.

Had a bit of fun at work for Red Nose Day. This year we didn't make such a big thing of it as we have been so busy but we still managed to raise over £100.

Had to travel to Luton yesterday for a meeting (not a positive) and whilst waiting for a connecting train spent some time drooling in the Cath Kidtson shop at St. Pancras station...drooling was about all I could manage - those prices EEK!!! Despite being very cold at least the snow held off so the journey was fairly un-eventful until the last leg home. The ticket wouldn't work in the barrier and some jobsworth told me I would have to go and use the Underground (tube/metro/subway) to complete my journey even though I had the booking document with me showing the route I was entitled to use (the underground would have meant 3 changes - the route I was supposed to be on was just one stop on a highspeed train). His arguing caused me to miss a train but a colleague stepped in and allowed me through the barrier so I didn't lose too much time completing my journey.

Not a lot there, but I did say I needed to dig deep. Do hop over and pay Virginia a visit and also pay a visit to the other 'Rockettes' playing along this week - it can be very uplifting. Hope to see you there........................

Quick update...

...on the Bloglovin' situation.

Well I seem to have managed things okay and I even got my first 'Daily email' but somewhere along the line I seem to have lost 12 folk that I follow?????????????

Sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will need to sit down and go through my Reader list and compare it to the list that is in Bloglovin' so I know what I need to 'add'.

No idea what-so-ever how that happened (although I surprised myself managing to get most of the blog list installed LOL) but at least I've a few months to get things sorted **giggle - me and IT - rollseyes**

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Hope you all have a good day.................................................

Bloglovin...

...now this could be interesting rollseyes

You all know I'm not very techy but I've been seeing stuff on other folks blogs about the fact that Google reader is being withdrawn so we won't have the current 'follower' functions that we have at the moment. So I've taken the plunge and am trying to sort out my links to this new "Bloglovin" facility.

I think I've managed to import all the blogs that I follow and I hope that if you currently follow me you will continue to do so...

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Keep your fingers crossed for me folks because I really don't have a clue what I'm doing and hope that this all works okay (I seem to have managed the import and the installing of some buttons so there's hope for me yet)...keep 'em crossed pleased...........................................................

Just let me say...

...for someone who doesn't "do" mucky - I seem to spend a lot of time doing just that LOL

A while back my friend Suzie asked if I'd like to go with her to the Artistic Stamper in Faversham (Kent) as they were holding an Andy Skinner workshop. Having been to one of his demo days I didn't need to be asked twice.

The project for the day started as a bare Tando Creative Large Carriage Clock.

Oooooooooooo we had fun playing with some super Deco-art products that I hadn't seen (and certainly couldn't pronounce the name of in some cases **giggle**). There were 7 of us and as you can see, we all created something very different to look at.

These were all the finished clocks - and they are real working clocks.

Here are mine and Suzie's...

...Suzie went for her favourite colour - lavender, and I went for a red/burgandy shade to go in my study.

No sooner was I home than I was rummaging in the drawer for a battery...

...and with a bit of quick hammer work it was up on the wall.

You might have noticed that I added something that wasn't there in the workshop photos...

...the compass pieces didn't look quite 'finished' so I added a cog from the Chronology range. I just love all the textures we were able to add to this piece - all with the use of some embossing folders and a Big Shot.

I had a wonderful time and I absolutely love my new clock.

Whilst at the Artistic Stamper I bought another clock kit and I'll be having a play just as soon as I decide what colour I want to do this one..........................................

Mucky playtime...

...and boy was it fun.

I have been looking forward to today's class at Pinnacle Crafts - one of Andy's "Tim" stylie days.

We all started off with one of these...

...a bare wood book-style box.

At this point I have to apologise as I forgot to take some photos of the first stage which was to cover the book-cover with random sized panels of white card, some punched card strips and some sticky back gems. The idea was to create a look of metal plates rivited together.

I used dark green acrylic paint to cover my box...

...and then dry-brushed some grey-blue paint over the surface to give a distressed look.
As the card panels were stuck on we scored where they overlapped...

...which as you can see, along with the gems gives a super textured finish.
I then highlighted the panels on the box further...

...by dry-brushing with copper 'mixative' alcohol ink.
A selection of die-cut cogs were painted using the same colours...

...but I used a bit more of the grey-blue colour and quite a lot of the copper so that the cogs would show more clearly when attached to the box.
To give it a more 'aged' effect the edges were rubbed with...

...black soot Distress Ink.
We had a play with embossing powders and moulds...

...and applied the decorations to the box.
When I got home I added some more embellies...

...sorry about the fuzzy pic.
These metal embellies are from...

...the Papermania "Chronology" range.
This is the back of the box...

...with a selection of Chronology Clock faces.
Although the piece looks like a book...

...the spine pulls out a hidden drawer (I think I might line this but I'm not sure - will have to give it a bit of thought).
This is the front of the finished item...

...die-cut cogs, UTEE moulded shapes, Chronology clock faces and a key.

Another super day playing - thank you so much Andy, I loved every minute of it as did my friend Suzie.

I wonder what he'll come up with the next time we have a 'Tim style' day..........................................