TEMPUS FUGIT Steampunk Clock

The glory of Steampunk! Clocks, watches, cogs, wings, chains, bottles holding mysterious substances...

 Tempus Fugit (time flies).

This is a working clock!

I made a Steampunk clock to show crackle effects etc, for the Steampunk class this Saturday (25th May) I'm teaching at Blade Rubber Stamps.

Closeup showing the crackle detail, the feathers, film strip, chains etc

I've since had had so many enquiries about the clock that I've had to make room in the schedule to give it a class of its own! So if you've seen this, and would like to make it for yourself, I'm now holding a full day class on Sunday 23 June. This will be priced at £40.00 - to include all materials AND the clock! Full details are on the Workshops page and also here on the Blade Rubber website. Phone 020 7831 4123 to book the class.I'm limiting it to strictly 7, so please don't delay if you want to come.


Hope you like it! Wild, huh?

PINTEREST - how to move an item

Have you ever saved something to Pinterest and realised you pinned it to the wrong board? I know I have, and it's so annoying!

Here's the easy way to move the item to the correct board the EASY way!

Hope this helps!

2 NEW READY-MADE BLOG BACKGROUND SETS - now on Etsy

Cehrubim - showing a 3-column layout

Cherubim - showing a 2-column layout

 and this one, which is showing just a 2-column layout (but could easily be 3)

Lace&Net blog background set

Both in my Etsy shop now!

Hope you like them.

IKEA DRAWER MAKEOVER

All four drawer units (one under the printer in the alcove to the left of the fire; two on the right, one atop of the other). Freyja's unit is just to the left of the fireplace. My old (spare) computer monitor is on the drawers on the right.

My friend Freyja is decluttering, and offered me this little Ikea drawer storage unit.

Closeup of Freyja's unit (right) which fits in beautifully to the right of the fire. On the left is the chimney alcove, all shelved out, with my wireless printer and another Ikea unit of 3 drawers underneath, holding printer paper etc.

As you can imagine, I grabbed with both hands! Love love love it.So I thought you'd like full details of how I've made this over (it now matches my other ones, made over in exactly the same way).

First I laid a drawer face down on scrap paper and drew round the shape. I cut approximately 1cm inside the pencil lines, folded in half vertically to find the center (easier than measuring) and cut out the curve with the paper folded so it would be even on both sides.

I then cut out my vintage adverts (from a very old book that was literally falling to pieces). You'll see I cut the ads exactly in half so they'd match up when viewed.

Freyja's unit, as it arrived. Very heavy, solid as a rock! I'm really happy with this unit.

A little scruffy, but nothing a light sanding and a bit of paint won't cure!

I'm painting the insides and will line with scrapbooking papers.

I'm using ordinary household emulsion - I have about half a tin leftover from when we painted the living room. This is after just one coat - I'm doing two coats, inside and out, for a nice finish.

All the drawer fronts are now covered. I used ordinary PVA (white glue) and I'm sure wallpaper paste would have done just as well. You'll notice a little bubbling because I didn't wait for them to dry before I took the photo.

View from the left. I ran out of the advert paper I used for the drawer fronts and the other 3 sets of drawers, so used vintage sheet music on this side. The colour of the paper is exactly the same - how lucky was that?

View from the right. I used the frontispiece from the vintage sheet music at the top, but the bottom half is a page of ads from a theatrical magazine of the 30s. I've used the originals, but have scanned them all and put these on my Freebies site if anyone wants to use them.

View from the top.

So there you are! All done. The aim was to have storage that blends in with the furniture and is not too obtrusive (I have to do all my crafting in the living room) and I think this has fulfilled the brief beautifully, if I do say so.

This only took me an afternoon, and was a couple of hours very well spent. Whew!

PEACOCKS - Indian Block print card

Here's a card I created for Colouricious, using the wonderful hand-carved Peacock wood block stamp. Which just goes to prove you can stamp on paper and card as well! The trick is to have padding underneath: a rubber mouse mat or yoga mat, that kind of thing.

I also used a flower stamp to create the background, then aged the edges with a little Distress ink in Mahogany. The peacocks are watercoloured, then I added glitter details and little flat-back diamante eyes. Final touch was the bobble fringe at the bottom (I LOVE bobble fringe!)

Hope you like it!

I'm really pleased to be getting back into my artwork after my op - it's great to be able to get my leg under my desk again, lol...

Indian Block Print Frames - Colouricious

Here are two picture frames I decorated as samples for Colouricious, using their hand-carved wooden block stamps. The adorable little girl is a bridesmaid, copyright-free from Morguefile.

