I scrapped!!!!

Finally, after a drought of about 6 weeks, I finally got round to doing a page:) I got these Scenic Route papers and immediately thought of Tom. I found the number 5 in a local newsagents, and with it being orange I knew I had to do a page on Tom. I listed his favourite things right now. It might be nice to do one each year to see what things change and what stays the same...

The chipboard alphabet I used is also Scenic Route, the journalling card is Sassafrass lass, and the word strips are K&Co. I drew round some Heidi Swapp ghost stars on to felt, and hand stitched round them, adding a couple of buttons. The "@" is handstitched too.

I had to laugh, as Tom saw this LO before it was stuck down, and he tried to move it all so that it was straight - he thought is looked wonky LOL!!! So that gave me the incentive to stick it all down last night, before he could come down this morning and move it all around again!!!

Teacher Presents

Yes, it is that time of year again - end of term, so time for teacher's gifts. This is the gift I have made for Jemma's teacher this year - a desktop calendar...

I used Karen Foster papers, quotes from QuoteGarden.com, 7 gypsies calendar stamps and lots of ink and machine stitching. I attached a ribbon tag to each calendar page, so it can be removed to add info to the page, and it also is useful for flipping the pages. I added some narrow sheer ribbons in pink and purple (apparently favourite colours of said teacher) to finish it off.

Jemma has had this teacher for the past 2 years, and she has always appreciated the gifts I have made for her - in fact I got a lovely thank you note after Christmas, thanking me for the altered clipboard I did.... The only downside to having the same teacher for 2 years, is that I have to think up something new every year!!!!

Next, gifts for Tom's 2 nursery teachers, I did Basic Grey Carryout cartons for them both from the Oh Baby Girl! range, and filled them with goodies - candles, chocs etc, and then added a teddy bear key ring I bought in Au Naturelle.

This is a candle tin I decorated for the centre manager - inspired by Stacey (casa182), thanks hun x. I used some free papers I got with a scrapping magazine, I rhink they are Crate paper. Added a couple of large blooms, and a button, and some organza ribbon, et voila!

Well, thats teachers gifts out the way until Christmas...

Serious lack of creativity

Hmm, having visitors sure blocks the creative juices.....

Hopefully after tomorrow I can get back down to being creative whenever it takes me, well for a little while, as we go off to New Zealand on the 6th of July for nearly 4 weeks :) and I haven't even started thinking about packing....

The little bit of crafting I have been doing this week, is a teachers gift for Jemma's teacher. I bought a desktop flip over photo album from Au Naturelle, which has 12 6x4 inch double sided pockets. Just the right amount for a calendar. So I found some quotes about each month of the year on Quote Garden, and I have finally cut into my Karen Foster Calendar papers!! I also have a 7 gypsies calendar stamp set, which has been very useful too. Will post a picture when it is all finished:) If it turns out OK, I have another one which I will do for my Dad for Christmas!

I also need to do a couple of small gifts for Tom's 2 nusery teachers, and I thought that I could use some of the Basic Grey carry out cartons I bought the other week. I shall then fill them with lots of different goodies, and put some lush ribbons on the handles. Then 2 cards, and I am all done with teachers for another year!!

Which reminds me, I must make a note of all the birthdays and anniversaries I am missing in July, so I can get cards sorted for them before I jet off....

Fathers Day gifts part 2

This is a paper bag book I did for my Dad for Fathers Day - I filled it with all of his favourites, from motor sport to kiwi fruit, books to music. I had lots of fun doing it. I used the Crate paper zoom range again, and the worded paper on the front cover is Creative Imaginations I think, but not entirely sure ;) Jazzed up the book rings with some ribbon, and did lots of machine sewing on the pages. Dad was chuffed to bits :), as were all the Dads I did gifts for this year.

New toy !!!

I was just soooo excited this afternoon, as I took delivery of my new camera - a Fuji Finepix S5700! It's so dinky for a bridge camera, about the size of a chocolate orange lol.

Anyhow, over the weekend I have been busy - cleaning for impending visitors, and also trying to get projects done for Father's Day.

The first is a Maya Road chipboard binder I decorated for Mark from the kids. I used Crate Paper's Zoom collection.

For my father-in-law, I covered a Maya Road car coaster book, again with the Zoom paper, and used Basic Grey alpha stickers, oddments of ribbon , buttons and a blue book ring to finish it off.

I also finished covering a photo album for a friend, I used thick handmade paper, and personalised it using the Sizzlit Nouveau alpha.

And finally, this is one of my felted bags - I got the pattern from Cathy Z , when I saw what she had done I just had to have a go!! The wool used is Twilleys Freedom - its chunky and 100% wool, which you need to allow it to felt. After knitting it up I threw it in the washer on a 90 degree cycle, and it came out all felted!! I added some felt flowers, buttons and beads, and then posted it to my bestest friend (ever) in the whole world, Amanda, for her birthday a couple of weeks ago.

I have a few more of these bags in the pipeline, went mad on wool actually, but I have plans for all of them!!

A couple of cards

These are a couple of cards I made last night for Father's Day. I try not to go overboard making occasion cards. I used a DCWV paper stack, and the children stamps are Hero Arts, sentiment stamp is Elzybells. Oddments of ribbon, primas, brads and buttons finish off the cards.

Welcome to my Blog

This is my "crafty" blog, a place where I can share my creations, whether it be scrapbooking, knitting, card making or any other creative gubbings.

I am very honest in the fact that I don't class myself as being "original" - I tend to lift ideas or use patterns or sketches to complete my projects. I am not a designer by any meaning of the word, and do not pretend to be one. I have sold some of my cards and other crafty creations in a local craft shop, but it is on a very very small scale, I am lucky if I sell 2 or 3 items a month. I am not wanting to make a career or living out of my craft, it is purely for my relaxation and pleasure - the biggest kick I get from this is the response I get from recipients of my hand made gifts, that is worth more than any fame or fortune.

I don't spend alot of time crafting, although I am sure my long suffering hubby would disagree with that :P, and my craft room is the understairs cupboard...just call me Harry Potter!! Life gets in the way a lot, especially when Mark is away, so my priorities reflect that, and my crafting suffers...But it is not the be all and end all, as long as something creative happens sometimes, then I am happy!!