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Still no crafting done but I have done something with an old piece.  I found my tray full of dominoes in the spare room and I decided it needed a good tidying/cleaning so out they all came and the tray got a good old clean, each domino got wiped and put back.  I intend, when I am on my feet again, to put some kind of plaster or something on the tray and push each domino in so that they look like tiles with grouting between them.  They need reorganising as they do vary in size a little.  Maybe some new ones!

and

Whilst rummaging in the drawer I came across two Alice bracelets made of dominoes and a gorgeous domino brooch sent to me by my friend Snow in America - years ago (it's a napkin stuck on the domino but I love the wire work she did.).  It is such a long time since I did domino art, think I might do a bit again.

Well, last week I asked you WOYWW'ers what you would have done about the cheaper priced rollator.  I decided to go with the cheaper one but explain to the local store that I was not going with their one as I had found it cheaper elsewhere.  She looked on the internet, saw their price (same store, different branch) and said they would honour the price.  So all came good - I got it £50 cheaper from the local store.  Honesty is the best policy.

In my search for a rollator (there are so many) I had certain criteria to meet.  I didn't want brake cables showing on the outside, fear of catching them and breaking, and it had to accommodate a very tall person, namely me.  I didn't want to start slouching over the rollator.  I wanted a seat and I liked how my Dolomite folded in half so I could narrow it to get through tiny gaps.

The Dash seemed to be the one I wanted but imagine walking down the road using a rollator with the name "Dash" on it.  Just perfect for taking the 'mickey'.  Actually that was not the only reason, it was just that bit too small, by 4cm.  Great folding action though and so light.

I ended with a "Drive Nitro" as it followed the criteria but it is not like my Dolomite, I miss my Dolomite.  Why did they stop making it?  The seat on the Drive Nitro is too low for my liking and when I sit on it I am afraid to get up on my own.  Whether this is temporary or not with my knee not being able to bend we will have to wait and see.  In the meantime I need Chas to help me get up.  Think I have lost my confidence with the fall. It does have good points though, the seat when it gets wet wipes immediately with a cloth, the handle adjustment is easy - just once click, and the shopper has a zip cover.  Still miss my Dolomite though.

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Well, two days ago I decided I was going to seriously tidy my craft room.  This was after I could not find my Sharpies to take to Vicky Stampers with me to show them how to colour dominoes.  Still cannot find them and all I have sorted out are two boxes of Christmas Stamps.  So much for a "grand tidy up"!

Thought I would show you some of the dominoes I took with me to the Club:

At the back you can see an Alice bracelet I once made from dominoes and next to it is an Asian themed bracelet.  Do you remember the domino craze?  If so do you remember how suddenly those bamboo placemats became the latest thing.  We pulled them apart and stamped on them just like we had done with dominoes.  Just below that bracelet is the matching pendant I made.  To the right of that is a wine charm made with a travel domino and to the left is a large square one but I cannot remember where it came from.

Can you see another Alice themed trio?  That was a moment of madness when I used to demonstrate stamping on these game pieces.  Three dominoes joined together to make a hanging pendant with a large stamped image.  Oh how I used to love doing my doms!

But that is not my desk.  Nope!  This is my desk awaiting the magic of the clearing/cleaning fairy.  She keeps promising to come to see us but never arrives.  Wonder if she will make it before the week is out.  No chance this morning as I am having my hair cut - at last. 

Just bags dumped from Saturday, at least one has been emptied but I can't say everything has been put away, in fact it looks as if there is very little back in its hidey hole.

Ah well, maybe some other lovely crafters have been busy crafting or tidying up.  Want to see?  Pop along to Julia's place and see them all listed there.  Go on, you know you want to - grab a chair, have a cuppa and just enjoy.  Oh, and if you join in please please please put your number when you visit others, makes life so much easier to return the comment.

Charmed I am Sure

It was Von's turn for the theme on Artful Times this week and she came up with the request for us to make charms.  She has asked if you want to take part in a swap with some of them and if you do can you email her please and she will give you further details.

Without further ado I will show you what I have been up to.  I started off alcohol inking two dominoes and then changed my mind and did some - wait for it - I am going back in time again - some Stampbord. (Yes, that's how it is spelled).

Here are two domino sized pieces resting on my inked trionimo and travel domino.  The one on the left has been glazed with Glossy Accents and the one on the right with wax and then it has Accent Beads in the centre.  These don't have holes in - I think I can fix something on them to make them into charms and would be happy to swap them.

