Birthday Card with a Swiss Theme

I don’t know why, but I kept putting off making this card, the brief was to include Switzerland, walking boots, and a map for a lady’s 70th birthday.

In the end, I decided on a newspaper card, as it was the easiest way to fit everything in.  I’ve made a very simple decoupage layer using the picture of the mountains, although it doesn’t show up to well in the photos.

The boots are Quickutz die cuts, bought from e-bay, but this is a die I would very much like, but not got round to looking for yet.  The boot prints are Stickopotamus boot and shoe prints bought from US via e-bay. I am desperate to find some more packs , as I seem to make a lot of cards that use boot prints – they are ideal for Christmas Santa boot prints.

 

The flower is made using various punches and the compass is part of a pack of 3D stickers from Poundland.

Snappy Birthday Cards

I feel a bit guilty about having a Giveaway and no crafty post …… so this is so that no one’s disappointed!!!

These are the stickers I bought earIier this week. I just  loved these crocodile as soon as I saw them (99p a packet)

I’ve got three cards from the pack so far, which is pretty good going, as I still have the other animals left, but inspiration is eluding me on them just now.

All I’ve done is add googly eyes to the crocs to give them a bit more character.

And I have handwritten the sentiment.

A Voyage Round My Mug

I’ve had a go at “mug painting”.  I was a bit limited, as I only had three pens in red, green and black.  I was given a gift voucher last Christmas and I bought the pens with it, thinking that I might like to try painting some mugs for this Christmas.  The pens cost £3.09 each.

Using the pens couldn’t be simpler, as they look and feel like big marker pens, the ink is slightly thinner but it didn’t run.

And best of all, if you make a mistake or don’t like what you have done, it just washes off with water, BRILLIANT.

I decided to keep things very simple for my first attempt. You have to wait 24hrs to allow the paint to dry, and then bake in the oven for 40 minutes.  It says that it is dishwater proof, but I am not sure I would like to risk it.

I am now thinking about some Christmas designs ……..

Christmas Is Coming With Random Ramblings!

My apologies, this post goes on and on and on …….

I have decided to start my Christmas posts from 9th September – if you’re like me, you’re looking for your ideas NOW.  I have put a few things together already ……but I am a bit worried  that I used up a lot of my ideas last year …. fingers crossed for divine inspiration!

 WHAT’S IN MY SHOPPING BAG THIS WEEK?

……. Not a lot! I have just had a really good sort out of my craftroom and I really do have too much stuff. 

So I am going to try to “do” Christmas by only buying what I really, really need (famous last words!) It’s going to be tough and there will be temptation …. but I will be strong!  I will allow myself a once a week splurge in Poundland/Poundshop when they start putting their Christmas stuff on the shelves, but I will tell myself that I only need 5 packets of “must have” 3D Christmas stickers instead of 10, and I am praying that Accessorize Christmas stickers will be pants this year, as they could be my undoing!

But ….. I have done a little shopping in the last week or so.  This stencil was a bit of a disappointment, (£3.99), it said on the bumpf that it could be used with most die cutting machines, well I tried it in my BigShot and Sizzix Boutique embosser (with extra layers)  but the effect is very flat and hardly visible, BUM! I thought it would look brilliant with assorted coloured gems in the centre of each snowflake …… I have since learnt that I need an "Impression Mat" to use this stencil properly ...... DOH! If you pop over to Lisa's blog, http://craftfairy.blogspot.com/2010/08/christmas-cards-made-using-metal.html     she has used it properly and brilliantly, unlike my own good self!

 

These small fabric type stickers were 99p, so cute – I feel a “Snappy" birthday card coming on!

These jewelled stickers were also 99p a pack. I thought I might try to doodle bodies that will fit onto the smiley faces …… not sure how that will go!

TALKING OF MY CRAFT ROOM …..

I have finally got all my ……. (pardon the expression) fairy balls up!  How beautiful are they? I got them from a gift shop in Chester earlier on in the year and had just left them in the box, stroking them occasionally, but with my tidy up, they are now in place, I just love them.

WHAT CAN I DO WITH THESE?

I got these for 49p a packet from HobbyCrafts Christmas sale a couple of years ago, but they are only a real bargain if you know what to do with them.  I think they are great, but don’t have a clue how to use them, other than sewing them on a “festive waistcoat” for Monkey and Darrell.  Any ideas?

Talking of Monkey and Darrell ………

If you are thinking about getting someone a Monkey for Christmas there are always a couple on e-bay.  I have just “won” two for 99p and 89p plus P&P – BARGAINTASTIC!  You need to look for one that measures 16/17ins.  Newborn or 3-6 months baby clothes fit them perfectly or charity shops have brilliant finds.  Primark baby shoes are great too.

But remember a monkey is for life not just Christmas!!!

Bird Cage Tag Birthday Card

 
I’ve used a very simple bird cage stamp from the Happy Moments set from Stampin’ Up.

It’s quite a small stamp and I wasn’t too sure how to use it.  In the end I plumped for setting it on three punched tags, with  faux stitching round the edges and three small yellow flat backed gems for added decoration

I have also used a very thin natural coloured string to complete the design.

