Bunting

A friend at work asked if I could make her some bunting for her daughter and niece's bedrooms, she had seen a picture of what she wanted, not something I have done before so after some investigation and pondering here is what I came up with.

The patterned fabrics were strengthend with heavy weight vilene and then bondawebbed onto the felt, stitched with decorative stitch and then cut out with pinking shears.  The letters were then attached to the binding strip and then decorated with hearts and buttons.

Much to say she loved them.

Very Proud Mummy

This weekend saw the culmination of 4 years hard work, my eldest Daughter's Graduation.
She graduated with an honours degree for secondary teaching design and technology at Edgehill University Ormskirk.

We had a wonderful day celebrating as it was her birthday the same day and this week she landed her first teaching job starting in January.

Laura

Proud Mum with Laura

 

This is the congratulations card I made her, created using a Nitwits collection and done on an easel, she was very pleased with it.

 

 

Christmas Tree Festival

This weekend it is the Christmas Tree Festival at our Church (New Parks Methodist).  The theme is christmas customs around the world and I picked to do Germany, after googling for information this is what i came up with

 

Christmas Eve is the most important time of the Christmas season for families. The wonderful tradition of the Christmas tree, which started in Germany, is the heart of the celebration. Grown-ups decorate the evergreen tree with beautiful ornaments of glass and carved wood, silver stars, and strings of lights. A golden angel is placed at the very top of the tree.

Under the Christmas tree, the family arranges a manger scene to depict the stable that Jesus was born in. Parents may also pile presents from the Christ Child beneath the Christmas tree's richly decorated boughs. Just after dark, a bell rings, and the excited children run into the room to see the beautiful lighted tree in all its glory. The family members exchange gifts, recite poems, and sing Christmas carols. Then everyone enjoys a Christmas feast of roast goose, turkey, or duck.

In some parts of Germany, families still follow an old tradition. The children leave their shoes outside the front door. These shoes are filled with carrots and hay to feed St. Nicholas' horse as he rides by. If the children were good all year, St. Nicholas leaves apples, nuts, and candy for them.

and this is my tree

 

 

We also have on display different nativity scenes and for this i have made a wall hanging

the pictures were done on my embroidery machine and the quilting done by hand

 

Patchwork Heaven

Just had a wonderful weekend spent patchworking, It was heaven having time to sew without the normal distractions.
Started off on Saturday by doing a class at Quorn Country Crafts in Loughborough, www.quorncountrycrafts.co.uk , it was a bag making class and we got to choose one of 3 bags.  The one I chose was probably the hardest, well the most time consuming anyway as it included lots of embroidery as well as the making up of the bag.  Anyway I'm really pleased with the finished result.

Sunday we had a UFO day (unfinished objects) day with QCC Quilters at Woodhouse Village Hall, lovely day spent with like minded people sewing and chatting and a lovely lunch included, thanks to Sue & Co for making it a wonderful day.  I finished off the bag started on Saturday and layered up a wall hanging that I have been working on for Church - pictures of this at a later date.

When I got home I also finished a project that I have been working on for the last few weeks at the Thursday group I attend in Rothley, Its a banner done in redwork to hopefully go across my fireplace for Christmas.

So as you can see I have been busy just not had time to upload my blog.

 

Top Act

Just found out my layout has been picked as a Top Act over at Merly Impressions

http://www.merlyimpressions.co.uk/blog/

Thank you for all  your comments

 

November Scrapbook Crop

Where does the time disappear ?  no posts since this time last month.

I have been crafting honestly but its mainly been sewing and as nothing is finished as yet I've not had anything to show you.

Anyway as its our monthly Scrapbook Crop next saturday I thought I'd better get the samples done.

I have made the kits up this month with Christmas in mind, it will be here before we know it.

They consist of lovely Kaisercraft papers :-

Tis The Season Collection – Stocking & Choir

Twig & Berry Collection – December & Hallelujah

2 x beige cardstock

Christmas Dies Cuts (Sizzix Tree & Holly)

Red Ribbon

I have done 3 layouts from the kit :-

The first one was based on one of this months Page Maps www.pagemaps.com

 

 

Extra bits used are Red shiny card, Cosmic Shimmer bronze spritz, bauble stamp, ribbon border punch, sizzix number dies.

 

Second layout was based on sketch from this months challenge over at Merly Impressions

http://www.merlyimpressions.co.uk/blog/scrapbooking/october-2012-layout-challenge/

 



Extra bits used are Cosmic Shimmer Bronze Spritz, Tim Holtz Distress Inks - Tea Dye & Shabby Shutter, Holly Stamp, Red 3d Paint

 

Third Layout is based on sketch from Sketches in Thyme

http://sketchesinthyme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/introducing-newest-mavens-to-our-design.html

 

 

Extra bits use are Cosmic Shimmer Bronze Spritz, Poinsetta stencil, Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Red Berries, Sewing Machine Sizzix Number Dies, Gold 3d Paint

October Scrapbooking Crop

I cant believe its a month since I posted on my blog, things have been quite hectic what with weekends away in Blackpool, eldest Daughter getting engaged and being in bed with the flu, time seems to have disappeared.