This is a small wooden letter stamped on, coloured and then glazed. It does have a hole in it, in fact it has two.

These are Stampbord as well, not glazed as yet but they do have holes in them.  I would be happy to swap these too.

Shrink Plastic

The necklace on the left is done on transparent SP and then has either Brilliance (light ones which are then stamped) or Alcohol Inks on them (most wire wrapped).  I put them on an old chain so they make another necklace.  The leaf at the top right is SP again but stuck on a Stampboard tile this time.  The doll fits together with jump rings (not done yet) and then she dances her way around.  Not swapping these as I like my necklace and I don't think the others worth swapping.

Lastly I found an old piece of Bottlecap Art when I was looking for my Stampbord.  This is a belt and I think I made it for the first or second edition of a Stamping Magazine back in the days when I did articles for mags, but I cannot for the life in me think of the title.  I know I was asked to do some bottlecap work for them - the editor was Daphne?  No, it's gone - but here is the belt (not swapping - sentimental at the moment but you never know)

All glazed with Glossy Accents, coloured with Sharpies and Glitter pens I think.  Now what will you do - am sure you will come up with some wonderful things and hopefully awaken some old ideas like I have tried to do.

Enjoy!

Twinchies

Yesterday it was Inchies and now today (thanks to the Hatters) it is Twinchies.  After I had done my post yesterday I went on to Out of a Hat Creations and there was the new Challenge - Twinchies.  At first I thought of using a piece of Stampbord and making a top for a 2" x 2" box but then I remembered I might have some dominoes - double sized - and sure enough, I had two of them - a quick measure - yes 2" square.

I wanted a little box to put my jewellery in so that Chas could bring it to me later today and the idea was born.  Here is my little box - well the top of it anyway, with the other game piece by its side so you know what I am talking about.

First of all I prepped my gamepiece (not sure what it is called) by giving it a quick rub with a sanding block to give it some tooth for the stamping.  Then I placed it  on top of a ready inked (Stazon) rubber stamp and pressed down.  A careful lift up and the image was there.  A quick dry with the heat gun, a little bit of red and green pencil crayon on and a coat of Glossy Accents and it was ready - well waiting to set first of all.

Then I got on with the box.  I have loads of these left over from when I once did some Stampbord ones for a workshop.  A coat of Fresco Chalk Acrylic in Butternut, one of Crackle and then one of Smoked Paprika and I had lovely crackled sides to my box.  You can just see the colour peeking out in the photograph.

And my rings and things fit in nicely - I can see this being useful to take on holidays as well - just for the odd bit of costume jewellery I might take along.  That is if we ever get any decent weather!!!

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Thanks to Jo I was able to post (schedule) last week as she linked me to the Stamping Ground where loads of us converge on a Wednesday morning (some getting up in the wee small hours to get our posts in quickly) and share what we have made, the state of our desks etc.  My desk is pretty empty at the moment - waiting for inspiration to pounce as I have so much on at the moment I don't have time for crafting.

Got some new rubber from Scrollworks in America - probably not be able to get any more of their Steampunk images as they are closing down.  Anyway, that is what is on my desk - red rubber waiting to go on EZ Mount ready for using and a small plate of stamps from Tanda bought at Paddy's last week.

I detest mounting rubber!

On a brighter note my Pif arrived in Singapore as I got an email from Moy Yin to let me know.  Still awaiting mine but it is coming a long way and so I don't expect it just yet.  All the better for the waiting.

This is what I made for Moy Yin

A Domino Pendant

And a Check It one

The Domino is a regular sized one, coloured with Brilliance Ink (Orchid) and then stamped with a ladies head (sorry cannot remember the manufacturer but there are/were a few on a plate) and coloured with Caran D'Ache crayons.  The Check It was done in the same way and has a little diamante stone adhered to the star in the middle of her forehead - again from the same plate of stamps.

I did send a trionimo to someone else but that was like the one I did a few weeks ago (28th April entry) so I won't post it again.

I am so looking forward to seeing what everyone got for their Pif (brilliant idea Julia) and if you want to have  a look as well then hop over to The Stamping Ground and don't forget to get the cuppa as you will get hooked having a snoop around all the blogs.  Toodle Pip!

Oops!  it should be 106 and not 107 but I can't change it because of Mr Linky - sorree!

Just for Fun - Triangles

This week the shape Von has chosen is a triangle.  First thing I thought of making was a banner and then one of my pyramid boxes - did I do either?  No!

