MSE Challenge Card - Red White Blue with a circle.

Gosh, it's been a while (again - sorry).  I've got my mojo back but wanted to focus on making things and then have never had the time to catch up on blogging them.  hoping to remedy that in the coming weeks - there's a bit of a backlog.

I made this card for the red white and blue challenge over on the MSE cardmaking thread which has been set by cardpaperscissors.

It's made with a lovely freebie from last year by Little Musings.  In my head she's called Nerys but I might well have got that wrong.

I've recently treated myself to a retro flower punch - you're going to see a lot of it in the next few weeks.  I've used it so much I thought I might be giving myself RSI.  No piece of paper goes in the bin if it is big enough to have a flower punched out of it!.  The flowere are all made from remnants.  Card Candy is from Craftwork Cards.  Circles cut with Nesties petite circle and scalloped circle.

In addition to the MSE challenge I'd also like to add it to the following challenges.

Incy Wincy Designs - Clean & Simple

MSE Challenge - My Pet Dragon

Made this card for my Godson William for his 6th birthday. 

William truly is a miracle - he was born 11 weeks eaarly back in 2005

After much concern, and lots of love he's now happy 6 year old who loves Star Wars and Lego.  He's a fighter so I've sent him a car with George and his pet dragon on.
The stamp is by elzybells, stripy paper is from the Earth Love Collection at Cosmo Cricket.

MSE Challenge Card (kind of) - Mum

Whoopsie - just realised the challenge was for a "Mothers Day Card" not a card for your Mum.  Never mind eh - If Mothers Day is anything like her birthday I'll be finishing the mothers day card off at 11.30 pm on the Saturday before.

I'm going to claim it fit's the bill as its for My Mothers (birth) Day and hope no-one notices ;-)

I had big plans for this card - you know - pretty stamp, artfully coloured in, glittered and glossed up a bit. artfully matted up and then embellished to the hilt, lace flowers, pearls, the lot.  Sadly, my employer and my son had other ideas and so I was left to start it at 10pm the night before Mum's birthday.

So, cream card blank, punched with a MS punch at the bottom.  Cosmo cricket 'togetherness' background paper.  Alpha stickers by pink paislee, buttons from stash (I think the little yellow ones are by papermania), punched flowers from stash and label cut from the Cricut tags bags and boxes cartridge.  I really really want those punches but everywhere I've looked has only one in stock or charge a fortune for postage.  

Here's Mum's cake which we also made the night before.  Well I made the cake and "&son" iced it

I didn't even get a chance to buy her a present but I took her out to Elsecar Heritage Centre and she chose some pretty teacups and saucers.  Don't tell Dad but she also took a shine to a lovely yew cabinet which cost substantially more than the teacups.  "&son" was unimpressed that we were going to look at antiques until I said it wa slike going to a museum where you could buy stuff.  He was a bit obsessed with the militaria but his favourite item was a cobblers last. 

Return of the mojo - part 2

And now for a card......

It's &sons Dad's birthday today but for one reason or another he was unable to have him over as is usually the case on a Sunday.  So me and my boy have been having a bit of fun in the craft room. 

Originally he was going to make his Dad a card with a Top Gear badge on (I bought a pack of 4 on Friday when I spotted them in the Chemist - wonder if they're some sort of contraceptive advice - seeing a button badge of the stig on the lapel of my lover would certainly put me off!)  I digress.

Inspiration struck when I remembered there was a racing driver on my Cricut - Everyday Paper Dolls cart so we had a liitle play and &son came up with this.  We went through a few different sizes of components but when he'd decided what he wanted I cut a spare set out in case we had any problems further down the line.  We didn't so I figure I may as well use them myself.

"Stig" , car and Road cut from EveryDay Paper dolls cart on Cricut
Lettering from Plantain Schoolbook cart on cricut
Label = Nestabilities Lable 1

I'd like to enter it in the following challenges

Crafts & Me - It's Red
Stamping with the Dragon - Anything goes

NEWSFLASH! Mojo Returns! Part 1

This project has been on my desk since about October of last year.  I'd be lying if I said it was half finished then.  I printed the photo, bought the frame, took out the glass.... and then left it for 6 months.  Shameful behaviour!

