Summer Time Heads Up ……

If you are thinking about making small bags of sweets together for summer fayres etc. popping into Poundland might be a good idea as they have some nice “seaside” themed sweets.

If I was still at work, I would definitely be putting a “Happy Holidays” fairing together for the staff I worked with ……. might be an idea for the little ones to give to their teacher without breaking the bank …..

I would get them to draw or collage a seaside picture on one side of a postcard, with a “Happy Holiday” message on the back and then punch a hole in the corner, threading one or two of the dummies on a ribbon through the hole to attach to the card. Simples!

http://www.poundland.co.uk/food-and-drink/sweets-and-snacks/sweets-mints-and-gum

Dino Poop Party Favour Jars And A Makeshift Dinosaur Door Wreath

Following my post on Friday, about my 10,000BC/Dinosaur Leaving Party, I thought I would show you the favours I made for my guests as a little memento.I’ll be honest, I wanted to find a way to use up a box of jars I had gathered from various poundshops. All came in packs of four (£1), so at 25p a jar, they were/still are a bargain.

I will also admit that I made them in rather a rush, leaving everything to the last minute ……  I know I could have put them together a little more “professionally”, so, if I wanted to make them again to sell, I am going to add what I “coulda,woulda,shoulda” done in this post as well …….

Firstly, I filled the jars, trying to keep costa down with Tesco Everyday Value Midget Gems at 25p for 175g bag, from which I could fill one and half jars …… But, if I was making them to sell, I would fill them with something like Toffee Crisp or Twirl Bites, Chocolate Buttons or Carmel Nibbles (all Poundland) to make them look ….. erm, how shall I put it, more realistic!!!!!!

On top of each jar lid I glue gunned a small dinosaur …. some I got at the village Easter Fayre for pence and the others, came from The Entertainer, reduced to £1!  If I was doing them again, perhaps I would cut a circle of dolls house/model makers grass or some self adhesive Vivelle to add a little more “realism and detail” …. but this would be an added expense if you don’t have that sort of thing amongst your stash.

And lastly, I could have used my Stampin’Up punches to make the jar labels a little more elaborate …… but just for this occasion I made do with simply printing out “Dino Poop” and then punching out, before adding a quick dollop of glue to stick them on each side of the jar.

On my front door I simply added the dinosaurs that were left over to my twig wreath, which is also decorated, all the year around with two sets of Poundshop battery operated lights.

It did the job!!!!

How Very Remiss Of Me – Pictures Of My Leaving Party

I can’t believe that it’s just over four weeks since I left work ….. and do I miss it ….. well ….. erm …. in one word,  “no”!!!!!!

I left on a Friday and by the Monday it all seemed like a million miles away, it was hard even imagining my ever being there, it felt quite strange, but on my last day I remember thinking I just want to be gone ….

……. I didn’t even shed a tear, which only served to tell me that I really was doing right thing and with hindsight (what a wonderful thing), I should have done it in July last year as I had originally planned to do.

I do miss my circle of friends, and perhaps a little of the gossip, ….. but it wasn’t a happy place and I know other people have made the same decision.

But ……I had a party and forgot to share it with you …… so here they are.  The theme was 10,000BC and Dinosaurs …. why ….goodness only knows …… but everyone dressed up which made it soooooo hirarious!

I’ll let the pictures tell the story …..

…… but I feel I need to say that not one sip of alcohol was quaffed …..

……. all the hilarity was fuelled by great friendships … 

…… to spite adversity

….. as a relief from stress …..

…… and a mahooooosive sense of fun and mischief.

I have promised more parties when I am settled and in a routine …… so we can all catch up ….

….. but I think you can see from the pictures what a fabulous night it was and a perfect way to end one chapter in my life to start an exciting new one!!!!

A Little Bird Told Me …… Card

This card measures 4.5ins x 4.5ins and is made using a white linen effect, hand cut card blank

I am not sure about this card ……. I think it’s one that I will have to revisit.  Using a felt self adhesive bird sticker I got from Michael’s in Las Vegas on my holiday of a lifetime holiday two years ago ……. I don’t know if the gingham really adds anything to the design ……. it is very less is more already  ….. but in losing the gingham and leaving the bird and the writing, I don’t think much will be lost …….. ??????

Lovely Memories ……. And My Pound Purchase From The Three Counties Showground Flea Market With Marc And Rick.

As you may have seen, if you read my monkey blog, I stayed with Marc and Rick in Worcester recently to  celebrate Marc’s birthday and to watch Eurovision together for the first time, after our mahoooosive disappointment when despite coming up with a weird convoluted story as to why I was going to be late for work one morning  ……we failed to get tickets for the real thing when tickets sold out in 20 minutes flat!On Eurovision Day there was much competition between me and Rick as to who was going to have the very comfortable, motorised armchair for the evening, in the end Rick resorted to using dirty tactics, staking his claim by laying out his towels and his bathrobe on said chair, but in the end …. I got it!!!

We had so much fun, and I have never seen or heard Marc laugh soooooo much and soooooooo loudly at the sight of me sitting on the garden bench in my dinosaur onsie, talking to three monkeys!!!  He howled, he may have even cried …… but it was a perfect, unforgettable moment!! 

One of the highlights, apart from Marc’s humungous black cherry and chocolate trifle which included some sort of alcohol in every single layer ….. including Baileys in the cream on top, which will stay with me (and my hips) forever,  was a trip to a “flea market” at the Three Counties Showground, my idea of absolute heaven ……

…….. and we got to see them filming Bargain Hunt, which was such a bonus, as I have always wanted to have a go!!!

