TAP-DANCING HANDS

Can you have tap-dancing hands?




Turn up the sound, sit back and enjoy this excellent video.

Witty and FUN! Great job! (I'd like to know how they can keep straight faces).

Happy Sunday, folks!

PINK SATURDAY - CAPRICES

Page after title page

For this week's post I'm shorter on time than I'd like - so here's some pages from my altered book 'Caprices'.

The back of the book with a hidden window

Showing the niche inside the window, and the drawer in the side

Another view, showing the little drawer and the bottles in more detail

Hope you like them!

It's been a hysterical week - trying to list a book on Etsy and a clearout of rubber stamps and art supplies onto eBay - it takes FOREVER to list things.

I've also put the last of my videos onto YouTube and my page here - it all takes time (see post below as well)!

So I haven't even managed to do much Pink Saturday visiting! I'll try to do better this week and catch up a bit.



Finally, please visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound to see all the other wonderful Pink Saturday posts!

PORTFOLIO-STYLE SKETCHBOOK

Here's another of my handmade books - this one is a bit different: a portfolio-style sketchbook. 

I used a pamphlet stitch (see my tutorial in my Etsy shop if you want to make one), which just goes to show that a basic stitch needn't result in a boring book!

The front - generous grograin tape ties. The tapes run right through, front to back, hidden inside the detatchable cover. In my Etsy shop now!

Closeup of the titling: distressed, embossed and mounted with tiny brads in 3 separate pieces (which can be removed if required). Cover paper is Bockingford heavyweight watercolour paper.

Inner cover, showing the paste paper finish inside (I made the effect by paddling with my gloved fingers) which is slightly dimensional.

Showing the pages - 8 pages (16 sides) of Saunders Waterford hand-poured watercolour paper with a natural deckle edge. I've distressed the pages very lightly, allowing for journalling, artwork etc.

The back - also with tapes threaded through. The cover is distressed with walnut ink, coffee and tea, and I added little grains of coffee and walnut ink to achieve the 'foxed' effect.

Another closeup from a different angle, so you can see the tied tapes better.

The sketchbook is 11.5inches wide x 15 inches high (29cm x 38cm) and the pages are 11 inches x 14.75 inches (28cm x 37.75cm). It opens out to a huge 22 inches x 14.75inches (56cm x 37.75cm) - loads of space to work on!

I've just put this into my Etsy shop - finally feel I can let go of it (they're like my children, I can't always let them out the house, lol)

STUNNING BOOKBINDING VIDEO

Hold onto your hats, gang! Grab a comfortable chair, a cup of coffee, turn up the sound and prepare to be amazed...



Patience from Glowing Heads on Vimeo.


This is an INCREDIBLE example of an artist's book(s). I just had to share!

MORE SCRAPBOOKING VIDEOS

I've finally managed to post the rest of my videos (20 in all!) which you'll find on the Videos page (link under the blog header).

I've put up the YouTube versions (without adverts) but if you are hard of hearing go to the original VideoJug site, which has printable transcriptions.

Here are the videos on hybrid and digital scrapbooking, which are all the rage at the minute!



A guide to hybrid scrapbooking


How to begin digital scrapbooking


Here's the link on VideoJug (who did the filming) where they supply a printable version with links to all the sites I mention in the Digital Scrapbooking video.

HAPPY PINK SATURDAY

Rene Gruau for French Vogue

I have to say it - again I'm not really ready for a Pink Saturday post! As usual, rush rush rush - it seems to have been a very hectic week so far.

Oui! Zere is life after chocolat!

I'm happy to say I'm back on my diet and lost 2lb this week - so nearly back to what I was pre-Christmas (well, pre November if I'm being honest). I put on 5lb, which for over the holiday period and not exercising or anything (apart from the remote control) isn't too bad!

Pink Harajuki - copyright Sushihi on Deviant Art

You can only get away with this if you are:

• Young
• Cute
• Pretty
• and THIN

And here is some PINKwhich is totally edible!

Pink - copyright one-little-thing on Deviant Art

Dreaming that Spring will soon be here...

Copyright Oprisco on Deviant Art

The other exciting event was the fan on the boiler has been fixed - it was sounding like a wounded buffalo! More groan and bellow than squeak, but just as loud and irritating.

Still, I remind myself of the wonder of Spring, and seasons renewing...

Copyright Elise Enchanted on Deviant Art

The birds are nesting ....

Pink Flight - copyright Kakaponi at Deviant Art

I feel much more cheerful now!

Sending sweet thoughts your way!



Finally, please visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound to see all the other wonderful Pink Saturday posts!

SOME MORE OF MY SCRAPBOOKING VIDEOS

Storing your scrapbooking supplies is always a problem - so here's my latest little video with a few ideas you might find useful.





Here is the link for all my scrapbooking videos, made by VideoJug for Blade Rubber Stamps - and also on my own YouTube channel (without the adverts\0.  I've also archived them on Blade Rubber's Scrapbooking Videos page.

And here are some more ideas for scrapbooks:







Hope you like the videos: short & sweet, just some brief overviews which I hope will give you some ideas.

JOURNALLING - PAINT MARKERS

Chisel tip

People ask me about paint markers for journalling.

Everyone online is mourning the discontinuation of Sharpie Poster Pens (opaque water-based paint pen which writes over ANYTHING - and which was virtually impossible to buy in the UK. Leastwise, I never found any).

Lumiere paint carefully applied with a brush and therefore a bit wobbly - and Ranger's white opaque pen (written over twice, to show up). How much easier if I'd had these new pens! Can't WAIT to try them!