I'm off to visit my Granny at half-term and it was my plan that I was going to give it to her at Christmas.  I'm not sure now whether there is going to be room for it in her room in the nursing home but I'll take it down to show her and see if we can fit it in.  Secretly, I'd be quite pleased if not, as I've fallen for it and already have a space picked out in my lounge.

You'll have seen the picture before if you're a long-time follower - it's of My Granny & Grandad on their wedding day. Do you know what my favourite part of the picture is? - my handsome Grandad is carrying gloves.  I miss him soo much.  He died in 2005.

Originally, I'd planned to cut out lot's of dark red hearts to make a frame but I just couldn't get it to work somehow so I went for plan b - I started with brown wrapping paper (for parcels - from the Post Office) and then cutout some borders from the storybook cartridge on my Cricut.  They're embossed on the cuttlebug (divine swirls) and then I've just a added a bit of card candy to fill the gaps.

I'd like to enter it into the following challenges

Bunny Zoe - love is in the air
Incy Wincy Designs - Love
Ladybugs Crafts - Love is in the Air
Simon Says Stamp - Anything but a card

First Card of 2011 (hangs head in shame at the lateness of it all)

Hello

So much for making one thing a week in 2011 ;-)

This card is for my friend Ann - I've not seen her for years - we used to go tap dancing together but I had to stop going when I got divorced as I couldn't get childcare.  Spotted her in her car at the traffic lights a couple of weeks ago and looked her up on facebook....and I'm off to her birthday party tomorrow.  Sounds very intriguing including a game called 'spite and malice'.............

Digi Stamp is a "little musing"

coloured in with promarkers and a little dash of glossy accents & stickles

sentiment and candy by Craftwork cards

Ribbon and paper from stash

I think the thing I am most pleased with is the background colour to the stamp.  It was white card and looked too dark so I coloured it in with promarkers but then decided it was too bright.  So out came the blender pen which I've never really used before and I just went over with the broad tip to make the marbled effect.  What do you think?   

Better Late Than Never!

Finally getting around to posting pics of (some of) my Christmas 2010 makes.  Believe it or not, I still have one waiting to be given to my sister (I forgot to take it down to her house at Christmas)  So I'll post that after the weekend (don't hold your breath)

I made covered notebooks for my sister, my friend and her husband.  My sister and friend are both teachers so they got class record books,  My friend's hsband got an ideas book.

All papers by Cosmo Cricket
Ideas book - Cogsmo
Miss Brocklebank's Book - The Boyfriend
Mrs MArgett's book - Jack's World.

They're all covered in sticky back plastic to help them last a bit longer.  Remind me never to do that again - the air was blue!

Let it Shine

So, my plan for this years Christmas card was that I would come up with a design and do them all the same.  Brilliant idea!
I went to a papercraft show at the Doncaster Domw and saw this amazing glitter and thought I'd make a simple black card with a glittery white snowflake on.  Another good idea.
And then it all went wrong, I ran out of time,  I couldn;t get the glitter to work properly, the black and white paper I'd bought to use on the cards wasn't the same white as the snowflakes. 
So
I only made 2 of this type but have carried on the snowflake theme.
I'd like to enter this collecion for the OAP1945's MSE Challenge - Let it shine - as they're all sparkly.

Sorry these last 2 are sideways - I tried to rotate them but blogger was having none of it and am just too tired to argue tonight!

The Prodigal Daughter

I have been a very bad blogger - months since my last post but I hope you'll accept me back.  I can't promise I'll be any better but I'll have a go.
I made myself a coaster advent calendar but then lost the camera and hung around for days hoping to blog it but finally gave up this morning and took it into work.  Guess what I found this evening!

