Cadbury Miniature Birthday Card

These cards measure 10.5cm x 14.5cms and are made using white linen effect card.

I made a special card using Cadbury Chocolate Miniatures a few weeks ago and thought I would try to make a “cut price” version!

I much prefer the top card, it looks much fresher and cleaner. I tried to accentuate the chocolate theme with the second card by using brown paper, I think I’ve over egged the pudding and it just doesn’t work!

Decorated/Altered Bangle

Hmmmmm not sure about this, I wanted the bangle to look all light, pretty and delicate, but instead it’s turned out very dark and heavy looking ….

It started out as a bangle from Primark bought in a sale for. I’ve covered it with strips from a page from a really old dictionary, then added a few ragged strips of a black Decoptach paper, plus some gold adhesive strips and a little Stampin’Up Dazzling Diamonds, followed by several coats of very glossy clear glitter. It’s too ugly for me ….. oh well it’s back to the drawing board.

Wooden Jigsaw Tags

I found these tags made using old jigsaw pieces from an unwanted children's puzzle a lot more fiddly than my usual domino tags

….. so I am not sure if I shall be making many more.  They also look a bit bare, something is missing!  If I should try again …. I think I would use a busy print, perhaps a small Cath Kidston design and just add a thread and leave it at that.

Two Covered Note Books

During a search for something completely different, I found a bag containing ten Asda memo pads, bought goodness knows when and so hidden I had forgotten I even had them, and hang my head in shame ……

Having uncovered them, I felt that I had better justify my buying them by doing something with them….

They measure 5ins x 3ins and I have covered the fronts with papers from a DCWV Spring adhesive cardstock stack (4.5 x 6.5ins) and then simply and quickly embellished them with bits and pieces that I already had on my desk.

back view.

Father’s Day Gift Tags

The newsagent across the road takes off all the free gifts from all the unsold children's comics and then sells them for 30p each or 4 for £1 and I have found some really brilliant bits and piece for crafting with, because of their size they are perfect.

…. and so whenever I see tool sets in his box  I snaffle them up as fast as I can ….. because the first thing that comes into my head are Dads and Father’s Day!

All I have done is cut tag shapes from a fine corrugated Kraft card (I used my last sheet for this idea and now don’t have a clue where I can find any more).

I have stuck the tools down with E600 glue, a glue recommended to me by Marc because it is really strong and can be used with so many materials.

And finally I’ve used my faithful Dymo labeller for the wording. A few silver stars here and there bring everything together.  Done and dusted!

Father’s Day Tool Kit Card

This card measure 5ins x 5ins and is made with hand cut blanks using white linen effect card.

These embellishments are gorgeous ….. they are part of a packet sent to me from Dianne in Florida and came from Michaels …. a shop I long to purchase profusely in one day …….

I’ve teamed them up with a scrap of A4 Kanban wooden fence card and another matching paper adding a few small silver brads in the corners. The wording is done on my faithful old Dymo label maker which is ideal for men's cards.

Vintage Style Card

This card measures 6ins x 4.25ins and is made from a black and cream patterned hand cut card blank.

I’ve used a whole mixture of materials for this card ….. including a K & Co tag that I’ve had forever with K & Co 3D embellishments from Michaels sent to me by Dianne, plus text paper (which I’ve coloured with a Promarker pen) from Papermania’s A5 Bookprint pad ….

…….and something you won’t see very often on this blog …. peel off sticker corners!! I just needed something to soften off the harsh looking corners and they did the job perfectly!

Sad News

I just didn't know what to do ...... but in the end I have decided that I would tell you that on Thursday Andy - The Duke died ..... I am still fuctioning in shock mode ...and we are all devastated.  He was at work and just keeled over with a massive embolism to his lung. I have been told that it was instant and he would have felt nothing and that gives us all comfort. 
Blog posts will continue as I am scheduled for weeks ahead and its really too much work cancel them ..... so enjoy.
There is no need to leave a comment ..... just embrace this and every day because you just don't know what might be coming to bite you on the bum !! xxxxxxx

Mini Jotter Calendar Fridge Magnet

I’m still playing with the magnets sent to me by Jonathan at First4Magnets.

I wanted to try to make a jotter fridge magnet after finding a pack of ten 10cms x 7.5cm  notebooks in  Poundland. All I have done is cover over the front  with some self adhesive blue and green DCWV papers to make the front a little more substantial  adding a little decorative border to brighten it up. Then I thought why not add a calendar tab as well, never a bad thing to have on the fridge and low and behold it fit perfectly across the front.

I’ve added a neodymium magnet to the back, and boy does it have some pull, this is one fridge magnet that won’t get knocked off!

http://www.first4magnets.com/f301n---10mm-dia-x-5mm-thick-x-32mm-csink-neodymium-magnet---2kg-pull-north-x10-b17y-25-p.asp

This is an idea I want to develop further,  later on in the year when I will be looking for ideas for calendars to give as small “fairing” Christmas presents, especially as I think I may have done my coaster/beer mat calendars to death!

http://www.first4magnets.com/

Diamond Jubilee Crafts - Docrafts Hanging Heart

I have seen these paper heart decorations in the past and loved their shabby chic appearance but have never attempted to make one so when I saw that there were instructions on pages 94-95 in Issue 33 of the May Edition of Docrafts Creativity Magazine (£2.95) I was determined to have a go, especially as there was a free sheet of A4 Docrafts Portobello papers included to make them with (as well as a set of Portobello Road stamps)

I'll have to admit that I found the instructions a bit confusing, but there again I am easily confused .....  so once I got the gist of what to do, I, to quote Frank Sinatra, "Did it my way!"

