Hobby Craft Wooden Christmas Card

I have Marc to thank for my renewed enthusiasm for using glitter, until a week or so ago all I possessed was my beloved diamond/fairy dust translucent glitter, used for the odd titivation, anything I may have had in the past had been sent to the local charity shop a while back.  But seeing Marc’s vast array of glitter and playing with it again ….. made me see the possibilities.

Which was probably why I bought three of these wooden Christmas cards from Hobbycraft
http://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/hobbycraft-wooden-christmas-card-and-envelope-bird-and-bauble-natural/586246-1000
In fact I found all the glittering very relaxing and therapeutic!

The only think I added to all the glitter was a few flat backed pearls for the mistletoe berries to add a little dimension and a different texture.

The only thing I am not too keen on is the “Happy Holidays” sentiment …. it’s a little too “American” for me ….. I would have much preferred a Happy/Merry Christmas.  I admit I didn’t notice it until I got home, had I, I probably wouldn’t have bought them ….. but I daresay nobody else will notice, it’s just a me thing!

Another Bejewelled Dunelm Illuminated Christmas Tree Cone

After the success of my first decorated Dunelm Christmas Tree cone, I just couldn’t resist experimenting some more ….. wondering what one would look like decorated with a couple of boxes of very small multi-coloured baubles I got in Poundland …… (25 baubles per box)

Well ….. I think I like this one even more than my first one in a gaudy, not so tasteful kind of a way ……. again my fingers are raw because I am c**p with pliers and jump rings, but it was worth it!

To add even more bling I also stuck hologram snowflakes in the gaps to help reflect the light and colours.

I am tempted to put another couple of cones away …. for more experimentation …. but then again my craft room is fit to bursting point already.  However ……  if I saw any of them in a sale after Christmas ……..!!!!!

Wishing W.E.Interiors, in Battersea, The Most Wonderful Launch Night!

Well,  if I can’t give one of my dearest friends a humungously mahooosive and shamelessly blatant plug on my blog,  then who can????!!!!!

Tonight (26th November), Marc’s partner Ian and his sister Jan launch their new venture W.E. Interiors in Battersea, which specialises in interior design, bespoke furniture, and soft furnishings, showcasing fabric ranges and accessories from new, very exciting and innovative designers.During my last visit in October I had the most WONDERFUL day with Ian, when he took me to have a mooch round W.E. Interiors  AND  “play shop”.  Oh my life, he only asked me to help price some of his most gorgeous vases and accessories, me, the Poundshop Queen, having to think “London Prices” !!!   Well, I tried my best, adding the odd nought here and there …. feeling very professional and business like in my faux fur coat and, I do believe, some of those items have since been sold!

There were a couple of pieces that I had to put on my “Objects of Desire” list …..

….. like this bespoke desk. OMG ….. I can just see me now attending to my daily correspondence,  sat sitting there…… just look at the flower drawer knobs!!! So me or what???   The moment I saw it, I knew I wanted it …..

……. and with it’s matching stool.  They will probably end up in the house of someone very, very famous, but at least I can say I saw and desired them first!

….. I wouldn’t say no to this chair either  …. as it would very much suit my boudoir bedroom ….

And as for this sideboard …… let’s just say I stroked it and just wished I had a space for it ……

And talking of houses and interior designs, if ever I get “discovered” and need to move to London and into a bijoux London Lounging Pad, I know exactly who I would be my exclusive interior designer … Ian!!!  I have seen what he has done to his and Marc’s flat and believe me every time I visit I just go wow. Ian puts colours together that mere mortals like you or I just wouldn’t dare and then adds gorgeous, quirky decorative touches ….. I am soooooooooo jealous. Coupled with the fact that Ian has taught me so much about furniture, design, colour and architecture, I am so lucky, I just wish I had met him when I was younger and he’d taken me under his wing!!!!

But I digress ….  since I was in the shop, Ian has also stocked some beautiful cushions and lamp shades by Lorna Syson …… my aforementioned “Objects of Desire” list has just got even longer!!!! How on earth do you choose which one you like?

