Love making things

A Valentine for my........

2012-02-14T23:24:00.000Z

..... teapot! Is it wrong?? OK, I don't have a human Valentine in my life but my teapot is the first to greet me each morning, refreshes me through the day, and relaxes me at the end of the evening. So when I saw my favourite inspirational blogger Godelieve had made a Valentine for her pot, I thought mine deserved one too. Not only that, to show my appreciation, I cleaned all the tea stains away especially for his (I do see it as a him) portrait. I stamped the heart on a blank coaster, cut it out and then stamped the back.

I did see one lovey dovey couple today though. On my walk by the river this duck and drake swam alongside me for a while before flying off together. Sweet!

A Bunch of Challenges

2012-02-10T10:59:00.000Z

There is one advantage to being 5 hours ahead of the US - when there's a challenge competition with a deadline looming we have an extra few hours in the mornings to get finished. I'm not good at papercrafting in the evenings.... especially if its been a work day. Knitting and crochet are much more suited to evenings by the fire and TV. But I wanted to enter the Papertrey 5th Anniversay Day 5 challenge and late last night I could not get my card right. However this morning I changed the card base and now its more how I envisaged it in my mind's eye. The challenge is to pick a pin from one of the design team's boards on Pinterest as an inspiration. I chose this pin of a project by Marie at Make and Takes. I found it on Heather Nichols' spring board.

I also made another card for the Make-it-Monday challenge #52 as I enjoyed this technique so much. This one was inspired by Kelly's gorgeously brilliant bouquet card - I was going to create a bunch of flowers for my pot but decided in the end to have just one large flower. It was supposed to be a sunflower but now I think it may be a gerbera.

Three cards and three challenges in a week! That's a record for me!

Stamps: PTI Egg Hunt, Rosie Posie, Distressed Stripes (flower stem), Beautiful Blooms II (leaves), BB Gingham; Darkroom Door Gingham Background.

Make-it-Monday #52

2012-02-07T17:04:00.000Z

Its months since I've joined in a challange! However I really like this week's Make it Monday video at Papertrey Ink. Erin showed us how to make an embellishment by stamping both sides of a die cut. Great idea and dead easy!

Like a few other crafters, I decided to use butterflies on my project as I've got the die to match the stamp set, and as the images are symetrical its easy to stamp both sides. I used glue dots to shape the butterflies and added blue metalic thread for the anntenae. Err, yes I know the sideways butterflies are insideout! - but they looked much better that way round. I'll definitely use this technique again.

As I sit here typing the sun is shining through the narrow gap between the two houses opposite onto the little sprig of catkins I picked on a walk last week. I notice they have opened in the warmth of the room and dropped their pollen.

You can see it here - that pale yellow dust on the rim of the glass.

Its very cold today and I fear the birds and animals will have to endure another long freezing night tonight. I do hope they have found enough to eat during the day to get them through. Even so, "my" birds are still picky and have ignored the pink fruit suet block I put out over a week ago. Perhaps they don't like the colour! Its supposed to be just what robins and blackbirds need at this time of year - but I don't think anyone has told them! Even the Thrush has turned his beak up.
Can you see he has upsidedown hearts on his breast!

Stamps: Papertrey Ink's Butterfly Dreams; Friends Til the End, Think Big Favorites; + Butterfly die

1st February - and January in photos

2012-02-01T22:18:00.002Z

I've been inspired by Godelieve's excellent digital page here but there is no way I would be able to fill a page with my blog posts in just a month! However I'd really like to use the templates to record 2012 in photos so I'm going to jump in. January has been a lean month but I've managed to find enough images for my page and of course it will get easier as the year goes by. I've used the same digital kit from Jessica Sprague, and as has Godelieve, I've changed the page background and elements to suit.

And as another month has begun, here is Miss February from my vintage book "Children Month by Month". I hope we won't be sliding and gliding about too much!

Digital kits: Design 365 A Year of Layouts 2012 by Jessica Sprague; Snow Yesterday by Kate Teague for Two Peas in a Bucket

Signs of Spring

2012-01-28T12:18:00.000Z

A cold but sunny Saturday morning brings thoughts of a change in the season and signs of Spring on its way in the garden. To celebrate I bought these seeds at our local bargain basement shop yesterday. There are lots of disadvantages to being a gardener - wet feet, all that back-breaking toil and those slimy garden pests! - but we are an optimistic lot, planting and sowing in the hope of good things to come.

I may not quite get the results shown on the front of these seed packets but for a small outlay I can look forward to sowing the seeds on some warm Spring day not too distant, and dream of a carpet of blooms in the garden this summer.

And while surfing the net this morning I found a new to me stamp shop, Make the Day Special. I fear I may be spending much time and money here in the future! However today I was restrained and ordered just one stamp set from Flourishes. I just love these realistic looking bees and when they arrive can create some summery projects at my craft desk whilst I wait to hear that friendly buzzing in the garden again.

Be Mine.... Valentine

2012-01-27T19:44:00.000Z

Oh dear! Can it really be over two weeks since I last posted? Time goes so fast these days - they say its something to do with age!!

In the UK there isn't really a big celebration on Valentine's Day - as I gather there is the US. Reading blogs and browsing Pinterest I find almost everyone - friends, family, co-workers and classmates receive a Valentine gift or card. Here we usually stick to the traditional idea of sending an anonymous (or perhaps not so anonymous!) card to your secret love - at least that was how it was in my day! Though I'm sure its woe betide the husband, wife or partner that doesn't arrive home on the day with that bunch of red roses, sloppy card, or bottle of something special!
Well times are hard and red roses astronomical in price in the run up to 14th February; so I've created some very modest Valentine tokens for my Folksy shop. And, you know me, I couldn't resist packaging them up to make them a little more appealing. My Papertrey Ink dies were perfect for the job as usual. The lunchbox note die fits my felt heart brooches to a tee and the Favor-it Box series right for crochet heart keyrings. I think these items fall into the "bit more than a card" category as I'm sure a box of chocs, posy of spring flowers or a bottle of some special brew would make an acceptable accompaniment.

I die cut two felt hearts for the brooches and added tiny crochet hearts and buttons to embellish. I found an excellent pattern and video at Little Birdie Secrets. It was easy to adapt the basic pattern to fit different yarns and even used embroidery silks with a titchy hook. The hearts are padded with a tiny amount of toy filling and with the button too they are a rather plump and I couldn't keep the note packaging closed - it kept springing open - so I pierced holes through the layers of cardstock and threaded ribbon or twine through to keep the flap in place.

I put together Favor-it boxes for the crochet keyrings and made a small gift card to match.
The pattern for the keyring hearts is from Tara Murrey here. I added a chain loop to hang the heart from the keyring fitting and added a bit of embellishment.

Now I just need to get them into my shop!

Stamps: Lots of different sets but mostly Papertrey Ink Heart Prints, Background Basics Hearts, Rosie Posie, Tag-its #11; Waltzing Mouse Stamps: Seasons of Love.
Dies: All Papertrey Ink - Heart Prints Collection, Lunchbox Note, Favor It Box #5, Limitless Layers 1 3/4" Circle Collection.

Busy Busy Bee!

2012-01-12T22:25:00.000Z

This is a post I should have written before Christmas - but guess what, I didn't get round to it! I want to show off my favourite Christmas 2011 gift - this absolutely wonderful tote my dear blog friend Baukje made for me. Isn't it fabulous! I just adore the colours of the gorgeous fabric and the shape and size is just perfect for my latest 'work in progress'. I decided against using it as an everyday tote as I don't want it to get knocked about with daily travelling and shopping trips. So I'll keep it especially for my crafty projects and enjoy it all the more as I'll be getting it out whenever I sit down to do something I love.

Baukje writes one of my favourite blogs, Busy Bee Free, and never was there a blog more aptly named. She is one of the most prolific crafters I have come across, sewing up quilts by the dozen, knitting beautiful shawls in a matter of days and producing many other beautifully crafted items for family and friends and her stall at a local market. So I wasn't surprised when Baukje wrote her New Year post about Japanese origami paper cranes and the story behind them, and then offered 10 hand folded origami paper cranes to each of her readers. Mine arrived today and I've hung them in a circle around the light above my computer by tying them to an old wooden embroidery hoop. I'll think of my kind friend when I look at them and remember the hope of peace for the world. I'd like to try folding them myself and found this excellent demonstration on Youtube.

Ongoing projects.... and on and on and on!

2012-01-10T21:05:00.000Z

I'm ashamed to say I've been knitting this pullover for at least 18 months! It was supposed to be my son's Christmas present 2010! I didn't really pick it up at all during 2011 but found a new enthusiasm for it in the New Year and have finished the back and threequarters of the front. So I'm well on the way now and want to get it done.

Another project on the go is finding the perfect crochet heart pattern. So far this one and this one are my favourites. Both are similar and in the amigurami style, but one is worked from the top down and the other from the bottom up. The loops are my own addition as I want to turn the hearts into keyrings, phone charms or fill them with lavender to hang in a wardrobe. I might want to add some surface decoration too - a bit of embroidery, felt shapes or perhaps wooden beads.

Promise I'll show some finished projects before too long!!

Winter Beaches

2012-01-07T11:34:00.000Z

The beach in winter....... its COLD! But I love to walk there, and although it looks empty in my scrapbook page, there were a few other walkers even though it was late in the day and getting dark. Have to admit though that most of them were walking their dogs.

We noticed this really strange effect of the wind on the shells and pebbles in the sand. It reminds me of lots of those little mudskipper fish I've seen in natural history programmes on TV.

We had to stop in Sainsbury's cafe on the way home to warm up with tea and a danish pastry!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T22:42:00.001Z

Happy 2012 to Us All

No snow here - a rather grey first day of the year. But there was a sunset so I have hopes for tomorrow.

And thank you all for the lovely comments on yesterday's post. I should have added a couple of links - the slipper pattern is from Francine Toukou altered a bit to fit the bigger feet of my nieces. The cherry stones I got loose from Aura Essential Oils.co.uk - the stones have an advantage over other hot pad fillings as they stay warm longer and unlike any other filling, can be washed.

I found this paragraph about their therapeutic origins somewhere on the net:

"Cherry stones are a natural by-productin the manufacture of Kirsch liqueur and the Swiss have been experiencing thebenefit of warm cherry stones for years! Tradition has it that the distilleryworkers would tie cherry stones in small bags, place them on top of stoves towarm and, after a hard day's toil, use the soothing heat pads to treat theiraches and pains."

And yes Mrs A, those tree baubles are more than 50 years old. I remember them all, especially the plastic snowflakes and stars, decorating the Christmas trees of my 1950s childhood. You can see a snowflake catching the light above my head in this photo taken around 1956. Like many other baby boomers of similar age, I seem to be drawn to anything that brings back happy memories of my mid 20th century childhood - blimey don't I sound old!!

Goodbye 2011

2011-12-31T12:20:00.001Z

I've been ignoring my blog for the last three weeks..... it has been calling me but I didn't listen. As usual I left everything too late and didn't even put up my decorations until Christmas Eve. But this is the last day I'm going to be disorganised - 2012 is going to see a new me that gets everything finished in plenty of time! You heard (read) it here first!

I feel really bad that I haven't posted or visited any of my favourite blogs. I really really don't want Christmas 2012 to be the same and intend to stick to my New Year resolution next week by making something - don't know what yet but I'll be visiting my Pinterest boards for inspriation.

So here are a few pictures of my disorganised crafty Christmas - I did get some things finished in time!

Cherry stone hand warmers for my Mum and sisters in their little matching bits and bobs pockets.

Delia Smith inspired Christmas cake that doubled as my sister's birthday cake on the 21st. Crochet slippers for my nieces - I sewed leather insoles underneath so they don't slide around on the kitchen floor!

My tiny Christmas tree and some of the vintage decorations I've collected over the years.

Christmas cards I posted in the very last hour for first class delivery before the day - love this Boughs and Bells set from PTI. Such a classic traditional look with the sentiment from Compliments of the Season (Waltzing Mouse Stamps).

Some wrapped presents ready to give at the last possible moment before another sister left for a week's skiing on 23rd!

We had yummy scrambled eggs and mushrooms on toast at our favourite teeny Cafe Gate in Chester on the way back from taking my sister and nephew to the train at the end of their visit. I liked their homely snowflake window decorations made from laminated doilies.

So that was my Christmas 2011. I'd like to thank you, my faithfull readers, for all the encouragement I've had from you over the last year and the lovely comments you've left me. Here's to the New Year - and if you are celebrating tonight, have a very happy time.

Knit Me a Man Please!

2011-12-14T16:33:00.000Z

I went through a phase of buying old knitting patterns a few years ago and looking through them last night I was reminded of Christmas 2005 when my sister jokingly said "knit me a man" when I asked her if there was anything she would like for her gift. So I did! And here he is photographed just after I finished him and when my sister unwrapped him. She named him Jim, after my Mother's wartime GI boyfriend. He's an airman - I had wanted to knit the soldier but didn't have the right colour yarn for his uniform at the time.

