Christmas Card swap 2015

Last Christmas Sarah  (Twiggypeasticks) and I decided to do a little card swap together.  So why not do it again for a second year?

Above is the cross stitch and felt card that Sarah sent me....but there is a twist.......it doubles up as a Christmas Tree decoration!

The colours go with our colour scheme and I think it is a brilliant idea which i think I might pinch for next year.

Of course I needed to send a card too and .......

..............I have forgotten which one I sent....how embarrassing!  I made the set shown above and only these (I really must start much earlier).

So we both had the same technique idea.

I like using hessian and jute  fabrics and combining it with loose linen fabric I thought it made a good change from glitter and sequins.

My new decoration has now been added to my collection of handmade tree decs that have been sent to me by blogger friends since 2008.

Many thanks I love them all and this year for the first time I used them to decorate my classroom and they generated quite a bit of interest!.

Quite glad it is Friday tomorrow been a very long week and my poor old eyes have really felt the strain this week.

Take Care

xx

Easter WIP's

The Easter holidays have begun and boy am I glad that it has arrived.  My poor old hip is really complaining and as soon as my group has done their GCSE exam I am booking myself in for another cortisone injection!

Anyway, apart from a boot full of work,which is probably bulky more than quantity,  I also intend on completing a few projects which are on my To Do list.

First up are some family Easter Cards.  The one above is for Sophie and hubby and I will put some money inside.  Her Godmother has already given us an Easter Egg to pass on to her  and I do not like her being given too many and at 12 years old having a bit of extra pocket money will be appreciated, some of her felt tip pens have run out recently.  Sophie likes to decorate the house and she has already asked us about what Easter means and how it relates to the Bible and the story behind it, and I think hubby and I did quite well in answering her questions.  Sophie also likes to spend time at home and has turned down offers to go out too much.  A bit of a home bird at the moment and I am glad that she likes to spend time at home and with her Mum and Dad, we must be doing something right.

Next up is a card for my Mum which needs to go in the post tomorrow, and this has lots of flowers and colour on a square background.  Hope she likes it.

Today I made my holiday trip to the range and I am in the process of creating my March Monthly Challenge entry and I am determined to complete it in the right month this time!  I just needed some Acrylic paint in a colour which I had run out of.  I have signed up for the Hobbycraft Club, after three attempts at being told I could do it online, I was finally agreed with that you need to sign up in the SHOP to actually get your card!  Nearly a year I have been trying, anyway do it now.

Next in line is my Wizard of Oz scarf, some more crochet squares and finalising my first online pattern.  But what format should I have it in?  Paper or digital format?

It has been awful weather in Cornwall this weekend and seeing as Hubby is working in Plymouth tomorrow, Sophie and i are having a nail painting and card making session.  The last time we made cards during the Easter Holidays, hubby was working away and our crafting lasted 3 days!!  Sophie had cards for her friends for the next 12 months.

I hope whatever you plan to do tomorrow pans out well.  

Take care

xx

Handmade Cards - Mothers Day

I have been busy putting together some Mothers Day cards as well as sending one to my own Mum.

I made and sold quite a few Valentines cards last month so decided to make a few for this occasion as well.

I only make one of each kind so they really are unique.  The materials that I use vary a lot depending on what i have or buy to make them.

This one is made in felt and I embossed the card itself using a plate and my Bigshot.  There is also some hand stitching on it as well.

Sunflowers are always a nice choice if Daffodils are not your thing and I liked this velum, which came as part of a mini book.  Putting it on the white background makes it really show up.

Layering images such as this one if fun to make but you just need to make sure that you  are not going to fall foul of having it put through the dreaded plastic size gauge at the post office, because if it does not fit through you will end up paying more for postage!  This is why I do not go in for all these over the top cards.

Perhaps roses?  Again, a layered design.

Some Lillies added to this version.

This is Sophie's favourite card.  I hand punched out all of the flowers and added the stems etc.

I developed the above idea to create this version next.

Finally, another rose offering.

I really enjoyed making these and several are now on their way to new owners.  Looking in the shops today at the cost of the cards and the sorts of images on the front, I much prefer mine and I hope that my Mum does too.  Can you  guess which one I sent her?  It was a joint decision by us all.

Next year I think I shall list some on my website, to include the postage, and I still reckon they will be better than supermarket versions.   

Have a lovely day tomorrow, both Mums and families and I hope the weather is as good as it has been today.  Spring is in the air and it did not get dark until about 6.30pm today.

The clocks turn soon!
Take care and have a good weekend.

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A new Arrival

A colleague at work has recently become a Dad for the third time and I was generous to tell the rest of us that baby was to be a girl.

