I'm on a roll.....

...... been busy doing college stuff and another wee make over and look ..... its another wee blog post :)
This time the make over was on the toy box where I keep my grandkids toys. It has served us well as a cheap pine chest that can also be used as an extra coffee table or seating, but it was time to freshen it up. A quick lick of Duck Egg Blue paint, a branch and 3 birds cut from scrapbook paper, a bird each for Kian, Kailub and Ellie-Louise. A light sanding to distress it slightly and a couple of coats of acrylic varnish and voila! I think it looks so much better now, just hope my grandkids like it

Thanks for popping by

Until next time......whenever that may be.....bye :)

since my last post a........

...... lot has happened. I no longer live in a croft in the beautiful countryside of Aberdeenshire, I have moved back to Fife to be nearer my family. I have also started back at college where I'm studying Computer Arts and Digital Design, some of my college creations can be seen here on my Flickr page. I've also bought my very first car and am slowly getting used to driving it.

Settling into my house and got some decorating to do to make it feel like my home, but loving being back in Fife. I am bored of my old pine furniture and being a skint student can't afford new stuff so I have started on a big make over. So far my old pine hi-fi cupboard has been beautified and my old coffee table. The cupboard has been painted in Duck Egg Blue and slightly distressed, then behind the glass is a collage I created on a piece of cardboard box. The handles have clock faces on them which I printed off then stuck to the old pine handles and gave them a couple of coats of varnish.

The coffee table was a car boot buy about 20 years ago and cost £5 and it has had a few makeovers in its time. It's legs have been given a new coat of paint and lightly distressed and the top now has a large piece of torn old ordnance survey map on it, which cost me 70p from Ebay.

I tore the map just smaller than the table top and glued it down with pva glue. The were a few bubbles and the folds of the map didn't lie completly flat, so once it was dry I gently rubbed it with fine sandpaper which gave it some worn areas and helped the torn edges blend into the table top. A couple of coats of acrylic varnish and now when I sit and have a coffee I can see where I used to live and all the places I used to visit.

I'm on the look out now for a cheap pine dresser to give the shabby chic treatment to, as I sadly had to leave my dresser behind when I moved. I've seen a couple but they just weren't what I'm looking for, the right one will come my way eventually.
I have also added a few more printable digital downloads to my online shop the latest of which is a Vintage Stars and Stripes Bunting for Thanks Giving and Tag Sheet. The wording on the bunting can be changed, just contact me.

hopefully I will be blogging more frequent again soon lol 

The sun came out for .......

....... my visit to Fife to see my family and friends.  I enjoyed catching up with everyone, just wish I could of stayed longer than the 2 days. Two days just isn't enough time to see everyone I love and I really found it hard to leave. It seems so much longer than the 10 days since I came back. I miss everyone so much, but hope to get back to Fife as soon as possible.

I've began to realise that all my artwork is starting to look really dark and depressing, but most creations aren't planned they just evolve, so is this what my inner self is feeling?

This is "Hope is the Anchor of our Souls"

and "Lost"

So on my return from Fife I thought I need to create something a little more cheerful. My inspiration was my beautiful little grandaughter Ellie-Louise and positive thoughts for the future. "Follow your Dreams" is a mixed media canvas and the quote reads: "Reach high, for the stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal." ~ Pamela Vaull Starr. I look at this canvas and still think there is something missing, so you never know I might add to it in time.

"Follow your Dreams" 

Having another clearout, really need to get rid of stuff that I just dont need or use and get organised. I found this altered matchbox, I created this few years ago and it will definetly not be getting thrown out. I've never altered anything for a long time, I will have to try and find some time to get back into Altered Art.

My little shop on Etsy has been doing very well over the last month, I must thank the Queen for having her Diamond Jubilee Celebrations as my top sellers have been ready-made bunting and my download Bunting Craft Sheets......So a very big thank you Queen Elizabeth.....
I have some new designs in the pipeline and these will be in my shop very soon :)

thanks for popping by :)

What I did with an old car manual...

I had been looking for a book that was the correst size for what I had planned, but alas none were to be found. So an old car manual came to the rescue and was cut down to size (used a band saw for this ). But what was I needing it for I hear you ask? Well......

 .....it now looks like this after being covered in paper, lined with felt, some elastic (an old bra strap lol) to keep it shut, my tablet now has a nice cover to keep it clean and safe. The tablet is held in place with a little velcro.

You can find lots of tutorials on the internet for making covers for iPads, Tablets and e-readers

I'm not a .....

....... good blogger, I always start with good intentions of a weekly blog update but life just takes over and my blogging falls by the wayside.

