Sentimental Sundays Challenge (Let's Get Punchy!)

LET'S GET PUNCHY!!
This is my layout for the Sentimental Sundays Challenge. http://sentimentalsundays.blogspot.com/2011/04/challenge-52-lets-get-punchy.html
The Challenge is to use 3 Punches and a sentiment.
I have used a Daisy Trail page border punch, a corner punch (on bottom right hand photo) and a heart punch!
Pop over and see other people's creations.

WOYWW (& Something I HATE!!)

Hi everyone,
Not long now until the WOYWW (PiF), I am all ready for that!!
Go see Julia at : http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/ to join in!

I am being honest- my workdesk for the past 24 hours has been this!!!!!!!!



eughhhhh!!!!!!!!!!! I HATE Ironing!

- probably because I always leave it until it get's to this ridiculous state!

Whilst crafting so happily over the long weekend as all my lot seemed quite happy doing their own thing. I bwgan to get the "pangs of guilt", 2 or 3 times per day as I heard cries of "Mummy, where are all my clothes?" and "Mummy, I have no knicker's to wear!!!!!!!."
Enough's, enough's I thought - I have to tackle this - and with GREAT resentment I got that iro***g board out! All the while thinking of what I COULD be creating!!!
Anyway, - ooooohhhh - what's that I see, LOOOOK! What's also on that horrible pile OF IRONING, Could it have been placed there deliberately!!!!!!!!!




It's Issue 3 of Simply Homemade Magazine. and I am in it (only in the "Your Letter's page" but my "make" WAS featured/published!) I am wondering if I could be cheeky enough to post on my tool bar/side bar - "I was featured / Published in "Simply Homemade Mag!" What do you think ? !!!!!!!!!!!!!

EASTER MONDAY / HANDMADE MONDAY

Happy Easter Monday everyone, and sorry Wendy but I will not be showing any Easter makes although I have been busy with making Easter Cakes and Hot Cross Bun's.
I have decided to show you this W.I.P instead.
And if you're wondering what I'm going on about visit Wendy's blog and join in the fun.http://www.1stuniquegifts.co.uk/blog/




I bought this at a carboot sale to store some of my wooden stamps in and have been meaning to paint and pretty it up for a while. To be honest it isn't very practical really for my wooden stamps but I can use it to store / display lots of embellishment's like flowers etc.
What better time than the long Easter Weekend to get on with it!!!
One problem though that I am dreading however, is assembling it all back together - I am NOT good at that and worst of all I went out to the garage (my HUSBAND'S garage!!!! - he says's it's the one place he can call his own and helped myself to a few tools in order to take it all apart. I was very careful that nothing else was moved as hubby seems to have EAGLE EYE'S. so you can imagine I become very fidgety if he hovers around to see what I'm doing. He is very PRECIOUS about his tool's!!!)

Also I have to tell you that one of the "makes" I did was published / featured in the "Simply Homemade" magazine that I love. Only in the "your letter's" section with a photo about the make! Do you think I can be cheeky enough now to add to my side-bar "I've been featured in." What do you reckon?
If you want to take a look at that make just click HERE http://cauliflowercupcake.blogspot.com/2011/03/woyww.html

Bird's Butterflies Challenge

This is my submission for Frosted Designs (Bird's / Butterflies) Challenge!
"Spread your wings and Fly"
I have used butterfly embellishments with a handmade appliqued bird that I have added in the bottom right hand corner.
Go visit http://www.frosteddesigns.blogspot.com/ if you want to take part or just look at some great inspirational projects!

Sketches in Thyme Layout Takes # 45

I enjoyed taking part in my first layout challenge (and am pleased to say i made the top 3), so have decided I'm going to enter a few more. This is my take on the above sketch with my title "You Know I Just Love CUDDLES", I even got my sewing machine out for this one! It's a great way to inspire you to scrap those photo's!!
Pop over and have a look at everyone else's creations, with some great inspiration from their DT members at http://sketchesinthyme.blogspot.com/

Easter Sketch Challenges

I have taken part in a couple of Easter Challenges with my Spring has Sprung double page Layout.
I have entered it into:
Pennys Challenges http://pennyschallenges.blogspot.com/2011/04/challenge-51.html
Pixie Dust Studio http://pixieduststudiopixiechallenge.blogspot.com/2011/04/challenge-71-spring-forward.html
Sentimental Sundays http://sentimentalsundays.blogspot.com/2011/04/challenge-51.html
Scrappy Frog http://scrappyfrogschallenge.blogspot.com/2011/04/hoppy-easter.html
Picture Perfect Creations http://ppc-challenges.blogspot.com/
and Lasting Memories Layout Challenge (they have both Easter and Spring Challenges this month so I've entered it into both these categories!) http://kcclayoutchallenges.blogspot.com/

I'm really enjoying taking part!
Hope everyone's Easter is enjoyable!

