Baby Owl...

 ...for Baby Boy card.

I love this owl punch from Stampin' Up.  I was commissioned to make a baby boy card for a friend (that's not scribble on the name plate, I just blanked it out a bit).  The lace border punch is also from Stampin Up, ooh and the pearls! I can't stop using them!

Busy busy busy...

...thats what I've been!

Making bits and bobs to sell at a couple of Christmas events coming up soon!

Just had to share these pics of my cutie girl with lots of felt butterfly clips in her hair! Can't believe she stayed still long enough for me to get them in AND take a picture!

Pretty Pegs...

...just because...

they're useful AND they're pretty!

Create your own picture collage

Creations for Scrap Revolution

These were the other two creations for 

click on the pictures for more info and tutorials 

Pretty in Pink...

I couldn't resist this very pretty paper pad from Scrap Revolution, click on picture to take you to their website.

The paper is so detailed that I only used a little bit for each card. I think I'll have made four cards out of one sheet of 6x6! 

Used an embossing folder on the butterfly below.

Layout for Scrap Revolution

Here is a little teaser of the layout I did for Scrap Revolution.

Click on the picture to see detail

Made this...

...for a friend's parents, for their anniversary.

Sorry I've not been blogging  much of late.  Been having lots of busy days with the school holidays and doing some classes.  I don't know if you remember, but a while ago I was choosen to be a guest designer for Scrap Revolution.  I had a lovely package of paper, buttons, lace, chipboard letters and card stock sent to me last month.  So I have also been busy working on three items that will soon be revealed on their blog.

A little bit of shabbiness...

Wanted to make a birthday card for a friend, thought I'd raid my long neglected non Stampin Up stash to make something sweet and shabby for her.

Ingredients:
Paper Doily, Prima Flowers, K&Co paper, Martha Stewart Leaf and Butterfly Punch, Leone Em Fern punch, Fiskars threading water punch.

Summer days...

Had a busy few days with the children off school.  Had an "Open House" on Wednesday, where lots of children and mums came through the house to play and chat.  I find that the day goes so much quicker and peaceably when my children have some friends over to play.

I've been playing with more Stampin Up stuff and made a few cards, to see more click here.

If you would like to know how you could boost your stash for less, turn your hobby into a career or earn a little bit extra sharing what you love, please have a look here.

Just a few cards...

Been playing with Stampin Up products, here are some of the cards I have made recently.  I am enjoying the challenge of using a slightly limited selection of products, and also creating cards that I have to be able to break down and show people how to make.  Please have a look at my other blog >Artful Stampin< for more info on how I made them.

My Stampin Up Starter Kit arrived!

My lovely Starter Kit arrived on Tuesday, I just had to capture the moment, so here are some pictures...

I swapped some of the recommended stamp sets for ones that I thought would be more useful for me, and also choose some different coloured ink pads.  The kit is fantastic value for money even if you wanted to save money on some crafty goodies.  Click here for more info on how to get it.

Initial thoughts about some of the products.

My first reaction to the Very Vanilla card stock was that it is to light weight for making a card base.  After a discussion with my fab upline Claire, she explained that the Very Vanilla and Whisper White card was for stamping on and then sticking onto the coloured card. I have to admit the stamped images on that card looks superb.  Apparently if you like to colour with Copics the colours do not bleed as they sometimes do with other card. 

Here is one of the card's we'll be making at classes this month

Stamps

Greenhouse Garden and Baby Blossoms

Card

Very Vanilla and Basic Black

Inks

Basic Black

Regal Rose

Ribbon

Very Vanilla Satin 

It's up!

I've been working on my new blog for about a week, and I think it's just about ready to reveal!

Please take a look and let me know if there are any glitches, typo's or general grammatical errors!

I'm going to be offer a one time only offer if you purchase anything from me this month, watch out on the new blog for more info!

Click here to go to it! Thanks for looking.

Waiting and sorting...

Well, it's been a busy few days in my head and home!

