Iris's Harry Potter Spell Bottles

Iris's latest bedtime story has been her first Harry Potter book, a present for her birthday from her Great Uncle Iain, it has had a profound effect on her. So when she found these little brown bottles (The Works) in my crafting drawers, straight away, with that look of creative excitement in her eyes,  she said that they were just perfect for making Harry Potter Spell bottles with.

She then proceeded to rifle through every drawer, box, bottle and tub finding all manner of tiny things to put in them, googly eyes, beads, buttons, charms etc.

Next, she wanted to put a label on each one.  I suggested a self adhesive label which she was very happy to go along with. I just love her innocent spellings, they bring a tear to my eye, every time I look at them. 

She also knew she wanted to put a key on the bottles, fiercely independent, I was allowed to do this for her, as she said didn't know how, but I think she will for next time. She also found a wooden tray to put them in (a tantalus??) and liked the suggestion of putting some paper of magical letters in the bottom/back of it.  I did the cutting to size while she spread the glue.  

She took it all home with her to sit on her bedroom shelves, but I really, really need a set of my own now, to perhaps even frame in a shadow box. I am hoping next time she is here for the day I can persuade her to make me one, with the promise that it will be my very special treasure too.

Spooky Spider Halloween Card

This card measures 6ins x 6ins and is made using a pre-scored, manufactured card blank.

Following on from yesterday's card this is the Halloween idea that sprang into my head as I was looking back at the pictures.

I used the same background paper and frame as before, but painted the frame orange before covering it with a layer of Glossy Accents. I really need to look out for some more of these frames (The Works) as their size makes them so versatile for all sorts of other cards.

Again, I coloured the letters with a black Sharpie pen, followed by a layer of Glossy Accents to make them really pop. The printed words were made using my very old, original Dymo label maker.

The spiders were in a bag of confetti bits found in a charity shop, but adding two thick layers of Glossy Accents to their bodies gave them much more dimension and defination, and the two tiny silver gem eyes helped them take on a completely different character and prescence.

The spider webs were hand drawn using a black fine liner pen.  All that was needed then to complete the design was a scattering of three dot clusters and silver stars.  I am so pleased with how it turned out, even better than in my head!

Contemporary First Wedding Anniversary Card

This card measures 6ins x 6ins and is made using a manufactured pre-scored card blank.

This card was made for my nephew Joe and his wife Amanda's first wedding anniversary ...... where has that year gone?  They are a very modern, no fuss couple so I wanted to make a card that reflected that.

I simply took a pre-scored card and covered the front with a paper that went with the black and white theme I had chosen to use.  I painted the Kraft card frame (The Works) white .....

..... coloured the wooden letters with a black Sharpie pen and then added a layer of Ranger Glossy Accents to make them pop and printed the sentiment using my trusty, original Dymo label maker.

When everything was dry I put all the pieces together.

The final touches came from adding some tiny, silver, nail art hearts and a scattering of three dots here and there using a black fine liner pen.

I like it, but it is a little unusual, which is probably why it has had me thinking about Halloween ...... I think by using the same components, but replacing the number for letters that spell BOO, painting the frame orange and adding a tiny spider or two here and there  .......... I could possibly have a Halloween card?????

Christmas Snowman Dioroma

I think this is what you call a diorama????  I have seen them so may times on Pinterest but never thought I could ever be able to make one until recently.

I was looking through my box of saved wooden trays (the sort embellishments come in) and wondered what I could do with them and then I thought diorama.  I did a little "pinning" and finally felt brave enough to tackle one! 

I started by covering the back of a tray with suitable festive paper, the proportions of which I thought would go with the size of bottle brush tree I planned to use and the snowman I was going to make.

I used Martha Stewart paper clay to hold the tree in position, with a good dollop of glue and added some white glitter card to act as a snowy background.  This, at the time was all very much on the hoof.

I then built up the background "scene" using scraps of other Christmas papers ..........

