An Easter Bunny Card And A FiddleFart Disaster!!!

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

I apologise profusely because I just haven’t done anything of an Easter nature this year. I did think (briefly) about making a few Easter penny bags etc. for work,  but I just couldn’t bear the thought of traipsing round the shops looking for bits ….. perhaps next year I’ll get my act together…..

I found these stickers amongst all the other goodies in one of my parcels from WholePort and thought I had better use them, while bunnies were current  …….. hence the very quick Easter card above.

http://www.wholeport.com/item/99e_three-color-rabbits-diy-gift-packing-seal-sticker-30pcs-lot.html

And now for this car crash disaster of a tag ….. it looks more like a cat, what was I thinking of?  However, if I was inspired enough to have another go it wouldn’t take much fine tweaking to improve it …. the basic idea is there!!  It won’t go to waste though, as I plan to use it as a “prop” for the the Monkey’s Easter morning post!!!!

Seasonally Confused ……

I just couldn’t resist the temptation …….

Oh my life, what is going on with the weather?… It’s Easter in less than a weeks time! Wonder if it will last or if there is even more on the way ?????

What A Difference A Few Days Make …….

This is a picture (taken last week), of the tree I stand under every morning while I wait for my lift to work….. each day I marvel at it’s subtle changes ….. and recently spotted a nest right at the top after I heard the birds calling to each other as the day slowly began and before the gradually building traffic started to drown them out. 

.... And this is how the tree looked on Friday morning as I waited and the unseasonal March snow madness began to take hold …

…… what a difference a few days make ..... you'd think I'd taken the picture in black and white, but it is in colour ................ winter has gone on for too long now ..... I need colour!!

Guest Crafter–The Equally Lovely Denise And Her Wedding Bracelets

Wedding preparations still continue to gather pace and after consultation with the Bride, the Lovely Laura,  Denise (Laura’s mum) and I said that “we” would make some glass beaded bracelets for wedding favours for the ladies …..

……  say “we” loosely as it was Laura's mum who did all the hard work stringing all the beads, which we had both collected over the years, I just admired her handy work!!I admit to keeping this one aside for myself ….just look at those cute bugs!  It’s in a child’s size at the moment  but I aim to make it a bit bigger for me using a few extra beads.

Denise managed to use a lot of the lampwork beads I got from WholePort in the bracelets ……

…. and seeing how beautifully they have come out I am glad I kept one string back to use with the other beads that were left over, as I have been inspired to make a few for myself to wear in the coming spring/summer months when I just want to surround myself with colour after this prolonged dull winter…..

The next thing for the “Crafty Wedding Crafters” to work out is what to put each bracelet in ….. I have an idea …. which will probably mean getting my dusty and very under used Silhouette machine out of retirement!

Objects Of GREAT Desire

I love this furniture and accessories from a German company called Kare Design, I just love the colours, patterns and the quirkiness …..

….. which has inspired me to eventually revamp the rather “past the sell by date” furniture etc. in my craft room  in a similar way,  only using Decopatch papers …….

….. when I have the time …….!!!!

I don’t have a clue how much any of this stuff costs …. but I reckon I couldn’t even afford a tea towel from their range, but it’s lovely to just look and dream!

http://www.kare-design.com/en/shop29997/home/

Packed Lunch Gift Bag

Another very quick idea and so simple, so I apologise beforehand as I am probably teaching grandma to suck eggs ……. but it’s keeping the blog posts flowing …….

This really was a real rush job, as I needed to gift wrap a jar containing 50p’s as a present for my friends son very quickly, so another apology for the tag not being perfectly centred!!!!

I used a brown paper lunch bag that I have had for years, so long that I just cannot remember where I originally got them, but I found these on e-bay …. however, I have not used this seller so if you make a purchase you do so at your own risk.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/25-BROWN-PAPER-PACKED-LUNCH-SANDWICH-BAGS-/230770207017?pt=UK_Packaging_Materials&hash=item35baf9e929

I have simply folded the top of the bag over a couple of times and then punched a hole through the layers, roughly in the centre to thread through the tag string, knotting it at the back …… simples!

With a little more time, effort and artistic flair there is no end to the ways you could embellish this sort of packaging.

Candy Rainbows

My friend Josie sent me this picture and link with Tom and Laura’s “rainbow” wedding in mind ……
http://catchmyparty.com/photos/525090 – it’s an idea I have seen before and I just love ….

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/03/st-patricks-day-rainbows/

They are made using American sweets/candy called Twizzlers ….

….  I checked out to see if they are available over here, and yes they are …. from Amazon, Ebay and other online shops specialising in American products, with prices varying from £1.19 a pack to £1.99+,  so making them for every wedding guest would be rather prohibitive ….. but nevertheless it’s such a lovely idea ….. it’s one to keep on the back burner! 

I may also try and find a few packs when I am in Las Vegas to bring back because when I did a Google search on them there were lots of other lovely ideas I would also like to try out.

http://www.icandystore.co.uk/twizzlers-rainbow-fruit-twists-53g-403-p.asp

http://www.cybercandy.co.uk/store/Hersheys-Twizzlers-Rainbow---American-03453201.html

Tom And Laura’s Wedding Place Settings

Well…Tom and Laura’s Crafty Wedding Dream Team of Denise, Sarah, Emily, Daisy, Lucy and me can’t rest on our laurels for too long as we now have all the place settings to do …..

