Glutton for punishment

Well after all the soul searching about knocking my friends Christening card off the "to-do" list, I put myself back to square one today by deciding that i HAD to make a card for my sis for when she goes away. So back to 2 cards to make then. I got them both finished but suspect I'll be up till the wee small hours now - I promised myself I'd stop a 8pm - yeah right!

Both cards are pocket cards but they're very different.

First up is the one for my sis. She's being deployed on Tuesday to somewhere grim and is coming to say goodbye and drop her boys off in Wales at the weekend. I'm planning on putting a teabag and verse in the card on the front - we girls like our "nice cupsy-tea". Main paper by doodlebug.

The last card of mine for a while is for my boy - I ummed and aahed about what to make for him as he's my crafting buddy - its nerve wracking - I guess a bit like when you gie a card to someone who yo know makes cards themselves. He's my best critic. I even considered buying a card from him from the shop because I thought the task was too much!

Anyhow, I made him a pocket card in the end with some paper that he knows is saved for best so I'm sure he'll appreciate it. The lift off tag is going to have a secret message on the back - written with his UV pen just as soon as I can sneak it out from under his pillow. The papers, tag and die cuts on this one are by Cosmo Cricket - Cogsmo: Cogs.

Kitty Catrin is nearly 1!

Doesn't time fly - seems like only yesterday that she was pregnant but my best friends little girl is nearly 1. I'm travelling down to Cardiff over bank holiday weekend to attend her Christening and its her birthday the same weekend. I had planned to make 2 cards but I'm feeling a bit jaded and stressed so I've decided to make a birthday card and give her a shop bought Christening one. It's a cop out but I still have to make a card for "&son" before we go away on Friday and I only have 1 evening left to do that - I'm going to see U2 on Thursday!



So here it is.

Shiny card (what is the technical term for that? - its popped out of my head for a while!) and dark pink layer are off-cuts from smirk. Number 1 is cut from a 3 bugs in a rug paper. Card Candy from papercraft cards.
Have a vague idea what I'm going to fo for "&son" but it's not fully formed yet. I'm thinking pocket card.... but what to put in the pocket. hmmmmmm.......

3 cards in one night

Blimey! I've had one of those realisation moments where you know you have a lot of things to do but don't actually realise how much until you write them down.

So I've crossed a few cards of the 'to-do- list.

First up, a card for a friends Nan - thanks to the MSE girls for their help in giving me some inspiration for this card. You can't get much more inspirational than a page of templates and a picture to copy. There are 2 views of this card as it is supposed to be a shaped card but it seemed a bit wobbly so I've mounted it on a card blank for stability.

Secondly, a baby card for the same friend Her friend is due to have a baby boy whilst I'm on holiday so I said I'd get it ready before I left just in case.

Thirdly, a dinosaur card for my nephew. Guess how old he will be? It's not actually his birthday until September but his mum has to go away for a few months for her job so she'll miss his "official birthday". He's going to be like the queen and have 2 birthdays this year.

Birthday Cards

I've sold a few birthday cards from my box at work so I need to do some topping up.

The purple card uses papermania papers and sentiments.

The other cards are the easiest ones I can make - using a cuttlebug embossed die and pre embossed card blanks.

Guess what "& son" has been making............

answer here

Mels Card for Baby Elliot

I made this card for the Melissa on the MSE cards forum to celebrate her new addition Elliot. He's gorgeous.

It was also my entry to the most recent challenge over there - thanks to Rainmac for putting me in the draw without seeing my card I didn't want to post it on here until Mel received it.

Checked paper is from papermania, pastel floral is baby bee by crate paper, blue dots is my last scrap from a sheet of DCWV. Semtiment printed from word and layered on a scalloped oval that I received from dragonllew in the latest crafty place stash swap.

Baby Girl Card

One for the box at work.

Main Paper from sweet inspirations pack - Papermania. Remainder left overs from stash. Embellishments from Paperchase.

Pocket Gift Card Holder

One of my work colleagues leaves at the end of the week. I was going to offer to make his leaving card but it was bought before I got chance so I've decided to make a nice holder for the hmv card we got him as a leaving present.

Its a pocket card with a slight twist in that I've used the inner part to hold the gift card.

