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 

Mothers Day & Mum's Birthday

Mum's birthday always falls close to Mothers Day - there was one year I remember it being on the same day!  As someone who finds it difficult to think of one present to buy her I really struggle to find two! 
I thought things were going well this year because she dropped some "hints" - well when I say hints - she sent loads of links to ebay items as she wanted to increase her "Old Country Roses" china collection.  The more I spoke to her though, the more fearful I became of buying the wrong thing - there's so much to bear in mind - whether its a first or second, whether its vintage or the new stuff.  In the end, I couldn't take the stress o have said I'll give her some cash to buy what she really wants.
I had to give her something to open on her birthday though so I made this......I was supposed to be making something else to go in that box but realised too late that an essential component was missing.  It's on order now so I'm hoping it will arrive in time for mothers day now.

Thanks to Debbie for the tutorial on this card and box in one

Mum made me laugh - she carefully pinned her ribbon brooch on to her jumper but soon realised she had placed it somewhere inappropriate.  I said I'd have to make her another for the other one.

Papers are coredinations jewel and crate paper blue sky collection.  Cutesy owl from Craftwork cards coloured in with my trusty promarkers.

I can't post her mothers day card yet as she sometimes checks my blog but Mum did ask me to make a card for her to send to my Granny.  So here it is.........

 

You'll see a lot of those card candy flowers over the next few days - they're on all the cards I've made today and another I have in mind.  They're so simple to make - 5 candies right way up with one upside down in the middle.  I've placed a 'jewel' in the middle of this one but I think it looks better with a pearl - you;ll see once I can post the other cards!

The butterfly was my bragain of the day - from home bargains - where else?.  It cam in a box of 6 - wired, probably for easter bonnets I'd guess.  All 6 for 69p!

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.