….. measuring 7.5cms x 5cms and mirroring the wedding invitations I am hoping that they won’t take too long to make …. and then they will be off to the Lovely Laura to work her magic ….. as she has the most gorgeous handwriting.

The tables will also be liberally sprinkled with more punched flowers with a few “diamonds” added for even more sparkle …. it’s going to look sooooo beautiful!

A Very Special Cushion

This is a cushion made by the “Artist to the Stars” John Lee Bird depicting Marc and his partner …. it is so special and unique …. and I am quite envious!

Marc has several pictures (not shown in this post)  by John around his flat and I love them all. Some look deceptively simple …..

…… but in others the detail is breath-taking.

….. and I feel very honoured, because it’s not everyone’s Monkey (Darrell) who included in a work of art!

http://www.johnleebird.com/

Volunteer Of The Day Tags

This is a set of 6 tags I made my sister Jan for one of her many volunteering events.  They measure approximately 10cms x 5cms and are made using a Kraft effect card.

I know there’s not a lot to these tags, but it is managing to keep the daily posts coming …..

I know didn’t make the task easy for myself (as per usual),  I know I could have downloaded a free tag template from the internet, but I used an old Ikea tag to draw around instead as the size is just perfect for so many projects. I made a sheet of text in Publisher in 2peas typo font, size 24. When the sheet was printed I put the Ikea tag over the top, praying that it was central, drew round it, and cut out the tags.

I used my Cropodile to set the eyelets.  My Cropodile is my most under used  tool, I am afraid I am rather heavy handed with it and usually end up with misshapen and squashed eyelets, but on this occasion I was extremely gentle and woo hooo hoo hoo, got perfect settings for once.

2peas font available free from this site: http://www.fontpalace.com/font-details/2Peas+Typo/

My Pressed Glass Tea Light Holders and Butlers

I love smelly candles and candle light and have started to look for pieces of old pressed glass in charity shops to put tea lights and small candles in as they give off the most beautiful twinkly light when put in them and have more character than modern holders.

I think the most I have paid so far (in a charity shop) is 50p ….. so if they get broken or I tire of them, it’s neither here nor there …..

….. although I did splash out £3.99 each on three Mont Fleuri  glasses from Butlers in Notting Hill.

And talking of Butlers …. they have some very lovely stuff …..

….. like these flower boxes ….

….. this bath caddy
….  this Patchwork style chest of drawers.

….. and finally this dome cloche …… all totally and absolutely gorgeous!

http://www.butlers-online.co.uk

Arboscello Tree Card

This card measures 5ins x 5ins and is made using a ivory linen effect handcut card blank.

This is the card I made for my mum for Mother’s Day.

Marc lent me this die from Memory Box – Arboscello Tree, Style No. 98155, a while ago and which I am afraid I kept for a little too long without using, but when thinking about Mother’s Day I knew it would be perfect for my mum.  The flowers are made using a 1cm Papermania Daisy Punch.

Used on its own, unembellished, it would look lovely on a Christmas card with just a little sparkly micro glitter on its branches and around the bottom or with just a lone bird sitting on one of it’s branches for another occasion ….. or covered in little hearts on Valentines Day …. there are so many possibilities. I am not sure where Marc got the die from … but I am sure he will let us know when he sees this.

Poundland - Hanging Decopatch Easter Egg Decorations

When I was staying with Marc we perused the Poundland website together and found these packs of  “decorate your own eggs” ….

…. and I immediately thought of making hanging egg decorations using Decopatch.

….. so using a little trial and error ….. first I added a loop to thread some cotton through to hang the eggs by, using a gold effect wire  ….

…. and then started the on the therapeutic bit of covering the eggs with the Decopatch Paper. Well,  I thought it would be therapeutic, but with the eggs being small and quite fiddly to handle when sticky, I just got grumpy and very stuck up!!!!!  I added a little HunkyDory Diamond Sparkles Fairie Kisses to the glue for extra sparkle, but unfortunately the effect was rather lack lustre on the hoped for twinkly side

I could varnish the finished eggs but have decided that as they will only be on display, hung from a piece of branch in a pot for a few days and admired from a distance, not close up,  the time and effort involved isn’t really worth it.  However,  I shall be adding a few bows … and perhaps an embellishment or two …. so keep watching this space!

http://www.poundland.co.uk/top-tips/easter-arts-and-crafts/

http://www.thedecopatchplace.co.uk/

The Final Finishing Touches to Tom and Laura’s Wedding Invitations.

I bought seventy five130gsm C5 envelopes from eBay to put Tom and Laura’s wedding invitations in.  They cost me £7.38 inc. P & P  which I don’t think is too bad, but I thought that I could make them a little more special……

….. so cut papers in the same colours as we had used for the punched flowers and then lined the envelopes with them, using only the smallest amount of PVA glue to make sure that there were no wrinkles.

I then thought that I ought to make a little “something” to add to the back of each invitation to show how just how unique they were and who had made them….

….perhaps drumming up business for this very successful dream wedding team!!!!!