Its time for our monthly crop at Church this Saturday so this week have been getting samples ready.

The kit this time is made up of papers from Bo Bunny's Ambrosia range comprising
Stripe and Bouquet papers, dotty paper & 3 co ordinating plain cardstock and some Kaisercraft sparkles.

I have done 3 layouts from the kit.

The first one is based on the sketch from My Scraps and More blog http://myscrapsandmore.blogspot.co.uk

 

The second one is based on sketch from Lets Get Sketchy blog, http://letsgetsketchy.blogspot.co.uk

and the third one is based on the sketch from Sketchabilities http://sketchabilities.blogspot.co.uk 

 

No Cardstock Allowed

The challenge this month over at Merly Impressions http://www.merlyimpressions.co.uk/blog/scrapbooking/august-2012-layout-challenge/ is to design a layout using NO CARDSTOCK, patterned papers only, I found this quite difficult however managed in the end, I based the layout on a sketch from Sketchabilities and must admit am quite pleased with the finished result

The 3 papers used are all from the Lil Primrose Collection by Kaisercraft - High Tea, Summer Bonnet & Frock :-

 

Cards With Men In Mind

I went to a lovely workshop last night at BarjanB Crafts www.barjanbcrafts.co.uk in Newbold Verdon, Leicestershire, we made 2 cards for Men which I always find difficult, had a great time playing with stamps and stencils and getting inky fingers.  Here are the finished results.

A big thank you to Maureen http://maureen-maureensmixture.blogspot.co.uk/ who ran the class and designed the cards.

 

Church Scrap Crop

Well Summer's almost over and schools are back, I'm taking my daughter back to Uni tomorrow, so with the nights drawing in will hopefully have more time for lots of crafting.

Its our Scrap Crop at Church next Saturday so this weekend I've been busy getting a couple of samples done.
The kit this time is using papers from Bo Bunny - back to basics collection, cordinating plain cardstock and rose ribbon - so gorgeous.

The first sample I've done is based on the August sketch over at My Creative Sketches
http://mycreativesketches.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/augusts-sketch.html



I used used a stencil and distress ink to completely cover a pale green plain cardstock
I then used a dandilion head stamp and randomly stamped around the edge of page.  3 different sized squares of patterned paper with distressed edges and a square photograph, stamped flourish and the dandilion head stamped and cut out and placed on the flourish, stamped title

The second sample I've done is all my own creation
I used a grid mask and pumice stone distress ink to completely cover a latte coloured plain cardstock
I then used a flower stencil and barn door distress ink around the edge and in the corners, 2 strips of patterned paper and a strip of rose ribbon (5 x 7 photograph) and some stitching down the one side, finished off with gems and buttons in the centres of the stencilled flowers.

 

I must admit I am really pleased with the results and hope they will inspire the Ladies on Saturday.

 

Workroom Makeover

Seems ages since I've done any papercrafting what with Patchwork Summer School and then 2 days at the Festival of Quilts at the NEC and then over the last few days decorating and revamping my craft room.  Very pleased with the result though so now can get on with the creating part.

 

Wedding Card

My daughter asked for a wedding card for her best friend who gets married this weekend, all the instruction I got was that the colour scheme is pink and silver

I followed the sketch over at Sweet Sketch Wednesday
http://sweetsketchwednesday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/digi-stamp-boutique-sketch-167.html

Also entering in the challenge over at
http://scrapology-adventuresinscrapbooking.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/august-card-challenge-lili-of-valley.html
which is Lily of the Valley twos company

Image is a Lily of the Valley and coloured with copics

Papers are from Craft Creations

Silver Mirri Board

Martha Steward Heart Punch

Flowers, Gems & Sentiment from my stash

Hope she likes it.

Patchwork Summer School

Seems ages since I updated my blog, been really busy over last couple of weeks with lots of sewing, I've been to Patchwork Summer School at Loughborough University run by a lovely lady called Sheila Scawen.

We spent a week sewing from 9am to 9pm which seems a long time but when you are enjoying yourself it goes really fast.  Had a lovely time meeting new people who shared ideas

Heres a few of the projects that I did during the week, some still need to be finished

Left will be cushion covers when completed
middle was all made up of triangles, once it has a border round it will be turned into a bag
right the start of a bed runner

I've done 2 of these and they will be quilted and made into cushion covers

the bedrunner with borders around, now just needs quilting and binding

twisted bag - very pleased with finished result

Pyramid Sewing caddy with pin cushion

Encrusted Crazy Quilting Course

I've signed up to do the Encrusted Crazy Quilting course from www.pintangle.com, its a 6 week online course.  I've seen samples of some beautifully embellished crazy quilting and really wanted to have a go.

Week 1 started last Thursday and this was to construct the block

Here's my finished block

Block is constructed using a based fabric of calico then 9 different fabrics foundation pieced on top.

1. Picture printed on printable fabric (my Grandmother)
2. Silk
3. Satin
4. patterned cotton
5. Marbled cotton
6. Marbled cotton
7. Textured Satin
8. Satin
9. Patterned cotton
with 2 lots of lace

Next lesson starts the embellishing, can't wait and i'm really excited