Wednesday 26 March 2014

How long did it take??????

Hi Everyone,

It's a gorgeous sunny morning here in north Notts but still with a nippy wind......... much better than all that blooming rain and hail we had at the weekend though so something to smile about!

I got no crafting time at all last week for various reasons, one of them being a certain little lady's 6th Birthday!


This was the Pink Pizza Party she asked for hence Daddy's hat and braces! She asked her friends to wear pink (even I had to rake through my wardrobe and find an old pink top :-( ) or purple was allowed at a push ;D.  She definitely doesn't take after her Mamma ....... Barbie Pink is my least favourite colour, lol!

The day after Alexa's birthday is her Daddy's so we had a lovely get together at the weekend.  It was extra special because Jenna (sister) managed to rearrange her weekend and turned up as a surprise and also one of Jamie's best friends from his Uni days made the trip for the weekend and they haven't managed a get together for over 3 years. His partner, Yvonne's family also made the trip from Chester to add to the pleasure.  Yvonne put in such a lot of work both for Alexa's birthday and Jamie's so bless you Yvonne from me, Mwah!

And now back to the crafting........

The reason for my post title is that nearly 4 years ago I had a fab weekend at a retreat organised by Glenda Waterworth of Chocolate Baroque (formerly Elusive Images).  My friends and I had a smashing time and there were some really good workshops but, me being me......slow, I only managed to complete one project which was a lovely vintage style necklace/pendant (a Lynn Robinson class) which I gave to Jenna.  When I had a craftroom clearout a few weeks ago I found the unfinished projects (along with a few others) and last night I finally got to complete one of them, Whoohoo!!!!!



One of the mirrors from 'you know where' painted, inked, crackled and stamped to within an inch of it's life, lol! (er, excuse the reflection of my arm ;D)


I think the paints we used were Golden products and I do remember the patches of crackle which you can barely find as it's so fine was Ranger's Distress Crackle Paint.


All the stamps were from the fabulous Chocolate Baroque catalogue.  At that time they were under the Elusive Images banner but I'm pretty sure they are all available under the CB name now.  As the workshop came to an end the only thing I hadn't done was decide what embellishment, if any, I needed to complete the mirror and it's taken me nearly four years to get there, Ha! Ha!


In the intervening years I have picked up so many more techniques and one I've long wanted to have a go at is the fabulous Hels Sheridan's UTEE flowers using my Melt Pot so last night this is what I made.  The rose in the centre of the flower is one from the very first batch of paper roses I had a go at many moons ago.  The flower behind it is cut with the Sizzix Gulian Spirale die and I have to admit I'm really not too keen on this die.  It's the usual excellent quality Sizzix product but I find it very hard to shape.  I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has any tips for using it.


The leaves are a fab size and another Sizzix die called Arbor.


I got a lovely sense of satisfaction finally completing this project and it was interesting to note how another four years experience has changed what I would do with it now.  The main thing would be much less stamping!  Talk about overkill, lol!  The stamps are all beautiful individually but too much together in this way.

I really enjoyed making the a la Hels Sheridan flower and my OH was very impressed.  I even used another of my first paper roses and a couple of leaves left from my Green Lady project to make a brooch.



 Sorry for the loooooong post and thank you if you managed to stick with it to the end, lol!

I hope to get more time to play again this week so see you again soon.  Till then ............

Hugs
Lesley  Xx


14 comments:

massofhair said...

Nothing wrong with the size of your post Lesley, your words are full of love and express your gratitude for family and your crafting.

It must have been a wonderful couple of days seeing people from the past and catching up with Family.

So glad you showed your mirror, beautiful stamping and fab utee flower. It is a wonderful thing to find you have more skills now than 4 years ago, just think there are some people who haven't had time to learn something new and here you are...

Your blog is always worth visiting as your projects are beautiful and always well thought out. Thanks for sharing:-) xxx

Netty said...

Great to hear you have had such a fab time Lesley. Love the altered mirror and the gorgeous utee flower, such a wonderful colour. Annette x

Sue's Crafty Corner said...

What a gorgeous project. I love the stamps you've used for the overstamping and the flower is amazing. I've been dithering about a melt pot for some time now, looking at that flower and the broach I know that I need one now.

Sue xx

Aquarius said...

It certainly sounds as if you had a wonderful family weekend - even if it was pink themed!!!
Well done for finishing that mirror frame - very satisfying to finish off something which has been hanging around for a while and I love it.

Beryl said...

That made over mirror is fabulous Lesley - and no - there is no overkill on the stamping. That and the colour are perfection. How lovely to be able to make one of your first papers roses with the Melt Pot twist too. Gorgeous broach also - hope you will be wearing it rasther than putting it away somewhere safe.
Beryl xx

Paula (PEP) said...

YOu certainly had some celebrating to do - even if you did need to wear the pink! I had to smile at your description of changing from loads of stamping to less of it for I can feel myself going that way too. Amazing that it was so long ago that Retreat - I've heard tell of it many times.
Absolutely love that brooch with the leaves & your decorative flower on the mirror really finishes it off beautifully.
Paula (PEP)

Hazel Agnew said...

Well done Lesley. Enjoyed sharing your post. The flowers are superb. I also have problems with the spirals, prob cos I am not very patient.nice to complete something that emerges..very satisfying. Well done. Xx

Astrid Maclean said...

Well it looks as if the party went off with a bang! Your mirror looks fantastic, beautiful stamping and that rose is spectacular!!

veronica said...

well done Lesley! I still haven't managed to get any of those mirrors, they are always out of stock whenever i persuade someone to get me some............. Know what you mean about the stamping too.
Glad Alexa enjoyed her birthday, lovely photo

Redanne said...

It was lovely to hear a bit about your family, sounds like you had lots of fun! Your mirror is gorgeous and I love that wonderful big blossom. Hugs, Anne x

Elaine said...

Great to see such a happy family occasion, even a very pink one! Well done for finishing your frame. I have unfinihsed projects from the first retreat that I should really finish too. The frame is smashing, lovely stamps. As you say it is so interesting to see how our skills and styles change isn't it? One of your skills has always been your brillant flower making skills. They look great, especially with the UTEE coating. Shame that die gives you trouble, although it looks great I think! I love yoir brooch, what a fab gift that would make. Great work my lovely friend. See you soon now. Elaine xxx

Helen said...

it was a great post, the party looks lots of fun - hope the pizza wasn't pink too! Well done for finishing the project - the flower looks great, and so does the brooch.
Perhaps you could do another frame that is more in your "now" style - you could do it in much less time this go, lol!!

Words and Pictures said...

Who cares how long it takes when it looks this good in the end!? Gorgeous crackly, painty, stampy alteration - it's fabulous, Lesley!

Hope you all had a fab time with the birthdays too - we've a little cluster coming up in April: me, my brother and my nephew all in the space of eight days...
Alison xx

Sally H said...

Absolutely gorgeous mirror, Lesley! My ikea one is still sat here with only one coat of paint! So pleased Alexa had a wonderful party