Tea Caddy

I've seen a number of these Tea Caddys around and finally found some measurements and instructions to make my own.  I'm sure I would have figured it out myself but if someone else has already done it for me, then why not give it a go?  I think mine needs some teensy tweaking but for a first one, I'm happy.

Goodness, I didn't realise how big the teabags look, but they fit very nicely into the box, and then one by one they slide out from the bottom.  So nice having a pretty box of teabags on display instead of hidden in the cupboard.

Each side has a different group of ladies, all fussy cut from "A Ladies Diary" collection 'Fashion Plates' and the background paper is 'Picture Perfect'.

The floral border around the lid is from 'Ageless Beauty' and these ladies all have parasols, perfect for an afternoon stroll before retiring for tea!

I wonder what type of tea these ladies would enjoy - Earl Grey, Irish Breakfast or perhaps Lemon Scented?

The images on the lid are also from 'Picture Perfect' with the rose and stamp popped up on dimensionals for extra interest.

All this talk of tea is making me thirsty so I think I'll put the kettle on and make myself a cuppa.

Have a crafty day!

Weekend Busy-ness

It's been a busy weekend in our household, first on Friday night, my DH and I went to see Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap" which is performing in Australia as part of the 60th Anniversary celebration of the play.  We really enjoyed the play and at interval were busy discussing the characters and who we thought had 'done it'.

On Saturday we took my dear MIL to visit my dear FIL who has been in hospital recently and is now in rehab.  We left them to spend some time together while we went and had some lunch, and I shopped for an engagement present.   Hopefully he will be back home again soon.  Saturday night we were invited to the engagement of one of my Mother's Group's daughters.  She will be the second of Group's children to be married, later in the year.

This morning I've been doing a bit of blog hopping and found a couple of new ones I haven't looked at before.  I enjoy looking at other blogs and quite often find inspiration and ideas.  I'm thinking I should spread my wings a little more and perhaps dabble in some mixed media.  Hmmmm ......... will have to see!

This afternoon I'm off to pick up DS#3 from music camp.  They finish with a short concert for all the parents and if last years is anything to go by, it should be pretty good.

Enjoy the remainder of the weekend and I'll be back soon.

Have a crafty day!

A Ladies Diary - Cards

As you have probably guessed by now, I really love fussy cutting around images for both cards and projects to add extra dimension.  I nearly always look at the image, whether it be a stamp (set or individual) or papers, to see how well I can create a 3D look, and it's a way of getting more value for money.  Mind you, if I really like the image I'll probably buy it regardless!

So, continuing with "A Ladies Diary" collection of papers, here are three beautiful ladies who found their way onto some cards.  These ladies certainly come from a different era, such elegance and poise.

                                                    An evening at the opera

                                                    All ready to attend the soiree.

                                                    Afternoon tea, perhaps?

I so enjoyed making these cards, and have lots of other ideas just waiting to come to fruition.  Stay tuned!

Have a crafty day!

A Ladies Diary - Printer's Tray

After waiting for what seems like ages, I was finally able to buy some of the gorgeous papers from "A Ladies Diary" collection from Graphic 45.  As soon as I saw these papers on their blog a couple of months back, they were on my 'must have' list.  They are from a period when grace and elegance were 'the norm' and they are just beautiful.

While I was browsing the papers, I came across this printer's tray from Twiddleybitz, and thought it would be just right for the papers, such a fun project.

Some of the images have been fussy cut and popped up on dimensionals.   I love being able to give more depth to an image and Graphic 45 produce the perfect papers for this technique.

The roses are from my stash, the ribbon was white but after being coloured with a distress marker, it was just the right colour.  Instead of painting the frame, I decided to use Tim Holtz 'tissue tape', then sponged over it with distress ink, which resulted in my fingers being very pink!  I do like the effect though.

I have more ideas for these papers, so I'll be back soon to show them off.

Have a crafty day!

Quilt Cards

Last week at Alice in Paperland, the class I was teaching was Quilt Cards where we used some oriental papers combined with plain papers to create a 'quilt'.  To replace stitching we used border stickers to go along the 'seams' in the paper. 

Our cards were all fairly simple but there are all sorts of different combinations of patterns and papers you could use.  The first two cards are made from 1" squares while the third is made from 3/4" squares.  The bottom card was made from oddments, but I really like the effect of the different pattern papers. 

I made a couple more when I got home in greens and reds and think they may just end up being the start of my Christmas card stash for this year.

I've never made a fabric quilt, although I do have a pattern for one using squares which has very simple chooks appliqued over the top.  It's been on my 'to do' list for a long time ........ maybe one day???

Thanks for visiting and always enjoy any comments.

Have a crafty day!

Watercolour Technique

Every couple of weeks at Alice in Paperland, one of the talented teachers makes a Youtube video showcasing a technique.  Last week, it was my turn again and this time I was showing two different ways to  use watercolour pencils.

The first way is to take the colour directly off the pencil using an Aquash water-pen, one colour at a time and then blending the colours together.  It gives a lovely soft effect.

On the second sample, colour with the pencils directly onto the stamped image, and then blend the colours together, again using an Aquash water-pen.  This gives a more vibrant colour palette.

 So, same stamped image (from my stash) using black StazOn to prevent bleeding, same pencils (SU) using  exactly the same colours, they both are equally pretty, but are just a bit different from each other.

Why not click on the link and have a look to see how easy it is to create a watercolour effect.

Have a crafty day!

A Busy Book for a Busy Life

Well, I'm back at last after a busy week, to show the fourth and final project we made in our classes at the Brisbane Papercraft Convention, "A Busy Book for a Busy Life".  Hmmm, maybe this is telling me something?  Anyhow, have a look at the photos and decide for yourself.

Above is the front cover, followed below by the inside front cover and the first page.

Each page has a decorated front with tabs down the side for easy opening, and on the back is a pocket.

And finally, is the back cover.

Hope this long post hasn't put everyone to sleep, and although I've skipped a number of pages, you should be able to get the idea of how the book goes together.  There are more pages that can be added, which are still on the disk we all received, with dates to remember, wish lists etc. 

Have a crafty day!