Monday 11 August 2014

If only..............

Why is it that as you get older the time just runs away with you?  If only I had more time at the moment, I would be a very happy bunny.  Life has been just SO busy and we have had lots of visitors, my niece's wedding and my Mum being ill.  Now that those things have been and gone, we are into another chapter of busy times starting with a trip to Cornwall to visit friends and then on to Brighton to visit our son, future DIL and grandson.  The request I have had from all parties is to take my sewing machine with me!  For me that means my overlocker too as well as threads, various scissors, pins etc etc but I prefer to be totally prepared.  Apparently i will be making curtains and 2 bridesmaid dresses as well as shortening 3 dresses.  Oh well, no rest for the wicked!!
 
I promised a couple of photos of the wedding stationery I made and have included photos of other bits i also made for the wedding.  Enjoy!
 
 I always make stationery to the happy couple's colours and designs.  I prefer not to offer a standard format and this makes every set interesting.  My niece had 2 main specs., one was the colour (Cadbury purple) and the other was the shape of the invite.  I made a few prototypes and this is what they chose.

 I made this horseshoe for my 2 year old granddaughter to give to the bride.  The bride loved it.

 These are just 2 of the many flowers I made to decorate a card collection box for them. I added one to the horseshoe above too!

One of the cards I was asked to make for a family member to give them
.

Thursday 24 July 2014

I'm still here!

I'm sure anyone who looks at my blog (is there anyone?) will think that I have given up after 2 months of silence but no, I am still here, busier than ever these past couple of months but hopefully  things are calming down a little.
I have a niece getting married tomorrow and I have made her wedding stationery as well as altering two of the bridesmaid dresses that she bought online.  The adult dress was a pain as it arrived with a broken zip but now, one new zip, alterations under the arm, to the back, extra fabric put into the lining and the hem taken up, it finally fits!  I will post photos next week but here is one of the stationery.
I can't remember if I ever mentioned it but we have had a friend living with us for 6 month spells for the past 3 years while she spends the other 6 months of each year in Canada with a family that she used to live with before they emigrated.  She returned at the beginning of May and on the 4th of July we ventured to London to present her immigration papers which had to be delivered in person!!  Now we wait the 8 weeks or so until we hear if she can go to Canada on a permanent basis.  If they decline her then we will have to start the process of finding a home for her over here.  
 
For now thoughI will leave you with an array of some of the crafty things I have been creating.
A commissioned box card

 Both of these cards were done making use of My Digital Studio which is a Stampin Up digital program.
 Done for a Christening gift.
And of course, the end of year cards to accompany end of year matching gift boxes I made but forgot to photograph!

Tuesday 27 May 2014

If you want something done - ask a busy person!

I feel so bad that I have missed so much time in blogging but the title of today's post is explanation enough I think!  There has been birthdays, baby showers, baby arrivals, Christenings and a wedding coming up not to mention all the usual things that fill my life.  
The family has taken a lot more of my time recently as our middle daughter had her 3rd op for a pilonidal sinus removal which has left her with an 8" scar.  She is very uncomfortable still and I have been needing to take our grandson to school each morning as she is not yet able to sit and a bus journey would be pure torture. Shopping has also been long as she is so slow with walking but she has been glad to get out and about a bit, especially as her 3 children seem to have had boundless energy just when she could do without it.
  I am almost finished the wedding stationery for my niece and I have made several occasion word art gifts for new babies and one for a Christening gift.
 
 Photo: As promised, a photograph of a new project, not the best photograph though.
Boy version of baby birth details printed and framed.  
If you are interested the cost will be £10 which will include postage but not a frame!
You can choose your colours and extras (animals, stars, hearts, car, train etc.)
As I plan to sell these personalised to specific orders I thought I would make one up so that people could see the kind of things they could have.  I think every new baby in the family will now be getting one of these as I so love doing them.
We are off to see my brother in Germany next week and are looking forward to a week of rest and relaxation although I think my brother has other plans for us!
 

Friday 18 April 2014

Spring has sprung.

Don't you just love the Spring?  I feel so much better and have more energy when the sun shines more and the nights are lighter.  We have been decorating recently, well I should say my dearly beloved has been decorating while I have been masterminding the re vamp of our dining room.  Not that there's a lot you can do in there but I wanted to change pictures on the walls, move photographs and weed out those unwanted bits and pieces that seem to hang around.  I was also hoping to persuade the man to agree to changing our dining room table for an extending one so that we didn't have to have a huge full size table taking up a lot of room in there but apparently he's very attached to the table and won't even consider it.  I feel sure it has more to do with money (or the lack thereof) that has caused this attachment though.  Never mind, good job I like the table too!
I am loving finding the seeds sprouting and the bulbs appearing and am so thrilled that the lily of the valley is still thriving and about to blossom.  
While in the spring cleaning mode I decided to tidy up my craft space and make some cards rather than list ideas!!  
 
