Thursday 26 January 2017

I tried. I really did...

...to make a 1/2 decent video.
I seem to have gotten a bee in my bonnet
and simply HAD to conquer The Video!
Who am I joking? It's 1/4 decent. Sort of.
See, for some strange reason I got into my head I wanted to share
how I use up those pesky die cuts and cut aparts that seem to
breed [along with the rest of our stashes!!!]
by making cards.
And so the Journey to The Deep Dark Depths began.
My prob is I do so few videos [cos every time I do one I swear
it's my last] that I forget what to do.
And of course, I filmed on a 38C day. The camera over heated
& kept cutting out.
So, it's a film with no end. Actually, a really funny end.
I forgot what speed I'd FF it in, in some parts.
It jumps around a bit.
There are black bits that aren't black.
And a DOG barks.
WALLY! Honestly!
So, here you go. I actually made these 3 cards in little over
20 minutes 'real time'.
So it is a terribly simple & effective stash busting technique.
But it took me days and days to finish the video.
Give me crafting any day, I say!
And the hesitant voice over at the start....didn't know if I
was 'on air' or not. I DO get better!
Here's the cards. Using scraps up. The only bought stuff is some old
rub-ons from the Op Shop - now THAT was s find!
I made 5 cards all up, but only 3
for this video.
The bg pp is from my stash. Go me;) 
I've popped the cards in here, cos I know not all of us
like watching videos.
And here is the video. Click only if you have a tissue /hanky
to cry /laugh into.
You have been warned!

Hope this provides some inspiration of some kind.
 Or a laugh at the very least.
And for all you Aussies out there,
 Happy Australia Day :)
Cheers ~ Lizzy ♥♥♥

Wednesday 18 January 2017

What a week...

... Poor Tom had a wrangle with the electric bench saw. His right thumb
came off rather poorly. He cut it lengthways. Basically stuck his thumb into the blade.
Couldn't extract it before he turned the machine off. Lost 1/2 his nail, had a pile of
stitches and some of his flesh is so mashed up they have just had to leave it.
NOT nice. So he's in a lot of pain. And had a lot of pain relief,
in this picture, heehee!
So am I [in pain, that is].
Because he cooks. ALL our meals. Including my brekky in bed.
Every morning.
Oh dear! I've actually had to rediscover the kitchen.
Our own home grown tomatoes. Cooked by me. It deffo was a 'DIY' moment;)

ANYWAYS. The scrapping continues.
Today I finished off an A4 page with a photo I took out front of our
house. It's a little OTT - but I like it!
I do these types of LOs so I can hang up in our house. It's nice to
look at a vase of flowers, or the clutter of outdoor furniture under our
tree..... sort of homely!
 Some more stenciling & I'm rather fond of that sparkling washi tape!
 Layered the 'documented' sticker onto the tab. Lots of older bits of
odd papers under the photo...
 Even got out the date stamp! A few sequins & wood hearts scattered...

As well as LOs I've finished my Melbourne trip 'diary'.
[Used a Myer's catalogue as bg paper - since this is where we spent so
much time... & money!!!!]
Traveller's notebooks and planners and junk journals seem to be really popular atm.
Last year I found an old photo album, with those fine tissue paper bits between the
pages in the Op Shop, so I've 'upcycled' it to record my annual visits to my BFF.
I guess it's really a visual record with journaling. Anyways, it works for me!
It's quite a thick book, consequently, the edges close to the spine fold back
a LOT, so you can't really stick things close to the centre of the pages.
Fine for journaling, though...
And I've cut my photos to fit. I haven't used all my photos. Just enough
to give a 'feel' to our time away together:)
And of course, because of the thickness of the book even BEFORE I stick stuff
in, it has to be mostly flat.... do you like our brekky?
Haha!!! Had fun with that gold acrylic word.
Stapled on, of course! I've used a little washi tape as decoration around my pages
 too......

then I decided it was time to do some Happy Mail. This one is going OS:
It's made with 4 envelopes, joined together then decorated with pp I had in my stash.
Below is the flip all folded open.....
...and the other side:
I think this is my fave page. I created the centre card using my FMS 'Little Moments'
app on my IPhone:
So, that's it for me!
Hope it's cooler at yours than it has been here.
Think 34C at 3am this morning! Luckily, it cooled down this afternoon.
A bit of a breather before the next heat wave hits, I'm thinking.....
Take care now ~ Lizzy ♥♥♥

Sunday 15 January 2017

FIXED UP!