So I have been thinking for the past couple of weeks what my card could look like and I wanted it to feature some stitch.

I used my Brother E0touch mini embroidery machine to create the centre of this card and then mounted it on to pink hand made paper.

I decided to add the cute little bear and a girly ribbon.

The embroidery already announced the arrival of a girl so i added the Best Wishes sentiment and we all do wish the family all the best.

Love making these cards and it will not the last as there are two more babies on the way!

I am also putting together some Mother's Day Cards to take into work next week.  I do not make as many as I used to so it is fun to pick up a craft that has been a bit on the back burner recently.

Have a good weekend.

xx
PS That is odd because on my PC the right picture is present but on my ipad this post has a picture of the Seven Sisters.  I will never understand computers.

Paper Creations - Making Cards

It has been ages since I made any cards and this week I was asked at work if I had any for sale.  I did but thought I should add some new ones.  I have decided to may be make a few each week over the summer and then advertise at work in September again.

I decided to make some Thank you cards which always come in handy.These ones have a raised decoupage look to them and I do try and not make them too 3D as you can get caught out at the post office if it does not go through their magic plastic gauge and you end up being charged more.

All pink and cupcakey.

More cupcakes.  I made some cupcakes for a cake Sale this week, the first time in ages, and time was tight so I forgot to take any pictures.  Pleased to say that they all sold.

This card could be used for any reason which is always nice to do.

Finally, something a little different,  a card made using Batik which I really enjoy doing.  Bright tropical colours on a slightly smaller card and I really like this one.  I sell them at work for just enough to cover costs so it is a little hobby which pays for itself.  I have some regular customers who even have requests and with a slightly different timetable next year I might get a little more me time in the evenings to make a few more and let my brain drift off for a bit.
I also hope to blog more over the summer and really get to grips with a quilt that is half made and to make some more items towards a swap that I have signed up to.

I heard from the ATC swap host and all is well.  I will be sending the ATC's off to America this week.  The next theme is Vamp but due to me being away I shall skip that one and do the next one instead.
The link is in my side bar if you are interested in taking part.
Take care and enjoy this lovely weather we are having, been about 6 weeks of it I think.
xx

Happy Valentine's Day

As promised a few more cards to look at.

I did stick to the traditional colours with this card.  I like cross grain ribbon, it is really easy to work with as it is just that little bit thicker.

Again, I used the heart embossing plate and then attached a red layer of rippled card.  On top of this I added a metal silver heart and a heart gem.  This is on a square card with my Indigo Blue stamp on the back.

Hubby has not had a chance to open his card and gift yet so I shall get back to you on that but I hope that today is a good day all round .  "What are you doing today" I hear yo ask, well I shall be in a car travelling to Cambridge which could take pretty much all day to visit my Mum.  I did not double check the dairy before confirming but never mind, for Hubby and I everyday is Valentine's Day!  Oh dear me that did sound rather sugary and sweet , but you know what I mean.

Take care

xx

Valentine Cards

My Valentine cards were very popular last year so I decided to make up some more for the staff room.

Last summer I bought an embossing plate with hearts on it for my Valentine cards and I was really pleased with how they turned out.  I also have a heart punch which I have had for many years and is used freely.

I do like tomake some of my cards with different colour combinations to suit a range of tastes.  Last year I made hubby a blue valentine card and it was remarked upon quite widely so I decided to make a few for my stock this year.  Again, the embossing plates really helped to add a little touch here without being over the top.

Carrying on with the alternative colour schemes I came up with this bronze/orange pallette which could appeal to males and females.  I am quite taken with this one.
I have made an different one for Hubby just in case he looks here and I have a gift for him already wrapped up too.
More cards to come but I shall save those for another time.
xx



Cards - The Final Installment.

One last installment of our epic card making session.

You may have seen the above before. It is very similar to one that I made for a vintage card swap back in February. I liked them so much, I thought that I would make some more. The rest still need positioning and sticking down. I continued with more cards for the lads with a set of boat cards. I really like these ones. I added some cross grain ribbon and textured card.

I layered this one up, but not too much as it can cause a problems if you want to post it.

Back to my favourite square cards and this time I left the text off it so that it could be used for any occasion such as Father's day or as a thank you card.

I have 6 more ready to put together on different themes, but Sophie did exhaust me over this. She can be very determined when she is interested in something. I do hope it lasts as she gets older.

This is the state of the sewing room on Wednesday! There is more that you can not see on the floor!! Toffy was even brave enough to join us for the day and managed NOT to get stuck on a card. Our attic conversion has been so useful and the sewing table has been used for everything from card making to marking to Ofsted preparations. Not as much sewing as I had intended. Hopefully the rest of April will alter that.

