Back Home, back crafting

Well Christmas is over, we arrived back from The Isle of Wight yesterday, we had a bad time before Christmas, Robert went into hospital with a chest infection, came home and both the girls and myself came down with the norovirus.
Anyway luckily we were all well to go away (only just), Christmas day was fun, the girls enjoyed opening all their pressies as did I (lots of crafting goodies and the Mamma Mia DVD!).
Today I have finally got around to crafting, I've been suffering withdrawal symptoms and have been itching to use some of my new goodies.
Two girly cards, Aimee has kindly let me use 2 of her new stamps which I have used watercolour pencils to colour in (a pressie), papers used and adhesive paper lace were also pressies, on the girl one I have also used a Tim Holtz mask flourish design (well I had to give it a try...another pressie BTW lol).
Anyway the girls are at home until next week, then we are having a carpet fitted in the lounge so I won't be able to get too much crafty stuff out from the cupboard.
I can't beleive tomorrow it will be 2009, my Mum reminded me this week I will be 45 next year and married 19 years Yikes!
Enjoy the celebrations tonight!
June x

Even more cards

Here are some more cards, need to scan some more when I have time, I am being pestered for the computer, fingers crossed in a few days we will have another computer connected to the internet, the wireless adapter is running but I have to network the computers Yikes...
The colours dont always scan so well and mirror card seems to come out looking funny.
The chocolate brown card is made using some of the goodies included in some fab blog candy I won on Amanda's blog I received some fab Stampin, Up stuff including some stamps, a fab chocolate ink pad, loads of ribbons, brads,card and paper. Amanda also sent me a Stampin' Up catalogue some lovely stuff (I need a big lottery win lol) .

Some Birthday Cards

Had some time to get some scanned, the girls are ready for school.
Used my new Cuttlebug embossing borders on quite a few of my cards.
I have packed a lot of my crafting stuff away as we have the Christmas Tree taking up room and I don;t get a lot of crafting done over Christmas anyway so I just grabbed a few bits and pieces from my stash put them in a bag and just went hell for leather making a batch of cards.
I am waiting for a corner rounder(one of the new pink ones) at the moment which my Mum has ordered from one of her local craft shops, hopefully it will arrive while I am on the Island, in the meantime to get a mat with rounded edges I used my Sizzix Jumbo Scallop Tag die and just cut the scalloped bit off the end and voila a perfectly rounded mat which is an ideal size of an A6 card.

I'm still here

We finally have a proper internet connection, I have been busy making cards...no more Christmas ones though just for Birthdays, the girls seem to have quite a few friends who have birthdays during the Christmas holidays (Aimee being one of them she will be 8 on 28th December).
I made some brownies and fairy cakes for the school Christmas fair but didn't stay long to help as I wasn't feeling very well.
Anyway on Friday morning Robert was taken to hospital so things have been more hectic than usual. Hopefully he will be home in a day or two.
If i get time I will try get a post or more done before Christmas.
The cards are finished (but not yet posted) the presents wrapped, not long to go now.

Some Fab Blog Candy

My internet connection is barely working (worse than dial up) so I haven't posted anything of my own but I must teel you about CraftyC (AKA Claire) who has some fab blog candy.
I have mentioned Claire before, she has sone really inspirational stuff on her blog and I am just a tad jealous of the lovely stamps she owns lol
Anyway pop over to her blog, leave a comment and a link on your blog to her candy. Just spread the word and good luck.
http://clairebsd.blogspot.com/

Cute Christmas Cards

I have been thinking Christmas is an age away, but looking at the diary I realised it's not!

I finally started Christmas shopping last week (not my favorite thing to do unless done online).

I asked Robert and the girls if they could let me know how many cards they want me to make for them as I just want to get the Christmas cards done and out of the way for another year.

I seem to have used a lot of printables this year, mainly from the Magic of Christmas CD at first but while browsing through blogs as I do almost daily, I found a link to a company called Cuddly Buddly Crafts(have put a link on my blog), not only do they make wonderful rubber stamps they have loads and loads of printables you can buy (and some freebies too!).

