1st FLOOR FLAT

Friday, December 10, 2010

PINK SATURDAY - THE 3rd WEEK OF CHRISTMAS...

Victorian Christmas - copyright Susie Jefferson

Another freebie blog background and header set for you!

This will work with the new templates, the old templates, any 3-col or wide 2-col blog. Just copy all the code and insert into an html widget in your blog. This will also work with some of the freebie WordPress templates, eg: Bueno.

<style type="text/css">
body {background-image: url("http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu313/1stFloorFlatComputery/02d604e8.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

Victorian Christmas - copyright Susie Jefferson

Left-click to bring up to full size, then right-click to copy to your computer. Add text using any graphics programme (don't forget to flatten when finished, and save as a jpg). Or use the code below. Don't click to resize, and if you need to centre the header, just use my tutorial.

MY FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS MOVIE

This week on Pink Saturday, the theme is Favourite Christmas Movies. Mine is perhaps a lesser-known one: The Lemondrop Kid, starring Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell.

Bob is a gambler and a con artist, needing to raise some money FAST - so invents The Old Dolls' Home, a charity and residence for old dolls (little old ladies to you and me). It's brilliant. The BBC repeated this annually for around 5 years or so (this is around 20 years ago, mind) and it had me laughing every single time. This is the film that featured the song 'Silver Bells' for the very first time!

You can still get it on Amazon as one of five films in the Bob Hope Collection and I would imagine it's out there somewhere to hire as well. Here's a review, giving the full plot.

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

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

VERSOIX ICE STORM - PIX

On the news tonight - The Perfect Storm in Scotland - an ice storm!

I don't have photos of it (no doubt there will be some in the newspapers tomorrow) so here are some incredible pix of an ice storm in Versoix, Switzerland, around 2 years ago.

I have NO IDEA whose copyright these photos are - so if they are yours, please tell me so I can add attribution and copyright information.

These wouldn't be out of place in a science fiction film! Spooky but incredibly beautiful. In fact, it's rather like the film The Day After Tomorrow. Except these are real!

At the moment, Scotland is looking very like this - yet here in London, although very cold, there's not even a speck of ice (at the moment....)

Monday, December 6, 2010

CHRISTMAS SHELF EDGING & COFFEE FILTER WREATH TUTORIALS

Kitchen lights - bet Peter won't be happy about the nail holes in the shelf edge!

Closeup - note I actually strung all the little baubles. Talk about fiddly!

Sometimes I just can't leave well enough alone, so decided to put some Christmas lights in the kitchen this year.

I'm actually yearning for lit-up chilli peppers or something food related, but not being willing to spend around £30 ($50) for one string of only 10 lights, these had to do instead. Plus a few extra danglies I happened to have spare - they just wouldn't fit on the tree!

PUNCHED SHELF EDGING

This pic shows a shelf liner edging I did as part of a tutorial I wrote for Blade Rubber Stamps - just scrapbooking paper cut into strips, then joined up into one long length - and two punches. Easy peasy - and quick! So you might like to have a go at that one. Full instructions are here.

Seeing the pix again, I wish I'd done this first, then added the lights. Too late now!

COFFEE FILTER WREATH

Just found this! Isn't it fabulous? It's a polystyrene base and a ton of COFFEE FILTERS! Love it, love it, love it!

Go here to see the full tutorial by Lilly at HappyDotMom.

I think I'd have to meddle though... surely there's room somewhere for a set of lights as well? Even if it's just teeny little LED ones? Or maybe just a teensy spot of glitter.... (sorry, sometimes I just can't help myself...)

Sunday, December 5, 2010

FABULOUS CREPE PAPER TREE TUTORIALS

Don't know about you all out there - but I NEED these trees! I intend dotting them on every available windowsill.

Here are two very different styles: choose your favourite. I especially like Karina's tutorial on Creative Chaos as you don't even need a special cone (although you do, preferably need a sewing machine for the crepe paper - though I'm pretty sure I've seen it for sale already pre-gathered) as she makes her cones from ordinary A4 paper. Yes, I can see how this could become an obsession....

Coyright Cindy for Joli Paquet

This one's by Cindy for Joli Paquet - no sewing involved, just a glue gun. And a bit of pleating. So easy! No special skills required as long as you keep your fingers out of the glue! A totally different look, more casual and colourful - I bet this would be a total wow on the table at children's parties!

Even more with gathered crepe paper - so many ideas, so little time....

Stunning, whichever style you choose!

