Boo...and a bit of bling...

Honey I'm home!

Yep I'm back but under strict orders to take things easy for a while...and so you may notice a few changes to my blog.

Not going to bore you with my trials and tribulations of the past 4 months (gulp it really has been that long!) but I've taken up a few new crafty obsessions and we also have two new additions to the household.

Below is a few items I've made recently for a greyhound charity auction...can you guess yet what the new additions are!?!

Earrings made with greyhound pendants...
Key rings made with greyhound pendants as well!

This is our gorgeous Toby who has only been with us a few weeks but he has fitted in so well. Its his 4th birthday today and has been spoilt rotten.

And my gorgeous girl Holly, who came to us quite by chance in January but God help her previous owner if I ever find them.....grrrrrrrrr.

Thanks to everyone for everything and I'm really happy to be back.x

A 'Faith' brooch at The Craftypad

Hello. I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. I'm still not here so if you are reading this...delayed posting works. I've made this brooch for the latest challenge over at the Craftypad. This week you have to add some bling to your creation.

A few years ago when I lived in Gibraltar I got into the awful habit of destroying my hubbies CD's to make jewellery...so when Tina sent me a link recently on this subject it gave me the perfect excuse to start destroying again.

Debbie has asked for a tutorial and I know there are tutorials out there showing how to make them but this is how I do it...

*Colour your image in using Distress inks and then put a very thin layer of crackle glaze over the top and allow to dry.

*Cut a CD (needs to be cut at a 45 degree angle or it snaps) into the shape you roughly need. Sand it on the shiny side. Paint a layer of Acrylic paint and once dry stamp all over with alcohol inks finishing with a touch of gold.

* Edge in Walnut brown Distress ink and then decide where to punch your holes. I used my Big bite for this. Then just thread lots of gold wire in and out and add beads.

* The crown was originally silver so I used espresso and gold alcohol inks to give it a distressed look. Then very carefully glue gems onto it and attach to your image with silicone glue. DO NOT attach to your brooch just yet.

* On the back of the brooch adhere twisted and beaded wire in a position you like. Once they are stuck in place and completely dry turn over and glue down your image. Once the whole brooch is dry attach strong card to the back and then used silicone glue to add a brooch attachment.

* Spray with varnish and allow to dry.

Voila one unique brooch!

Beady gifts...**Edited**

**The lovely Helena has been in touch to ask if she can feature these on her new blog Helena-handmadegifts blog which is a new blog featuring gifts that bloggers have made...that has made my day! Thanks Helena**
Hello. I actually made this lot one night last week but could not show them until now...so I'm just hoping the postie has already been to a few bloggy homes!
I've got more to make but just waiting on a bead order. Tina popped round on Saturday and we made some bead brooches and key rings etc and even Belle joined in!

I also want to say a big thank you to Michelle at Poppicrafts who has featured my ribbon tree on her website...thanks honey it means an awful lot!

And an even bigger thank you to you! Life has been complicated lately but there's always one of you around to chat to and its so lovely to know you are there and I am very lucky to have found such wonderful friends.

And finally...its Princess Belles birthday on Wednesday and I've been making hundreds of butterflies, clouds, suns and flowers to hang from the ceiling as we are having a teddy bears picnic for her and her little friends! I handmade the invites and have done some homemade gift bags for the children to take home....with some gorgeous white chocolate teddy bears from Thornton's....they look to scrummy for the kids! Tina is helping out as Daddy is away and we are getting the kids to do hand and feet paintings after the picnic...so wish us luck! LOL!

I probably won't be around until Thursday now...if I have survived the party so have a lovely week and I will catch up with you all very soon.

Witches and Cr%p!

Hello. This is the box that I altered for Tina for her birthday. It actually started life clear...then got the Elf distressing treatment! I loved making it as it was such a personal gift and I have included all of her favourite things including witches, tarot cards and purple beads.

I made the bracelet using her favourite colours and butterflies as she loves them....

And I did warn her that due to time issues her card would be crap...but she didn't believe me....

She was in hysterics when she saw it and I'm so glad that I went to all that effort with it! PMSL!!

If you would like to commission a crap card like this please do not hesitate to contact me...lol!

I am also going to enter the altered box into CraftawayaSunday challenge which this week is....magical!

Em.x

Beautiful colours....

Hi everyone. The challenge over at thisthursday was really difficult this week.

'Our CHALLENGE is attempt to create something you truly believe is either beautiful or useful. If like the design team you find that something didn't quite hit the mark , we still want to see it. Its about the journey not the destination. '

Ummmm well I don't consider anything I make 'beautiful'... more like chuck it together and pray that it resembles something! So I decided to use colours from out of my garden as personally I don't think there is anything more beautiful than nature itself. And yes I know its another necklace...but its easy to do when I'm stuck in bed!! (Have been banned by hubby from having glue and glitter on our bed!)

Not sure its what the girls were looking for but I suppose my interpretation kind of hits the mark...if you squint after drinking a couple of voddies!! LOL!

Hope everyone is well...I promise I will e-mail you all back soon, get round to thanking every one for their lovely awards...and just making a general nuisance of myself on your blog!

Had quite a few e-mails about the new look of my blog. I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you with where I got the header from...out of my craft room. Its amazing what you can do with some sticky backed plastic and a toilet roll!! LOL!
Seriously its just made from stuff out of my craft room...would love someone to do a digital one for me so if any of you are that clever please let me know!

Big thanks to Tina for letting my kids eat her out of house and home this weekend...she doesn't know yet but as of tomorrow she is looking after my cats whilst we are on our travels!!

Beaded Beauties....no not bearded!!

Hello again.
Well the challenge over at ThisThursday is to create something using beads under the title 'Beaded Beauties'. I racked my brains as I've already done lots of beaded cards and wanted to try something different. Before I left Gib I had started making earrings and bracelets but not got round to a necklace...so here's my first attempt...ever!!
I really had fun making it...but hubby is not impressed with millions of beads all over the house!! Well I couldn't make up my mind which ones to use!! LOL!
A big thanks to all the girls over at ThisThursday for taking me out of my comfort zone!

I'd also like to send lots of birthday hugs to my dear friend Bev. Hope you had a lovely day babe.x