Sort of - we've just celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary, so not THAT sort
of 'fixed up'!
This one is my scrap room.
Yup, said bedroom of son who is MIA [working OS] has been partially
seconded for a Good Cause. AKA my scrappy space.
WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
I went away for 4 days to visit my BFF & came home to it almost finished.
Shame it's been so hot. Poor Tom slaved and laboured under difficult
conditions.
Then when I came home I sweated it out doing some painting and varnishing.
Spent a WHOLE day re-figuring out where I wanted stuff, & I'm [almost]
embarrassed to say I've got more room than I need.
So I even made some 'pretty' shelves with decorations.
HOLD ME UP! It's a miracle!
DISCLAIMER:
This is not a 'fancy' scrap space. I've never been to Ikea.
Nothing matches & the floor is the concrete garage floor, oil spills
& all. This is the way we roll here.
Doesn't make my room[s] any less functional;)
So - how to show you. I think I'll try and find a 'before' & 'after'
shot....think that's best. Orf we go, folks:)
Originally my table was against the adjoining door between the front and back
of what was the whole garage; it was then converted into
2 bedrooms for my sons.
Tom had put up those shelves for my inks & punches years ago & they worked a treat.
Of course, I had to move away from the door. My request was to have EXACTLY
the same configuration in front of my table, & to the Left [see above photo]
as was here. It worked so well, I didn't want it different...
Shelves gone & door cleaned up. The dresser was moved from the wall where you can
just see the table has been shifted. Lots of swapsies whilst I was being fixed up!!!
And this is this wall FINISHED!!!!
Lazy bones decided it was easier to throw up some LOs onto the door for
both decoration [we need to SEE & ENJOY what we scrap, surely?!!]
and this has the added bonus of covering up most of the red bits.
The rest I'm describing as 'shabby chic'.
To the right of the dresser are now my 'mirrored' shelves like on my other wall.
Closer before:
We just popped the shelves that were on the wall there to get an idea.
That's not really 'we'. That's TOM!
After:
Happy, happy, happy! My hubby did GOOOD!!!
Closer of the 'bespoke' [love that word!!] shelves for my punches etc:
And the corner shelves that have been put in, they are just perfect.
Best of all is the sort of long narrow shelves -they're my fave &
my 'must haves'. SO now I have 3 instead of 2 - air punch 'yes' to that;)
I even have a place for my hand towel! First time for everything.
Further along from the table, Tom added some more bench, so it runs
right the length of the room. Plenty of space for my Lazy Susan.
Apologies to Susan!
Before:
After:
Lots and lots of shelves above the table & room for stuff below.
I didn't alter my little chest by the door, but you will notice I had a towel
rail for my paint stuff, that I'm using for displaying bits I've been given.
Lateral thinking is not my strong point, but I reckon it works nicely!
And back, past that chest of drawers to my door:
That big bank of shelves is still a 'work in progress' - apart from my
Albums, which will be there forever...but I do now have room on some shelves to
get all fancy pancie.....well, for me, anyways!
Now, taking a few steps back, back to the door to this room, here is
what it looks like with the joining door open [the shelf above is hidden in the left]:
Don't squint too hard. Yes, they ARE fishing rods. Some things are verbatim.
Removal on the fear of Death. My family are 'fishers'; the rods must stay!!!
Tim's room before:
I've got some shelves by the window there. And nothing much to
put in them YET..so I made them pretty. Before the dust and cockroaches
decide it's probably too neat a home not to use!
After with the door between open:
Close ups of the pretties:
 Mum gave me that pretty hessian & lace. It was from a $2 shop & I don't
want to use anymore of it!
The other thing is that Tim's room has a basin! YAY!
From this [which is at the top of the page]
To this:
YES! More shelves on the wall and my electrical bits HUNG UP! And Tim's
bench now houses my sewing machine & my Brother Scan'n'Cut is easily
accessible.
I did leave most of his stuff in the drawers, since I didn't need them. Good Mum
that I am.
I also have a MM / painting area!
Before. Tim had painted the cupboards years ago:

A new wide bench with some old laminate top we had from when we'd
done our kitchen up, & a splash of white paint. It's going to get filthy anyways-
paint and gesso and ink sprays will see to that;)

And that's about the end of the journey....
Sorry about the overload of photos. No, not really, I'm not really sorry.
Thanks for joining me today.
Take care now, especially if you're in Aussie & you're in The Heat!
Blessings ~ Lizzy ♥♥♥