WOYWW April 20th 2011

Good Morning all you Woywwer's - hope your enjoying the lovely sunshine like we are here!
My desk this week is as messy as usual - stuff pushed over so that new stuff can feel at home! I have been busy this week,



I think I have created 6 layouts, one of which you may be able to see on my desk is "Blueblells" which I am entering into "Sketches in Thyme Challenge # 44". (oooohh, that sounds quite professional - but believe me, I have NEVER entered a challenge before!!!!)
Hopefully, you can also see on my desk about 8 Lili of the Valley Stamps I recently won on e-bay! I am so pleased with them - I just know I'll use them again and again!!
Anyway all - I am pretending to be shopkeeper again today ( what am I on about??, check out the posts below!!)
Have a wonderful WOYWW!
XXXXXXXX
Go visit Julia at http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/ if you want to join in this world-wide snoop over creative people's desks!!

Sketches in Thyme Challenge # 44

This is my take on the "Sketches in Thyme Sketch # 44"
I can't resist Bluebells, especially now, at this time of year!
Visit ahref=">http://sketchesinthyme.blogspot.com/if you want to join in!

Handmade Monday Time Again

Good morning Everyone and Happy Monday to you All!
We had a lovely sunny weekend here and went out to a lovely village pub for lunch on Sunday. We took my husbands open top Jeep (the girl's weren't too happy about it as it ruins their hair!- even Lola's ears were flapping about in the wind. We were able to take in all the smells of Spring, some nice and some not so nice!! We got an excellent view of the bluebell woods as well which really are beautiful.

I must quickly share with you something I am very proud of in my garden. My "handkerchief tree." It was bought for me 13 years ago by my mum and dad for my 30th birthday (oops, really giving my age away there!!) - well, look at it now, after 13 years it has bloomed handkerchiefs! I was so happy when I saw this - aren't they unusual and very beautiful.

On the Crafting side of my weekend I have managed to do quite a few layouts and inspired by a new book I ordered off Amazon "Doodling for Papercrafter's", I did exactly that! I doodled an entire 12 x 12 page - it is meant to be a way of reminding myself to add my own doodles to my scrapbook layout's as they can really lift the page! It was very therapeutic.


Well, that's about all for me this handmade monday, I have to go to work today. I really just do it as a favour for a friend every now and then. It's a handbag boutique in the historic town of Arundel. http://www.sorbetaccessories.co.uk/ It's not work really, it's a lovely place to be and everyone who comes in says how lovely it is and what gorgeous stuff we have in there. I will let you into a secret - I actually pretend I am the owner whenever I work there!!!! (How mad am I?? - don't worry, my friend knows I do this, she just goes along with it if ever she pops in while I'm there!!) If I am not busy I sit with my i-pad and visit all my favourite blogs, one of which I will be visiting today is Wendy's blog at http://www.1stuniquegifts.co.uk/blog/ to see what other crafty people have been creating.
So must go now, have a great day - I'm off to play shopkeeper!

WOYWW April 13th 2011

Here we go again. Another Wednesday!
Here is my workdesk this morning.


You should be able to see the flowers I had just started last week before I had to go off and help with homework! Well, I've finished them and am quite pleased with how tey have turned out. They'll make lovely embellishments on lay outs and I'm also going to be altering an old box I have so will use them for that too. (If you are interested in having a go there is a tutorial on the post below!)I have also started doing some favourite page quotes for 7 of my scrapbooking friends , basically choose a favourite quote and embellish the page so that we can all pass on a quote to add to our albums. This way I make 7 and recieve 7 different ones. As you can see all I have done so far is stamp out the quote so will have to get on with that.
I have also put up some photo's of different aspects of my craft room as all you ever get to see is the same thing as I rarely ever tidy my desk or clear away.
Anyway as usual I will be visiting loads of other people's desks today and if you want to do the same visit Julia at http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

Handmade Monday & Metal Flower Tutorial

Happy Handmade Monday to everyone! Hope you all enjoyed the gorgeous weather we've been having. I was outside and cut the grass for the first time this year, I was really enjoying myself and got on with lots of other jobs too - now I've stopped and sat down I realise I've totally over done it as I'm aching all over!

