Make do..

Make do and ..use up your stash!  This is going to be my motto throughout the year.  I cannot afford to buy the latest papers or gadgets so this year I am going to use whatever it is I have to hand.  This card is no exception.  I had die cut these snowflakes for my daughter Suze from the Sizzix dies and using Payper Box double sided silver cardstock.  These have been displayed in the coffee shop along with a whole other host of decorations and now that they have been taken down I thought they were to good to throw away so, without further a do I used them with a simple mat and layer effect, ribbon and the SU stamp and tag punch with a bit of stitching and "hey presto", the cards are complete.  It's a good start for my Christmas 2012! x

A little Retro..

Well, today is my son's Birthday and this card is just for him.  It's not the best card that I have ever made but it is a card made with oodles of love.  Steve grew up watching Button Moon so I thought that I would give him something to reminisce over.
Circles are cut using Creative Memories circle cutters, hole punch to make the holes for the button. Mr Spoon and his rocket are cut free hand with the exception of the circle and that was using an SU punch, button moon was cut from the Sizzix playground dies.  I wonder...can you buy Button Moon DVD's?  x

New Years Eve 2011..

Well, it's New Year's Eve and it's a time of reflection...have you achieved what you set out at the beginning when you made your New Years resolution?  At the beginning of this year I set out with a word(s) to live by for the year..Living the Dream.  This was my vision for the year, to live my life to the full with crafting and one day to make a living at it.  Sadly, no matter how much time and effort I have put into this I feel that I have let myself, my family and freinds who have supported me throughout the year with this vision down. I am/have contemplated whether to continue crafting, while I love to create, I do find myself swamped out with so much crafting stuff and of course it all costs money and no where to store it except the lounge,  it bugs me that I have to clear away my creative efforts each time we eat or have guests.  The money aspect is hitting hard right now as with the New Year of 2012  fast approaching and my daughters wedding heading nearer I have to focus on exactly what I can realistically achieve with the little time and money that I have at my disposal. My daughters wedding plans will be stepping up at a pace now and as we are having the reception in my Mother's barn there is a lot of work to do.  You can follow the progress of this miracle that we will perform on my blog. While I continue to contemplate my plans for 2012 I just wanted to wish you all a Happy New Year! x

December Daily, Day 31..

Well, its the last day of the December Daily and today's entry is of  my niece's 21st Birthday card. All cardstock is from Payper box and all the metal elements are Tim Holtz.  A hint of pink with the rub ons and leather thong adds a girlie feel to it.  As there is a lot of metal on this card I have added extra weight at the back of my card so that it stands proud.  Happy 21st Birthday Hannah!  x

December Daily, Day 30..

Well, it's the penultimate day of the December Daily..while it has been challenging I have enjoyed it, especially finding the good things in life to blog about.  It's quite rewarding as you realise that life's not so bad after all!  I bet you are thinking that my blogs are unpredictable, you would be right! Today's entry is a scarf that I am making for my son, he has made his voice loud and clear that he thinks it unfair that my girls had a handmade, soft and snuggly scarf and he didn't.  So, I am secretly making this for his Birthday in January.  As you can see it's a very simply knitted scarf, chunky and I am using a gorgeous Rowan wool called drift.  Its a beautiful blend of greys, browns with a hint of green in the finest Merino wool.  Merino wool is the finest and softest wool of any sheep, quite expensive to buy but it also has an excellent warmth to the weight of the wool, it traps the heat in without the wearer getting overheated.  So, this should be finished in the next day or two just in time for his Birthday and before the cold snap. x

December Daily, Day 29..

Well, we are almost there for the December Daily.
Here is a card that I have made for my good friend Nick, oh how I miss you guys!  I promise to visit in February.  Looking forward to seeing you all again.
This card was made using a selection of My Minds Eye papers, SU stamps- Lovely as a tree and Congrats with some Old Olive ink and Vintage photo.  Finished off with some SU Expresso striped ribbon and a brad.
Happy Birthday Nick. X

December Daily, Day 28..

I just had to share with you this image.  It was my Birthday present from my lovely Mum and was intended for my patio but I thought it would work equally well in my hall for Christmas.  It's about waist height and is made from Stainless Steel and is from Nordic House which can be found online.  I have just added some ribbon and berries for a Christmassy feel.  With my bannister, mirror and door all having these berries on them it all looks great when you see these all together.  It feels very cosy when this is lit in the evenings.  I am now thinking that I might leave this in the hall all year round and just interchange the decoration to fit in with the seasons.x