So I have got myself a couple of the downloadable kits (plus I have ordered a couple of rubber stamps for a certain little girl...shhh don't tell Aimee).

So starting last night while watching "Strictly" I have been making cards for the girls, lots of cute images and lovely colours, more contemporary than traditional.

Anyway here are some of them (I will put some more on later, it's just about time for lunch).

PS It was Crafty C's blog where I found Cuddly Buddly, thank you Claire.

(check out her blog if you already haven't shes one of my favorite cardmakers, certainly an inspiration for me, I am a tad jealous of all of those lovely rubber stamps she has though lol)

A Card for an Arsenal Fan

Another card for a classmate of Aimee (her partner in crime Titus lol). It is his birthday at the weekend, he is an Arsenal fan (not my team lol) so I decided it was time to do a card for a Gooner.

Used my trusty My Craft Studio software just used a tiny bit of gold mirror card to mat the sentiment and main image.

Now I will have to send a link to my old friend Shaune who is also a Gooner and see what she thinks.

A Card for an Old Soldier

Well he won't be that old only 49. This is for my cousin Clive who served in The Royal Hampshire Regiment, they are no more as they were merged with another regiment.

Clive is now retired from the Army but still does a lot of work with the old soldiers (he marched past the Cenotaph last for Rememberance Sunday).

I've used an image of the Regimental Cap Badge and the backing paper uses an image of the Tiger (also on the badge).

Hope he likes it.

Another card for an eight year old

I have done a few of these so far and I will have a lot more to do too. Aimee, my youngest always asks me to make a card for everyone one of her classmates.

Here is the latest, just bits from a C&C kit (great for quick cards) and Aimee's own foam letters from her big tub by craft planet she brought in the summer (the kid just seem to love seeing their own names on a card). Anyway she's off to Julia's party tomorrow.

Have a good weekend.

An 18th Birthday card

My niece Jade is 18 soon (where did the time go?).

I had to find out what sort of things she likes, being she is in Scotland and I haven't been her since 2002 I had to ask her Mum.

Anyway after playing around last night and some time spent trawling through google images, I decided to do a card themed around The Beatles, which is one of her favorite bands )along with Guns n Roses).

I did a Guns n Roses themed card for her 16th birthday so The Beatles it was.

Used My Craft Studio to make the backing paper and sentiment on the front.

Matted mirror card embossed using the cuttlebug divine swirls folder.

I hope she likes it.

Remember

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch;be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

More blog candy

Cathy has some fab blog candy to giveaway (2 lots) to celebrate getting over 10,000 hits on her blog. Here is the link http://ellieskeeperscreations.blogspot.com/2008/11/over-10000-hits-and-candy-on-offer.html

Good luck, and check out her blog while you are there she has csome lovely stuff.
Closes 10am 16th November.

Bandana Technique

I have been doing my usual blog browsing and have found quite a few creations that use the bandana technique. I did a bit of research and had a play, this is one of my first efforts.

I googled a few images of tradional bandana patterns to get some ideas, I expect I will be needing to replace my white gel pen soon as I really like the effect. I will try and get a card made in the next couple of days using the one shown here, I don't think it will need much on it.

Anyway for the second time this week the sewing machine calls....Robert needs another pair of jeans taken up (I've also altered a shirt for him as he doesnt like regular shirt collars but grandad style collars).