........ plus tiny stickers that I already had.  In the end I decided not to use the "believe" embellishment as the snowman's hat I made later covered part of it up.  

I replaced it with "Let it Snow" using letters taken from a Tim Holtz Idea-ology Label Letters pad.

I trimmed the bristles on the back of the bottle brush tree so that it would fit and lay flat against the back of the decorated tray and then decorated it with flat back gems and an iridescent flat back star on the top.

I then added a pelmet to the top of the tray using a scrap of card, which I proceeded to cover with several layers of Dovecraft 3D Pearl Effects (£1 Poundland) and small, plastic snowflakes in the corners.

White iridescent micro glitter was added to the paper snow along the bottom and little flat back gems to the centre of the snowflakes.

Adding the snowman was the final touch.  My apologies, as I forgot to take pictures of him during the making process, doh! I used white Das baking clay for his body, red for his scarf and black for his hat, keeping things really simple as I am no modeller.  I used black flat back gems for his eyes and buttons, twisted wire for his arms and a cut down 3D paper embellishment for the holly on his hat, after he came out of the oven.

I am really chuffed with how the whole thing turned out. Now I have worked out the best way to make more, that's what I plan to do ...... the white clay and some more Christmas trees are already on order.  Unfortunately I don't have any more trays of the same size ........ but I have an idea, that I am hoping will work, so watch this space ........... for my Christmas dioramas part two!

Very Simple Christmas Pudding Card

This card measures 6ins x 6ins and is made using a ready made card blank from a pack of 50 from Hobbycraft.

From the pictures it looks as if I have used a black and white gingham check paper to cover the front of the card but "in real life" it is actually bottle green, perhaps not the most vibrant colour to use on a Christmas card!

I used Christmas pudding toppers from The Works (6 for £1).  I covered the brown pudding part and holly leaves with a layer of Ranger Glossy Accents and small, red buttons to cover the holly berries, to help make the pudding stand out a bit more.

I put foam pads behind the pudding for more dimension and then mat and layered it on red check, white, plain red and finally silver with a little faux stitching added using a black fine liner pen for good measure.  Not an awful lot of skill or work required, but very quick if you need to make something at the very last minute.

Scandi Style Card - Scandi Shadowbox Picture

This 6ins x 6ins card was pants from the very start, I wasn't sure if I should actually post it, but then I thought what the heck.

All I had done was take a page from the embossed Christmas pad (below) that I found in Poundland last year (£1), it was this design in particular that made me buy the pad because, at the time, I thought as it screamed out to be embellished.  

However, when I did start to embellish it, it all seemed too small and subtle ...... the tiny gems and glitter were just lost in the fiddly detail.

........ and if I'm honest, my work didn't enhance the picture as I'd hoped.

I was disappointed, so the card ended up left to one side ...... then as I started to write this post I  suddenly thought, that the design really belongs in a frame ............ why hadn't I seen it before?  So I got out one of my spare Hobbycraft shadow boxes and it's perfect.

All I needed to do was add a matching turquoise edge so that it fit the frame aperture properly.  In the end I may have lost a card but I have gained a new festive decoration for the shelves in my guest/spare room this year. The room, when seasonally decorated, has a Scandi-esque theme to it anyway and since I've painted the wall behind the bed a deep turquoise, it's a no brainer.

Which got me thinking again ....... I have two spare, unadorned mirrors in my cupboard, the same as the jewelled mirrors I made for the room a while back.

........ perhaps I could embellish them too with a festive theme to add a slightly new look this Christmas?  Hmmmmmm watch this space ...........

Patchwork Christmas Card

Thia card measures 6ins x 6ins and is made using a hand cut, white, linen effect blank.

My apologises as I think I may have posted similar cards like this in the past but after ten years of blogging there's got to be a few repeats along the way. I was"stealing" my self with the idea of putting together some mini Christmas printer trays by using some of the embellishments I planned to use in them.

