The Art of Altering

Hello : )

I've really got into altering this past year or so.
Which reminds me, I never did share the table I altered for Ade's birthday last summer.
I quite often pick up bits and pieces when I'm out and about. Things that I want to revamp.
I have a whole basket full in my studio.

One item I picked up last year was this mini set of drawers.


It stands just 7inches/17cm tall and I knew I could do something with it one day.
So when the next challenge came up at LESSology called 'chest of drawers' I knew the time had come to tart up this little baby!!
Et voila!


Hollie and I covered it in old book pages pages, mod podge followed by gesso.
I inked the egdes in a reddy pink and brushed the ink over slightly in places to soften and give it a soft girlie touch.

I then finished it off with this Studio Calico wooden heart.



It's now sitting on my desk looking very pretty.

Come and join us at LESSology.
See what my teamies came up with here.
You can play along and add your own project here. You have until 6th May.
We are sponsored this month by : http://paperandsuchonline.com/
Who have kindly donate some stamps for the lucky winner.

I hope you feel inspired : )
Happy altering.

xxx

Photo Blocks at LESSology

Hi there!!

As I mentioned earlier this week, we have been working on the challenge 'photo blocks' at LESSology.
This created lots of chatter between us as a design team. I can not believe how many different takes there are on this months challenge.
Here is mine.



I found this frame in a charity story (pic below) for just a £1.
I tore off the back and turned it in to the pic above.
The block at the back of the frame is 4x4inches and about 2inches deep.
I've included full step by step instructions on the LESSology blog here. (scroll down til you get to mine)


I loved making this even if the challenge did have me stumped.
Isn't that why we call them challenges though?!
Please do go and see what the others did. It's so fun to see how many different creations came from this. Here


Lisa xxx

Altered Notebooks

Good Morning,

I have my LESSology creations to share with you today. It's my turn on the blog.
The title 'Flights of Fancy' instantly made me think of planes. One piece of paper in particular. I knew in an old Cocoa Daisy kit I had a piece of paper with planes on it.

I then started thinking.... my sis and her family have just booked their first trip to Florida later this year, so I decided to revamp some old little hardbacked notebooks for my nieces and nephew to take on the plane.

I took my huge bag of all my Cocoa Daisy kits into the family room, spread out over the floor and went though picking out papers.
And then sat and made these.



I found 3 types of cloud paper, some map paper and for little Millie's book a piece of Fancy Paper Baby Mine with the little birdies.
All still going witth the theme of flight.
A plane and cloud have been laminated and tied on to the top of each one.

Once they were made I covered the covers in modge podge to help them last abit longer.

I'll give them to them later in the year with some pencils.
We gave our two notebooks for their first trip to Florida and it's lovely looking back at all there little drawings from the trip : )

Visit LESSology if you would like to play along.

Have a great day xxx

Flights of Fancy

This week at LESSology our challenge is called 'Flights of Fancy'.
Use this title as your inspiration.
There are some sneeks above.
Vist the LESSology blog here and take a look at how many different ideas we've all come up with. There will be more as the week goes on.

We've been sponsored by Jenny Johns for this months challenge. Jenny is an Ippty Chick and has kindly offered some Unity Stamps for the prize.
I subbed to Unity for a little while and have lots of their stamps.
They are just yummy!!

If you want to play along, visit LESSology here.


xxx

Weekly Organiser

A while ago I saw this idea on Pinterest it really caught my eye. It was a black frame of little frames that had been decorated.
I loved the idea of creating that into a weekly organiser for us.

So when LESSOLOGY gave us the challenge of creating an inspiration board I thought this was the perfect start.
I've been inspired by some of my favourite papers from MME - Lost and Found.
I love these papers and the glittery accents added.

I bought this frame and have turned it into our weekly organiser.
A wipeable pen works perfect on the glass.


I've added some extra chipboard pieces on top of the glass.

Love the glitter!!


This will also double up as a reward chart, keeping tally of the pocket money earnt by the kids.
(or maybe haven't earnt, but could have earnt!!)

I plan to keep note of activities planned each week along with the chores expected of the kids.
It's sat in the kitchen still waiting for Ade to hang it on the kitchen door.
I don't think blue tack will work on this one.


Take a look here to see what the other LESSology girls made.
This weeks prize is sponsored by Whiskers Graphics who are sending out bakers twine to the winner.
Add your inspiration boards here to play along.

Happy Weekend xxx

Amber Snowflake #2

Yay for Friday.
Another jam packed week.
Work is busy, the kids were off school on Wednesday due to teacher strikes, Hollie is off today for a tutor review day. Rush rush rush.
Plus our internet is really playing up. Driving us potty.

I have the rest of my Cocoa Daisy LO's to share.












And my LESSology project too.
You can view mine and Amy's projects here for the 'You've got mail' challenge.
We are transforming envelopes this week at LESSology.
Click here to play along with us.
This challenge is sponsored by Pixie Dust Paperie.
I'm about to pack and get ready for the classes I'm teaching tomorrow in Sparkle Dreams, Swindon. I'm teaching a mini book class in the morning and 2 LO's in the afternoon. Can't wait.
Then off to visit my sis and then my Mum afterwards.
Better get packing.
I've got my meeting with Hollie's form tutor in 40mins too.
See what I mean about rushing.