Have a good day

Some more blog candy

There have been quite a few generous crafters lately giving away some blog candy and guess what, I've found another.
Bev have some fab christmas blog candy including a lovely whiff of joy stamp
You can find the link here
http://bevscrafts.blogspot.com/2008/11/whiff-of-joy-blog-candy.html

Another wreath a different colour combo

I've gone for blues and silver for this one.
I will be making a lot more as I think our christmas tree needs new decorations lol
Happy fireworks night, hope everyones pets stay safe and happy.
June
PS Well done America :)

A Christmas Wreath

After doing the altered curtain rings last week I thought I would like to try doing one that looked like a christmas wreath. My biggest problem was how to do the greenery, I have a holly die but the leave would be too big, I thought I would have to do lots of tiny die cut leaves instead.
This morning I was doing my daily browse on my favorite blogs when I saw Dan had posted a template for holly leaves and a wreath..BINGO problem solved.
I saved the file, printed a page off at 50%. I used some silk printing paper that I got from C&C earlier this year. To colour the the leaves in I used a combination of ink pads, adirondack lettuce and versamagic dew drop in Ocean Depth, I blended the 2 together with a foam pad and 2 my suprise it looked ok.
I then cut out the leaves (while watching the crime and investigation channel).
I wrapped a curtain ring in gold organze ribbon and stick on the leaves using silcone glue (after shpaing them a little). When they dried I stuck on some small red dots for berries and then stuck tiny red gems on them, I finished the wreath with ribbon and some stickles to add a little sparkle.
So thanks goes once again to the marvellously talented Dan and of course Linda E whose blog gave me the inspiration to use the curtain rings.

Objet D'art Challenge

Jennie from Artistic Stamper has started a new challenge blog.
The first challenge is to make a piece of art from something from the kitchen.
Jennie herself has made a fab angel, the link to the blog is listed in my blog list.
I found a tea strainer that has been used just once (My Mum was visiting and had some weird chinese herbal tea).
I used my alcohol inks (messy fingers yet again).
The centre is card covered with a piece of fabric from my stash (leftover from a one of the skirts I made during the summer hols).
I've just beads, stone and ribbon from my stash, the lacy looking thing in the centre is actually a dolls house doily (My Mum used to be into dolls houses and gave me some bits she had leftover, I have some mini plates, cutlery and candles too that will get used one day lol).
It looks better hanging up but my camera doesnt take a great picture.
Thanks for the challenge Jennie.

A Crafting Journey: No Cards Allowed!

A Crafting Journey: No Cards Allowed!

From curtain rings to Christmas tree decorations

I seem to spend quite a lot of time on the computer browsing through crafting blogs, you go from one and it leads to another.

Today I was browsing through Linda's blog and found something she had done a while ago altering curtain rings and making them into Christmas tree decorations. Robert has a huge bacg of them with I don't know how many spares, so he dug out the bag for me and I took out half a dozen to have a play.

I have covered the rings with alcohol inks, I got very messy fingers as it is impossible to ink the inner part of the rings with the applicator tool to I just held the felt in my fingers.

I then went through my stask of chipboard from a Christmas kit I got on QVC in the summer holidays and found one that was the perfect size, I used it as a template and cut around different card and stuck them on the back of the rings with some silcone glue (I used one of the chipboard shapes too), once the glue was dry I added more chipboard shapes, some ribbon and voila some quick, cheap tree decorations.

I thought I might have a play when I have time and try and make a wreath effect, probably using due cut leaves...watch this space
See post above for link to Lindas original post and Linda thank you for the inspiration.

Happy Halloween

My two little witches :D

My first slider card

I spent quite a long time this morning wondering what to do, I settled for a silder card. my first one.

I've lost my crafting mojo and found it hard to do this card, not sure if its quite right, well it works anyway lol.

The colour hasnt come out quite right the embossed card is more of a pink colour, I have tried to tweak it the best I could, thought it looks a bit shabby chic.
Paper is Papermania retro floral flower stickers were free with a magazine sentiment sticker from C&C.

I think I have spent far too much time on my own this week, with the girls away and Robert out during the day I have a lot more time on my own.

Anyway the girls are back tomorrow, the sweets are ready in a bowl for the trick or treaters tonight, I've done a few creepy die cuts to decorate the door and window with and I have found the halloween scary sounds CD.

