Christmas Sampler Picture Frames

Aghhhhhhhh and bum, bum, bum, bum, bum  …… I was so chuffed with the Christmas picture frame sampler I posted a couple of weeks ago that I decided to trek back to the Worcester Poundland where I had got it from in order to make some more ….. lesson learned yet again, buy something when you see it in such shops as it probably won’t be there again when you go back!

Yes, they had gone, but had been replaced by frames that  appeared quite similar, but were not, in my opinion, as versatile as the original ones, having no circles or small squares and the “new” larger rectangles required a scene created in them and/or a different set of embellishments and arrangement …….

…… however, I still bought another seven of the white frames and persevered,  finding that the printed sheet inside the frame made it a lot easier to glue my own papers to instead of the precarious patchwork mess I created in the original.

The now completed frames vary from one another slightly to accommodate the different colours of the embellishments and seasonal papers I had.

They took a lot longer to complete than the original because as I said  I felt that the larger inserts needed more than just a single holly leaf etc. to look right and so there was a lot of jiggling about with the embellishments to get them to fit and fill.

These frames will be given instead of a Christmas card to special friends and relations, but I have set myself a challenge to complete a black frame I also bought, this will be for my upstairs neighbour who’s whole flat is decorated almost entirely in black, white and grey and one of these will just not fit in to such a decor …………

………. doing it will probably drive me up the blooming wall, but sometimes it’s good to leave you comfort zone just now and again!

Heads Up – A Bit Of Crafty Festive Mooching in Wilko

I saw these mini jars in Wilko – 20 mini jars for £3 …………

……. now, to be honest (at the moment) I don’t have a clue what I would use them for ……. mini snow globes for children to make or jars for reindeer food????  However, I am sure that there is someone out there who will have a festively ingenius idea which will have me wishing that I’d bought some!

I did however buy some chocolate coins, there are 12 in a net for just 50p and come with either reindeer, Santa or snowman foil wrappers. I want to make some little favours for all the staff at Bertie’s nursery and a net of these coins fit perfectly into the mini acetate boxes (The Works 10 for £1.50) I already have. I just need to add a ribbon, with an embellishment and tag and Santa’s coming for Christmas! Post to follow when I get them done!

Wilko also had these little chocolate tablets  – 12 for £1, which I thought were irresistible too. Could this possibly be my first Christmas without  an Elizabeth Shaw Mint?  They might fit in the mini boxes too or I think I might just carefully tie six up together with a narrow red or green ribbon with a tag attached.  Again watch this space.

Happy Halloween

No Advent Drawers to post this week ……

….. rain has temporarily stopped play……..

…….. to be honest I only have one left now that I haven’t posted …….

……. but have no fear,  they are on my “to do” list for this coming weekend.

Instead, a few pictures of Iris and Bertie from this past weekend when they had a Halloween sleepover at The Towers.

There were pumpkins to “create” exactly as they wanted ………

…… as well as satsumas and balloons to make as spooky as they could too.

Nanny not wishing to be outdone had a go at “creating” some scary tissue paper spiders ……..

Hmmmmmm, not quite my forte …….. I think they look more like mad, fat crows!

Iris also spent ages drawing a set of forfeit cards to put in our Halloween Pass the Parcel parcel ……..

Her drawings always make me melt ……. my favourite? Her skeleton for her “wobble like a skeleton card” ……. I reckon he’s got most, if not all of his joints!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

MIni Decorated Christmas Printers Tray

This mini decorated Christmas printers tray measures 22cm x 10cm and originally housed a set of wooden alphabet letters from The Works.

I’ll be honest, I am not 100% about the elongated oblong shape, I just think a square, six section decoration is somehow a much cuter size, but what do I know?

I also admit to being a bit rusty as far as my printers trays go, if I remember rightly, in the past I have put a couple of foam pads behind the background papers to bring the embellishments that tiny bit more forward.

