Bits & Pieces

It is surprising what you can make out of a babies coat hanger , some old lace , a piece of scrap paper & a few old embellishments I had hanging around. I made these some years ago & have just found them when tiding a cupboard out. I have just started selling on Folksy so I think I need to find the template.

My oldest daughter Joanna

Dave's grandson Jamie

My youngest daughter Jilly

http://handmadeharbour.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/handmade-monday-81.html

Granddaughters first School Photo

This  LO is the first school photo of my 2 granddaughters Amber & Laura.
The LO was done on a Linen Canvas that I bought at a big Craft Show at the NEC in Birmingham. I only got the one so if any one can tell me where I could find some more I would be very grateful.
I used a sheet of Kaisercraft "Sweet Nothings " paper that I fancy cut and added lots of stickles glitter.
I also used lots of Prima flowers and a Prima resin wishing well and a Prima Crystal Swirl.
The Butterfly was off a necklace and the Clock is a button
Lastly I added some Lace on the bottom.

Please check out my Items for Sale at :http://folksy.com/shops/craftsfromhome

What can we do now the Olympics is over

Two weeks of fantastic entertainment from the Magnificent Opening Ceremony to the Musical Closing Ceremony  Dave and I were mesmerized by the hole  experience.
This 12x12 is a tribute to our two local girls , Beth Tweedle who got a Bronze medel in the Gymnastic High Bars and Shanaze Reade who got to the Final of the BMX Bike Race.

Beth

Shanaze

No Gold Post Box for Crewe but they both did us proud.

This LO was done for when the Olympic torch came to Crewe on May 31st.

The backing paper is Portobello Road by Papermania.

I made a flower in the same paper and added some bunting and a date stamp by Maya Road.

http://handmadeharbour.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/handmade-monday-80.html

With two weeks in front of the T/V the garden had taken a back seat so Dave has taken three days off work and we have got stuck in and it is starting to look more like our garden again.We have also given the Summer House ( CAT House) a new look. I think the cats approve.

I have finished off the week with yet another mirror. 

I used a sheet of BoBunny " Little Miss " paper to which I added lots of stickles glitter.

I cut out lots of Butterflies from a sheet of Kaisercraft "Sweet Nothings "paper and added a large pink flower that I think was Petaloo adding lots of stickles to that as well.

http://handmadeharbour.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/handmade-monday-80.html

Back to 12x12's

It must be a month since I did any 12 x 12 's so here are two I did last week.

The first is two old photo's I found of our visit to Disney Land in LA when Dave went over on business . I went with him and we had the second week visiting Disney Land , Universal Studios and Hollywood plus much more.

This one is of Dave's Mum and friends working in the Coop stores in war time . The lad in the middle must think all his birthdays have come at once.Dave's mum is on the far right as you look at it.

Just come back from the car boot with two 12x12 shadow box's and three Ikea mirror's for £2.What a great bargain!!! 

http://handmadeharbour.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/handmade-monday.html

Memorys

If you have plenty of wall space I think memory box's can be as good as memory albums. All three of these again have been picked up at car boot sales. Sunday mornings are my favourite time of the week. We have two great car boot sales every Sunday , one within walking distance.
This is a large printers tray I bought recently to record some of our trips to our three favourite City's Rome , Paris & Barcelona.
The papers I used were Bo Bunny , Gabriella , Kaisercraft & Prima Almanac . I've added lots of embellishments , trinkets , fridge magnets & key rings we bought on holiday plus Prima clocks-Birdcages , Tim Holtz ornate plate & lots of flowers.
I am now working on a printers tray about our holidays to the USA .I'll post it when it's finished.

Here is a shadow box of Dave , his son Antony & grandson Jamie while Dave was over in Czech for Jamie's 3rd birthday.
The back ground is a BoBunny Jungle theme paper which doesn't show up on the photo.
Using lots of little trinkets that I've collected along the way & a beautiful large flower that I don't know where I got it from.
The Wooden train Dave picked up from the Zoo at Ostrava in Czech.

Lastly for today is a Shadow Box I picked up last Sunday. It is  a memory of our last trip to Rome in May.
I have used Prima Printery paper & 7 Gypsies paper.
I also used a fridge magnet from Novona Plaza in Rome , a Replica Roman Coin  & a beautiful BoBunny Cameo and placed  a mirror in the middle.

I hope you enjoyed these three memory moments , if so  or if not please comment.
http://handmadeharbour.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/handmade-monday-78.html

I have so many  Mirrors I have now decided to put some of them with my Bird Cages on E-bay. Please check my account.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/dop270/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25&_trksid=p3692 

Mirror , Mirror on the Wall

Mirror , Mirror on the wall which is the fairest of them all?

