Really is it that date already!!

It never ceases to amaze me how fast the year passes, half term! soon it will be easter.  I have been mainly keeping up with my decluttering, and Kathryn's invites have been done, although she decided that she wanted postcards printed, so I did that instead of making the invites!  It was strange as normally I would fiddle with something for days, but this time I has to design and didn't see it until they arrived.  But I was happy with them.

I have also started cutting for a quilt that I bought the pattern for at the craft fair at Westpoint from CrossPatch

It needs 1 jelly roll, but the one I want to use has been used a bit, so I used the same charm pack to cut 80 smaller blades which will leave me with enough jelly roll to do the rest.

It was also the anniversary of my Mums death this week, and I took the day off work.  I found I wanted to be occupied so decided to strip a footstool back to the webbing and reupholster. whilst it is not perfect it is better than it was!

Stripped back fabric horsehair and hessian and tightened the webbing

I sat outside in the sun for a coffee break!

Then re calico'd before adding fabric

and I managed to use the original fabric that I put on it when I did the class, Paul says it is more comfortable now!

Half term this week, lets see what I manage to fit in!

On dear I went shopping

My lovely fabric order arrived, so I am planning to dust my machine off at the weekend to start on the christmas stocking.

I was very weak and also ordered myself a stampin up tag punch, well I am making my sisters wedding invites and I think I need one!!

Work has been busy so I am 1day behind on the declutter tasks, but I don't think that is too bad!

I have seen some great ideas to help me keep on track, so plan to print out a few planners that will fit in my lovely Filofax, might even go mad and get them laminated!

Kathryn says she wanted black cupcakes, I think she was joking!

but actually these are quite cute!

Still sticking at it!

The decluttering has been going well, and I have kept on track, my Filofax is updated and I am ready to face the next week!

I have managed to create an envelope book, which I am quite  pleased with, I really like the way that the spine looks!  the papers are from a very old pad of paper called once upon a time and I created all the envelopes with the stampin up envelope punch board, so I was quite please to be using it!

the spine gives the book a nice look

This page reminded me of Beauty and the Beast!

The cover, both back and front I wanted to feel magic, after all this is a gift book, so in the envelope pockets I will be putting tags with gifts on them! When I have created the Tags I will post a picture!










I have ordered a range of Christmas fabric from Miss Tillys so won't be starting the stocking until this arrives!  I am working in Bristol for a couple of days this week, so not sure what crafting will be done in the evenings, but hoping to dust off my machine at the weekend and get a bit of stitching done!

Right off to check my to do list!

Deciding on 2 projects to have a play with..

To get me doing something creative I have decided to choose 2 projects to complete. The sewing project will be done by March and can be found here at quirkyhannah's blog, Hannah has been kind enough to give me the instructions.

I love the elf theme and have just the right fabric to go with the design!
















I am also keen to do some paper craft, and I thought that I may have a go at a little black book for my husband as a valentine, I have done this before, it's kind of an envelope book that you put little "promises" in each pocket, which I think is good fun, both thinking of what little surprises I can put in and actually creating it.

This will also make my play again with the Stampin Up envelope punch, which produces little envelopes of various sizes, that can then be used to create and envelope book.  If you are interested in buying one please let me know, as the Sale-a-bration is now on so there are some lovely extra's on offer!!   If I can I will post pictures of it as I go so you can see what I do with it!

Off to go and find some apropriate card stock and paper!

New Year again!

New year, new  start, I love the feeling I get each year that this will be better than the last.  it was certainly the case last year, and with this in mind I have set myself some new goals.  Most of them involve organisation in some form or another.

I am planning to read more blogs, rather than Pinterest, and I really hope to take part in some challenges this year, both for paper craft and stitching, having met some lovely people at the South West Stitchers group I feel inspired. It would be lovely to start blogging again, both how my goals are going and random wittering too!

I have signed up to home-storage-solutions-101 to see if I can get a handle on being more organised, and also headspace which encourages mindfulness at 10 minutes a day, as a way to help me get some more me time.

Of course early days, and I have fallen off the wagon so many times before, however having achieved other goals in my life having previously tumbled sometimes it is just about timing, something that did not work at one time works perfectly for you now.

