Back to my childhood

Well, with all the craziness going down about Promarkers and Copics being the future, I thought I would have a go at 'colouring in!' I have no luxuries like these pens everything is coveting so I dug deep into my craft supply and dug out my pencil tin which has a small selection of watercolour pencils - and this is my efforts!!!

Isn't the little doggy cute!!!!

Recyling at its best

Well, I'm a little late putting this one on and no doubt everyone else in the country has binned/recycled their Christmas cards. I found this great idea to turn them into boxes! Not sure if these will sell on my longed for table at a craft fayre, but they are free so worth a try - even if its for pennies. If you don't use tissue in them you will have the handwriting from the sender showing, but I have been assured this adds to the quirky handmade look.

Boy cards

Adam was invited to a 'double' party recently and given it was a: a football party and b: they were both 8. My first attemt was really bad! I seem to be making a few bad ones lately - hope that trend doesn't continue. Anyhow, here's what I came up with, the topper is a download from Cardmakingdownloads and will be a big feature with Adams class mate cards this year :P

40th Exploding box.

I was asked to make a 40th card for a friend. My brief was to make the 40 bit very 'noticable'. Having my little creative moment trying to think what I am going to do, I thought I could use artistic licence here and instead of it being 'in your face' we'd have it creep up and jump out! So adapting my 100th and 70th boxes from news to jokes here is the result!

I particularly like the 'Grandma' one - lol, it's mine! But, that aside, for me it is so true, all my school friends are becoming Granny's! I have at least 12+ years I hope. Surely this makes them much older than me as you have to be 'old' to be a Gran!

Happy New Year

omg, I can't believe it is the 9th already and I've not posted the New Year in!

Well, what a manic Christmas we had this year! The snow was awesome and propably the one reason I can't imagine being abroad for the winter - I love seeing Adam and Cherie playing in the fluffy stuff, makes my heart melt and my troubles dift away!

I have just made up my 'Thank You' card! Got a little carried away and made a batch of 'notelet' ones too, which I hope to sell as a pack of 6 at a craft fair later in the year. This is the New me! I am planning of making as many cards as I possibly can and selling either as one offs or in packs. I also plan to finish all the scrapbook layouts I have in my mind too :p

Down the 'handmade gift' road again - I do think I like this detour!

I had a moment last year - probably Kirsty Allsops fault - when I 'needed' to make some cookie mix jars. I decided to make them this year for Adam and Lucy but have yet to fill them as I want them to last a while!! So, these are prototypes! think I need to do something about the writing on the back of the label - my writing is shocking! I've yet to decide on the contents and would have like to have road tested the recipe but I don't see that happening as I think time has expired on the baking side of this year! Now these I do keep taking a peek at, they are adorably cute!

Last Minute Quick Makes!

Well, after viewing a friends cards for this year I had a sudden panic attack when I realised I'd not only forgotten to make Adam and Mark cards but My parents, my sister and brother and Marks sister cards. These are some I quickly made tonight. I keep checking them to see if I actually like them. I do love the mulberry trees. I now have Marks and Adams to pull off before the end of the week when I go away. Eeeeeeek, no pressure then. Oh, I have just come up with a fantastic idea for a card for Mark - I love it when creativity hits like lightening - don't you! Watch this space.

December 1st, the date my parents married!

Can't believe they have been married for 48 years
that is one scary figure! When you say those words
'until death do us part' 48 years just doesn't sit there on the radar does it? I've done 25 next year and that is scary enough, especially since I am still a teenager!!! How can I have been married for longer than I have been alive - child bride, that was me! Anyways, back to the card! I was helping a crafty friend out and happened upon the SP papers and HAD to download the romantic ones! I love them, love them, love them. I also bought some text paper a bit back that I wanted to make a flower with using the robo file i bought from DAN (I love that guy!) This was the first one I have ever done! I'm happy with it, but Mum wasn't!!! I had to send it in a box - need to think of postage when making cards to send - and she had to go collect it from the post office! I Had the gorgeous Laura Ashley cream and burgundy ribbons in and the label and dotty mirri is me playing with my new baby - my big shot that i bought from my sales!!!!!! Can't believe I earned enough to buy one! Don't think my hubby can either and I'm sure he's checking the funds lol!!!! Oh and the peel-offs, something I don't routinely use - were freebies with the big shot! the writing was done care of my clever robo! Wish I could say I did it my hand! After writing this post I am now wondering if Mum managed to work out how to display this card, my colleagues proved this is not 'automatic' upon receipt of an easel card - bless them!