I know Marc has been busy too, last night we only had time for a very brief natter as he was up to his eyeballs making over 400 assorted (and knowing Marc’s cooking delicious), canapés, this after making goodness knows how many complimentary gift bags, just like they have at The Oscars!!!!

So good luck Ian and Jan and W.E Interiors ……

you deserve it!

W.E. Interiors 557-561 Battersea Park Road, SW11 3BL London, United Kingdom
Phone
020 7738 2424      Email: ian@weinteriors.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Weinteriors/187642458091845

Movember Moustaches

Remember the moustaches I started with Marc using his Ranger Melt Pot and a Poundland ice cube tray? 

Well,  I finally got round to sticking the pin backs on after a couple of false starts caused by not using a strong enough glue and then sorting out the packaging, ready to sell at work to raise more funds.

I attached the moustache to the card using two small punched holes and then tying a thread though them and the pin back.

And then sealed them in a cello bags using my bag sealer

Now fingers crossed they all go!!

Snowflake Tags

These are a few tags that I made using some of the plastic snowflakes I found in a charity shop last week for £1.50 for a huge bag full.

The tags measure approximately 4ins x 2ins and are hand cut from a sheet of navy card.  In the centre I added a mat and layered panel using a Craft Creations paper – Snowflakes on Dark Blue (SR065P) that I have had for years, on silver mirror card, the original price said 40p!

I made up two snowflakes,  taking a smaller one and gluing it onto a larger one and then adding a flat backed gem in the middle to add dimension and then  glued  them both onto the panel, adding a silver corner peel off and two sets of three peel off dots, for extra bling.

This year I am loving Bakers/Butchers twine ….. and can’t believe how it just brings the whole tag together and makes it look doubly, doubly, Christmassy.

"Rusty" Christmas Cards for 2013 – Snowmen

I have to admit to feeling very rusty as far as making cards is concerned, but I began to feel the old adrenalin flowing as I was making these ….. but I have to admit they are VERY, VERY basic….. I feel my lack of mojo has forced me back to basics and square one in a lot of ways.

I just love the “snowy” card I have used, from Payper Box (fill a plastic wallet), as soon as I saw it I thought snowman and Christmas. The bubble snowmen which contain small seed beads came from The 99p Store last year, which I didn’t use in the end but was determined I would use this year.  I have however seen them again in the pound shops again this year if you fancy some too.  The metal Making Memories eyelet plaques came from the Hobbycrafts Show at the NEC years and years ago cost me 50p a pack, but again have never been used ….. well this year, is their year!

I made the topper first, snow and sky, adding faux stitching, then mat and layered on silver ….. and a snowman plonked in the middle. I then put the topper onto the 5ins x 5ins card base and then set the eyelet.  Nothing to it really ….. simples and as I said very, very basic!

Snowman Doodle No.1

I found a couple of doodles I had done of snowmen, goodness knows when, at the bottom of one of my craft room drawers …. and I thought, why not ….  with a tiny bit of jiggery pokery I could offer them as a download on my blog!!  So I have ……https://www.dropbox.com/s/t8d7o9c64o6p7hz/snowman.jpg

A snowman is a snowman and comes in many forms, and as far as I am concerned as I drew “Dilbert” with my own fair hand using a Stabilo black point 88, fine 0,4  on a sheet of white scrap card, way back when, the design is mine and I am free to give it away to whoever I like!!!

I haven’t done anything with it myself ….. with time flying as fast as it is I probably won’t ….. this year, but if you do, I would love to see what you do with it.

Let It Snow Glass Bauble Card

This card measures 3.25ins x 7ins and is made using a hand cut white linen effect card blank.

I made this card way back in August, and it's been waiting for it's "Grand Unveiling" ever since!!!!

I stamped the snowman using a small Anita’s stamp (sorry no serial number) and then built a little scene around him using a Pastel Blue Promarker pen, a white gel pen to do some tiny snowflakes and a sprinkling of Hunkydory Sparkling Diamonds.  Then I applied a thin layer of Ranger Glossy Accents on the back of  a 1in glass cabochon that I got from a company in China a few years back,  carefully centring  it over the image and then leaving it to dry overnight.

