Tom and Laura’s Engagement Card

This is the engagement card I made for my son Tom and the Lovely Laura, it’s a good job that they are just as monkey mad as me!

I’ve taken a photo from my other blog and just embellished it with micro fine glitter, which has to be one of my “Top 10 Can’t Do Without”  products and various heart shaped stickers from my vast collection.

I handwrote the sentiments and also added a little gold pen to parts of  the champagne bottle.  Done and liberally micro glitter dusted!

Save The Day Calendar Cards for Tom and The Lovely Laura’s Wedding

(above) My first efforts in trying to put an idea together….

Did I mention that my son and the Lovely Laura got engaged a few weeks back?  It was the most wonderful news the family could have asked for as we all love Laura so much …. and I couldn’t wish for a more wonderful “new” daughter.

(above) Aghhhh, a pile of rejects, mistakes and not quite right efforts trying to get the idea in my head to come together!

The wedding will be in August next year …. and I wasn’t sure if my crafty services would be needed …. but guess what ….. ???!!!  So please accept my apologises now, for I fear you may all get heartily sick of the constant wedding theme that will no doubt be running through this blog in the few coming months!

So, it’s going to be a lovely colourful rainbow of a day, “very them” …. and as we were talking Laura told me that when she last visited the hotel where the wedding and reception is going to be, there was beautiful bunting hanging in the courtyard for another wedding, which she loved  ….. and that gave me the idea for the “Save the Date” cards……

…… which in the end I decided to doodle, to give them a proper homemade/handcrafted style ….. but you will not believe how hard it was getting the bunting “just so” was!  I drew it all in pencil first, but as soon as I went near it with an fine liner pen I would put a line in the wrong place and as a perfectionist had to do it all over again! Once happy with the final result, I scanned the base and calendar parts to make jpegs that could be copied and pasted onto A4 sheets (using Publisher)  and then printed,  cut out and finally the cards put together.

And here’s what the final cards will look like …. (though I wished I hadn’t photographed it on a green background!)  I have mat and layered the base card on green for this example as Laura is toying with an emerald green dress …. but I think I may vary this with colours taken from the bunting.   The calendar is fixed in place with an adhesive foam pad for extra dimension. The bunting will be coloured in with Promarkers and sprinkled with Hunkydory Diamond Sparkles ultra fine glitter when I begin my production line.  The finishing touches will be made with a few tiny clear flat backed gems scattered here and there, there is one on the date, but it doesn’t show up too well, so that will be changed to a coloured one.   I will then attach a strip of magnetic tape to the back, so that it can be put on a fridge etc. to remind the guests  to “save the date”!

I hope I have ordered enough of the ivory linen effect card for all the stationary from papermilldirect, prices have gone up, as have so many things. When I first started cardmaking seriously P & P used to be free if you spent over a certain amount, which is why I used to order two Mega Boxes at a time to last me a year or so, I can’t afford to do that now,  however their ivory and white linen effect card still remain my favourite card with which to make all my card blanks.

http://papermilldirect.co.uk/?gclid=CPOBy-z83LICFSTKtAodDEsA3Q

A Change In Blogging ….

I only have eight scheduled posts left to blog, but, rather than come to an abrupt and final end, I have decided to post on Fridays only to see how it goes.  I have to be truthful and say that I really don’t have the enthusiasm or fire to craft or blog any more, but by posting on a weekly basis I am hoping that it will afford me the time to see if my momentum does come back.  I started blogging on 20th August 2009, and have written 1,396 posts and not missed one day! (and the same goes for Mums Monkey)  I had been mulling over the thought of stopping on 1st January 2013 anyway, leaving the blog “live” and the ideas floating about in the ether forever, but, I just wasn’t expecting the bite on the bum I received four months ago.

BUT as and when and if the ideas start coming rest assured they will still get posted if somewhat spread apart. 

I hope to continue writing Mums Monkey …. those boys have really kept me sane (!?!?) over the summer, by making me find a funny, quirky or poignant angle on the most ordinary things/occasions in my/their life …. so I hope you will continue to read their adventures …. because their adventures are mine too.

Let’s just see how things pan out ……..

21st Birthday Newspaper Card

This card is A5 in size and is made using white linen effect card …… and was still wet when I took the photos!!!!

The brief for this card was Patrick, 21, Aston Villa, and his cat Bella amongst other things, so I think I ticked a few boxes.

I tried to match the main colours of the Aston Villa strip to other sections of the card …..

……. and work in a message from the cat!

I put very simple decoupage layers on my newspaper cards to add texture and definition and then add a touch of Ranger Glossy Accents to highlight them further.

This is what the “bones” of my A4 sheet of      card look  like after I have printed it,  having already designed it in Publisher and then copied and pasted the sections I want to make the decoupage layers with.

Punched Art Christmas Rockin Robin/Elizabeth Shaw Mint Crip Novelty

I am being very lazy again, using more pictures than words for this post,  but hope you can still get the gist of how I have put this paper punched Christmas robin together …..

These are the two punches I used ….

….. and these are the punched parts I have used to put “Robin” together …… not a lot to him really!

In the top picture I’ve just popped him on a makeshift background to show how he would look on a Christmas card…. but  he would make an excellent embellishment for an Elizabeth Shaw Mint Crisp…. ……… by just adding a matching plain brown circle on the back!

Christmas Parcel Tags–Trying To Be Good!

I know there are going to be some very tempting new Christmas goodies in the shops very soon, but I know I need to resist …. I have got enough crafty bits and pieces to last for the next hundred Christmas’s …. so I really do need to use them up first …. but to be honest I know at some stage, a moment of weakness will envelope me and things will just slip into my basket!