This one is a digital background that I made myself with one of the same flower printed out much larger then coloured and mounted.  The leaves are sponge inked on with a template I made myself with SCAL and cut on the Cricut.
 
I have been gathering lots of cutting files and thought I should use some so dug out this one that cut the card totally for me and all I needed to do was find suitable papers to put behind and add a sentiment.  

Hope you like them!
 

Sunday 6 April 2014

Winding down and speeding up.

What a week, I have been frantically trying to finish off some bits and pieces for craft fairs as Saturday will see my last for a while.  The last 3 I have done have netted my zero and in fact have cost me money so I am feeling a little disillusioned to say the least.  Christmas fairs in November and December are always great so I am sticking to them.  I have also been finishing wedding invitations for my niece who gets married in July.  I have made them as a wedding gift for them which has been a financial help to us  and them.  I am glad to say that they love them.  Now that those things are out of the way I can concentrate on catching up with the birthday cards on my ever growing list.  My aim is to get all of May, June, July and August cards made by the end of this month.  Now that I've looked at the list I see there are only 21 to make as most of May has been completed.  Of course there is a new baby due and a wedding so they will be extra and I have a couple of orders for special box cards.  Mm, maybe I should start now!
 I have made a few cards this week and two of them are now in envelopes and ready to post.  I love the jar card and have made another one that I have filled with hearts and added a tag saying 'sending love just for you'.



  

Friday 28 March 2014

A day in the life of......

I have had a really busy week and am feeling a bit tired this morning.  Yesterday was quite a day and it went like this
5am - Up, computer on, downstairs to make tea for me and my daughter, feed cats, put on kettle, empty and refill dishwasher, put on washer.
5.45-8am - take hubby a cup of tea and encourage him to get up, read emails, peek at Facebook, take my Scrabble turns, respond to emails, browse ebay for various bits, start work on tooth fairy pots letters and have a shower & dress.
8am - Go to our middle daughters (involves climbing up 6 flights of stairs to get to her flat) and I wait with the 2yr old & 4yr old while my husband takes her and 6yr old to his new school for his first day.  He has been home schooled for the past year and was so looking forward to going.  
8.45 am - leave daughters and return home.  Decide what dinner will be this evening and get mince out of freezer.  Make bed, empty washer and put clothes on airer.  Tidy in lounge.
10 am - make coffee then iron.  Put clothes away.  Go into loft to look for green material to make a Robin Hood costume for grandson for his Beavers weekend sleepover extravaganza.  
11.30 am - Prepare dinner for the evening, finish tooth fairy letters, make toppers for 30 tooth fairy pots, glue toppers on and print off letters.

 2.50 pm - Collect middle daughter and go to hospital for her appointment while hubby collects youngest granddaughter then goes to school to pick up 6 yr old, then to nursery to collect 4 yr old, then up to hospital to pick us up.
4.15 pm - make dinner for hungry hordes.  Dinner then tidy up and fill dishwasher. 
5.45 pm - Pile all into car and drop 6 yr old at Beavers, take daughter and 2 youngest children home, help get them ready for bed then all go to Beavers for a meeting regarding weekend sleepover.  Take them all back home and return home myself.
8.15 pm - Home and empty dishwasher and refill.  Put wash load on and make a cuppa.  Get ready for bed and catch up with Holby City.  
9.15 pm - Tidy up and put cats to bed then fall into bed at 10.30 pm (early for me).
No wonder I felt tired when I got up at 5 am this morning!

Friday 21 March 2014

I must catch up, I must catch up!

My mantra for this week is 'I must catch up'.  I have failed a lot of our March birthday family members this year and have had to send belated cards to them, a first for me.  As soon as I have completed the mountain of jobs that are already in the process of being done I am determined to get ahead and make all the family cards to take me through to August!
Our eldest granddaughter in Australia, Katarina, is turning 13 next week and the card is sitting on our table waiting to post.  I took inspiration from something I spotted when searching for belated cards ideas but have no idea where I saw it.  It seemed to fit the bill for her perfectly as she is an owl and Harry Potter lover.  I hope the originators don't mind my using their idea.
Well today is the third Saturday in a row that I have done a craft fair and I am about to get myself into gear and set off.  One more next weekend then a week off before the last for a few weeks.  I will need to restock after that, crumbs I'll never catch up!!!!!

