be still my beating heart ... WOYWW

 

The other day I caught the 7gypsies bug and had to go shopping for these yummy items. They are now all piled up on my desk and every time I walk past I just think .... oh the possibilities ....

So, to have a closer look, this is what I bought: 

A 7gypsies letterblock printer tray ...

The little squares on this are a lot smaller than I was expecting them to be. Not sure what I'm going to do with this yet, I just liked the idea of it.

Four 7gypsies library drawers ...

Why four you ask? Because I can think of at least four different uses for them! I am really excited about these drawers and love the quality and feel of them. They are a nice decent size and come with a set of 12 calendar index cards, although I'll probably scrap these and make my own. So many possibilities ... yum!

Next up, the 7gypsies vintage receipt holder ...

Woah, woah, woah!!! I just had to have this! It has 10 panels to decorate. I have no idea what I am going to do with it,  but know that when it's finished I will have it hanging in my craft room, ready to inspire and delight. So I am going to alter it with that in mind. I think. Love the fab clunky hanging chain it comes with.

And last but by no means least, the 7gypsies photo carousel ...

Yum. Yum. Yum. I have GREAT plans for this. I intend to create a personal scrapbook album and create mini layouts using my favourite photos stored on my computer which never see the light of day. I can't wait to get started on this. I may even share some with you. 

It comes with 10 plastic sleeves, which I doubt I will use as I want it to be more exciting than that. 

Oh, I almost forgot. To enable me to make my own pages to attach to the carousel, I bought a 7gypsies atc punch which also makes holes to fit the photo carousel. 

Well, as it's Wednesday and this is my workdesk, I am going to link it up to What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday and will now go and check out what everyone else is up to.

If you missed my Steampunk Paper Bag Album, just scroll down to the next post or click this link.

Thank you for looking.

keeley

steampunk paperbag album graphic 45

Hi, at Crafts 4 Eternity this week, the challenge is: add a hidden element to your project. Uhmmmm, think I might have gone over the top a little! 

Now I must warn you now, that this is an extremely long post with like a gazillion photos in it, so either grab yourself a cuppa or hop away now ...

Before I carry on, I am going to enter this into the following challenges:

'anything but a card': Saturday Challenge and Tuesday Throwdown.
'embossing': Paper Sundaes.
'ribbons, pearls/rhinestones, flowers': A Spoonfull of Sugar.
'ladies day': My Time To craft.
'Mother's Day/Girlie': Simon Says Stamp Challenge. I have gone for girlie.
'embellishments beginning with C': Creative Belli. I have clocks.
'tags': Truly Scrumptious.

I will let the photos do most of the talking - click on any photo to get a better view. I actually started this just after Christmas and it has been on and off my craft table ever since. I was spurred on to get it finished when I saw the c4e challenge this week.

Front cover

I've used corrugated card for the front and back covers, to which I've smeared on some gesso and randomly embossed with gold embossing powder.

For the 'Time Flies', I stacked some buttons up, embossed them a bit with gold and then used rub ons for the letters. 

All of the sheer clocks used throughout the album are by Maya Road. The door knob and all the large sprocket wheels etc are Tim Holtz.

All papers used throughout are from the Graphic 45 ~ Steampunk Debutante collection. 

The metal piece being pinched between the fingers is the pull of a zipper which I've had sat in an old sewing box for at least two decades. I always knew I'd find a use for it one day! I've stuck on some watch innards and added some gold embossing powder.

Do you want a peak inside?

Inside front cover

I cut out the frame and stuck it to a piece of chipboard, which I've then added foam pads underneath to make it stand up a bit. A photo can now be slotted down the top of the frame.

Paper bag 1 front

There are lots of little pull out tags and cards throughout the album, which can be used as journalling spots or to add photos.

You will also see a lot of gold embossing! I've used the Tim Holtz ~ Speckle Stamp with gold embossing as a theme running throughout the album.

Paper bag 1 - back

A little card has been tucked in the side pocket.

 

Paper bag 1 - tag

Paper bag 1 - back and Paper bag 2 - front

 

Paper bag 2 front has it's own little book attached.

Which opens out like this. The right had side is a pocket that a tag needs to go into.

And flips up like this ... Again the butterfly border has been mounted onto chipboard and raised up with foam pads so that a photo can be tucked into the gap.

And turns again like this ...

More watch innards.

Here is the tag for this pocket.

 

 Paper bag 2 - back

Paper bag 2 - back and paper bag 3 - front

Paper bag 3 - front

This page is my absolute most favourite of them all. Which is your favourite? 