In case you would like to knit yourself or a friend a man for Christmas, here is the pattern. As with the cut-out crib in my last post, you can download the images by right clicking and saving to your hard disk.

As you can tell, the pattern was published during WW2 and I find the lines below each doll pattern quite touching. I can't bear to think how many Daddies didn't come home after the war. But in jollier mood, here's another from the same era - Father Christmas and one of his Gnomes.

A Retro Christmas Crib for the 100

2011-12-09T16:05:00.001Z

I was astounded to see yesterday that I now have 100 followers! Welcome to Loretta and Sherry who joined my little blog this week. And to celebrate I thought you might like this papercraft nativity set from the Christmas 1964 issue of Woman and Home magazine. You may have noticed I have rather a lot of old magazines and W&H is one of my favourites.

I love the simple style of these figures and really hope you will want to make one for your Christmas celebrations this year. I've scanned these pages but as I only have an ancient A4 size scanner I've had to piece the pages together a bit - the magazine was wider than the scanner. But you shouldn't have any problems as long as you make sure you don't tick the 'fit to page' box and just print as is. Here are the instructions.

To download these pages to your computer, right click the image, open in a new window and save to your hard drive somewhere you can find it easily. Its just the sort of thing I loved when I was a child and I would have been pleading with my Mum to hurry up and finish reading her magazine so that I could start cutting out!

2011-12-04T16:30:00.000Z

I've found three more homemade gift ideas for today in my 1950s Woman and Home magazine collection. The first is this lovely crochet square in fine yarn. As the patterns says, what would please her more, and I think I'd be very pleased to receive such an elegant gift too.

Not so sure the two children's gifts would be so well received by today's kids though. You might get away with the muff for a very small girl but though I love the pipecleaner family myself I can't imagine many dolls house owners choosing them over a modern shop bought family. But perhaps they could be a project to try when the festivities are over.

If you would like to try the crochet pattern right click on the image, open in a new window and click to enlarge. If this doesn't work and you can't get a good image drop me a line and I'll send you a scan.

Dogwood Reindeers and Saltdough Stars

2011-12-03T11:42:00.001Z

I meant to add some gift making ideas to my blog each day but yesterday was a marathon - the Folksy website has had a makeover and to celebrate they had a free listing day. Great I thought..... but of course I wasn't the only one and the mass listing exercise was rather frustrating as everything was so SLOW! But as the day went on things speeded up and the lovely Folksy people extended the free period so in the end I was able to add lots of items to my shop. Very pleased but I didn't have time to add anything here.

Here's a couple of things I made years ago but I'm thinking of trying again this year. Do you remember when salt dough was all the rage? I was into it in a big way and still have a few things I made then - this star being one of them. It adds just the right finishing touch to my wine bottle tag. The star was cut with a biscuit cutter and I glued a short length of ordinary string and a green lentil to the centre before baking in the oven ( remember to pierce a hanging hole with a skewer). I then painted it first with red and then gold acrylic paint.

The dogwood reindeer is also a long survivor I'm planning on reviving. I first made them for my work colleagues at least 10 years ago and I kept this one for myself. Our workplace had a bed of red dogwood outside and instead of leaving the lovely red stems on though the winter the "slash and burn" groundsmen cut them off every year. So I gathered a few before they were taken away and made about 30 reindeer. I remember they were very well received - and of course cost practically nothing to make. The twigs were put together with a hot glue gun and string was added to hide the glue a bit as its not very pretty.

Sadly I don't have access to the dogwood now but I have lots of willow in the garden that really needs cutting back so I'll be using that.

Just noticed Claire at Waltzing Mouse has a Christmas Tag Challenge on at the moment so I'll enter my bottle tag and cross my fingers that it "tickles"!

Supplies for tag: Papertrey Ink Bottle Tag Die, Waltzing Mouse Nordic Winter stamp set

Yikes! 24 days to go!

2011-12-01T12:00:00.000Z

And I haven't got a single gift ready yet! So I've been going through my collection of old magazines looking for ideas. I thought I'd like to post some of the things I find here on the blog over the next couple of weeks. My first find is three very practical but pretty gifts from the Christmas edition of Woman and Home magazine in 1958. I really like the apron - I'm sure it would be just as well received in 2011 as it would have been in 1958. And I'd love to find a piece of that wonderful teapot fabric!

December

2011-12-01T02:03:00.001Z

The last couple of weeks have been all about craft fairs and I wouldn't like to tell you how many very late nights I've had getting my stall ready. But even though there is still one fair to go I have just about enough stuff to keep me going and from now on I'm going to concentrate on my Christmas list - luckily its not huge as we are a small family.

I made some more peg dolls for last weekend's Christmas fair - snowmen, angels and fairies. I'd been looking for the peg stands for my dolls for ages. I couldn't find them for sale without their pegs - and I already had lots of pegs. But at last I've found a really excellent supplier. If you're in the UK and looking for crafty supplies at reasonable prices, you'll probably find what you are after and more at littlecraftybugs.co.uk. There's loads and loads of ideas for kids' crafty activities too. My happiest childhood Christmas memories are of sitting at the kitchen table making decorations and pegs are easy for even the most uncrafty child (or adult) to attempt . Or what about a peg doll competition at a Christmas party.

Swapping success!

2011-11-19T10:05:00.001Z

The Modern Christmas Fabric Charm Swap squares I received a few weeks ago have been such a gift this week as they turned out to be the perfect size for turning into Christmas Spiced hearts and sachets for my next craft fair. Emily at Strawberry Patch organised the swap and we swappers got 2 squares each of 26 different fabrics! And some really gorgeous patterns there were too.

My spices are a mixture of cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and star anise crushed a bit with a pair of pliers to release their wonderful fragrance - so Christmassy, I wish you could smell it. Some old buttons, bells and felt beads add the finishing touches along with die cut felt shapes. It all came together really well so thanks so much Emily for organising the perfect swap for me. Hope we can do it again next year.

Remembering GI Jim

2011-11-13T08:18:00.001Z

Another day of remembering and today its my Mum's wartime story I've been thinking about. I've recalled here before her romance with an American GI Jim Campbell, but I don't think I've pictured him. When I inherited my Grandmother's photograph collection I found she had kept a number of photographs of Jim and now I keep them safe.

Mum was only 15 years old in 1939, living with her parents and going to secretarial school in Chester. When war broke out her Dad, my Grandfather, was working at De Havillands Aircraft Factory but was soon moved to the Burtonwood RAF base near Warrington. Then in January 1942 Burtonwood was transferred to the United States Army Airforces and the GIs came to town! By this time Mum was 17 and she and her girlfriends were in great demand by off duty servicemen who virtually took over Warrington town centre. Mum was soon "going steady" with Jim and they became engaged. They were together for 4 years but eventually Jim left the UK for a base in Germany and Mum realised she was not destined to become a GI bride and didn't want to leave her home and family - in her own words "it was just a wartime romance".

I heard a radio programme this week recalling the experiences of over 70,000 women who sailed across the Atlantic in the 1940s to begin a new life with the American and Canadian husbands they had met and married during the war. Today there are over a million descendants in America and Canada of the women who followed their hearts and took a leap of faith all those years ago. Funny to think I could have been one of those decendants - but I wouldn't have been me!

Jim did survive the war and returned home to Staten Island, New York. And he did marry and have a family, so if any one 'over the pond' recognises his face I'd love to hear from you - and so would Mum!

Supplies: Centerpieces Vol 1 digital elements by Joanne Briseboise at Oscraps

A Host of Recycled Angels

2011-11-12T12:52:00.000Z

I've been busy making more and more angels this week. Although they are a bit fiddly I really enjoy creating them and like the fact that apart from a bit of white and cream cardstock, ink and vellum, they are made from the contents of my recycling box. I've used lots of cereal-type boxes, the silvery package my loose tea comes in, and the copper coloured inside of tomato paste tubes - all of which cut really easily in my Cuttlebug. And they will hang on crochet yarn I found in a charity shop. As this angel stamp is symmetrical it was easy to "back-to-back" the card bases and images, with the wings and halos sandwiched in the middle.

Some of these angels will be crossing the English Channel soon as my very good blog friend Baukje, a knitter and stitcher extraordinaire living in France, will be giving them to her family this Christmas. So that she can add her own greetings and messages we came up with the idea of packaging and attaching them to a tag. I've put the angels in little cello bags and stapled them to the tag top, while leaving the bag open - that way the angel will slip out easily. I like how I was able to make up each one differently so all will get their very own angel.

Supplies: Lots of recycled packaging; Papertrey Ink Love Lives Here Holiday stamp set; various Distress Inks; Papertrey Ink Tag Sale #3 die

Remembrance

2011-11-11T20:11:00.000Z

I've a passion for our family history and have become the keeper of the family album, albeit in digital form. My Mother's cousin Ieuan recently lent me his mother's old Victorian family album which contained many photographs I hadn't seen before and faces I didn't recognise. But with a bit of detective work I was able to put names to the faces in this family portrait and turned it from just another anonymous Edwardian family photograph into a vital record of real people who I can now claim as members of "my" family. I already knew that this little girl was a cousin of my Grandmother's and recognised also the face of her mother. Then a search of the census records on line produced details of the whole family, which in turn enabled me to identify them all.

Today is Armistice Day - a day when we remember all those who have suffered and died in war, and of course I think of my Father and Grandfather who did not die but certainly suffered. Their wartime experiences affected the rest of their lives. But this year I want to remember also Thomas Glyn Owen, the young man in these photographs. He was killed on the Somme on 21st March 1918 aged 38. He left behind his grieving wife, parents, sister and brothers. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Poizeres Memorial in France, just one of over 14,300 soldiers who simply disappeared there between March and August 1918. I can't imagine the anguish of the families who had to sit at home waiting for news that never came.

Supplies: Haute Couture Embellishment digital kit from Design by Anita at Two Peas in a Bucket

Make it Monday stamped background challenge

2011-11-04T23:51:00.001Z

I think I've said before that I just love stamping backgrounds so this week's MIM challenge was right up my street. I stamped this get well card for my Mum to send to a friend. Just a short post tonight to enter the challenge.... ever the optimist!

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Supplies: Papertrey Ink Tea for Two stamp set and die, Beautiful Blooms stamp set; Distress Ink Worn Lipstick, Bundled Sage, Scattered Straw

Gloomy November?

2011-11-01T18:28:00.001Z

Another month and another charming image from Children Month by Month. We don't often have foggy weather here - except when the clouds are low on the hills and we have to travel through them. However it really doesn't seem like November - I can still walk out without a coat and the garden really doesn't know what season it is......

The hollies think its already the festive season and are covered in bright red berries.........


but underneath there are fragrant pink sweet peas still flowering!

The leaves on the young maple are coloured ready to drop.............

but there are still alpine strawberries everywhere if you look carefully - and still some flowers!

But there's no escaping the long shadows mid afternoon and dusk by teatime when lights need switching on and the curtains have to be drawn. Oh well, I'll just enjoy the last signs of summer and get on with my Christmas crafting!

A birthday and two recipes

2011-10-30T22:48:00.000Z

Another family birthday this week and I thought I would make it a practical gift this time. I found this cook's gift idea in one of my Susan Branch books - an old mixing bowl filled with the ingredients and recipe for Cranberry Apple Crisp. Well I'd been on the lookout for a suitable bowl for weeks but when time started running out I decided had to buy new and found this blue Melamine bowl at our local Ironmongers. It was just the right size, very practical - and a bit 50s in style to my mind.

The card is a steal from Cristina's fabulous project and I added my felt leaf pin as an extra little gift.

Sadly the clocks went back last night and it feels like the end of the summer all over again. Only 2 days ago I was digging up my tomato plants and now have a large bowl of small red, orange and green tomatoes that I hope will all ripen to red over the next week or so. And I'd like to share this delicious tomato recipe I've used quite a few times since the tomatoes started ripening - its quick, easy, tasty - and just the thing for a glut of cherry tomatoes. You can watch Lorraine Pascale making her Tomato Basil Tarte Tatin here on Youtube.

Lastly just have to post this photo of the garden robin who hops around when I'm digging. He/she keeps an eye out for any tasty morsels my fork uncovers and enjoyed quite a few while I was digging up the tomatoes and putting in my onion sets on Friday.

Papertrey October Blog Hop

2011-10-25T20:36:00.000+01:00

If its October its got to be pumpkins, witches and trick or treat - although trick or treat is a very new idea here in the UK. But I have to admit that I absolutely love the shape and colour of pumpkins and have a few favourite Papertrey Ink pumpkin images in my collection. I used them to make small trick or treat gifts for some of the younger family members who are really looking forward to the 31st.

And I'm looking forward to the Papertrey blog hop tonight. Its always inspiring to see what other PTI addicts have been making and of course I want to join in and offer my treats - especially the pumpkins ones! The lunch box die is perfect as a treat holder and I purchased some fun-size (don't know why they call them fun size - a larger size would be much more fun!) chocolate buttons and bars that fitted in nicely.

