tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87863410380924564432024-03-20T01:16:42.500-07:00Alexandra's Art & PapercraftWelcome to my happy place.
My creative corner for all things creative, arty and crafty;
including drawing, painting, mixed media, card making,
3D art projects, up-cycling, using things destined for the bin to create clever, pretty, thrifty projects and storage ideas. I love creating pretty and useful things for very little cost.Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-7124613564273796772018-11-05T02:19:00.000-08:002018-11-05T02:19:10.889-08:00Labrador Pumpkin CarvingThis Halloween I did a Labrador retriever dog pumpkin carving for my grandson, he was delighted.<br />
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I found getting the smaller details a bit difficult, thinner areas of pumpkin break so easily, though it turned out not too bad considering I only used a fine saw blade for the eye highlights and teeth but a teaspoon to carve the rest of this. Hee hee!<br />
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What do you think?<br />
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This photo was taken indoors in low light.</div>
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I took this one when it was outside in the dark.</div>
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Thanks for visiting my wee blog</div>
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love Alexandra</div>
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x</div>
Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-1463150479039832392018-09-26T11:02:00.000-07:002018-09-26T11:02:27.930-07:00Beary special birthday, Star birthday and Out of this world card.Hello, just a quick post to share a few cards.<br />
The latest was this decoupage image card, it's something I haven't done in ages but found this cute image in my stash, and thought it would make a lovely card.<br />
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I added die cut details and a few wee coiled roses to match the roses on the bears hat and heart.</div>
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Here's a special 50th card I created a few weeks ago below.<br />
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Then last but not least, a card for my wee grandsons 7th birthday</div>
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Thanks for dropping by. </div>
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If you want to comment, please feel free to do so below. </div>
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I'd love to read what you think of my makes.</div>
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Love Alexandra</div>
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xxx</div>
<br />Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-82870531982649302082018-05-01T06:03:00.000-07:002018-05-01T06:03:28.242-07:00 Get well card for Celtic Football club supporterI was asked recently for a special Get well card for a man, with the guys favourite football team as the theme.<br />
I had crafters block for a wee while, having no idea what to do. I looked for inspiration online and came up empty.<br />
I looked at Celtic FC for ideas finding only photos of the players, football grounds and stadium, and some newspaper articles etc.<br />
Nothing very inspiring, maybe because I don't follow or watch football.<br />
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My mojo had absconded. Does this ever happen to you?<br />
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I did find loads of various pictures of the team badge though, with the pretty shamrock design, so decided to go with this.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">This is what I came up with; </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYYmFit6EG_X8DECLlc_1ehtelKARj9qzLFaHgsf-QwRfGRYsBu7tVDDbg7NEZ_JO7NyFJiig5YUm9V2hjFZMiA8_-G8k8IJOdGZSUZlAU5nW8dglx2OHOkX-eVdWsq9wyH06gbxkYhQDh/s1600/IMG_20180501_124852_kindlephoto-6343524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1199" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYYmFit6EG_X8DECLlc_1ehtelKARj9qzLFaHgsf-QwRfGRYsBu7tVDDbg7NEZ_JO7NyFJiig5YUm9V2hjFZMiA8_-G8k8IJOdGZSUZlAU5nW8dglx2OHOkX-eVdWsq9wyH06gbxkYhQDh/s320/IMG_20180501_124852_kindlephoto-6343524.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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I created the team badge using 4 die cut hearts to create the shamrock then drew in the detail with a white gel pen. The background is the lovely Spellbinders Celtic knot 3D embossing folder which I highlighted in the centre using pencils. The rosette is from Sizzlits decorative strip die from Tim Holtz and I added tails and then topped with a die cut circle with stamped "Get well soon" sentiment in the centre.<br />
I hope the recipient likes this and that this will hopefully cheer him up.<br />
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What do you think of my attempt at a football themed card?<br />
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Thanks for popping by and I'll be back with my big project for storage in my craft room I've been working on for a couple of weeks.<br />
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See you soon<br />
love<br />
AlexandraAlexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-9867742079585049652018-04-08T13:28:00.000-07:002018-04-08T13:29:00.029-07:00Birthday pupHello and welcome.<br />
I wanted to share a card I made for our lovely older lab, Amy.<br />
Happy Birthday wishes for my gorgeous Labrador "puppy" who is 13 years old this week.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc39Y7OHly0IYQutJqtci9P6J8r4Lu9rnPr9H6ze1eZhKeRAU_taPXlZLRJoIhOx6t0QfKkL7ijvh80_G862V0C_4UsBpA9ZC9rFWjC_MjbVbw4cR2uL22iOAA9hHi6BV-GQdrCReuUP5v/s1600/IMG_20180408_171317_kindlephoto-3682232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc39Y7OHly0IYQutJqtci9P6J8r4Lu9rnPr9H6ze1eZhKeRAU_taPXlZLRJoIhOx6t0QfKkL7ijvh80_G862V0C_4UsBpA9ZC9rFWjC_MjbVbw4cR2uL22iOAA9hHi6BV-GQdrCReuUP5v/s320/IMG_20180408_171317_kindlephoto-3682232.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I made her this card creating a Distress Oxide inky background with added doodling inspired by Marta Łapkowska's, #Maremi's small art video<br />
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I stamped, then coloured the yellow lab using watercolour but she ended up too dark, so I toned the colour down with white Prima water soluble pastels, she still wasn't light enough so I blended over again with dry art pastels and set colour with spray fixitive. I then went over the outline again with a black pen as colouring had covered the outline. Next I doodled around the smooshed inky background with a black pen to create trees and some vegetation to make a park or a nice place for her walk. Of course I had to bring with her, her ball and chew bone, and then stamped the sentiments with black archival ink. I added shading and then lastly, I doodled a wavy frame with the black pen around each panel to finish it off.<br />
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Thanks for popping by and welcome.<br />
If you want, leave me a comment, I'd love to know what you think.<br />
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Alexandra xx<br />
<br />Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-11085929601622191682018-03-10T15:54:00.001-08:002018-03-10T15:54:51.294-08:00Recycled metal cable holder into Fairy house<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I've hung onto for a lot of years, a metal inner tube from electrical cable with the idea of upcycling this into maybe a birdhouse or something, but I never got around to this with lack of creativity time or mojo.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">However I was inspired after watching a YouTube video by Marta Maremi small art where she created a little wooden fairy house link here https://m.youtube.com/watch?t=144s&v=hfJ-Ae1ifz4. I combined this idea with the building a wall inspiration too.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qtn0Fx-fy42ayDUh8MRR0naxOquDp2taZNf1NARN0dWIvI9RMM0bM34Zk8ctOqbk9-uCelZm2w8ps1c56urSO0uUp3Pjgi2e880vYtfE5KtZSJyR0ZTdSZFcMd-cHjHuvO1IPL-EgWqP/s1600/IMG_20180310_133241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qtn0Fx-fy42ayDUh8MRR0naxOquDp2taZNf1NARN0dWIvI9RMM0bM34Zk8ctOqbk9-uCelZm2w8ps1c56urSO0uUp3Pjgi2e880vYtfE5KtZSJyR0ZTdSZFcMd-cHjHuvO1IPL-EgWqP/s400/IMG_20180310_133241.jpg" width="300" /></a>This is my wee fairy house, see her trying to slip by me when I took this photo. Fairies are very shy and secretive, she didn't want to be caught creeping into her wee house. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I didn't photograph every step but if you want to know how I reached my fairy house goal, grab a cup of your favourite beverage as this is a bit of a long post. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Here's a bit of an idea and description of my process.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5SrW26YkRNtJctLmvZo5Wjc8Lw1lG2ZpbnY_tf4wk35uMjHUpUu1Izs4pZvNFZ2DGxK6bAkQ4M-_q4HTiFpEb9fR9arJJgWwO4bKWmszSOmpmrLzADviz5K3U6QB4PB8bBxwRBftQJf8/s1600/IMG_20180304_162845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5SrW26YkRNtJctLmvZo5Wjc8Lw1lG2ZpbnY_tf4wk35uMjHUpUu1Izs4pZvNFZ2DGxK6bAkQ4M-_q4HTiFpEb9fR9arJJgWwO4bKWmszSOmpmrLzADviz5K3U6QB4PB8bBxwRBftQJf8/s320/IMG_20180304_162845.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is how I started, with the metal tube, I glued tissue paper over the surface to give it a texture to help stick and make a sandwich layer for my little card bricks, which I cut from the </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sizzlits, Tim Holtz Alterations Brick Wall Decorative Strip die. Building this<span style="text-align: center;"> brick wall around the tube was time consuming but a labour of love.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDWKApCpx7bGaFX0SBMYNKJQBngId1mLTXh_ySc97vTeVHJH31ZjAE7urHTG2r6x5qkq_JLxb4zXlIdksNgO-P7VHpFGpiKtnqwa0lPB-yPZT6F9HxY66iaZDUlIz4ZbxzaXVn8a7iL3e/s1600/IMG_20180304_162759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDWKApCpx7bGaFX0SBMYNKJQBngId1mLTXh_ySc97vTeVHJH31ZjAE7urHTG2r6x5qkq_JLxb4zXlIdksNgO-P7VHpFGpiKtnqwa0lPB-yPZT6F9HxY66iaZDUlIz4ZbxzaXVn8a7iL3e/s320/IMG_20180304_162759.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Next I covered this with a second layer of this time, crinkled tissue, using Mod Podge and then I sealed this with more Mod Podge over the surface the tissue gave the bricks a rough brick texture, which I'd then coloured with acrylic paints and sprays, using a couple of greens, grey, mauve and black, knocking the colour back with a wet wipe and re-applying, darkening and lightening until I was happy with my wall.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I then added "stones" to the base of my wall, (more upcycling, hot gluing silicone "beads" from the wee bags that are packed in with some goods to absorb moisture, usually they are labelled "Do no eat" "Do not open" but I'm a rebel, opening up the wee bags, not rebelling with the no eating part though, lol)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I painted the beads with gesso then coloured them with sprays in green and black ink .</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cadfRfUkH9JAj6nKKwDT1CoHevgu1dosP41yiM3BfsekzJhqpnbTBYb1EZilIVN61voDaNw7ySzUXfQDg5lkoNSmlMLiaaSf8hliY2MdJQ44ta3lqgSGwpE7VCLrxr9VaRJCu23VBykl/s1600/IMG_20180309_180350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cadfRfUkH9JAj6nKKwDT1CoHevgu1dosP41yiM3BfsekzJhqpnbTBYb1EZilIVN61voDaNw7ySzUXfQDg5lkoNSmlMLiaaSf8hliY2MdJQ44ta3lqgSGwpE7VCLrxr9VaRJCu23VBykl/s320/IMG_20180309_180350.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I added a "wooden" arched door cut from a furniture photo in decorating/ paint chart booklet. I mounted this on card to give it more rigidity, then I die cut some "windows" and I also found a rub on fairy to live in my house. The windows which you can't see much of here were originally flower shapes but I wasn't happy with them, also this door was re-modelled and door handle was changed in the final steps.