Cave to Cove Upgrade

A while ago, I mentioned that I was planning to turn a little alcove in my bedroom, into a little crafting haven.

 

I have spent years, hunched over a craft stash, on floors, at tables, and anywhere else I could get my stash out. I have also had years of neck/back ache to show for it all.

 

All I wanted was a place to set my stuff up, and leave it there, for me to be able to come and go as I please. Not to mention, I had developed 'small craft space' envy, from my travels, trawling through Pinterest. I had been woo'ed by the vintage looking cubby holes, and small compact, but perfectly functional spaces...and I wanted my own.

 

Before starting, I hadn't expected a lot, and was just expecting to still have the red walls, and the two original shelves, that were already installed. I just expected a worktop, and a chair.

 

My hubby (who I love dearly...even more so, for letting me do this conversion) agreed, and helped me bring my dream into fruition.

 

So things started off here (see picture below). With a very useless bit of space, that got filled with crap, as storage. It was a horrid red colour (from back in the days that I was married to a moron, who botched everything he touched, and who thought it would be a GOOD idea, to paint this corner of the room the fore mentioned colour.

 

the task seemed mammoth...

 

(cove, before renovation)

 

 

 

I thought it would take forever to cover the rancid red paint, but it only actually took 2 coats, with Dulux, paintpod, Sand Stone

 

 

 

As per usual, cash was on the short side, but my brother in-law, had a spare piece of worktop, and I recycled an unused small shelving unit, and an IKEA wooden draw chest. I painted them to match the walls, and my 'star of a husband', set to installing them in place, for me.

 

 

(The cove, started to take shape, thanks to the sterling efforts of my hubby, and his power tools...Oh and my painting skills, or lack there of, lol)

 

 

 

I also had part of an old canvas wardrobe, collecting dust, so again, my hubby, cut it down for me, to fit under the worktop, to allow me to store papers and such.

 

 

(We fitted the cut down, shelves, under the worktop, and again, I painted to match the rest.)

 

 

And so I was finally ready, to start filling up the space with my lovely stash of goodies.

 

 

 

we finished it, in just over a day, and had enjoyed our little weekend project.

 

The Space was finally usable, and more importantly...

 

Mine!

 

For ten, long years, I had dreamed of having this space, and I had finally got it.

And the best part?

 

It didn't cost me a penny.

 

The paint was left over from decorating the rest of the bedroom, the worktop, from my BIL, the shelves were already here, and my BIL also gave me a very comfortable, leather, computer chair.

 

I couldn't be more pleased, with how it turned out.

 

I didn't get the mega expensive, perfectly fitted, showroom standard, compact office space, as seen on Pinterest. I got better, I got a functional, practical space, that I could spread my stash out, that looks pretty and perfectly me. And I'd created it.

 

I'm not posh, and don't pretend to be, so a pretentious 'daren't move anything' work area, just would not have cut the mustard, so to speak.

 

I'm very grateful, to my husband, for all of his hard work.

 

But more so, I'm proud of my self.

 

I could have done the minimum work, not bothered painting things, and taken short cuts, as I have tended to do in the past...anything for an easier life.

 

But I pushed myself, telling myself that the only way to get the look I was after, was to not cut corners on the painting, etc.

 

But the biggest thing for me, was to be patient.

 

To wait, and coat the paint properly, and take my time.

 

The result was so very worth it in the end.

 

 

(My finished craft space...My Lindsiloolabell's Crafty COVE. )

 

 

I finally feel worthy of being a blogger, to have 'that space' to blog and shoot tutorials, without the fear of embarrassment, at the pile of crafting stash, covering nothing more, than my dining table.

 

XOXO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Victoria, Jane and Emma

Hey all, Just thought I'd pop a quick post on, telling you all about my new digi designs. I've not designed any for a while, so was in my element last night, when the mood took me. But now I want to design more!!! 

Lady Victoria Bumble

Jane Bumble

 Emma Bumble

These are just the beginning of my new designs. going to be working on more over the next few weeks 

XOXO

Twisted Sister

Ok, so this post has NOTHING to do with Sister's, but thought it sounded better than just 'Twisted Easel Card...Maybe it's just me.

I have spent another night, with no sleep, and this seems to be becoming a common occurrence. So again, I have used this 'normally useless time' to make another card. Not just any card...My very first Twisted Easel card. I really, thoroughly, enjoyed making this card! I love the effect, and the angle at which the finished card sits.