So here is an amended version that I've made as a gift for a colleague who lurves her holidays.  She keeps a little slip of paper on her desk to countdown the days until her next one.  This is to countdown the last 4 working weeks before her hols.  We count "get-ups".

My little baby is 10

This was a bit of a last-minute card as we were away just before Tom's birthday but I think it's come out quite well - it's loosely based on the brilliant Helen's 9 squarre cards.  Everything football related is strictly 'blue&white' in my son;s eyes so I cut 1 inch scallopped squares in white and 1.25" in blue on my cricut (storybook cartridge).  The puffy stickers were from accessorize.  Ribbon from stash.  Sentiment hand-written.

Yum yum yum  and yes, it did taste as good as it looks!

More bunting

I'm persevering with my attempt to give a homemade gift for everyones birthday this year and have only slipped once so far (but I haven't forgotten that project - they will get it eventually!)

My latest effort was for darling Kitty who is now 2.

The colours hopefully match her bedroom - altho that is based from memory - fingers crossed everyone!

The lettering and animals are cut on my cricut using the zooballoo cartridge.  I couldn't quite decide what to do to the background of the paper but plumped for stamping in the end - mainly because I wasn't convinced that anyone would recognise the 'Y' as a 'Yak'. ;-)

The stars in each corner were a compromise solution as my stoopid crop-a-dile refuses to set eyelets.  I figured they would be less likely to tear over the holes if the sticker was there as a reinforcer and stars were all I had in (very) roughly the right colour.

Kitty's Mum has texted today to say it will go beautifully and she is planning to laminate each pennant so it lasts "forever".

Not quite a wedding towel cake.

I'm going to a wedding on Saturday and didn't really fancy anything on the wedding list so with my normal disregard for whether I actually have time to do it or not, I decided I would make my own gift.  This started off as a very vague idea - it was going to be a towel cake but then I spotted these bargain scrapbooks in Home Bargains (where else) for £3.99 I think but they might have even been £2.99 and I just couldn't resist.

So I decided to make a scrapbook for the couple to use to put their informal photos, etc in.  Again, this remained a vague thought until I had a panic last week and realised I had less than 2 weeks to go.  YIKES!!!! I arranged to go to my friends house for a crafty morning on Sunday and didn't actully do any making but this is the result of some serious planning - helped along by the fact that she has oodles and oodles of beautiful stash to inspire me.  So a big thanks upfront to Emma G for the teeny tiny buttons and the flower punches used on this project.  I'm going to give it with a pack of photo corners and sticky squares to help them along.

The front is coverd with Basic Grey - Blush :Cherish

Pastel pearls to give a bit of a lift

Glossy accents on all the hearts - well it is for a wedding

The button heart is in an aperture - more accurate rendering of the colours here

Inside page showing through the aperture is here....

The wording is cut from the Storybook cartridge on my cricut as is the fram which is cut from a sheet of coredinations jewel.  The backing paper is bazzill dotted swia.  Letter shadowns cut from KI Memories 1821 - Posh Word Play and the letters themselves from some paper from my stash pile.

I made the little flowers from all the offcuts with the middle from a viva pearl pen bought from the craft den.

And finally a few close-ups for those not already asleep ;-)

I'd like to enter this in the Creative Craft World Challenge - Weddings

May is Perry Birthday month

So my brother-in-law's gift is out of the way and ready to be given on Saturday when we meet up for "CampBrocklebank IV" our annual family camping trip.  My Mum takes her motorhome, my sister's family her caravan and I usually take my tent but the site we have chosen this year doesn't accept them so I'm slumming it in the motorhome.  Then we have a week of horrendous weather and come home.  We've had snow, high-winds, torrential rain, the lot!  But the kids love it and its nice to get everyone together for a week.  My other Sis is popping over from Germany for a little while too and we'll be nearer my Gran (who is still in hospital after her stroke - but definitely on the mend) so I should be able to get over and visit her.

