Done!

I finished the piece today.   I tried various die cuts but wasn't happy with any of them, so made another 2 flowers and then the nice Slice cut me a mat,  plus the bit that goes underneath,  discovered some rub ons that have been lurking for ages,  just chose 3 words from them,  added the stamp and voila!   Oh if only it had been that simples..   cos it was anything but.    I really wanted to use cogs or keys, but don't have any,  there is one key on one of my slice design cards, but it is rather plain and chunky.   I did use my last silver butterfly, sigh...   these are just so pretty,  got them last year at the Aintree craft show, but this year the stall didn't have any :-(

The slice does have quite a few flowers and a lot of flourishes.  

I made these two flowers using brown card and gold vellum,  I stamped the brown flower with a versamark pad, then used a background stamp with a random pattern on it,  then used the perfect pearls to pick out the pattern,  finished them off with a coat of crackle glaze, neither of which is showing up on the photo,   just stamped the vellum flowers with that script stamp.

Just felt that they finished off the piece nicely.   The pinflair gel is getting well used,  will have to stock up on it soon down to my last tube!  

There was another happy event that brightened up my boring morning (stuck in waiting for district nurse while mum went to the hairdressers) a lovely lady delivered something...

Yes my cuttlebug arrived!   Now I call that good service,  placed the order late Saturday afternoon, parcel was dispatched on Sunday,  which meant the couriers wouldn't pick it up till Monday - now that ain't bad going.   Think I've only waited a week for one item,  while with QVC it always took at least a week for stuff to arrive, sometimes longer.   I was tempted to get the Grand Calibur but I don't have anywhere to store it,  so I chose the 'Bug' as it is smaller.  Also picked up a handy tip from Phil on CnC this morning, he was using the cuttlebug, but instead of making the 'sandwich' and then inserting it, he put the A plate into the machine, followed by the B plate, then the folder and then the other B plate,  it saved all that faffing - I tried it and it is so much easier!    I've now got loads of embossing folders,   and found that the Sizzix boutique's thin shim also works with the Bug,  used it on a thin embossing folder, worked a treat.  One thing does bug me (no pun intended) it is this,  the manufacturers know that you are likely to use thin dies and so will need the C plate, so why isn't the C plate included with the machine?   Bit like buying a car and then paying extra for the spare wheel. 

But very chuffed that it has arrived, and now will head of to local craft shop for some dies,  they don't have silly prices,  and I have a ten pound voucher to spend. 

I've started another piece of craft art,  got lots of things drying ready to be stuck down tomorrow.

See you then!