Christmas is all wrapped up....

ha, I wish! but I'm not too far away. I have estimated approx. 50 handmade numbers this year and today made 26 using 2 designs and have all the making for the next 26 all ready, see my neatly organised ironing board here, yes, don't read back, it does say ironing board! Set at the correct height it's a great desk and the floor comes in handy too. I would have these made too only I need to use a few different sentiment stamps and need to compile a list to see how many of each. I had this made in a prototype but the sentiments wouldn't work and since I took delivery of an adorably pink and glitzy Big Shot yesterday I thought I'd have a play with some nesties I got a while back! Yup, bonkers me bought nesties before the machine, a while before!!! I used one of the square labels and cut it in half - 2 for the price of one - and played for a bit to decide where to put it. My only dilemma now is if I should leave it 'mobile' or stick it down. I've enjoyed making these (apart from the vast number required) as I've used primarily new stash. The Clarity stamp is one I bought on my birthday back in May when we were staying near Hornsea but haven't used until now.. I bought the topper off a download site and the 'wax seal' on the 'special' one is something I've been wanting to play at for ages. I did proto these in b&w but decided coloured mirri works better - hope you agree! Have to say though, after embossing 50 matts, that thrill when the heat chases and melts did wear seriously thin.

How did my husband become 50????

My god, 50! that is dinosaur age to me still (although I'm not that many years behind). Remember when you were a kid at school? 50 was past retirement and well into dotage! Well, let me tell you, 50 is the new 30! I don't think he looks it and certainly doesn't act it - mmmmm apart from he doesn't jump to the paint roller as quickly and nimbly as he did at 25! That's another shocker, silver anniversary next year - my word, I'm too young for that - surely!!!!!

 

Anyways, here are the cards I made for him this year! The photo was a new technique for me where you print off a photocopy of the photo and then 'transfer fashion' turn it upside down on card stock and using a 'cheap' nail polish remover, dampen the back of the picture, this was the result I got. It did vary from picture to picture and paper to paper but I love the effect, less harsh than a photo. LOL at the drum one, this was sooooo much fun to do and very simple really. He is a drummer - I acknowledge the 'is' as I heard the evidence for the first time in 25 years. He bought a kit a few years ago and finally got round to putting them up in the empty conservatory tonight, he and Adam tried their best to smash all that glass!

Baby's first christmas

When making this I had no idea what I should do or where to go for inspiration. After playing with cardboard I thought it would be nice if part of the card could be used as a tree ornament and set about looking for files on baubles. Thankfully a clever person made one (craftrobostore) I bought it and created this card from said baubles! The bauble is removeable but I have no idea as to the longevity of the bauble. Hopefully, if treated with care it will last a year or two!!!

I love this card, the pearl effect makes it more lush and having ribbons and pearls to match was pure luck but good luck.

Missed this one!

This was made for a lovely friend, sadly I had a serious 'craft' moment (can't remember a ***** thing) and misheard mother in law for father in law. This is the creation I did for the male. The back of the tag has a 70 year history and can be removed to make a book mark. Such a shame I got it wrong as I quite like this card!

Ramblings of a crazy lady!!!!

Well, today while at a school craft event I got talking to some of the mums. They know from past conversations when I've mentioned crafting that I make cards and scrap. Today though, I think I probably left them with the impression that I'm either completely bonkers and need to learn to let others partake in a conversation, or I am truly passionate about anything crafty! I am hanging my head in shame at my monopoly and need to remember that other people may not be interested in embossing, distressing and gesso!

Adele

New exploding box!

Wow, ooops, I was going to say I was on a roll for October, but just realised today is November 1st! I did start these in October though, so does that count? I was asked for a 70th card for a friends mother in law. My friend gave me loads to go on, such a help when you can get an image of the person if you don't know who you are making them for. She told me her likes and parts of her life, so I included little motifs under the text on each page to match relevant parts of her life history. Being 70 and using a square box, I was left with a blank page and wondered what to do with it - checked back at the brief I was given and there was a mention of her gorgeous little granddaughters, how much bigger a part of your life do they get!! So, in went a lovely picture of them together. I'm loving going down the 'gift' side of card making. Doing flat ones are all well and good and there is a sure need for them, but doing the special makes is such a pleasure and indulgence it surely should be rationed!!!

New 'word book'

I was asked to make a 2nd birthday card for a friend. I knew exactly where to go with a style, I knew she would love his name spelt out in a word book - she, like all us mums, loves her boy! So I set to making the letters and cutting the card still with no idea of where I would end. After finishing the 'bones' of the card I pondered what to put on the pages - I thought of the toppers I had but then, after looking at the pics of the little man, thought how lovely it would be to make a mini scrapbook and include a pic with each member of the family. These are such a special card for little people and definately keepers! Hail that 1st person that thought one day - oooh I could make a word book!!!

