March is Card Making Month



Well I've been really busy making cards for a lovely lady from D's school. She gives me a list of what she wants and then I make it to her specification. I don't usually make the same card twice and over the years have made some very unusual cards for different people.

I have decided to start taken photos of my card creations and post them in my blog as I often can't remember what I've done. So here goes hope you like them.




Cath Kidston Birthday Card





I used my CK material squares scanned them to make paper and then did a patchwork design background. White organza ribbon woven to make the grid and cut out a 40 with my number templates and used some papermania summer blossom papers. I used some petal punches to make the flowers it came out really pretty.



Mothers Day Card





Piglet Birthday Card



granddaughter inside



Peppa Pig 3rd Birthday Card









Princess 3D castle



Everton Balloons

Didn't I say some are unusual specifications Everton Balloons on a 25th Wedding card is the buyers choice not mine.

25th Wedding Anniversary

I also made dad an anniversary card and dropped it off earlier today. I've used my Martha Stewart Punch and some lovely wedding paper from papermania. Lovely effect.

Tomorrow I'm going to make some friendly plastic jewellery new craft not sure how that's going to go but worth a try. Having a craft morning with mate M and then we will have to take lunch but no cake as I'm on a quest to lose some pounds before a big calendar shoot on the 9th April 2011. I haven't got long yikes! Watch this space for photos, NO not of the calendar, of my creations Hee!!

February Already! What A Crafty Bonanza!

Well I have been so busy since my last blog I don't know where to start!
CRAFT :
I will just say our craft fair debut went brilliantly and money made was spent on Christmas presents. I did sell all 17 jars of damson jam they looked lovely as were wrapped in green gingham cloth with red ribbon and label made with Christmas craft CD. There were many highlights of the day and hope M and me might do another Christmas one next year but start early with makes as I was exhausted by the time the day came around.

On the subject of craft fairs, went to my first one in Manchester with M. that was brill, spent a lot but learnt a lot of new skills so the day was very fruitful.


We did a workshop on 'one stroke painting' with Stephanie Weightman (she is a brilliant designer and worked on Create and craft shopping channel) so you can imagine my excitement to meet her and Nancy Watt.  

Steph doing one touch painting she makes it look easy but its not.



all glitter and smiles

  Oh also saw Glitter Girls on their huge store didn't buy anything off them used my 10% discount buying Martha Stewart punches for M and me and yes I have used them since I got back. 


Nancy Watt taking a break
 (have I got food in my teeth hee hee)




Well craft side of things I've been quite busy!
M and Me decided to have our own craft day each week and make something.





 FIRST PATCHWORK QUILT
Made a fabulous bed quilt for D and looks great on her bed.


My D Patchwork Quilt

 So chuffed with it. MY own twist on it was I sewed her buttons/beads in each corner of the quilt to both stitch the layers together and look effective too!  

Can you see the button detail?


I have bought a gorgeous collection of fabric for the next project in quilting. I will keep this a secret as would like to make a friend a present.






FIRST BIG KNIT CUSHION

I made a grey/black knitted cushion using huge knitting needles and wool yarn. this came out great and is now on my sofa pride of place. The yarn was expensive so I need to think of recycling my old clothes to make my next big knit project which I think will be a rug for the side of the bed.



FIRST EVER KNITTED SCARF

D is very lucky as she has a handcrafted knitted pink scarf which looks fab and is very warm only ten stitches across. The yarn was from Lidl four balls think it cost me £2.49 took one evening and I am so made up with the result told you I'd been busy.
Want to make myself one but not so bright. Need to find some more yarn that has this special effect when knitted.



DECOPAPER
A new craft discovered at the Manchester CF. (Glossy Glue, decopaper and object to be covered)


This is my vase
 D's rose from last years Valentine Ahh!
oh and of course im a huge BETTY FAN

 D loved this and covered her heart I'd bought her from the fair. I went one better and RECYCLED a glass ketcup bottle covering it in decopaper and it as if by magic changed into a vase for the living room. I saved it from the bin so minus one carbon footprint hee hee for me!









