Wedding gift

I was asked by my mother in law if I would mind making her a wedding card for my late father in laws god daughters wedding this weekend. Obviously I had to think about it ....not!!
I wanted this card to be a little bit special so I first decided to make one of my favourite makes ..... A card and gift bag. I so love to make cards with bags. I think it makes the card more of a gift. I want worried about the card size and I think from memory it ended up being 6" x 10" I just kind of went with the flow and what felt right. The roses I made using my silhouette machine and the leaves were from a mcs sheet of cut out flowers and leaves. I think the colours I chose were very suited to a spring wedding, although with all this rain it doesn't feel much like spring. I have inserted a vellum leaf inside protecting the insert.
Anyway I hope you like my wedding make as much as I enjoyed making it.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Forgotten materials

Just watched a stampendous show in create and craft and thought I would venture into my treasures that I do not often use. So so nice to see Fran using embossing powders to make backing papers and it really gave me the oomph to create some for myself. I've really had some great fun using materials that I don't often use and will certainly be keeping them all at the forefront of my crafting goodies.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Amy

Another 8 x 8 card today I'm afraid. I seem to go in fits and starts with card sizes and this week it's a very definite 8 x 8 week. I think I choose this size just because of the fun I have making the 8 x 8 gift bags for them. I know I could pop the card into an 8 " envelope but I think the bags make the card size more if a gift.

This one is for our niece Amy. The stamped image is a personal impressions stamp and if course the colouring was done with pro markers. Flowers were cut in my Cricut and sentiment tag was punched with border and ribbon punches and ribbon threaded through. Sentiment was done using my xyron machine. Not used much but when it is used the result is good. The gift bag once made up is simply dressed with similar embellishments to that if the card. X


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tia's quintessential birthday card

Just popping in with today's card I just made. I used the new quintessential set from my craft studio to make this one. Die cuts from same pack and I added mulberry roses and plenty if pretty ribbon. Thought an easel card might be nice to use for a 21st !


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Forward planning

Well it's looking promising that we shall be moving soon to Peterborough !! So I decided to make a planning book. I have made a pocket for each room of the new house which I will hopefully be able to work on more later today. In the meantime this is the front cover .. All made up from off cuts and remnants. I really don't use my bind it all enough .. But will be now as I am very pleased with results do far. Shall add more pictures later when I've worked in inside.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Silhouette rhinestones

I've had my silhouette SD for around a year now and still learning something new every time I use it. I also use like thousands if others out there, sure cuts a lot software. On the sure cuts a lot software there is an option to use rhinestones. This is a function I've always wanted to use but never really had the time. So yesterday whilst watching crafting in TV, the presenter was showing 6 small sheets of rhinestone embellishments for around £10.99 plus postage. Not a bad price but that's £10.99 I could allocate to maybe cardstock. So yesterday became my make your own rhinestone embellishment day. I've used a 7inch square card and all papers used are from a 6x6 paperstack. I've got a mountain of 6x6 paoerstacks that I tend to use for try out projects. The wire flower was made on a flower loom and the rhinestone function is something that I can recommend and will definitely be using on a regular basis.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Mums birthday

My parents seem to have a thing about poppies. So I decided mums birthday card this year must incorporate some poppies. I used a 6 x 6 inch card blank cut to size and a k & co 6 x 6 paper stack for the backing paper. Silhouette has the pleasure of taking the glory for the poppies and ruffled flower and again silhouette was used for the happy birthday mum greeting plate - both the cut and the greeting from silhouette. Tim Holtz card stock was used for the poppies and ruffled paper and I inked the edges of the poppies to make them more realistic. The envelope was using all my scraps .. Things I cut and then not used for intended purpose and leftovers all go into a box around a foot square !! I throw away nothing ... It all gets used somewhere.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Mother in laws ... Mothers day

Found a branch of The Range yesterday purely by accident and ventured in and was amazed by the (excuse the pun) range of crafting goodies.  I found this wonderful cute little girl with satchel stamp which I decided would make a cute mothers day card.  I also ventured into the 8 x 8 Kraftcard card blanks and used a couple of 6 x 6 backing papers from a free 6 x 6 paper stack that I had got with a crafting magazine some time ago.  The flowers and hat pin I felt blended in well with the choice of ribbon and choice of colours from the inks I had used to age the edges of the image plate.   


My mother in law thought I had spent quite some time making this card but in actual fact the card took no time at all.

Birthday collection

Decided the other day to try and get ahead (unlike me) and sort  out my sisters card and present for her forthcoming birthday.  I Wanted to do something a little off key to my normal makes so decided to make a bracelet, gift bag and card with envelope as a set.


I don't normally make such small cards but decided I would on this occasion as it was to be part of a set.