My lovely blog friend Theresa is currently holding a Halloween blog party with a giveaway and she wants to know our favourite Halloween memories. Well, as I said, we don't really have a tradition of celebrating on Halloween here in the UK but I do have a little pottery witch I bring out every October. She sits on my mantelpiece until its time to put up the Christmas decorations, so to me she is the very beginning of the Christmas crafty season. I remember buying her at one of those bargain basement stores many years ago. When my son was small he and I used to go with my Mum and Dad on Saturday shopping trips and on this trip Mum and I both bought a witch - Dad thought we were daft, but I've loved her ever since. She has decorated my October mantelpiece for at least the last 35 years and is a happy reminder of long ago shopping trips with my parents.

Oh, and I've two blog posts today. If you are curious to find out what constitutes a good Sunday afternoon outing here in Wales, scroll down and take a look!

Supplies: all PTI - Lunch Box Note die, Limitless Layers die collection, Tag-Its stamp sets #2 & #7, Friendship Jar Fall Fillers, Autumn Tags 2009

Tractors and chips

2011-10-25T18:22:00.000+01:00

I wonder what passes for a Sunday afternoon outing where you are? I work until 2.00pm on Sundays but as the local Vintage Machinery Show and Threshing Demonstration last week was only down the road, I was able to fit it in.

It was a beautiful day with the sun shining on the hills behind and the old cars, tractors, trucks, motorcycles and farm machinery made a colourful picture. My readers in the US might be interested to learn that the green tractor on the right found its way to North Wales all the way from Ohio!

The event was held at our local mart (cattle market) and as you can imagine, as a vegetarian its not somewhere I frequent too often but more and more local events seem to have been held there recently, including the summer Flower Show, Bonfire Night Fireworks Display and various vintage, horse and pony shows and sales.

I don't know how long these men had spent feeding this old threshing machine, but they were at it the whole time we were there and I hope they had been able to fit in a break at the market cafe as we did!

Double egg and chips with a mug of tea was just the job after my exhausting shift at the small hotel where I am housekeeper/maid of all work three days a week! I haven't eaten at the market cafe before and although you certainlycouldn't call the decor luxurious or stylish, the food was fresh, simple and delicious. Maybe not what I should eat every day, but I don't think once in a while will hurt. I don't make chips at home and they are always a treat.

And it was most enjoyable watching the old farmers enjoying a cuppa and a good old gossip.

There were a few stalls selling bits and bobs and I was lucky enough to pick up an old wooden embroidery frame and some vintage button cards - and I was sorely tempted by this old homemade child's sledge...... but where would I put it! Though later I did think it might have been a good addition to my stall at the next craft fair - which will no doubt be very Christmas orientated. Oh well, too late now!

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree....

2011-10-16T01:15:00.001+01:00

We had another glorious warm and sunny day here today, but when I should have been planting my onion sets in the garden, I was making these Christmas tree decorations instead. There are only two craft fairs before December 25th and the next one is on Saturday! I really haven't made enough stock yet so had to forfeit the good weather and get down to it.

Today it was tree decorations. Again I've used Erin's cereal packet idea and Papertrey Ink stamps and dies. As the die cuts need to be seen from both sides I found two layers of cereal packet plus the two stamped cardstock layers is enough to create quite a sturdy ornament.

The angel is from the Love Lives Here Holiday set. She comes without a face but I just couldn't bring myself to leave her without features and added a few pen strokes to give her a bit of character. I've varied the set of her wings to make each angel different and added a punched circle of velum to represent a halo. I also made little trees, bells, bird houses and stocking and mitten tags.

I did manage to get a bit of time in the garden before the sun dipped below the horizon. I decided I should photograph the decorations hanging in our very own real Christmas tree. One year we had a rooted tree and my Dad planted it in the garden after Christmas. This must have been more than 25 years ago now and the tree has grown into the perfect shape and is about 15 feet tall. If it was in the front garden we could put lights up but its too far from the house to run an electric cable - perhaps I could try solar lights this year.

Supplies: Papertrey Ink Love Lives Here, Love Lives Here Holiday, Bells & Boughs plus the matching die sets and Limitless Layers

Just a little something

2011-10-13T23:58:00.003+01:00

I've really taken to Erin Lincoln's idea of re-using cereal box-type card and die cuts to make small chipboard accents or decorations. It appeals to my fondness for recycling and for fiddling about with bits of card, stamps and ink. So I'm scrutinising everything I put in my recycling box at the moment in case its suitable for running through my long suffering Cuttlebug.

I'm in the middle of Christmas tree decorations at the moment but also thought these little chipboard shapes could be perfect small 'thank you' tokens to fit inside the PTI lunchbox note. This one is to go with one of my lavender scented hanging birds sold from my Folksy shop today. I'm going to enjoy trying out other shapes.

The vintage sewing machine on the front of the note is another old letterpress block I acquired recently. Its just right to accompany a sewn item.

Supplies: Papertrey Ink: Lunch Box Note die; Heart Prints stamp set and matching dies; Limitless Layers dies

Bert Jansch, 1943 - 5th October 2011

2011-10-07T16:41:00.000+01:00

I've been listening to Bert and The Pentangle since the 1960s and created this digital scrapbook page after we'd been to see the band in concert at Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall in July 2008. I made my own digital elements by scanning the concert programme and our tickets and saving them as PNG files. Then it was easy to resize them to fit on my page. A souvenir of a great night! And so sad to think we won't see all the band together again.

RIP Bert xx

DIY Washi Tape

2011-10-06T13:52:00.000+01:00

Another great creative idea from Papertrey Ink's Make it Monday challenge this week - make your own Washi tape from stamps, double sided sticky tape and tissue paper. That Nichole is SO clever!

I was asked to make a 'congratulations on passing your driving test' card in a hurry this week (did no one think she would pass!!) so took the opportunity to enter the MIM challenge again. I did have a roll of 1" wide tape but its a pretty cheap make and wasn't easy to use but I'm fairly happy with the result. A roll of good quality tape would make the job easier next time I think.

And I might also have found it easier if my cat Sausage hadn't decided he wanted to sit just here in the middle of my desk! Poor Sausage lost his sight this year so he's become a little spoilt and I tend to let him do what he likes now - especially as he has to be locked in the house at night and when I'm at work to stop him getting lost or knocked down.

Supplies: Papertrey Ink: Enjoy the Ride stamp set and die; Waltzing Mouse Stamps: Off Beat Backgrounds

Letterpress success

2011-10-02T20:00:00.000+01:00

I've recently become interested in old letterpress printing blocks as I've seen some lovely vintage images used on letterpress printed cards and stationery recently. I wondered whether I would be able to get them to print without a letterpress printing machine and as there are lots of blocks for sale on ebay for not much money, I decided to risk buying one to try it out. So I bought this lovely old fashioned Christmas greeting and set about experimenting.

I first tried just hand printing with an ink pad and a mouse mat underneath my cardstock to make a surface with some "give". It worked but not very well and there was no impressed effect. So I was very brave and carefully prised the metal print plate from its wooden block and set about experimenting with my Cuttlebug until I found a sandwich that worked. I also remembered reading somewhere that using Versamark on a stamp underneath the ink might give a better impression - and it did!

It doesn't show up in my photo, but the greeting is impressed into the card. I cut the print out with a tag die and added holly stamps. Then I used Old Paper Distress Ink on the edges, matted onto some red card, and cut it out.

I couldn't resist making some more cereal packet chipboard accents yesterday and added one to my tag before attaching to a Favor-It Box which had had the Papertrey impression plate treatment. As you can see I tried printing in red too and I'm not sure that I don't like that version even more than the green. I just need to work out how to get the greeting onto the inside of a Christmas card now.

This little project will be entered into the current A Passion for Papertrey challenge and its also a SECOND (good grief!!) entry for the Make-It-Monday challenge over on {Capture the Moment}.

I can't wait to find a few more suitable printing blocks to try but don't worry Hannah, if you are reading this I don't think I'll be going into the letterpress business! The process is a bit fiddly and rather hit and miss. So I'll still be looking for my letterpress goodies at Little Red Press!

Stamps: Papertrey's: Holy Jolly; Love Lives Here
Dies (all Papertrey): Favor-It Box 3; Tag Sale 1; Mat Stack 1; Love Lives Here collection
Other: Papertrey Linen & Canvas Impression Plate

October already.....

2011-10-01T21:21:00.000+01:00

.........just where did September go!! Two posts today as I want to fit in the October children from Children Month by Month, the old book I wrote about at the beginning of September.

Now children, please don't try burning leaves on the garden path yourselves.... this looks a very dangerous occupation and I'm sure this illustration would not be published in a children's book today! The book comes from the stock of an old publishing house being sold on that well-known on-line auction site recently and is in mint condition. I was interested to see a printing error on this page. The stick or poker the boy is holding isn't there! Probably why the book didn't get to a book or toy shop - bad for the publishers but good for me. Look out for the next page on 1st November - it will be here before you know it!

We've had another glorious day here in the UK. I spent most of the morning making this mobile, which I want to enter for the Papertrey Ink Make-it-Monday challenge.

That clever Erin Lincoln made some lovely chipboard accents using cutting dies and cereal packet cardboard recently and this week's challenge is to make a project using the same technique. Now I was hoping my September release goodies would have arrived by today as I had an idea for a Christmas mobile - but they haven't dropped on the doormat yet so I decided to make an Autumn mobile instead - after all it is only October!

So here it is - I've used leaf and fruit dies, 5 layers of cereal box cardboard and stamped cardstock for the fronts and backs. I found a suitable stick in the garden and tied it all together with hairy twine. I'll hang it in the window tomorrow.

Oh, and does anybody need any cooking apples! Free to a good home but must be collected - any takers!!

Stamps: Papertrey Ink's Leaf Prints, Fruit Fusion Apple and Pear plus the matching dies.
Cardboard courtesy of Dorset Cereals!

Indian Summer

2011-10-01T13:20:00.000+01:00

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky;

I left my shoes and socks there - I wonder if they're dry?

Spike Milligan

I nearly did leave my shoes there as I got a bit stuck in some muddy sand! Due to work and lack of transport at the weekend, I knew Wednesday would be my only chance to walk by the sea before the end of this heat wave, so off I went to our nearest beach. Its 18 miles away in Rhyl, North Wales - the seaside town where I was born. Much of the "Sunny Rhyl" I knew as a child has disappeared, removed by the local council (misguidedly in my opinion). But this far end of the beach has thankfully been left alone, apart from some storm defence boulders and the wind farm out to sea.

As children we loved to spend time on the beach, most often here in Rhyl (that's me and my sister in the 1953 photo), at Criccieth - my Mother's birthplace and at Butlins Holiday Camp in Pwllheli on our much anticipated summer holidays.

This part of the North Wales coast is mostly ignored both by holidaymakers who prefer the more remote beaches of Gwynedd - which of course I absolutely love too - and by day trippers who want a traditional day out at the seaside with all the trimmings - amusement arcades, cafes, candy floss and fish and chips - though sadly no Fun Fair, which closed in 2007.

And I like that too on occasion, but I prefer my beaches mostly uninhabited. And Splash Point is almost always that. Its just that bit too far from the centre of Rhyl for most people. Even on this beautiful day there were no more than a dozen or so people enjoying the sun, sea and sand.

Wild Flower Meadow?

2011-09-26T02:36:00.001+01:00

In early summer I bought a packet of "Wild Flower Meadow" seeds from our local bargain basement shop. It was late to be sowing annual seeds but I had nothing to lose - well only 50p anyway - so I scattered them in a small patch that was bare apart from a few self-sown daisies and alyssum.

And now in early Autumn I've a patch filled with Cornflowers, Californian Poppies, Love-in-a-Mist, Pot Marigolds.....

.......a few things I know but can't name, and a couple of plants that are new to me. Like this lovely blue flower I've been trying to identify on line - it could be Stickseed - a plant from the USA!

And with the Californian Poppies too I'm starting to think that's where the seed packet came from!

Its not really what I was expecting a wild flower meadow to look like - but never mind, its very pretty anyway and I'll enjoy watching what appears next year.

I'll collect some of the seeds to scatter again next spring and I'm hoping some will self-seed too...

....but I'm tempted to pick these Love-in-a-Mist seed pods to have in the house!

If the forecast is correct, we're in for an Indian Summer this week so I may even see something new flowering.

Two birth days

2011-09-22T16:16:00.000+01:00

Thought you might like to see my baby gift for Gruffydd Tomos. These two are my versions of Madame Chantilly's CUTE bears. After finishing Blue Bear I thought I must make something for Gruffydd's 4 year old brother too so Brown Rabbit appeared. Simple toys that can take a lot of punishment and I hope will be loved.

My brother in law also had a birthday recently. He loves his cycling and I found this perfect letterpress card for him at Little Red Press on Folksy. I love the look of letterpress but a machine is a BIG investment - and, yes, I know, I'm already spending way too much on papercrafting! So I'll content myself with buying beautiful letterpressing like this - I've already seen the perfect card for my son who has just turned into a biker!

As usual I was rather late putting my gift together as it had to be posted, but Hannah at Little Red Press did me proud and I recieved my card the next day!! And not only that I found she had included this lovely bookmark too. So I was really pleased with my gift and hope the cyclist was too.

