Busy Creating...

Hello friends

I am dashing around and creating like a mad thing this weekend but I wanted to stop by

and say hello, I'm still here!

One of the projects is June's Charity Kit.

Here is a sneak peek!

Rather excited about this month's kit as I've not done a kit like it before!

All will be revealed very soon...

Hope your weekend is going well...

and we want this sunshine to last please - the view from my cabin...

Mitchell and Bella - lazy wotsits! ;)

Take care friends.

Friday Die Day

Hello friends

Friday Die Day and this week I'm featuring
Decorative Fancy Diamond - it's very lovely!

The die set consists of three dies and the approximate measurements are as follows:

1: 1⅞ x 1⅞”
2: 3¼ x 3¼”
3: 4¼ x 5”

This is how they look cut/embossed.
It has a lovely Victorian regal look.

I've made a card this week.

I've used 6 x 6 Matting Basics A and B to create my card base -

red, ivory and patterned paper.

I then cut/embossed the largest diamond #3 (#1 is always the smallest die) and sliced in half!

I also did this with the die #2.

Inked the edges and rearranged differently for my card front.

Some little additions - Bitty Blossoms,

a small stamped banner sentiment and a key with twine.

Also attached the next sliced die cut and attached over the top.

All the other bits then added - the flowers, sentiment and key with twine.

Some close up pics.

Decorative Fancy Diamond is available on the website here,
arriving very soon!

Have a wonderful weekend - fingers crossed for more sunshine!
Take care friends.


 

A Day of Winners and Filming!

Hello friends

Today announcing two winners!
Drum rolls please...

Firstly the May Charity Kit winner.

Please take a look in your kits and see if you have number...

If you are the winner please email hope-chances@live.co.uk

and your prize of dies, stamps, adhesive and Village Candle will be sent straight out to you.

As always, huge thanks for the support with the Charity Kits -

June's kit is in progress :)

Second winner announcement today is for the pack of Celebra'tions papers.

And it is...

Nattyboots!

Congratulations - again, please drop me an email with your address details
and I will send them out to you.

Yesterday took some time out for a shopping trip and ended up at Ikea.
It turned out to be quite an eventful trip as Elliott and I were asked if we
could be filmed after testing out a new device - the Ikea Penna.
It's a tablet (an iPad really) and a clever pen where you tap the product labels
and it instantly uploads them to the tablet with all the details.
You can also design a room, get an idea of size etc - clever stuff.

Here we are chatting to the very nice cameraman who happened to come
from Gravesend so that meant I chatted for much longer!
Have you noticed how much taller Elliott is now?
The daily growth injections really work..I'm tempted to try a few!

Back to London work today...I want to be crafting and in my garden.

Take care friends and please stop by tomorrow for Friday Die Day.

Garden Crazy!

Hello friends

I've been spending more time in my tiny garden, amazing how 

much I can find to do in such a small space!

It's a little bit like having a newly decorated room, you keep having a look,

tweaking things and before you know it hours have gone by.

One thing I am hoping to achieve again is my clematis chair - this was the chair 

quite a few years ago, sadly when I changed the garden it went but ....

 I'm starting again!

The chair is more weathered but hopefully the clematis will cover that,

but it's got quite a lot of growing to do!!

One thing I'm hoping to eradicate is "furry plants"!

I adore my cats but they are horrors for newly planted pots.

It's normally Darcy!

So not much crafting just gardening but sharing a flowery project from a while back...

A card and coordinating gift box (Square Petal Top Box), 

Foliage, Jar Labels and Jewel Flowers and Flourishes.

The papers are My Mind's Eye...quite an old collection so still racking my brains!

 And you may have noticed the gift box is slightly misshaped...

thanks to another cat of mine Imogen - 

each time I staged the photo she knocked it to the ground!

Here she is stalking her 'prey'!!

Take care friends, hope your week is going well.

Lovely Dad and a Giveaway!

Hello friends

A scrapbook page today featuring my lovely Dad.

