Have you got the winning ticket??

Hello friends

As promised announcing the winning ticket today and it is....

please check your August Charity Kit and if you have 257

please email hope-chances@live.co.uk with your address details.

The prize is a goodie box of dies, stamps, adhesives and more!

Today's craft project is a predominantly white card with a touch of pastel.

Starting with a pale pink base, combining A2 Matting Basics A with impressabilities 

(Flowers) creates the pretty background.  

The central feature is Exquisite Circles and the butterfly centre is Les Papillions.

The bottom edge of the card is created with Classic Ric Rac.

Sometimes mixing shapes does work!

I should mention that more pre-loved dies have been uploaded to the website,

it is always worth stopping by now and again to check what is new :)

Take care friends - roast dinner day!

The C Word!

Hello friends

Today's post is a little late being published...helps if I press that 

schedule button! 

It's a Christmas card - I got told off on Facebook for mentioning Christmas 

but in the crafting industry we do work months ahead and I'm happy

to talk about Christmas any time of the year - I love it!

I've gone for navy blue and white card and used 

2013 Holiday Trees (available here) -
I wanted a sort of pine tree forest look.

Adding a few crystal gemstones and my favourite - a tag and twine,

job done!

LoraineC - wishing your son well in his skydive - how brave!

Take care friends - have a great weekend and stop by tomorrow...

announcing August's Charity Kit winning number.

Friday Die Day

Hello friends

Another favourite FDD revisited today featuring a window die -
this is Window Two but works perfectly with other window dies including
Window One and Window Four.
The size of the die is 2½ x 3⅝” and this is how it looks cut/embossed.

Tags are definitely back! 

I've covered one of the Ranger Manila Tags (currently on sale on the website here)

with pretty paper and inked the edges.

On the reverse side of the window I've placed a further shaped piece of patterned paper.

The view from the front.

Added a little stamped tag with twine.  Love how the window opens.

Tiny champagne pearls make great window knobs!

Attached to the tag with a little lace threaded through.

some tiny flowers and leaves and finished.

The shop re-opens tomorrow after its little summer break.
Have a wonderful weekend, hoping for August weather please not this rainy stuff!

Take care friends.
 

Dove of Peace Tag

Hello friends

A tag today featuring one of the new Christmas dies - Dove of Peace.

I created a simple design as my hope is to make lots for my Christmas parcels

and keeping it speedy is pretty important when you are rushing around 

doing everything else at Christmas :)

I teamed the beautiful Dove of Peace with my absolute favourite Christmas die - 

Layered Poinsettia - I never tire of making these gorgeous flowers. 

Please feel free to check out the Christmas dies on the website,

(just in case you are organised and starting your projects early). 

Elliott has designed a new festive banner for the site too, that was in between 

celebrating his birthday which seems to have run into days!

Here he is with a glass of champagne and a subtle badge....

And some cupcakes featuring cats....

I confess I didn't make them! 

Have a great day, take care friends.

Tags on Frames

Hello friends

Today's crafty project is a set of decorated frames.

The feature on each frame is a decorated tag - 

if I can find a way to put a tag onto something I will! 

I've then added Les Papillion and tiny flowers and gemstones.

It is all fairly neutral colours but works well in my kitchen :)

I've hit the ground running returning from Coventry, so apologies 

a speedy blog post today but back tomorrow.

Take care friends.

Tuesday Tip/Technique

Hello friends

I hope you all had a great Bank Holiday.
We are back from Coventry and today further celebrations for
Elliott's birthday - the whole family coming over for a dinner tonight.

Today's tip/technique is using rub-ons with your Grand Calibur and die cuts. 
Do you have a stock of them languishing in a box/drawer somewhere?
Do you have a surplus of the lolly sticks that come with them??

Here is a different idea to apply your rub-ons.

Position your desired design onto cardstock.

As opposed to using the traditional lolly stick to transfer the image, create your

cutting sandwich for the Grand Calibur with a piece of extra card for a shim.

Run it through the machine and your image will transfer,

you can then use your patterned card to die cut hearts and more.

Easy peasy and I personally think a lot quicker.
I have noticed that rub-on quality varies from company to company
so have a rummage through yours to find the best ones.

