The Introverted Crafter

Ok no it doesn't (more's the pity). I decided that to help me keep going on with my savings I needed a visual aid. I didn't want to go for the usual thermometer, so I did something a little different. I started by grabbing the box that the Tim holtz stamp platform (always keep the packaging!) and painting it with sparks paint. I put a patterned paper inside, and then die cut some branches and flowers. I also die cut three butterflies, coating them with gold, silver and copper wax respectively, to represent the coins we in Britain have. As you can see, it is completely bare on the right hand side. This is because I have set myself a target. Each branch is worth a tenth of that target, and each flower is worth a fifth of a branch. So, I am just shy of halfway on my target. I also finished my other stag. I kept it simple this time, just coated it with foam cogs, painted it with black gesso and then used silver wax. Simple, but striking. Finally, here i...

Ok we have had two nice days, but it's a start! As the weather has been a little better, I decided to do a spring themed tag. I started by covering a tag in resist paper, spraying it with Lindy's spray in blue then inking it over with distress ink. I then used the crackle stamp and some blue embossing powder, to create something more in the background. I had already die cut some paper using a honeycomb die (for the second tag which is below) so I coloured it with blue pen. I sprayed some paper with Lindy's sprays and die cut wildflowers, as well as the word spring using the edge of the sprayed paper, so that only a few drops were on it. Finally I used a metal bird and a little bow. My second tag came about because I tried to cut the honeycomb die with grungeboard, which did not work. It did leave a nice embossed feel though, so I decided to use it to do a second tag. After cutting the grungeboard I die cut the honeycomb die again, using the inner shapes...

I tried to make some bracelets this week. Originally I wanted to do some patterns, but my skills are not quite there yet, and the wires and beading threads were not my friends. So I decided to go a little simpler, and this is what I ended up with. This would be perfect for a little girl.....if I hadn't done it too big. As you can see, there are two strands to this, and the aim is to wrap the larger one, twisting it around the other one. I wanted to use the last of the bicone beads after I had made a bracelet, so I whipped up a pair of earrings to match. This is the bracelet. I used two strands of beading thread with this as you can see, just so that I could practice doing something a little bit different than a simple beading. I'm going to work on a few things that I have seen online, to see if I can improve my skills a little bit. At least one area where my skills are fine is the cross stitching. The photo stitches came on Monday, so I have been workin...

I decided to make a couple of cards this week, and to dig through my stash to find stuff I have seldom/never used before. Here are the results. This is using a stamp set that came free with a magazine, which makes it really easy to do coloured birds without the need to colour them in yourself. As well as this there is a stamp I have had for ages and used once, which I used for the grass and the sky, some tiny tattered florals with jewels in the middle, and a bow from my stash This was made with a combination of new and old things. The papers are all old, and I inked them with distress crayons, going with blue around the edge of the outer one instead of my go-to browns and blacks. The frame is snipart coloured with ink, and the plants were coloured with lindys magicals and a little bit of yellow distress crayons. The sentiment I did in two different shades of blue, but it was too different so I used distress glitter over the top. I've also been working on a new st...

Before I review the month and depress you all, I will do the crafting updates, which are a little cheerier. First of all I have finished the Wallace and Gromit stitch! Isn't it great? Not to mention that the new thing I have implemented about rewards and tasks means that I have been able to buy some stitch-related items as my treat for finishing this. I have gone back to the safari stitch that I started last year, which I have not decided on a treat for yet. Probably a good thing, as it is going to take me a while! As well as the stitch I decided to try out my bead board to see if it helps me design some necklaces. Here are the results. It is actually really helpful to have a bead board, because you can swap things around until you get it right. I'm pleased with these, especially as I am not feeling very creative at the moment. I have bought a few things this week, completely ruining my 'I won't spend all my money as soon as I get paid' id...