I thought I'd show you these flowers I made this weekend - I'm really pleased with how they have turned out!

Below is a quick tutorial, so, if you don't want to read all that then I would just remind you to check out the wonderful Wendy's blog at http://http//www.1stuniquegifts.co.uk/blog/ to view what other crafty people have been making!

If you are interested in trying to make these flowers then this is how I did it.

Firstly, gather your supplies,


you will need; copper foil sheet, scrap card stock, 3 different sized flower punches, cuttlebug, embossing folder, heat gun, embossing powder, a small decorative stamp (not your best), a clear embossing pad, glue, scissors, TH adirondack white accrylic dabber, Tim Hotz distress alcohol inks (various colours), TH Dabber, TH blending solution, flat headed tweezers, a selection of small beads, pearls, etc. for flower centre, newspaper and a metal or bamboo skewer.

1. Using your different sized flower punches, punch out flowers from the metal sheet and also punch out the same amount from your scrap card. Glue the metal flowers to the scrap paper flowers - this makes the flowers a bit stronger and not so bendy and fragile.





2. Leave to dry.
   Next, fit as many flowers as possible into your embossing folder and put through the cuttlebug. Do this until all flowers have been embossed.




3. Lay the flowers out onto some newspaper and paint some of them with the TH adirondack white accrylic dabber. (If you wish, you can paint them all with the accrylic. I painted just a few as I wanted to try different effects). When the accrylic has dried, (you can use your heat gun to speed things up, but hold the petals with yor flat ended tweezers as you will burn yourself the metal gets VERY hot!! or you could just go and do the washing up or finish making the dinner as I did!)it's time to start using the alcohol inks. I just squirted various inks onto the wooden TH dabber and added a bit of blending solution to it. I then just dabbed away at each flower until they were covered. I played around with the inks trying to get a different colour each time. When you first apply the ink direct to the foil petals without the accrylic ink on them it will look as though the ink doesn't want to settle but it does and will dry well.




4. Allow to dry and repeat with another coat of alcohol inks.


5. Leave to dry again. (You can use your heat gun to speed things up but remember the metal will get VERY hot so use your flat ended tweezers to hold the petals, you don't want to burn your fingers!!!!)


6. Using an old decorative stamp (I suggest an old one as you are going to be using embossing stamp pads which can get your stamps very sticky if you don't give them a good clean afterwards!) stamp each petal with the clear embossing pad and immediatley sprinkle embossing powder over the petal. Tap to remove excess powder and again using the tweezers heat each petal until the embossed effect takes shape. (You can use any colour of embossing powder I used a denim blue and a red one, only because they were the first two I picked up).






7. Next, you need to layer up the petals to make each flower - I made some flowers out of 3 different sized petals and some out of just 2. As each petal is backed onto scrap petal gluing them into position is nice an easy. Leave to dry - it onlty takes about 5 - 10 minutes.


8. Depending on the flower punch you used, you will need to snip into the centre of the flower so that you can then bend the petals into the shape you want.


9. Finally, glue your little beads, pearls or other embellishments to the centre of the petal. Make sure you use clear drying glue.

To make the stalks I cut small strips of the copper metal sheet and using the bamboo skewer I rolled it as tightly as I could. When you pull the skewer out you can then bend it into any stalk shape you want. You can also use the alcohol inks to dye the stalks as you did for the petals. WORD OF WARNING : Throughout this whole flower making process I did not cut myself on the metal foil UNTIL making the stalk where after pulling the bamboo skewer out and shaping it I managed to give myself a metal foil PAPER CUT!!!!! and it b****y hurts, so be careful!!!

WOYWW

Hi all you WOYWW'ers.
I was having a lovely evening trying out a new technique of making my own metal flowers which you punch out, emboss with a cuttlebug to add texture and then distress with TH distress inks. Then bend into shape and add a centre, brad, beads, gems etc.
Well as you can see I only got so far as punching out the shapes (didn't even get my cuttlebug out), when I heard the familiar voice of:"mummy, can you help me with my homework - it HAS to be in tomorrow!) Of course, this was being asked 20 minutes before her bedtime!!! So that was the end of last nights "new technique" - Oh well - will have to come back to it tomorrow night! It's just you know, when you're really on a roll and want to get on... - (but then that's what mum's are for, I suppose).
You may also just be able to see some lovely new stamps, part of a LOAD of lovely craft stash I got for Mother's Day. Oh, and also a notebook - which holds ALL my favourite sites, tutorial's, passwords etc!!!! (I thought I'd lost it and was getting in a real panic, but thankfully I found it under a load of Craft magazine's I'd been reading!!!