Take care friends and thank you for stopping by each time.

Lucky Me and Bank Holiday Sale!

Hello friends

Just before I went away a parcel arrived in the post for me and what a treat!

The lovely people at Filofax have sent me a brand new A5 organiser.

(I think they've heard the rumours about how many notes/lists I write!)

I own an iPhone and I have apps galore but there is nothing quite like writing a diary note
and making a list with a pen and paper.

Even better is when you can tick them off as jobs done! 

So despite technology I don't think you can beat the age old tradition of 

writing a diary and keeping an appointment book and this Filofax certainly provides

plenty of space to write!

Once I'm home I intend to show you more of my lovely new Filofax combined with
some craft ideas... we are still in Coventry and Elliott is having a
brilliant time at the gaming convention.

I also should let you know that there is a bit of a Bank Holiday sale on the website...

All Spellbinders Media Mixage is included in the sale so check out the
dies, bezels, blanks, metals, hatpins, texture plates and more!

Hope you all having a fun Bank Holiday Monday - what are you up to?

Bunting Galore!

Hello friends

Thank you for all your kind comments regarding my Dad yesterday,
I'm pleased to say he is home now, he will need rest as he has sustained a nasty head injury
but he will mend and I'm sure within no time will be down in his workshop making
wonderful woodworking projects!

(Lacelady - so relieved to hear your daughter and others are okay after their crash!)

Today a scrapbook page featuring my family - this time me, Mitchell and Bella
get a look in...not just Elliott!
A really simple page - again using up all those paper scraps with a lot of bunting.
I've used Nested Pennants to create the four strings of flags.
(Don't forget even if I haven't got the Spellbinders die you would like in stock
I am always happy order it for you).

I also like to mix up fonts on a scrapbook page for an interesting look.

 

This weekend I am driving Elliott up to Coventry for another gaming convention,

(goodness I'm a glutton for punishment!)

It may also have something to do with the fact that it is his birthday :)

The event is called ....

 

 

Very apt!

 

I will have a couple of days to roam around Coventry while he sits playing games.

I've already looked up some craft shops to visit and I thought I may take a

trip to the cinema too.  I'm sure a few photos will pop up on Facebook.

 

Mitchell is on hand at home to keep a check on Bella, kittens, website and more!

 

Other news....

over the last week or so the new Spellbinders Design Team was announced and for those

that messaged to ask what was happening with me... 

I continue to work for Spellbinders and will have exciting details to share with you all soon!

(I'm sitting on my typing fingers as I cannot say more just yet!)

 

Take care friends, enjoy your Bank Holiday weekend.

Friday Die Day

Hello friends

Did I mention things are a little out of sync at the moment?
That may be a little understatement, apologies if blog posts are little erratic only
I'm doing a bit of rushing around - my poor Dad had an accident
on his bicycle and is currently in hospital, he should be home soon.

Today's Friday Die Day is a revisit to Radiant Rectangles but this idea works
perfectly with Nobel Rectangles.

You receive 7 die templates with this set and what a wonderful, intricate, beautiful set it is.

These are Majestic Element dies and you have so many options - use the border/label

dies alone or place the very pretty inset into the middle and more. 

This is how they look cut/embossed.

So what do we have here??  It's not a tag!

It is a little memo peg wallet.  

I've used the largest die cut, scored three times to make a wallet.

And this is something different - I've used washi tape to cover some mini pegs.

I am stocking a new pretty design of washi tape in the shop here.

Use a further die cut folded to house the pegs.



Here is the inside of the wallet, I chose to place the darker pink die cut inside just for decoration

and stick down the peg holder.

A side view so you can see how the pegs are placed inside.

And the decorated front using the final die cuts, a brad and some ribbon.

The pegs inside can be used for keeping together notes, receipts or maybe...
bills (yuk!).

Take care friends, have a lovely weekend.

The Smiling Boy...again!

Hello friends

Time to share another scrapbook page with you featuring my 

smiling boy....I've lost count how many scrapbook pages have photos of Elliott!

Again, this one uses the free papers provided with this month's Scrapbook Magazine

and I've gone for a very layered geometrical layout.