The Fashion Harvest

2011-09-18T14:44:00.013+01:00

I'd like to introduce to you a brand new blog created by my talented (and beautiful) niece Faye. If you like fashion, vintage, thrifting and making, you will like this. And if, like me, you are no longer a Dedicated Follower of Fashion, you probably know someone who is. So hop over to The Fashion Harvest and take a look. I'm amazed at how fast Faye has become an expert blogger and she has already picked up a band of Followers - I'm jealous!

Faye is just 16 and has her eyes set on a career in fashion journalism. I think she's already on her way! And looking back at my 16 year old self I can see Faye and I would have had a lot in common. It was 1964 - I'd just started a college course in fashion and textile and spent hours drawing, cutting and stitching clothes using any fabric I could get my hands on. Of course there were no charity (thrift) shops then but we did recycle our clothes. I featured my favourite recycler Capable Kate here last year and many of you seemed to enjoy her then, so I give you three more pages from her notebook today.

Ahhh, those were the days! I loved the drawings of Moira Macgregor - the creator of Capable Kate in Honey magazine, and based my own drawing style on hers. I devoured all the teenage fashion magazines of the time - Honey, 19, Petticoat - and idolised the new designers, Mary Quant, Ossie Clarke, Barbara Hulanicki at Biba, Foale & Tuffin and others. And of course we all wanted to be Twiggy or Patti Boyd or any of the other iconic magazine models of the day.

You have no idea how flipping through my small collection of those old magazines takes me back to that time. They say smells are a memory jogger - and of course they are, but every page brings back such a strong memory I can almost believe I'm 16 again and wearing my op-art black and white dress!!!!! Yes, I'm afraid only half of me was caught in this photo - but I quite like it that way.....

I'm having blogger issues today and have reverted back to the old interface as I've lost this post three times! Shame - the new version has some excellent features.

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

2011-09-17T09:19:00.000+01:00

.......if you were to look into the crafty spaces of all us makers anyway! At this time of year I start dreaming up plans for my Christmas gift making and it always sounds perfectly possible.... but no matter how organised I think I am, its always Christmas week before I realise it and late nights are required! I have made a few more Christmas List note pads for my next craft fair as they seemed to go down well at the last one.

I managed to get to a car boot sale last Sunday and found some lovely Christmas sheet music for only 30p each! I know White Christmas is the number one classic Christmas musical, and I do love it, but my very favourite is Holiday Inn. I have it on VHS and have watched it literally dozens of times over the years. Who doesn't love Fred's dancing, Bing's crooning and all those glamorous 40's Hollywood dresses and film sets...... I think I'll watch it again tonight!

I also found this 1950s biscuit tin at the boot sale. Perfect for storing Christmas cards until I'm ready to post them. Its in lovely condition - no rusty bits. I made the peg dolls you can see in the photo years ago for work colleagues - I seem to remember I was inspired by photos I'd seen in Country Living magazines. They were easy to copy using dolly pegs bought at our local ironmongers and bits and pieces I already had in my crafty stash. Click on the photo to enlarge and you'll find it easy to create your own versions - which I'd love to see.

Save for Baby

2011-09-16T13:36:00.000+01:00

I don't often get the chance to make baby cards and gifts, so I was very happy to make a card for new baby Gruffydd Tomos, born this week to two good friends of my son. Gift making is in progress too. Note: Croeso is Welcome in Welsh.

A good chance too to show you this sweet money box I found in a charity shop some time this summer. I feel its from the 1950s and although it is quite crudely hand painted, I love it as a relic of frugal times gone by. "Save for Baby" is painted on the baby's back alongside the money slot.

Stamps: Papertrey Baby Button Bits and Love Lives Here

Make-it-Monday Papertrey Challenge

2011-09-09T16:14:00.000+01:00

I haven't done a Make-it-Monday challenge before but this week's technique was something I love doing - make a background from a non-background stamp. I do this all the time - there are so many Papertrey stamps that lend themselves to making backgrounds. Here's one I haven't tried before. I've also used an excellent technique I saw Jess Larsen demonstrating - she calls it Reverse Stamping. I've often wished a stamp had a mirror image and Jess shows how you can make one. Isn't it brilliantly clever!

Looking at the card now I realise I should have started stamping the background in the middle and not on the left hand side to make it more symmetrical looking - I'll remember that next time.

Stamps: PTI - Beyond Basic Borders, Warm Happiness
Other: Tag Sale 2 die

Sunsets and Naked Ladies

2011-09-05T01:22:00.000+01:00

Did my post title catch your eye! There was a beautiful sunset here tonight - the room was suddenly filled by this wonderful pink light so I ran up to the attic with my camera to capture it. I've dozens of sunset pictures but only a few sun rises.... I wonder why :o)

And I found the first Autumn Crocus (Colchicums) flowers in the garden this weekend - they are also known as Naked Ladies as they appear out of the earth without their leaves - which come in the spring and then die down before the flower emerges. The bulbs will also flower on a windowsill - without any soil. Just place in a saucer with a little water. When the flower fades you can plant the bulb in the garden and enjoy them again and again.

Please remember that the bulbs and flowers are poisonous - keep away from children and pets.

Two birthday cards

2011-09-02T20:40:00.000+01:00

Since I became addicted to clear polymer stamps I don't often buy wood mounted red rubber stamps but when I saw Peppermint Polly on a number of crafty blogs I just had to have her. I used her for the first time today to make a birthday card for a niece who is 16 next week. I like to make simple single layer cards and stamped Polly directly onto my kraft card base. I stamped her again on a scrap of pink card, then stamped, cut out and paper pieced her dress. I used my Copic markers to colour the rest of the image and I've found that colouring with a watercolour pencil in a similar colour before using the marker stops ink seeping through to the back of the cardstock - something you don't want to happen on a single layer card.

My second card is for my sister whose birthday is tomorrow. Papertrey Ink held a promotional event in July where everyone who made a $100 purchase received a free stamp set. I couldn't justify the expense of making a mid-month order but did love the free stamp set. I was really pleased therefore to find some sets for sale a little later and was lucky enough to win one on ebay. It was this jug image that I really wanted as it is so reminiscent of blue and white jugs I remember displayed on Welsh dressers and sideboards in various family homes over 50 years ago. I stamped a pattern on my jug to make it look more like those remembered jugs, masking where necessary and adding a bit of shading with a Copic marker. I stamped the card base with another image from the set to create a tone-on-tone background.

Make a Wish card: Penny Black - Peppermint Polly; Papertrey Ink - Love Lives Here, Think Big Favorites #1, Green Thumb
Blue Jug card: Papertrey Ink - Iconic Images, Botanical Silhouettes (sentiment)
All inks Tim Holtz Distress Ink

September

2011-09-01T23:51:00.000+01:00

This pretty children's book illustration is from a small picture book titled Children Month by Month, published by Birn Bros Ltd in, I would think, the 1940s or early 50s. Its perfect for posting this first day of September, which has been absolutely glorious here in the UK. Perfect because there is so much fruit on the apple trees this year the branches are bowed down with the weight and I'm wishing I had a little apple store shed like this in which to keep them. I'll be trying to keep as many as I can to use over the Autumn and Winter but I expect the garden wildlife will be feasting on windfalls over the next few months. So I never fret that they are going to waste because they won't be.

The other months in this book are just as charmingly illustrated and I thought I'd try to post one each first day of the month if I can remember. They'd make a lovely nostalgic calendar.

It seems Blogger has had a bit of a makeover and I'm trying to get to grips with it here - it looks like we can post LARGE photos now. And there's a preview screen - which is a big improvement too.

Birthdays

2011-08-31T15:09:00.007+01:00

We have a number of family birthdays in September - lots of gifts to make. I've managed to finish one today - almost 10 days early! Unheard of for me! I bought the Red Riding Hood linen FQ on ebay some time ago and hadn't cut into it. Are you like me.... I hate cutting into a special fabric, paper or card, but then just the right project comes along. It was time to use Red Riding Hood! My niece has started sewing and I made these two bits and bobs tubs for her sewing table. I've made quite a few now and find them really useful. And I've added a small purse which I found on Rashida's Sew Timeless blog. Her tutorial is excellent! I'm going to add some small sewing essentials such as scissors, needles and pins. I love the way it folds up to keep things safe. And I even managed to add the snap fastening - with only a little cursing! I've ruined a number of projects trying to fix these things in the past.

Getting wet!

2011-08-27T21:08:00.007+01:00

The last few days have been weird weather-wise. Its been so changeable- one minute warm sunshine and blue skies, the next torrential rain, then sunshine again 10 minutes later. I imagine this is what monsoon rain is like. I had just walked out the gate of my Mum's house yesterday when the heavens opened and within minutes the rough road was turned into a rushing stream. I had to shelter under a tree - going back to Mum's or carrying on home would have given me a thorough soaking. Can you see I caught our cat jumping the stream and running for home on my video camera!

I only mention this because I'm thinking of all my lovely blog friends over in the US who might be battening down the hatches right now in anticipation of Hurricane Irene arriving. I do hope that the storm is again downgraded before it hits and that you all keep safe over the next 24 hours.
Its a sort of tradition in the UK to moan about the weather but we are lucky that extreme conditions are fairly rare here and I don't ever remember a storm being classed as a hurricane..... correct me if I'm wrong and you have had experience of a hurricane in your neighbourhood!

The heavy showers carried on today and did keep the number of visitors to our craft fair down. However I was pleased with the comments I got on my stall, though cross with myself for forgetting my camera to record what I took and what sold. Here are some of the gift tags I did remember to photograph before leaving home. I sold them all and so much enjoyed making them it won't be any hardship to make more for next time.

Last minute!

2011-08-26T22:27:00.008+01:00

Oh dear - I've failed! I haven't managed a crafty post today.... well actually I mean yesterday, as its now after midnight on Friday so its officially Saturday! But at least Blogger has dated my post for Friday so I have technically stuck to my post-a-day-for-a-week challenge to myself. But to be fair I've had lots to do for tomorrow's craft fair - I do wish I could get more organised and not be last minute with everything every time.
I've also been last minute in visiting the charity shop (thrift store) that popped up this week. You know the sort, the charity takes a vacant shop for a week to raise funds. One popped up last Saturday but I didn't get round to visiting until this afternoon when it was winding down to close. But I'm pleased with the two books I bought. I can't resist beautifully illustrated children's books and these two fall into the gorgeous category. I love the fabulous 'of the period' illustrations in this French language book published in 1969. I'd never heard of Martine before but I googled her and find there are over 50 titles! Sadly the illustrator Marcel Marlier died in January this year at the age of 80.

My second buy is an old friend published around the same time as Martine but illustrated in a completely different style. You probably know it too, though perhaps you don't recognise the title! Its a Welsh translation of Rosie's Walk but Rosie's been given the Welsh name Magi. Wonderful stylized farmyard illustrations by Pat Hutchins - and aren't those fruit trees are fabulous!
My fingers are itching to try my own versions of the trees and flowers. And wouldn't they make excellent rubber stamps!

Madeleines à la Française

2011-08-25T19:48:00.015+01:00

Well I'm still on course to post every day this week. But I was a bit stumped for today's subject as its one of my work days and I have LOADS of stuff to finish for the craft fair on Saturday. I meant to blog about my Madeleines last week when I made them but didn't get down to it - so I'm doing it now instead.

I've been wanting to make Madeleines ever since I bought a lovely orange shell shape silicone cake mould while I was staying with my sister in France last year. I looked at lots of recipes on line but then I saw this really simple one on Artycho's blog AND she had used my mould! What's more she's French! So I had to have a go and although my little cakes don't look quite as light, they tasted fine. Next time I'll use an electric whisk instead of mixing by hand.

And I have to show you where I bought the mould. Isn't this a fabulous shop? I'm not sure what you'd call it, but as well as kitchen equipment, baskets, and shopping trolleys (which everyone uses in Nice) you could buy just about any shape and size of glass bottle or jar, choose between dozens of different shaped corks and stoppers to seal them with, and those interesting cardboard boxes behind the counter were full of the most delicious vintage labels to stick on your preserves. Oh, I could have spent a fortune there but when one's limited to a single piece of luggage on the plane one needs to be sensible! But I'd love to visit again.

Christmas Corner

2011-08-24T16:11:00.007+01:00

I've started my Christmas Pinterest board and made today my version of this sweet folksy felt tree so that I can have a Christmas Corner on my table at the Craft Fair this Saturday. I know, I know, most people groan and complain when they see Christmas stuff come into the shops at this time of year, but we crafters know this is the time to start our preparations if we don't want to be gift-making until dawn during the last frantic days of Christmas week - tell me about it, I'm there most years!
As you can see I utilised that cute pyramid favor box again for the base of my tree as I couldn't find anything else suitable lying around the house. And then I thought how excellent this would be as an advent calender - make 24 numbered trees with the advent treat inside and line them up over the fireplace, on a sideboard or in a window. I'd love to do this but there's nobody in the family to make a calender for - so if anyone reading this has the same idea and does make one, I'd LOVE to see.
I'm hoping to have time to make some more Christmas peg fairies, snowmen and angels for the weekend - but as usual time is again running out and my Christmas Corner will probably be very small! But I hope to have some tags and cards on sale. I'll report back!

