Little musings - recent work... photos!

Since I have been drawing these little musing portraits, I have been privy to some stunning photos, some beautiful memories and moments of peoples lives, and I feel really honoured to play a new part in those memories by re-creating them.

I love seeing what people want drawn up, and I haven't turned down a photo yet - I love challenging myself with complicated clothing, or funky styles etc etc, and although sometimes I get it wrong hair colour and have to retouch (lol!) I genuinely love drawing them!

I have updated the facebook gallery, but thought I would show some of my recent favourite drawings.. I hope you like.

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Happy Sunday all!

shredder scissors... (fringing scissors)

So, did anyone else see the Martha Stewart released video with her new fringing scissors?

Cool right?

Yup... but hang on.... *looks again* are they not just shredder scissors?

If you ask me, Martha Stewart can almost never go wrong, I think she is one of the most amazing business around. BUT I do dislike it when scrapbook companies whack a logo on something and then charge the earth. Shredder scissors have been around for SOOOO long, long before actual electric shredders (for paperwork, which FYI, is what these scissors are actually for) These are Martha's version:

And here are mine. Which cost (Including postage) £1.99

(that's less than a happy meal folks! - and less calories)

I did wonder if there would be some quality difference, but from what I can see there is not, being that my £1.99 ones will cut through credit cards (not that I'd want to.. eeeep!)

So - today I made a little flower embellishment, to show you how cool they are, designer ones or not! First you will need the scissors, if you haven't got any lurking in a box from 1970, then go to that big auction website, type in shredder scissors and get some!

Then cut three circles... large, medium and small.

Using your "fringing" scissors, fringe the edge of each circle...

Ink the edges if you wish... don't worry if bits fly off and go everywhere... you are bound to have a few casualties when you fringe so frivolously!

Then, pile them up and brad them together - ruffle up your fringes and voila!

A fringed blossom for your pages, or gift wrap, or hair?

Anyway - think of what else you can fringe!

Its that Friday feeling......

And you know what that means!? It means you get another Friday freebie - and I get the pleasure and honour of announcing who the creative team for me at Little Musings will be!!

I am really really happy and excited to let you into the secret, that Leann New, Caroline Sears and Helen Miles have agreed to work with the freebies (and hopefully something more exciting... *shush its a secret* coming soon!) to showcase them in crafty projects, that will leave you inspired! I am literally wow'd by the talent these ladies have - and I can't wait to show you what they come up with on Fridays!
Right - In no particular order, we have the beautifully talented.....

Leanne New

I'm Leann, a seaside dwelling, paper hoarding mum of two li'l Horrors. I've been crafting forever - I was the child with glitter in her hair and pockets full of pretty buttons (I'm the grown-up with glitter in her hair and pockets full of buttons these days!) - and started blogging my li'l creations in 2007. I've been incredibly lucky since then and have had the oppurtunity to work with some fantastic people, the most recent of course, being SJ and her adorable Little Musings

Caroline Sears

I'm Caroline but most people in my crafting world call me Caz.

I have been crafting since 2005 when I accidentally became hooked when buying supplies for my Mother in Law, and ever since my life has been a whirlwind of paper, ribbons, bling, buttons...just about anything pretty.
I have worked with many talented crafters over the last few years, and have made some wonderful friends through this amazing hobby. I am honored to join SJ and her Little Musings Team and look forward to the future that she draws for us!

Helen Miles
hiya! i'm helen miles and live in cracking wales with my girly and two little bunnies. scrapbooking is my main crafty love, closely followed by cardmaking and minibooks. i love to slap as much product on a project as i possibly can which, ultimately, gives me the excuse to buy more, which is always good. i can't live without my girly cuddles, tea and music!

You will notice - that they have their own little musing ________>
in the sidebar (Right) if you click on them, you will be taken to their blogs, where you can see a whole heap more of their amazing work.

Here are some examples of their creations with the Friday Freebies,
I love what Helen has done here with Elizabeth - she has totally captured the wild side to this freebie, and I can't believe how cool it looks on a Digi page - awesome work Helen!

And Caz made this ADORABLE card using Tabitha - the colours are so elegant, such a pretty toned card. I love how she layers and embellishes perfectly!
Seeing these makes me realise just what a great choice these ladies were, I am hopeless at card making!

RIGHT - onto the Friday Freebie!!! (Which I am sure is why you popped by this morning?)
Meet Jennifer. It is prom night for Jennifer, in her blue prom dress and corsage, she is hoping to be crowned prom queen... You can download her here

This stunning card was made by Leann - Another example of how beautiful the freebies can be when turned into greeting cards. I love the colour choice here, and the curled and torn edges are really effective. Check out that sewing too.. wowzas.
And this is another GREAT example by Helen, of how they can work on digi pages too (As the files come as PNG's) so easy to use. Amazingly, we didn't discuss the freebie, but it matched Helen's little girls dress perfectly! Isn't that cool?!
And to show you how diverse the freebies are, Helen has made this card using the black and white version of Jennifer. Awesome. Those red tones totally change the feel of her, I love what she has done here, and the title of the card makes me smile a lot!
Thanks girls!
Well - be sure to drop by the facebook page if ever you make something with the freebies - we have a gallery there for you to upload too, and you never know, you may be asked to guest for us at Little musings!

Midweek Pretty

I just had to share a card that Helen Miles made with the Friday Freebie - check out how cute her valentines card is!

I love seeing these freebies come to life in peoples projects...

Check out her blog for some more stunning work!

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Tracie Steeley also sent me this adorable card with cute paper rouching featuring the Downloaded Elizabeth:

The downloads, print out really well on card/paper etc.