The frame is created with Classic Rectangles but the Matting Basics dies also work.

The bottom right detail includes another frame and Classic Hearts.

A simple layout and also made easier by typing journalling and cutting into strips -

perfect if you do not like your own handwriting on layouts!

I haven't forgotten about possibly doing scrapbooking kits,

this will be happening soon!

Take care friends - have a great Thursday! (I'm back to City job).

Altered Heart

Hello friends

Yesterday a project of mine appeared on Scrapbook Adhesives blog,
an altered heart, I like creating these projects!
All the details are here including step by step photographs.
Please feel free to pop over and have a nose and leave a comment if
you wouldn't mind :)

The photo in the Keepsake Envelope is of my lovely niece Rachel and 

centre stage is the impressive Create A Sunflower.

I chose to layer up patterned paper and hessian to add texture.

As mentioned, I do enjoy these projects using wooden items to alter,
there is some smaller classic shaped hearts available here
and now also available is the blank wooden frames to purchase on their own -
these are the ones used in this month's charity kit.
They are portrait style and with a pre-drilled hole.

I do hope you are all having a good week, it is turning chilly at nights here,
surely Summer cannot be over just yet??

Take care friends.

Home :)

Hello friends

Arrived home yesterday to a very happy Bella and still lively kittens.

I apologise in advance - this is a photo heavy blog post!

As I mentioned Gamescom is huge, this is just one of the halls

with the boys walking down it, the screens are gigantic!

And this is what geeky boys do....(and yes this mum did too!) 

 When all that gaming is over we rewarded ourselves with cocktails...

We fitted in some sightseeing...

this is one of the bridges in Cologne where couples place a padlock and throw the

key into The Rhine (I know they do this in Paris too) such a nice idea although we were

told the bridge is collapsing under the weight so occasionally they have to cut a lot of the 

padlocks off! 

 We found our way to the Lindt Chocolate Museum - well, silly to miss that.

An incredible chocolate fountain and yes we sampled the chocolate..quite a lot of it 

truth be told (diet starts soon!)

And we did some shopping - yes a C&A 

(my very first job was in C&A so it was nice to see one again).

 Across the road from our rather plush hotel (this is the view from the lift lobby)

was a music festival going on, lots of different food and drink stands.

I contemplated whether one of these would be a suitable wine glass for home!

 And then we discovered chimney cakes, a dough rolled and wound onto a sort of wooden

mould/rolling pin and cooked over a fire. 

They are then dipped in a choice of sugar, nuts, seeds, cinnamon - and delicious!

So I think that is enough photos if you've reached this far :)

Suffice to say it was a brilliant trip.

A little announcement now...

Please still feel free to order from the website and any enquiries do not hestitate

to email hope-chances@live.co.uk

Tuesday Tip/Technique will be back next week, 

this jaunt to Germany has thrown me out of sync a little! 

Take care friends.

Door, Holly and Germany!

Hello friends

If you are on Facebook you will have seen some of our travel photos so far.
Firstly huge thanks to Easy Jet who made our flight amazing,
allowing Elliott access to the flight deck, making a special announcement
and presenting him with gifts - a fantastic start to our trip.

We arrived safely in Germany and today we found our way to Gamescom,

for those of you without geeky sons, it a huge computer gaming convention.

Huge doesn't really cover it, imagine using every exhibition hall of the 

Birmingham NEC!  We walked about 5 halls today and there is 11 in total!

Think of my feet tomorrow!

Elliott (and Mitchell who has expertly mastered the Germany trams) are having 

the time of their life, liken it to us crafters having 11 exhibition halls of stash to explore.

I am managing to find some fun things too...!

And there is something crafty for you today -

I recently mentioned a Christmas card idea using Edwardian Door and Holly Wreath

(both available on the website).  

It was then mentioned to me that perhaps the sizing may not work,

well I like a challenge ...

This is the die cuts and yes the holly wreath does look quite large.

But chopped in half it makes a wonderful garland!

The bow included with the Holly Wreath also makes a lovely finishing touch.

Take care friends and I hope to be back soon, when wi-fi permits.