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. 

Button Necklaces

 I've finally knuckled down and got those button necklaces completed - one for my cousins 18th which wa sSaturday and one for my Mum for Mothers Day

Aimee's card and necklace

Background Paper - Basic Grey Blush
Numbers cut from coredinations gemstones
Ribbon and charm from stash

I made the gift box as well using my costco paper

Mum's necklace was made more for the colours she already has in her wardrobe

Again the paper for the box was from Costco

And her Mothers day card -

background paper Crate Paper Blue Sky

Letters cut from coredinations gemstones and embossed with daisies on the cuttlebug.

Ribbon and card candy flower from stash

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!

Christmas Catch Up Part 2 - Shadow Frames & Clocks

I'm glad I waited to blog these because at the time I was just too frazzled to enjoy it.  I gave myself too much to do and kept beating myself up about 'not being as organised as last year'.  It was nearly Christmas before it clicked that 'last year' I'd been signed off sick for most of December so had plenty of time to do lots of crafty things.  It's not so easy when you're working late, taking kids to Christmas parties etc etc etc.  Some of these went to the wire - I was up at 2 in the morning on Christmas eve finishing off one of the clocks but, in hindsight, they seem to have been worth the effort.

I bought the kits from home bargains (where else?) a while ago and they were ridiculously cheap.  From memory the clock ones were £3.99  and the plain shadow boxes were £1.99.  They came with paper, etc but I used my stash instead

First up - for my sister Jane.
this uses Crate Paper 'lil sprout

This one was for Mum and Dad using a mini-kit that my lovely friend Emma G gave me containing the letters, ribbon and bling.  The background paper is by Cosmo Cricket.  The bling by basic grey.

Next up, my other sister, Ruth's clock - she's moved to Germany now so she'll have this in her new flat as reminder of her darling nephew

The polka dot paper  and charm came with the box on this one, The other paper is MME - Bloom & Grow

And finally

A picture of my godson for his Mum, my best friend from Uni.  Crate paper again but Orbit range this time.

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.

Oh no! Not another pocket card

These poscket cards are "all the rage" over on the MSE cards forum so I thought I'd have a go with a slight twist. I wanted to say thanks to my friend Emma for letting me 'look after' her cricut for her whilst she was on holiday and also for buying me some embossing folders for my cuttlebug whilst she was out there. So I've made a thank you pocket card but instead of putting the inner card in I've done her a few embossed pieces of card and card blanks (as she doesn't have cuttlebug). Papers are basic grey - Infuse;Spice (foreground) and purify (background. Lettters are also basic grey - sugared.

Thanks to Crafts by Carolyn for the template.

The other card is a goodbye card for a colleague who is leaving work to start a phd - one of those tricky male cards but I think its ok. Main paper is Crate Paper; Static-Reaction

It's done! (and only just in time)

Mum and Dad are travelling down to Granny's tomorrow so I had to finish the album tonight. Her's the final 3 pages

Fisrt up is my favourite of them all - it's photos of me and my sisters when we were little. Photos from this era seem to be a bit thin on the ground. The papers are so beautiful that I really didn't want to do too much to them in case I spoiled them. They're from Cosmo Cricket; Gretel. The background paper is called Butterflies, the frames 'Woodland'. Lettering from Basig Grey - sugared.

Secondly 'Mum'

The first photo is from Granny and Grandad's 40th wedding anniversary celebration in 1998. The second one is of the family on holiday with Grandads trusty Standar 8 car by the side. Papers are by Crate Paper. Went a bit wild with the embossing on this one - have just treated myself to a cuttlebug as an early birthday present and embossing everything in sight!

Last one - 'Great Granny'. Photos of my Granny nowadays are few and far between - she's really not keen on having them taken but I managed to find 3 photos that between them have pictures of all 3 of her great- grandsons. Paper by Chatterbox: Paper Walls. Background paper is called Pebble Stripe, Frames are cut from 'Sunny Pinwheels.

I've posted the album in its entirety on my 'pics only' blog here

Assessing Deliverables

Had my project management hat on this weekend First I assessed the current situation;

My album has 15 leaves, I have 5 completed layouts.

Then the available resource;

Mum and Dad are going to Granny's on Friday so I have to have it ready and wrapped by Thursday evening. So 1 weekend and 1 full evening available.

I realised if I was going to try and get all that done this scrapbooking business might not be so much fun!

So I've decided to remove 5 leaves from the album. Leaving 5 layouts to do.

Here's 2 from yesterday / today. Am going to try and get at least one other done this evening.

Guess who bought some card candy today! Popped into the craft den looking for some papers suitable for retro seaside pics but had no luck. Still it was worth the visit. I'll deffo be back for some more colours now I've tried them.

First up - the betrothed page - not 100% happy with the wording as it's merging into the background but it will just have to do. The first picture is of Granny and Grandad when they were engaged. The second is when they went on holday before they were married and had to take Granny's Granny and brother as chaperones. Papers from my Costco collection.

Secondly; Family;

Was going to put a picture of Granny and her Mum at Mum's wedding on this page then decided it would be nicer to have the whole family group. Paper by Crate Paper: Sweet Branch Collection - Flutter. Card candy by Craftwork Cards from the Craft Den.

2 down - 10 to go!

Another layout of my Granny. This one was taken when she was pregnant with My Mum so was probably 1948. I struggled with this one a little as I wasn't quite sure what to do for the wording. I nearly went for 'with-child' as it seemed more like something I would imagine they would say in the forties. I was going to go with something along the 'blossoming, blooming lines but that seemed a bit too informal. Then 'mother-to-be' but that seemed a bit over formal. so I plumped for mum to be - Isn't if funny how the simplest part of your layout can take so long to sort out!

A mix of papers on this one. The background paper is by KI memories: Choices Collection - Posh One word. The frame and cut-outs are by Crate Paper; Baby Bee Collection - Pollen. The cream card used for the lettering and baby stickers are from my stash and the ribbon is from Craftastic in hillsborough, Sheffield. You'll have seen it before in blue on some of my baby cards.

Help! I've gone all girly!

2 girly cards in one night. Thanks again to OAP's stash swap, I seem to have got a bit carried away with the pink.

The first card is my entry to the MSE 'sketch challenge' - thanks Flourgirl!.

I've used some pearlescent pink paper and paper lace from OAP's stash and some of the Crate Paper that I nought from 3 Jolly crafters in their Bank Holiday sale. I've never used crate paper before but am very impressed with the quality. The floral paper is called 'Rain'. The dotty one 'cloud' They're both from the blue hill collection - wish I'd bought more!

The second card is similar to the fathers day one I made but I though I'd try and see whether it worked hinged the other way - and it does. This one's going to go in the craft box at work.