Thursday 20 March 2014

I need more hours in a day, does anyone have any spare?

I have been so busy that I haven't had time to spare to post on here.  The days seem to be getting busier and I seem to be trying to fit in more and more.  I have always been an early riser and still get up around 5.15 am but I was having a couple of relaxing evenings in front of the TV while I caught up with a bit of knitting, not this week or last!  I have fitted in all the usual essentials of shopping, washing, loading and unloading the dishwasher etc plus I have visited my mum, taken a friend to the hospital for her check up, visited a potential school with my daughter for her boys, taken up the hems of 6 prs of trousers for someone, made bits and pieces for a craft fair, designed my niece's wedding invitations and printed them ready for assembly, taken a friend shopping and still managed to make these cards.  I have no idea how I fitted them in but maybe it was because I have missed a couple of family birthdays and needed to send them belated cards, hence the clocks.  At least I have some spare for the craft fair I am doing tomorrow.






Thursday 27 February 2014

Getting ready for craft fairs and birthdays.

Phew, it feels like I have been in a sweatshop all week and it's not because the central heating is on!  I have three craft fairs this month and the first is tomorrow so I have been combining making stuff to sell with birthday cards to send to small people.  The fun cards have been taking away the monotony of notepads etc!!  Here is the promised chick chocolate bar wrapper all done up and ready for sale.
And a look at those fun cards. 


Isn't this Knight just so gorgeous?  Couldn't resist using mirri card but oh it's such a devil to work with isn't it?   It marks so easily, wish someone would invent one that doesn't scratch so easily as well.

Monday 24 February 2014

Necessity is the mother of invention!

We have had a lovely week with our eldest son, his partner and our youngest grandson.  We took them all off to York and the Railway Museum and met up with two of my sister in laws, one of who bought the four little ones a ball each that lights up when it is bounced.  My goodness they have increased my fitness.  We found a quiet ramp and the four of them just spent their time rolling and throwing their balls down the ramp toward me while I ran after each ball and threw it back.  This went on for about 25 minutes so I got a good work out from it.  Here is a picture of the four youngest grandchildren having great fun bumping their way down our stairs.
I have 3 craft fairs booked for March and so the other week I decided I should check out my current stock levels and see what I needed or what I could improve on.  To my dismay I found a heap of chocolate bars that fortunately have a long date printed on (July) and as they won't survive until Christmas I thought I should find another purpose for them beside eating them!!  I therefore created  rabbit and chicken wrappers.  My friend saw them and immediately whisked them away, so I made another two as samples to gauge interest before I lurched headlong into mass production.  Another friend has whisked these off too so I decided that they might be a good seller after all and have now created several rabbits and today must start on the chickens!!  What do you think?

Wednesday 12 February 2014

A mountain of scraps.

I'm sure that I am not alone in being unable to get rid of all the beautiful papers and card remnants from projects.  I now have boxes and draws full of the stuff so I have decided that enough is enough and am clearing out the bits I think are too small and then aiming to use as many other bits in various projects.  Wonder how long this enthusiasm will last??????  I have managed to make 2 cards using up some fabulous Pink Petticoat designs, I really quite like them and might have to think of a few more!

Now I've looked at them again, I think the Pink one needs something else, a greeting maybe?  Oh well, back to the drawing board.

Monday 10 February 2014

All that in one little box?

I have been enthused by all the wonderful card in a box creations and so I thought I should just give it a go.  I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it as I am not really into waterfall cards and exploding boxes but now that I've made one there'll be no stopping me!  Hope you like it.

Sunday 9 February 2014

Where did January go?

I am feeling a little like I'm late for something, you know that feeling when you know you should be somewhere but won't be there on time?  Goodness knows why but that's how it is.  I have been busy and there have been so many things going on with the family, nothing major, just appointments, news, the usual kind of stuff just more of it!  Our gorgeous grandson Eli is 2 today and we are so looking forward to them visiting next week for a few days, then I will get another visit with him when I go down to Brighton to collect my husband who is shortly going to help with some work in one the coffee shops our son co owns.  We have a family gathering in Boroughbridge planned for next week too so it is going to be a great week with not a lot done at my craft desk!  I have been busy though and thought you might like to see more of my creations with cut its from Lettering Delights.  I have made them all as cards for the little ones in our family as we have so many and more arriving all the time.  The dog card is the one I made for Eli.  
We had some sad news this week too, a friend of ours has been diagnosed with bowel cancer.  We are planning a trip to Cornwall to visit him as soon as we are able.  Enjoy every moment, time is precious.