Oh boy, what a day!

Well I'm back for more. Can't say I'm any the wiser, but never mind. I promise I will try to do better and more often. 'Try' being the operative word.

At the end of last week I got an email asking me if I could do some work. No problem said I, ha ha if only I had known, I'd have gone running for the hills at 100 miles an hour. The stuff got delivered on Thursday and being organised (or so I thought) I decided to do most of the cutting out first. So Thurs eve, all day Fri till midnight and an hour or so this morning I snipped and chopped as if my life depended on it.

The first card went well and I put that to one side then to my horror half way through the next one I found a fundamental flaw in the design. My heart sank, I took a deep breath and then I screamed. I took another deep breath and got the third design out to check that, and after staring at it disbelief realised it too was wrong. All those hours of cutting all for nothing. I was totally gutted and my language would have made most men blush. Colin somehow managed to sleep through all this, but I'm mystified quite how he managed it.

Well the deadline is now well and truly out the window, with my will to live following along behind, lol. Things really can only get better after this. That thought is in my head and I'm hanging on to it like it was keeping me afloat in the ocean.

I was going to put some piccies of things I had done using 7Gypsies and some painted pieces, but I seem to have mislaid the disc (sorry Dylan). As soon as I find where the pesky pixies have hidden it I will share with you.

Instead here are a few gilded and faux finished pieces. I'll add some cards and other papercraft samples next time.

Marbled and gilded mirror. I stank the house out for days doing this one, he he. The gilding was distressed with balsamic vinegar and lemon juice. Mmm, yum yum!

A marbled box with decoupaged rose petals on the lid. This was a real labor of love with about 28 layers of varnish on the lid to completely cover the dried rose petals. Worth it though, it was a bit of a show stopper.

Marbled and gilded picture frame. I used spirit inks (the same as alcohol inks) on the gilded areas.

A gilded box with some very dodgy stamping done!

Lapis Lazuli sample.

A marbled flower pot. This turned out far better than I had expected. Sometimes the unexpected happens and you really shock the socks off yourself.

Lastly a snippet of faux rosewood I did. Looks almost real doesn't it?

Sorry about the rather naff photo skills, they have improved slightly since I took these. Not a massive amount granted, but we can't be good at everything can we!

Well it's well past my bedtime, so I'm off to find one of the cats to snuggle up with.