I used a variety of papers taken from a Works Christmas themed Origami stack for the four patches, which I then mat and layered on silver, white and then silver again, adding a little faux stitching using a black fine liner pen round the edges.

The glittered foam stockings came from this years Christmas range at Hobbycraft and were £1 per pack https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/red-stocking-glitter-foam-stickers-20-pack/643915-1000

Mini Christmas Printers Trays

Eight mini Christmas printers trays for you delectation today, you just won't believe how cross eyed adding all the tiny details to them made me!

The trays were originally the boxes from the various sets of  wooden embellishments I have bought over the years, and squirrelled away to make a pile of mini Christmas printers trays when I had saved enough up. To date, I have never found anything similar for sale that I could use instead.

https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/assorted-merry-christmas-wooden-toppers-36-pack/643871-1000?_br_psugg_q=wooden+embellishments
I have to admit to stealing myself to start making them this year as they are a bit fiddly, especially when adding the finer detail like the tiny stars and gems etc. but with eight trays saved I thought it was about time I did something with them, especially as I have a lady who will bite my hands off for any I do.

I start by creating the background for each square, backing a strong piece of card with a various appropriately proportioned Christmas design papers and glitter card if I am creating a snowy scene, like for the Christmas tree or teddy and faux stitch round the edges with a black fine liner pen.

Because there is a certain depth to the trays I put two or three foam pads behind the prepared squares to bring the embellishments a bit more forward, if that makes sense? 

Then it's time to add the embellishments made from a whole variety of materials, wood, resin, plastic etc. whatever I have and whatever will fit.

It's at this stage that my table becomes filled with boxes and tubs as I look for the tiny bits and pieces to either add to the embellishments or put in the background.

Some have a little extra glitter added or a layer of Ranger Glossy Accents.

This is a time to forget my usual crafting mantra of "less is more", when it comes to these trays embellishment and fiddle fart should be in abundance.

When I am happy that each square is finished I usually go around the edges with a red Sharpie pen, (the black trays obviously didn't need this doing). Then this year I "rediscovered" some lovely Christmas fabric tape (possibly from The Works)  to go round the sides.  I could  leave the bare wood showing, but the trays are not the best quality, and the tape has hidden a thousand sins!  I must look to see if The Works has any more this year.

So, that's all the trays used up for another year, I do have a few larger ones left, that have more compartments which are slightly bigger, a chance to use some bigger embellishments perhaps ........

...... but they won't stand on a shelf  without support and might be best hung, so before I go to all the fiddle fart of making them up I need to work out what I need put on the back of them to hang them.  I have just bought a staple gun, I wonder if that would work? I reckon until I experiment it's a case of watch this space!

Heads Up To Pep & Co - Halloween Outfits.

I have always had a little Halloween party at The Towers, but this year I plan to make it extra special as both Iris and Bertie are of an age to really absorb all the fun and magic and hopefully hold on to the memories for many years to come, long after (not wishing to sound morbid) I am gone!

And well .....  it's always lovely to have a new outfit to wear, which I hope will also, in part, help reinforce those memories ..... so when I saw this little dress for Iris in Pep & Co. for just £3.50, it was a no brainer, I have spent more on a cup of coffee!

I don't ever "do" gruesome and scary ....... so the cute, childlike print on the dress is perfect.

For Bertie ...... he'll love this glittery skeleton top £2.50 and matching leggings £3.00, also from Pep & Co. Bertie is very at home in pink, but it wouldn't be too much trouble to go over a few of the motifs with a darker colour Sharpie pen if need be, though doubtful!

As for The Monkeys, these newborn popper vests for £1.50 will fit the bill perfectly especially as they will be hosting the party (over on the other side). I could have done without the "Mummy's little pumpkin" bit, but since The Boyz only generally appear from the waist up it shouldn't really show and then they can be put away and used, like all their other "seasonal" outfits, over the next few years ........ and yes,  it does help to be a little bit mad!