Little Book of Secrets - Da Vinci

I am part of a swap in the UK where we make two little books of secrets... the first one has arrived at it's destination so I can now show the photos of it.  We based the book on these instructions - but we all know what I am like for following instructions, so mine ended up a little different as I wanted all four of the drawers to be able to open instead of just three.  This book is for Irene and her chosen theme was Da Vinci.

As you can see, the base of the book is made from 4 matchboxes which is where the secrets comes into play.

When I think Da Vinci I also think steampunk so that the way I went with the decoration.

Small tags with Da Vinci drawings and stamped images

Pocket page with tags

Extended page with fold flap

Stamping and embossing

Embossed stamping and downloaded da vinci drawings.

More embossed images

I used lots of downloaded da vinci drawings and paintings

I attached the pages to the spine so that it will open and lie flat so that you can get to the fourth drawer that is on the spine of the book.

This shows the drawers open with lots of bits and bobs inside.

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday 25th January 2011

On my work desk this Wednesday is my new cutting mat!!  Pretty eh? Chris bought if for my birthday and I hate to make it dirty and all cut up... it is from the new range by Ingvilde Bolme...  and as you can see I also picked up some her inks... they are like teeny weeny irons!! :)

I managed to finish the second little book of secrets and it is now winging its way to the UK so hopefully by next week I will be able to show you them both.  

On my desk you can see the makings of a birthday card... male cards are even more of a challenge to me than normal cards... so hopefully our friend Alister will like this one.

I have heat embossed the letters and clock gears and they look quite nice now... not too glitzy for a malae card, I hope!!

On my other desk - where the old mat now resides is Alister's birthday gift... which brings me to the subject of Pinterest.  Anyone else spend hours pinning all and sundry items to their Pinterest boards and never actually get around to doing any of the stuff that is pinned?  Don't get me wrong, I love Pinterest, I think it is a brilliant way to organise all the things you take a fancy to and to be able to go back and find them without delving into your computer history.... but I pin and I pin and I pin... I never actually do any of the stuff!!  So my resolution for this year is to work through my boards and actually try some of the ideas and tutorials... which is why Alister's gift is wrapped in brown paper and has popsicles/lollipop sticks on it... I have had the idea pinned for ages and never got around to trying it out... I quite like it!! :)  Of course, it only works with rectangles and squares... wrapping round objects is always a nightmare and popsicle/lollipop sticks wouldn't really work.

Don't forget to pop over to Chief Inspector of Desks aka Julia for the linky list of noseyness!!

Curiosity and the cats...

So there was a ring on my doorbell and when I opened it there were these two very large boxes sitting there... and I then heard the sound of an engine revving up and driving away... this is how things get delivered here in Calgary... no waiting to see if someone answers the door, needs to sign for the delivery or needs help getting the boxes to the inside of the house!! ;) This trunk was inside one of the boxes... I fell in love with it when I saw it online and thought it would look pretty good as a bedside table to go with my American daybed.

I opened the drawer in the middle of the trunk and guess who turned up...

A small dark space is too good not to investigate...

and inspect the internal quality...

then a little miss decided that she should get in on the act...

and figured there surely was room for one more...

but Tom-Tom was having none it... it's his secret drawer!

What's on Your Work Desk Wednesday 18th January 2012

This is what I have at the moment... and it is Tuesday evening here so I have -49 degrees C with the wind chill to look forward to while everyone is waking up in the UK!!  Aaaah!!  I was taking the garbage out this evening and by the time I had wheeled the two bins to the edge of the road I couldn't feel my fingers anymore...  so I think hibernation with the two cats for company is the answer!!

A friend sent me this... it made me laugh at least!! 

So this is what my desk looks like... another book for the swap I am in so you'll have to wait to see the finished articles once they arrive back in the UK... that is if I ever manage to get out of the house to mail them!!

Don't forget to check out the linky list at Madame Julia's abode!!

Home Alone and Mission Impossible

Nope not the movies... just the challenge of putting something together when it gets delivered straight after Chris goes back to Fort Mac to work!!  (one would almost be led to believe that these things occur deliberately but I can't blame him as I placed the order)!!  I have wanted an American daybed with the trundle bed that goes underneath for years... we just don't see them in the UK so whilst here in Canada I decided that this would be my only opportunity to get hold of one!!

So this is what I have...

and you can see that I have assistance of the furry kind...

No breakfast and a while later...

Viola!!  It even has the feline seal of approval!!  Now I just need to put the trundle together and wheel it underneath... I may be a while but in the words of yet another movie... I'll be back'!!

Edited to say...

Tada!!!  I love it... the trundle bed underneath is on wheels and it whizzes about beautifully!! ;)

What's on Your Work Desk Wednesday - 11th January 2012

Where did that week disappear to?  I have been busy making some books for a swap I am in... the first one is finished but I can't show it to you as it supposed to be a surprise for the recipient.

So it is hidden underneath that white sheet of paper.  I went with Julia's trick of standing on a chair to take the photo... it does make it a different viewpoint when seen from the ceiling!!  You can see on the desk at the front a teeny weeny little book that I am playing with... I am trying to teach myself how to sew signatures properly... it would have perhaps been smartest to learn on something a little bigger but I love how it has turned out and now I know that a normal size book will be a piece of cake!!

Isn't it cute?  All sewn and stitched by hand... 

This is the front cover and as you can see it is teeny!!

I forgot to add the photo of the gorgeous Doone art doll that arrived in my mailbox last week... she is lovely and resides hanging from my windowsill.... so far the cats have ignored her which is brilliant!!

Don't forget to go over to Julia's for the linky list... and I promise to get more visiting done this week... straight after I shovel the driveway of the snow... it's a bit nippy out there at the moment at -11 degrees C.

What's on You Workdesk Wednesday 4th January 2012

Happy New Year!!  I have been a bad blogger... I sort of disappeared into Christmas and having Chris home and haven't even played at my desk with anything so had nothing to say that would be slightly interesting to folk!!

Tom-Tom looking slightly bemused with the amount of wrapping paper and ribbon to play with...

and Pandy checking out the goodies that may be available to steal when I am not looking..

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a lovely New Year and I know that many returned to work this week.  My decs are down and put away and I am trying to get used to that bare dull look of the lounge which is the after effects of removing all the bling and twinkling lights.

The only thing on my work desk is my Christmas Journal.... and oh ye of little faith... all my little tags fit!!  Just some writing up and maybe a bit of tweaking here and there to do!!

Oh and it is my birthday today!!  Another year older and hopefully wiser...  I plan to make a trip to my local scrap store who give you a discount on your birthday... yay!! ;)

These are my present from Chris... $50 gold coins... one for each year I have been in Canada.  I have just reminded him that I spent 5 years in South Africa and Krugerrands are quite pretty... ;)

Don't forget to check out the linky list to crafty desks held by our wonderful leader, Julia!!