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.