I did intend doing a pyramid book like the one Lynne had shown me once at Katy's Corner on a workshop I attended but the best laid plans of mice and men and all that.  Instead I made a trionimo pendant. Here it is:

I am sending this down to Zoe for inclusion in the swap for this month.

I first of all stamped the image with Stazon on a lightly sanded trionimo and then coloured it in with my Caran d'Ache water crayons. Then I applied Glossy Accents over the top to give it a protective layer and also a nice sheen to it.  The sides were coloured with Brilliance Peacock (the turquoise colour) and a bead was added to the top.

Hope that whoever gets it enjoys wearing it.

Can't wait to see what creations you ladies (and men if we have any entering) all come up with for this week's challenge.  Pop along to the Just for Fun Challenge and let us see your entry - promise I will try to come along and comment.

Happy New Year

To all my followers, my readers, everyone out there Thank You for reading my blog and may I take this opportunity to wish each and every one of you a Very Happy and Safe New Year.  Today it is all the one's - check out the date - 1.1.11

Got up at stupid o'clock despite having watched the New Year in on tv (didn't London have a magnificent firework display) and then watching Grumpy Old New Year which I had taped so have not had that much sleep and now have to get a meal ready for one son and dil.

Didn't know what to do with myself when I got up and despite having lots of birthday cards to make I messed about with some dominoes.  I began by repairing the green domino which is a place setting and then decided to make enough for today plus a couple of extras as I had the buttons.  They will come in for another year when we have more visitors.

Here they are waiting for the gloss to dry on them.  Don't ask why I did them all different colours - must have been the way my head was at stupid o'clock.  Want to know how I did them?

First of all I gave them a quick sand.  Used one of those white buffing blocks which is what I always use for my dominoes and my shrink plastic.  Then I patted them on a Brilliance Ink Pad and put them to dry, speeding up the process with my heat gun.

Next I stamped some snowflakes on (place stamp on worktop and ink and then take domino to stamp) with Stazon (important to use Stazon) Black and gave them another blast with the heat gun, let them cool and then used Anna Griffin's Clean Glass Finish to seal them.  It doesn't matter which of the clear finishes you use but I don't tend to use my Glossy Accents unless I want a real good thick coat.  What I do is put two or three drops on the top of my domino and then, using a damp paintbrush (important it is damp) spread it about on the top of the domino to an even coat.  Don't ever shake your bottle or you will get air bubbles in and we don't want those.  Leave to dry naturally.

Once dry you can assemble them.  Before you do though, you need to remove the spinner (the little brass thing) from the underside of the domino.  Up to you whether you do it on all of them or simply on the ones that are going to be the bases.  

Just put some colour on three edges - use either a Krylon pen (or dip again on all sides on your ink pad - needs fixing with gloss again) leaving one long side without any as it will hold the glue better when you stick it down.  Run some glue along the 'nude' edge and place on top of the other domino.  Now I tend to use Glossy Accents for sticking as it acts nice and quick.  Once it is stuck you just position your button (you could use a charm or something else - I just happened to have a few of these) in the same way using Glossy Accents.

Then a simple piece of card slots in behind the angel and voila - place settings which can be used over and over again.

You can just about see Andy's if you look closely.

Here it is - a closer peek

The back of them can be coloured and a jewel fixed in as in this green one which I have turned for you to see.  Hope you like them and it gives you an idea of something to do.

Sam's is missing - she took hers home with her - guess I will be making a set for her next time she has visitors.

Tuesday Taggers

Should have uploaded this blog yesterday so I could enter the Challenge over on  Tuesday Taggers.  Still not to worry.

I'd never done a challenge with them before but following on from the lovely Zoe's blog I came across it and thought of entering something. Then I forgot to link it and when I did remember the entry time had closed.  Here is a quick peek at a tree ornament using Trionimoes. These are like Dominoes but triangular in shape and perfect for making these.  I have some I made with ladies on them and jewels dangling so I have popped them on here too.

This is the Christmas one dangling

A closeup of one of the faces

And another Christmas one

The Other Ones

All are rubber stamped and coloured with Sharpies and/or with Caran D'Ache water crayons and then glazed to protect them.   These last three have been sitting in a poly bag in with the Christmas Decs all year and have not broken so it just shows how sturdy they are.  All I used to hold them together was Glossy Accents.

Domino Book (and Is Anyone Else Having Problems with Blogspot?)

First of all, is anyone having problems with uploading comments on their Blog?  I received lots of comments yesterday and the day before which I clicked to Publish but they never appeared.  Clicked them several times and got the response but they still did not appear on my blog.  Apologies to anyone who has sent me a comment and does not find their original on the last two posts.  I have copied and pasted the comments myself.  Not a clue what is happening.