This photo was taken on a holiday in Wales a few years ago.

As always I try to make the photo the main feature of my page and because it's a page

about my Dad I kept it less fussy (no flowers!) and adopted a geometrical theme.

The dies used are Classic Hearts and Address Book.

The papers are Fancy Pants - As You Wish.

Talking of papers...the Spellbinders papers - I've been checking out distributors

and not having much joy but I'm onto it!

In between I have a pack of Celebra'tions Prints to give away.

24 sheets 12" x 12" (two sheets per patterned paper) in 12 different patterns 
that can be used for many occasions,
not just for scrapbooking, also useful for cards and mixed media projects.

Just leave a comment on today's post and a winner will be picked out next week.

Take care friends.

Enjoying the long weekend...

Hello friends

Just stopping in to say hello.  

I've been taking advantage of not travelling this weekend and doing lots of jobs, 

mainly gardening between the rain showers!

It's a little garden but it seems to generate quite a lot of work.

New plants but it took a long time to dig out the roots of the old plants,

used a crowbar in the end!

I haven't had a lot of time to craft but wanted to mention that I will

be tracking down the Spellbinders papers.

I will be back soon - hoping you are all enjoying your long weekend too.

Take care friends.

Bright and Summery!

Hello friends

 

A bright Summery scrapbook page today...bit of a risk posting this on a

Bank Holiday weekend, we rarely get bright summery weather for those!

The papers are Spellbinders - yes Spellbinders have papers, they also have lovely cardstock

and don't forget the inks that match too.

The background is from Celebra'tions Prints.

Because the background is fairly busy, I didn't need to add a great deal.

The photo is Mitchell, I've added typed journalling and a few circles and stars (Stars Five) -

my favourite shapes for pages/cards for boys/men.

The lettering is yellow although looks a little gold in some photos.

 

After my really successful day at A Maze of Memories last weekend,

I've been invited back for two dates in October - please see the tour page on

the website. Some other dates and venues have been added...

also more coming!

 

Take care friends.

 

Friday Die Day

Hello friends
It's Friday Die Day and this week I'm featuring Romantic Vines. 
This is one of the Spellbinders Victorian Garden die sets
and the approximate measurements are:

 Vine 1: 1 x 2”
Vine 2: 1⅝ x 2¾”
Vine 3: 2½ x 2½”
Vine 4: 2½ x 4”
 

This is how they look cut/embossed.

I've chosen to make 2 mini cards this week.

Kraft card base with matted green cardstock using 6 x 6 Matting Basics A.

Onto a slightly smaller square (6 x 6 Matting Basics B) I stamped a sentiment

across the bottom (Lawn Fawn - Scripty Sayings)

and positioned one of the vine die templates.

I cut to create an aperture and placed 3D Foam Squares on the reverse.

The card is finished with a simple single flower (Marisa's Bouquet) and a pearl.

A close up pic.

For my second mini card, again a stamped sentiment to the bottom.

The largest vine adhered and again, a single flower added.

Easy to make and brilliant for perhaps a batch of invitations, thank you cards.

Romantic Vines is available to pre-order here and arriving soon!

 

Thank you for all the lovely comments yesterday,

no real progress as yet with Elliott and his transfer to an open sided MRI aside from

we are back at the Royal Marsden on 1 June for a CT scan, hoping we hear more then.

 

Have a great weekend everyone, I am hoping to craft and garden -

not at the same time!

 

Take care friends.

 

Bow Simple!

Hello friends

A clean and simple card today.

This card has also appeared in this month's edition of Cardmaking and Papercraft

Magazine in the Question and Answer section asking ...

"Is there a quick and easy way to make paper bows for my cards?"

Again, I did smile to myself because I'm just now a 'bow person'!

The magazine asked me to feature a Stampin' Up bow punch ...hence the bow!

I happily combined this with Spellbinders Grommet Tags and

Cabbage Rose M-Bossabilities folder to make a crisp clean card.

The papers are Anna Griffin - Lovely Layers.