It took a while to decide on which style of card I was actually going to make, and to start with, I had started creating a 'normal' easel card...but I didn't like how it was going, it seemed to be lacking...

So eventually, I changed my mind, and started to do the twisted version instead.

I used one of my own background paper designs, which I named Cherry Lace. I matted and layered this, onto other matching papers, that I created to match the background paper, and printed them off onto 200gsm, A4, white, Poundland card stock. I added two, overlapping strips of purple ribbon, again, from a multi-pack, from Poundland, and created a double bow, which I attached with my glue gun.I made two roses, from scraps of the left over matching papers, and added these to the front of the card, with some ivory paper roses too, to add some contrast. I added a pearl into the middles of the purple roses, and edged the tips of the ivory roses with some iridescent, Dovecraft glitter glue. To create the lacy sides of the card, I used my X-cut, boarder punch, and punched out two rows of the design, in two strips of the matching card stock that I printed off. The butterflies were Robert Addams, All Occasion Dies, 82. I cut these out of the matching card stock, in the deep, cadbury-type purple. Using my glue gun, I added differing sized, ivory beads, down the length of the body, and added a Swarovski crystal to each of them. I stuck the butterflies onto my project with the glue gun.

I created the card blank, out of a generic piece of white, hammered card. 15cmx15cm, folded in half, then folding one side, on the diagonal, taking the top, left corner, and folding it down to the right, bottom corner, to line the edge up with the 'spine' of the card, to create the twist. On the 'inside' of the card, I covered it with the deep purple, matching card. With the card opened up in front of me, i folded the left corner back down, to create a triangular flap, I then added my topper to this, on the bottom half of my topper only. To create the stopper, to keep the card from folding flat, I heat embossed, using WOW gold embossing powder, a simple sentiment, onto a scrap of the white, hammered card, then used the X-cut circle cutter, to cut the sentiment out. I then matted and layered this onto the darker purple card, then again onto the lighter purple card. This was then layered onto more of the white, hammered card, which I had wrapped more of the two ribbons around, and attached to the inside of the card, using foam tape, to create the height needed for the stopper.

 The finished card.

XOXO

A Touch of Pleasantville

Evening All.

Today I spent the day printing off pages of my backgrounds, and matching papers...Then decided I hadn't used my Promarker's in a while. So abandoned the backgrounds, and picked up the pens.

For a while now, I've wanted to try the whole Monochrome stamp look, you know the one, where your stamp is completely coloured, in nothing but grey's, to make it look black and white. So I chose one of my 1940's Girl Power digistamps, as I thought, being back in the era of black and white pictures, that it would be quite fitting. I chose one of the two Land Girl images, that I'd designed, and set to colouring her in nothing but grey tones, apart from her head scarf, belt and shoes; these, I decided to do red.

I did this, because as I was colouring her, I started thinking about the film Pleasantville, with Toby Mcguire and Reese Witherspoon. Where they wind up in a black and white land, and gradually, they bring colour to the people there...

I was also inspired from looking at (and doing my own) digital photography techniques, where a shot is taken, an object cut out, and the rest of the picture's saturation levels are reduced, until the rest of the picture is left in black and white, while the cut out area remains in colour.

Once she was complete, I stuck her onto a piece of white card, to give the image stability (it had originally been printed on paper) then cut out again. I took a standard card blank, and covered the front with generic, black card. I used a sizzix embossing folder set to emboss a panel, with flowers down one side, then used the other folder, to emboss an oval of both black and white card, with an all over flower pattern. I layered the panel onto the black, using double sided tape. I then added a strip of the same black card, added a strip of grey checked paper (my own creation on photoimpact) and added a band of red and white spotty ribbon, which I chose to compliment the spots on the stamp's head scarf. This was layered onto the card, just below half way down the surface. The black and white ovals were layered, and the digistamp added to these. I didn't have the correct colour doily, so took out my trusty promarker's once again, and changed the colour, from a washed out red, to one of a more vibrant hue. I placed the doily behind the image, slightly off center, then added bows; one to the side of the oval layers, and a smaller on onto the images hair, where it would tie together. I added a few ruby rhinestones to the flowers and the corners of the card to finish it off. I was really pleased with how it turned out in the end. See finished card below.