Papers by Crate Paper.

This is why I make cards and not furniture!

Apologies - if the 1st hideous picture shocked you but I had to show you the bad before the good.

Its the result of making flat pack furniture from Ikea and I think I can count 4 blisters - see that just doesn't happen with scrapbooking!

I've been slaving away inside all day whilst the rest of the country enjoyed the sun as "&son" is away until Friday and I wanted to get the craft room ready for his return.

It's done - yay!

Although you should see the state of my landing and his bedroom - I realised about 6pm that I was never going to get it look nice before the end of the day if I tidied away as I went along so in the end I dumped loads of stuff on his bed and on the landing which I will have to sort out tomorrow but I wanted to feel like I had achieved something today - and I have!

I found the project a bit traumatic to be honest, I had to get the 'stardrops' out and scrub at the filthy windowsills and skirting boards. The spare room has been a dumping ground since "&son" moved out of it 5 years ago and into the other bedroom. It used to be his nursery and scrubbing away at the floorboards reminded me of when I was nestbuilding before he came along.

The room really needs to be decorated but that will have to wait. The only sad thing is I'm far too tired to make anything in it now - will save that treat for tomorrow!

I love my new button jar.....

Seriously I can't stop looking at it - its nearly good enough to eat!

And thats not all my buttons either - I've kept all the black white, brown and cream ones out so as not to dull the colours.

I think I'm going a bit crazy now - only 9 more days until the end of my stash fast. I nearly cracked yesterday but put everything on a wish list instead. Guess who'll be uploading that to a basket at 12:00:01 on 13/08/09. Still it has made me appreciate what I have a bit more. Maybe I'll have a birthday splurge and then fast again........maybe not!

What do you call a brooch with no pin?

So, I had planned to make a couple of ribbon brooches for my friends birthday but as some of you may know it kind of snook up and caught me unawares so the brooch pins I'd orderd haven't turned up in time.

I gave them to her anyway - she's quite handy with a needle and I've promised to sew the pins on when they arrive. We had a little practice in the office today and they look very 'sex in the city' on her black jacket.

Thanks for the memories

I couldn't sleep last night so gave up at about 2am and decided to make a thank you card! I didn't have my glasses and my eyesight is appalling without so I daren't look this morning what I'd been up to. I think I did quite well considering. The sentiment was another from Mrs Tidge's stash swap. ALl other paper remnants from stash.

It's a thank you card for lyndsey challis who took some amazing pics of my family and I a few weekends ago. I can't recommend her highly enough - she did my friends wedding photos too.

Nearly belated........

Bimey 0 just when I thought I was getting on top of this card to-do list I realised that its one of my bestest friends Birthday tomorrow. Phew - I'd have been so cross with mysaelf if I'd missed it.

"&son" and I have spent a lovely evening in our nowhere near complete craft room having a chatter and a "make". Once again, I'm banned from posting his creation as he wants to do it himself. That boy is going to have a lot of blogging to do when he gets around to it.

Mines here - it's very bright and, rather unusually for me, I love it!

Papers are all by 3 bugs in a rug, paper flowers from Calico craft. Bling from poundland.

2 out of 4 aint bad........

Realised today that I had 4 cards to make this weekend (technically one should have been done for last Thursday) but, as always, when you add cardmaking to a to-do list it takes all the fun out of it so I've been struggling.

Anyhow, I've made the 2 most-urgent ones.

First up, a wedding card which I'm making to order for a friend at work. The colour for the wedding is Royal Blue so I've tried to colour co-ordinate it a bit. Will need to do an insert for it too but I'm going to ask for help with that as I don;t knwo the bride and groom. I've used thick mulberry paper down the left hand-sdie and a little scrap of paper I had "Swiss dotted" velum in the apertures. I can't go a whole day without using that cuttlebug if I'm crafting! The topper is from some stash received from the lovely Mrs Tidge in a crafty place stash swap.

Seond one is a get-well card for a work colleague who fell down the stairs last weekend and has damaged her back. The green paper is a left over from the scrapbooking layout I did at the craft den the other week. The lace border paper is by DCWV. Thanks again to Mrs Tidge for the topper on this card too.