Took me forever to work out how I was going to do it, because it was a pocket side, but I got there in the end and I'm really pleased with the end result. A few photos on this page to show you what I did.

I used the tailor's dummy from the Sizzix Tim Holtz ~ Sewing Room die to carefully cut out the bodice of the dress from the paper. I cut another piece from chipboard, stuck the two together. A bit of gold embossing to the edges.

Then I did something I've seen around in blogland a lot. I cut the Sizzix Tim Holtz ~ Birdcage die out of grunge paper, painted it with espresso paint and added some gold embossing. I had to cut off the bottom of the cage to make it fit the page, but it looks like more of a skirt this way, I think.

I added some ribbon, a trinket pin and raised the whole lot up on foam pads and stuck it back down onto the gap in the paper that I had originally cut out from.

I did the same for the bottom.

I thought the sentiment on the tag for this pocket appropriate, with that tight corset!

Paper bag 3 - back

The hinge, my other half brought back for me from the hardware store (along with a few others). Bless. Much cheaper than the ones from the craft shops,  he said and cheaper still as I didn't have to pay for them. LOL!

Ignore the gems which decided to do a little dance on the page when I wasn't looking. They're all fixed now.

Another Maya Road clock which I embossed and added a yummy Teresa Collins brad.

Paper bag 4 - front

Another frame which a photo can be slid behind.

Paper bag 4 - back

Cards and tags.

Almost there!

Inside back cover

More clocks and a lovely chunky Teresa Collins brad.

Back cover

All tied together with black ribbon.

Well if you got all the way to the end, THANK YOU for taking the time to look.

keeley

puppy dog tales

Today at Crafts 4 Eternity we have a recipe challenge to include: fabric, buttons and beads.

I've finally cut into my favourite papers Prima ~ Jack 'n Jill. Almost everything I've used on this is by Prima.

I used my Grand Nestabilities ~ Labels die to cut the shape. I had a problem with this though, as my multipurpose platform was smaller than the die and I've scoured the internet and cannot find anything similar which is larger. So I just stacked my Sizzix Big Shot Pro up with a pile of magazines, so that I could make the cut!

The image is CC Designs ~ Puppy Kiki which I coloured with copics and added some stickles.

The scalloped edge trims were made with Tim Holtz Sizzix ~ Scallops die.

I made a little pull out tag.

I am also entering this in at the following:
'up in the air + option green': Cupcake Craft Challenges. I have butterflies.
'Spring time': The Pink Elephant, Crafty Calendar Challenge and By the Cute & Girly
'something sweet': Stamp Something. I think the image and papers are sweet.


Thank you for looking.


keeley

unique

Hello! Gosh, it's been forever since I blogged. I signed up to a 12 week fitness program to help me lose weight and get fit for the summer. It was pretty exhausting at first. I have been working out 6 times a week when I get home from work, and then I cook a nice {healthy} dinner  (no more ready cooked meals) and make a lunch for work the next day. It hasn't left me with a lot of {me} time, so I haven't been on the net as much, but have managed to get some crafting in here and there, with what little spare time I've had. 

Anyway, three weeks into the program, I have lost 10 pounds!! I am soooo pleased, it has all been so worth it. I am also so much more toned and trim than the slug I was before! LOL! I still have another 9 weeks to go and hope to lose another 11 pounds, to be the person I used to be. And no I haven't done it by starving to death, I've eaten three healthy meals a day, in fact I've had some of the most delicious meals I've ever eaten, from the meal plan set for me. I've also eaten out in restaurants a few times and it hasn't set me back, but I must admit I now choose much healthier {and nicer} foods than I would have done previously.

Enough of that though, just wanted to give someone else a boost if they needed it.

 

My card today is for this weeks challenge at Crafts 4 Eternity, where we have a purple, aqua and green colour scheme. As soon as I saw this challenge, I immediately thought of these papers from the Bo Bunny ~ Peacock Lane collection.

This card is a bit plainer than I intended it to be, but I was a bit too exhausted at the time to work out what to do with it.

The image is Magnolia ~ Tilda with a small gift. Again I've coloured here with copics and added some stickles. These colours aren't my favourite colours to colour with! I also tried to do the colouring where you colour the pleats in, so this is my first attempt. Think I need a bit more practice with that one!

I'm also going to pop this in at Simon Says Stamp Challenge, where the theme is 'anything goes'.

Thank you for looking.

keeley