An Early Christmas Card - Mistletoe

I don’t stamp very often and when I do I have to keep it very, very simple as I am so caggy handed.

I love using pearls on my cards and this small stamp from The English Stamp Company is perfect for doing just that.

I stamped the mistletoe onto a square of pale cream card and then carefully tore the edges to give a ragged effect.

I sewed round the edges, rather haphazardly, with gold thread, using one of those small battery operated hobby sewing machines. To finish the design I made another slightly larger square, sewing round it too.  The two squares were then stuck together and added to a card blank.

Work in Progress ………………

This is a prototype of the card I am going to send each of the girls in the offices where I work!

But not with this rather glum models face ….. because I have managed take all the girls pictures, without them suspecting a thing!

It still needs a lot of fine tuning, but I thought I would share my first attempt with you.

After photographing it, I realised my first mistake was the flatness of the face, it should have a couple of sticky pads behind it, so that it stands proud of the body, or better still, I could make a springy device so that the head wobbles……… I also think I need to twiddle with the proportion of the head to the body (more fiddle fart).

The dress is an embellishment I bought ages ago, but I am pretty sure they are still available on e-bay. All I’ve done is add a few black adhesives gems

I think further improvements can be made by cutting the boots out in vinyl on my quickutz silhouette and adding fluff to the white band on the hat ….. and I’m not sure about the writing, but the basics are there.

When I have got it “right” I will post it again.

Message in a Bauble.....

This is a simple idea I used a couple of Christmas's ago.

I got some clear, glass christmas baubles from Wilkinsons, (at the time they were about 33p each).

Then I found a quote that reflected what I wanted to say to my friends that Christmas:-

“A good friend is hard to find, hard to lose, and impossible to forget..."

I typed and printed the words on cream card in sepia, using a handwriting font.

The next step was to very carefully tear round the message  to get a ragged, uneven edge and chalk rub the edge very lightly in brown for an aged effect. Finally I put it inside the bauble so that it could be read through the glass. A knitting needle comes in handy to position the message if you want to be precise!

The idea could be adapted in so many ways:

• A small child's drawing for Grandparent
• A photograph
• A feather, ribbon, leaf,
• Glitter - for fairy dust
• Punchies - hearts, stars ....
• Table/party confetti - translucent stars would look so pretty.
• Or what about punching or cutting out individual letters (on you Robbo) that make up words like LOVE .....

If you were doing this with small children I am sure you could find safer plastic baubles, but check that the tops come off before buying them.

Wish Bracelet

This is a little bracelet I give to all the girls I work with, who do GCSE Food, before they go off to do their exams.  One of them came bursting  into my office yesterday and said “It worked, Miss, I got A*!”

I bought 100 “Wish” charms off e-bay, a while back.  I was very very apprehensive, as the seller was in China, but they arrived safely and cost about £6 inc P & P, what a bargain! I have seen other people selling them at £2+ for just 5. All I did was attach a pink cotton thread.

The organza bag is so dinky, I think I found them on one of those rotary stands in a craft shop – something very similar to “Craft for Christmas” (their packets have a white label with a blue pattern, if that’s any help!).

You could use this idea for lots of different occasions with different charms (I like the Tibetan silver charms best, they do other words too, like love, hope and believe).  What about a tiny wing for a child just going off to University or a star on a red thread for Christmas?

Trick or Treat

I got the idea for little sweetie bags from my friend Lisa http://craftfairy.blogspot.com/

She also introduced me to Spellbinder Nestabilities (and that cost me a fortune! Thank you Lisa!)

The label sets make the most fantastic tops for bags. All you have to do is score the middle of a cut label and fold in half for a perfect bag top to decorate to match whatever theme you are working on.

The ghost chocolates are from Marks and Sparks and the pumpkins from Poundworld.  I have added  Halloween confetti for extra sparkle.

Below is another bag I made for my niece when she was in hospital recently. I drew the bubbles in blue permanent pens to accentuate the fishy theme.

Can I Bribe You With Some Blog Candy?

I have had almost 1,000 visitors to my blog since I started it just over three weeks ago..... I am so excited!  I would love to make that magic number in the next day or so ...... if you would like to help me get there, please leave a comment on this post and I will find some Christmas Blog Candy for one, randomly picked, commentor!

Something Old, Something New …. Wedding Gift For A Bride

First of all, please forgive me for these awful pictures.

I hope, despite the horrific nature of the  photography you can make out what I have made.