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Next for a base, I created papier mache from an egg box softened down with hot water squeezed to a firm dough consistency then I added a couple of good dollops of PVA glue and mixed it in well then I pressed this paper clay/papier mache mix to coat over an old coaster. I pressed the tube base into this base to make a circular dent then I left this to dry overnight. I hot glued these together the following day.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The lid or roof was next. I cut a circle of firm card the same size as the diameter of the top of the tube, then using a narrow strip of thick card, I wrapped it around the outside circumference and secured the circle ring with washi tape and then glued it to the card disc to form a lid for my tube. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then the roof was constructed using a larger circle of card with a quarter cut out, then I curled the remaining 3/4's into a cone then glued this cone over the lid I had made. To add the tiles, I coloured a large sheet of lightweight card with same ink combo I had used on the walls. I dried the card, then embossed it to add texture.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I cut the card into long narrow strips, reserving about 5 inches wide section to make the top of the cone roof, which was a small 2 inch circle, and a bit more to cover both sides of a neat fitting card disc to glue inside the bottom of the tube for a base inside the tube</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">to create a container for my pencils. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I cut the rest of the textured card into strips then into about 1 inch tiles and proceeded to glue these around the base of the cone roof, starting from the bottom then working my way progressively up the roof until I reached the top finishing this with the small circle cutting away 1/4 section, rolling into cone shape and glued into place. I cut very small "v" shapes around the bottom edge of this to mimic the tile edge.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><span id="goog_836787275"></span><span id="goog_836787276"></span>I decided the base needed a bit more detail so I created a small set of steps with leftover section of roof card rolled into about 1 inch long "logs" flattened, then hot glued as steps at the door. I added some hot glue stones around the bottom edge of the house and sides of the steps, filling in some gaps under the "stones", but the new hot glue "stones" looked odd so I used a black mica texture paste over these to cover the glue then I</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">also added some around the door frame, I filled in sides of the steps with the texture paste and spread it over the papier mache base texturing it with the flat of a painting knife to create peaks and smoother areas. Then added mica flakes sparingly. I sprinkled a tiny amount over the base while it was still wet in just a few places using a mix of tea dye, bronze and green flakes, to add a bit of fairy sparkle.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBbVC5hqYLUgUhcE43HmUYmDKkDwngmFkoNdYXvRsnDj7COIumy2B9NG8nLYlv8x5bbsQLVt8UEl3PzAqZB7iL24UyBvWOtxi_M0unL45vSiadrjVdcuIoozSHw6lQtawOqQgXUxO-AeYz/s1600/IMG_20180310_133256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBbVC5hqYLUgUhcE43HmUYmDKkDwngmFkoNdYXvRsnDj7COIumy2B9NG8nLYlv8x5bbsQLVt8UEl3PzAqZB7iL24UyBvWOtxi_M0unL45vSiadrjVdcuIoozSHw6lQtawOqQgXUxO-AeYz/s320/IMG_20180310_133256.jpg" width="240" /></a>This definitely photographed better outside. It looks right at home here, doesn't it. I had to run back inside with my wee house though when the rain started shortly after snapping this picture. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-align: center;"> The roof lifts off to hide away my pens or pencils.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-align: center;">Thanks for visiting my blog and taking the time to read about my latest creative ideas and projects.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-align: center;">Let me know what you think, I really enjoyed creating this one.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-align: center;">Love Alexandra xx</span></div>
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Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-38703503404747742042018-01-28T12:14:00.000-08:002018-01-28T12:14:26.170-08:00Building wallsI'm loving watching the YouTube videos from Marta "Maremi's Small Art" I was inspired to play after watching her latest video. DIY Brick Wall Effect<br />
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https://m.youtube.com/watch?t=297s&v=cKifSOe_sTo<br />
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Here are my results.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Iii5xNGGhtq94q85RWasryFN_MNCmhELvgpuyF9dfDGvVOVRHd4zKfL4TDwV3-3_njHt2yvo-7KTNx92ZQkM88TPmSFn_hHf0eNklqmsLpFLIql7hBfFHvP6Ih5MUG7iKsFY8OB7dSMc/s1600/IMG_20180128_165013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Iii5xNGGhtq94q85RWasryFN_MNCmhELvgpuyF9dfDGvVOVRHd4zKfL4TDwV3-3_njHt2yvo-7KTNx92ZQkM88TPmSFn_hHf0eNklqmsLpFLIql7hBfFHvP6Ih5MUG7iKsFY8OB7dSMc/s320/IMG_20180128_165013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Last week I had already had an idea for creating the look of a dry stone wall using an egg box, glue and acrylic paint.<br />
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The bottom two were created using a card egg box for the bumpy internal texture to replicate the stone and the irregular shapes of the lighter one were created by tearing out random pieces of the box as opposed to using scissors as I did in the one next to this.<br />
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The top two brick walls were inspired by Marta's video.<br />
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Take a look at her channel if you haven't yet discovered her videos.<br />
You are in for a treat. I'm sure you'll love them and be inspired by her cheery teaching style<br />
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Thanks for visiting.<br />
Love and hugs<br />
Alexandra xx<br />
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Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-31790876291312820482017-12-13T04:36:00.000-08:002017-12-13T04:36:30.591-08:00Merry Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I wanted to wish you all a Happy Christmas and good health and happiness in the New Year.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEY6DWH0Pa3wrHqPCRLuIFqrS2HCwaXvseFfWTLsPbBhNgWupL1moep3PdbxChdHIJ9xxEOC-bJdTbaremjPZuk7j_tNYybxUKZfWaA_1zfMzrs0e98wCSOkifqrGuHWt5hGBeb8abeQAd/s1600/IMG_20171208_135844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="912" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEY6DWH0Pa3wrHqPCRLuIFqrS2HCwaXvseFfWTLsPbBhNgWupL1moep3PdbxChdHIJ9xxEOC-bJdTbaremjPZuk7j_tNYybxUKZfWaA_1zfMzrs0e98wCSOkifqrGuHWt5hGBeb8abeQAd/s320/IMG_20171208_135844.jpg" width="182" /></a></div>
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I also made this card to wish the residents and staff of Erskine a very Merry Christmas.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kFdNNB7dq_Nol_NZ2c4pvKbWow1uz7FkjXXPQXAarsho8frAH-KzaklJmx9JPhz3tKQsn5h8i6vxgiMNXEnw0sZ7BeQ9L3O8au6iXGsi7JWBCNDSXieXWyRyEZ94_PXUGIYqi4PEsycf/s1600/IMG_20171213_105801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="912" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kFdNNB7dq_Nol_NZ2c4pvKbWow1uz7FkjXXPQXAarsho8frAH-KzaklJmx9JPhz3tKQsn5h8i6vxgiMNXEnw0sZ7BeQ9L3O8au6iXGsi7JWBCNDSXieXWyRyEZ94_PXUGIYqi4PEsycf/s320/IMG_20171213_105801.jpg" width="182" /></a></div>
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For those who don't know, <b>Erskine</b> is a facility in Erskine, Scotland, that provides long term medical care for veterans of the British Armed Forces.<br />
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Have a wonderful time.<br />
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Love & hugs<br />
Alexandra xxAlexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-70510953428179993662017-12-03T11:13:00.001-08:002017-12-03T11:13:39.885-08:00Sympathy cards<span style="font-size: large;">A difficult time for anyone is losing a loved one. I've sadly had the need to make a few sympathy cards</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLiToTuwDhOsC53adtlgWtKiGvSJeLhChIciX1dk7j2YyHzI_Ti9GL-y_qkaqwigcHB7j_bvrPZva-0kcweZ3ZARpx3IF6IGekrHruUoxI9ne5CyciVOtub6YNS5MgSGK-vwV05Ba50Ra0/s1600/IMG_20161023_153146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLiToTuwDhOsC53adtlgWtKiGvSJeLhChIciX1dk7j2YyHzI_Ti9GL-y_qkaqwigcHB7j_bvrPZva-0kcweZ3ZARpx3IF6IGekrHruUoxI9ne5CyciVOtub6YNS5MgSGK-vwV05Ba50Ra0/s320/IMG_20161023_153146.jpg" width="320" /></a>This one is gently coloured with Forrest Moss distress ink. I made this card using an embossing folder and embellished it with a small cross.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhY4hdje6W_fq1ODeSaqGe-GBEMfaDpx4oD7WKaC0ZafxtYt4G5JSi9gQWOD0NizBgWL_TPOfv1t6X0Ko6FMCIxCJX4HBxQ0ZgPBEUVSU4UEf159zhfHZYr4e0QPBmc56OP54Bcai_ULv7/s1600/IMG_20170922_160744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhY4hdje6W_fq1ODeSaqGe-GBEMfaDpx4oD7WKaC0ZafxtYt4G5JSi9gQWOD0NizBgWL_TPOfv1t6X0Ko6FMCIxCJX4HBxQ0ZgPBEUVSU4UEf159zhfHZYr4e0QPBmc56OP54Bcai_ULv7/s320/IMG_20170922_160744.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">These two sympathy cards are similar, using almost the same</span><span style="font-size: large;">.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMY03pdfG4nKS-Lur3XafIyHZXDlCMXwGzid6hXUuy6MWWU7qAiEq0Y3F6L_m1ImRPzSH_LoDsW1isyohm3zeLVAZEGWHXtzFNY7ecD2Vqg_Q4_cusqLtzNpzZWSIjVYF6MAJdqKu48TLB/s1600/IMG_20170929_160614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMY03pdfG4nKS-Lur3XafIyHZXDlCMXwGzid6hXUuy6MWWU7qAiEq0Y3F6L_m1ImRPzSH_LoDsW1isyohm3zeLVAZEGWHXtzFNY7ecD2Vqg_Q4_cusqLtzNpzZWSIjVYF6MAJdqKu48TLB/s320/IMG_20170929_160614.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Quick, C&S cards.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for dropping by, let me know what you think.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I've a few more projects I created that I'll share soon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Alexandra</span></div>
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<br />Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-31129931518517935402017-11-29T12:13:00.000-08:002017-11-29T12:13:14.500-08:00I'm still here and crafting again.<span style="font-size: large;">I haven't been around much lately, sorry. My old dad has had a lot of health issues in the past few years so my priorities have been with him while he needed so much help and support. Sadly I lost dad at the end of July. My heart was broken and I haven't been into creating for a long, long time. However I am determined to get back on the proverbial horse, and seriously look for my mojo. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I wanted to share a card I finished making today and small up-cycled jam jar to package a wee gift of some sweets for a work colleague who is starting a new job. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDC7sh-ZG2ANdw0S_DwrfzGuwYv6Xp5yAKyqy93_OxslWhhqn2BZ6HAhSn4rr7KQhe6ijyBczOIO-Bykao3EEwKV9sQElLHkXf3bkuMfvx5uyd-4xWGRehH8kjQZxDZskz2-22o_JTsgYo/s1600/IMG_20171129_161818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDC7sh-ZG2ANdw0S_DwrfzGuwYv6Xp5yAKyqy93_OxslWhhqn2BZ6HAhSn4rr7KQhe6ijyBczOIO-Bykao3EEwKV9sQElLHkXf3bkuMfvx5uyd-4xWGRehH8kjQZxDZskz2-22o_JTsgYo/s400/IMG_20171129_161818.jpg" width="400" /></a></h2>