Have a great Wednesday, be sure to pop over to Julia's blog at http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

3 X Blog Awards for me!

I have recently received 4 nominations for 3 different awards, so thought I'd better work out how to get these posted on my blog and pass on the necessary! So here goes: A Great Big Thankyou to Ali at http://http//aqualeigasescape.blogspot.com/ and also to Kristina Nicole at http://www.blogger.com/www.kristinanicoleblog.blogspot.com so thanks to you too.
It's only taken me all day to figure out how to copy the award onto this post and figure out how to do links (that work properly!!!!) onto this post!!! But thankyou, and it has made me learn a bit more about blogging etc.
The rules for receiving the Versatile Blogger Award are to thank and link/acknowledge the person/persons who nominated you the award.
(TICK)
To tell 7 random things about yourself.(So Here Goes):
1. I secretly wanted to BE Laura Ingall's from Little House on the Prairie and am still a huge fan even at 43 years old!
2. I adore Betsey Clarke artwork by Hallmark.
3. I love to go to car boot sales looking for anything I can alter or craft with.
4. I HATE ironing.
5. However much I try I don't seem able to keep bedding plants or hanging baskets alive.
6. I LOVE Christmas.
7.I have a miniature Daschund and 2 cats.
(TICK)
Pass this on to 7 inspiring bloggers and leave a comment so they can pass along the recognition.
So here goes The 7 bloggers I wish to nominate are:-
1. Lisa (one of the very first people to leave a comment on my blog and who is doing really well with all her lovely makes, especially her lovely bags, at http://dreamstardiary.blogspot.com/
2.The lovely blog owner of http://nerllybird.typepad.com/abigjuicyworm/
3.Jan at handcrafted by Picto http://handcraftedbypicto.blogspot.com/
4.The wonderful Mrs A at http://itsanalienlife.blogspot.com/
5.Nici (the wonderful poet,!!!, who has just one my first blog candy giveaway) http://goblindreamer.blogspot.com/
6. Angie at :- http://glimpsingthepast.blogspot.com/ for her lovely blog about genealogy, which I too am very interested in.
7. To Hettie for her beautiful creations over at http://hettiecraftcz.blogspot.com/ (TICK)

So I will now leave them a comment to tell them of their award.

Be sure to check these blogs out - they really are all very inspiring and well worth a visit.

As far as I understand I don't think there are any "to-do lists" for the other 2 awards, so I will just take them with a grateful, smug smile and figure out how to paste them onto my side bar! (yikes!!)

Have a good day everyone!

Handmade Monday

Happy Handmade Monday everyone, hope all had a great weekend and enjoyed your Mother's Day. I was lucky enough to be very spoiled and got lots of lovely crafty stash and a charm for my bracelet. I also got treated to breakfast and dinner out, so I didn't have to go near the oven or the sink!! (What Joy!!)

I've been trying to concentrate on doing more layouts as that is what I really love to do. My daughter and I visited a lambing farm on Saturday and for the first time in my life I actually saw 2 lambs being born. it was wonderful to watch although the first lamb looked as if it might have been still born (which I really didn't want to see as my first experience) - it was not until the shepherd picked it up by it's back legs and swung it upside down a few times that it took it's first breath (pheww!!! - everyone cheered). That then prompted me to do a double page layout of Spring has Sprung. I also did a page of my daughter and her friends - I wanted it to look quite messy so used accrylic paints and flicked black ink onto the page. I'm quite pleased at the way it came out!

Just a note - FFFF has been postponed for a short while - life got in the way, and I realised I need a bit more time figuring out exactly how to link everything up etc. Sounds lame, but I know what I mean!!! I feel a bit of a fraud but it WILL happen!

Don't forget to check out Wendy's blog http://www.1stuniquegifts.co.uk/blog/ and see what everyone else has been up to this Monday.
Bye for now x

Winner of Blogoversary Candy .... Drum Roll Please

The Winner of my 1st Year Blogoversary Candy is : Goblin Dreams - http://goblindreamer.blogspot.com/ for her poem:-
Happy Birthday to You,
Paper, Glitter and Glue,
All Over My House,
What's a Girl To Do!!

I've sent you an e-mail and the goodies will be on the way asap after I have your address!
Well Done and thankyou to everyone for their entries!