I have been printing mine out on matte photo paper - which gives them a look like they have been water coloured.

What have you been doing with them?

xxx

New Directions - and a quick flower -"how too"

Hi hi,... I just wanted to post a REALLY quick flower how-to.

Flowers are big again in scrapping - esp vintage ones. So.. instead of spending £5 on a pack that you will keep in your stash box for ages, held in their cellophane prison by your "Oh they were expensive" guilt.. make your own!

I love flowers again, and there are some great tutorials online if you look for them.

This one is easy easy peasy.

I used a 2" circle punch. Scalloped. But plain round would be ok too.

You can do this with any paper - but, grab the vintage vibe thats going round and use book paper instead! You will need to find a book you no longer care about - something that holds little value as a book perhaps.....

*

*

*

LOL.

punch 6-8 circles from it.

The only downfall with punching the circles out of a book like "The Wags Diary" is that, on nearly every circle you will probably capture a sentance that is a bit displeasing to the eye....

aka this one...

*blush* Needless to say, this was turned over before continuing.

Now you will need to poke a needle through, and sew a button on...

If you have zero tolerance for sewing - grab a large fancy circle brad and do it the quick way!

I am a buttons girl myself. As you well know.

Now - take the top circle layer - and scrunch up round the button...

repeat for EVERY layer of the flower - and then arrange the scrunches to reveal the button again. Its cute!

I plan to give mine a quick spritz of glimmer mist and then a spray of acid free clear varnish to help preserve the paper. Plus, these will be way cooler varnished!

So there you go - a really quick make it yourself bloom!

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Lesson over, onto other things!

I was thinking this morning, that if someone had woken me up on the 1st of Jan and told me the direction 2010 may head for me, I would have laughed. I am going through some crafty changes in my life, some of which I will be able to tell you about soon I hope.

All I know is that I am feeling very happy right now.

I feel like my word of the year *Renew* is totally amazingly taken hold of me.

Talking of change - Its that magical time of the year! CHA baby!

I am LOVING keeping up with peoples blogs who are there, and drooling over the sneaks they are posting back. My fav so far are:

DEAR LIZZY.

*lush lush lush*

The amazing kraft from BG - who'd have thought that basic grey would come up with such an amazing winner? I am not a BG girl really at all, but this is on

e range I just gots to have!

And this is freakin' awesome! Real wood panels for mini book covers!

C U T E

and - yet again, from a company normally I wouldn't buy!

You go Creative Imaginations, what a brill product. Did I

mention its die-cuttable?

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Back onto craft, I finished this canvas last night - and have added the words "It has no fear" in the top right corner.

I will be putting prints of it into the shop in time for Valentines day ordering. If anyone is interested in the actual purchase of the canvas - please email for an up to date photo and price info etc.

ps: I will get a proper photo 2morrow... I just looked at this one again and its blimmin awful!

xxxx

Man I am tired... I have been working on the Wii fit every evening before I go to bed this week!!

valentines mug offer

VALENTINES DAY is fast approaching, what are you going to get the loved one in your life?
How about, a little musing of yourselves, immortalised on a mug?
Practical, cute and totally 100% unique!
Orders will be taken till Feb 2nd - and delivered recorded in time for the day of love itself.
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Smoochies!

Wanna be on a mini CT?

Little musings needs a creative
team! And I want YOU! The Friday freebies are really going down a storm, and I'll be honest, until today, I hadn't made anything with them myself!! I made some basic cards which I'll upload to the facebook gallery later, but making them made me realise that I could do with a couple of talented people to showcase them. So, if you have used the freebies either digitally or on paper, and fancy being part of the little musing Creative team, drop me an email (link in the side bar) with a picture of a project you've made using little musings, and a link to your online gallery (if you have one) and you may be in with a chance!

quick button necklace tutorial...

So.. I have recently gotten back into making quick button necklaces.. I recommended them to my friend Laura for her Ranger group as an evening activity suggestion, which made me rummage round the button box again.

I posted a pic of one on Facebook, and was asked to do a quick tutorial on the old blog here, so, first up, wow the photos are blurred and bad, but if you look past that, then you will see some basic instructions for a simple one string necklace.

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You will need:

Buttons (obs)

Wire. Thin.

Something to wrap the wire round after you have threaded the buttons if you want.

First up - lay down your chosen buttons. I like to work symmetrically, but that's just me.

I also like to layer my buttons up. 2-3 layers looks neatest.

Get a length of wire, that easily wraps round your neck.. then fold in half to create the centre point. Open the wire back out...

Working from the middle, thread your centre buttons onto the wire till you meet your centre point.

Always thread the wire through from underneath the buttons.

Once you have the first buttons secured, start again from underneath, threading your next selection on.

When you thread these second buttons on, tuck them under the centre buttons, to create a layer.

repeat the process for the entire left side of the necklace. Going from underneath, and tucking the buttons under the last, if you see what I mean.

like this. This is the left section of the necklace complete.

Repeat for the right hand of the necklace.

Just for reference, this is what the underside should look like when all buttons have been threaded.

at this point - I made a little wire loop after the last little button, but you could also use something thin like the emboss tool in the first picture to create neat tiny loop, and thread a jewellery ring through, especially if you are using chain to finish your necklace. But for this one, I made a wire loop and used ribbon.

Both ends need a loop. Then trim the wire and neaten the edge so it doesn't scratch you.

Using ribbon of your choice (or chain) tie through the loops.

It is now finished.. and you will look the bell of the ball!

Trust me, this is really really easy. I made the pink and blue one, on the floor, with a two year old running around stealing the buttons every 2 seconds.. easy!