Here is a small collection of my Mirrors I have picked up on my travels .After cleaning them up I striped them down and then put my personal touch to each and every one of them. Most have come from my favourite place the car boot sales but I also search junk shops and charity shops for any item that takes my fancy.

I believe most if not all the Mirrors were from Ikea.The paper I used were old scraps I had left over from other projects with just a few embellishment add for effect.

  

http://handmadeharbour.blogspot.co.uk/

I have so many of these Mirrors I have now decided To put some of these with my Bird Cages on E-bay.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/dop270/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25&_trksid=p3692

Men in my Life

This is a Mini Album of the men in my life.
I started with a clock Mini Album by Bo Bunny I picked up last September at Ally Pally.
Inside are photo's of both my grandfathers , Dad and my partner Dave.
I used lots of flowers mostly by Prima ( I just love Prima flowers), leaves from a local craft shop , pearl swirls also by Prima and lots of embellishments, brass keys , keys , cloaks , birdcages and locks picked up on my journeys. I also used some wooden embellishments to set off the different pages.
http://handmadeharbour.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/handmade-monday.html

Granddad Powell

Granddad Felton

Dad

My partner Dave

Mini Albums have taken over my life at the moment , I find it a great way of saving memory's. I hope you agree.

Please Please comment all comments are very welcome.
Also check out my MIRROR sale on e-bay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290748668254?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649#ht_500wt_1156

Car Boot Treasures

My favourite place on a Sunday morning for finding Crafting Treasures must be the Car Boot Sale. I don't know if this is a world wide thing or it is just in the UK ,I believe the USA have something similar  called a garage sale. Mainly on a Sunday morning people get together on a car park , a sports field , a farmers field etc with all what they see as junk and sell it. You can pick up some great bargains. 

I tend to go for smooth wooden objects such as boxes , picture frames , mirrors and old jewellery boxes and I do not spend any more than £2 per item (for £2 it must be something I really want). You need objects smooth so that with a little rub down  it is a lot easier to decorate.

 After you have  finished decorating your bargain you can give them away as presents or use the boxes to put the present in instead of wrapping the present up. This way the they get two presents for the price of one.

Here are a few of my bargains I have picked up from my local Car Boot.

http://handmadeharbour.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/handmade-monday-75.html

This little box I picked up for 75p and transformed it into a gift box for one of my daughters. She was so delighted she thought it was the main  present not the present container. She now uses it on her dressing table.

The tray I picked up for 50p at the end of the car boot , this is the best time for bargains as everyone are packing up and don't want to take anything home.
I striped it down and made it into a Paris tray to remind us of a lovely holiday we had in this beautiful city.

This is one I loved doing.I picked it up again for 50p. I made this memory box of Dave's grandson Jamie and Dave took it over to Czech when he went over to visit. Jamie's mum was so pleased she put it on her Face Book page.

 

This was one of my first car boot buys , it cost a grand total of £1.50. I have not found a use for it yet so it sets on the Welsh dresser at home.

Yet another shadow box filled with seeds. You find lots of these and you can pick them up for between 50p to £1.50 depending on the size. Again I turned it into a Paris memory box. We love Paris but not as much as Rome.

This one you well have seen  on my blog about a month ago .My granddaughter was going to University so I made this box into a sewing box for her.   

Last but not least a Ikea mirror. These can be picked up  nearly every week for about 50p to £1.If you follow my blog you will know I have a wall of them in the bedroom. I just love making them.

I hope you have enjoyed my Car Boot treasures and it has encourage you to  go hunting on a Sunday morning. Please let me know of any bargains you have picked up.

Good hunting & feel free to Comment!!!

The Bridesmaid

This is a 12x12 LO of my mum when she was a Bridesmaid for her sister.
I started with a pink Cardstock and layered it up with 2 different pieces of lace with Bead Ribbon running through .
I added a Prima Flower , an old Cameo and some small roses.
The white flowered Lock catch was originally off an old cupboard.I also cut up a Cream Metal Photo Frame painted it white and used it as a Corner.
Lastly added a Bird , Butterfly and Key and Lock .
The 12x12 was then fitted into a Shadow Box picked up at a Car Boot Sale.
Thanks for Looking.
l

Where to put all the Nest boxes

The obsession with decorating nest boxes has become a problem . We had them on a wall in the conservatory but the wall has become too small. The only place that I can put them now is the Summer House but I don't know what Dave will say.

This is a small collection of them , I think there is about 15 all together somewhere in the loft.

As you can see I even have a Christmas one that comes out once a year.

The one below is my latest design ,made with Webster pages paper and a punched paper roof.

Decorated with birds & lace .The clock is  so  the birds can tell when it is time to nest.

HAHA

http://handmadeharbour.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/handmade-monday-74.html