Recycling Project - Mini's

From some of the projects that I have been sharing here and here, you would have realised that I have a thing about quinoa and textures as part of a creative project I thought that I would make a series of mini frames that you could use in different ways. You could use them in and on your journal or cards, or a range of other projects.

I wanted to create antique type look and having old photographs within the frames enables you to achieve this effect. There are many royalty free images that can be used that you can find on the internet.

I guess I have found the quinoa to be quite versatile in creating surfaces but also as edging as once it is dry it becomes really hard.  For the one below I tried out linseed's.

For some of the mini's I used a combination of polymer clay, stones, clay and friendly plastic.

There are so many beautiful things that can be made using recycled materials, the only problem I am finding is running out of space either from the things I have been collecting to make something else or the things I end up making. There will be lots of handmade gifts being given at Christmas this year:)

I hope you have a blessed weekend, and allow your creativity to push back the boundaries in order to allow yourself to really soar! 

Come back on Tuesday to see how I make the Mini's in Tutorial Tuesday. Do share creative ways in which you have used recycled materials and leave a comment below.

Gratitudes and Celebrations - Week 21 -Support

Support - Gratitude's and Celebrations

When you feel like quitting, reach out to your support network

Who is in your support network?

The saying, 'no man is an island' reminds us that we were never meant to be in this on our own.  Here is a song courtesy of Dennis Brown.

We can isolate ourselves or feel isolated in certain circumstances but we have to make sure that we surround ourselves with encouraging and positive people who can not only keep it real, but also see further than what is in front of them - our cheer leaders near and far that encourage us to go another mile, take another step to be more than we ever thought we could be.

As we look to surround ourselves with encouraging people, let us also be the one who can encourage and shine the light on others.  Your words of encouragement to another could make the difference between them giving up or getting up and dusting themselves off and trying again. 

I celebrate the encouraging souls near and far that have been a source of strength along the way and I am grateful for another day to be able to encourage someone else.

As this week draws to a close can you think of the beautiful things in your life. Do leave a comment and have a blessed weekend!

If you want to see how I made the journal (click here)

In the News - Christmas Fairs, Concerts and Reviews!

There are two events happening on Saturday 7th December that will inspire, encourage and bless you.

EEC Christmas Fair

If you are in London on then come along to the EEC Christmas Fair and Carol Concert.  I will be there displaying some of my work, there will be other craft stalls, international food and more, starts from 1pm to 6pm.

For every item purchased on my stall on the day I will be giving 30% to charity for the Philippines disaster appeal organised by Oxfam, so come down and show your support.

Concert

There will also be a concert the same evening starting at 7pm at Tokyngton Community Center, St Micheal Avenue, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 6SA.  There will be a wide range of talented musicians sharing their skills.  My husband Alan will also be show casing one of the songs from his Ekidz album about internet safety for children. For more information on the concert at Tokygnton, email iiichronicles@yahoo.co.uk or call 07986893511

Book Review

DIY Gift Guide - Quirk Books

This book is one that I downloaded on my Kindle, I am always looking for mini projects to try my hand at and this seemed like a useful start.  The book was free on Kindle, so I didn't hesitate in ordering.  It has a selection of DIY ideas curated by Homemade Quirk, which is a place where people share their stories, ideas and they are not only craft based but have ideas of food gifts and treats.

The book is split into 6 sections - for the bookworm, for the lovebirds, for the kids, for the animal lover, for the foodie, for the geek, and aims to appeal to different needs has a total of 18 projects, 9 of which are food based.  The instructions are fairly straight forward to follow.

My favorite 3 projects were making the Tiny books, pink champagne cake which I intend  try substituting the wheat and dairy, and the mini candi charms using polymer clay.  My least favorite was the cat portraits made with real cat hair (never knew you could do anything with cat hair, although for those with pets this would be a great recycling project.  It is a nice book for kids to try their hand at trying to make some of the project, it could have had a few additional ideas or variations on the projects that were listed.  All in all as a free publication you can't go far wrong and it is definitely worth a look at least!

Katherines Corner

Today is also Thursdays Favorite Things on Katherines Corner Take a stroll over there and visit some of the inspiring and encouraging blogs, If you have a blog you can leave a link to your post and show some support by visiting others who have listed theirs.

It would be great to see you at one of the events if you are in the location or even in the UK on Saturday 7th December, share what you are up to, and if you have a pet will you be giving the cat portraits ago?

Finally, have a great day and blessings to you and yours!

Ice Cream - Memories of Home

Ice Cream - Memories of Home

Welcome to Memories of Home, if you would like to find out more information about the series, Click here 

Being in a supportive environment is important to our growth as individuals, not everyone has had that opportunity and as adults we try and create an environment that will nurture and bless our children and indeed ourselves.

Ice Cream

When we were younger, about once a month my dad would take me and my brother and sister to an ice cream parlour - the old fashion kind.  It was called Marine Ices.  It was run by an Italian family with its recipes developed by Gaetano Mansi and they had a wonderful selection of ice creams and sorbets.

Our dad would allow us to have the pick of the selection available.  One of my favorite was knickerbocker glory with lashings of ice cream and their milkshakes were delicious along with their ice cream sundaes with a cherry on top.  I remember the chrome furnishings and the excitement of it all. 

Our trip to Marine Ices became a family tradition which would be followed by a stroll around Camden Lock which has become a very trendy place to be for millions of tourists each year.  When dad passed as kids we kept it up for a while fondly looking back at our memories and each building new ones with our own children.

Do you remember somewhere you used to visit as a child, please leave a comment and I hope you continue to join me on my journey over the weeks, as I share my mixed media houses and look back to the memories of home. I look forward to hearing about some some of your own memories. Blessings and peace to you!