Easter Sweetie Box

All the dominoes I use for my wooden tags come in lovely slide lid boxes also made from wood, so it’s a challenge to use them up too.

This box measures 6.5in x 3.5in x 1.5in and I’ve just covered it with gingham and green paper, adding a bit of faux stitching and several coats of Ronseal clear gloss, quick drying varnish and a knob, if you’ll pardon the expression!

When completely dry I’ve then added a few wooden ladybird embellishments that I have had for more years than I care to remember.  I am hoping that Tesco will be having their nets of chocolate ladybirds in again this year as that is what I would like to fill the box with to then give as an Easter present.

Check out my followers gallery as I have just added a project sent to me this morning that was done by Linda using the Tesco chocolate ladybirds I am praying they have again this year.

Diamond Jubilee Crafts - Union Flag Tags

We seems to be awash with the Union Flag on absolutely everything on  at the moment what with the Olympics and Queen’s Jubilee.

So I thought I would make some tags from kraft card and using some of the left over paper chains I bought for the Royal Wedding.

I even managed to find some blue reinforcement rings at the bottom of one of my drawers to add the finishing touch. They took seconds to make and I am chuffed with the end result.  I am thinking that they might look good on sweetie bags containing red, white and blue wrapped sweets nearer the Olympics/Jubilee.

I love the new Do-Crafts Portobello Road range, but am sitting on my hands at the moment so that I can’t reach for my purse!!

http://www.docrafts.com/article/PapermaniaPortobelloRoad/AID882

Ribbed Kraft Card from http://www.pdacardandcraft.co.uk/ribbed-kraft-recycled-card.html

My Guest Crafter Today –Rebecca And Her Nativity Blocks

I am handing todays post over to my crafty friend Rebecca. We e-mail now and again and I was overwhelmed when she sent me a set of her Nativity Blocks. They were too good to keep to myself so I asked if she would be one of my “ Guest Crafters” do a “write up” on how she made them, because I knew how popular they would be. I shall also repeat this post at the beginning of October as a reminder of the idea …. And now it’s over to Rebecca ……..

“I found this link from a blog called ‘I Am Momma Hear Me’  - http://www.iammommahearmeroar.net/2010/12/fifth-day-of-christmas-nativity-blocks.html%20on on Boxing Day 2010 and waited patiently until Christmas 2011 to have a go. I knew that these would make ideal Christmas presents for my little boys friends. We are not religious neither are my friends but I felt it was important that the little ones understood the true meaning of Christmas.

I searched for free images on Google but nothing leapt out at me and screamed ‘CUTE!’, plus the images needed to be single images as they were to go on individual blocks, however the images I eventually chose were from:-

http://digiwebstudio.com/store/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&zenid=ddcf731f01a36b2a662d202c2bd6084f&keyword=nativity

And here are a few other nice links:-

http://www.etsy.com/listing/76938548/nativity-clipart-christmas-clip-art-buy

http://digidoodledoo.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=125

http://www.etsy.com/listing/85959157/christmas-nativity-cute-digital-clipart

After many weeks of bargain hunting on the net and in shops I eventually found the wooden building blocks I had been looking for in The Works (BookSale) for £7.99 for 50 pieces. I wanted the blocks to be natural colour as the images would look better; I bought two tubs of which was enough to make six nativity sets.

I resized the images to fit the blocks and printed them with a colour laser printer, as my intention was to varnish over them and I was not sure if the varnish would smudge the images if I had printed them on an inkjet printer.

I carefully cut around the images (this was time consuming and I used nail scissors to get all the fiddly bits) and glued them onto the blocks. I covered the whole surface area in PVA glue to start so I could slide the images around to get them in just the right place. Once dry I varnished over the image.

I read on FiddleFart about Rangers Glossy Accents and using it on my nativity blocks was my first ever attempt (hence the small air bubbles if you were to have a closer look). I was very impressed with the outcome as the Rangers Glossy Accents made the images look like stickers and gave them extra dimension.

I had been collecting Christmas tins from charity shops and car boots sales over the summer as I knew exactly what I would be using them for.

I then carefully placed the nativity blocks in the tins. In the sets I gave to my little boys friends I copied the images into a word document and labelled each character like a reference card for them. This was printed in colour, laminated and added to the tin.

Simple but so effective!”

Cute As A Button

This card measures 10.5 cm x 10.5 cm and is made using white linen effect card.

This is card looks deceptively easy, but getting the writing centred above and below the button was a nightmare, I must have done it at least seven times!

SPAM MAIL/HACKERS

PLEASE ..... IF YOU GET AN EMAIL FROM ME .... DON'T OPEN IT ... IT WILL BE SPAM .... MY EMAIL ADDRESS WAS HACKED YESTERDAY ... AGAIN.... !!!  I HAVE CHANGED PASSWORDS ETC. AND THE ####ERS STILL GET IN!!!

Plain and Simple Kraft Tags

Nothing fancy today, just some quick parcel tags.

My sister lent me this beautiful box of stamps. As they were so plain and simple I decided to make a huge pile of tags using Kraft card (as I never seem to have any ready made) and not fiddle fart too much with them.  The only thing I added was to rub them over with brown and orange coloured craft chalk to give them an old worn look.

Gift wrapping is not my forte but I just love the effect of parcels wrapped in plain brown paper.

Decopatch Teapot Flowerpots

I was given this book for Christmas and some of the ideas are just too wonderful for words!

It was this idea for a fabric covered teapot/plant pot that got me thinking …. wondering if I could substitute the fabric for Decopatch paper.

….. And how fortuitous that I have a huge box of brown teapots in the shed already! I used to buy them up at 50p a go at car boots years ago because I wanted to paint them to look like Christmas puddings (but that, as of yet has not happened).

