Papertrey February Blog Hop Challenge

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

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

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

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

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......

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

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

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

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

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!

New Stash!

My latest Papertrey goodies arrived on Monday from my good friend in Hawaii. I couldn't wait to try the Favor It 3 box die - I LOVE making pretty packaging. I made this little gift for a friend using the box die and used the Tag Sale 2 die for the tag. Love how the rounded top of the tag matches the rounded top of the box. Another die is used to add the flower cut-out on the front of the box and the piece that was cut out decorates the tag. A very satisfying make (can you tell I'm absolutely addicted to Papertrey dies?).