Lydia's birthday card using Lili of the Valley

Hello again :)

A little later than anticipated, here is the card I made for Lydia before I went into hospital.  When I was at the NEC in November I bought some Lili of the Valley cute squares - tea & chat.  This is the first time I've used them and I know it definitely won't be the last.  They are so handy for a quick card.  I chose this little image because Lydia is always making me cups of tea and she is mad about making cupcakes - so this was perfect for her.

It was supposed to be a quick card but took a bit longer because when I went looking for lilac paper I realised it's not a colour I use much!  I finally found some in the Nana's Nursery Baby Boy paper pad and it matched perfectly.  I also found a purple crochet flower I had made months ago during a crocheting phase!  I can't even remember how to make it now as I followed a YouTube video at the time. I think I'll have to look it up again.

The sentiment is computer generated using Arial Narrow and Chopin Script fonts.

I added a little lilac ink to the edges of the paper flower and added sparkle to the tips with Stardust stickles glitter glue.  There is a little papermania pearl in the centre of the crochet flower. The leaves are punched using Woodware grass punches and the little pin is from sugar and spice crafts.  The seam binding ribbon is from creative treasures and the little butterfly is punched using a Martha Stewart punch.

Thanks for visiting today!
Sarah x

Catching up

Hi everyone

Just a little update and the reason for lack of projects! Any regular readers of my blog will know I've had ongoing health problems for a while. Well, I had a hysterectomy 2 weeks ago and I'm hoping that's the end of my problems and the beginning of a new me!  You never know, by the summer maybe I'll be taking classes again........!

At the minute though I'm too exhausted (and a bit sore) to be making anything but if I can get Richard to upload some photos from my camera, I'll post some pics of a birthday card I made for Lydia just before I went into hospital.

Finally 'hello' to my new followers! and thank you to everyone else who has stuck by me even though the posts have been so irregular...... sorry!

Hugs (gentle ones only!)
Sarah

Covered notebooks and Clipboard calendars

Good morning :) 

I have to apologise for the state of these photos!!! I had been so busy making the books I didn't have time to take decent pictures of them and Richard took these ones while we were getting ready to go to the craft fair at our local primary school.   The first pictures are of little kraft coloured notebooks and pen sets which I covered back and front with various designer papers.  I think I mostly used Cosmo Cricket, October Afternoon, Doodlebug & My Minds Eye papers.

The die cuts on the front of each book (apple, hearts, strawberries, mushrooms, flowers, squares & circles) were all cut out with the Sizzix Big Shot using a mixture of Sizzix, Cuttlebug and Nestabilities dies. The word 'Notes' was cut using the Tim Holtz - Chip Block - decorative strip die.

MINI CLIPBOARDS

To make the clipboards, cut a piece of chipboard 3¾" x 4½"  and cover with paper.  Cover a mini bulldog clip with matching paper (I find using double sided tape the easiest).  Tape the calendar to the covered chipboard base and add your decorated clip to the top.  Tie matching ribbon to your clip and decorate the bottom of the calendar as desired.

The notepad is made using a pad of sticky notes and covering with plain or embossed card.  The sentiment 'A little note' is computer generated using 'Sophie' font and if you don't tape the notepad to the clipboard (just use the clip) you can replace it when it's all used up!

The little tags (tied around the top of the bags) were punched out with Stampin Up's Jewellery tag punch and the 'hand crafted' is from the Tiny Tags stamp set (I really love that set) It's stamped with Chocolate Chip ink.

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope to be back soon with some cards and maybe a mini book....!

Take care :)

Sarah x



Mini sock buddies

Hello again :)

I made these little sock buddies for my nephews and they loved them.  I used small size 3½ - 5½ socks and they made up to around 6" tall.  While I was making them I realised that some socks are less stretchy than others, so one of them turned out a little shorter than the rest....



I hope to be back tomorrow with some of the notebooks and mini calendars I made for the craft night at our local school.

Thanks for visiting
Sarah :)

Belated Happy New Year :)

I had written this post a month ago on the 20th December and just needed to add photos - it got put on hold and I'm only getting back to it now! I thought I'd post it anyway....


Hi again!

At last I'm back with some projects...

It's been a bit horrendous here as the children have taken sick one after the other and I seem to have been continually washing bedding, pyjamas and floors :( and to top it all, my tumble dryer has burnt out with all the usage....