PS I have also added my you tube videos to my blog one of Robert mucking about on his bass and one of Aimee singing, I am hoping to get Kathryn doing a turn but shes shy lol

A day up in Town

As the girls are away with my parents this week, I decided to take myself off into Town, I don't go very often as it's full of tourists, expensive and I've seen everything. But I decided it was time I visted the one and only craft shop in West London, Blade Rubber Stamps.

It was easy to find, not far from Holborn Tube Station. On 2 floors its an Alladins cave for Rubber Stampers, just a shame I don;t have an enless supply of money lol. My girls would have loved it, Kathryn (the 11 year old) for the huge range of peel offs, Aimee for the stamps,ink pads and alcohol inks.

I thoroughly recommended a visit if you are ever in Central London and its walking distance from Covent Garden.

I also visited The Bead shop in Covent Garden, a place I used to visit quite often when I made jewellery about 15 years ago, they have moved but stilla fab place, got some little charms for 10p each to use on cards.

I wandered by foot to Soho and found an Art shop called Cowling & Wilcox, a fab place for card, got myself some pearlised vellum for 30p a sheet and they had a sale on canvases so I got 2 4 x 6 " deep edged canvases for 81p each! I am going to decorate them for the girls as a Christmas present. They do the usual A1 sheets of card & paper and they also do large sheets of Mirror card, the prices I thought were pretty good, about the same as what I pay in my local art shop. If you are in the area pop in anyway theya re at 26-28 Broadwick St Soho W1f 8HX.

I had to have a walk thought Chinatown, just for old times sake, as a child I had psorasis on my fingernails and had to go to St Johns Hospital for Dieases of The Skin in Lisle Street about every 6 weeks, it is right in the Chinatown and always reminds me of visits with my Nan and Grandad as it was always one of them that took me. The building is still there looking very grubby.

I went into a couple of shops in Chinatown, the prices aren't so good as they used to be. The biggest shock was the fact that the Chinese eat all you can Buffets around the area seem to have put chips on the menu.

Anyway I took a picture, mainly for the girls of the HSBC bank in Gerrards St, as well as the bank sign being in Chinese you can also see the parking signs in Chinese too.

I couldnt go into central London without a vist to Cybercandy, a sweetie lovers hoy, full of goodies from all over the world, American & Japanese sweet being a speciality, the shop was packed, the girls got to see me on the instore webcam and I came out witha few goodies.

Anyway today is the last day I have alone as the girls come home tomorrow, they are having a fab time being spoilt by Grandma and Grandad, including a visit to Stonehenge which they both thought was cool.

I am hoping I can get some crafting done today.

Happy Halloween

June

Artistic Stamper Blog Candy

Jennie from Artistic has been so generous yet again and has some more blog candy on offer, I love the barbed wire twill tape, I've had some Twill tape before from Jennie and I can promise you its fab stuff.
Just click on my link that will take you straight to her blog.
Good Luck

Check out here for more blog candy!

So many generous crafters out there this one has a super Whiff of joy stamp plus other goodies go and check out Rach's blog here http://papercraftsbyrach.blogspot.com/2008/10/my-whiff-of-joy-candy-give-away.html

Blog Candy Giveaway by Julie

Julie is celebrating becoming a Stampin' Up Demonstrator in the UK by giving away some fab blog candy just click here.
http://scrapping-away.blogspot.com/2008/10/blog-candy-will-post-worldwide.html
Good luck

Another Vintage Christmas card and an apology

I haven't done much cardmaking this week, even thought I have Christmas cards to do plus I need to do a few birthday cards and I also like to have a few around if sometone suddenly remembers a birthday or needs a thank you card.
So this morning while the girls are getting ready for school I thought I would get a card made. I made 1, then started another then at just gone 8 my Husband Robert tells me I haven't done his lunch...OOH NO.
I make the bread rolls for this lunch the day before and just part bake them, then the next morning I get them in the oven to finish off when I have done the girls instead I was selfish and did some cardmaking instead and Robert has gone off today with no lunch so sorry Robert I apologise for not doing your lunch.
Anyway here is the card I did , the other one isnt quite finished, again I have used my Magic of Christmas CD plus some other paper I had printed off.
I have put a little glitter on the reindeer which is built up as faux chipboard again.
So here it is the result of forgetting Robert's lunch and the reason why I shouldn;t stay up past 11 o clock.