<span style="font-size: large;">The wee heart dangler here, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I made a while ago (Feb /March 2014) using home made paper clay and silicone moulds. I used a light weight wall filler instead of joint compound which I wasn't sure about here in UK. I made a huge lump of clay at the time and had fun playing with this. Check out this post from my blog archives, http://alexandras-art-n-papercraft.blogspot.com/2014/02/paper-clay-play.html</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">You can find the recipe on the website of Jonni Good if you want it here;</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">http://ultimatepapermache.com/new-air-dry-clay-recipe</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9K3Zu3VwEKiITCx5i8B5lLnsceanavTmpKc5GMVp75TyWmm0g9mWeiG0Hc2xzTkpFp488Nv6rPIFhTvxJXh2AwFcxuVEuPeImWslSRLMNvR9Q-xZ5lHzsGBzjslt3b52N5PK6PWvpsqy/s1600/IMG_20171129_161757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9K3Zu3VwEKiITCx5i8B5lLnsceanavTmpKc5GMVp75TyWmm0g9mWeiG0Hc2xzTkpFp488Nv6rPIFhTvxJXh2AwFcxuVEuPeImWslSRLMNvR9Q-xZ5lHzsGBzjslt3b52N5PK6PWvpsqy/s400/IMG_20171129_161757.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RoV63euBojZzfyxPJLjz1dqTwFwZFr2N8pFjRgNuwaDuT2dRyXjbbMIY6gD5bxaXkcwfUj4RZIikEKcYLXGg7RHgl6n_Xj6oNNLIzFW-kmMrQfIfX8JzBaxh5f47kP7Ozz02z7P57OTV/s1600/IMG_20171129_161617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RoV63euBojZzfyxPJLjz1dqTwFwZFr2N8pFjRgNuwaDuT2dRyXjbbMIY6gD5bxaXkcwfUj4RZIikEKcYLXGg7RHgl6n_Xj6oNNLIzFW-kmMrQfIfX8JzBaxh5f47kP7Ozz02z7P57OTV/s320/IMG_20171129_161617.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have a few more things I have created but never posted yet and I'll be back to share them with you soon.</div>
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Thanks for popping by.</div>
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hugs</div>
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Alexandra xx</div>
Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-54925151731599544372017-03-13T19:35:00.000-07:002017-03-13T19:35:26.055-07:00Civil wedding cardHi, I'm back again, it's been a while, but it's nice to be here again.<br />
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Life sometimes gets so busy I forget to keep this sad little blog going. However I have managed to squeeze in a bit of creativity occasionally.<br />
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I have a few photos of projects and things I have made since my last post.<br />
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Last summer I was asked to make a special card for a friend's brothers wedding.<br />
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Here is the card I created.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvEdleatVHelJXtakaCaH2W34WFYdmzw_LtEGd5ywC4incMObJKTFrmQJqX6Q4byOVijlyqS0grcjQQ-CiYPfcqM9MoRil1vnFpczpR4Zq584SM2Gr6L4aTEwVkKoj4shm0QrfKacqPWL4/s1600/IMG_20160902_010254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvEdleatVHelJXtakaCaH2W34WFYdmzw_LtEGd5ywC4incMObJKTFrmQJqX6Q4byOVijlyqS0grcjQQ-CiYPfcqM9MoRil1vnFpczpR4Zq584SM2Gr6L4aTEwVkKoj4shm0QrfKacqPWL4/s320/IMG_20160902_010254.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This was the first civil wedding card I've made, I created it mainly using dies and paper folding.</div>
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Thanks again for visiting and feel free to leave a comment if you want.<br />
I appreciate hearing what you think. TTFN<br />
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Alexandra xAlexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-53418341375608346282016-10-25T14:18:00.002-07:002016-10-25T14:18:34.468-07:00Puppy's first birthdayAmber turned 1 year old this month. She's getting so big now, taller than Amy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9goLEhLbrAYIEJK_tVTYyEsnHNwbCZ49xwFMcEJOJOowGtC3sGx4C-DNOyMDtKPJJqltWnPrNmAHFZW8gWo7C5via3pdr1QB2SDQTGmVpzobmVaFEW2T_keu5O4YU6szGZ1z0iovTBTpB/s1600/IMG_20161015_083137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9goLEhLbrAYIEJK_tVTYyEsnHNwbCZ49xwFMcEJOJOowGtC3sGx4C-DNOyMDtKPJJqltWnPrNmAHFZW8gWo7C5via3pdr1QB2SDQTGmVpzobmVaFEW2T_keu5O4YU6szGZ1z0iovTBTpB/s320/IMG_20161015_083137.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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This is our two gorgeous girls on the morning after Ambers birthday.</div>
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(Amber is in the front)</div>
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She got lots of treats and toys and I made her this wee birthday card.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28Lk13IneRZAScCuyKrREQ5l3MG_nllWxje9zLiDhSp3MgOm6NXq0tEkCPCai97lmI69-PKSnGv5qDgmz_ydo7WakCXVSC_6AAs12xF7NfaQz_BhvPFfk_ScmUTYwzVIV-Eb-yvl6-YqF/s1600/IMG_20161025_215321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28Lk13IneRZAScCuyKrREQ5l3MG_nllWxje9zLiDhSp3MgOm6NXq0tEkCPCai97lmI69-PKSnGv5qDgmz_ydo7WakCXVSC_6AAs12xF7NfaQz_BhvPFfk_ScmUTYwzVIV-Eb-yvl6-YqF/s320/IMG_20161025_215321.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Thanks for dropping by</div>
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love Alexandra</div>
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x</div>
Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-11011789529025103932016-07-08T09:40:00.000-07:002016-07-08T09:40:48.749-07:00Back to crafting, and Say "Hello" to our new addition to the family.I started this blog as an incentive to make art more regularly. I've been going off topic with things life has thrown me over last few years, so I thought I'd share a few things I have been creating.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nW3KkhVLYn_0MqKIz_ailHIThaXN8TX6rrGVIS7CYFr19I2Ko91XrZRKbEjzLoabt8pH1NC3VFNotHEImnAeJVdKzz_BpIITzo_MpHN1ap85VqtKPGrQ63Mkd29nuKs1RQ9iEHI7z1Ai/s1600/IMG_20160705_142007_kindlephoto-14063516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nW3KkhVLYn_0MqKIz_ailHIThaXN8TX6rrGVIS7CYFr19I2Ko91XrZRKbEjzLoabt8pH1NC3VFNotHEImnAeJVdKzz_BpIITzo_MpHN1ap85VqtKPGrQ63Mkd29nuKs1RQ9iEHI7z1Ai/s320/IMG_20160705_142007_kindlephoto-14063516.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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The latest make was a card for my daughter's birthday, she loves owls.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz483MgGDfM6BDaInWfKT8V07f74EGBZqBcq4SwkS-ubK79LeWT64Y5maqQyDDgJHnXQi3zIbl6OQwS-ZFZ8mUMrl4VE8J33f-7tYHBTx4DxGSVHYQUt4MNeHNm0a0NE1paH3F4sg28fzP/s1600/IMG_20160708_140716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz483MgGDfM6BDaInWfKT8V07f74EGBZqBcq4SwkS-ubK79LeWT64Y5maqQyDDgJHnXQi3zIbl6OQwS-ZFZ8mUMrl4VE8J33f-7tYHBTx4DxGSVHYQUt4MNeHNm0a0NE1paH3F4sg28fzP/s320/IMG_20160708_140716.jpg" width="320" /></a> ....we're not out of the woods yet, I made another woodland creature card. A special request from someone for a fox card for a special granddaughters birthday.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6sQPdSfMD5BREbdook8p4nNTl_Yjp3CpAgWkwxKTv11hjYeZoxlx5jtrfUpV4oRE0toKgkoRtAuchMhBA2ExJ9s8onCIMheawi0VbHKpJ0g1MQ7b_TGQx01yHK1McxSeKHaeC9NxB81y/s1600/IMG_20160708_140655_burst_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6sQPdSfMD5BREbdook8p4nNTl_Yjp3CpAgWkwxKTv11hjYeZoxlx5jtrfUpV4oRE0toKgkoRtAuchMhBA2ExJ9s8onCIMheawi0VbHKpJ0g1MQ7b_TGQx01yHK1McxSeKHaeC9NxB81y/s320/IMG_20160708_140655_burst_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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and last but not least, I wanted to share my latest news;<br />
As I mentioned in my last post, our lovely Labrador Amy was never on her own, she always had Piper for company. We wanted Amy to have another doggy playmate, so we got a new baby labrador puppy dog in December.<br />
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Meet Amber;</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxfo8-AsqfJ5iza1XZz3pEKyhv0kqeGp57OqpTX9UgoxG8RLbxpLbNnerg1C86aB4YmWVJN3BoReislstyHoBwdmEVdML6UCQ7OcSSciQHnXdhXqn2R-qwYYcs5c3DfxtQG5r_NIRDXEY/s1600/IMG_20160123_205612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxfo8-AsqfJ5iza1XZz3pEKyhv0kqeGp57OqpTX9UgoxG8RLbxpLbNnerg1C86aB4YmWVJN3BoReislstyHoBwdmEVdML6UCQ7OcSSciQHnXdhXqn2R-qwYYcs5c3DfxtQG5r_NIRDXEY/s320/IMG_20160123_205612.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Is this not the face of mischief? </div>
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This photo was taken on 23rd January age 3 1/2 months old.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ygmtQ6GtdVI7Qg-FQuct4MQT5d5xkAan_MDlW045xf7U9lPftlTMpGw2vLRgqbPfxeKPcIxNVn5NQElCacszo3sCYRjOlfgxMLKvgYJ3LsM_7ZST4CES5lMOyz0m7rkcv-KtvMJ16Cxt/s1600/IMG_20160702_091519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ygmtQ6GtdVI7Qg-FQuct4MQT5d5xkAan_MDlW045xf7U9lPftlTMpGw2vLRgqbPfxeKPcIxNVn5NQElCacszo3sCYRjOlfgxMLKvgYJ3LsM_7ZST4CES5lMOyz0m7rkcv-KtvMJ16Cxt/s320/IMG_20160702_091519.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
This baby photo was taken in December.<br />
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She has kept us busy with training, keeping her out of trouble, playtime and entertainment, hers and ours.<br />
We called her Amber because of her beautiful, soft strawberry blonde colouring especially around her ears and back. I love her ears, they're so silky, velvety soft!<br />
Amber wanted to chew everything and everybody from day one.<br />
Amy, though initially frightened of our new "land shark", has been very good and extremely patient with our new excitable, sometimes naughty puppy.<br />
Thankfully this exploratory biting phase has passed and they get on great now, only soft play biting when they are carrying on and playing, though Amber thinks all the toys are hers.<br />
Amy gives up her ball whenever Amber wants it, so Amy picks up a different toy then that's the one Amber wants. Poor Amy, she's such an angel, so gentle, generous and good.<br />
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This is Amber at around 6 months old.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zcV_IhBX6EkOPfV9zchMRBkXhOxUuxcyv1c7ZdBUlGyAxdLDjYK3q8apjVFSInVe6O1rhrnuweRFIaQ41WpnGcpJ9KF919QMXkpOb23INds-n875i8Pwr5UK8zSOyyZG6QHptG9SpsU_/s1600/IMG_20160702_092312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zcV_IhBX6EkOPfV9zchMRBkXhOxUuxcyv1c7ZdBUlGyAxdLDjYK3q8apjVFSInVe6O1rhrnuweRFIaQ41WpnGcpJ9KF919QMXkpOb23INds-n875i8Pwr5UK8zSOyyZG6QHptG9SpsU_/s320/IMG_20160702_092312.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MBBtcmlx1HnADQBlP3my3OjWKsVi1Eq_y_ouVO7o_1WnTCoQnNykjyOEaI8BHxo4eFDuJuHJG1UMzBymESAm8MnXYgJi90A0riVgNFVZ8uKSMz0kEFJviD8cByT7g8myTd0_3vg_07CD/s1600/IMG_20160703_140721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MBBtcmlx1HnADQBlP3my3OjWKsVi1Eq_y_ouVO7o_1WnTCoQnNykjyOEaI8BHxo4eFDuJuHJG1UMzBymESAm8MnXYgJi90A0riVgNFVZ8uKSMz0kEFJviD8cByT7g8myTd0_3vg_07CD/s320/IMG_20160703_140721.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amber (now almost 9 months old) and Amy waiting patiently on a treat.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9HwCP15aT_03cGkX9-prRIh1TEVxeUp6NdQDEavoSz2E-oT1jQby1cmXVFNIK7ufrR24u4kBWAIvhoQcJnbC28GyYb9aOqQEN1AtVtI0j2ggwRlW0zVRSDfLqsqAHBZ4EvwhgWYUpMTf/s1600/IMG_20160703_140913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9HwCP15aT_03cGkX9-prRIh1TEVxeUp6NdQDEavoSz2E-oT1jQby1cmXVFNIK7ufrR24u4kBWAIvhoQcJnbC28GyYb9aOqQEN1AtVtI0j2ggwRlW0zVRSDfLqsqAHBZ4EvwhgWYUpMTf/s320/IMG_20160703_140913.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These last two photos were taken a couple of days ago.</td></tr>
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Thanks for visiting</div>
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Love</div>
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Alexandra xx</div>
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Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-26594950608185802462016-07-02T03:13:00.000-07:002016-07-02T03:13:25.443-07:00Our brave wee Piper.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi everyone,<br />
Sorry for falling off the web, it's been a long time, I've been missing you but my art and crafting mojo had almost absconded since my last post, I haven't been creating much until recently, sorry I've nothing ready to post today but I have a few photos I promise to share soon.<br />
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Since the beginning of last year, I had been spending much of my time with our lovely dogs and nursing our wee Piper helping her back to being able to get out for her walks again, which she achieved gradually over last summer, though she could only cope with shorter walks since her cancer treatment. I know a lot of you sent love and well wishes for her, and I was asked by Pam how she was doing. Sorry Pam, for not replying sooner, but I wasn't ready to talk at the time as you'll probably understand if you read on<span style="font-family: sans-serif;">. Sorry this is a bit of a long post.</span><br />
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I'm writing this with sadness, our lovely Piper was unwell towards the end of last summer.<br />