Anyway! here are the Christmas cards, some treat boxes and bags for the teachers.  They are not matching sets this year as they were made in fits and starts.

Some other news!

I went to the Hobbycrafts show in the NEC in Birmingham at the beginning of November with some friends and while I was there I did a fab Sizzix make and take.  At the stand you were able to fill out a form with your details to be entered into a competition to win a Sizzix Big Shot, Doctor's Bag and Dies.

I thought no more about it and on the Monday after the show, I got a call from Pete at Sizzix to say I had won!!!

The parcel arrived very quickly and I have to say I love the Big Shot :)  I love the fact that it doesn't wobble or move when you're passing the dies through it.  I use my Cuttlebug plates with it though as I can't get used to the multipurpose platform that comes with it!

 Sizzix die - Merry & Bright (part of the prize I won)

Front of the bag

The bag is made with 2 sheets of white A4 cardstock

 

Sizzix die - stocking 

 The mouse is an Elzybells stamp

This little box was cut out with the Craft Robo.  I bought the file from My Time Made Easy but the measurements were a bit off so with the help of hubby, we soon had it sorted. I made a small version to hold sweets  but you can make it bigger.

  

The choir singers stamp is from Lili of the Valley 

The poinsettia was cut with the Craft Robo, edged with Snow Cap dabber and layered.

The centre is done with Pebeo 3D paint. 

 The mouse is an Elzybells stamp

Another Elzybells stamp 

 The skater is a Lili of the Valley stamp

 I used Stardust stickles for the fur trim on her coat and hat and on the ice.

The flourishes are cut with a Marianne die.

Because they were made quite a while ago I can't remember some of the papers used but I'll post a list of some supplies later on today.

Sorry it's been so long for this update.  My health is still not as it should be but I'm having an operation next month and I hope I will be right as rain after that with a few weeks recovery time:)

Thank you for your patience!

Sarah xx 

House Mouse birthday card

This was a really quick card I made for my nephew's birthday in November. It's a little House Mouse stamp and I think he's really cute.  Very easy to colour in too :)
The sentiment is stamped with Stampin' Up real red ink and the black dots are card candy from craftworkcards.co.uk.

I can't believe Christmas is only 2 weeks away! With all the snow lately, I have been stuck in the house and am nowhere near prepared! I'm heading out to the craft room now to try and make something for the teachers.

See you soon
Sarah x

Christmas cards

These are some cards I've made for a friend who is having a card sale and donating the money to charity.

I'm just making family Christmas cards this year for I don't have time to make general ones. I also have to make the teachers' gifts and cards too and I will post them when they're finished :)

Thanks for stopping by today!

Sarah x

Cards using Lili of the Valley stamps

 I am loving Lili of the Valley stamps :)  I think they're really cute and lovely to colour in.
The papers on this card are from the Dovecraft christmas pack (not sure what it's called....)
and the image is coloured in with Copics.  I'm realising I should be making a note of the colours I use so I'll be doing that in future :)

This is a birthday card for my little nephew Oliver who was 6 yesterday :) It's another Lili of the Valley stamp
and the papers are 3 Bugs in a Rug (snips & snails I think...)

Better run, I'm going to the Christmas Craft Fair in The Argory (National Trust House) today and I should have been ready ages ago!  Will post again soon with Christmassy things:)

Thanks for visiting today
Sarah x

Doesn't time fly........!

Hi everyone!!

I hope you are all well and enjoying the cold/hot weather wherever you are :)

I'm embarrassed to see it's been over a month since I updated this blog..... I have good intentions and then get distracted!  I've been doing a little bit of crafting so I'll upload some photos later - I promise!
Our local primary school held an Open Night last night and I had a little stall (my first ever) and it was great fun :) I brought my camera but forgot to take photos! How daft is that....

I still have loads more to make and do so I better get cracking!
Until later....
Sarah

Tag book using Tim Holtz inks

This is the tag book I made at a class in Forgetmenot Papercrafts in Belfast a couple of weeks ago.  It was a really fun class with lots of inking and stamping and we had very messy hands afterwards.  Some of the pages are a bit of a disaster but I have learned loads of new techniques and will be having a go at making some more tags soon.

It's a bit of a change for me as I tend to make 'clean' cards and am always sanding rough edges....lol

Thanks for visiting and have a great weekend
Sarah x