YES I'm stroking a decopaper giraffe
how fabulous!

 I have done some embroidery too! So all in all I've been very busy.

This is a pressy for a special person in my life. I haven't finished it yet but should be complete by Mother's day.

JOHN BARROWMAN

Well what an eventful night I had last night took BEST MATE T to the Liverpool Philamonic to see John Barrowman. Felt like I was goin home as thats where we do our SING LIVE concerts. The Show was fantastic John was brilliant and so funny. He had a load of family photos on a screen pity I was right at the back and needed my youngests binoculars but his voice was outstanding and I was memorised. He had Jodie P as support she has an amazing voice and a very cute yorkie who kissed my cheek ahh!

Well we got a huge thrill as T had realised that the guy in the band was the same hunk that shook his buttie infront of us at the Royal Albert Hall last May. There was 600 of us singing in SING LIVE with loads of  west end stars like Kerry Ellis from wicked and now shes Nancy in Oliver which is so weird as Jodie use to play Nancy. Anyway we hunted the cute guy down after the show and yes it was him he said that we had done a GREAT JOB so T and I were chuffed to bits his name was Daniel Ellis   no relation.

Oh other great news we have been invited to re do our Queen song in Albert Hall Bolton which is an honour its a rememberance concert invited by DAWSONS ACADEMY which were part of our DSB experience. I think I might challange self to perform at all the Albert Halls in the country not sure how many there are but that will be fun. No more name dropping well maybe one more.

Bessy Mate M went to do sainsbury advert with very talented daughter I who is on TV at present in Harveys advert and she came across JAMIE OLIVER and to my dismay he was a right DIVA. Flew in on a helicopter straight in car to his van and didnt come out to sign books as thinks hes to important then made crew wait hours before they started filming. I was disappointed to hear this as he is a favourite chef of mine and expected better from him. Kids disappointed I'm disappointed.

Best get back to my crafting as doing a craft fair on the 28th of November at Hulme Hall Wirral so need to get stuck in. Oh want a laugh Mum got me a carosel to display cards very kind newsagent my MS does have its benifits sometimes but gutted when the B***** Cards don't fit into the slots AHHHH!!!!

SUNDAY IS NEAR AT AN END

Oh dear what a very busy day. Kids have been up the wall so bored as raining again. I did suggest they painted or crafted but they just wanted to annoy each other, but I was too busy doing ADMIN for MS SOCIETY so didnt have time to entertain them.

We didn't have our usual dog walk today as unfortunately Stellas owner pasted away last week and we are now without our dog to walk on a Sunday. We have been put on a list so watch this space we might get the opportunity to walk another guide dog soon.

Dreaded Dentist tomorrow at 10 am need a filling as tooth broken then Walton centre at 3pm to have an electrode in my arm ahhh that sounds painful will tell me why my arm hurts so much. I think its nerve damage after my last relapse but I'm no doctor.

Charlotte Web on tv kids watching if I remember right its very sad at the end so need to fish out the hankies.

Some crafty news I made my first sock monkey which youngest has nicked for herself named it LUCY. On to my second which might go to the new addition to the family. Hubby's cousin has had a baby boy on Friday 8lb 9 oz ouch that must of smart. HA! Mum and baby doing fine can't wait for photo.

Photo of sock monkey to follow but I can put up a link to a fab blog that has the instructions to make your own monkey and lots of other crafts.
http://www.craftbits.com/project/sock-monkey

Well best get going and surf other crafty blogs for inspiration.

CRAFTY AFTERNOON

HAD a fab afternoon on friday playing with crafty stash with my bessy crafty friend M. Should of taken a pic of the dining room table at the start and at the end of our session but forgot. Wasn't productive in the sense not made one single card. But did make a mess no I mean a lovely range of toppers to put on our cards.