I've used die-cut white board letters, which I've decorated with little square flat-back glass 'crystals'.

I mounted the letters and the peacocks (the Peacock block is stamped out 3 times on matt black card then cut out) on the top of the frame, so that they can extend over the edges of the photo frame.

I've put the details of how to do the gilding at the end of this post, plus a little YouTube video I found. If you haven't tried this, I highly recommend it. Great fun and a great result (and these can be used on pretty much any surface).

These glorious peacocks use this individually HAND CARVED Peackock stamp

This frame uses a flower block stamp, which I've also stamped several times onto black card, cut out and then formed into rose shapes. I glued these on with silicone glue, cutting the 'stems' freehand from the same matt black card.

Picture frame is a cheapie pine one from Ikea. I painted a coat of matt black acrylic as a base then stamped on top and used gilding flakes. I then overstamped with the flower again, using black acrylic to add extra detail.

I've glued vintage crystals (point backed, from an old broken brooch) into the centres of the flowers for a little extra bling.

Here you can see the flower detail better. Here's a link to Hels Sheridan's tutorial on how to do them.

To do the gilding, I used Indigo Blu's Flitter Glue and Gilding Flakes. Spread the glue onto the piece of foam in the kit using a spatula, work it into the foam and then use it exactly like you would an ink pad. Stamp onto your chosen surface, sprinkle with the Gilding Flakes, press them down firmly with your fingers. Brush away the excess then burnish with the Scoochy Foam sponge. Magic! And yes, this technique works beautifully with wood blocks. (I also stamped all over the frame for extra detail). Below is a YouTube video I found, demonstrating the technique.

Hope you like these frames. And maybe they've have given you a few different ideas for using Indian wood block stamps - they aren't just for fabric!

Quickie foot update

Just off for a shower - Him Indoors amused himself highly by using the 'Fragile' parcel tape to wrap the bin bag round my leg to keep the dressings dry. Bless.

This is just a short update to let you know I'm slowly getting back to normal. I've not been posting as I've not just had the foot op (which is doing nicely).

I'm breaking the post here, so anyone not interested in seeing gory details can just skip right over this post. Click the red Read More sign just below ...

OP time

I've photoshopped myself into this Shorpy.com pic

Well, I can't believe how the time has flown - last Wednesday, I'm having my Pre-Op examination: nose swap swab (!!) for MRSA, ECG, blood pressure, weight and height.

A nasty side effect of old age - I've shrunk nearly an inch! I used to be a statuesque 5ft8in and now I'm a tiny 5ft7in - woe is me!And now it seems I've blinked twice ... and it's nearly tomorrow! No food after midnight (sorry, we've had Southern Fried Chicken and made pigs of ourselves but I just had to have it - blow the diet!) then up at 5.30am to be at the hospital well in time for 7.30am. RE the pre-med - at that time in the morning I'll already be half asleep, so I gues that will help...

You won't see another post from me for around two weeks, as I have to keep the foot elevated. So I suppose I'll just have to force myself to read and watch TV etc. Himself will be doing all the cooking, so I won't have to lift a finger, bless him. He's more nervous than I am - I am kind of excited, in a weird sort of way (and worrying how to get up a very steep flight of stairs to our first floor flat - on my bottom, hotching up step by step like a toddler, I guess.)

Wish me luck - back soon (I hope.....)

Christmas in the BANK!

Go HERE to read all about it

You may have noticed this button in my sidebar - it's a great challenge from Sandi at Maximum Embellishment, to get us ready for NEXT Christmas! The idea is to create a little something every month, sign up to Sandi's challenge and share your brilliant ideast - then next Christmas you'll already have virtually all your artwork already done, all ready to go!

So do click this link to read all about it. I think it's a wonderful idea (and of course my artwork - I designed the button - is wonderful too, lol lol lol).

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS?

Dunno about you, but I'm the world's worst when it comes to New Year Resolutions. Every year for a few years I tried to keep a diary, which pretty much fizzled out in the second week. So I don't do that anymore - and nobody is more surprised than me that I've kept several blogs going for years!

Me - if I lose a couple of stones in weight - wishful thinking or what?

'Corsets' is sheer desperation! These days it's elastane shapewear, but I bet they can't pull you in like a bit of lacing and whalebone, lol

However, this year, yet again, I'm trying to lose weight (especially after Christmas) so I thought you might be amused with a couple of digital collages I created. I'm thinking I'll print these off and put into my journal.