Anyway they Decopatched a treat and didn’t take that long but the  5/6 layers of clear varnish took a few days to complete.

I am putting them (and all the others I hope to make) aside until Mother’s day when I plan to plant a pansy etc. in them. 

http://everythingalicebook.blogspot.com/

Newspaper Leaving Card

This card is A5 in size and is made using white linen effect card.

The brief for this card was that it was for Alison, she likes to play darts, drinks cider and is moving on to a new school. I think I ticked all those boxes. I found a picture of her new school by Googling it.   I’ve been quite restrained in my embellishment for a change, only using Ranger Glossy Accents on the darts, eyes, sign and cider glass.  The cartoon is mounted on a couple of foam pads for a bit of dimension.

Wooden Heart Tags

I’ve had the tag (above) on my pin board for ages and with Valentines Day not too far away I thought of the box of wooden hearts I have  that needed using up …. and this is what I cam up with.

I coloured the hearts in red, and then stuck them onto kraft tags that I cut out from Papermania kraft card.

I’ve put two tags back to back on each cord, handwriting the back of the one, to be filled in by the giver.  I’ve never been that keen on making tags before, but the success of my Christmas ones has given me the incentive to try some more ideas …… so I expect you’ll be seeing a quite a few more in the coming months.

Wooden Birthday Tags

These wooden tags take me back to my very early forays into crafting, so I reckon  I must have had them for at least 5/6 years.  They seem so old fashioned now, and it’s about time they were used!

The base of the tags are made using old children’s dominoes found on e-bay with the picture side covered with a patterned paper. Finding a a matching paper was a nightmare but I think this subtle gingham has worked out OK.

I have handwritten the sentiment and added my signature faux stitching!  Et Voila … a pile of ancient wooden embellishments finally all used up!

Decopatched Jugs

I am really trying to keep my New Years resolution of spending a lot less and working my way through all the stuff in my craft room cupboards and drawers instead!

So ….. I’ve had these large metal jugs, which stand about 8ins tall for about two years now, I found them in a sale and think I got them for no more than £1.50 each, but never knew quite what to do with them …. however inspired by some Christmas reading I decided throw caution to the wind and Decopatch them to an inch of their lives using all my little bits …..

…….. plus one of two watering cans I also have.  At first I applied several coats of clear mat varnish, but in the end I decided I prefer a glossy finish so applied a few more coats.  I am sooooo chuffed with the results!

Jar Of Hearts

Is it too early for Valentines Day yet?

A very simple idea no real skill involved other than resisting eating one or two sweets before they go into the jar!

My sister found the jelly hearts 100gms  for 99p in her local sweet shop.  The containers are small kilner type spice jars bought in a set of six for about £2.99, and 100gms of sweets fills one jar perfectly. All I have done is add a handwritten tag!

And …. My Guest Crafter Today Is …… Marc, Back By Popular Demand!

Christmas bought me an unbelievable parcel from Marc containing so many crafted goodies that I just had to share them with you, he is just too talented for words  …..

 

I don’t think I will ever be able to use any of these pins …. attached to a lavender filled cushion, they not only looked beautiful, they smelt wonderful too!

Stunning!

Can you believe Marc also “blew” these pendants on a visit to Venice with the assistance of a … and I quote “a very sweaty, good looking, topless Italian man who was to die for” ??!!!

Marc also, like me, loves sea glass and made me these pendants, which I wear in turns on a plain leather thong.

And can you imagine the girlie squeals I emitted when I saw these …… 

…… and these? All hand painted, my very favourite present of all!  I just wouldn’t have the patience!  I have filled the pots with my Dazzling Diamonds micro glitter, so much more magical than a plastic pot!

And the cabochons? I have made into small brooches to give to special people and share the love. Mine is on my jacket collar.

Just how do you say thank you for a parcel containing these and other such beautiful and thoughtful gifts? xxxx THANK YOU xxxx

My Quote A Day Calendar

I treated myself to a “Quote a Day” calendar (99p), as a source of inspiration for cards ….

The quote made me laugh as the photocopier always seems to break down when we have urgent photocopying to do!

I handwrote the quote after tinkering with the words a little, then mat and layered it. The spanner came from a Fireman Sam tool set that came off the front of a comic. Our paper shop removes the free gifts from the comics and then sells them for 30p a pop and I snaffle them up for my crafts.

This card measures 5ins x 5ins and is made using Papermill white linen effect card.

Using My Brad Maker Set At LONG Last

I don’t use brads a lot …. if ever,  so whatever possessed me to want a brad maker set goodness only knows! When I first saw one it was far to expensive for what it was ….. so I waited and waited until I saw one marked at half price, bought it  …… and have never used it, until now …. about three years later!!  What am I like?!!

However, my friend asked me at Christmas if I could “tart” up some small organza bags for her festive table, she wanted some way of putting names on them …. at first I was stumped …. then I “wondered” about making some brads …..

I chose the biggest brads for the bags, punched out the circles and hand wrote the names, then very carefully put the plastic domed sticker over it, a dab of glue stuck them all together. However they looked a bit dull.

So I got out the Ranger Glossy Accents and stuck tiny pearls and black domed stickers round the edges of the brad and a tiny weeny clear flat backed gem just by the name. 

But now the confession ….. I cut the brad fittings off as they didn’t hang right …. and stuck the “brad” on using my glue gun.

I know that I am a little behind at the moment with what’s new in the crafting world (since I gave up buying craft magazines and thus temptation) ….  but I understand that there is a new all singing, all dancing brad maker on the block called the I-Top from Imaginisce, which makes my set look positively prehistoric!