We were playing with christmas stamps using different techniques to colour them in; water colouring, promarkers, mica powders, embossing images, brush inks. The embossing with a heat gun was a first for both of us and was brilliant, we also did shrink plastic mine being a bit of a disaster. Oh yeah! also used flowersoft.

The whole afternoon was fun as I have to admit I have tonnes of stash and don't get chance to play with it so thanks to M for coming around and bringing the sandwich with cake yum! Will post pics of cards when I have made them up.

Next week M's house and I think we are going to do some BRAINSTORMING, we think we might be slightly MAD, but we fancy doing a stall at our local craft fair. Will be going along to check it out soon. Any craft ideas will be much appreciated.

I have also joined a new crafty forum to get some ideas from fellow crafters will put the link here if anyone is interested.

http://www.craftsforum.co.uk/


CRAFTY TIP OF THE DAY
Use twitters* when doing shrink plastic to stop it disappearing around the table and burning your fingers ouch!!

*Foot note I mean tweezers that made me giggle so I kept the Freudian slip in. We were a pair of twits or tweeters according to hubby.

HOMEMADE DAMSON JAM

Friday 3rd September.

 OMG September already were has the year gone 8 months gone and 4 months left. Well it is that time of year again. WE have picked the majority of damsons off our tree and started jam making. The past two years the Jam was a little hard when set and had to be microwaved to soften before spreading. This year I think it looks much better.

How to make damson jam.
http://www.allotment.org.uk/recipe/143/damson-jam-recipe/

Here is a great website that gives you all the instructions and recipes so I won't bore you.  I will show you some pictures of my process.

1.Damsons with 1/4  pint of water simmer till fruit reduced

I will just say I got very messy and so did the kitchen but its worth it when the jam is spread on some yummy brown bread.

2 .Pick the seeds out but save pulp

3. Need to add sugar and test if set see link

The Best Part is when put in jars and give them to friends.

I made 13 jars of damson Jam Yummy

Just need to make some labels now. My neighbour then called around with more damsons off his tree so the process has start all over again. Will be giving them as christmas pressies at this rate hee hee!!

Another kind neighbour was happy to take some damsons off my hands as you can imagine I had tonnes in exchange for some BLACKBERRY JAM and ORANGE MARMALADE brilliant!

Now on to my apple tree. Poor crop this year got exactly 12 apples were last year I had so many I was giving them away by the bag full. My mum in law made a load of apple pies/crumbles which were fab. This year lucky if I will get one crumb.

Bet they taste juicy though

Well thats all folks!!!

WHAT A ROLLERCOASTER OF A DAY!

Had a fab time at Blackpool Pleasure Beach on Tuesday 31st August 2010. The Mouse being the most terrifying due to the fact I did it on my own, it was so rickety I thought I was going to fall out and I have very sore arms cus of the shear force of being knocked from side to side. Little D not keen on the 'GRAND NATIONAL'  and Big O and Hubby did the 'BIG ONE & INFUSION'  I WAS HAPPY TO SIT THESE TWO OUT.
The 'HOT ICE SHOW' was brill Big O and I went in the evening loved the costumes, the hunky skaters and of course the skating. The illuminations were on for one night but I was so tired I only had enough energy to get back to THE BIG BLUE HOTEL and collapse in a VERY BIG BED. Hubby took Big O down to the bar and did some celebrity spotting of his own (thought I had taught him well) he came back to inform me that he reconized a guy from WATERLOO ROAD but didn't get an autograph rubbish!!! Was going to go to the bar in next PJ's (bought for me by a generous friend) but thought better of it as I was soooo knackered. Lucky I didn't as I had in my head MR MEAD and it turned out to be the other one TOM. But he was buying the film crew drinks so I might of got a J2O for FREE Ha!!!

Infusion they did it twice did I mention they are unhinged