A Vintage Christmas Card

This is the first vintage style Christmas card I made using my Magic of Christmas CD.
I've used to ribbon from my stash to finish it off, thought it went well with the vinatge style. I was hoping to get some more scanned but my scanner is having a bad day.

A Ruby Anniversary Card

For Mum and Dad. I have again done something totally new to me. I have recently got myself a compass cutter and after some practice have got the hang of it. So I can now make my own circle apeture cards.
I've used my Magic of Christmas CD to make the papers, it's not just for Christmas as you can add your own images and do all sorts of things with them, I've used a some victorian clip art roses from my growing collection of clip art and made backing papers with it, I reduced the opacity to give a softer look (saves ink too...well I'm thinking of the credit crunch lol).
I made the dangling 40 topper using my compass cutter and some mirror card, I thought it looked alittle like a road sign so I have added tiny hearts lol.
Anyway I hope they like it, going to post it today as Thursday is their big day.
Sorry the images arent as clear as they usually are but I wanted to take pictures rather than scan them to get some idea of the effect.

A vintage Christmas card with faux chipboard

I have kindly asked Aimee if I could use my own computer for 5 minutes while I scan another card and post to my blog (oh what a cheek I have lol).
Anyway I've scanned the card I've put the faux chipboard on, its a vintage look, the backing papers are (I think) Papermania vintage Christmas. The image is from my Magic of Christmas CD as is the embellishment which I have layered to make the faux chipboard and added a brad in the middle and eyelets (as is on the printed image) and added some ribbon which matched the edge.
Any comments would be grateful as I'm not huge on Christmas cards and working with printed images is a new thing to me.
Please be honest
June

Another birthday card

For an 8 year old , one of Aimee's classmates. Nothing complaicated just a bit of patterned paper a couple of mats, die cut football and number and finished with a sentiment.
I have made some more Christmas cards today, but being the weekend Aimee is hogging the computer playing Club Penguin every minute she can so on Monday I will start scanning them as I've been playing with my Magic of Christmas, its all been quite new for me and I will be glad of comments. I used one of the printable embellishments on the CD and made faux chipboard, added a brad, some eyelets and ribbon and I am quite pleased with the result, watch this space lol
PS
Come on England
Come on Scotland

An engagement card

My Cousin's daughter has just got engaged so I had to do a card (my first engagement card). I've kept it simple, just die cut hearts on a metallic mesh background. Card has been finished with some organza ribbon and a peel off. I have used a brilliance dew drop ink pad (platinum) around the edges of the card and the hearts.
Congratulations to Victoria and Lee.

A birthday card for a Celtic Fan

My Sister in Law is a big Celtic Fan so I decided to make her a footie birthday card.
The background I made myself using the My Craft Studio Software on my Magic of Christmas Cd that came yesterday(I've ajested it so its a little opaque), I can add any jpeg image and make my own backgrounds so it's not just for Christmas.
Matted and layered with some black and silver card and finished with some green ribbon and a die cut sentiment, all I have to do is create an appropriate insert.

Leaf Pocket

A chilly day here again in West London my youngest has a long weekend (2 days of teacher training) and today is our crafting day.
I have taken part in Hels Pocket challenge again this week, Hels theme.....a leaf.
So here it is, I've stuck to Autumnal colours, Terracotta, butterscotch and lettuce adirondack pads with a touch of vintage photo distress ink pad.
Ive finished with some raffia a couple of brads and a chipboard circle so you can actually close the pocket.
I only had 1 leaf stamp but I think I did ok.
Have a good weekend.