 

This is a little book I have cobbled together several times now as a gift for a bride. 

It measures 4 x 4 ins and was made using my bind-it-all. The cover is a silk covered card, (very lovely).  The pages are cream card which I have faux stitched with a light brown, fine tipped pen.

On the left hand side of the book I have made pockets using a matching cream/gold embossed paper. I tell people who ask me to make this  book, to put in small pictures and/or mementoes of the bride as she grew up, or little messages from the bridesmaids, etc. to make it extra special.

Each page is made up from the “old, new, borrowed rhyme.  The “old” on the first page is made using old lace, a mother of pearl button, and old gold safety pin.  The button and pin are methods of joining two things together, …. as the bride and groom will be  on their wedding day.

The “new” page is made up of mini scrabble letters (Jolees)spelling  the word “Life” to represent the new life the bride is about to embark on, and the heart shaped lock and key, symbolise security.
“Borrowed” is a bit tongue in check ….. two credit card charms!

Forget-me-nots have been used to represent the “blue” and dragonflies are an ancient symbol of growing, changing and maturing.

…. and finally I have put an old polished sixpence on the last page.

I have tied cream ribbons to the binder of the book and a small heart shaped gold charm that says “Made with Love”.

Phew!

Sat Nav Card

Beep Beep! Men’s cards are hard! I would much rather work with pretty things like flowers, beautiful paper, ribbons etc.

The idea with this card started with the weeny car stickers  which I bought from Mei Flower at  the NEC Hobbycrafts Show.

I found a picture of a SAT NAV screen and added the text “Happy Birthday” then printed it twice. The topper is a very basic two layer “decoupage”, made by cutting out the image, including the SAT NAV frame and then just the SAT NAV screen. These are mat and layered on silver mirror card.

The background is part of a page from an old road map book, (a car boot sale bargain, bought  for pence, which comes in very useful at times), which I’ve mat and layered on red.

Advent - Countdown to Christmas Chalkboard

I was still thinking about my Advent Chalkboard this morning, when I had one of those “eureka” moments, I suddenly remembered a wooden Christmas garland that I bought in a garden centre sale, for a couple of pounds, a little while ago.

It took a bit to find …. but the search was well worth it, as the snowmen on it are just perfect!

All I've had to do was take the garland apart. There were six snowmen in total, so I am chuffed. There were also about six santas on it too, but they are not quite so big and look out of proportion, but no doubt I will find a use for them too.
I have attached some gingham ribbon to the string hanger and added the writing and snow with white Posca pen, adding a touch translucent micro glitter along the bottom. All I need now are a few wooden snowflakes here and there around the frame. I'll post another picture when the board is completed.

I hang my head in shame though, I can’t be the only one who has so much crafty stuff that I forget what I’ve got, can I?

Where Can I Get…….?

Ideas wanted please ………

I have just bought some really cute Giselle Graham chalkboards (10 x 7 cms) from e-bay, that I want to turn into Mini Advent Christmas Countdown Boards

I am going to write “ …..days to Christmas” on them with white Posca pen and attach either a piece of chalk or a chalk pencil on a string,  so that children can  fill in the days left till Christmas.

But now I am stuck as to what to use to embellish them (probably in the right hand bottom corner, and across top and bottom).

If it is to last for more than one year, I think wooden embellishments are the best idea – and I like the idea of snowmen or a Father Christmas.

Any ideas where I might get something suitable?  I like the  America folksy art/cutesy style, and I guess I am looking for something about 4 cm tall, but at the moment I don’t have a clue where to look.

Diary/Notebook

I made these little diary/notebooks as presents last Christmas for all the staff I work for. 

They were made using my Bind-It-All, and measured 4 x 4 ins. Each book contained about twenty four pages of light weight, good quality cream card, which I edged by hand, using a taupe coloured pen (aghhhhh). The patterned paper and butterfly used are K & Co.

Inside the book, on every second left hand side page, I made a pocket and in that put  a monthly calendar (created using Publisher, and printed in a light brown)

To finish the whole thing I attached a heart shaped glass bead to each ring of the binder.

I packaged them in a brown card box made using my trusty box maker (another e-bay bargain)…… fiddle farting in a nutshell!

Seems Like A Nice Young Man

This is a card I made for a young lady, for her 13th birthday and potty about Zac Effron. 