How is your week going?
I sort of had a day off yesterday, I say sort of because I spent a few hours ironing
whilst having my lounge carpet cleaned!
Until the carpet dries fully we are relegated to our bedrooms - boys do not mind,
they live in their bedrooms anyway.  Bella is confused although not really objecting
to the bedroom...

And a pile of furniture one end of the lounge is a fantastic cat activity climbing frame!
Still, it will be nice to have a pristine carpet!

Two years ago today Elliott was admitted to King's for his brain surgery.
So much has changed in two years (although not the t-shirt - that's a favourite!!)

You never imagine something like this happening to your child and when it does
it is like being hit by a bulldozer.  Thankfully the situation has been made easier by friends,
especially all my blog friends who take the time to comment, message me and more -
I can never say thank you enough.

Please stop by tomorrow - Friday Die Day!
Take care friends.

How to make a mini pocket album

Hello friends

How about a cute mini pocket album?

I created this one for the Scrapbook Adhesives Blog and there is a full tutorial here.

Also a space to leave comments too...if you like of course :)

You can see in this picture I've used Pretty Petals D to make an aperture in one 

of the pockets. 

All of this is made so simple by using the Scrapbook Adhesives products,

if you haven't tried them then please do, I'm sure you'll be impressed.

Another close up picture.

The papers are particularly sweet and are Kaisercraft - Bow and Arrow.

As mentioned, stop by the Scrapbook Adhesives blog for all 

the instructions and measurements to create those easy inner pockets.

I love mini albums, they make such nice gifts and keepsakes.

Take care friends - happy crafting.

Are you the Winner??

Hello friends

As promised, today I'm announcing the winner from my

Spellbinders Ambassador Blog Hop post.

And it is....

MRS B!

 Congratulations!  Please email through your address and your goody bag of 

Spellbinders dies will be on their way to you!

hope-chances@live.co.uk

Other news:

All the Charity Kits have now been posted so they should be arriving with you soon,

have fun making them and thanks again for purchasing.

This month I'm in Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine in the Q and A 

section talking about double stamping.

Now those of you who know me...know I'm not a stamper!

Nonetheless I took on the challenge and here is my card.

 Notice that Sprigs make an appearance...never going to tire of this die!

I made sure I stamped the lighter colour first, waited until it was dry and then the 

black slightly offset over the top.  The stamp is from Woodware - Scripted Thank You.

I like the effect so I think I may be challenging myself a few more times with this technique.

Take care friends - hope you are all having a good start to your week.

A Brilliant Day!

Hello friends

Today I'm talking about my brilliant day in Buckinghamshire on Saturday.

I visited A Maze of Memories and was blown away by so many crafters who
turned up for the demo in the morning, apparently at one point over 40!

That's a lot crowding around my demo table.

I did my usual amount of nattering...loads!
Everyone looks enrapt here...I wonder what I was saying...!?

Along with my nattering there was tea, yummy cake and the lovely Christina who

owns the store also provided lunch for Mum and I...thank you so much.

The store has a large class area and also a well stocked shop.

In the afternoon I stayed on to teach a class for 16 crafters, we squeezed in three

projects, I think I worked everyone fairly hard but they all said how much they enjoyed it!

Here is everyone busily crafting and Mum at the back helping out.

And here's me!

A lot of the dies were popular but this one really sparked some interest..
Cozy Cottage.

It may have something to do with just up the road from the shop is 

the lovely village of Long Crendon and it's definitely chocolate box -
lots of thatched cottages just like the die!

A lot of scrapbooking goes on in a A Maze of Memories so I was asked to
take along some of my scrapbook layouts, pleased to say I took quite a few
featuring Bella!  Oh and some of the boys too... :)

Be sure to check out Christina's blog here - there are a lot more photos of the day.

Charity Kit update - all completely sold out, a lucky customer grabbed the last
one off the website this morning.
THANK YOU so much everyone, I'm already planning next month's!

Take care friends.