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.