I decided that thirteen was old enough to be able to cope with a glimpse of belly button, and the slight suggestion that this young man was a trifle hot and may possibly have to take his shirt off!

The image was half inched from Google images.  It was mat and layered first on gold mirror card, then a K & Co retro style paper, and finally gold again, on a white A5 size card.

The red swirls were cut on my quickutz silhouette and the hearts made with assorted punches. Scattered clear gems were used to finish the effect.

I prefer the card without the text, as it could be used as a picture after the birthday, but it was returned to me to have daughter bit added on.  Swings and roundabouts!

Up the Wolves

As I come from Wolverhampton it stands to reason that I am asked to make cards for Wolves Supporters …..

I Never Know What I Am Going To Be Asked For………

I never know what I am going to be asked to make next, but this was fun. 

My sister-in-law asked me to make a card for a young man who was off to University, which included some money for him to use in an emergency.

I used a Sizzix shaker box for the money holder and folded a £10 note carefully, so that the Queen’s face was clearly visible.  To add a bit of humour I added googly eyes to the plastic front of the box and “diamonds” on Her Majesty’s crown and earrings.

The inside of the card continues with the words “Please feel free to trash this card.  Good Luck at Uni”

Something Very Different For Me … Glass bead Bracelets

I don’t usually make jewellery, but when I saw the long multicoloured  beads I just had to have them. I just love the colours in them, I don’t have many beads but what I had just go so well together I am thrilled with the result.

Card for Hannah’s 18th Birthday

This card was a nightmare to get a good picture of because the gold card reflected the light. hence the dodgy colour!

It was made for my sister-in-laws, best friends, daughter’s 18th Birthday.

The numbers, letters and leaf flourishes were cut on my Quickutz Silhouette, the flowers are punchies and for the centre of the flowers I have used small pearls. I have put three layers into the flowers and then “fluffed” them up to add dimension and texture.

A Wedding Card

This is a wedding card I made recently for a friend.  I love looking at Digi Scrapping sites but have used the images in my cards rather than in a scrapbook.

The newspaper is a template I made and have used it for all sorts of occasions.  A lot of people ask me to make a card that includes personal details and a newspaper format is just perfect for that.

Using the template, I have selected colours to suit the occasion, added the details given to me and then pasted  the bride and groom and glasses from a digi set from Graphics ©Scrappin Doodles  http://www.scrappindoodles.com/. 

I print another copy of the bride and groom and the “exclusive” panel, cutting them out to use as a very basic “decoupage” layer using sticky pads to hold in place.

To complete the card, I add iridescent micro glitter to the glasses and Anita's 3D Clear Gloss finish on the eyes, bow tie and flowers for an extra 3D effect.

Assessorize and Paperchase Stickers

One of my favourite sources for small "puffy" stickers is, unbelievably, Assessorize, the clothes/accessories shop. I stumbled upon them on a stand in the children's area and have been a huge fan ever since. They are small and ideal for making toppers.

They are quite cheap, about £1.75 per pack, and I can usually get five to six toppers from one pack. They have several different sets at various times of the year, but be warned, get them when you see them, because once they are gone, they are gone!

My sister is on "special watch" for their Christmas stickers. Last year they were fabulous, (see Sizzix Christmas Matchbook), cute santas, reindeer, penguins, trees. I can't wait to see what they come up with this year. The cards I made with them just flew!

Paperchase, the stationary shop, also do brilliant stickers, about the same size as Assessorize but tend to be a bit cheaper. The cake topper above is made using Paperchase stickers, but I haven't got any pictures of their packets. Again they are seasonal and well worth looking for.

Sizzix Christmas Matchbook - Using Sizzix Originals Matchbook Cover & Inserts - 38 - 1128

This is a "crafty" experiment, it follows a post from a couple of days ago. It's a bit of nonsense really, but was fun to make.

I've used the Sizzix Matchbook die again, but this time I've embellished it with some Christmas Assessorize stickers left over from last year.

It's cute, and I think it would be good in one of those Advent calendars that you put small gifts in

or as a place card on the festive table.

Another Place, Crosby Beach, Liverpool, 26th August 2009

Crosby Beach, Liverpool, is a magical place.

There are 100 cast-iron, life-size figures spread out along three kilometers of the foreshore, stretching almost one kilometre out to sea.

I left two wish bracelets on statues 88 and 91,  I don't suppose they will withstand the weather and the sea conditions for too long but I made my wishes and if they are found by other visitors, the wishes will pass on to them .........