Thank you for stopping by and sorry for my lack of blog visiting recently. Between pc troubles, business and internet probs I am so behind.
Enjoy your weekend xxx

Friday Feeling

Booooo to techie problems!!!
I've been struggling again with my pc. Bloody thing!!
So far so good today though.

Yesterday was a Sketchy Thursdays day. A lovely new sketch : )


I grabbed my Fancy Pants - Summers End stash and made this LO.
(click to enlarge)
This photo was taken (by Nicky) of my family together when we went to see Glee in London in June. We met up with my Uncle and cousins there. I love spending time with them, shame we just live that bit too far away.

Here's the sketch.
We are sponsored this week by Paper Issues.
They have donated a lovely kit for the winner.
Come and play along here.


I love the colours in the Summers End collection.
The blues, green and orange.
A fave combo of mine.


I matted some of the stickers onto cardstock, cut up some pp and hand stitched and layered lots.
I do love it when you have a whole collection of a something. The LO's just come together so easily.


Over at LESSology we've been playing with glass jars this week.
I always keep mine to tart up for gifts, especially this time of year.
I sometimes make homemade chutney and I also like to do this:




This challenge is sponsored by The Paper Bakery.

To play along, visit here.

I need to pack ready for my class I'm teaching tomorrow : )
Really looking forward to it.
Happy Friday to you xxx

Embroidered Wall Art

Life isn't slowing down here.
Still going 100mph and not stopping.

Today I have some embroidered wall art to share.
Although it isn't my week designing with LESSology, I adore making Wall Art so wanted to play along too.



I took an old haberdashery ring and covered it in bakers twine. Then took one of Hollie's old school shirts and sewed the word 'Love' across and finished by using some mini alpha stamps. Quite simple, but I like it.



There's loads of different Wall Art projects to see over at LESSology this week. All shapes and sizes, see here.
This challenge is sponsored by Trade Fish Designs who have kindly offered a $20 voucher to spend with them.
Play along and add your wall art here.

So far this week I have...
broken the coffee machine and now await a replacement (thank goodness for warantees)
worked til midnight twice this week
stood on a freezing football pitch for over an hour
finished an art journal that I adore
got rained on when collecting from school yesterday and didn't take a coat or brolly
missed my lattes LOTs
we've had a good tidy at home and the house feels lovely
and have made a beef stew this morning which is in the crock ready for tonight.
it smells YUMMY!!

Have you achieved much this week?

xxx

Wall Art

It's just a quickie from me today.
I've had a super busy weekend. A fab day at Sue's with Steph on Saturday. Lots of scrap, chatter and giggles and then a wedding fayre yesterday. Long, quiet and boring only to leave and want to pack up the car but had left the lights on and instead had a flat battery. Not Funny!!

As usual I'm snowed under with work. Not complaining mind. I's rather it this way.
But I've popped in with a sneak of what's coming up this week at LESSology.




It's not my week to play along but I do love to dabble in a bit of Wall Art, so I had to play along too.

Keep an eye out here for more details.

I'm going to grab another hours work before bed.
Catch you tomorrow xxx

Doggy Bag

Do you keep your paper bags?
What do you do with them?

I love spicing them up and giving them a new lease of life.
This week at LESSology we are transforming our browm paper bags.
I turned mine into a house warming gift for a sweet friend.


I used the Cocoa Daisy Farmers Market Kit. And baked Choccie Chip Cookies to go inside the bag.
Pop on over to LESSology. Amy's bag is up with mine today and Julie's and Yvonnes were yesterday. I love how different all our bags are.



I have something nice planned this morning and I'm expecting a scrappy package too
: )

xxx

My Modern Family

Farmers Market #2

Another LO using this months Cocoa Daisy Farmers Market Kit.
My Modern Family.

Do you watch Modern Family?
My Dad has been insisting that we watch this for so so long now and we finally did when he came over in August and now we are so hooked.
The new series started in the UK a couple of weeks ago and it made me realise that we are 'the modern family'. Click on the LO to read the journaling and see what I mean.



All it needs is for my brother and his partner to adopt and we are they : )
(I don't think that will be happening though, my brother prefers lizards!!)



I hand cut the title and stitched around it so the word 'Modern' stood out more.
And I love these Maya Road flowers so much.


JBS Paints, Mister Huey Mists and some chipboard. All essentials : )
The kit sold out super fast but there are still a few addons here.
Did you know that Cocoa Daisy are also doing Stamp Subscriptions now too?
Oringinal Cocoa Daisy Stamps and great prices. See here.


The first projects are up on the LESSology blog today.
Audrey and Kirsty have done wonders with their brown paper bags : )
If you fancy joining in we are sponsored by Jacquel Bowman/Stampin' Up.
Prize details are here and here is my sneak of my brown paper bag.


Have a good day.
Back to the creating desk for me now xxx

My Art Journal

As I mentioned yesterday, this week at Lessology we are altering books.
We have come up with many different ideas between us.
Today is my day along with Amy.
Here's what I've made.

An art journal.
This art journal has a little story which you can read about here.
And see more piccies too.






Thank you for all the sweet messages this week.
Life is getting back to normal again.
A serious scrap day is in need today. I have so much to do.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a lovely day. xxx

Altered Book Challenge

So the altered book challenge continues over at Lessology this week.



Take a look here at Angi's and Julie's today.
And feel free to play along yourself.

My turn tomorrow to see what I did with my book.
Here's a sneak for now : )



And for the US girls, have you seen the Fancy Pants challenge?
Take a look here.

Have a lovely day xxx