However: I was looking at Kelly Kilmer's definitive Pen List earlier today, and she's found a substitute! Same manufacturer, different packaging: Uni Poscar Paint - for once, something readily available in the UK! Hurrah!

Bullet tip

Here are the links:

USA:   
Durable Supply
American Markers
Art Primo
Sid Savage
Markers4U

UK:
London Graphics Centre - in Covent Garden, London (great place to visit)
ArtiFolk (inc glitter pens!)
Tiger Pens (free delivery in the UK for orders over £10)
Journal Craft (inc opaque white)
Crafty Arts (inc brush tip pens)
Pullingers (whole range!)

Just Google for more links. The pens are also available on Amazon and eBay.

I'm off shopping - can't wait to try these!

HAPPY PINK SATURDAY BACKGROUNDS

Pink is this year's colour - it's official! Home & Garden (a French blog) says so! So it must be true! Oh la la, what a colour!

However, it's not the same colour in my Photoshop7 programme - I had to use ColorZilla (a free Firefox app) to get the exact colour coding!

'Cup of Rose' by RegularJane on Deviant Art

Due to computer problems I haven't been participating lately, but as it's behaving itself again - AND I've sorted out my keyboard (see the post below this one) so I'm back to normal (ish) again. To celebrate, I've made a background and header set in two colourways - a little Spring-like (I'm positive Spring is just around the corner...)

LACE FLOWERS - PINK

As you can see, this works for a 3-colum blog - also the new Designer Templates! Here, I used Awesome No 2, then adjusted it to tone in with my background. This template will also work with some free WordPress templates (eg: Bueno) as well as the older Blogger templates (eg: Minima). It will also work with wide 2-col blogs etc.

Copy ALL the code and paste into an html widget box (it'll load fastest if the widget is at the bottom of your blog):

<style type="text/css">
body {background-image: url("http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu313/1stFloorFlatComputery/749b8e3a.jpg"); background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; }
</style>
<div id="tag" style="position:absolute; left:0px; top:50px; z-index:50; width:150px; height:30px;">
<a href="http://1stfloorflatblogology.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" src="http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu313/1stFloorFlatComputery/9061ddc2.png"/>
</a></div>

HEADER

Header design copyright Susie Jefferson - bee border from Penniwig's

Custom Text
Either left-click to bring the header up to full size, then right-click to copy to your computer. Add your own text using your favourite graphics programme. Upload to Blogger and tick 'Instead of title and description'. If using a 3-col or wide 2-col template, DON'T click the 'shrink to fit' option.

Blogger's Default Text
Either left-click to bring the header up to full size, right-click to copy to your computer, then upload to Blogger, using the default header text by ticking 'Behind title and description'. OR download the header code instead (above). Upload to Blogger using the default header text by ticking 'Behind title and description'.
LACE FLOWERS - BLUE

See the background in action live on Blade Rubber Stamps blog

This is using the old Editor, and a modified (to 3 columns) Minima template, so you can see how the same background design (although a different colourway) can work on different templates. You can also see that I customised the header with my own fonts. If you need to adjust the placement of the header in Minima or any of the older templates, here's my tutorial.

Copy ALL the code into an html widget:

<style type="text/css">
body {background-image: url("http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu313/1stFloorFlatComputery/4d11cc0c.jpg"); background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; }
</style>
<div id="tag" style="position:absolute; left:0px; top:50px; z-index:50; width:150px; height:30px;">
<a href="http://1stfloorflatblogology.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" src="http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu313/1stFloorFlatComputery/9061ddc2.png"/>
</a></div>

HEADER

See the instructions above on how to install your header. Here's the code if you'd prefer it:

http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu313/1stFloorFlatComputery/d000ef8e.jpg

Hope you enjoy these!



Finally, please visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound to see all the other wonderful Pink Saturday posts!

KEYBOARD WOES

Dunno if it's happened to you? All the letters on your keyboard wearing off?

Well, it's happened to me - I wouldn't mind so much, except the keyboard was REALLY expensive (£75 around 18 months ago) and the letters started wearing off in the first 6 months.

Left side

Right side

I touch-type, so it wasn't too bad at first - but after the latest computer crash (just after Christmas, hence the dearth of posts) I really noticed the lack. Have you tried typing in passwords when you don't know what the letters are? Even if you touch-type, trying to think which letter is where is a nightmare!

Plus, I had the flu - twice (New Year's Eve I was in bed before 10.00pm) so when I got back to the computer, fuzzy brains didn't help.

So I solved it myself (can't afford a new keyboard at the moment - not at that price - and mine isn't one that's easily obtained everywhere) by using expoxy alphabet stickers and a good coat of Diamond Glaze!

1. First thing to do is make sure there is no grease on the keys (I used a dishcloth wrung out in HOT soapy water, then wiped with more dishcloth rinsed in clear hot water). Make sure that keyboard is disconnected from your machine, and completely DRY before you reconnect or you could get electrocuted!
2. Draw round the edge of the shape with the nozzle of the bottle, then flood with glue (make sure it's on a flat surface as this stuff acts like self-levelling concrete and you don't want it dripping inside the keyboard).
3. Allow to dry overnight (it will dry clear and rock-hard).

Left side

Right side

Yes, it's been a great success and will do me for now till I see an affordable new one.

The only downside is that I can feel the raised surface of the epoxy stickers, but am getting used to it. No letters have come off so far!

PHOTOSHOP - SPOOF VIDEO (CENSORED)

Found this on another blog, and just had to post it! There's a bit of 'language' so if you are easily shocked, don't watch it.





I think it's great fun, very very clever. The link on YouTube says it's censored... wonder what they cut out?