Easter weekend

I think this is about the only Easter weekend I've not spent with my family. Very strange, but I kinda did it without realising. I'm going back later this week as we're having a gathering for my grandma's 80th birthday (it's a surprise and all her grandkids wil be there) and I didn't want to be away from all my crafty goodies for too long!

Anyway, I have spent the time with some of my good friends instead. Yesterday I was round at Sam's to help her get started with the Big Shot and begin making her boxes, labels and tags for her yummy bath products. We had a good play, and this is one of the little boxes from the Mini Milk Carton Die.



The milk carton is made from Crumb Cake cardstock and we wrapped a piece from the Subtles DSP stack around it. Then made the label using Four Frames and the matching Decorative Label Punch, coloured in with the Stampin' Write markers. I added the wording using Just Perfect Alphabet and handwriting. Finally, it is (very poorly) tied with the Pretty In Pink 3mm Taffeta Ribbon.

We were both very pleased with how it looks - just the right balance of cuteness and vintage.

We also experimented with embossing the card once the template had been cut, which also looked pretty awesome, and using a Stampin' Around wheel and the Spritzer Tool to create a design on the carton, but I forgot to take pics!

After all this crafty fun we went to the pub for a cheeky beverage and sat in the sun for a while.

And now I have no idea what day it is and what I should be doing! Best go figure it out!

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Musical birthday

Today's card was made as one of my mum's commissions for my uncle Alton, who is very musical. He plays all sorts of instruments and runs the local folk club so the Music Notes Wheel was just the ticket!

Again, design inspiration came from the lovely Vicky. Her cards never fail to amaze me!



I rolled the wheel in Versamark and then sponged over it with ink, but you can't see the resist effect in the pics. I added wheeling again in blue and black. The writing uses the Just Perfect Alphabet.



And here's the inside!

I hope he likes it! Must admit I don't usually make cards for all my relatives now. They get to see my work as my mum always buys all her cards off me anyway.

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Bitten by the scrapbooking bug!

I have definitely got another love now - I am well and truly hooked on scrapbooking!

Yesterday (actually today still as I've scheduled this post for the morning! That'll confuse ya!) I made THREE pages! And I've not even shown you the ones I did at mummy Julie's club yet! Or the many other cards I have made and stored up to show you!

But one of yesterday's (today's) layouts to show you first!

My mum sent me a selection of pics a while back so I have finally got a good use for them! There were two lovely ones of the two of us - one when I was a baby and we were off to someone's Christening (I think, could have been a wedding!), and the other from my cousin's wedding in Cyprus a few years ago.



The problem was they didn't really go together as their main and accent colours were different. After some deliberation and a few tips from my fellow crafters, I sat down with my stash (this was at 10.30pm) and discovered that the Greenhouse Gala and Woodland Walk DSP from Stampin' Up! each matched a picture perfectly!



To bring them together I cut out a flower from each and added it to the opposite photo and then used the green and red in the title and journaling (to be completed with dates when I find them out!) to pull it all into one.

I'm really pleased with it and will now be on a mission to find and print lots more photos!

Today (tomorrow!) I am off to my first WI committee meeting at the federation offices before coming back for some work. I have half resolved not to do more crafting for a few days as I have a lot of writing to do, a class on Thursday at Buns & Roses WI and my mum is coming up to see me!


PS This is actually the third time I have posted this now as I kept forgetting to schedule it and it just went live. So I have no idea what day it is anymore! All this crafting makes me giddy.

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Scrapbook page: My trip to America

Yesterday I went round to mummy Julie's to help her out with some crafty things. We had a good natter and got loads done. While I was there she made a scrapbook page and with that and her class this afternoon, at which I will be scrapping some pics of my niece and nephew, I got home and was in the mood for getting stuck in!

So, I dug out a picture of me I have been meaning to do something with for ages. It was taken in May 2007 in a bar in Minneapolis. I had been sent to the USA on a press trip and on arrival handed the keys to a brand new Chrysler Sebring and told to drive 400 miles around Minnesota and Wisconsin! Bear in mind I had passed my test just a few months earlier and had only ever driven a Vauxhall Corsa!

