Spring Clean

Well I know its not spring yet but as I had a fairly free weekend I thought it was time my conservatory (workroom) had a good clean.  It took me all day saturday and I was absolutely bushed when I had finished but I was really pleased with the result and its inspired me to start crafting again.  So on Sunday I did some sewing to complete a couple of orders that I had and then I decided to have a play with my distress inks and have a go at making something that I had seen when I visited the Craft Den back in November.   With a few alterations I am very pleased with the finished result and have decided to use it for my scrapbooking class this week at Vanilla Crafts (our first one back since the Christmas break) 

I cut the shield shape from grungepaper and then used my white paint dabber on the swirl stamp, when the paint was dry I used 3 colours of distress ink to colour the grungepaper.  I then stamped the flowers in black archival ink, mounted the shield onto black card and cut out leaving a small border, mounted the photo (Bradgate Park in the snow) onto black card and placed in the centre.  The large flower was made by glueing a page of a magazine onto the scraps of grungepaper then cut out using the tim holtz flower sizzix die. I then tinted them with the same distress inks, curled the edges and placed a brad in the centre.  The numbers are cut using my large sizzix letter / number dies in black card and then glazed with glossy accents.  Calendar tag attached to the bottom of the shield and ribbon inserted for the hanger.  It measures approx 8" square.

I really enjoy getting messy with Tim Holtz products and I hope you like it the finished result as much as I enjoyed making it.

New Year

Happy New Year

Yes I know we are half way through January but this is my first post of the new year.  Things were so hectic in the run up to Christmas and then just when I had time to relax down I went with the dreaded lergy and spent most of Christmas and New Year in bed with flu.

Now fully recovered (well almost) and feel up to crafting again.

I've took the bull by the horns and started my own Scrapbooking Crop after being badgered by a few ladies at Church who wanted to have a go.  We held the first one last Saturday 15th January and took over my sister's conservatory as our crop room (because it is a lot bigger than my craft room).  There were 6 of us and I made up a kit using papers from Kaisercraft's Spirograph collection, Bazzill Cardstock and Pearls.  I did 2 layouts to give them an idea.

We had a good time and they've all booked up for next month so I need to get my thinking cap on.

Here's the two layouts that I did as samples







The Photographs were from this years holiday in Bude, North Devon



Winner

Wow can't believe it, I've just found out that I'm the lucky winner of day 3 of the Magnolia advent calender

Cant wait to receive my prize.

Fantastic Weekend

Just got back from fantastic weekend crafting........

I've been with some friends from my Thursday scrapping group at Vanilla Crafts to a craft weekend run by Jeanette Smith and Debbie Williams, it was held at the Belsey Bridge Conference Centre, Ditchenham, Suffolk.
Full on weekend of crafting with 11 different sessions, so lots of new ideas which I can't wait to have another go at.  It was a lovely centre, fantastic food and good company.

A few pictures of a small sample of cards made over the weekend

New Week

Well Monday comes around really quickly, another busy week ending with the culmination of a wonderful weekend visiting my eldest daughter who is studying at Edgehill Uni in Ormskirk, travelled up on Friday evening in very thick fog, we did the tourist rounds of Liverpool on Saturday, a place I've never been to before and had a really great time.  Then on Sunday we visited Southport another first, all in all a fantastic time and it was nice to spend some quality time with Laura.

At the minute I'm busy making decorations for the Christmas Tree festival at our Church, weekend 4th & 5th December, the theme is Christmas songs and I've chosen Walking in the Air from the snowman, so getting very sticky and glittery making snowmen and snowflakes.

Anyway down to business, here's a page I've designed for my Scrapbook class at Vanilla Crafts this Thursday, I've used the Happy Together papers from Fancy Pants, a really lovely range.  The photo was taken of myself and hubby at Becky Falls in North Devon which we visited whilst on holiday this summer.  The embellishments (buttons) were cut from the same papers using 3 x button punch and then glittered with stickles and the journally is on a Tim Holtz journalling ticket.

I hope you like it.

Busy Week

Well time to catch up after a busy week ending with the craft fayre at Countesthorpe today, lovely day & very well attended..  Went to my patchwork class on Wednesday evening, had a lovely time but then disaster as I was coming home, crunched my car on a bollard as I was leaving the car park, quite a bit of damage so could end up being an expensive craft evening.  Scrapbooking at Vanilla Crafts on Thursday, everyone had a good time. 

Anyway I thought I'd share with you a couple of cards Ive made this week using up the scraps from the kit I had at the Scrapaholix crop last Saturday, Kaisercraft - Hey Birdie Collection, I just loved these papers..............

Busy Busy Busy

Well I'm busy getting ready for the Craft Fayre that I am attending on Saturday at Countesthorpe College Leicester, 10am - 4pm.  It is run by Active Arts and has been going for many years with approx 75 stalls. 
I do machine embroidered personalised gifts as well as handmade cards.