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<span style="font-family: sans-serif;">She had been diagnosed with glaucoma, a painful eye condition, mid August, she was given pain relief medicine and eye drops to reduce the pressure in her eyes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif;">We noticed around this time, she was beginning to be a bit fussy eating & we put it down to side affects of her new medicine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif;">On the Sunday evening later that week, we recognized she</span> had another infection in her womb which had been treated with antibiotics the previous month. After the medication she seemed to get better for a short while, but it was back. This time it was worse than it had been before.<br />
She was still off her food, normally she had a great appetite, quickly clearing her dish. We tried giving her flaked fresh fish, then roast beef and also tried chopped breast of chicken to encourage her to eat, but she only ate half leaving remaining half in her dish.<br />
We took her to the vet early on the Monday <span style="font-family: sans-serif;">morning, and were waiting outside the surgery </span>when she opened.<br />
The vet recommended surgery straight away, w<span style="font-family: sans-serif;">ithout the operation she wouldn't last much longer and treating with more antibiotics </span> wouldn't help, as infection would reappear, so it was arranged for her <span style="font-family: sans-serif;">to go through surgery later that morning. </span><br />
Our vet phoned a bit later, to say she wouldn't be strong enough to survive this as her heart developed problems when they anesthetized her.<br />
This was devastating, after her battling so bravely with cancer and dealing with going blind, to suddenly be given this news. We couldn't watch her go through any more so <span style="font-family: sans-serif;">I'm sorry to say that we had the very difficult decision to make to let her go. We know it was the right decision, but it was heart breaking, I'm glad she had her family with her when she slept her last sleep.</span><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"> I'm now writing this through tears. </span><span style="font-family: sans-serif;">We still miss her terribly. She almost reached her 10th birthday.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif;">Amy, our blonde girl was a great comfort, giving us a bit of normality with walks and our doggy routine, though I'm sure she wondered where Piper was, and was missing her too. They'd always been together since they were puppies, they were the best of friends and always had each other's company. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCO4CVlt1TWvTWQAHkGzoyVZHsitZWLjUj4E4T6qW4WW8uZyMxgptpAEqzaVh6gOh7Z_k3VyZ_c9iULeX_U5Kjx1xzXSkmNn6h82DlRPcYB8XPvZDYnUr88HtNpWsTZ8JktsWG0oN-YgyC/s1600/IMG_20160702_093209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCO4CVlt1TWvTWQAHkGzoyVZHsitZWLjUj4E4T6qW4WW8uZyMxgptpAEqzaVh6gOh7Z_k3VyZ_c9iULeX_U5Kjx1xzXSkmNn6h82DlRPcYB8XPvZDYnUr88HtNpWsTZ8JktsWG0oN-YgyC/s320/IMG_20160702_093209.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are Amy and Piper at the entrance of Chatelherault located in a village near Hamilton. <br />This was the area of one of their favourite, bigger, 2 hour walks.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonderful memories will stay with me.</td></tr>
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It has taken me a long time to be able to talk about this. </div>
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Thanks for your kindness and well wishes.</div>
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We miss you loads and will always love you, our brave wee "Pippa"</div>
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Love Alexandra x</div>
Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-13797027333564994972015-01-10T09:40:00.003-08:002015-01-10T09:40:42.449-08:00In the dog house!Belated Christmas & Happy New Year wishes. I know this is very late but I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and I wanted to wish you all the best for 2015.<br />
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Amy & Piper playing Tug O' War</div>
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The night after the photo above was taken which was only a couple of days after my last post, we discovered a lump between the toes in our sweet dog, Piper's paw. She hadn't showed any sign of anything wrong, not even a limp before this so it was a shock.<br />
It was checked out as soon as the vet opened and was quickly diagnosed as cancer. She went through surgery the next day. This was her days after her operation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMTv-iQZMRon_ezZ11Op0gCXF1TvkDf-l8Dy0vlQhBPV84K0ettvtxJIVkpLWsaz1OaN2yUkL9-I6OQ7Qqfy6C-UpHyfbQ8koRhvjkPJINpQE2-iQg5i6yL1wNPRpC3CaRfKXATPi74ec/s1600/DSCF0776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMTv-iQZMRon_ezZ11Op0gCXF1TvkDf-l8Dy0vlQhBPV84K0ettvtxJIVkpLWsaz1OaN2yUkL9-I6OQ7Qqfy6C-UpHyfbQ8koRhvjkPJINpQE2-iQg5i6yL1wNPRpC3CaRfKXATPi74ec/s1600/DSCF0776.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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About 10 days after her op' she started 3 weeks of radiotherapy and chemotherapy too. Her poor paw got really sore the further into her treatment she got, and ended up bandaged for 3 weeks. She even went off eating and anyone with a labrador will know they love their food. So you can imagine my heart wasn't in the mood for celebrating this year.<br />
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She got her bandage off 3 days ago and is still in early stages of her recovery from her treatment and my "Hoppy puppy" needs lots of help getting about not to mention the medication for pain etc. She has been such a star and sooo brave during all this, not a growl or a grump.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-e-UrFVwLG1r_Oy-rzFLlfFWR2g2XLG2NxR-X5mhcejA3h9w8PZ62soHqmOUNvHwYBY81kbgTyBPtayp0nHF_g8-m9tvP0ggIpZUnmL4qFZZyoJGEUKdg542EKuGEZ7SLjcnVfOLp923/s1600/DSCF0835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-e-UrFVwLG1r_Oy-rzFLlfFWR2g2XLG2NxR-X5mhcejA3h9w8PZ62soHqmOUNvHwYBY81kbgTyBPtayp0nHF_g8-m9tvP0ggIpZUnmL4qFZZyoJGEUKdg542EKuGEZ7SLjcnVfOLp923/s1600/DSCF0835.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's Amy, her silly sister in her favourite pose sleeping.<br />
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I hope this year is a better one for everyone.<br />
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love Alexandra xx<br />
<br />Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-17070150051838248102014-11-09T03:44:00.002-08:002014-11-09T10:41:54.214-08:00We will remember themOn the Centenary of the Great war.<br />
I created a wee wall hanging, in remembrance of the soldiers who fought and to those who gave the greatest sacrifice of all in WW1 and also remembering soldiers in all wars before and since.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bwe78WvPC_g9NPm_QxX5z3T4MY8ZufSpi1Hk2R-EgGf9RDG_vgmbUI068ZrWHLouvIs2K7xDfLZUi88nd-P_-3g8aA1gEnSybjpszOGUIWa4ChWEShCgjmdzzafzrQGTgspBbjUQsyHt/s1600/DSCF0763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bwe78WvPC_g9NPm_QxX5z3T4MY8ZufSpi1Hk2R-EgGf9RDG_vgmbUI068ZrWHLouvIs2K7xDfLZUi88nd-P_-3g8aA1gEnSybjpszOGUIWa4ChWEShCgjmdzzafzrQGTgspBbjUQsyHt/s1600/DSCF0763.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Poppies were created with a Sizzix Bigz L Flora -Prima die, poppy centres are Spellbinders Die delights Bloom 1 and Crealies dies CL CS 09 & CL CS 09.<br />
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I've had this Chocolate Baroque sentiment stamp for a couple of years. Lovely words.<br />
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Thanks for dropping by</div>
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hugs</div>
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Alexandra x</div>
Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-74671717344468149462014-10-30T16:03:00.000-07:002014-10-30T16:05:03.020-07:00Happy HalloweenHi everyone, Thanks for visiting my wee blog.<br />
Long time, no blog!<br />
My bad!!<br />
I'm still here, I've still been creating but maybe not as often as I used to, or like to.<br />
Anyway I thought I'd share a couple of photos of pumpkins I carved.<br />
The first one I carved last week. A Spooky Minion ghost.<br />
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My grandson David loves minions!<br />
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Then tonight I got a new doggy... well I carved him out of a second pumpkin.</div>
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Meet Kyle from Despicable me. </div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">I think he looks scary. I don't think I'd like to bump into him on a dark night. </span><br />
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I still prefer my lovely Labradors, much more cuddlier! lol.</div>
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Have a lovely night and thanks for coming to see what I've been up to.</div>
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hugs</div>
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Alexandra</div>
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xx</div>
Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-64170455546040988412014-04-01T13:15:00.000-07:002014-04-01T13:17:29.087-07:00Live Laugh Love + Upcycling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I made this for my daughter Nicole.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrnqjZzyE41-Jmxyv13slhbSUOFitGxcTpfKi8dwnriVA9FHulS1lgqonARTRBLZEzZ42e7GTIYE37J54bRb8DmYT_U8o6Ghi4zwsXK5lQs6nXORBl-GEGp7Lg39t2bjC6bypqlEJ3_mH/s1600/DSCF0657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrnqjZzyE41-Jmxyv13slhbSUOFitGxcTpfKi8dwnriVA9FHulS1lgqonARTRBLZEzZ42e7GTIYE37J54bRb8DmYT_U8o6Ghi4zwsXK5lQs6nXORBl-GEGp7Lg39t2bjC6bypqlEJ3_mH/s1600/DSCF0657.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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Warning this is a bit of a long post, you may want to grab a cuppa before you read on.</div>
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This project was constructed with the help of my Cricut. </div>
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I wanted a wee house shape, but the nearest I had was this tag shape...I thought.... well, near enough! </div>
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Using multiple layers of cereal packet card, I glued the base tag shapes together, on top of each other with a strong wet glue until it was about 5mm thick (approx 8 - 10 layers of card for each base section, (32 -40 layers altogether... I lost count!). I then sanded each now thick, solid shape when it was dry. For the framed fronts I used my Gypsy & Cricut to design and cut the aperture I wanted in the tag. I chose a basic rectangle, and a heart shape for the other. I cut approx 16 layers each design (8 for each front) with the aperture in the centre for the fronts these were layered and sanded as before.</div>
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I cut 4 fronts with the apertures, (2 of each design), and 4 tag shapes for the backs, from some lovely old Basic Gray 12 x 12 paper I had in my stash. This was a rich brown, beige and rust coloured design so after sticking to the block shapes I lightly sanded again. I painted them with a thin layer of Gesso so you could still see the paper design through it, but it's muted, I added this top layer with wet glue before assembling, and sanding again. (the paper dust is awful stuff, it gets everywhere, but it's worth the mess for the lovely smooth result)</div>