See Yorkshire puddings, alway have been more like pancakes, but all of a sudden, possibly because I don't eat them any more........ perfect Pah!

Excellent workshop

We had a good day at our card workshop, and managed to complete the 20 cards within the day.  It was a challenge, but everyone rose to it!

This was one of my favourites, Very vanilla, Old olive and Real red cardstock with Oh holy night stamp and a bit of red embroidery thread to make it look like a notice.

This weekend I am starting to decorate the house and will be making cards with Karen, both for her and me!! 

Next week I have a party and will be using the envelope punch to make some boxes, which I am really looking forward to!!

Creating Christmas 1 card at a time!

I have been busy creating cards for my workshop on the 20 Dec and Rockbeare village Hall.  Here are a couple of things that I created as cards and also a little box from Pootles who has some fantastic idea's on her website, this time next year I hope to be in a position to do more and more of these boxes! very inspirational!!

This one is using the special season stamp with a bit of glitter glue because I can't help myself!

This is the fab little box by pootles was island indigo card stamped with the mosaic madness stamp and a sassy salutation!

and this one sassy salutation on costal cabana card in costal cabana ink and some bright buttons to create little decorations!

I know the C word is banned for another few weeks, but

My Friend Nona and I are making cards to sell, so my task was to stamp out and mat these lovely little circles, sadly they are no longer in the SU catalogue, but they are still great little embellishments.

And this is how they look, they are punched out and stamped in real red ink

This weekend is a very crafty weekend for me, I am at a crop on Saturday and looking forward to seeing Linda and talking stamping up and then on Sunday I am going to my crop where I will meet up with Kate and some of her friends who are new to scrapbooking and looking forward to making new friends!

I am looking forward to sharing with you what we have created and what our plans are for the next few weeks, including the plans for my December 1st workshop, 20 cards in 1 day.  I day crop at which I will show you how to make 20 cards using StampinUp products in the main, imagine you could get all your special cards done, hand made by your, even for the artistically challenged!!!!

Getting ready for my first Stampin Up demonstration

Today I committed to creating all the examples for my first workshop and deciding exactly what I was going to do, I have really struggles, as I find it hard to decide what techniques to show, as most of the people coming are not crafters but would like to have a go at making something, so I wanted it to be easy but effective, I also wanted to show the same stamp set and punch being used in different ways.

Here is what I decided on.

This one is using the mosaic madness stamps set an punch, very vanilla card stock, old olive card, and a very small bit of real red.   The Sassy Salutation stamp set, scallop border punch, with real red, old olive and pumpkin pie inks.  I also embossed the actual card and envelope back which I think looks very classy!!

The birthday card is again Mosaic Madness with the flame punched out with the co ordination punch, sassy salutation for the Happy Birthday and again Old Olive and very vanilla card stock. 

This one is the O Holy night stamp which I love, I have used Versamark to emboss on the very vanilla at the top of the card, and the early expresso and real red pens to colour the stamp, again stuck to very vanilla and old olive, with a small splash of real read as that is all I have!!  I have also done a tag using O Holy Night which I will post later.

I want to show in this class that you don't need a lot to start and there is lots that you can do with just a little, If you can only afford a couple of pens and one stamp now actually you can still make something, and it looks good!

Glitter

So, I was reading a blog last night that had a lovely card, with glitter card, but, amazingly, with the ridiculous amount of card stock that I have does not contain any glitter card, but what I do have is lots of glitter, I mean ridiculous amounts of glitter!!

So, how do I get around this I pondered.....I do believe that I have some heat and stick, you know

Stampin up heat and stick, Hmmmmm I thought, that could work, so I got out my Versa Mark ink pad and block inked some white card stock, then sprinkled on the heat and stick, heated with the heat gun, and sprinkled on the glitter heated to fix and hey presto, guess what I got

Glittery card, I really doesn't look great in the photo, but it is! and I am very pleased.

Stampin Up

I've only gone and Done it!  I have, become a Stampin up demonstrator!! looking forward to sharing my makes with you and hopefully inspiring you to come and have a go!
So kick back grab a coffee and I'll be back shortly with my first example !