….. And with all these good intentions in my mind ………I’ve made some  gift tags using felt parcels and clear flat backed gems  from Hobbycraft , kraft card and red string from Traidcraft,  all bought several years ago and all  needing to be used up, the parcels in particular.

They took a matter of minutes to make.  I am going to put them on parcels wrapped in my all time favourite brown paper which is always so versatile and so easy to match with ribbons etc..

Bejewelled Lizard Canvas

I’m not a lizardy sort of person, but I found this die cut lizard amongst all my bits and pieces and wondered if I could do something with it of an artistic type nature …

I first glued it on a 5ins x 5ins canvas as the card was too flimsy to support the hundreds of flat backed gems I decided to stick onto it, using Ranger Glossy Accents as a glue.

As I said …. it’s not really my sort of thing so I am not sure what I am going to do with it now its finished!

Cards Using Foil Stickers

Both these cards are made using ribbed effect Kraft card, and part of a text patterned 12 x 12 paper, mat and layered on purple mirror card.

The stickers are raised foil with flat backed gems and cost £1a pack from a funny little discount store I found in Brixham when on holiday last year, needless to say, I bought several packs!

Guest Crafter For The Day …… Ren

This gorgeous little girl is my friend’s daughter Ren. I sent her a bag of crafty bits and pieces after I had a “grande” tidy up day and here she is posting her “Thank You” card for me …… couldn’t you just eat her up?  You will notice she is also wearing a gorgeous bracelet “designed and handcrafted” by herself, made with some of the wooden beads that I’d put in her goodie bag.

And this her card, giving me a mahooooosive run for my money …. the front is beautiful and stunning  enough, each embellishment carefully chosen and placed with so much care ….. but it’s the inside that made me squeal …..

Oh my life …. I love it sooooo much.  It’s now on the window sill in my craft room where I can look at it as I work …. and be inspired!  THANK YOU REN for my card and THANK YOU FOR BEING MY STAR GUEST CRAFTER OF THE DAY!!!

Penguin Christmas Tags

These tags were made using children’s covered wooden dominoes and measure 7.5cm x 3.5cm.

My mum was thrilled when she found me these penguin buttons way back in January, but rather than put them away until near Christmas I made these tags within days of getting them.  They have been waiting a long time to be used, but guess whose Christmas present they will be going on?

Halloween–Mini Printers Tray

I love these little trays, they are the packaging for small wooden embellishments and I have featured projects using them before, and when I had used all I had Sam came to the rescue and sent me a some more, “Thank You” Sam!All I have done is colour the edges and sides with a black ProMarker pen

… and then lined each compartment with paper in Halloween colours in orange, purple and green.
The fun bit is putting all the little embellishments together…..
…. which takes quite a while to gather up
…. and to find a spot for …. but it’s always such fun!

My Stampin’ Up Owl Punch

This little item has been on my object of desire list for quite a while, I have seen so many ideas for using it on Google that this little beauty just had to be mine.

I haven’t seen my mate Lisa, who among many things is a Stampin’ Up demonstrator for months and it was a perfect excuse to get her round for a natter if I ordered it from her (£15.50)

I did this dogs face ever so quickly just to illustrate this post, but you can see just how versatile the basic owl body is, I have seen it used to make ghosts, penguins and reindeer faces … so watch this space. I am sure that after I have copied a couple of ideas I have seen my feeble brain will come up with a few ideas of its own!

Lisa also bought me a sneaky Autumn/Winter catalogue! As you know I am not the most competent stamper, but it’s worth having a look for just for the ideas. Lisa is starting up a couple of Stampin Up’ classes in the Wolverhampton area in the next couple of months and I said I will join in and be a willing pupil.  When I have more information about places and times I will let you know just in case anyone else would be interested but in the mean time there is some information on Lisa’s Stampin’ Up blog.

http://www.stampin-craft-fairies.com/

Halloween Ghostie Lollipops

In the parcel from Dianne in Florida that I featured a couple of weeks ago was this glorious Ghost Sucker (!!!) Wrap Kit … and it was one of the first things I played with.
It took me three attempts to find the perfect lollies to make the perfect ghosts …. mini chuppa chups

I am so pleased with the way they have turned out, the only thing I did changed from the instructions was to secure the ghosts head with a bit of cotton thread first so it would be easier to get the ribbon tied just right. Wooooo woooooo woooooo!!

What’s Caught My Eye In The Shops

Well…..  the Poundshops of Wolverhampton are now bulging with Halloween stuff: a lot I have seen before but these packs of six “Mini Horror Pots” caught my eye, working out at about 18p each.  All they need are a few pumpkin or ghost chocolates popped inside …. or some green and red  jelly beans …. (snot and blood capsules …. sorry!!)

They also had packs of matching Frankenstein and skeleton head pots which I think I will have to go back for … I will kick myself if they’ve all gone as I didn’t keep to my usual Poundshop rule of buying when I see something I like and can use  …. because as I have found in the past, when they’re gone, they are usually gone! I shall be keeping my eyes peeled over the next few weeks  …. while my creative mojo is still flagging at least I can bring you the odd shopping report instead.

Christmas Tree Tags

These three tags each measure approximately 8cms x 4cms and are made using a ribbed Kraft card.

I found these three wood and felt Christmas trees in a box of bits and thought it was about time they were finally used up.
There’s nothing fancy about them, I’ve just used scrap bits of ribbed Kraft card, white glitter paper and a few doodled snow flakes.  I’ve also used some green Traidcraft string to tie them with.

I shall put them on parcels wrapped in my plain brown paper.