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I also cut 4 of the base shapes from white card for the top of the base layers for stamping on the top of the base so it would be visible inside the apertures when these were added and glued in place. I lightly sanded the edges of this layer too. I stamped over the 8 main card "block" pieces, base both sides back and front, and then around the aperture of the top piece) then stacked and glued together, the hinges are just printed card I had in a bits box, reinforced underneath with a thin sheer fabric glued to the card then trimmed to fit & attached with wet glue to allow to concertina fold open, I sanded again to give a smoothed edge. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FdMjYoWHuxocp2mGIVhiGzDv-XoPdSNHmYBat2TFQI3OxKxFm-W4OpacAekSjJALZgcRz4EKBizm0zYAz5xcrRSPz1CYgcrR9sV6fo0_4Gfy-GbHrUGLZG8kPIxZfwFCQcXpjUege6p6/s1600/DSCF0658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FdMjYoWHuxocp2mGIVhiGzDv-XoPdSNHmYBat2TFQI3OxKxFm-W4OpacAekSjJALZgcRz4EKBizm0zYAz5xcrRSPz1CYgcrR9sV6fo0_4Gfy-GbHrUGLZG8kPIxZfwFCQcXpjUege6p6/s1600/DSCF0658.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: center;">For the stamping, I stamped with black Archival, using mainly Birdhouse garden set of</span><span style="text-align: center;"> Clarity stamps images and Clarity stamped poem, masked and stamped a bit at a time to fit the shape. </span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;">I also used a free Hot off the Press stamp "Sweet treats" with birds & bird houses that I got with Simply Cards & Papercraft magazine recently, and "Live Laugh Love" words were from an old Crafty </span>Impressions stamp set.<br />
<span style="text-align: center;">I tinted everthing to add a wee bit of soft colour, using Tumbled glass and tattered rose Distress ink. </span><br />
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This is it folded closed. It's solid, and feels like it's made of wood.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreiv6dy_YbeMT_w6bh9sJFy62ragzOkwyc234mbPBOV4oyYRhpeub1lGcwlEC0WAH0BiViST66smw6TCmEwU8t55I9JHMFrRBW2ACOKOfMipsTqDPLjPzG_uXKuu3JGCJrz5dDKN2Vqdc/s1600/DSCF0660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreiv6dy_YbeMT_w6bh9sJFy62ragzOkwyc234mbPBOV4oyYRhpeub1lGcwlEC0WAH0BiViST66smw6TCmEwU8t55I9JHMFrRBW2ACOKOfMipsTqDPLjPzG_uXKuu3JGCJrz5dDKN2Vqdc/s1600/DSCF0660.JPG" height="238" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz2pQ0-OXwBgXyZBl31PALiunQinFB2c5OFxwR3QMGmQY6wrzDugt-SQ7Qsj2EGU5rdeq76tKRUaa3rbKPST_g-Ava_IU4z8-BxdDwdXuKUad4NzDuGAaCli7_tZqgI6MdXDvAhgRtMw4m/s1600/DSCF0654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz2pQ0-OXwBgXyZBl31PALiunQinFB2c5OFxwR3QMGmQY6wrzDugt-SQ7Qsj2EGU5rdeq76tKRUaa3rbKPST_g-Ava_IU4z8-BxdDwdXuKUad4NzDuGAaCli7_tZqgI6MdXDvAhgRtMw4m/s1600/DSCF0654.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a>This is the back. </div>
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At the top of this post you'll see the picture of the inside or opened face of the finished project.</div>
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Well done making it to the end.</div>
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Thanks for looking.</div>
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hugs Alexandra</div>
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xxx</div>
<br />Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-33299480589744267672014-03-08T12:14:00.000-08:002014-03-08T12:28:52.599-08:00 Life's a garden, dig it.Paper clay flower making was so addictive, so here's the result.....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAYvpKBmnTv4Xmy8BEem7E-u6u_1dNvDAMm-Vc_r7s9S9Ys5__Kic7xab80YPFTq1PJFdU2GfC1Y5poe0GmXXavzLkQX2c78AZbIAt396AMHEJBhIOOY7A7ekFtHu4kz7N8uet-T7jsMXX/s1600/DSCF0611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAYvpKBmnTv4Xmy8BEem7E-u6u_1dNvDAMm-Vc_r7s9S9Ys5__Kic7xab80YPFTq1PJFdU2GfC1Y5poe0GmXXavzLkQX2c78AZbIAt396AMHEJBhIOOY7A7ekFtHu4kz7N8uet-T7jsMXX/s1600/DSCF0611.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zC0YV0R5NgetfVy1JTRCyXJRTRDOk2-vS-PFQ4NVH5lgUN6IoNqI19v2nI5lXof3pR25Ur1h29M34sDDeaZ3JduaQOhqb6KoOE6qlszkfAaHrDEGouwdpIALdg5Jj-LUxEHIl1Fm_6Uk/s1600/DSCF0612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zC0YV0R5NgetfVy1JTRCyXJRTRDOk2-vS-PFQ4NVH5lgUN6IoNqI19v2nI5lXof3pR25Ur1h29M34sDDeaZ3JduaQOhqb6KoOE6qlszkfAaHrDEGouwdpIALdg5Jj-LUxEHIl1Fm_6Uk/s1600/DSCF0612.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a><br />
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The pile of flowers continued growing.... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_gRMw8u7mo6dG9tbNbdvE19qIhpngX9eKN-x6JijWR2MOUJj1SZCUtAeaIVs5RferbCQlfD7QsBou9aeO3cd-Yax0UWlElA1RAry5jZ5ZMopstt82Zha4Ok2TKiEmSATUVN5I4fv7NHS/s1600/DSCF0614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_gRMw8u7mo6dG9tbNbdvE19qIhpngX9eKN-x6JijWR2MOUJj1SZCUtAeaIVs5RferbCQlfD7QsBou9aeO3cd-Yax0UWlElA1RAry5jZ5ZMopstt82Zha4Ok2TKiEmSATUVN5I4fv7NHS/s1600/DSCF0614.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a>I used Spellbinders Sunflower dies to make the flowers, 2 layers of the large flower and 2 of the small. </div>
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The whole lot was diecut using up unloved yellow card which is a colour I don't usually use. I sprayed the die cut flowers, dipped, dabbed and mopped ink up from my craft mat I used a cool red, yellow and black to get these variations. I liked the resulting colours much better.</div>
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From these, I then created this....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dCbZREg7hofQbJVIikH53ZyoGHNbj6_oAP5CMH0MV3RlRuPcdf8xAuDyhxgIATRnTnbfLONyoTl_R_jycjDnGaJJR4D0tfdEQwgLrZ2hr5tUBBUkwZImFusdsW47ULU8nUgdCsLgxWpY/s1600/DSCF0645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dCbZREg7hofQbJVIikH53ZyoGHNbj6_oAP5CMH0MV3RlRuPcdf8xAuDyhxgIATRnTnbfLONyoTl_R_jycjDnGaJJR4D0tfdEQwgLrZ2hr5tUBBUkwZImFusdsW47ULU8nUgdCsLgxWpY/s1600/DSCF0645.JPG" height="640" width="476" /></a></div>
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Two views of the same project. This is the other side.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQG9zlTASSoZ22u-_vVPHRPAc2iT-tuKDruqajUlHwERS9Zb8DI3ny76kCDCvC6RQ0yV2xf8uSTtPLel6mlbH4gwb-AL-igcYf62VrP1BRovjPI7TTnsrZ1GzsWPup5HK5v6eZ8r_4M4r/s1600/DSCF0644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQG9zlTASSoZ22u-_vVPHRPAc2iT-tuKDruqajUlHwERS9Zb8DI3ny76kCDCvC6RQ0yV2xf8uSTtPLel6mlbH4gwb-AL-igcYf62VrP1BRovjPI7TTnsrZ1GzsWPup5HK5v6eZ8r_4M4r/s1600/DSCF0644.JPG" height="640" width="385" /></a>I stuck the flowers back to back on stems using a holly napkin left over from Christmas wrapped around wire which I also coloured with peeled paint ink. I cut a few leaf shapes to add a bit more greenery. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_57TZrZp9gbxDq3aBxtzFVpSO790qdviiqxeuBPiRp1Fudmegta3p5DFE8HEM1EctlLISdRmxjM9i0PGtKI7645ccsMB2fSAnP6r6CH9XG67DMePUYgR7CSeVJ-zuJT1cNNTBJJFntYsI/s1600/close+up+bottle+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_57TZrZp9gbxDq3aBxtzFVpSO790qdviiqxeuBPiRp1Fudmegta3p5DFE8HEM1EctlLISdRmxjM9i0PGtKI7645ccsMB2fSAnP6r6CH9XG67DMePUYgR7CSeVJ-zuJT1cNNTBJJFntYsI/s1600/close+up+bottle+detail.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVHw7HvdWPAcClGN6LEVK0EHYODL0k_ldB7yVHu2-xT4ncMIt5piAUZ3-8NbU9kzDCxc_JoRmujL2ekKRjgoOzedn0pzuDXBZHAjmGvQ5DGKnSuXi_RP_kSzxeEN9mM0Wg2bajuuvBwuS/s1600/close+up+of+bottle+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVHw7HvdWPAcClGN6LEVK0EHYODL0k_ldB7yVHu2-xT4ncMIt5piAUZ3-8NbU9kzDCxc_JoRmujL2ekKRjgoOzedn0pzuDXBZHAjmGvQ5DGKnSuXi_RP_kSzxeEN9mM0Wg2bajuuvBwuS/s1600/close+up+of+bottle+detail.jpg" height="320" width="227" /></a><br />
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For the bottle vase, I used stamps from PaperArtsy Hot Pick 1009, to stamp on tissue paper. I coloured the reverse with acrylic paint, then when this layer was dry, I added another layer of white acrylic paint which I used to highlight the colour and adhere the tissue to a heart shaped bottle too. </div>
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I sealed the tissue once it was dry using PVA glue which I painted over with a soft paintbrush. This gave the bottle a soft sheen too.</div>
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......and I still have flowers left over to play with some more, lol.</div>
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Thanks for looking</div>
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Alexandra xx</div>
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Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-23142450260373842132014-02-28T01:30:00.000-08:002014-03-08T12:19:12.913-08:00Paper clay playThanks for visiting. Sorry I've been AWOL for such a long time.<br />
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I just popped in to post a wee update and wanted to say thank you again to all you kind ladies for your well wishes and prayers for our daughter. She has had diabetes since she was a wee girl. We were lead to believe (by her) she was doing okay, and she reassured us if we asked about her health, that all was good. We were always proud of her. She's always been so clever, talented and seemed sensible and mature for her 18 years. She was so busy with everything in her life, before this happened, with her college & photography work, social life with friends, singing in a band etc, a typical teenager I suppose you'd say. Having no idea she wasn't giving herself the due care and attention she needed for her diabetes, which resulted in her going into a severe diabetic coma. She suffered a brain injury when this happened. This came as a huge shock.<br />
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She wakened from her coma after about 2 weeks, she was still on lots of monitors, lines and tubes etc for a good few weeks after this. She had no voice after ventilator was removed. I don't think we think of these things when we haven't experienced this before. It was a very scary time, one I wouldn't like to re-live.<br />
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If you know anyone with diabetes, especially young people, let them know how important it is to keep regular checks on their diabetes control. When we're young we think were bullet proof, but this is a potentially life threatening condition without regularly "keeping your eye on the ball".<br />
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My daughter got home, after 4 months in hospital. She still needs help getting about and she's getting help with physio' to help her mobility, and she had speech therapy to help with her talking.<br />
She is so brave and is getting stronger, her walking is improving slowly. Her voice though quieter, it's stronger, though she's not the chatterbox she used to be. She's not singing again yet, and I miss her constant chatter too.<br />
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On to a bit of me time, which I love when I can get it.<br />
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I've been dabbling in odd crafty projects on and off when I've had the time. I had a go at making air dry paper clay too. Inspired by Darcy from PaperArtsy, last year when she created her huge paper mache giraffe, Colin. You can check it out <a href="http://blog.paperartsy.co.uk/2013/07/darcy-wilkinson-project-4-giraffe.html">here</a>.<br />
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I made quite a large amount of the paperclay, so had some fun.<br />
I made these roses from it the same way as I would fondant ones for cake decorating, and then tried stamping into it. These other shapes are made from stamp impressions from Sheena Douglass flower stamps.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ZHN-3bgkrNu-kZdbwi8ivjXR9eqP_ZfOZ_R3bT_73ubyOmL9OBs-5RsPBqYI7s6dq6PGUJ2lgv4C25tVhY03EbgUUb3J940iWAb6YufPDKvY_amsZ2ei2j5mfiBc4muxCKoVoJnGQ2Wg/s1600/DSCF0490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ZHN-3bgkrNu-kZdbwi8ivjXR9eqP_ZfOZ_R3bT_73ubyOmL9OBs-5RsPBqYI7s6dq6PGUJ2lgv4C25tVhY03EbgUUb3J940iWAb6YufPDKvY_amsZ2ei2j5mfiBc4muxCKoVoJnGQ2Wg/s320/DSCF0490.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVueXv8KRElwgJMGLRllrSTs8Q26RTnLXtdpqMegY0TNLUZFnhVJPQgpqVB4BMsosdPuPqWJpL_Rpmbxfd4RnHfkx_WQ-ceVRgdQSm3MnW7VnY54-IB8O7SS7jPMUpOUfNYdHRCwOiWUto/s1600/DSCF0499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVueXv8KRElwgJMGLRllrSTs8Q26RTnLXtdpqMegY0TNLUZFnhVJPQgpqVB4BMsosdPuPqWJpL_Rpmbxfd4RnHfkx_WQ-ceVRgdQSm3MnW7VnY54-IB8O7SS7jPMUpOUfNYdHRCwOiWUto/s1600/DSCF0499.JPG" height="320" width="238" /></a></div>
I found this Inkylicious "Always Remember" stamp. I couldn't resist buying it, as it made me think of my brave girl.<br />
I made this fridge magnet for her by stamping this into the paperclay, I trimmed it, and left it on my craft mat to dry.<br />