I joined a swap for a domino book on one of my Yahoo Groups and struggled.  With the virus I have had (for ages - will it ever go away?) I found it difficult to concentrate on anything.  In fact my lovely friend Leigh (on another Yahoo Group) has postponed the dates for me with another swap I was involved in because I could just not get my head around it.  Shame really because my partner was on target.  You will get to see this later as I will blog the stages in the swap (it is Artists in Synergy) which is ongoing for three stages.

Anyway, up to the wire for the Domino Book I just about made the deadline.  I decided to do "Alice in Wonderland".

This is the book closed

Back and Front covers

"Stamped Dominoes"

The book opened

Pages before sticking in

I first prepped my dominoes using Brilliance ink, coloured the images with Sharpies and then put Glossy Accents over the top to seal them and give a glossy finish.  Then I cut a long strip of scrapbook paper and measured out my pages, stamping and colouring in each image.

I put some ribbon across the inside of the back domino and stuck my page on, folded it up, accordion style, and stuck to the front domino. The back of the scrapbook paper was left as it was. 

Hope my partner likes it.

Zentangle

Over on Lots to Do this week the challenge is "zentangles". and my domino group have had a swap featuring zentangles (I missed it) so I thought I would have a go on a domino.

I have made mine into a pendant with one of my hand-made clay beads on the top - all it needs is something threading though and it can be worn.

I decided to put it on a card so I mounted it on white, then black and then white again.  The last layer of white I did some more zentangling on and then thought I would mount that on black and do even more but this time using a white pen.  Now I wish I had put a plain layer between the two zentangled bits.  My best white pen is a Signo so I used that.  It does come out thicker than my black pen but it looks sort of ok'ish.

I first was alerted to zentangling at CHA in January as Design Originals had previews of some books on it, I thought it looked easy and didn't need a book.  Wrong!  I found it difficult when I came to do it.  We all doodle and draw flowing lines and things but when it came to creating my domino, and subsequent paper bits, I had difficulty.

Mind you if you go over to Lots to Do and see some of the work posted on there by others you will see why I had a problem.  Some absolutely fab pieces on there.

Anyway, here is mine (enough blabbering) - the idea was there even if the execution wasn't.

Sorry about the angle and the flash on top of the domino but it was the best of a zillion photographs I tried to take.

Domino Book

Before I upload my domino book here is a fridge magnet I made using a domino and a trionimo.

First of all I drilled the dominoes top and bottom so that I could thread something through.  Then I coloured the domino with the Brilliance tri-pad, "Twilight" (these are the ideal size for dominoes) and went around the edges with a silver Krylon pen before glazing with Glossy Accents.  The trionimo was coloured with Brilliance "Orchid".

The crown and the wings are Grungeboard coloured with Dabbers (gold for the crown and three shades of lilac/purple for the wings).

Then I threaded some beads and tiny dice on crochet cotton and threaded them through to represent hands and feet and added some bling.  Finally a magnet on the back and here it is on my freezer in the utility room.

This is an entry for the "Wings" challenge on Simon Says Stamp and Show.  I guess my book below could also be an entry as it is stamped with butterflies.

Now to the domino book!

On one of my groups there is a swap for a domino book.  Several people had been asking how to do one - this is how I do mine:

First of all I coloured my back and front cover (dominoes) with Brilliance Ink.  I find the best inks to use for dominoes are Brilliance and Stazon.  Then I dried them off with my heat gun - I always use the heat gun between each stage of colouring  and stamping dominoes

It is much easier to ink your stamp up (Stazon) and take your domino to the stamp - that way you can get the part of the image you want if the stamp is larger than the domino.  Lift straight off.  Heat set.

Next I coloured my butterflies with watercolour pencils.  I used my Perga-Liners this time but I also use Caran D'Ache - both by scribbling on a piece of plastic and adding just a tiny bit of water to mix to a thickish paste.  Sharpies are good for colouring on dominoes too.  Heat set.

When cool I covered them in Glossy Accents to make a glaze on top of them.

Then I cut out my pages from some stiffish paper.  You can see I have three sets of three; these are called signatures.  They are just a bit smaller than the domino all round.

The photo above shows the "carrier" - a piece of card with four evenly spaced pinholes in.  This is the same length as the pages and helps you to align all the signatures when you start your "coptic" stitching.

This shows the coptic stitching holding all signatures together.

