If You’re Out Shopping Today …..

…… have a look in WH Smith, as my daughter found these little beauties for just 20p a pack in boxes filled with all sorts of things in the Wolverhampton branch.

Button Covered Notice Board

Sorry about the wet glue, I am always a bit too eager to get things photographed.

I have too many buttons and have decided that I must use them ......  most of these came from the craft section of Home Bargains, for no more than £1 a bag.

All I have done is cover the frame of a Poundland notice board with them using a strong PVA glue.

When I had covered the frame once I added a few more buttons on top to give it a bit more depth.  I think I will keep the board somewhere safe and use it as one of my Christmas/New Year makes.

Handbag Birthday Card

This is a card I made for my nieces best friend Jessica, who is mad about bags.

I used a digi scrapbook download set  from Scrappin Doodles (sets cost about $1.99, I’m not sure what that is in English money)  It’s a brilliant site for digi sets, easy to use, and especially useful  when I am really stuck for just the right embellishment.

I used Publisher to set up the design, putting in three shelves first, then adding the handbags, keeping the design symmetrical.  Once I was happy, I printed the design three times.  One was for the base and mat and layered on black paper.  the other two sets were cut out and very simply decoupaged, i.e the main bag shape and then the bag flap. To complete the card I added a few gems and three tags saying “Reserved for Jessica” for a personal touch.

I added two side pieces of black dotty paper and three clear gems to make the design flow across the card

Little Birds In A Tree Birthday Card

Birds are so in at the moment – these puffy stickers are from Paperchase (£1 a pack). At first I wasn’t too keen on them, but, then I thought of marrying them up with this beautiful tree download from Quickutz Silhouette.

Lifting them from the carrier sheet was a nightmare, very fiddle farty!

But I am really pleased with the end result and have already got other ideas for things to hang on or put in the tree.

Birthday Easel

I don’t think this took me more than 5 minutes to put together, I was in a rush and didn’t have time to make a card  The mini easel and canvas came from The Range.  They are sold in packs of two easels or two canvases which I think cost about £1.99 (perhaps the canvases were a little less)

All I’ve done is a bit of writing and as my friend is cat mad  a couple of feline embellishments. Done and dusted!

Rubber Duck Card

Something very quick and easy today, bet you can’t guess what the rubber duck actually is ……. it’s a bathroom tile decoration!  I bought them ages ago, in the days of Woolworths.  I really, really miss their pick ‘n’ mix  selection, other shops try, but they are not a patch on Woollies.

Oooops sorry

This moderation lark is a pain in the bum!  I apologise is you left a comment today, because I have accidently deleted a couple .... I am so sorry because ALL comments are very precious to me. 

I didn't want to use any type of moderation  but I am plagued with spam comments for viagra and other very strange things!   JUST BOG OFF SPAMMERS!

Doodled Postcard

I bought this book of postcards a little while back, it contains 66 part doodled postcards that you can finish off, but I am guilty of keeping it in my desk and not doing anything with it….

Until today ……………………… this is what I came up with.

I coloured the jug and surface with  promarker pens, the flowers are from a foam set from HobbyCraft and the rest I have doodled and handwritten.  I’m not sure if it withstand the rigours of the post so I may slip it in an envelope when I send it.

Altered Postcard

This is a silly little thing really, but I thought how nice it would be to send a handmade postcard now and again just to say “Hi”, or “Thank You”, “Thinking of You” etc.

First I covered a postcard with part of a page from Brenda Walton, Mira Designer Mat Pad (4 x 6) by K & Co.

Then I embellished it with punched flowers using a large daisy punch and other paper designs from the pad.

It wouldn’t be a “me” project without the addition of flat backed gems and hologram glitter! (I will be interested to see if the gems withstand the vigour's of the postman's bag!)

I know I bang on and on about hologram glitter and add it to almost all my projects, but the effect is soooooooo lovely.  I cannot take a photograph that does it justice, it is subtle and beautifully twinkly and it looks so professional, like the cards in the shops!

I am sure that this idea could be adapted for so many other postcards for all occasions and ages.
As a post note ......... I posted this card to my mum ....... she never got it!!  Oh well!!!

Little Blue Boat Birthday Card

This is a dead simple card to make.  I have just taken a little wooden boat embellishment and set it on a background of bazzill waves, sky and sun.

I have also added some doodled clouds, using a white gel pen, a few seagulls and a bit of faux stitching to finish off.

Primark to the Rescue - Wooden Beaded Bracelets

You're going to think I am quite mad now …. but believe me, it’s cheaper to buy a new multicoloured wooden beaded necklace from Primark and take it  apart  than to buy  beads or a bead  kit from a craft shop!