So May is Perry Birthday month because my b-i-l, sister and nepher (all Perrys) have their birthdays within 3 weks of each other.  I'd hoped to make them all a little something but have had to admit defeat with my nephew - he's just gonna have to mae do with a "Woody" dressing up costume.  Let's be honest, he's 5 - he really won;t care what he gets.

Which leaves my sis.  I swore I would not make any more button necklaces after my first attempts - they're just too darn fiddly but both my sisters have been nagging me so I'll probably have to make anothe one before I can unstick my fingers from the superglue and hang up the blunt edge pliers for good.

It's quite hard to tell from the pic but the buttons are muted blues and a silvery grey.  The box is made from a sheet from LLB Venaissance.

and wrapped up

My sisters have also both asked for a ribbon brooch.  I'm still trying to perfect the flowers on these but I think they're getting a bit better.

and here is her card

A beautiful gorjuss girl - my sister is so special I even used a sheet of my Cosmo Cricket "Earth love" for this one.  Rub-ons are by American craft.   Sentiment from Craftword Cards.  The little flowers are off cut's from a corner punch - I must have had them in a little pot on my desk for at least a year - I knew they'd come in handy eventually

Better crack on with the housework now - 11.12pm - is probably not a good time to start tho 

My exciting Sunday afternoon

Wow wasnt it great weather at the weekend ~(if you like that kind of thing) I'm not a big fan of getting hot so whilst everyone else enjoyed barbecues, I sat in my craft room on the shady side of the house (with the window wide open as a nod to the weather)

I spent the afternoon making this pressie for my b-i-l.  His birthday was earlier in the month but I won;t see him until this weekend.  I asked my sis what he would like and she said "sweeets" - so here they are!  The hobby case was from Home Bargains (where else!) and cost £2.99 I think. 

So this is the exciting bit, I found out that my cricut and my cuttlebug will both cut sticky back plastic.  I had a roll with sweeties on to cover the top of my ex-classroom storage unit and I've now found a way to use up the off-cuts.  The letters are cut from the cricut (Opposites attract cart) the sweeties from Celebrations Cart. 

I've covered the inside too

And I've sealed the pretzel bags that the lovely Rusty sent me using Nesties labels. 

Hopefully he'll let me help him eat them - I love those toasted teacakes!

One for the boys

I love this digi stamp from little musings - because it reminds me of my nephews and also a photo I have of my son in a teepee in our garden - ok it was made with a tablecloth and 3 canes but that was good enough for him so it'll do me too.
The card is for my bil - Dad to said nephews.

image by little musings coloured with promarkers (another one coloured in our journey through Europe last month)
matting from stash
sentiment and card candy from Craftwork cards

I'd like to enter it into the following challenges
MSE - B's challenge (spurious I know but it is blue and has boys on it - that's the best I can manage)
Cards for men - Outdoors
DareU2DigiStamp - Anything Goes
StampChallenges - Birthday somethings
Stampin for the weekend - A card for a male

Get Well Soon!

My good pal Rusty from the MSE card forum has been in a great deal of pain recently and has, thankfully I think, been taken into hspital to try and help her a bit.  I've made this card to try and cheer her up using a freebie digi from "Meljens designs".  Life seems to have been throwing her a lot of lemons recently ;-)

The background papers are from basic grey - cupcake, the ribbon, flowers, sentiment and snaps from my stash.  I made my own ribbon slider using a nestie cut oval and some judicious slits with my craft knife.

Whilst I was in the middle of that my Mum called to say my Granny has been taken into hospital with a suspected stroke.  She was due to go on holiday tomorrow poor love  but hopefully they'll be able to get her back on her feet in time for her birthday party in July.
I couldn't resist using my new cricut cartridge - paisley - for this one.  I love Russian dolls - you'll be seeing many more of these on my creations!

Get well wishes to anyone else who needs them - I'm hoping I won't have to make any more get well cards for a long while.