I did manage a finish on Wednesday evening which I shall share tomorrow. I am supposed to be attending an Embroiderers Guild workshop tomorrow and due to the day job workload I have not been able to get all of the materials. Could be a bit of a challenge. I will let you now how I get on.

Take care

xx

Made by Sophie, aged 8

Following on from the cards I showed yesterday are Sophie's collection of cards. I donated some of the card blanks but everything else she placed and stuck down herself! She is only 8 but she concentrated and stuck at this activity for hours, with a break for lunch! She used a brad in the centre of the above flowers, I made the hole with a needle for her as I did not fancy a visit to A&E! These are little square cards which I intended to make a batch for work. Only got a few left as Sophie found this size easy to manage. I thought this grouped really well. I am trying to show her the odd number rule and positioning. She is a fast learner and can 'see' if it does not look quite right. She made the final choice as to where they were finally stuck. This cupcake is embossed and was created with a treat that we purchased at the beginning of the week, back to that later. The wording is from some found at the Range. Marvellous shop! Again, some of this has been made with some toppers that Sophie found at The Range. She backed it with a square of tissue paper. The flower is a little glittery too.

This one Sophie tried stacking up the images to create a 3D effect, her words not mine. Worked well although a tad of a squeeze getting it in the envelope. Looks good in the flesh too.

Sophie often disappears to her room and can be found cutting, sticking, and making cards but this was a deliberate sit down session all day and she was so pleased with what she made. They are both neat and well thought out.

Today our activity is to be SEWING. This will be cut short as we are off to see an amateur production of Alice in Wonderland, our friends are in it and we are going to see them for the afternoon before the performance. But we have all day tomorrow as well to look forward to.

I love school holidays, they are so much needed in this hectic world that we live in to actually slow down and catch up with what is really important, and for me it is spending time with Sophie.

What have you been making this week?

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Leave a comment and a link if you like, so that we can all pop over and take a look. You do not have to have a blog to comment just click anonymous to post.

xx

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Spring card making

Cascade of Flowers.

Today I asked Sophie what would she like to do. The answer was to make lots of cards Mummy.

So that is just what we did. Did I feel guilty? NO! It was throwing it down with rain outside, what better excuse did I need.

The above one is the first of my spring cards. All of these will go into work. There has been a re-newed interest in my cards. I may even add some to my Folksy shop at some point.

I love these handbag cards! I have sold quite a few of these over time. However I am on a spring flower roll here and a brad in the middle gives a little extra to it. This one is a pale pink and I added some stitching lines to make it different to the white bag. I think that I will need to add something else to the white bag, even if it is some colour on the clasp section.

Now, I do not tend to make many cards for the lads because most of my customers are chaps buying for wives, girldfriends mum's etc. I think I need to sort this out and see what the interest is. Even I quite like this one.

Sorry but I think a group picture was needed.

Tomorrow I will feature some of Sophie's cards but she is asleep at the moment and I want to check which ones that she wants featured here.

A day spent mucking around with paper, double sided and card..............Bliss.

With my little girl going" oohhh Mummy can I have some of that lovely card?" Stocks are now low but she had lots of fun and a little bag of cards which her friends will love. In fact I think she has birthdays covered for the next two years!!

xx

Mother's Day

A couple of weeks ago I was asked by some colleagues to make some Mother's Day cards.

I love making cards and making them to order is even better as I know that they have a home to go to straight away.

I have found that square cards work really well for me and I have to say that all the planning that I really do is to place everything in position before I actually attach it to the card. That's all. I go on instinct more than anything.

The above is a combination of vellum, flower punches and 3D flower pieces. Plus a strip of ribbon. A lovely spring shade of yellow. This rose is embroidered and I think came from Lakeland Plastics a while ago. The lettering I did on the computer and printed out on card.

This is Sophie's favourite one! I really like this one as well, and has also been made as a birthday card. Ribbon, flower punches and 3D glue this time.

This is, again, one of my favourites, this time with pink and lilac colours. This was snapped up very quickly!

I decided to be quite bright and bold with this one! I love sun flowers and I try to grow them every year in the garden but the slugs which hide in my garden also like them, for different reasons!

This is lovely coloured vellum which shows up well on the white card.

I have been really pleased with the way these have turned out and seeing as I am on a roll I have started on a batch of Easter Cards, a few Father's Day cards and a top up batch of birthday cards.

If you would like to order a card then let me know.

Have a great week and many thanks for popping by last week when I was a little absent from here.

xx