Oops! Edit! You are right Mrs A - I did mean the Advent treats would go INSIDE the pyramid boxes!

Down the lane again

2011-08-23T22:02:00.025+01:00

Although the long range forecast for this week said rain, rain, rain, today started warm and sunny, so I thought I would take my favourite walk - in case it does turn wet for the rest of the week. Would you like to come too? The footpath starts through this field. In a month or so I will be able to pick sloes in the hedgerow to make my Sloe Gin for Christmas.

Through the gateway and into the next field which has been left to grass this year. I've often picked up bits of broken pottery in this field and wondered why there was so much of it. A TV programme on Victorian farming methods gave me the answer earlier this year - the contents of household middens (rubbish heaps) was a valuable resource and collected to spread on the surrounding fields as a fertiliser - including the bits of broken pottery and china.
I climb over the stile into the next field. There are lots of rabbit holes along the hedgerows here but all I see are white bobtails disappearing into their burrows. I wonder who lives here!

The next stile gets me back onto the road but as the sun is still out I decide to take another path down the farm track.

When my son was small we would come down here to play by the stream.

Although its late in the year there are still many wild plants in flower down here for the bees and butterflies.....

......... though I've only seen Gatekeepers today.

But its getting near teatime now and the sky is starting to cloud over so I decide not to disturb the sheep in the next field and turn for home......

..... passing this wonderful Monkey Puzzle tree and on into town.
Flipping heck I haven't blogged this many photos before. If you've managed to get to the end of this post I congratulate you and hope you enjoyed seeing my bit of Wales and my walk - I did!

I'm trying to post every day this week and this was supposed to be Tuesday's post but I've gone into Wednesday now! Hope to post again today - in daylight!

Pretty Pyramid Favours

2011-08-22T22:06:00.008+01:00

These little favour boxes are so sweet. They are small - 2 and a half inches wide and about 1 and three quarters tall - but there are lots of little gifts that will fit inside. For this one I was thinking of some poppy seeds from the garden with planting instructions.

A very special chocolate and folded up birthday money for this......

Some beautiful buttons for a friend who knits or sews for this one.....

And of course they are perfect for the special holidays - Halloween, Christmas, Easter. I want to try some for the Christmas tree and I've also an image in my head of a pyramid Advent Calendar!

If you are the sort that gives dinner parties they would make cute favours for your guests. Oh, and what about wedding favours!

Get the idea I like this die? Its really easy - one pass through my Cuttlebug, fold on the score lines and the box just comes together. And you get two boxes from one A4 sheet of cardstock. There are dies for the two triangles mats too so no measuring or cutting at all! Easy peasy!

Dies: Papertrey Ink Favor It Box 5, Two Triangles Collection

Bad blogger!

2011-08-21T09:13:00.008+01:00

Well I have been a bad blogger for the past couple of weeks. For some reason I just haven't had the enthusiasm or inclination to post anything and have been working out a couple of crafty obsessions. The first was sparked by this post at Apple Juice. Like Celine, once I'd made my first Bits and Bobs Pocket I had to make a whole set! I've a huge stash of fabric remnants collected over the past 40 or so years and I really enjoyed picking out different scraps for each pocket. Some I'll be keeping and some will make cute gifts. They are perfect for beside the bed (as Celine says) but they are also great for carrying round a small craft project - or some other activity that entails lots of bits and bobs being gathered together. You can fold over the top, drop in your bag and off you go into the garden or down to the beach or even into bed. Love them!I've had a week off work and have indulged myself with other crafty projects which I will post during this week - as I've been so quiet lately I thought I would make myself post every day for the next 7 days to make up. Its back to work today and a normal routine will resume :o( - so to cheer myself up I picked a small bunch of flowers from the garden - aren't they pretty!

Mary-Go-Round and the beginning of the end!

2011-08-06T12:44:00.012+01:00

I'd seen these cute crochet frames on Lola Nova's blog some time ago but hadn't got round (no pun intended!) to trying them as I couldn't find a suitable bangle round the house - though I'm sure I've got some somewhere - and didn't really want to buy one specially. Then I was reading my copy of the latest Mollie Makes and there they were again. I happened to be at Mum's and she said she had some on her dressing table! She had three so I promptly got out my hook and crocheted three in no time at all!

I used a natural cotton yarn for my first one, expensive cashmerino for the yellow and very cheap acrylic for the red one - I have to say the acrylic yarn is fine for a project like this and as the yarn stretches it does look rather neater than the unstretchy cotton yarn version.

I gave the cotton one to my niece. I added a die cut card back and a plastic hanging ring so she can put in her own (more grown up!) image and hang in her new sewing corner.

Finally, I just want to record that as far as I'm concerned, yesterday was the beginning of the end of summer - the swifts have left town. As I write this they are on their hazardous journey back to Africa. We won't again hear their excited screaming as they streak through the sky until next May. I'm so glad I managed to take a short video of them on my way to work last week when they were flying low around their nest site. Its only 200 yards or so away and I so wish they would nest on my house! Maybe next year....

NF Winged #6

2011-08-04T19:47:00.010+01:00

Here's my photo for Nature Footstep Winged collection this week. Its a Comma butterfly and if you look carefully you can see the white mark on its under-wings from which it gets its name. Its easy to identify a Comma, even from a distance, as they have a very distinctive gliding flight - at least they do in my garden. They love to bask in the sheltered sunshine of a large laurel hedge in the back garden either on a leaf or even on the grass - where they are in danger of becoming the plaything of one of the local cats that frequent the same sunny spots.

I made another notebook for my great niece today and used some stamps I bought at Art Stamp Wales in Wrexham last week. I really like these delicate dragonfly images. We do occasionally see them in the garden as the neighbours have a pool. They are usually hunting and zoom around the grass plat at high speed. I caught one on camera a few years ago (2006 to be exact) - a complete fluke - it just landed in front of me. Never happened again! Sadly it wasn't one of the beautiful iridescent blue varieties - its a Common Darter, but just look at those gorgeous transparent wings.

Notebook recipe:
Stamps: - Lavinia Stamps' (our own very local stamp designer!) Bugs & Group of Poppies, Papertrey's Garden Variety, sentimen:t Papertrey's Botanical Silhouettes
Dies: Papertrey's Garden Variety and Picket Fence

Cherry ripe, cherry ripe.....

2011-08-03T15:24:00.006+01:00

The tree at the bottom of the garden has been groaning under the weight of its fruit this year. Its an ancient tree, already full grown when we moved to the house 40 years ago. Now I've alway thought these were small plums because of the way they grow on the tree, but they also taste like cherries. However it doesn't really matter either way, whatever they are I still have the problem of picking, using and preserving them before they go over. The wasps are already eyeing them up and the birds are feasting on the ones I can't reach - so nature will have its share.We've eaten probably too many than are good for us fresh, I've made crumble puddings, frozen some, given lots away, and my latest effort has been bottling. I've not tried this form of preserving before and I don't think I've been completely successful as at the end of the session there has been so much syrup left I feel I must have done something wrong.
But we tried them today as one jar's seal had failed and needed to be used first. I'm pleased to report they were delicious with some greek yogurt - so my sister will get a jar when she visits on Friday. Of course I have to pretty up the jar and decided this was the perfect opportunity to use my Lunchbox Note die (for the first time!). Inside the note I've written serving suggestions copied from the book. And yes, you've guessed it, the recipe came from Sensational Preserves by Hilaire Walden. Where would I be without this wonderful book!

Blooms, butterflies and fairies

2011-07-29T22:46:00.007+01:00

The Scabious is at its very best at the moment in my garden. I love it and so do the bees, butterflies and hoverflies. Definitely worth propagating for elsewhere in the flowerbeds.

And here is Cicely Mary Barker's Scabious Fairy. I recently read about her work as an artist and was amazed to learn that as well as meticulous research of the plant, choosing and sketching the right child model, and writing the fairy's song, Cicely also designed and made up each fairy costume. Not only that, she unpicked and reused the fabrics for the next fairy once the painting was finished. There are 168 fairies in her 7 fairy books - can you just imagine how much work went into them! The wings of the Scabious Fairy look like they come from the Holly Blue butterflies I chase around the garden with my camera. I haven't managed to catch one this year but here's one I nabbed last year.

I'm linking this post to NF Flowers and NF Winged this week - two birds with one stone, so to speak.

Last Chance

2011-07-26T10:57:00.005+01:00

We've one more chance to win a prize from Papertrey's Stamp-a-faire event - Challenge 10 has been extended until tonight. The challenge is to create a single layer card, stamping a focal point over a stamped background. As its my first free day since the event on Saturday I took some time this morning to try my luck once more.

When I first discovered Papertrey Ink (I sometimes wish I hadn't!) the only way to get my hands on the stamps was to buy used sets offered on the Splitcoast Stampers Buy/Sell thread. Wishing You was one of my first aquisitions and I haven't used it in a while but I do love the graphic style of these tulips. I've stamped them over my favourite background stamp from Tin Types. Cross your fingers for me as this is my last chance to win the Stamp-a-faire free set Iconic Images - just love that jug stamp!

Stamps: Papertrey Wishing You, Background Basics: Tin Types, Beyond Basic Borders
Ink: Distress Ink: Worn Lipstick, Bundled Sage, Antique Linen

Stamp-a-faire Challenge 5

2011-07-24T02:06:00.005+01:00

Well I couldn't resist one more challenge even though its gone 2.00 am here in the UK and I have to be at work at 10.00 am in the morning! Challenge number 5 is to use a solid stamp to make a faux border and as I love the card Mish has made I wanted to have a go myself. As time is short I've made a very simple thankyou card using the strawberry stamp to make a pretend banner across the top. I love that the tag circle looks like a plate holding that HUGE berry - if only strawberries were that size but tasted like the tiny alpine berries I have in the garden!
Well that me done in! I'm off to bed........ night night!

Stamps: PTI Fruit Fusion: Berry, Tag-its 5
Ink: Distress Ink Worn Lipstick & Tumbled Glass
Tools: PTI Berry die

Here's one I made earlier! (Stamp-a-faire Challenge 7)

2011-07-23T22:56:00.008+01:00

Is this cheating? My favourite stamp company Papertrey Ink is holding a Stamp-a-faire today in the US and all us PTI-holics have been invited to join in from afar by participating in 10 (yes 10!!) challenges, one to be posted every hour. Well I'd love to play along but its been a long day........ then aha! I see challenge number 7 just happens to fit in with one of the notepads I made for the craft fair I attended today. The challenge is to marry up images from two different Papertrey sets and I have to say I was really pleased with the effect I got from the gingham stamp from Bitty Blocks with the little birds from Take Three Summer.

I enjoyed the day however despite only getting 3 hours sleep last night trying to finish everything. The event wasn't very busy but the friendliness of the other crafters and the frequent trips to the tea room made up for the lack of customers. And we had a pretty wedding across the road to keep us amused.

Stamps: PTI Bitty Background Blocks; Take Three: Summer
Tools: die from Button Card Die collection
Ink: Scattered Straw Distress Ink; SU Chocolate Chip

Notepads UK size

2011-07-16T20:48:00.012+01:00

I was inspired by a thread on the Papertrey blog to make some covered notepads for my next craft fair. There's a tutorial on Nichole Heady's blog with a downloadable template but of course it's sized to fit the pads Papertrey Ink sell and I've not been able to find any of the right size here in the UK. Then I saw Joyce had made a lovely notepad using Jotter Pads from a certain supermarket beginning with the letter T ! Its not somewhere I like to shop but needs must....... so I sneaked in, bought 10 (only 30p each) and sneaked out again before anyone noticed me!
I worked out a template quite easily and just in case any of my lovely UK followers would like to make some pads too I thought I'd share it. The pads are just under 3 inches (7.5 cms) wide and 8 1/4 inches (21cms) long, which is exactly the width of a sheet of A4 cardstock - how handy is that! So you need one sheet of cardstock per pad. Score along the long edge at 3 inches, 3 1/4 inches and 6 1/4 inches.
My scoring board isn't long enough to score right across the cardstock but it was easy enough to extend the line with a ruler. I did use Nichole's template for the curve of the pocket. I printed it then cut out the piece, placing it along the 6 1/4 inch score line and tracing round with a pencil. It needed to be elongated a half inch to make it look right - you can see this in the photo.
Its easiest to cut the curve with a scissors and finish off along the score line with a knife. (A hint here - I've found it much easier to decorate the cover at this stage if you are going to stamp or colour directly on the cardstock.) Fold and crease the scorelines with a bone folder or a ruler and stick down the pocket flap with some double sided tape along the bottom. I found that a small piece of tape at the top of the pocket just next to the fold makes the flap lie a bit flatter.
Then cut off the front of the Jotter and attach it to the cover with more double sided tape - quite a lot of tape is safest - I used three strips. See how nicely the pad fits. Then all you need to do is decorate to your heart's content. I made 5 this morning and hope to make another 5 tomorrow.
I like to add a little matching stamping to the pocket flat too. I hope you can follow all this - if anything is not clear please do ask.
Oh and thank goodness I've got something for my Make-a-Month challenge now.