Anyway, it was so much fun and I survived going the wrong way down a one-way street, the lack of roundabouts and being shouted at for doing U-turns and "parking improperly".

For this page I focused on the awesome Newsprint DSP. This is totally me and I use it as much as possible. This background sheet is just perfect for scrapbooking.



I matted the image on to Pacific Point card, which is pretty close to the colour of my top, and used the Spiral Border Punch to make it look like a notebook page. I added a paperclip from the Clips Assortment. The typewriter is from an American SU set called Puns From The Past. The ribbon is Basic Black Striped Grosgrain and Twill Tape, stamped onto randomly with the Just Perfect Alphabet.



The map is actually another design in the Newsprint DSP stack. I went to town with the Distressing Essentials kit, using the sanding block to roughen the edges and the Tea Stain Ink Spot to age it.I stamped USA with the Broadsheet Alphabet. I used brads and some Linen Thread and 3mm Taffeta Ribbon to decorate and marked the places I stayed with Xs. The arrow is a piece of chipboard from the On-Board pack, covered in Blueberry Crisp DSP.



The journalling is done on the oval stamp from the Notably Ornate set, framed with more chipboard pieces, this time covered in another pattern from the Newsprint DSP.



Finally, I decided to highlight some of the super adverts on the Newsprint DSP. Again, I used the Distressing Essentials to rough them up.



This one is my favourite!



I definitely have the scrapbooking bug now so expect more layouts soon!

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Hello!

I love this really simple card. Just the Music Notes Wheel, Just Perfect Alphabet and a bit of Newsprint DSP. Et voila! Quick and effective, just the way I need things to be at the moment!

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More from the card tin

Here is the first peek at what is inside the tins I decorated yesterday.
The calendar journal was really quick and easy to make - just 12 pieces of card with the month stamped using the Just Perfect Alphabet and all sorts of stamps used to decorate at the bottom. I also wheeled with the Sanded Jumbo Wheel in Crumb Cake to give some texture. With a ring to hold them together and a bit of ribbon it's done! Just need to write all the special dates on each card now.
And the first little card I put inside the tin uses the gorgeous Just Believe set. Again, I stamped tone-on-tone with Crumb Cake and added some colour with the sentiment, which is Marina Mist card and Night of Navy Ink with one of the Neutrals Buttons.
This afternoon I'm off for another of the Free Festive Workshops in Armley with the I Love West Leeds peeps, then we have Buns & Roses choir practice tonight.

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Remember the date sets

Well this evening I have been very busy and made some bits that I am incredibly pleased with. And I'm still in bed before 10pm! Win!


I bought these tins from Wilkinsons. Inside were 15 little cards and envelopes (which are now heading for the recyling bin, of course!).
Instead, I made my own selection of cards as well as a calendar mini-journal for making note of important dates and anniversaries. So there's no excuse to forget or fail to send a card - it's all written down and the cards are ready and waiting!
I will post pics of the innards over the next few days.
The top tin I am keeping and the second one is one of my items for the Craft Swaparama in Leeds this Sunday. I hope the recipient likes it!
They're my new favourite thing and I'm going back to Wilko's tomorrow to buy as many as I can so everyone will be getting them as presents!

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A little scrapbook all my own

Today I decorated this awesome little scrapbook. I did it in between making Christmas cards with people at the I Love West Leeds shop in Armley.
I'm trying to do more scrapbook and vintage pieces so have got LOTS of new stash recently to play with. Just an excuse to shop and see the cute UPS man really!
I decided to title this one with my blog name, and if I can work out how to do it may even alter my layout to incorporate it!
Anywho, the check DSP was some random stuff I found on the net, as is the journal, which has some really funky cards in that I will show you another time. That is, when I have figured out what to do with it! The cotton reels are also from a sheet of DSP so I cut them out and wrapped some embroidery thread around them. I added SU buttons and ribbon and the wording is done with the yummy Broadsheet Alphabet and the Just Perfect Alphabet on Marina Mist card stock.
I'm in Harrogate all weekend so won't be around till Monday. I'm helping out on the WI stand at The Knitting and Stitching Show tomorrow, on Saturday mum is coming up and we'll be shopping and taking afternoon tea at Bettys and then on Sunday we're going to the show for more shopping and to learn new things. So excited!

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