Striped Thank You Card

I am not at all sure about this card, I think it’s a bit too much! I don’t think the flowers are right! In fact, nothing about it is right!!!

I used Pop Culture – Fruit Stripe as the background paper, hand wrote “Thank You” all over it, and then mat and layered it on black.

The flowers are made with my Whale of a Punch Retro Flower punch in three layers and then embellished with flat backed gems.

I finished the card with some faux stitching using a fine liner pen.

Hmmmmmmm, to be honest, it’s not my cup of tea, but I will put it in my card box and see if it goes!

Desert Island Crafts – Part 4

Sewing machines …………… I don’t sew …….. but I have three!

This was a bargain buy from a carboot sale – unused and still sealed in its plastic bags - £2, bargain! I have threaded it – but usually use it empty to put perforated lines on cards to make faux stitched borders, edges etc., all you have to do is join up the holes with a very thin liner pen and it looks like real stitching!

The original of this sewing machine came from e-bay and cost me £7 – but I swopped it for an almost identical one with my friend Lisa because it was everso slightly better. I use it when I want to put real sewing on my cards, it may be cumbersome but with the handle I can sew at my own pace and feel more in control.

This sewing machine was a Christmas present, as yet unused, but when I have the time, probably in the summer, I will put my mind to mastering it.  I love the fact that amongst other stitches it does zig zag – which I very much want to use on my Christmas designs ……. aghhhh, did I mention Christmas ….. already????

 

My treasure is a glass bubble that hangs in my craftroom window, it’s so beautiful – I got it from the fairy shop in  Camden Market about four years ago.

Desert Island Crafts – Part 3

I love my Bind It All, I have had it for about three years now and have lost count of the little wedding, baby and birthday books I have made with it. I sent for the space bar which made the hole punching much more accurate.

The books I tend to make are 4ins x 4 ins and I usually make my own covers using a really thick strong card and then covering both sides before binding. My favourite size wires are 5/8 – which gives me plenty of depth for embellishing the pages.

My best discovery last year was DCWV adhesive cardstock, it goes on like a dream, no bubbles or ridges and comes in an assortment of colour ways and patterns and saves so much time!

This is one of my smaller cupboards – crammed again – this time with all the bits I would like to alter one day ….. the pink things are picture frames with a small deep window in – ripe for altering – I’m just at a lose as to where to start ….. I have said time and time again how much I love Tim Holtz – but I just don’t have a clue where to start!

My treasure is this postcard, every year alongside the Hobbycrafts Show at the NEC in November is a gift fair, and every year I drool over these heart pendants – I so want one, but how on earth do I choose just one as they are all so beautiful?  Perhaps this year I won’t sigh at the very sight of them or stroke them, perhaps I will actually make the BIG decision and buy one!

Desert Island Crafts – Day Two

 

These are a few pages from my notebook, if I see an idea that inspires me,  I’ll stick it in here – with notes and other ideas as they pop into my head.

 

This is a view of my second fitted wardrobe, again crammed to high heaven with papers, embellishments, alphabet stickers etc. etc.

 

Today’s treasure is a photo I took of my husband and our children when they were very small, walking up the steep stony banks at Chesil Beach.

Desert Island Crafts Continued …..

It’s Easter - we felt we had earned  a few days away and the circling pin of fate landed on Bristol ….. not sure what we will find ….. but I’m sure I will stumble into a Poundland tucked somewhere amongst all the tourist attractions

So, while I am on my jollys, I thought I would continue something I started at Christmas and blog some of my favourite tools and  materials, a few treasures that inspire me plus some new views of my craft room …..  but please, excuse the mess!

This is my really old but faithful dymo label writer – I just love the effect it gives,  especially on men’s cards and mini books.  I know there are newer, more modern machines out now, but they are not a patch on this one, bought from e-bay.

The view today is one of two fitted wardrobes, which is packed solid, you name it, it’s probably in there!

And my treasure …….. the boxing gloves my husband had as a little boy, they are just so beautiful.

Quick Easter Treat Bags

I thought I was prepared for Easter but then, I had a last minute panic for some little “fairing” gifts for work.

Fortunately, I remembered a pack of wooden die cuts I bought from Hobbycraft a while ago, so I quickly coloured them in and tied them to some little bags of M & S chocolates I’d made up ….. voila! Phew!

Cute Puppy Birthday Card

Another card using a Quickutz download cut on my Silhouette.

When I download a template I tend to resize it for the project I want it for and then ungroup it to make a new sheet for bodies and heads (to cut in brown) and another for ears, eyes and noses (to cut in dark brown) and save them in my Silhouette file.  A bit fiddly in the first instance, but I then have a file I can use again and again without redoing everything. I hope that makes sense??!!

The background paper is baby gift wrap and I have used plastic googly eyes to make the puppy even cuter.