A great buzzing!

2011-07-10T21:51:00.014+01:00

This little creature isn't a bee or a wasp but a hoverfly. They like to wear that stripy jumper to keep predators and humans away. And they don't buzz either.... so why did I suddenly become aware of a great buzzing while I was pottering (don't you love to potter!) about the garden last evening. There were more bees than usual on the lavender and the geraniums but that buzzing sounded more like a motorcycle engine than a few bees. Then I looked up and saw what was making that noise - a swarm of thousands of bees excitedly moving across the garden. They were about 15-20 feet up in the air but although I knew they weren't out to get me I was not inclined to move any closer.

Of course now I'm kicking myself for not taking the opportunity to get some photos of something I've never seen 'in real life' before and may never see again. But it was too late anyway - they were over the hedge, into the next garden and on down the hill in a minute or two. I wonder where they finally decided to settle.

Natures Footsteps has a new section for winged creatures so I'm linking there this week. There are already some wonderful photos linked. I love to see what others are capturing in their lenses in other parts of the world.

St Dyfnog's Flowers

2011-07-10T02:16:00.013+01:00

Time for a scrapbook page I think as I haven't done one for ages. St Dyfnog's Church at Llanrhaeadr is a beautiful medieval building well known for the glorious stained glass in its Jesse window. The window was completed in 1533 but the glass was taken out and buried in an oak chest (still in the church) during the Civil War as it would have been destroyed by the Parliamentarians. It was put back in 1661.

The church has a very active congregation who organise regular fund raising events. The annual book fair is a must for me, both for buying and donating unwanted books. This weekend it was a flower festival that brought lots of visitors to Llanrhaeadr to enjoy the lovely church interior decorated with 26 amazing flower displays on the theme of Childhood Memories.

The weather was warm and sunny and we were able to enjoy our tea and cake outside in the churchyard and browse the book and bric-a-brac stall. Unfortunately Mum couldn't resist adding to her large nicnak collection as everything was 10p!

If you are ever in the area its well worth stopping by as the church is always open to visitors. There's a pottery studio at the church gate housed in an old barn and an inn and cafe nearby if you need refreshment! More info and photos on the church website here.

Oh dear, I think I'm starting to sound like a tourist brochure now so I'll stop here! But there's room for just a couple more photos!

Here's the Vicar enjoying a well earned cuppa in front of the pretty armshouses which date from the early 19th century.

Red Summer Fruits Preserved

2011-07-02T12:44:00.011+01:00

Its preserving time again and I've been trying to keep up with the garden (and supermarket) this week. There was a huge crop on my one redcurrant bush this year. They are such beautiful berries - they glisten like rubies in the sunshine.
Its also a time for using up what's left in the freezer from last year - raspberries and blackberries in my case. So I decided to use a recipe from my favourite preserving book Sensational Preserves by Hilaire Walden (cheaper used copies on ebay!) - Red Summer Fruits Preserve (yes, I know the blackberries aren't red but they needed to be used up).
So along with some reduced-in-price strawberries from the supermarket I cleared most of the fruit in the freezer, used almost all the redcurrants and produced six jars of the preserve. A very satisfying afternoon's work.
I saw this idea to top jam jars with paper cupcake cases and these I got at Ikea some time ago are the perfect colours for my jars. I also made some labels using my new PTI Strawberry Fruit Fusion stamp set.
I photographed the jars outside my back door in the sunshine this morning and I'm really loving the sedum that is spreading itself over the coalhouse roof. Its just started to flower. I've just left it to grow over the last couple of years - another plant that has just popped up from who knows where. LOVE that. But I think I need to add a bit of compost to the roof to encourage it a bit more. I saw a sedum roof on a TV programme last night and its quite expensive to buy so I'm very lucky it decided to pick my coalhouse to grow on.

Poppies

2011-06-28T14:40:00.008+01:00

I made this card for a neighbour of my Mother's who fell and broke her hip recently. She's a very spritely lady who at 90 years of age lives alone, cares for a large garden and even does her own shopping, lugging a heavy shopping trolley home from the supermarket. So I do hope she is back on her feet soon and can remain independent.

The card is partly inspired by this BBC report - I wish I lived close enough to visit. The poppies reminded me of some photos my sister took when she was in Turkey a few years ago. I created a digital scrapbook page with them at the time. Sadly fields like this are very rare in the UK nowadays.
I love poppies of all shapes, colours and sizes but the poppies that arrive secretly and spring up in surprising places are a favourite. This pretty orange is one of those secret varieties and I love the way the petals fade to white and the centre and stamen are yellow rather than the usual black. Definitely a hybrid, but of what? However, I do have yellow Welsh Poppies and a pale orange stranger in the garden. Are those the "parents" I wonder. Anyway, I love it.Stamps: Papertrey (of course!) Botanical Silhouettes, Garden Variety
Also used: Papertrey Garden Variety die and Picket Fence die
Digital kits from 2Peas in a Bucket: Flower Patch by Rhonna Designs, Painted Block Mattes by MFD Designs

And another one!

2011-06-25T13:12:00.009+01:00

Told you I'd been crafty lately. Here's another project - a little gift for two special family visitors we had this week.

I'm sure you will have seen the fabulous new craft magazine Mollie Makes. Its just my sort of publication and there was so much inspiration in the first issue I didn't know what to make first. The second issue came out a few days ago and if possible it was better than the first! Anyway, enough of the promotion, I was just waiting for an excuse to make the crochet apple cosies featured on the cover of issue one and as our visitors are great travellers I thought they would be perfect little gifts.

They were quick and easy to make but there is one tip I can pass on if you are going to have a go - get your apples first to make sure you are making a cosy that will fit! I made the mistake of not doing that and ended up unravelling my first cosy and starting again with a larger hook as the apples I bought were too big!

And as the girls are great readers too I made some apple themed bookmarks to match using my bookmark die and an apple stamp set and die.

Stamps: PTI Fruit Fusion: Apple; Background Basics: Tintypes; All Booked Up; Tag-Its #2

Little Grey Rabbit's Birthday

2011-06-25T10:51:00.008+01:00

Contrary to popular belief I have been getting crafty recently! I just haven't had time to blog!

I made this little rabbit brooch for a great niece's birthday. I love Alison Uttley's Little Grey Rabbit books and have a number of modern duplicate copies bought in charity shops that I don't mind cutting up. There are some lovely illustrations in Little Grey Rabbit's Birthday perfect for creating birthday cards. This one shows Little Grey Rabbit, Squirrel and Hare making their preparations for the birthday party. I stamped a background directly onto the card blank using Papertrey's Tag-Its #1 and #3 stamps and simply added the illustration. There was a perfect space in the picture for the Happy Birthday sentiment. A quick and easy card.

G inger Melon's Etsy shop has some really cute patterns for dolls and animals and I couldn't resist the little animal brooches. However I wanted the little rabbit brooch to look like Little Grey Rabbit so I added a grey dress, blue apron and white collar and attached her to the front of the card. My gift was completed with an uncut copy of the story book.

Thank Yous and Blue Poppies

2011-06-17T08:51:00.008+01:00

I've had occasion to make a few thank you cards this last week, the first is a thank you to the very kind gentleman who found my cat for me last week. Sausage is the last of my four cats to survive and is almost 19 years old. He has lost his sight over the last few months and is slowly adjusting to being blind. But last week he got himself lost. I searched for him for two days, from (very) early morning until darkness without success, I put up posters and posted notes through doors. I was starting to lose hope when the phone went at almost midnight on the third day and a voice said "I think I've just seen your cat from my window". And it was Sausage - wandering down the road not far from my house. I took my hero a home baked Bara Brith (a traditional Welsh fruit bread) yesterday. I wrapped it in parchment paper tied up with chocolate bakers twine and attached my small thank you note .

My second card was made for my Mum to send to a relative. I've used the beautiful Papertrey 2010 anniversary set I delightedly received from my PTI angel in Hawaii. I stamped the poppy silhouettes in Tumbled Glass Distress Ink to represent the gorgeous Himalayan Blue Poppy. I've tried growing them a few times in the garden but have only been successful once in 2009. It doesn't seem to like my soil - or perhaps its the climate - not much like that in the Himalayas I don't suppose!

There is a third thank you card but I can't post it yet as its on its way to somewhere tropical!

Stamps: All Papertrey Ink: On My Couch, On My Couch Additions, Pocket Silhouettes

Elderflower Cordial 2011

2011-06-14T11:17:00.012+01:00

I've just come in from the jungle that is my back garden (not my mother's garden which is the one I usually show on this blog) where I picked another bunch of elderflowers to make second brewing of my favourite elderflower cordial. I never seem to have enough cordial for the summer so this year I'm hoping to make as much as I can whilst the flowers last. As you can see from the photo of the flowers above, it was an absolutely glorious morning with an azure sky showing off the elderflowers to their best advantage.

Elderflower cordial really is the easiest summer drink to make. You can find the recipe here on my post last year. All you need are the flowers, a lemon, sugar, citric acid, and boiling water. It then makes itself over the next few days and all I need do is strain and bottle in something pretty.

And its ready to drink straight away and will keep for ages - if you can keep it!

I wanted to make some labels for my bottles - but what to use as an image? In the end I think I've managed to create an approximation of elderflowers with stamps from Darkroom Door's Wildflower set and Papertrey's Pondlife. I used Bundled Sage and Antique Linen Distress Inks, inking different parts of the flower stamps to give the effect of the flowerheads.

Happy Birthday Mum

2011-06-07T13:58:00.010+01:00

Its Mum's 87th birthday today - we celebrated last week when it was half term and my sister was able to visit. I love this photo of Mum aged about 9 as on the back in her own best handwriting she has written "This is a picture of Gwenora Thomas" with her full address and "This is her at school."
And here she is at Knighton school in 1935. Mum's not in the best of health right now and I wonder how many of these little girls are around to recognise themselves in this photo. Mum always remembers the years she spent in Knighton, a small market town in mid-Wales, as the happiest of her childhood and often says how sad she and her mother were when they had to leave - my grandfather worked in a bank and in those days clerks were often moved from branch to branch.

And this is where they lived - Rhianfa - rented for £1 a week and home to Mum, her parents and Fluffy their little dog. Happy days long ago.

NF Macro Flowers #4 - Foxgloves

2011-06-03T21:29:00.012+01:00

I missed out on Nature Footsteps Macro #3 last week as I just didn't get round to posting my flower photo in time. But it will keep for another day as now June has arrived my colour for #4 this week just has to be Pink. And what could be pinker than Foxgloves.

You have to be quick to snap a bee on Foxgloves - they are in and out of those flower fingers like nobody's business and its a case of guessing when that muffled buzzing means "I'm coming out backwards!" I must have taken about 20 photos trying to catch this busy bee.

The Foxgloves in my garden are at their very best right now and this little group have sown themselves in a perfect spot to catch the evening sun. I'm so lucky to have them as they are wild plants that arrived from who knows where a few years ago and have been seeding themselves here and there ever since. I wonder where they'll appear next year.

Fleurs

2011-06-02T13:42:00.008+01:00

Its Mum's birthday next week and I've been saving this image for her card. Its from one of my copyright-free books and as soon as I saw it I shouted "Its Us!" because it really does look like the artist has drawn me and my three sisters - a little enhanced and many years ago of course! I'd love to know whether it was for a book or just an illustration for a magazine. The only book I can think of is Little Women but they don't really look like Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy do they.

My new Papertrey stamps arrived yesterday - just in time for this card. I've used the new Garden Variety set for the border. And the lovely sentiment is from the 2010 Anniversary set which also arrived yesterday - aren't I lucky! They are both gorgeous sets.

And in case this image reminds you of your family too, I'm posting it below. I'd love to see if you use it in a project.
Click to enlarge then right click to save to your computer.

Floral Papertrey Blog Hop

2011-05-25T22:43:00.009+01:00

I may have said this here before, but I absolutely LOVE Melissa Bickford's little Floral Fusion series of stamps for Papertrey. The May Papertrey blog hop is tonight and as the theme is anything floral I'm posting the gift tag sets I've been making for my next craft fair using FF#2 and #3. Don't you just love those little blooms!

Another floral project - I'm in the middle of a half dozen eggs I want to stitch from an idea I saw in a brand new craft magazine in the UK - Mollie Makes. I was really looking forward to the first issue and wasn't disappointed. Its full of inspirational people, ideas and projects. I will definitely be getting the next issue and hope it's as good as the first. And I understand its going to be published in the US in a couple of weeks.

My eggs were cut from some vintage hand embroidered napkins I bought in France last year. These two are spicy versions - one has cloves in the filling and the other star anise. I love the smell of star anise - when crushed it gives out the most wonderful strong scent. I'm hoping they are going to repel the clothes moths I've caught flitting about the house recently!