As per the instructions I cut three pairs of strips of my chosen Portobello patterns in 5cm widths and then cut them down to make pairs 22cm, 18cm, and 14cm long. 

I then scored each strip down the middle and folded them in half  ..... (but, if I were to repeat this project again  I would definitely use double sided paper). The next step was to make a teardrop shape from each strip.

I then layered the teardrops inside one another to make one half of the heart, gluing them at the bottom and holding everything together with a small bulldog clip. I then repeated this for the other side  

When both sides were dry I put a loop of ribbon between the two halves and glued both sides together again using a clip to keep it all from falling apart while they dried. I also punched a small hole through all the layers at the bottom, putting a small brad through to further secure the joining of the two halves. As a finishing touch I added a rather large jewel, which I am not sure I really like.

I will definitely have another go at making more hearts probably nearer Christmas, making them into a garland like the original magazine article.

Original Article by Julie Kirk in Docrafts Creativity Issue 33 May 2012 

21st Newspaper Card

Take no notice of the date on this card.  I make so many newspaper cards throughout  the year that I am trying to spread them out by just posting one a month, so you don’t get bored of them.

The “Exclusive”, “21 Today” and the candle picture are made up of a double layer of the images to add dimension. I’ve then added Ranger Glossy Accents to the candles and 21, Stampin’Up Dazzling Diamonds glitter to the flames and DecoArt  Glistening Snow-Writer for the icing plus a few scattered silver stars.  Done and dusted!

Card Using DoCrafts Boofle A4 Decoupage Sheet

This card measures 5ins x 5ins and is made using a white linen effect hand cut blank.

I am such a fan of Boofle, at last I can make cards using a character that I actually like and that is current with what is popular in the shops at the moment, brilliant.

An A4 pack decoupage pack (£2.00)  containing two sheets is enough to make six cards, which gives me a good return for my money. I am not the greatest fan of decoupage, but because of the character and simplicity I can be swayed now and again, and more importantly these sort of cards are always very popular in my box at work.

Because I had only have scraps left from my 6ins x 6ins paper pack I have made my own version of the Boofle patchwork backgrounds, to which I have added faux stitching, which stays with the Boofle theme.

Bluebird Gift Card

This card measures 3ins x 3ins and was made using a Papermania card blank.

This is only a tiny card, suitable for putting with a gift I thought,  but I’m not too sure if I should have tried to age it now using a touch of colouring chalk as it looks a bit grubby! Hmmmm, perhaps I need to try it again with a subtle patterned blue paper.

The music paper is from the Papermania Bookprint A5 pad.

Father’s Day Cards - 17th June

Both these cards measure 5ins x 5ins and are made with hand cut blanks using white linen effect card.

Dianne sent me this pack of Jolee’s Boutique stickers all the way for Florida, I was loathe to use them as they satisfy my great need for all things tiny, but what’s the point in them being left unused, in a drawer, so I made myself use them …..

The little tools are just so exquisite!

I’ve teamed them up with scraps from an A4 sheet of Kanban Wooden Fence card and matching papers plus a smattering of small silver brads.

Elizabeth Shaw Mints Meet Angry Birds!

Do you remember when I found a blog written by Debbie Naylor that blew me away …. especially with her very simple instructions for making the red Angry Bird.

Well, Debbie’s  idea spurred me on transferring the idea  to using with Elizabeth Shaw mints.

So I gathered my various punches to adapt the idea …… as I didn’t have all of the same ones as Debbie, but the basic circle shape is made with a Stampin’Up 1 3/4 punch.

and started to punch, stick and put them together.

This is when I started to doubt the end result…!

Here they reminded me of mad fish! (now there’s and idea ……)

And finally it is the beaks and eyebrows that finally make the character!  I am thinking that these sweets would go down very well at a boys birthday party …… now all I need to do is work out how to make the other characters!!

Diamond Jubilee Crafts - Jubilee Pinwheels in Pots

Nothing fancy here today, just a bit of cheap and cheerful Jubilee frippery as we have decided to decorate our office at work to celebrate the Jubilee but on a tight budget ……

…. So one of my colleagues has been consuming vast quantities of Batchelors Pasta Pot Shots in order that I can fill them with union jack pinwheels ……

…. the download of which I found on the website below

http://www.naturedetectives.org.uk/download/pinwheels.htm

I know I could have cut my pinwheels a little better, but it’s only a bit of fun!

Plus this useful Diamond Jubilee pack:-http://www.naturedetectives.org.uk/download/diamond_jubilee_pack.htm

Paperchase Domed Heart Stickers

This card measures 5ins x 5ins and is made using a hand cut blank using white linen effect card

These domed stickers are from Paperchase and cost £2 per pack. There are one or two small hearts in each dome which jiggle about, so it would have been rude not to buy them!

Rather than keep everything dead straight, as is my usual want,  I’ve set everything off at a jaunty angle on a background of Bazzill paper squares,  which I think has worked out quite nicely.