Christmas mass production

Bless my little darling, each October half term I roll out this years card design for him to put together in the form of Christmas cards for his 'mates'. Usually this is for class friends and family members only. We did one year, make them with my niece too, funnily enough, she's never been back for the October half term!!! Anyhow, Friday night was the time for this years makes and bless, now he's 7 his ability is far more capable than previous years. I printed some papers I had files for and then randomly cut triangles which I then gave to him. I made up one card with him watching and then left him to it. I know it's not a difficult design but making 25 at his age is very taxing but he did it! I found a stamp for the front, tried it in silver and gold but the green card blank was too dark so we settled on white and I think he did a fantastic job stamping them up. He's even stamped the inserts ready to glue in later! mmmmm, maybe I could enlist his help in future makes I plan.......

Quicky card

My close friends are having a spell of , not bad luck, more of a time when things are very demanding and fraught. I knew I wanted to send a card to them to say I was thinking of them - as they know I always do. I love this card, I loved making it, sometimes when you know where it is going it helps the love you put into it - does that make me sound like I'm starting to loose things, I know what I mean. One of the main challenges, not that it was a challenge, was the number of stamps I used!!!! 7 in total!!! I don't think I've used that many in a month, never mind one card! I love it and I know its new owners will love and appreciate it too. I hope someone 'upstairs' will lay off them for a while, they've more than had their turn!

'It's good to be alive' weather

A phrase coined by a close friend of mine and this picture was taken on one of those special days. I ADORE this photo, sometimes the gal does good when clicking away with the camera and this is one of those sometimes. The setting is one of our favourite dog walks in North Yorkshire, the child is mine!! The 'mood' in this photo makes my heart swell and I have a huge surge of love that rushes through me like a drug. I knew when I saw this photo that I had to scrap it and quickly, I also knew that there could be no journalling, no ribbons, buttons nor bows, this picture demanded ALL the attention, so I began by inking up some tissue paper, recycled from a shoe box I've been hoarding. I 'rolled' it onto glossy card stock with a kitchen roll (later to transformed into a scrapbook, the kitchen roll did good!) then, using one of the leaves we collected that day I spritzed my glimmer mists in 3 shades of Autumn, the leaf itself is now stunningly shimmery! As I couldn't use the said leaf, it is already in a state of decline and would disintegrate within days, laminating would spoil her beauty, so I printed and inked one from my files. I got out my friend Robbie the Robo and cut out the title once I had decided on one. I spritzed this with the shimmers too to tie it all together. Simplicity isn't always simple mind, and this LO wasn't as quick as it appears it should have been, but then the picture dictates plenty of love and care be taken, and it was.

Wow, busy October

Well I've had a busy month so far. I have a head full of things to complete before the Big Man arrives on 25th December along with all non-crafty things that come along with Christmas. Firstly, I am gutted that I was not organised enough to have enough to sell at Adam's school Christmas night next month. I am, however, going to be more organised, now I know I have a market and my 'makes' are actually liked by other people - who'd have thought eh? Certainly not me!

I made this ready for my gorgeous Niece's birthday next month. She is not a girly girl, but I'm sure she will forgive me indulging a 'tad', not to much, but a 'tad' girly here:-

I have left some room for some journalling - hahaha, this is a job for my sister - that should be funny!

This is made using kitchen roll tubes - 2 cut in half, great for shorter names ;) and hey, who'd have guessed I was capeable of making up 'verses' (using that term extremely loosely!) like these!!!

I really love the outcome of this book, it is certainly a new take on a card for me and one I can see me doing again and again for special people in my life :o)

Card of the century!

I was asked by a friend to make a card for her grandmother who was approaching 100! I can't see me making many cards for 100th birthday! Anyhow, when deciding what to do I thought the occasion deserved more than a bi-fold, tri-fold or any kind of 'fold' card and needed something a little more 'wow'. Then, after coming up with the exploding box - I've only made two before and they were for family - I wondered what to put on the tabs, I have no photos to help here. I came up with the idea of putting the news of the century on the tabs and being a pentagon I could use a decade per tab. Research for news took most of the time on this project. I recently bought some lovely Laura Ashley papers and ribbons and they seemed fitting for this box. I am totally besotted with all the Prima pearls and crystal swirls and one I had was just the right size for the lid on this. Loads of inking done here - I have the brown thumb of a crafter! I love this little box, I love the idea of the news stories and have updated my history at the same time! Hope my customer likes what I've made.