It took me a while to finally pluck up the courage to colour the outside and dividing slats of the tray with a red Sharpie pen, without it it looked a little unfinished, but I was wary that despite my gut feeling the added colour could possibly ruin the overall effect, fortunately my worries were proved wrong and I think it really makes the tray look all the more Christmassy and complete.

I’ve used bits and pieces left over from many Christmas’s past and then further embellished them with extra stars, flat backed gems, glitter,stickers and Glossy Accents.

The one thing I learned on this project was to write Santa’s Letter in black biro, my first effort somehow got wet and smudged and had to be done all over again.

This tray is destined for my lovely neighbours Kata and Laci as a special festive keepsake in place of a card which more than like end up in the bin after Christmas or get recycled.

HUGE HEADS UP TO THE WORKS

I nipped into Worcester yesterday (23rd October) and found almost all their Christmas craft stuff was “Buy One Get One Free” – the lady in the shop said the offer was on all the red topped packets if that is any help to you and I don’t think the offer is online, it’s in store only as far as I can see.  She also wasn’t sure how long the offer was on for.

Now, I am pretty well stocked up, but it would have been rude not to have a mooch and spend erm…….. £4.

Spending just £1 on each of them  I am certain of a wonderful afternoon spent with Iris and Bertie when nursery and school is out for Christmas fiddle farting.

Bertie, last Christmas aged 20 months totally absorbed painting his suncatcher.

I got them both a snowman suncatcher and foam tree knowing that they can also rifle through Nanny’s drawers, if you’ll pardon the expression, for a few extra bits and bobs. If the offer is on when I go into town next I might get a few more bits …… 50p ….. what price peace?

I also treated myself to four packs of these layered snowmen embellishments as I think I will be able to make some really cute cards using them – 16 for just £2 it’s a steal!

Heads Up – Poundland Doll Parts

I couldn’t quite believe these when I saw them in the Halloween section of Poundland ……..

……. doll parts!!!!  I have to be honest they are just a tiny bit creepy, but as soon as I got over the initial eeeeewwwweeeee I thought of Marc!!!  Don’t tell him I said that, although I may keep a few for myself.

I am thinking altered art?  Sprayed white, gold, silver etc I can see them made into jewellery, or as part of a printers tray display ……..

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/547539267190677133/
I’ll present them to the said Marc and see what he comes up with ….. watch this space.

Advent Drawer Wednesday

Two more drawers today, but progress towards another completed Advent Calendar seems to be slow. I am hoping to get it finished for Christmas, but we shall have to see, life with those delicious babies just seems to get in the way, and to be honest, that is the best place to be.

I am finding that this sort of project is really getting through all the small embellishments I have collected over the  years, but some I’m getting a little bored of seeing.

It would be an exciting prospect to get to end of another crafty year to find all my embellishment boxes almost empty so that I could start the New Year looking for interesting new bits, especially in the sales. If there is anything left I think I really need to evaluate them all to see if I would actually ever use them and then perhaps pass on to others who would. 

Pirate Mirror – Part 2

Wooooo hoooooo Bertie’s pirate mirror is finally finished and I can’t help but breathe a huge sigh of relief ……..

…… it may have taken me 14 months but I have never given up!

Though firmly stuck down the pirates arms can still be moved, so to add an extra dimension I have put dangly bits (if you’ll pardon the expression) in their hands and the crab with its wibbly wobbly legs guards a precious gem. 

With the pirates, compasses, maps and large gems in place I could then drape the broken pearl and chains necklaces round them ……….

……. and then fill the smaller gaps with smaller gems and pirate cabochons.

The only thing I wished I’d done was colour/spray the compass bodies gold before they were stuck down, trying to do it on a finished mirror was fiddly to say the least.

And now it is done and dusted in a yo ho ho bottle of rum type way ……  it just needs to be bubble wrapped carefully until Christmas then it can be hung in Bertie’s bedroom.  I will put a special message on the back for him and hope that one day it might become an heirloom or at least a memory of mad, always fiddle farting mad Nanny Nell ……….