WOYWW Compare and contrast

I had very good intentions last week (don't we all) and took my WOYWW pics but then never got time to blog them.  So this week I had a cunning plan.  I was forced offline for a couple of days due to a fault on my modem and decided to make good use of my time yesterday evening by tidying my desk so I could do a compare and contrast from one week to the next.  Sadly, I forgot that I needed to finish off some invitations today so you can't actually tell the difference.  Hey-ho - I know it was tidy yesterday and that's got to be worth something

Last Wednesday

This Wednesday

So on my desk today I have some (finally)  completed invitations for my Granny's 85th birthday party.  This is my first batch of invitations (and possibly my last) and I've learnt a lot of lessons on the way.

Lesson 1 - don't get stranded in Germany due to the Icelandic volcanic ash thus severely reducing the amount of time you have available.

Lesson 2 - Plan.  Even if you are short of time it's worth the effort - I think I was finally happy with my design around invitation 25 (of 27).

Lesson 3 - If you accept help from a 9year old boy, you will not have straight edges.  Get over it, it's not that important.

Lesson 4 - don't trust glue runners that you bought from a euro shop. 

Lesson 5 - it's worth saving those little pieces of paper - most of the matting on the invites is from off-cuts.

Anyway. they're done now - teabag cards because it's an afternoon tea party

The teapot stamp is from craftwork cards, the cakes cut from sweet treats cricut cartridge and all those teapots have been coloured in hand.

Better dash - I have envelopes to address, a birthday card (that's already late) to make, a get-well card to make, a house to tidy and a presentation to write before I go to bed. 

Completed Layout from Craft Den Scrapbooking Class

Before going on holiday I managed to make it to the Thursday night scrapbook class at the craft den.  I'd love to make the classes more often but struggle with childcare. 
Lynne came up with this design for us to work with.  If we'd have been at school I would have been in the remedial class, struggling with the pearl pens, messing up paper, etc etc but thanks to Lynne I came away with a nealy fnished page. (and a template for that lovely concertina butterfly.  The background paper is plain - we made the pattern using a doily and some tim holtz distress inks.  Will be trying that again just as soon as my inks arrive from the US.
I completed it today and it now has pride of place on my mantelpiece.  The only extra I've added is the heading - because I chickened out of journalling again.  It's taken from a Cosmo Cricket Strip-tease from the Gretl range.

The picture is of my darling boy aged about 3 and he's actually trying to catch a bubble.  I loved the Martha Stewart punch so much that I've asked my friend to buy me one from America.  The pearls on the swirls are made with a Viva Pearl Pen which would have been my favouritest thing n the workd if I hadn't just taken delivery of my cricut expression.

The trickiest type of card......

..........a card for a fellow card maker.

I've been down to visit my Granny over Easter.  It was lovely, we took her out for a couple of day trips, ate too much chocolate, lost &son for 45 minutes on Aldburgh beach (ok that wasn't fun - I was nearly frantic - he's decided to go and have a look around a classic car show whilst I turned my back to help Granny on to the prom with her 'walker').
Granny had proudly displayed the Mothers Day Card I'd made for my Mum to give to her and a card made by my Aunt for Mothers Day.  My Aunt is very talented but you know how sometimes, you can appreciate someones work but it's just not to your taste.
Like a fool, I offered to make a card for Granny to give t my Aunt on her upcoming birthday - I thought it would save her a trip to the shops but as soon as I got home I realised the enormity of the task ahead - Anyhow, I've tried to keep it true to my style and I'm sure she'll think it's very simple and won;t be able to tell that I've spent a whole evening fretting over it as it looks like it was thrown together.  Hey-ho, life's too short.

spotty paper - Crate Paper

Stamped image from Crafty Place Stash Swap,

Lettering - Bloom (Sizzix Sizzlets)

While I'm hear, I'll just quickly post the pics of some Easter baskets I made for the girls at work.  How cute are those bunnies.  Thanks Mr Cricut!

Ooh and some very exciting news, well I think so, I've just agreed to purchase my very own expression machine from a lady on ukscrappers.  Technically it's 3rd hand because she bought it from the marketplace herself but it comes with 10 cartridges.  I'd have only been able to afford 3 for the same money new.