What’s In The Shops This Week

I thought I would add an extra post today to show you my latest shopping “finds” which hopefully, I can use in projects in the next week or so. 

Poundland cookie cutters – I was thinking I could use my Cropodile and put an eyelet on  each side of each cutter and then string them together to make a little banner or perhaps spray/paint them in cream so they have a shabby chic look and stick them on a plaque. …….

Also from Poundland, magnets, not such a good buy I don’t think, but I’ll leave them on my desk and have a think about what I could make with them.

Chocolate Tokens from Home Bargains – 39p for a bag of 9.  I might put these in a decorated shaker box. 
I have tried the chocolate - not bad, but not Cadbury's if you know what I mean!

Hobbycrafts – buy one get one free - £1.99 for the two.

Marks and Spencers chocolate bunnies – “buy 5 pay for 4” so that works out at £3.98 (I think there are about 12 bunnies in a net) – I shall make sweetie bags with these and add punched heart sprinkles, using papers that match the hearts on the bunnies tummies.

Bear Hugs

Wouldn’t these be so cute in a Valentine Lunch box surprise  for littlies?

The teddies are from Marks & Sparks - £1.49 for 9  and the jelly hearts are from Spar.

I  have put two bears in  a packet and put a jelly heart on the front ones tum.

The toppers are made using a Nestabilities Label die. When cut on my Big Shot they just need scoring down the middle and folded.

The biscuits will stay fresh in packets made with cut down cello display bags sealed with my vacumn bag sealer.

A Bit of Whimsy

This is something a bit different for me, not sure if you could call it Altered Art – but it’s my bit of whimsy.

I have used a new playing card as the base, ageing it with a mixture of stamping ink, rubbed on and then rubbed off with a tissue and some colouring chalk.

The photo came from this box of bits I got from a car boot sale for a couple of pounds, a funny place to find just one small photo.

The tickets are genuine old bus/tram tickets, another find, this time from an Antique Market for pence.

The dove is new, from Hobbycrafts (£1.49 per pack),  but I have rubbed a bit of brown chalk into it to make it look aged. I just love it, birds are so in at the moment.

The key was from bracelet I found in a sale in New Look, it was about £1.99 and had about 20 little key charms on, which I took off, it was like finding treasure!

The small butterfly circle  is from  K & Co Cut’ n Paste Die Cut Cardstock Ephemera (569805), and finally, the thread is just a length of embroidery cotton wrapped round several times.

This started out as a modern Valentine in my head but I sort of got distracted…..  but I am dead chuffed with the result, this is a keeper, for my treasure box.

Happy Birthday To Me

It’s my birthday! 

…… And I’ve just got to show you the card my sister made me.  Look at the mat and layering – I have taught her well!

I have a feeling that she might set up a rival crafting blog to mine with video tutorials!!!! 

I just love the way she has matched the background blue of the photo and Sir Alan’s tie to the blue of the card.

Why a picture of Sir Alan?  I love him with a passion, I even have a framed picture of him on my desk at work! I desperately want to be his Apprentice!
Oh, I forgot to say, inside it says " ......fifty two today" !!!!!!

Playing Cards – Valentine Scrapbook

This scrapbook is made from an extra large pack of playing cards,  I have seen them in shops like Poundshop, Home Bargains and BM Bargains but  you may have to hunt around for them and I have seen the price vary from £1 to £5.99. I have put a normal pack beside them so that you can gauge the size.

To make the book I have used ten heart cards from the ace to the ten and set them out as below, going up in numerical order, wit  the numbers on the left and the back is on the right. I have then covered what will be the front and back cover of the book with a thin red card before binding.

I have used my Bind It All to bind the book but if you don’t have one a hole punch with book rings or ribbon would work just as well.

To make sure that the books pages are centred perfectly I have used a joker card as a template, folding it in half and marking the fold with a pen line.  Then I have matched the line to the centre mark of the Bind It All and punched the template.

I have then put the template over several pages to be punched, again lining the mark to the centre of the Bind It All and hey presto, perfect matching holes every time. With all the pages punched the book is ready to bind.

How to decorate the scrapbook is up to you.  I have put a piece of roughly torn graph paper on each of the patterned sides of the book and will write one "thing I love about you” on each page.



I’m keeping it quite plain, just adding a few doodles here and there.

The teeny weeny playing cards on the cover came from a cracker and add up to ten to match the theme of the book.  Self adhesive Papermania alphabet stickers and punched black hearts finish the whole thing.