Friday, December 3, 2010

PINK SATURDAY - ON THE 2nd WEEK OF CHRISTMAS...

Vintage Snowman background - copyright Susie Jefferson

I always love Pink Saturdays, although now we're in the depths of a freak early Winter, I guess it should be White Saturday - so here's a new freebie Christmassy background and header set for you.

A sweet little vintage background for wide 2-col or 3-col blogs, this will work with Minima (old Editor) and Watermark (new Template Designer) plus some of the WordPress freebie templates.

Copy all the code into an html/widget box:

<style type="text/css">
body {background-image: url("http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu313/1stFloorFlatComputery/bd781ea0.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

Vintage Snowman header - copyright Susie Jefferson

Here's the matching header - as it's a rectangle and saved as a jpg, it's your choice if you'd like to left-click to bring up to full size then right-click to copy it and add your own text in your favourite digital programme, or load from the code below

http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu313/1stFloorFlatComputery/38b32207.jpg

The header is 950px wide, so try saving without clicking the 'size to fit blog' option first, and if it's too big then reload it, clicking the option this time.

TIPS:

If loading the header using my code, just make sure you wait long enough for the image to load. You should see it in the preview pane BEFORE you click 'Save.

If you feel your text is too far to one side, or you use the default Blogger text and it looks too high up, then use my tutorial to adjust.

RECIPE CARDS

Beverly at How Sweet The Sound has suggested Christmas recipes as this week's theme, so here are some recipe cards. Left-click to bring up to the full size, and right-click to copy to your computer.

Fabric Leaf recipe card - copyright Susie Jefferson

Tartan recipe card - copyright Susie Jefferson

Vintage Snow recipe card - copyright Susie Jefferson

These are a new thing I thought I'd try: they measure 4 in x 6 in. (I'd appreciate a comment as to whether they download at the correct size, like they are supposed to). One for quilters and fabric artists, one country/shabby chic style and one vintage one. As they are a standard photo paper (and postcard) size, you could print them out and pop a photo of the dish on the back! If anyone does this, I'd love to see it.

Here is the link for my Lethal Sherry Trifle, if anyone would like it. It's highly alcoholic but tastes wonderful!

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

TWO FABULOUS CHRISTMAS DECORATION TUTORIALS

Here are TWO fabulous tutorials for anyone who likes handmade Christmas decorations.

The first tutorial is by Sandy at Quill Cottage - so go there for full instructions (very detailed: lots of step by step photos, you can't go wrong!) Sandy has also posted a link to another tutorial (below) which I've also listed here just in case you miss it...

This one is so easy I can't believe it! (although you have to have the kind of brain to think of these things first - which I don't, lol). By Karoline at Cherished Vintage, again there are great step-by-step photographs and it's a fabulous project. I can see this in transparency film, glitter papers....

I just ADORE Christmas, and everything about it! I put up our tree yesterday, so we get full benefit right through to 12th Night (6 January). Sigh....

QUICK & EASY - STENCILLED CUSHION COVERS

Here's a great little tutorial I just found for you - a fast & easy, minimum-sew cushion cover, plus how to make your own stencils out of freezer paper!

Video project copyright The DIY Dish

Here's the link for the downloadable pdf with full instructions!

Great for last-minute room decoration before The Holidays and also for gifts - and very welcome, considering what cushion covers are costing these days. If you don't like sewing, you could minimise it by using a longer piece of fabric to wrap right around and overlap, saving two extra seams... plus you can easily work out any size and shape to suit your cushion pads!

This project also uses Tim Holtz's acrylic Paint Dabbers - what could be easier? (or use acrylic paint straight out the bottle or tube, squeezed onto a paper plate, and a stencil brush).

TIP:
For those of you in the UK, you'll find freezer paper in the more upmarket supermarkets, a lot of craft stores or online.

SHORT RANT ON THE SUBJECT OF FOAM/FIBRE CUSHION PADS
I loathe those foam or fibre-filled pads with a deathly loathing - lumpy, and they go flat in seconds. Doesn't matter what you do, they won't fluff up nicely like feather pads do - so why do the shops insist on selling filled cushions? I just want the covers! Yes, use a pad for display but sell them flat - not only easier to carry home, but should knock at least £5 off the price. And I'll be binning them anyway (even the charity shops in my area don't want them).

Buy feather pads - now anti-allergy treated - which is greener and much more economical in the long run, and also give a much nicer effect. Plus you can really snuggle up in them!