My Phone Charm

I don’t often make stuff for me ……

But I’ve had this gingerbread man  for a couple of years now, it was taken from a nursery ornament in the shape of a tree which had a gingerbread man hanging on each branch., I waited and waited until it was reduced in the shop and as soon as it was, I bought it and disassembled it just for the gingerbread men, (something I have a big thing about)

I threaded it onto a mobile phone lariat (from e-bay) and a silver jump ring – et voila!  I’m not sure how long it will last, as it’s bound to get snagged on something, but perhaps, as I love it so much, I will be more careful.

This may also explain to you why I am always on the look out for the perfect little gingerbread man cookie cutter, so I that can make my own version of this sort of charm.

Cadbury Birthday Chocolate Bar

I thought I would make a few of these birthday chocolate bars to keep in my desk at work, in case of an emergency!

I think I paid 39p for a pack of 6 small bars of chocolate, which was a brilliant bargain. Before covering the chocolate with a scrap of patterned paper  I folded and stuck down both ends of the wrapper so they didn’t stick out.  I’ve handwritten “Happy Birthday”, then added a few stickers from Paperchase and some small clear flat backed gems.

That’s it!

Thank You Card

 

The “Thank You” sentiment on this card is a download from the Quickutz Silhouette site where I have a monthly subscription.

 
The butterflies are made using my Martha Stewart Trio butterfly punch.

When I have searched for this punch on Google Images the ideas using it on other blogs are breathtaking.  Hopefully, when I have a little more time during the summer holidays I will be able to try a few out.

Workman’s Tea and Cookie Card

I never know what I am going to be asked to make next ….. but this one takes the biscuit!!

 
I have a lovely lady who always asks me to put her husband in all of the cards I make for him, and always in his dungarees!

This time she wanted him with a big cup of tea and cookies……

The images are a mixture of digi scrapbooking from http://www.scrappindoodles.com/ and clip art.

The man and his clothes are made Sizzix Bitty Body dies.

Not sure about this one!!!??

Quick Birthday Card

I was sorting out my drawers and came across some postcards from Paperchase that I had forgotten I had.

 

So I trimmed this one to make a 3.5 cm x 3.5cm square and then mat and layered it on silver. All I’ve done then is add some pink flat backed gems in various sizes to the centre of the flowers and at the end of the leaves.

Little Girl with Balloon Birthday Card

It’s about time I used up these little girl wooden embellishments, as I have had them for ages and in some ways they seem a bit dated now.

I’ve put her on a background of pink gingham and have added the ribbon in her hair and shoe laces for a bit of extra detail.

Hearts on Printed Words Birthday Card

I’ve used an ivory linen card for this design as it is subtler than white and then have mat and layered on gold.

The scalloped squares are punched out from the pages of an old weathered dictionary and the black faceted hearts are from Hobbycraft.

A card for someone who loves words or reading?

Pepper And Friends Decoupage Cards.

Decoupage isn’t really my thing …. but I got the pad for these cards at a reduced bargain price from The Range because it was slightly damaged.
 
On the first card I have added three small bee buttons, covering up the printed bees on the original.

On this Pepper card I have added a bow, googley eyes and a few tiny flat backed gems.

And these last two cards I have experimented with the background papers.

Though these are not my type of card, they soon disappeared and after using them and seeing how popular they are I do look more carefully at decoupage stacks now.

Carbooting Sunday

As you can see from my picture, this carboot is HUGE!

Lisa picked me up at half past seven to go to a carboot  about 15 minutes away from us.. We must be mad, Sundays were meant for lying in and tea and toast in bed! We were good girls and stuck to our plan of each walking  down one side of a row and then swopping over at the top, as we knew we would be looking at/for the same thing and didn’t want to spoil a good friendship by fighting in an unseemly fashion over some trifle that caught both our fancies!

I was really keen to go, as Lisa said that the last time she went she found some double sided, silver mirror card. I’d had some a few years back and it was brilliant, especially for making boxes etc. on my Silhouette …… but I never thought I’d find any more once it was used up.  I managed to get 3 packs of  50 sheets for £2 each, bargain!  The lady on the stall said she was trying to get some double sided gold, now that would be even brillianter!!!

I also managed to find this small pile of bracelets and necklaces to disassemble. I was particularly looking for ones that had attached beads (as below), because they will look like little charms on the bracelets I intend to make with them. I paid between 20p and 50p for each of them, but there is a NEXT necklace amongst them that  I think I will wear for a while before undoing

These baskets were our find of the morning, costing just £1 for 10. I was thinking Christmas, but Lisa was thinking way ahead of me to Easter.  They measure about 4ins square and will be ideal for putting all sorts of little things in. We got 30 each! What are we like?

This was a funny sort of purchase, but only cost 50p – it’s a huge bag of fuzzy felt dancing girls with lots of dancing clothes etc. ……. I’m thinking …… girlie cards?

I also managed to find Monkey a very fetching Christmas outfit!!!