Stamps: PTI Floral Fusion #2, Floral Fusion #3, Polka Dot Basics' Fillable Frames #7; Darkroom Door Gingham Background stamp
Dies: PTI Floral Fusion #2 & #3, Fillable Frame #7, Tag Sale #2 & #4

White for NF Macro Flowers #2 too

2011-05-21T00:18:00.009+01:00

Following on from my white card post below, I thought I'd have white flowers for my NF Macro Flowers #2 post.

This "tempestuous tulip" was past it's best but I love it at this stage - it seems to be letting go after standing to attention for so long.

The beautiful opium poppies always flop around as I never get round to staking them in time. I've got a gorgeous salmon pink one too - but not for this post!

The humble daisy couldn't be more of a contrast to the first two flowers but has a simple beauty of its own. I don't know why people want to dig them out of their lawns - there's nothing prettier than a grass plat sprinkled with daisies.

And my last white beauty is this little flower that covers the overgrown rockery in the front garden. I think its Stitchwort, which is a wild plant, but it certainly likes growing in the garden as it increases every year!

Here's the Stitchwort Fairy's Song from Cicely Mary Barker:

I am brittle-stemmed and slender,
But the grass is my defender.
On the banks where grass is long,
I can stand erect and strong.
All my mass of starry faces
Looking up from wayside places,
From the thick and tangled grass,
Gives you greeting as you pass.

Yes it certainly sounds like my plant - especially that "thick and tangled grass" bit!

White

2011-05-20T20:52:00.006+01:00

I'm going along with Lisa's new Card Photo Tutorial series and here's my results for Experiment #1 - photograph a white card in new locations with the white balance on auto. I have to admit I'm lazy and tend to leave my camera on auto almost all the time and get Photoshop to enhance once I've downloaded my photos. However here they are in their raw state. I've taken the photos (from left to right) on the mantlepiece with the sun shining directly on the card; on the table in the same room with sun shining in; in the bathroom near the window early evening when the room is at its brightest; and on the bathroom windowsill angled outwards into the garden.

I like the third one best (but I couldn't resist a tiny tweek and a crop here!) taken in the bathroom near the window on top of the toilet cistern. I'll be using this location again - the only problem is the slanting surface. On the widowsill was good too but I was afraid the card would blow away! The sunshine in the living room gave the card a pink tinge and although the second photo was good the prisms I have hanging in the window cast a shadow in the photo even though I couldn't see it when I was clicking.

A bit of a boring post if you are not into photography - but a good exercise for me.

Ladybird bookmarks and photographing projects

2011-05-16T21:29:00.014+01:00

My next craft fair is looming on the horizon and although I have plenty of stock left from last month, I want to add a few new things in to keep any repeat customers interested. I was quite surprised to find there were no cards or papercrafts on sale last time so I'm going to try to fill that gap.

Although I'm not a hugely keen card maker, I do enjoy making bookmarks. They make very acceptable gifts, either to add to a book or book token, or as a small gift in themselves. I've made them using vintage copyright-free images in the past, but these are my latest bunch, using pages from old Ladybird nature books. I've collected old Ladybird books for years - they are always so beautifully illustrated, and I can't pass by if I see one in a charity shop even if it is in "very well-used" condition - and even if it's a title I already have! I've used duplicates from my collection to make these bookmarks and added small greetings cards to match.

To make the bookmarks I've die-cut two layers, one from the book page and the other from cardstock, and stitched them together with a piece of muslin sandwiched between. The cardstock is stamped with a suitable image and a bookish quote from PTI's All Booked Up before stitching.

Now, something else. As you can see from the images in this post, I'm not very good at photographing my projects (why some of these have come out pink I do not know!). Bookmarks are not the easiest things to photograph anyway, and I resorted to a digital frame and Photoshop here. But I'm seldom pleased with how my photos turn out no matter where or when or how I try to get a good image. So I'm really excited to read about Lisa Spangler's new card photography series on her Sideoats & Scribbles blog today. I'm definitely going to play along with this project and for my first assignment I'm going to try photographing the paper aeroplane card in the bath - without the water of course!

Stamps used: various images from Lavinia Stamps, Papertrey's All Booked Up plus some sentiments, Darkroom Door's Wildflower
Other: Papertrey's bookmark die

Clematis Montana + NF Flowers #1

2011-05-11T10:24:00.007+01:00

I was so sad to find that my gorgeous Clematis Montana had died during the winter. I had trained it into a dead pear tree and it was a delight to behold at this time of year - here it is photographed last year. I haven't cut it down yet as there is another clematis growing through it so its going to be a long and fiddly job. Happily I've another smaller Montana in the border and this was the first flower it opened a week or so ago. I took my photo as the sun was going down and love how the flower centre casts a shadow on the petals.

NF Macro has started a weekly meme (no I didn't know what it was either before I googled it!) of flower photos and as I love photographing my garden I'm going to join in. Here is my first offering - as a memory of my beautiful Montana. It will be interesting to see what is blooming around the world each week. Would you like to join in?

Two birthdays in May

2011-05-10T19:59:00.007+01:00

So there are two birthdays to celebrate next week. My great niece J turns 11, and Claire at Waltzing Mouse Stamps is holding her second birthday party. I can't believe its already two years since she started producing her wonderful clear stamp sets. And as well as stamps, she has a great talent for designing clever templates - I couldn't resist this month's offering of a cute cupcake box.
So I've turned it into a small birthday gift set and as well as the felt hair clip I'll be adding something delectable to the box before presenting it with my birthday card. I found it hard to get a good photo of the card showing the second tiny bee properly. I've punched him out with a quarter inch punch! and mounted him on some fine crinkly silver wire to look a bit like he's flying.

So I'm joining in the birthday party and as Claire always says - hope it tickles!

Stamps: Papertrey's Tag-Its #3; Green Thumb

In London with Eva

2011-05-08T08:35:00.007+01:00

If you are reading this I expect you will also have many friends made on the internet you never expect to meet in person. In the old days we had "penfriends" in foreign lands and I remember the excitement of the postman bringing a letter with a strange stamp on it. But today contact with like-minded people in many lands is possible and with just a mouse click you can find a friend thousands of miles away with exactly the same views, interests or values as yourself.

I met up with such a friend for the first time in London on Friday. She was over here for a week to carry out research at the British Library, but took a day off to be a tourist with me. We had a lovely though tiring day. Our on-the-spot decision to take a trip on the London Eye took up most of the afternoon as there was quite a queue for tickets - however it was so worth it as we really enjoyed the experience.

But although a day out in the city is something to be enjoyed once in a while, I'm so thankful to come home to the relative peace and quiet of our small market town in North Wales - as distant from London as Eva's home in Denmark!

A wander in the evening garden could not be further away from the heat, noise and dust of those busy city streets! And here is a photo of apple blossom in the garden last week (already falling like snow) for all Mothers celebrating today. We celebrated Mothering Sunday here in the UK at the beginning of April.

Make-It + Mail-It Challenge #2

2011-05-04T23:56:00.008+01:00

Lisa Spangler has one of my favourite blogs - Sideoats & Scribbles, and now she's started a challenge - Make-it + Mail-it - ie, make a card (or something else) and then mail it to make someone happy. Well I've just got to take part and although I missed out last week, a family birthday next week has got me card making. And as the theme of this week's challenge is "sweet" - what could be sweeter than a cupcake?

I bought some Flowersoft a long time ago when it was all the rage but I couldn't get on with it and in fact didn't like the look of it. But if you wait long enough, everything comes in handy sooner or later - later in this case - and it was perfect as the icing (frosting) on my cake. And doesn't that red button look delicious on top! The cupcake stamp is from Papertrey's Baby Button Bits set.

And to go with it what about one of my sweet apple keyring/bag charms wrapped up in a stamped and beribboned coffee filter paper - an idea I saw on Nichole Heady's blog here. Hope that's enough SWEETNESS.

Happy May Day

2011-05-01T22:55:00.018+01:00

I'm sure we have all been safely casting our "clouts" this week as the May (hawthorn) has been out in the garden for a few days now. It really is a beautiful blossom and at this time of year it covers the roadside hedgerows around here, putting me in mind of May Queens or spring brides.

Re-reading "Little Grey Rabbit's May Day" this morning it seems we should have been out early gathering flowers with May-dew on their petals which we must collect in a jug. It has magical properties and in the book when old Miss Susan (who makes lace) rubs a little on her aching head and eyes her headache vanishes and she can see clearly again. "Her eyes sparkled, her face was fresh and young again." If only!
On another subject, I had my very first Craft Fair yesterday at Llanasa Village Hall. It was a very small affair but was just what I wanted for my first attempt as selling to the public. I took my great niece along for company and we had a really nice time. Sold a few items but unfortunately didn't make much money as, apart from paying for the table, we also spent quite a bit on the other stalls and on the very acceptable refreshments provided by some lovely ladies in the kitchen.

And I met some very talented crafters who were all really friendly and helpful - a couple of them also first timers like me.
So I've signed up to do the other Fairs this year - 5 more I think, and my helper can't wait for the next one on 28th May. If you are in the area why not call in. The ancient village is very pretty and is set in beautiful countryside above the Dee estuary.

And this is where I want to apologise to all my blog friends for not visiting them recently. I've been so busy preparing for the fair I've missed many inspiring posts on my favourite blogs - hope to catch up with you all this week.

Thanks to Maurice Clarke for the lovely photo of Llanasa village.

First Paddle

2011-04-25T03:18:00.006+01:00

I hope everyone is enjoying their Easter break - its been wonderful here in the UK, even though the garden is in desperate need of rain. We need a few heavy downpours to please the gardeners and farmers. But on Friday, the last day of my sister's visit, we wanted the good weather and got it. We had a lovely time at Porthmadoc and Borth-y-Guest. I was determined to get my feet wet and enjoyed a paddle with my nephew in the large pools on Borth beach.
Borth is a favourite with us as no matter when you go there, even if its a Bank Holiday and the sun is shining, there is plenty of space for everyone. So we stayed late and only ominous clouds and a rumble of thunder in the mountains persuaded us to leave.
So there were a few downpours somewhere in the distance but we didn't see any of them - and neither did my garden!

Quick Crafty Easter

2011-04-22T10:04:00.008+01:00

Just realised I haven't posted for over a week! So I'd better get a quick post in before we set off for a day out at the seaside - hurray... we're having a heatwave here in the UK! A couple of years ago it was snowing at Easter! What a strange climate we have - but always interesting!
We spent most of yesterday on my Mother's shady front porch watching the children play on the grass. Here is the youngest with the Purl Bee fingerpuppet bunnies I made her from this pattern. Quick, easy and very cute! And for the older girls I made some more bunny brooches from Jenny's cute pattern here.

And a few cards using the Papertrey Friendship Jar Spring Fillers - love that set!
Don't you think my little silver hen and chick is cute - a lovely charity shop find. Its a little box and the chick is the head of a tiny silver spoon. To hold salt for your soft boiled Easter breakfast egg perhaps? Not sure - but when I saw her I grabbed her quickly as I have a passion for hens and would love my own little flock one day.

My Father's birthday

2011-04-13T01:21:00.010+01:00

Dad would have been 100 today - 13th April. If the weather is fine we'll have a day out to Llanrwst in the Conwy Valley - Dad's birthplace and childhood home - to celebrate the occasion.

Dad's early years were happy, though he experienced great family tragedies during the long years of WWII. But once he met Mum and settled down he was able to enjoy family life again. We, his four daughters, came along between 1948 and 1956 and in 1957 a musical comedy film about a troupe of dancers was released and ever after we became "Les Girls" to Mum and Dad's friends - Dad was known as Les to all except my Grandmother, who always used his full name, Leslie!

Having watched the trailer for this film on YouTube I'm not sure it was a very suitable name for four small girls and their young mother! But Mum was and still is a great fan of musicals - and I do love Gene Kelly films.

I created these two digital pages using templates from Designs by Anita at TwoPeasinaBucket.

Glorious Friday!

2011-04-08T23:07:00.007+01:00

Well if you are in the UK you have to admit today was one of those perfect spring days we might remember from our younger days. There is something about sunlight shining through leafless trees that shouts Springtime in the garden to me. So I spent a few hours tidying, pruning, planting and butterfly chasing this afternoon. This perfect Orange Tip butterfly eventually co-operated and posed prettily on a daffodil for me.

Everything is bursting into life plant-wise (including the weeds of course) and in just a week the ground I had cleared of dead stuff and weeds is disappearing under re-emerging perennials and new weed seedlings. Luckily in this lovely patch of my biggest flower bed the spring flowers are crowding out - or at least hiding - those "plants in the wrong place".

And before the sun disappeared completely it threw these lovely rainbows on my wall by shining through the old chandelier drops I have hanging in the window.

Happy Mothering Sunday to all

2011-04-03T09:11:00.005+01:00

Good wishes to all Mothers out there - I hope we all enjoy our day where ever it is spent.

I like to give my Mum and the other Mothers in my family - my sisters and niece - a little something to mark the day and this year made these little button cards as a remembrance. I've used Papertrey's Button Boutique stamp set and dies. I resized and printed some old photos to fit the cards before cutting them out with the die.