Put some double sided sticky tape (red liner is best - you need it to be strong) on both outside pages as above.  Notice how I have trapped some ribbon underneath for a closure.

This shows the book open

This is it closed with the ribbon tied.  The back spine shows the coptic stitching but as it is so attractive it doesn't matter.  Also if you can do coptic stitching you want to show it off and let everyone ask you how to do it.  (there are You Tube videos showing how to do this stitch)

Domino Stamping

To begin - prepare dominoes:

Either bleach overnight in strong bleach (careful not to get spinner immersed or it will tarnish) – wash well in clear water afterwards OR Use Gesso artists medium (gives a good base on which to colour).   OR Use a nail sanding block (available from good Chemists).

You can stamp direct to domino with Pigment or Solvent Ink Pad.

Stamping on Dominoes

I think the best Ink Pads to use are Brilliance (you must heat set first and allow to cool) or Stazon, but you can also use Memories, Ancient Page, Colorbox Chalks

Take domino to stamp rather than stamp to domino – heat in well-ventilated room.

Colouring Mediums:

Lumieres, Drawing Inks, Watercolours or Watercolour Pencils/Crayons, Pencil Crayons, Gel Pens, OHP Markers, Adirondack Pens, ,Chalk Ink Pads, Dye inkpads.  Always heat set between each stage.

Seal (takes 10-15 mins to dry) with:

Anita’s 3-D Clear Gloss Finish, Glossy Accents, Mod Podge, Diamond Glaze, Crystal Lacquer, Humbrol Acrylic Varnish

Before varnishing you can seal with a Fixative Spray (especially for inks/felt tips etc) but the only one that I found works does not seem to be available in the UK  – Krylon Fixatif – available in America.

Finish off with a border and edge the domino using  Edding paint markers or Krylon Pens.

Make into:

Pins, Pendants, Bracelets, Fridge Magnets, Keyrings,  Use as embellishments for cards and boxes, Use as spotlights for cards, Make a picture using several dominoes placed together and the masking technique or as large stamp.  Cover a flat clock face or old tray .....

If you are going to drill use  a low speed drill or Dremel (cheaper versions are available) or the domino will shatter – wear eye protection and put a piece of masking tape on first to stop the drill bit slipping when you start off.

Also use:

Trionimoes, Poker Chips, Check Its, Majhong tiles …….. most of these are available in America if you don't find them over here – www.SkyBluePink.com is a supplier I use.

(some people leave the back showing the domino, some paint the pips, some paint the whole back and some cover in felt/velvet.  I like to leave the back to show it is a domino, nice gift for a special birthday if the pips reflect an age.)


The above are notes I used to issue at my workshops (way back in 2003/4).  Sid asked me why I stopped doing dominoes - well, I guess I got so many I did not know what to do with them.  Towards the end I bought a tray from somewhere and lined the base of it with lots of my dominoes.

Can you see Elvis?

and there's Marilyn top right

I once did an article for Craft Stamper on dominoes, here are a couple of the things I included in that particular article

A couple of Coasters

Wine charms to go with them

and a cuff for the bottle of wine

There were also some Christmas tree decorations but they are away with all the other Christmas stuff so not easy to get to for the blog at the moment.

If you look on my post of the 20th April you can see the domino (tiled) picture on my cutlery box which I did.


I hope you enjoyed my nostalgic look back on my dominoes.  Now what can I think of to make with them next?

Back in Domino Land

I used to do lots of stamping on dominoes but haven't been there for a while.  Recently Leigh (Sharpie Domino Queen) got back in touch and I have decided to do some more.

I used to love doing faces on dominoes and here are three quite different ones.  The first one has a Brilliance background - love using the tri-pads - this one is Aurora - with the image stamped in black Stazon and a little colour added with a Sharpie pen.  The second one was coloured firstly in Black Stazon, the image stamped in Versamark and then gold ep put on and heated.  This was an experiment to try to do something different.  The last one is stamped and coloured with watercolour pencils.

this is a Tri-onimo

The first one above is coloured with Alcohol Inks to give the background (Lettuce and Butterscotch) and then stamped and coloured with Sharpies.  The second one has a bead at the top to act as a bale for using as a pendant and again is coloured with watercolour pencils.

My last showing are two dominoes using the "kissing technique" where I used Lumiere paints.  I cannot decide whether to leave them or stamp over them with something - maybe another day you will find they have changed.  If anyone is interested I can put up some of my notes for stamping on dominoes - do any of you remember when I used to demonstrate the various techniques at shows?  Remember my jacket full of them and my "tiara"?