After letting it dry for 24 hours, I painted it with black acrylic paint, then used gilding wax to highlight, finished it off by adding a dangling, cameo metal charm.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1EouFPro9RGfX8Vy5FY6VG1yvurXhxaXc5WwFom3isTre1u9fHfLo-fTEISiBYn8l_cSwR5MqP-RR7kjS4mEp_62l1emOs-iltTxNwEJQkXkgMyNvKF71YppJuIdr1ANTk7wzCevYLUD/s1600/DSCF0504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1EouFPro9RGfX8Vy5FY6VG1yvurXhxaXc5WwFom3isTre1u9fHfLo-fTEISiBYn8l_cSwR5MqP-RR7kjS4mEp_62l1emOs-iltTxNwEJQkXkgMyNvKF71YppJuIdr1ANTk7wzCevYLUD/s1600/DSCF0504.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a><br />
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I had purchased a few silicone moulds </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi82N7ubkvF6UQ3xLgb6xWXTMmO42JVxEcZlsc5Xvz5ASqwljmTO6N5k_Bdt-NnfhUddL2BFwXbhATmOIZnU8BmEsF8OgZha_mbm4E_XKsp_kQNjrzZqvalnFZJFRVPNwz-FYw1f25qAhCB/s1600/DSCF0539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi82N7ubkvF6UQ3xLgb6xWXTMmO42JVxEcZlsc5Xvz5ASqwljmTO6N5k_Bdt-NnfhUddL2BFwXbhATmOIZnU8BmEsF8OgZha_mbm4E_XKsp_kQNjrzZqvalnFZJFRVPNwz-FYw1f25qAhCB/s1600/DSCF0539.JPG" height="149" width="200" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxP10lpnxUVOPMnYtzLk9SRhLQcLhPp3AujAxYIbZFTQmRAbvno4FxQStRpq1t7QdRAyzbmP6HoaqO0B_KLPjnkwvYeXIf-tt-hE7hOV0GhNi4M1Xxj62G5tZ1-JBByTVT9t8JmKBV-9_/s1600/DSCF0513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxP10lpnxUVOPMnYtzLk9SRhLQcLhPp3AujAxYIbZFTQmRAbvno4FxQStRpq1t7QdRAyzbmP6HoaqO0B_KLPjnkwvYeXIf-tt-hE7hOV0GhNi4M1Xxj62G5tZ1-JBByTVT9t8JmKBV-9_/s1600/DSCF0513.JPG" height="200" width="149" /></a></div>
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and made these too. </div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD77XtMEfU5maB-_3PBplW215mm8a3NVwR8LOO8FQoFGdIp61LD1sblMXzLFNMBnR8NR4qFMNcpA0tMgNH6onFK0O-FnFs8AU7Qn1plVh_m2UrAUOh_JA3eMu6xiq8_9i75_FXGDjyG-6v/s1600/DSCF0511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD77XtMEfU5maB-_3PBplW215mm8a3NVwR8LOO8FQoFGdIp61LD1sblMXzLFNMBnR8NR4qFMNcpA0tMgNH6onFK0O-FnFs8AU7Qn1plVh_m2UrAUOh_JA3eMu6xiq8_9i75_FXGDjyG-6v/s1600/DSCF0511.JPG" height="149" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYd6XzOrQXYe1t05ENxKEboX8Y5Dcq2Hb5wIu5wQalPtwAmfy1cyRYDq84gHzlOdaGN5X8BNu2hXPfdZlN-80GVHBBkDCg2JemQpeKhD24f4iUqvpmF6kpwYfvHiTN_W88fVkx8dXUtwJq/s1600/DSCF0507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;">Great fun! </a><br />
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I'll be back to show you what I've created with some of these soon!</div>
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Thanks for stopping by.</div>
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Alexandra x </div>
Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-37591549107570950712013-09-29T13:44:00.002-07:002013-09-29T13:44:38.793-07:00Thanks to everyoneI wrote this back in May, but I didn't realise I hadn't posted it back then:<br />
<i><br /></i><i>I wanted to say thanks for all the well wishes and prayers for my daughter.</i><br />
<i>God was listening. She came out of the coma late on 29th March - Good Friday (a very good day). She still has a long way to go yet, but thank God she has survived, despite the odds, amazing the hospital staff, who didn't think she'd make it.</i><br />
<i>She'll need to work hard with physio to get back on her feet, and speech therapy to help her recover her voice, but she is for now, free from tubes and lines etc.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><i>Our beautiful girl has been given back to us.</i><br />
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Since writing this, she has improved and though she remained in hospital, for what seemed like forever, we have had her home now for just over 2 months. Her mobility is slow but improving and her voice is getting better. She is still working hard to get stronger with lots of help from therapists.<br />
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Thanks for all your kind words, these were comforting to read during this very difficult time.<br />
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I hope to get back into doing what I love, creating, soon.<br />
<i><br /></i>Alexandra xx<br />
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<br />Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-79994751763836469212013-03-28T02:50:00.000-07:002013-03-28T02:51:09.898-07:00Pencil pot make over<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hello all, sorry I've not been around and missed blogging for a few weeks. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I had this project saved in draft for a few weeks but haven't gotten around to posting it here. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Added today:</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>To briefly let you know my heart and head have been elsewhere as my daughter is just now on life support in hospital. We almost lost her. I have been there every day since she was admitted a week past Monday. She is stable now but still in a coma. </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>We did get a wee flutter of her eyelids, and she tried to open her eyes when we said her name yesterday. Baby steps in the right direction. Say a prayer for her please.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Welcome to new visitors and new followers and thank you to older blog friends for your loyalty and coming back to see what I've been up to. Your visits and comments mean a lot to me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Anyway here's the latest venture into creativity. Inspiration struck when I was in my local Tesco's grocery store when this bargain 40p pencil pot</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAOwRffN0zDWSU8elRvR14b9wudKxNBSjL78mjzzWoiLHgCd1T6G0rnjeOzutLDHuIKSwS4qUpFoBOxgLGSnbjx9UgfYt1nTwg0SiijV6k9Rav8Jhqa0JL73yE8mrWvCiSttOLzeIeufm/s1600/DSCF0397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">caught my eye (and my imagination) for a make over. (They also had a wee matching lidded box with flamingo note-let/cards in it with which I plan another re-do later...watch this space!)</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAOwRffN0zDWSU8elRvR14b9wudKxNBSjL78mjzzWoiLHgCd1T6G0rnjeOzutLDHuIKSwS4qUpFoBOxgLGSnbjx9UgfYt1nTwg0SiijV6k9Rav8Jhqa0JL73yE8mrWvCiSttOLzeIeufm/s1600/DSCF0397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAOwRffN0zDWSU8elRvR14b9wudKxNBSjL78mjzzWoiLHgCd1T6G0rnjeOzutLDHuIKSwS4qUpFoBOxgLGSnbjx9UgfYt1nTwg0SiijV6k9Rav8Jhqa0JL73yE8mrWvCiSttOLzeIeufm/s320/DSCF0397.JPG" width="261" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I started by painting the full box with a couple of coats of white Gesso. Then using the silver embossing paste generously given to me by Anne last month. I stencilled through a V&A brass stencil I've had for "yonks" but never used. As it had such tiny fine detail, I wanted to see how precise the paste would work. I was impressed, as I'd never tried embossing paste before this. I think my first attempt turned out not too bad.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I then used Pebeo paints in two blues, and pink at random occasionally wiping back to soften the look with a baby wipe and using a dry brush to change it where I felt the need. I love the soft colours this produced. I cut and glued 3 x 33/4"square layers of card for a lid then 4 layers 3" square to fit inside the box top. I painted the lid the same way to match the box. I used various Indigo Blu stamps throughout and around this pencil pot project, </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBpI8nM-ic21n4vqXVeXitCCmYj74No2gxLD5hmPd_1aNqVithcIeKv3Bknu7Rc3hi68-wbEmdvNvSut61r9FSlbRQNt9dHwwj1ot3UNFslLO-8tuEn0E-9bCEvJhhV4FjvvmR-HM8Ncy/s1600/DSCF0393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBpI8nM-ic21n4vqXVeXitCCmYj74No2gxLD5hmPd_1aNqVithcIeKv3Bknu7Rc3hi68-wbEmdvNvSut61r9FSlbRQNt9dHwwj1ot3UNFslLO-8tuEn0E-9bCEvJhhV4FjvvmR-HM8Ncy/s320/DSCF0393.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I stamped the flourishes from </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Indigo Blu "Discover your passion" set</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> on the lid, and added Tim Holtz tattered florals made into roses stamped first with Wendy Vecchi ledger numbers and a couple of her make mine mini art flowers covered with tissue tape, cut out and coloured with DI's. The bead in the centre of these wee flowers was shiny silver, so I coloured them with alchohol inks. the leaves were from Indigo Blu "Live Laugh Love" set as were the words I used. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLNJAfC6yWNEV967MjVtpKb5-488rt9q8sJ3k3imXY0JYUo9rJ39hnSYL-pBnqeyWH4RatfIWojNMMJGQINEEV4tWuyb26MCYoi4XYsmGT17O9XOfgPcUIdaspG_ckc3wWzmM4t43UccJ/s1600/DSCF0381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLNJAfC6yWNEV967MjVtpKb5-488rt9q8sJ3k3imXY0JYUo9rJ39hnSYL-pBnqeyWH4RatfIWojNMMJGQINEEV4tWuyb26MCYoi4XYsmGT17O9XOfgPcUIdaspG_ckc3wWzmM4t43UccJ/s320/DSCF0381.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Laugh as much as you breath" was stamped in blended blue-green and pink chalk ink colours which I then found didn't dry too well on acrylic paint... even after blasting with the heat gun, arrrgh! so not giving up, I used a fixative spray that I use for pastel painting, well pastels are chalky too! (hairspray does this job too with pastels, if you need to use this and don't have it) this seemed to do the trick, so I then over stamped this in Rangers white archival. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMCE4qwXz56jHG5teoO_Ckm0UnWrdcyblKzCa0IYjHe4jqQu69zIvGVWtdPWCVlCaK8SkhNK8QnEQdTO8KIxwCNJUTvA5WugdqVCT_unr4wE2uqJDvNOPmH8YuXFIi89IS0LIXhuC2mlD/s1600/DSCF0380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMCE4qwXz56jHG5teoO_Ckm0UnWrdcyblKzCa0IYjHe4jqQu69zIvGVWtdPWCVlCaK8SkhNK8QnEQdTO8KIxwCNJUTvA5WugdqVCT_unr4wE2uqJDvNOPmH8YuXFIi89IS0LIXhuC2mlD/s320/DSCF0380.JPG" width="273" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I tried same idea using white acrylic paint stamped over (playing safe now) black archival with "Love to Create" from Indigo Blu "Discover your passion" wording stamp set. I like the shadow effect it produced with the lettering. I stamped the flourish in black here too to balance the corners.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Xsj4m2BM7A34j5vkTCQw9lLDdqniRM8lfc3obRMBdEyX7PMTl56JfBTGRcNVFww4PSaI6GHmN5_GBPWAz4Ubfz1uBusk1YKNuxRjDevl01ZtofXL1FjiCjnvH51nZMr5GZ9gzrJ9BQJq/s1600/DSCF0384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Xsj4m2BM7A34j5vkTCQw9lLDdqniRM8lfc3obRMBdEyX7PMTl56JfBTGRcNVFww4PSaI6GHmN5_GBPWAz4Ubfz1uBusk1YKNuxRjDevl01ZtofXL1FjiCjnvH51nZMr5GZ9gzrJ9BQJq/s320/DSCF0384.JPG" width="269" /></span></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3CQZ3GJ17zIlHeF1XHddM8nBNckW_2HkAs9YCxuqPph_B2UpBLaZAXUiEEJsUEb52KAHzNTfFhlqVAssGPajXjwll4B2hzt_Aoxv_7KGW8S6tlCda_DyWut9vV1Og0DmX_0wn-8Qbn-u/s1600/DSCF0385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3CQZ3GJ17zIlHeF1XHddM8nBNckW_2HkAs9YCxuqPph_B2UpBLaZAXUiEEJsUEb52KAHzNTfFhlqVAssGPajXjwll4B2hzt_Aoxv_7KGW8S6tlCda_DyWut9vV1Og0DmX_0wn-8Qbn-u/s320/DSCF0385.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="272" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">T</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">he wee dragon fly here is from the "Live Laugh Love" set too, stamped with chalk inks before I discovered it didn't fully dry well and set with fixative as before. It is so pretty and highly detailed, even the tiny veins stamp with such detail. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The last face of this box started off life very different. I originally had a stamped butterfly on Clearly for art stuck on this side but I bumped the edge of it's wing which damaged it,so when I took it off the underlying paint was well glued to it and peeled off too. I could have cried, but they say there are no mistakes in art so I then had another idea using this "hole" in the paint I peeled back more to create a faux hole in the back of the box then painted inside and around it to create the <b>trompe l'oeil</b> <i>(artistic optical illusion)</i> <span style="color: #660000;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><b>.</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The wee bird "hiding inside" is from the Indigo Blu Clematis flourish stamp. I painted in the shape of the bird with Pebeo paint, then over stamped it in black Stazon to bring back the details of her feathers, I added white Sakura for highlight but didn't like it so colouring carefully in tiny dots and dashes of alcohol pens over this and on the wings and tail to deepen colour between the stamped image. In hindsight I should have picked a different stamp pad to over stamp the bird, but managed okay (holding my breath, lol). The flowers were painted in alcohol ink from pens then blended with blending solution on felt, to suggest something else tucked inside but to leave the tiny </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">wee</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> bird as the focal point inside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Thanks for visiting and for taking the time to look.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">hugs Alexandra x</span><br />