Stitching projects

2011-04-01T22:37:00.005+01:00

I'm a big fan of Kajsa Wikman's lovely book Scandinavian Stitches and have been busy stitching these little birds/chicks for Easter. My idea is to find a tree branch to hang them on. You know, painted white and stuck in a flowerpot - but a suitable one hasn't turned up yet, which is amazing really as there is so much fallen wood in the garden. So in the meantime they are "perching" on a wire coathanger attached with wooden clothespegs decorated with toadstools.

And I wanted to make some different lavender bag shapes as a change from my usual square sachets, so I've been trying hearts and this strawberry shape. I had the idea of using fruit teabags to scent the strawberry but the fragrance is rather faint so I'll be adding a few drops of strawberry oil to the next version.

I'll be adding these to the March Make a Month gallery if I'm not too late!

Garden diary for March

2011-04-01T21:00:00.014+01:00

I hear there is still snow falling in the US this week but we've been lucky here in Wales and enjoyed some lovely sunny and warmish days in which to carry on with the great garden tidy-up. And of course I had to take a few pictures along the way.

Pulmonaria - love the way the flowers change colour as they age and those gorgeous spotty leaves. Its also known as Lungwort and in olden times was used to treat pulmonary ailments as the leaves were thought to resemble diseased lungs!

The beautifully furry buds of the Pasque Flower herald the approach of Easter - the flowers open so fast you can almost see them moving. But I was rather alarmed to learn through googling tonight that these beauties are highly toxic!

Lots of Primulas have appeared in odd corners around the garden over the years. Most probably through cross pollination by the many bees buzzing around the garden . This pretty one pushes its way through the undergrowth below some beech trees every year.
There's so much to do to keep everything under control that I often don't know where to go next, but one day this week my great niece wanted to help and we managed to clear a huge pile of leaves together before she got bored. Now how can I encourage this helpfulness again I wonder - apart from resorting to bribery of course!

Mothers Day Tulips

2011-03-30T10:51:00.010+01:00

I've been looking forward to using this gorgeous tulip stamp from Papertrey's Friendship Jar Spring Fillers set and saved it for my Mum's Mothers Day card. Not a very original design but I think this lovely image looks good on its own. I've coloured the flowers to match my favourite dark and delicious garden tulips. Of course they aren't out yet but here they are in bloom last year.

Mum has started to enjoy a bit of simple embroidery recently so I've bought her this lovely old chocolate box containing a half finished embroidery project from long ago. I really love browsing the vintage sewing sections on ebay and have developed a bit of an obsession with old embroidery transfers lately. I've already amassed a small collection without even trying, so I really enjoyed Lucy's post here about her latest ebay obsession - and YES! it is so easy to get carried away! Makes me think what on earth I spent my money on before on-line auctions existed!

Census Day 2011

2011-03-27T22:18:00.010+01:00

Today is Census Day in the UK and for the first time we have been able to fill in the census form on line. I wonder if family historians 100 years from now will find this census as fascinating as the one that took place on Sunday 2nd April 1911. As a keen family historian myself I was excited when the census records were partly released early last year. However when I found out the exact date of the census I was just a bit disappointed as I had been hoping to see my Father listed with his family in Llanrwst - Dad was born just 11 days later, on 13th April. Here he is with his parents (aged about 4 and dressed in his Sunday best) on a day out at Llandudno.

You can search for your own family on the 1911 Census website and download images of the actual document filled in by a member of your family 100 years ago. Today we take this service entirely for granted but I don't know how I would explain this amazing resource to my Father, let alone to the Grandfather I never met but whose handwriting I'm so delighted to see today.

Perfect packaging from Papertrey

2011-03-17T22:02:00.006Z

I was so looking forward to my latest Papertrey Ink purchase arriving as I had decided the new Button Boutique set would be just perfect for carding up the brooches and clips I have been making lately. The cards came together very easily as I also bought the matching dies. Can't wait to make some more.
Another new purchase was this little Floral Fusion set designed by Melissa Bickford - a real bargain at just £3.10 ($5). These gift tags are my version of the lovely tags Melissa made for the release.

Late afternoon walking

2011-03-14T22:16:00.007Z

It always seems to be late afternoon by the time I'm ready to go for my walk down the lane and at this time of year dusk is falling by the time I get home. But this does mean that the setting sun lights up little places here and there, making beautiful pictures - this bramble leaf being one I spied last week.

I'm very fond of the countryside in winter and early spring when the trees are still bare. Everything seems to look orderly and well kept - albeit a bit muddy. And did you know that here in Wales there are more sheep than people? At this time of year the sheep population explodes as the lambs arrive. One of my favourite occupations is lamb watching - they seem to revel in their short lives even when the temperatures are below freezing.

1st March - St David's Day

2011-03-01T09:25:00.013Z

Today is our patron saint's day in Wales - St David's Day (Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant). And here are some of the little Welsh girls I have collected over the years celebrating their day. When I was at school we celebrated with an Eisteddfod - a day of music, singing, dancing and recitation competitions in the school hall. We didn't go to school dressed in traditional Welsh costume as children do these days, but I think my Mum did - here she is in about 1932 posing in the garden for her father's camera.

And here's a little card I made for Mum today. Realising I didn't have any daffodil stamps I put together a couple of Papertrey flower images stamped in the appropriate colours and hey presto! I added a little grass stamp for the leaves and now I think these could easily pass for daffodils - the national flower of Wales.

Papertrey February Blog Hop Challenge

2011-02-25T12:56:00.004Z

Scallops is (?are) the theme of the Papertrey challenge this month and I have to say I have difficulty making anything that doesn't have scallops on it somewhere! This Favor It box has a scalloped top so I added my favourite scallopy Fillable Frame - I think its #7, and one of the rosette clips I've been making this week to add yet more scallops. Its been attached to the box using a mini glue dot and can easily be pulled off and pinned to your lapel, bag, hairband, or anything else you can think of. The box is stuffed with a few of my favourite spiced biscuits. My niece has a birthday on Sunday and adding a gift voucher will turn this into an acceptable birthday gift I think.

Another Monthly Make - February #2

2011-02-22T16:11:00.007Z

I think I'm going to become addicted to making these little brooches/pins. These two have elements made using techniques I last tried in the 1970s! Suffolk Puffs and Flower Loom blooms. I saw this pretty card the other day on one of my favourite blogs - Lisa's Sideoats & Scribbles. She used her bloom as an embellishment. I think it works brilliantly and wanted to have a go. I remembered a vintage Flower Loom I found at a car boot sale a couple of years ago - I hadn't even taken it out of its packaging so thought it was about time I did. My other pin has a Suffolk Puff centre - I think its called a Yo-yo in the US. Both brooches have felt die cuts for their centres and the Suffolk Puff has one at the back too.

This last one is a hair clip and is a bit more cheerful in colour. I think it would look very pretty in a little girls hair - perhaps there should be two. Anyway - I'm off to cut some more felt and fabric on my Cuttlebug.

Monthly Make - February #1

2011-02-19T12:18:00.005Z

I have decided to make Jenny's cute Bounding Bunnypins for the children's Easter gifts this year. I have to admit cutting them out is rather a fiddly job and while I was cutting this week I thought how lovely it would be if there was a die for the shape. And from that thought came these little felt brooches/clips. I went through my Papertrey and Cuttlebug dies and cut out some suitable shapes, decorated them with fabric, embroidery silks and buttons, and attached some findings.
I've also started to think about packaging them up - a favourite bit for me. I'm hoping to do a craft fair some time in the summer and need to build up some stock. Don't hold me to that - I probably won't be organised enough to get myself to one!
One more photo I can't help myself from posting for any birdy people reading this. I love this image I managed to get of a Nuthatch in the garden this week. He's so sweet!

PTI Tag & Frame Challenge

2011-02-12T11:37:00.005Z

EDIT: I've felt really bad about not keeping up with the A Passion for Papertrey challenges lately but luckily the current challenge is tag-based so I'm entering my tag there too and hope that's not cheating!

Still hoping to win one of the Papertrey Anniversary challenges - I'm ever the optimist! Here's another - design a tag with a frame. With chocolate very evident in the shops this weekend, I made this tag to attach to one of my favourite little treats; a mint-choc flavour hot chocolate drink. I don't have a sachet on hand at the moment so picture my tag with one of the very pretty mugs my sister brought me from France at Christmas - very chic don't you think!

Phew! Just noticed 13 minutes to go before submission closes - I'm absolutely loving this anniversary release but it will be a relief when it finishes and we can sit back, enjoy a leisurely crafting session and patiently wait for our delicious purchases to arrive.

The Nyjer Effect

2011-02-12T01:47:00.005Z

I've been buying Nyjer seeds from our local pet shop for a couple of years now and have been delighted to see the beautiful birds it has attracted to the garden. Nyjer is especially enjoyed by finches and I've been photographing them tucking in this week. These four varieties are particularly pretty and colourful. By far the most numerous are the Goldfinches. There must be about 30 members of the little flock that visits every day. They seem to be a particularly squabbly lot and often try to push eachother off the feeders, even when there is another feeder full nearby. I created this digital page to show off their lovely plumage. You can click on the picture for a closeup look. Who says we don't have spectacular birds in the UK!
Just have to add two photos taken in the sunshine the other day - a reminder that the garden really is poised to burst into life - help! I'm not ready!

Too late for the button challenge - but anyway......

2011-02-11T16:43:00.005Z

I just can't keep up with the Papertrey anniversary challenges this week. I really want to enter and have the chance of winning a prize but one every day is too much for me at the moment. Yesterday the challenge was to use buttons on a project and I did start on my idea but it didn't get finished in time. However I thought I would post it anyway.

I've used the lovely Favor It Box 3 die again, Polka Dot Basics 2 for the background and my little felt bounding bunny comes from a project on Jenny's fabulous blog here. I have the idea to make Jenny's little rabbit pins for Easter gifts and will present them with a few mini chocolate eggs in this or a similar box.

Did you notice that my colours were taken from those used on this lovely 1950s hankie box I bought in a charity shop some time ago. Don't you just love this image!

By the way, if you visit Jenny's blog (alsorts) today you will find a GORGEOUS free printable for Valentine's Day!

Make It Monday Challenge

2011-02-09T14:00:00.006Z

Well there's nothing like the promise of free stash to get crafters crafting. There's another prize offered on Day 3 of Papertrey Ink's anniversary celebrations. And today there's also something to make every Monday a little bit brighter - a video challenge each week, to be called Make It Mondays. Really looking forward to this as I love watching crafty videos. Here's my entry for the first challenge - my take on Erin Lincoln's excellent design - haven't changed it much as a really liked her card.

I made this card just the right size to take a hot chocolate sachet - a little treat that is always very well received. The mug stamp is from Warm Happiness and cut out with the matching die, and sentiments come from a variety of different PTI sets. I'll be using this design idea again for sure.

A handsome garden visitor

2011-02-07T01:07:00.007Z

We've had really rough weather over the past few days - wet and very windy. But some time during those blustery days a new visitor arrived in the garden - this beautiful cock pheasant. Farm land is very close by and wandering in and finding the seed I put out every day, he has decided this is somewhere worth visiting. We are a bit worried about his safety with so many cats around (not to mention next door's Jack Russell who is often on the loose), but hopefully the local moggies will think he's too big to tackle. You must admit he's very handsome and its no wonder pheasant feathers adorned hats in years gone by - they really are beautiful!

Whilst my Pheasant was posing for his portrait I noticed the first crocus pushing through the dead leaves still covering the borders. They are so ephemeral and delicate I always feel the need to capture their image on film - well, microchip anyway!

Papertrey Celebrations Day 2 Challenge

2011-02-07T00:15:00.006Z

You need to be an optimist to enter PTI contests as there are always hundreds of hopeful entries each time. But, as the saying goes, you have to be in it to win it, so here's my entry for Day 2's contest.

Today there is a free download of 9 digital tags designed by the team for us to create a project. Unfortunately I was working today so didn't have much time to spend crafting but I really liked Heather's pretty tag and decided to turn it into a bookmark with my PTI bookmark die. Wonder what's in store for us tomorrow!

My favourite 2010 project for Papertrey

2011-02-05T10:00:00.009Z

Papertrey Ink's 4th anniversary celebrations are starting today and Nicole has announced a fabulous prize contest as the first event. We have to post our very favourite make from 2010 and let me tell you the prize is SOMETHING ELSE! Click on the image above to check it out.

I've really enjoyed looking back at my projects and it has been quite difficult to decide on my favourite but I have loved projects I've made using the Friendship Jar series so I've picked these three little greetings cards. They are very simple but that's my favourite style and I loved how they turned out. I've used the same designs for gift tags and notebook covers too - they make lovely last minute gifts when you need a little something for a friend.

As well as the Friendship Jar sets I used the little fishes and sentiment from Pond Life and the scallop border from Beyond Basic Borders. I used the matching die to cut the acetate "jars" adhered on top of the image with invisible double sided tape.

I'm really pleased to see there will be a new jar filler set released this month. Can't wait to see the details - definitely on my wish list!