You don’t need a giant pack of cards to make this sort of book a regular pack would work equally well.

As there are 52 cards in a pack you can make at least 5 books from one, it just depends on your theme, naturally the hearts are brilliant for a "love" theme - but really, once made up, they can be used for anything - Spades for gardening, Clubs for golf/holidays, Diamonds for an engagament, "You're a Diamond" or  "Diamond Geezer"??????

Jewelled Valentine Hearts

I love the papers I used on this card, the colours are so rich.  They are from a K & Co Designer Mat Pad called Christmas Cheer (Code 566446)

The hearts are punched using a heart punch that I have had for years.  For a change I have cut an oblong card blank as the centre panel was rectangular and would look odd on a square..

If I were to make this card again, I would use an ivory card for a subtler effect, the white is a touch too harsh.

What’s On My Desks Wednesday!

SORRY THIS IS A LONG POST!

Not that I am bragging, but each day I work at three desks! I have no intention of  boring you senseless with all three  every Wednesday but thought I’d do it for fun, just this once, today!

I work for my husband very early in the morning, before I go to the my “real” job, doing the books and typing etc. for his/our central heating business.  This is my desk, nothing very exciting here, just invoices and quotes to be typed!

This is my desk at school ……

 

It’s just coincidence that my notepad and sweetie jars match my pencil case, mouse and flask ……all presents family and friends.

My flask matches my folders too!  My daughter gave it me  for Christmas without ever seeing my shelves at work!

But this is my favourite desk ……. especially at the moment as it is covered with BEAUTIFUL things ….

Back in July/August a letter and photo I sent to a well known craft magazine was awarded the “Letter We Liked Most” prize – but despite four e-mails nothing arrived, because they were having problems with the sponsor of the award not sending out prizes.

Usually I would have given up, but the devil got the better of me and I got stroppy with them after getting some good advice from the UKScrappers forum. As a result my desk looks like Christmas Day all over again!  There is a lot of Valentine stuff, which will come in useful over the next week or so.

Beaded Heart Card

Well, it won’t be long until 14th February, that's why I have decided to post my Valentine ideas earlier than I had originally planned, because, if you are like me, you want your ideas now, not a couple of days before the event. Hopefully,  if you like any of my ideas, you will now have plenty of time to gather materials etc. and have a go.

This card took a matter of minutes to make.  First I cut out the heart shape and applied a generous splodging of PVA glue (because it dries clear) to the edges, followed by a good sprinkling of accent beads.

I’ve used ivory card as the effect is much subtler than white, especially with gold, which I have used for the matting.


The heart has been set on a foam pad for added dimension.


The idea could be adapted for weddings and anniversaries and is very much an example of less is more.

Holiday Countdown Calendar

This is an idea that has been in my head for a while and I have finally done something about it!
It’s a Countdown to our Holiday Calendar for little ones ….

I made a sheet of days to go first (using Publisher and 2Peas High Tide font – free to download from 2 Peas in a Bucket  website). I thought 14 was about the most  days a child could manage their excitement!

I cut a rectangle, using  firm card and covered it with DCWV self adhesive papers, plain and patterned and then backed it with a darker blue card for added strength. The waves are done in several wavy layers for texture and dimension.

I backed the days on navy and then silver card, leaving a very narrow border to give a bit of lift and shine.

The stickers were from Ryman's sale (last week) and were a bargain at 49p.

I added googly eyes to the sun and backed it on white card to strengthen it then glued it onto a small bull dog clip which holds the days in place.

 

I added a couple of clear flat backed gems to the fishes bubbles and a bit of faux stitching.

This is an idea that can be adapted for lots of other occasions for children like birthdays, parties, visits etc. It could also be used for an adult theme, like a countdown to retirement, a wedding or 40th birthday……

I will put my thinking cap back on and see what I can come up with, with these ideas in mind ….. watch this space.

These adhesive mat stacks save so much time, mess and fiddling when making projects that need covering like clipboards, notebooks, beer mats or cutting die shapes.  They cost around £6.99 and contain about 48 pages and are worth every penny.

Check This Out!

You have got to click on the link I have added below and check out Kirsty Wiseman's Blog. I was so inspired by the idea and video turorial  that I had to have a go straight away.

My effort is very much pants as you can see below, but I am determined to master Kirsty’s brilliant idea and technique as these roses/flowers would look beautiful on small gift boxes and bags.

This idea came from and was inspired by Kirsty Wiseman