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<br />Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-72637863646988512452013-02-05T09:59:00.000-08:002013-02-05T10:01:03.154-08:00Metal Valentine Wall Hanging<a aria-hidden="true" class="shareMediaLink shareRedesignMedia _8o lfloat" data-ft="{"type":41,"tn":"E"}" href="http://www.reverbnation.com/contests/1465/artist/2750286" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; margin-right: 0px; position: relative;" tabindex="-1" target="_blank"><br /></a><a aria-hidden="true" class="shareMediaLink shareRedesignMedia _8o lfloat" data-ft="{"type":41,"tn":"E"}" href="http://www.reverbnation.com/contests/1465/artist/2750286" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; margin-right: 0px; position: relative;" tabindex="-1" target="_blank"><br /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Today I wanted to share a wall hanging I created.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I made this for my DH for Valentine's day instead of a card, it's also my entry for the <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverythingWendyVecchi/">Everything Wendy Vecchi Group</a> Mac #3 challenge. This time we've to use Wendy's stamp or stamps and also to use a (nice) 4 letter word, mine is "love".</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3pLyswpsNiGH116wcKZnrOWfaMIuihgDz7IRZzVOY6m62wfFx1D5ZnwJtvd3JkHdpZ3JdMCihqXO8dss0flPUEx816YdO_3PuI0d5TPDDYG0EHErH3rCumLjjUuvcfZoCINVmWrBvzpO/s1600/Heart+wall+hanging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3pLyswpsNiGH116wcKZnrOWfaMIuihgDz7IRZzVOY6m62wfFx1D5ZnwJtvd3JkHdpZ3JdMCihqXO8dss0flPUEx816YdO_3PuI0d5TPDDYG0EHErH3rCumLjjUuvcfZoCINVmWrBvzpO/s320/Heart+wall+hanging.jpg" width="150" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #fff2cc;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For this project I used scraps of metal foil in various square and rectangle sizes which I glued onto chipboard hearts cut using my Cricut, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 14px;">(my Cricut machine is so handy for these type of projects, cutting whatever shape for my base in whatever size I need)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">then I embossed the hearts using a Sizzix embossing folder and my bug. I only used the A plate and one B plate along with the "No more shims" embossing mat to protect my bug from thick depth of chipboard and foil layers. It worked a treat. I painted the whole metal surface with black acrylic paint then while it was wet "brushed" it in one direction with a paper towel to give it an industrial, old brushed metal look, as inspired by Sam Poole on her TV demo on C&C using adhesive backed aluminium foil from a DIY store (or her partners tool box).</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I wanted a slight patina on the hearts so over-layered this with some green, blue and copper acrylic paint, then removed most of this with a brush and paper towel again to leave just a hint of colour, I sanded a bit too, to highlight the base metal in places.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I stamped Wendy Vecchi's bird on grunge paper and cut this out and coloured it using Radiant rain colours in Key lime, Blue flame, Pewter and Copper to keep the metalic look. Embossed this using TH's cracked glass embossing folder. I made the faux screw using tiny circles die cut from card glued 2 together then run this through an embossing folder with lined journalling note effect to make the grove this was painted black then I applied a tiny bit of forgotten gold gilding powder with my finger, that I've have had for "yonks" but only came across recently during a tidy up (the gold powder that is... not my finger, which is probably one of the few things I don't misplace in my crafty hovel, lol). I distressed it a bit by hitting it with the edge of my scissors. The metalic shape at the bottom was cut from my Cricut then given the same treatment for colouring as the screw (I didn't hit this though), then shaped it with a ball tool in my hand to give it a 3D metal feel. I used a wee metal heart heated with red/gold embossing powder again this powder was in goody bundle from Lori. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The medium size heart started life the same, only bigger. I used the chipboard letters from Lori for the words and the embossed metal crown was from same foil run through another TH embossing folder, cut out & coloured with same paints for background and distressed as before.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #fff2cc;">Next, (sorry this photo is a bit out of focus) the largest sized heart, same base, just bigger again,<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I used the same background technique. I </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">bet you knew that was coming, lol. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">embellished this one with TH tattered flowers made into roses from a printed leafy foliage scrapbook paper. This was too clean and pretty, so I used the same Radiant Rain sprays and Radiant Rain </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">dabber</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> in Copper again to make them a bit more metalicy (is this a word?) </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUSlRpK3bSJ7bP4aU0pN4sqWQ_zdCZksjqSdrSxp7apw6MfBckm6db5XNrIlpPSS2QYKdgGMSmBvemtLjmNWpFJxooE1dLth8_nm12vlLW8JYgIxtCnQdgbQcjunnV9nqM7sFjWbLmS3V/s1600/rose+heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUSlRpK3bSJ7bP4aU0pN4sqWQ_zdCZksjqSdrSxp7apw6MfBckm6db5XNrIlpPSS2QYKdgGMSmBvemtLjmNWpFJxooE1dLth8_nm12vlLW8JYgIxtCnQdgbQcjunnV9nqM7sFjWbLmS3V/s320/rose+heart.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 14px;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The sentiment is stamped using Vintage Photo DI, and using words from a Wendy Vecchi stamp set which I die cut using an Xcut die, and I made a faux die cut, for backing it to frame this by drawing around the die and cutting it out of black card. The screws "attaching" it are made same way as the first one.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 14px;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">BOY! Do I talk or what?</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 14px;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Sorry this was so long, and well done if you managed to stay with me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 14px;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thanks for looking.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 14px;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Alexandra x</span></span></div>
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Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-22245360106818423172013-01-19T10:12:00.000-08:002013-01-20T04:00:40.660-08:00Happy New Year<span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">We're more than half way through </span></span><span style="line-height: 19px;">January</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b> now, but better late than never to wish you all a very Happy New year, and good health in 2013.</b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Thanks so much for joining me through my tentative steps into Blog land since the summer of 2012.</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">I’m looking forward with great anticipation to 2013 and all the possibilities it may hold. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">New year resolutions? Well...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I will try to </span><span style="line-height: 19px;">be more positive in life and more active, (my exercise classes start on Tuesday, I need to get rid of my "Christmas pudding" tum, lol)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">I hope to be more creative this year too, I need to make time for this, as it always cheers me up I find myself smiling more...seemingly for no reason, people must wonder what I've been up to... lol</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">... but in my head I'm thinking through ideas, projects, art, design, colours, </span><span style="line-height: 19px;">stamps, inks, paints, texture </span><span style="line-height: 19px;">etc.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">when an idea comes to my mind and I smile until it comes to life as a finished project, then I'm truly happy.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I'm hooked on the good feeling I get through being creative.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Anyway, enough waffling. I wanted to share this frugal crafting </span><span style="line-height: 19px;"> project I made using mainly Wendy Vecchi stamps, paint, ink, some recycled card from packaging from scrapbook paper packs I had, large frozen pizza boxes & cereal boxes.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPlVVQ9RlpKwc6tEDdq5ZvPmewLuFiW4gi0xL-GigAZG_KYEwUnVkEnFbM9YpULVABLdSDTaYQEUr0F_GSAlNg5s0MzzmPxWT_U8VZk2EGG8mMoE9hf6JF68_OoYRDea3F1G59Js76umn0/s1600/DSCF0339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPlVVQ9RlpKwc6tEDdq5ZvPmewLuFiW4gi0xL-GigAZG_KYEwUnVkEnFbM9YpULVABLdSDTaYQEUr0F_GSAlNg5s0MzzmPxWT_U8VZk2EGG8mMoE9hf6JF68_OoYRDea3F1G59Js76umn0/s320/DSCF0339.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I've not played much with stencils so didn't have embossing paste to play with or many pennies left to buy some after Christmas. I wondered if decorating filler would work, and was curious to see what happened. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 19px;">So I used plastic packaging to create a stencil and a tube of DIY wall repair filler for texture.</span>I wanted a raised leafy design which I don't have, so I used Wendy's leaf stamps on flat plastic packaging then cut away the image with a craft knife to create a stencil. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WHx-5VV_4HbFA4yu9VmtwzHPl2bAG87SniQgwDSXOh6oTdI7kOFGT-8L9ftNzrlPSNM3ra3sKapiIhUlbS-b4DASlWUCjm3_Llrp4rnJOLkVvajI-Fz3UVrne7ON8qWjxfINddYtRq4M/s1600/stencil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WHx-5VV_4HbFA4yu9VmtwzHPl2bAG87SniQgwDSXOh6oTdI7kOFGT-8L9ftNzrlPSNM3ra3sKapiIhUlbS-b4DASlWUCjm3_Llrp4rnJOLkVvajI-Fz3UVrne7ON8qWjxfINddYtRq4M/s200/stencil.jpg" width="186" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">This proved to be t</span>ricky cutting, and I didn't manage without mistakes but hay-ho I wasn't aiming for pretty perfection as I knew the messy stuff was to follow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I made my no glue drawers first, I used the centre of the scallop rectangle thick cut sizzix die as my starting point then halved it for the side depth to make my template as below. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>By drawing around these the template turns out very slightly larger than the original shape so when decorating with the original die cut shape, it fits better both outside and inside the drawers</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The long sides have the folding tabs attached to tuck under shorter ends then fold the long sides down to secure the base... and no messy gluing, they hold together firmly just tucking the sides down. Amazing!