Lori Whitaker gift bag

Cute Tag card

Bracelet

My card has been made using a 5 inch square white card blank, I used an ornate silhouette cut as the backing plate and cut a slightly smaller square in a contrasting colour. I then used a slightly smaller square of a subtle coloured backing paper as the last layer.  I cut two triangles, one the same colour as the middle piece of my matting and layering and one slightly smaller in a contrasting backing paper. I mounted the triangles once pieced together using double sided tape along the two outside edges.  Using my silhouette I cut some leaves varying in sizes and shape and coloured them in using promarkers.  I then placed some paper roses on the leaves.  Next I cut a 3 inch scallop circle and placed a 2.75 inch circle of white cardstock on top which I used to stamp my image on.  I coloured my image using promarkers and punched a hole in the top and threaded a nice piece of ribbon through and tied a bow.  I placed this tag into the triangular pocket on the front of the card.  Card done !!  Next I found myself a lovely little intricate lace envelope type thingy and cut this to fit my card.  I cut the envelope in dark shimmery brown paper and laced it with cream 5mm ribbon.  Unfortunately I did not photograph the envelope :-(


So onto my sisters gift... I sat here the other morning and realized I hadn't made any jewellery for some time.  So I made myself a nice little bracelet in gold and turquoise and after decided that my sister would perhaps like a silver one.  I think the photo is self explanatory so I won't bore you with my ingredients and method.


So onto the gift bag  ... I once again used one on my favourite silhouette cuts from the amazing Lori Whitaker.  If you haven't checked Lori out, then you really should.


When you open the bag the inside has been designed to lift up when the flap is opened.  I think this is a real cute little gift set and I hope my sister adores it as much as I adored making it. 

Dipping my toe into another crafting location

Well I've not blogged for some time as you can see and feel guilty about it every day.  We all make promises and I promised to update my blog everyday and failed!!

I suppose we can all say we lead busy lifes and work strange hours, I know both apply to me, however, time out is so so important. 

So where am I at right now??  Well at the moment I'm in France where I have been since 16th January taking care of my son who chefs at Restaurant Umia under the world famous pastry chef and Mr Chocolate himself Monsieur Frederic Bau.  

My son decided on 15th January to go for a 25km cycle ride on the ViaRhona cycle route near to where he lives.  He's bought a new bike on the Tuesday and looked forward to his ride out.  2-3 Km before the end of his cycle and I do point out at this time the purpose of the cycle trip was he was going off to see Valence Cathedral; he crashed!!  Over the handlebars he went and broke both his arms and gravel rashed the right side of his face and shoulder quite severely.  I had text him earlier in the day like I normally do on a Sunday to say text me when you want me to call.  He text me around 1pm and said can you phone me tonight please.  So I thought he'd gone off with work friends to do something.  I text him straight back and said "enjoy your day and I'll call you later"  Later came and still no text from him so I text him again and said "are you OK?"

He phoned me straight away and said actually I'm not OK I'm been at the hospital all afternoon and I have two broken arms.  Within ten minutes of the phone call my flight was booked and I had called my boss to say what was happening and explained I was unsure how long I'd be away.

My husband and I arrived the next day and had to evaluate our findings.  It was agreed that I would stay until my son was well again and that my husband would return to the UK a few days later.


I have been here ever since and fortunately bought some form of crafting with me.


I had started a cross stitch about 18 months ago... and not got very far!!  I don't normally do cross stitching so being here was a chance for me to get on with it ... no door bell, no phone ringing, just me and the cross stitch and the occasional stop to help my son.  I started with a bookmark cross stitch which I had put in the same bag without knowing and finished it within a couple of hours.  I really enjoyed doing it more than I let on.  My husband and my son said "oh no, not another craft."  So then I was ready for the one I started all that time ago.  


I started it but only worked on it in the evenings as I knew it had to last me.  Before I knew it I had finished it and was now tapping my fingers as I had nothing else to do.  


So I looked up craft shops in France !! MMMmmm Don't the French craft???


I ended up in Lyon for the day just window shopping and by sheer chance found a craft shop in the shopping mall called Loisir Creatif.  I looked around but had to consider I only had hand luggage space.  I found crafts in there that lots of you already do and know about but I had always dismissed.  So when I go home I'm going to try Decopatch and mosaic 
I did end up buying another cross stitch which fortunately was in their chuck out bin.  I paid 4 euros and it was marked up as 25 euros... result eh!!
So that's where I'm at ... cross stitching my little heart out.  


I will carry on cross stitching when I get home and I already have the threads that I purchased online being sent for my return.  I also bought some aida from Loisir Creatif in Lyon and I bought an amazing magazine/ book from the Intermarche supermarket.... so my next three projects regarding cross stitch are already lined up.


I have also used my time to research where I want my cardmaking and scrapbooking to go next.


I bought a sewing machine before I came away so I've got a couple of projects already on the go.  




Anyhow I'll try ... yes try to blog more now but for the time being here's the cross stitching projects 

Book Mark came first just to see if I still
had the patience for cross stitch

The bear that I started so so long ago 

Really enjoyed stitching this one.  Faye Whittakers
Quiet moments collection