I've been thinking of what my approach and ethos to selling Stampin Up products will be and how I will share my passion of crafting with others.  Had a few late nights thinking and sorting through craft things I don't use, and trying to be strict with myself. More listings have gone up on ebay, and been showing piles of papers to anyone interested in buying.

Made this card the other day, it's a special commission for someone so I can't say more than that!

Look what happened

when some friends came round!  We had a bit of a crafty session and I practised my demo skills on them!

Used some of the lush seam binding ribbon from Stampin Up.

Exciting times...

There has been lots of sorting and parting with craft items I simply don't use any more, lots of things being listed on ebay.  It's all in a bid to make some space and clear my head for...

Being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator!

I have just sent off my application form, after days, no weeks, actually months of thinking about it.

After using some of their products and drooling over their catalogue I genuinely think that they make high quality products that appeal to all sorts of tastes in paper crafting.  

Please watch this space as I start this new adventure .  I endeavour to be very honest about the process, and how I balance family life with running a business. 

TO DO LIST

Send off Stampin' Up Application Form done 3/6/11

Text friends who may be interested in a party of workshop  done 3/6/11

Sort out more craft items to sell

List more stuff on ebay

Make card commission

Make Mum's b'day card and pressie

Create Facebook group 

Work on new blog

It's good to be back...

...selling on Ebay!

A few years ago I used to sell a lot of my hand-crafted toppers on ebay.  Been wanting to get back into it for a while, as I have a lot of products to use up and have bought some lovely new tools recently.

Here are some toppers I have just listed (if you would like to bid please click on each of the photos).

Stampin Up! Jewellery!

Last Monday I had a Stampin Up! Party at my house.  The lovely Claire came and demo'd a lovely basket "make and take" and made kits with enough to make two cards for some of my friends who had signed up to doing a mini workshop.  This was great as some of them aren't "crafters" at home, but enjoy doing it when they can.

I ordered the Butterflies die and the Baby Blossoms set from the Spring supplement, and because my friends and my sis had placed orders I earned a lovely stamp set and a circles die and a butterfly stamp!  Recently I bought some shrink plastic from Craft Obsessions, my son and I had played with it in the week to make a keyring charm.  So this morning I made these earrings. I coloured in the butterfly image with Derwent watercolour pencils, shrunk it and put matched them with these amethyst beads.

Made this last week.

Less is More - Embossing

I've been wanting to play along over at Less is More for a while now, I've used Rubber Stamp Tapestry and Laura Ashley peg stamps and embossed the sentiment.  Have to confess I stamped a couple of butterflies under the sentiment, one was not quite right so I had to rethink!

DCM - The Darling Bugs of May!

Was commissioned to do a Christening card, and it just so happens I looked at the DCM challenge this week and Lynda writes

The Darlin' BUGS of May

I'd like to see some BUGS eg ladybirds, bees, spiders, caterpillars, butterflies, dragonflies - it would be lovely to see them taking centre stage on your card or be used as a lovely embellishment but I won't accept them if they're just printed onto your backing papers as that wouldn't be a challenge at all!

So I did as she said!  The butterflies on this card were stamped then I cut them out.  To see the creations of the DCM team click HERE

SALT - A Time for Everything

It was my turn to set the challenge on Salt this week.  I choose the theme of Time, and as so often is the case, it was a very timely theme.  As a team we have decided to stop the challenges over at Salt for now, however we will be keeping the blog on-line to continue being an inspiration and encouragement for anyone who goes there.

You can read my thoughts HERE and see the other creations of the team.

I decided to decorate a canvas, and have the flowers flow from Spring, Summer, Autumn into Winter colours,

For the love of hexagons!

Having recently picked up crocheting again, I've been gaining much inspiration from some great websites out there.

Having started and not quite finished a granny square blanket for my son, I have been side tracked, completely distracted and have completely fallen in love with... the African Flower Pattern.  It creates a lovely hexagon that can be turned into blankets, scarves, bags and jackets.

I am using double knit acrylic wool and a size 4 hook.

This is my creation so far, not sure what it's going to be.  I imagine I'll keep adding to it when I'm not busy doing other projects.