The summer fete season is coming up and I wanted to make a few bracelets for a stall, but when I went to buy some wooden beads they cost a small fortune and they weren’t even nice colours!  But then, as I was meandering round Primark, I spyed exactly what I wanted for £4, nuff said, another bargain bagged!

I have added a few beads that I had already had and so far have made 20 bracelets – with enough left for another ten at least.

I know they are nothing special, but put a couple together and they look pretty cute, and for the fashionistas amongst us, they are in this seasons colours!

Pretzel Bags

A couple of people have asked about the pretzel bags that I use in some of my projects …. so I have added this link for today and then will move it to my side bar ….

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/cuteasacupcake09/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p4340

I have used this seller many times and cannot recommend her more highly (and I am not on commission!!!) – the bags always arrive within a couple of days and a really good quality. 

50 – 2” x 9” bags cost £1.99 + £1.00 P & P – just say Helen sent you!!!!

Goldfish Birthday Card

My apologies, this card was a nightmare to take any pictures of, it’s one of my favourites in a long time, but the camera just doesn’t like it!

I’ve used  a fishing themed paper by Carolyn Holt for Paper Adventures and transparent goldfish stickers from Mei Flower with a touch of Hero Arts micro glitter to give added sparkle to  the water.

Again sorry about the naff photos, they just don’t do the card any justice!.

What’s on My Desk Wednesday – A Poundland Shopping Basket …….

This basket reminded me of when I was a little girl, I just couldn’t resist it, but when I looked closer and found that you could un-popper it, I was at the checkout before you could whistle!

 
Then I got to thinking, I wonder what it would look like with ribbons threaded through  …..

Talk about super fiddle farty, but once I got started I couldn’t stop, but, in the back of my mind was the thought that this could look really pants or it could turn out to be rather cute.

I cut lengths of ribbon and threaded them through, gluing them on the runs with a very strong, tacky PVA glue which dries clear. The first section was the trickiest, trying to work out which way was best to weave the ribbon.

I used a bit of extra ribbon to make the centre panels, and then glued on a few buttons, down the sides of the basket and on the woven area using a glue gun.

How durable the basket will be remains to be seen … I don’t think it would withstand a heavy rainfall but  I intend to use it to carry my lunch and do nice dainty lady shopping!

Aghhh …. What Have I Done?

While hopping yesterday I stumbled upon a blog that was using a covered button as an embellishment on a card.  Hmmmm, the cogs slowly turned round in my brain, as I remembered the box of badges I made using old embroidered table/tray clothes, when I first got my Bandai Super Badge-It Badge Maker from e-bay for 99p. I later acquired a smaller version for 10p, including badge blanks, from a local carboot sale because the lady couldn't face taking it back home again!

Well, to cut a long story short, I thought I had nothng to lose if I opened a little esty shop – starting with these four badges, to test the water. Selling and mailing in dollars has confused me greatly, I have probably made a right pigs ear of it, but nothing ventured ......

I also thought that if I have time this weekend I would have a go at adding one to a card, taking the pin off, to see what I can come up with .... perhaps, for once, I can be on trend!!!

Bag Sealer & Sweetie Bags

I have had a couple of enquiries about my sweetie bags .... if you click on "bag sealer" in my labels list in the sidebar, there is a little bit of archive information about how I seal my sweetie bags to keep everything as hygienic and fresh as possible!  I love my bag sealer to bits and it makes bags look so "professional" especially for summer fayres etc.

You Have To Kiss a Lot of Frogs Card

This card is made using a page from a Pepper and Friends decoupage pad by Trimcraft. When I had finished it, I thought what on earth am I going to do with that big space at the top ….. then inspiration …. I know….  It’s always a tense moment when I write directly onto a card, one mistake and I'll have to start again!

The card is finished off with a pair of googly eyes and a few gems from a Poundland nail decoration kit.

Doodled & Punched Birthday Card

I have decided to try a few new ideas and techniques in the next little while, venturing out of my comfort zone like a timid tortoise! I blog hop most days and see lots of wonderful ideas, but that’s usually as far as it goes.

Well,  yesterday I saw this lovely card on Kath’s Blog and was inspired to try something very similar using her basic layout.
http://kath-allthatglitter.blogspot.com/2010/06/get-funky-challenge-june.html

I don’t have any flower stamps so I used my large and small retro flower and snowflake punches and doodled on them.

The “h” is from the set of Making Memories alphabet stickers I got in the HobbyCraft sale last week.

 

The border tape is by Papercellar and I got it in the Dunelm Mill Sale for 80p a roll (10% off I think)

 
Thank you Kath for inspiring me to try something really new!