By far my best seller at the moment is my Jubilee Union Jack Bunting, both versions are selling well as ready-made bunting and my printable sheets so you can create your own bunting. My ready made bunting now has smart packaging and I have also made  slight improvement with the text. As you can see in the image below there seems to be quite a space between the R & P in Party, so this has now been closed slightly and looks so much better. I also had an order for 5 ready-made buntings from one customer which could lead to something very exciting (for me anyway) but more about that when it happens.

 I also now have some mini bunting available in my shop

 and some little cupcake flags. Both of these can be purchased ready-made or on a download and print craft sheet so you can create your own.

A few years ago I used to join in with many monthly ATC swaps, I used to enjoy these but never seem to have the time at the moment to create ATC's but hopefull I will get back into doing these again. I have created a dowload & print ATC/ACEO Background sheet for my shop though and I think I will be adding a few more of these.

As you can see my Jubilee Union Jack designs are featuring in everything I have been creating, with the Queens Jubilee adn the Olympic Games this year these are turning out to be very popular. I do design and create other items which can be found in my shop and I have loads of works in progress that will added to my shop in the future.

I have also had some good news, I have been offered a place at college to finish studying HNC/HND Design and Digital Media, which I am very excited about. Just have to wait now to see if I get help with the funding and then it'll be another wee house move for me and back near my family.

I am selling off lots of crafty and non craft items on Ebay so pop over you might just grab yourself a bargain and help fill my college fund pot :)

So bye for now until I get that urge to blog again lol



My view today..

...from my front of the croft, I can see for miles and miles. Put 3 photos together to try and get as much in as possible. It was so quiet here this morning only the sound of birds, the odd moo from a cow and my hens clucking and the cockerals doing their thing. Did I say it was quite? :)
I've had The Draymin playing full blast and I can sing and dance in the garden like a loony and no one can hear or see me, well they might hear me over at the farm lol (thats my exercise done for the day) but now I'm feeling a little homesick. Oh well! not long till I can get back doon to Fife. :)

Right I better get on with some of this work that needs done today and Ive got a wee parcel to post, so a walk to the village with the dogs is on the cards, or will I just drive?  :)

Wow! this has been

..... quite an exciting week.
Sales from my shop have been picking up this week and its so exciting knowing people are buying something that I've designed.or made. I have been sending orders to UK, France, Australia and USA.... I'm international :)
I've added a new range to my shop of Clothes Peg Magnetic Note Holders (fridge magnets). My favourite ones are the Old Ordnance Survey Map design. These come in sets of 6 and will arrive to the customer in a cellophane wrapper, so are ideal to give as a gift. More designs will be getting added to my shop soon.

I have been working on a few ideas I've had and the other day was asked if I made bunting for babies, something that is in the pipeline and will also be coming soon.
I have also taken the plunge and added a few prints of my mixed media creations to my shop, not sold any yet but keeping my fingers crossed :)

Once again I have decided that my craft stash is taking over the house so I have made the heart renching decision to part with anything that has not been used or need in the last year. So when time allows I am slowly listing items on Ebay , most of what I am listing is brand new.......so get on over to  Ebay and grab yourself a crafting bargain.

The weather here for the last few days has been really sunny and hot, not normal for March in Scotland, but we're not complaining. We've had an evening fishing, where I caught nothing and my partner caught a wee trout, which was returned safely into the loch. We're even thinking of having a BBQ and this could happen tonight.

The farm across the lane from me has a new horse in one of their fields so off I went with my camera to get a few photos, the one below is my favourite, and what a lovely friendly horse this is.

Got lots to get through today, so off to be busy busy busy and creative

I really never realised.....

....... just how long it has been since my last post.So much has happened in that time, far far too much for me to waffle on about here to catch up. So we will just start from this week.
I go through phases of blogging every day to blogging once every couple of months. I am however, going to try and blog at least once a week from now on. How hard can that be? I could do it one evening at the weekend while having a wee glass of wine.

My shop on Etsy has been gradually getting stocked with my creations. I have so many ideas going around in my head, it's hard to find time to create them all. I have created a digital download range called Vintage Jubilee, which so far includes bunting, a craft paper pack, sheet of tags, an embelishment collage sheet and bookmarks. All of these are available to buy from my shop now and I will be adding a few other items to this range of the coming week.

I ham pleased to say that to date I have had 3 sales from my shop, with some others favouriting certain items and a few favouriting my shop. This is all quite exciting and I look forward to many more sales.

Mothers Day crept up on me quite fast, which meant making my Mothers Day cards was a last minute thing. For a while now I've been wanting to use stitching on some cards and found this to be the ideal opportunity. So I raided my ribbon and button boxes, and an old summer skirt and top are now in my scrap box to be used in such projects.

These cards were very much appreciated by the mothers that received them and I will be making more card using fabric and stitching to add to my shop.

Well thats all for now..... a little blog is better than no blog!

Got to go and get creative....

I wonder how long it will be till I blog again?  Friday? Saturday? Sunday? :)