Mr Spook and his Big Busk

Mr Spook (aka Robert) went to London on Saturday to take part in the Cultural Olympiad. He took part in the Big Busk outside The Royal Festival Hall which was lead by The baird of Barking Billy Bragg.
He had lots of fun the weather was fab and a good time was had by all, Among the tunes they played was Billy's New England (there are videos on You tube).
ANyway after some searching this morning I found a couple of pictures of him
So here is one (from the back) hes the one on the far right with no hair in both pictures.
Hes out at the moment and doesnt know I found them, I've put one of the pictures on the computer desktop to suprise him when he gets home.

Don't Worry Bee Happy

Another challenge I have decided to take part in, The Sunday Stampers challenge set again by Hels, her theme this week is bees.
A little difficult for me as I dont have a bee stamp, I did have a go at doing a sketch of a bee but it was too big and didnt look right on the house so I did a little doodle bee.
Here it is anyway...off to try and clean the ink off my fingers (butterscotch and terracotta).

My Little Big Girl

Started in Juniors, shes enjoying being back at school as she missed her friends.
She has lots more homework now but its not at the weekend which is good for us , especially as we go swimming every Saturday morning.
Here she is :)

My Big Girl

I know its a little late but I suppose it should mention my oldest daughter Kathryn who started Secondary school earlier this month.
She has settled in well, is getting used to lugging a heavy bag of books around and doing a lot more homework.
She's enjoying school dinners (she loves the salad bar) has made lots of new friends and looks so grown up in her uniform.
And here are the pictures :)

My first Pocket

I have joined in with Hel's pocket challenge this week, my first one.
Hel's theme was watches, easy for me as I have the Artistic Stampers Watch stamps from the last workshop at Ally Pally (where I met Hel's who was doing her first workshop).
I've gone blue and stuck a bit of silver on too (I embossed the watch front).
It's a long time since I used my heat gun, it was smelling like burning dust lol
Hopefully I will be joining in with some more challenges as I find them fun and of course challenging...Thanks Hels :)

Oriental Papercuts

I started to rumage through my craft stash after getting back from holidays and as always find things I forgot I had (I bet I am not the only crafter that does that! lol)
I have had a pack of chinese papercuts for at least 2 years and never used them before. Not something to use with the windows open on a windy day!
I used pergamano spray adhesive as the paper cuts are so delicate. I have also used some papermania oriental borders to keep with the theme and finished with a die cut sentiment and some ribbon.

A different type of house

And a template I have designed myself, it may need a little tweaking but I decided to try a lighthouse.
Aimee (age 7) likes it anyway lol.

Anniversary Card

Monday is our wedding anniversary, 18 years. I've checked and its our Porcelain anniversary lol
Here is the card I have made for Robert, I hope he likes it.
I've used the papermania secret garden paper and stamps. The owls have been colours in with watercolour pencils.

Christmas Card for a good cause

My first christmas card of the year on my blog, I have made quite a few so far with the kit I got from QVC (the one with the scrapbook and mini books and loads of chipabord and other goodies).
This one will be going next week off to Wightcat Crafts on the Isle of Wight, they are running a competition and the cards are all going to The Local British Heart Foundation shop to be sold.
Christmas cards aren't my most favorite things, I do find them very limiting and I cant get in the christmas mood.

Secret Garden House

After going swimming this morning I came home to some post, some rubber stamps from Mum. I wanted to get these while on holiday but they didn;t have them in the shop so Mum picked them up yesterday and posted them to me. They are the Papermania Secret Garden stamps. I had one more house to do for a swap so I decided to use my new stamps, here is the result.
Both of my girls wanted it so I will have to go and make one for each of them now.

Cards from a workshop

Spending 4 week on the Isle of Wight this summer, my Mum booked me in again to a workshop at Wightcat Crafts in Newport.
I had lots of fun with plenty of stash to play with and the best thing of all, Mindy also bought along her cuttlebug. I could have quite happily played all day if I could.
Anyway here are the cards I made.
If you are ever on the Isle of Wight I recommend you pay a visit to Wightcat crafts and if you can try a workshop they have a website too, I will add a link)