What’s On My Desk Wednesday.

My desk hasn’t seen any action since Saturday night, when, fresh from NEC Hobbycrafts I had a little play with some of my new punches ….  so I thought that I would use today as an opportunity to show you the rest of my shopping ….

The white punches are Martha Stewart – I have wanted a couple of  “nice” butterfly punches for ages and I am very pleased with them as they cut like a dream.

The blue cut and emboss set was an impulse buy ….. I have had a little play, but I am afraid the embosser might gather dust in my punch drawer as I am not over impressed with the result.

This is just part of three huge wallets/boxes of A4 card and paper I bought with favour boxes, bags and bag toppers  in mind, the size is perfect for cutting on my Silhouette.

I love “My Minds Eye” papers and bought these double sided 12 x 12 sheets for a special baby mini book I plan to make over the Easter break.

These wooden baby girl embellishments were good value for £1, at the moment I don’t have a project in mind for them but they were to cute to pass by.

And finally some posh pins and ribbons.  I have seen a lot of these pins used on cards on other blogs and though I would have a go.
Well, that’s it until the November show ….. better start saving again!

Flower Pot Birthday Card

 

The cute flowers come from a packet of the new Accessorize Easter themed stickers (£1.75)

The flower pots are made using a very small pot punch I have had for ages. I have used a black outline sticker under the flower pots and have just doodled the rest.

Bluebird Birthday Card

Birds seem to be everywhere in craft at the moment.
 

I’ve finally used one of several wooden bird embellishments that I have had in my “bits box” for years.  The flowers and leaves are made using punches and all I have added is some small flat back pearls to the centre of the flowers and a black glitterati sticker for the birds eye.

Please excuse the wet glue blobs,   I'm always over enthusiastic to get photos done!

Music and Large Flower Birthday Card

Aggghhhhh – it was busy – by 11.30 Lisa and I decided to go back to the car to chill! But like true troopers we went back to have another go!

We bought tons and tons of A4 paper from Paperbox with cutting boxes and bags on our various die cutters in mind – we had the stall number so headed there as soon as we got in – which was definitely the right thing to do as you couldn’t get near later on.

I bought several punches – these are two of them……. I was desperate to try them out, so the above card is a very crude trial attempt …….. I wanted a tasteful crumpled effect but got a mauled by the dog one instead – but hey ho, I think I need to use a softer paper.   If anyone can tell me how to make nicely crumpled paper I would be very grateful for any advice!

 

I also bought a new set of Nestabilites, which I have used for the flower below – I think they are a fairly new design.  You can no doubt tell that I have been greatly influenced by all the crumpling and making of flowers ……… but again I need practice!

To make the leaves on the card I used the smaller of these two Woodware punches that I already had.  The design is really versatile for card embellishments.

I also bought several packets of spacers for the millions of flowers I have in mind to make, but I am a little disappointed because my brads don’t fit them ….. I think perhaps I should have looked at the brads on the stall too, as they may have been made to fit the spacers - I will have a look at their website.
I  looked and lingered longingly round all the Tim Holtz stuff and though I really love it all – it’s too far out of my comfort zone, I just don’t know where to start – perhaps I should watch his DVD's again and if anyone knows of any classes/demos in the Midlands area please let me know so I could try and go and start my Tim journey ……

Hoppy Birthday

Another card using Accessorize Easter stickers (£1.75)

Two Bird House Cards

I have been trying to use up some of my huge button collection and was really chuffed when I rediscovered these birdhouses, as they are so on trend at the moment, (listen to me, I’ve gone all Gok Wan!)

I’ve used my Silhouette to cut out the branches (Bird Branch), a corner flower punch and nail decorations from Poundland for the flower centres.

I have used such small embellishments to try and keep everything in proportion.

The buttons came in a bumper pack from Create and Craft in the old days when Alan and Barry were in charge!

 

Easter Bunny Chocolate Bar

This is just an experiment, it needs quite a bit of  improving but I thought  I would share it anyway, so that someone can take the basic idea and make it better ……

Underneath all the felt is a small chocolate bar.

There is something about the proportions that isn’t quite right ….. he doesn’t look as cute as I would like, perhaps the eyes should be smaller and the ears a bit longer ….. ?

Present for My Sister’s 50th Birthday

When my sister and I were looking around a very expensive shop in Manchester before Christmas we saw some  “tool boxes” full of retro sweets, but they cost stupid money!

….. But I liked the idea and kept it in mind, so when I saw these boxes in a Poundshop recently I just had to buy a few to keep for an appropriate moment. The appropriate moment has come.

I got a variety of sweets and sealed them in small cello bags using my bag sealer so that  each packet  fitted the compartments exactly.

I then decorated the outside of the box using self adhesive alphabet letters and punched flowers.