Anyway, I said that I had £5 burning in my pocket and I wasn’t leaving until it was spent and it was only at almost the last stall that I spent just £1 of that fiver ….. on a tiny child’s garden chair ….. when the man said “You can have that for a quid” ….. my pound was out in ten seconds flat …… well ….. the chair was riddled with woodworm on not so close inspection …… but it didn’t matter as I knew exactly where the chair was going!

The chair also needed a little work at the back which Marc set about sorting for me when we got back …… with the aid of his trusty Jeweller Maker toolkit and was then duly painted green, in an effort to suffocate some of the woodworm!!!!!

The chair is now in my garden (well away from any other wood) ….. perhaps I need to sort/arrange a few more pots around it ……..but that will come…..

…… and every time I look at it, it will bring back so many memories of my lovely Bank Holiday in Worcester with Marc, Rick and The Girls!!!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Thank you everyone who suggested “profitable” ways of off loading my unwanted stash …… thank you Joanold and Di especially as my memberships to “Card Craft Items for Sale” and “Crafty De-stashing” on Facebook is now pending.

I am presently “de-stashing” my two drawers of jewellery collected over the past 30 odd years. Special pieces have got  Iris, Laura and Lucy’s names on for when I eventually pop my clogs, other pieces I will keep for me and let family and friends fight over as and when the time comes,  but I have decided that it’s now time to part the ways with all the other pieces I have found in flea markets and carboots that I’ve worn and loved but no longer wear, to be honest I would rather have any money that I get for these pieces put aside ready to put towards some new bits and pieces for my eventual move than have them sat sitting in a drawer mouldering!!!

With the new avenues/links that I’ve been sent  I can now start thinking about de-stashing my crafty stuff properly too, so .....here’s another question though …. how would you start to sell a huge, under the bed box full of 12” x 12” papers?  Suggestions much appreciated!

Two Felt Bird Cards

This card measures 4.5 ins x 4.5ins and is made using a white linen effect, hand cut card blank.

This felt bird sticker came from a large pack I bought in Michaels in Las Vegas (I can still remember every minute detail of that visit, even though it is almost two years ago ….. the smells, the sounds, the joy, everything!). however (if you fancy a pack), I have now seen them in a couple of craft shops over here.

I have tried to use them on several occassions, but nothing seemed to come together properly, but, after going through my huge box of stickers I have finally been able to marry a couple of them up with these other felt stickers I got from WH Smith umpteen years ago.Now that I am being erm ….. super budget conscious, I am becoming more and more aware of how much I have spent on my crafts in the past, and their “worth”, which is why, if I really can’t think of a way to use them I am considering putting them on e-bay, especially the good stuff like K & Co., in an effort to recoup a few pennies here and there ….. to put towards my eventual move.

Using Up Odd Stickers

All these cards measure 5ins x 5ins are are made using white linen effect, hand cut card blanks.

I am still stash busting my stash of puffy stickers like billio ….. and with these four nine square cards I have managed to use up a couple of half opened packs that cost no more than £1 each, which probably came from Paperchase.

I think the top two cards would suit all sorts of occasions, or be used as notelets. The bottom two, with all the little animals, makes me think they would be suitable for the birth of a baby, especially if you didn’t want to go overboard with the obvious blue or pink!

Leaving Card – We’re Going To Miss You.

This card is A5 in size and is made by simply scoring and then folding a sheet of A4, white linen effect card in half.

I made a set of five of these leaving cards, all with a slight variation, for work before I left, in order to pay off my staffroom dues, rather than make the usual  cash donation, so as I said before, you’ll probably be seeing one of them a month for a while! As part of the making I am gradually working my way through my vast piles of adhesive alphabets, and I am still working out what I do when I am left with only consonants!

The various word “plaques” are mat and layered on vibrant matching coloured papers, but as usual  arranging  them, no matter how careful I thought I was, proved to be a nightmare getting them to fit.  One day I will get it right first time without having to resort to some frustrated trimming!

To bring the design all together I have used “overkill” adding large and medium sized, punched and layered flowers and foliage, with flat backed gems and faux stitching with strategically placed groups of three dots, drawn with a black fine liner pen.

Very over the top for me, but I think sometimes leaving cards should be over the top!

Jaunty Dinosaur Cards

This card measures 8.5 ins x 3ins and is made using a white linen effect, hand cut card blank.

Oh my life,  I’ve gone long and thin, quite a departure from my usual square cards! But, there’s method in my madness, mostly connected to my need to downsize….. i.e. I have a pile of narrow envelopes and cello bags to use up!!!

The basic design, to be honest, is the same as the jaunty square cards I featured a while ago, using monster stickers from Paperchase (every single one now used up!), plus “grrrr” and “rawr” strips made using The Duke’s trusty, battered and very ancient Dymo label maker.  He was always a little reluctant to let me use it when he was here, but now I think he would be pleased that’s it’s still being used!! 

It’s now three years since The Duke died, can you believe it?  But every time I use it, it’s a connection, I know it’s “sad”, but I always think of his fingerprints still being on it, which in a way is comforting.

Top Tip – if you are ever in Wolverhampton pop into Beatties/House of Fraser Paperchase Dept., as they often have “old” packs of stickers marked down by at least half price if not more.