When the “bauble” was dry I carefully cut round the edges and then cut a thin piece of blue card and layered it on silver mirror card.  I found the centre of the card and drew a line down the middle, sticking another piece of mirror card at the bottom for the top of the bauble followed by a dollop of PVA glue to the back of the bauble to stick it down.

All that was needed then was a doodled bow and a bit of “fiddlefart” writing … very less is more …. and if I say so myself … I love it!

My Bejewelled Christmas Tree

You know when you have a crafty idea,  but you can’t find what you need to make it and then you almost give up? 

Well,  that was me.  Originally I was looking for some more of the small branched table Christmas trees I had from Poundland last year to hang all the gorgeous beads I got from WholePort, but I scoured every shop in town (and out) and just couldn’t find any!

Then while I was in Dunelm …. just about to pay for my “faux mink throw”, I spied this illuminated tree for just £4.99 from across the checkout, it wasn’t quite an Ulrika moment but ……

…… as didn’t look that special, and I wasn’t really that sure about it,  but when I looked at it up close, I wondered if I could attach the beads to it somehow  ….. perhaps with jump rings?  So, despite my reservations I decided to risk my ill-gotten £4.99!!

I am soooooo glad I did, it looks gorgeous all bejewelled, if I might say so myself, tasteful and elegant ….. very suitable for my festive lounge!!!  Admittedly my fingers are a little sore at the moment as I don’t have a clue how to use the tweezery things I have in my drawer properly, so I admit I opened and closed the rings with my said fingers!!!

But, it was sooooooo worth it!

A Cracker Of A Workshop With Kirsty Wiseman at Domino Crafts

Yesterday I went to a craft workshop at Domino Crafts in Wolverhampton, lead by Kirsty Wiseman.  I have always loved Kirsty’s blog, photography and everything she creates, card wise.  I remember once going absolutely crazy about making flowers using a roll of bandage after seeing the idea on Kirsty’s blog http://limegreenbogiegirl.blogspot.co.uk/

So to meet her in person was just too brilliant!  She was lovely, friendly, bouncy and looked fantastic after losing at least 2 and a half stones …. after cutting out carbs …. so not only did she inspire me craft wise, she also inspired me think about trying to lose some weight (again!!!!!), especially when I had to crop my tum and hips out of the photo below!!!!

We made a cracker using Stix2 products, http://www.stix2.co.uk/ plus a die (the make and name escape me) to make the cracker wrap, very simple but so relaxing.

The most exciting part was Kirsty showing us how to use a glue gun to make cabochons/pearls, I have a glue gun, but now need to get some glue sticks to practice. When Kirsty showed us how to colour a circle of hardened glue with Mica powder ….. OMG …. it was magically transformed!  I admit there are some mediums I know about, but have shied away from, and it’s days like this that inspire and give you confidence to try these new materials.

Kirsty also bought some cards along that used the technique and that she kindly allowed me to photo.
This tree is absolutely adorable using http://www.stix2.co.uk/christmas-tree-with-star-greenAnd this Christmas wreath doesn’t use Candi, as I first thought but dots made with a glue gun and then finished with microbeads, white Micra powder and transfer foils, gorgeous!

And as for the jumper stamp used in these cards  …… again I’m sorry I don’t know the maker, but it’s soooooooo cute and I can think of so many cards it could be used on, especially with Christmas jumpers everywhere this year.

As I said a brilliant afternoon which saw me leaving Domino’s several pounds lighter ……. as I found some very unusual and lovely embroidered ric rac braid and eight bottles of ultra fine glitter, since Marc has re-ignited my interest in using it.  If you are ever anywhere near it’s worth popping in and having a good mooch …..

Nordic Style Christmas Cards

These cards each measure 5ins x 5 ins and are made using hand cut Kraft card blanks.
These are the cards I made using the felt Nordic style Christmas decorations (although it does say wooden on the packets!) I found in Poundworld (they have wooden ones just the same in Poundland).
They are very much, “less is more”, the sort of card I would like to receive.

Removing the bows was a little hit and miss, some came off easier than others,  but I think I have managed to cover up the original hole for the hanging thread with a strategically placed pearl pretty well.