Promarker colours used:

Crimson

Chilli

carmine Red

Ice Grey 1,2,3 &5

Black

XOXO

Butterfly Rainbow

I've redone this as a seperate post

I made this butterfly card yesterday, when I had been hoping to make a card using my background designs (see previous post). But due to feeling rubbish, from a cold Virus, I made this card instead.

 I stuck to a simple butterfly card, made out of die cut butterfies, and a piece of card. I added a sentiment, and some, silver, paint pen details.

Butterly card, I used bog standard, white hammered card stock, scraps of coloured card to cut out the butterflies, then added silver paint pen, to the bodies, and created swirly flourishes. I added a simple, matted and layered, sentiment.

                                


                                 

XOXO

Back To Jane

Hey All.

 The other day, I posted about the background papers, that I designed. So today, I'm blogging about the first one I've used.

I printed out the image, and did a couple of the sheets, of the matching coloured papers too.

But first...

My plan was to make up a card yesterday, using them, but I'm currently in the midst of a cold virus. and therefore, didn't feel like making anything that involved thinking too much. 

However, due to my fibromyalgia, and the lack of sleep it often brings, I found myself, making my way down stairs, for a cup of tea. This in turn, had me 'just sitting' in my craft area...this then led to a finished card, using my background designs...and a very cold cup of tea.

But I was pleased with how it turned out.

One of the sets of papers I designed, was themed around the regency period, and inspired by the likes of Jane Austin.

I cut the background paper (though it was printed on card.)  and matted and layered it on the coordinating papers, that I made to match. I cut a frame for the sentiment, using a spellbinders die (but can't remember what it's called) in cream, green and latte (matching papers again) and layered them up, sticking them with Cosmic Shimmer glue. On the base part of the card, I added bands of the matching papers, then added a strip of red liner tape, which I used to create a glittery stripe, to add a bit of bling. I stamped the greeting on the latte paper, then heat embossed it, using WOW, gold embossing powder. I added it to the card, using foam tape, to add depth, then added the cream flowers, using a glue gun...

 (flowers are available in my little FB shop  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Heart-Felt-craft-supplies/437897089700348)

...I added a couple of gems to the die cut flowers, and one each in all for corners, to bring it all together.

I love how the card turned out.

Finished card, using my own designed background papers.

Hope you liked the card, drop me a comment, if you like

Thanks for stopping by

XOXO

Tutorial step up

Ok, You all know that I hate talking on tutorials, right? 

I HATE the sound of my recorded voice, and quite frankly, I sound hideous!

But...

I have finally done a tutorial video with me talking...eeeeeeep.

I had no choice, lol.

I have shared a few of my digi stamps, over on Crafting Ladies, and had comment complementing my colouring, especially of the hair.

A lady commented, saying how she struggled with hair, and wondered how I had managed to get the hair so shiny.

I told her that I had only been colouring in such a way, for no more than five months. I also told her that I had simply watched youtube tutorials, and looked at lots of pictures, that I found on pinterest and FB.

Digi stamp in question.

This seemed to perplex  her a little, and she replied that she must have been looking in the wrong place. She told me she had never found any tutorials, within her personal searching, and had only thought hair to be complicated, and that surely, there was more to me learning than that..

So of course, me being me, I offered to do a hair tutorial, specifically on the digi stamp that she had commented on.

Because of the nature of the tutorial, I decided that I would have to break the habit of a lifetime...and speak.

I needed to be able to describe what I was doing, so set of into the unknown.

I cannot believe how nervous I was.

I also think I waffled on, and a lot of un-necessary dribble made it's way out of my mouth.

I filmed this tutorial, 3 times in total.

First attempt, failed, due to me failing on the camera angle, and missing out half of the image needed to see what I was doing.

Second attempt, didn't actually fail as such, there was nothing wrong with the video...except it was too big a file, to be able to upload to facebook. 

The third, and final attempt, filmed great (bar the addition of my voice).

But the file was STILL too big.

So I gave in, and decided to take the plunge and post it on my youtube channel.

The tutorial was only ever meant for a private FB group...Now it's up there, where everyone and their Aunt can now see it.

So I might as well share it on here too. 

Meh, surely it's not that bad.

Anyway, That's it from me for the moment. 

XOXO