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkDDczjMMpbcDWwUEFAXEsVi91Y8LnCcwD5EDt5i-wUR-n21VP2BSXsOX2UtPmMuQZQxa-5YjIHwQUHuQjeY1XfusI_lGbdAZ82uFbe-oNivWEKcPMWUqWDZDLZ9OoUcHyrTJRbaaaN8M/s1600/DSCF0345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkDDczjMMpbcDWwUEFAXEsVi91Y8LnCcwD5EDt5i-wUR-n21VP2BSXsOX2UtPmMuQZQxa-5YjIHwQUHuQjeY1XfusI_lGbdAZ82uFbe-oNivWEKcPMWUqWDZDLZ9OoUcHyrTJRbaaaN8M/s320/DSCF0345.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXWCtvSuZWgFUmUGcD_-BMeEx63En5H2aCIMOJk2dXpeLFyZOqHcnMm_G_dNfpTkXXI5a3yzaGwgKpuSG-LmpHx2ulrBXxBiamKp7c99JFo_IsaFblcrLjKb7_FCSeK4umqyzx77kPS5y5/s1600/DSCF0346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXWCtvSuZWgFUmUGcD_-BMeEx63En5H2aCIMOJk2dXpeLFyZOqHcnMm_G_dNfpTkXXI5a3yzaGwgKpuSG-LmpHx2ulrBXxBiamKp7c99JFo_IsaFblcrLjKb7_FCSeK4umqyzx77kPS5y5/s200/DSCF0346.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcfB4xQqrda_j9ivPl49Gdk3_zgj9MczezPPWKGMF0lVfSY37lDF-f6kmjQ-qiDthAdRCNFByG7SkenWUUKOFZomwprbO7pUZx88pAAakAIA-f-1g_i5pdOSNt2MJ_YHlcEGOS-ceSObY/s1600/DSCF0347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcfB4xQqrda_j9ivPl49Gdk3_zgj9MczezPPWKGMF0lVfSY37lDF-f6kmjQ-qiDthAdRCNFByG7SkenWUUKOFZomwprbO7pUZx88pAAakAIA-f-1g_i5pdOSNt2MJ_YHlcEGOS-ceSObY/s200/DSCF0347.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">I then made a wrap around to complete the drawer, match box style. I used glue to secure this bit though. I made 4 each of these using card from recycling bin. Then came the good fun and messy bit.....</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSos8eJ-Lp2MRR2Kb-Wlaegj50nrIAzJ2EGIcJWtZ0I68i_JVShsaoxVpyggButlNb6MkaKaTZNlt8k4Gwfw6yuuxNVi2gqsMdodDpwUcvRYLy9hPPrJJdzCKThV1DU1AX5P1SnFlPmceX/s1600/DSCF0336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSos8eJ-Lp2MRR2Kb-Wlaegj50nrIAzJ2EGIcJWtZ0I68i_JVShsaoxVpyggButlNb6MkaKaTZNlt8k4Gwfw6yuuxNVi2gqsMdodDpwUcvRYLy9hPPrJJdzCKThV1DU1AX5P1SnFlPmceX/s320/DSCF0336.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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I die cut 4 Sizzix rectangles to stick to the drawer fronts and sides and cut a Spellbinders grand lable to add to the top, then had fun decorating these with the stencil and filler which I found out puffed up when I speeded up drying with my heat gun, yaay! I like surprises! lol. </div>
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I applied layers of blue, green, bronze and white acrylic paint along with a navy blue emulsion tester pot I had that I liked the colour of and a bit of white emulsion too, these were repeatedly painted over, blended, knocked back with wet wipes, dried and sanded until my heart was content. </div>
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I added metal gilding wax to the raised stencilled leaves, then stamped the finished pieces with <span style="line-height: 19px;">Wendy Vecchi</span> stamps and black archival ink when I was happy with the background and inked over with vintage photo to warm it up a bit. The drawer knobs are game pieces which Lori sent me in my lovely bingo prize I told you about in a previous post. These were given a coat of paint then I gilded the fronts to put back the detail.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mPfsgofD_RWWXGRt82_rZ8tCDJmnZUSE5XSQDzGfrVhx9qocAll7InFYqglL7uMoU2gDTAk5Tjm8mgOIj-4xHJcxZ1lO-wBpY4qm-2pUvc42OBod7UkBys4dF2zt4kSQzBkuhJoA9I3F/s1600/DSCF0338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mPfsgofD_RWWXGRt82_rZ8tCDJmnZUSE5XSQDzGfrVhx9qocAll7InFYqglL7uMoU2gDTAk5Tjm8mgOIj-4xHJcxZ1lO-wBpY4qm-2pUvc42OBod7UkBys4dF2zt4kSQzBkuhJoA9I3F/s320/DSCF0338.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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You can see the raised leaf design on the drawer fronts and a bit under the grunge paper roses. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysdoityHRzgZZ1LuZCpDXbrU2IE7UFRhy2kG8n3NgaRFxDyQR0CT5TX8kuRepl-n5m4bRmBg4w9Kj6IJVe-Tcf5HkIffHD76mgE0Wfr8Lx85JB0USPEkLNvfw7HDAv6JDLKfOAUEhpWKi/s1600/DSCF0340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysdoityHRzgZZ1LuZCpDXbrU2IE7UFRhy2kG8n3NgaRFxDyQR0CT5TX8kuRepl-n5m4bRmBg4w9Kj6IJVe-Tcf5HkIffHD76mgE0Wfr8Lx85JB0USPEkLNvfw7HDAv6JDLKfOAUEhpWKi/s320/DSCF0340.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I lined the drawers with same Sizzix die cut paper which I stamped again with Wendy's wild flowers stamp.</div>
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If you want, please leave me a comment I love reading what you think and knowing you dropped by. </div>
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Thanks for visiting.</div>
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Alexandra x</div>
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Edited after reading comments;</div>
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Thanks for all your lovely comments and </div>
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Thanks Marjie for suggesting entering the eclectic paperie challenge "altered boxes" with this. </div>
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So I've been, gone and done it now.</div>
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Marjie Kemper is hosting the challenge <a href="http://eclecticpaperie.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/eteam-picks-challenge-altered-boxes.html">here</a>.</div>
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Very cool idea.</div>
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Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-45212223751399086062012-12-26T10:38:00.001-08:002012-12-26T10:41:40.256-08:00Hope Santa was good to you.Happy Christmas everyone. I've missed you here and missed visiting your blogs too, I haven't been on the computer much lately.<br />
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I'm sorry I've been away so long.<br />
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My dad is doing a bit better now, for those who wished him well, "Thank you".<br />
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Lots going on here since I last posted. Our black Labrador, Piper's sight had been getting steadily worse over the last couple of years and more recently she was bumping into things regularly including us. She missed steps when she was out and walked into poles, walls and branches if we didn't divert her in time.<br />
At the end of November she went through eye surgery in both eyes. She had cataracts removed and now also has new artificial lenses in both eyes.<br />
Her eye sight is definitely improved now, though her night time vision still isn't great we have a good strong lighted torch with a wide beam which helps a lot.<br />
Piper had the dreaded cone on for about a week after her surgery, and has been getting regular eye drops and pills since her op. They are gradually getting less often now only 1 tablet and 6 lots of drops in each eye per day now, instead of the 4 dozes of tablets and 12 lots of drops when she first came home.<br />
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Anyway I didn't get much time for card making this year due to these things, but I had been asked a few months ago if I could do another dog portrait for a lady I know for her daughter's Christmas.<br />
I finished this just in time for Christmas eve.<br />
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Here is her wee dog Cooper:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGkHCRChgmnlAg7DqObHylCaMzh7ETMpRFwA9DHMQ9tg46YlRnRmUJhWWLlurEU_qNbeQsk_v2yjg0drzqxyfTueXkZk0hdgeLMZ46ao5w7I1mETKPGWnVQHscWBqaqJMjCi3N0FDBB0c/s1600/Cooper.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGkHCRChgmnlAg7DqObHylCaMzh7ETMpRFwA9DHMQ9tg46YlRnRmUJhWWLlurEU_qNbeQsk_v2yjg0drzqxyfTueXkZk0hdgeLMZ46ao5w7I1mETKPGWnVQHscWBqaqJMjCi3N0FDBB0c/s320/Cooper.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Also here is another flower digi stamp for you to use. This one is a Wallflower. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vawptMVjYrzATeQ-o-y0VqPxI3wUhPe1nV4PdKRpoLUFJXmNNqj4YfLi89PiiL4wAPusKGsYKoSoPTyPqCNFopSv9QBC8EoelTlPweMwzHD5hpKN-E5ko062f1fDRDiv2ZoB-qJ1CN9N/s1600/Wallflowers+sketch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vawptMVjYrzATeQ-o-y0VqPxI3wUhPe1nV4PdKRpoLUFJXmNNqj4YfLi89PiiL4wAPusKGsYKoSoPTyPqCNFopSv9QBC8EoelTlPweMwzHD5hpKN-E5ko062f1fDRDiv2ZoB-qJ1CN9N/s320/Wallflowers+sketch.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
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I hope you like it too, if you use it please let me know, and if you want to share it, please send other's here for this. I'd love to see any projects you make with it too.</div>
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Thanks for visiting my wee blog, I love knowing you dropped by, so if you can, please let me know by leaving me a comment.</div>
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Happy Christmas hugs,</div>
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from Alexandra</div>
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xx</div>
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<br />Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786341038092456443.post-54387763302383394552012-10-31T15:15:00.000-07:002012-11-01T01:31:14.329-07:00Happy HalloweenHi everyone, <br />
Thanks for visiting me here again, I do appreciate you all popping by and love reading any comments you leave me. Thanks so much for these. <br />
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Sorry I've not been around much this month, I've hardly been on the computer since my dad ended up in hospital 3 weeks ago after a fall at home, between hospital visits, then checking in on him after work each day since he got home I've not had much time to be creative.<br />
I did buy a couple of pumpkins the day before dad's fall, and had planned to carve them both for the visiting ghosts, super heros, princesses and zombies etc. that like to knock on my door on the 31st.<br />
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I hate waste so had to do something with them when I got home from work tonight. My brother was with my dad tonight so had a bit of time to do this...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0pT4FqLn74jlBeYSd0Sr4Mb6s2uH01LcYmGJ1Vdp72xB3ewKeQ44epmZxEAY1m5vP2idQd-BV86upV3CoMkRuAWZp5qDWX_9qhrJxNXdZfKtxwNsaES1tnOEWmD6_8CsdGYQZQBrn7xSq/s1600/_MG_2067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0pT4FqLn74jlBeYSd0Sr4Mb6s2uH01LcYmGJ1Vdp72xB3ewKeQ44epmZxEAY1m5vP2idQd-BV86upV3CoMkRuAWZp5qDWX_9qhrJxNXdZfKtxwNsaES1tnOEWmD6_8CsdGYQZQBrn7xSq/s320/_MG_2067.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I don't have special pumpkin carving tools and so I lost the wee bat from the left hand side when I was carving it with my small kitchen knife, you can see the wee notch where it was supposed to be. This haunted house was inspired by an image from the rubber stamp sheet<span style="color: #0066cc;"> </span><span style="color: orange;">"</span><a href="http://www.chocolatebaroque.com/Boo-Unmounted-Rubber-stamp-sheet--A6_p_3246.html"><span style="color: orange;">Boo" </span></a> from Chocolate Baroque.</div>
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The middle of the pumkin was scooped out and made a lovely big pot of "Cream of Pumpkin Soup".</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9ICgvzRSqlmnpqgEl-h78PlyC-VwAfElNsW2qtGELuiw_hIN0NJAcl810FL_vsPOlsaRXFyVELRanvfM-J7kfRUncWZLcqcPAuyPXezJczl-s1A6TjdLU-mGxpvoETYCmXoO4qr966PV/s1600/DSCF0315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9ICgvzRSqlmnpqgEl-h78PlyC-VwAfElNsW2qtGELuiw_hIN0NJAcl810FL_vsPOlsaRXFyVELRanvfM-J7kfRUncWZLcqcPAuyPXezJczl-s1A6TjdLU-mGxpvoETYCmXoO4qr966PV/s320/DSCF0315.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was delicious!<br />
I checked on google and found out Pumpkins are chock full of nutrition and good stuff too, I forgot to keep the pumpkin seeds to roast them too, these are full of minerals and goodness too. <br />
I do still have the other pumpkin to use though, so I'll have a go at this to see how they turn out.<br />
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Of course, I will have to do another carving to decorate the garden with this one too. Hee hee!<br />
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hugs</div>
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Alexandra x</div>
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<br />Alexandrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415937612467749486noreply@blogger.com3