Sunday 22 February 2009

I'm late!

I missed a birthday last week, and so decided it was a good excuse to create a belated card - which I've never done before! I'm usually very (even annoyingly) organised, but in recent months I've been seriously struggling to remember to even write things on my calendar, never mind to do the task itself!

However, if I was bad before, I've been terrible in the past month. With the snow days, Alex being unwell, inset days (aka teacher training days) and half term, I haven't known whether I'm coming or going! I think I need consistent sunshine - I tend to get mild(ish) SAD.

Regardless of all my blah, I hope you like the card. Its cheerful and pretty, which can only make you feel better :)

The quote is from Alice in Wonderland - but I bet you knew that already:)

Have a good day!

Sx

All the papers and the digital elements - the baking tray, with the heart cookies 'iced' with a mini cookie alpha - have been designed by Dani Mogstad, MandaBean & Fee Jardine. The kit is aptly called Littlest Bake Shop. Its available from Sweet Shop Designs
Blooms: Poppicrafts
Buttons: Doodlebug Designs
Thread: DMC
Chalks: Dovecraft
Seed beeds: JoMil

Wednesday 18 February 2009

Guess what?

Oooo, I have some lovely, lovely news to share with you.

I have been asked to become a member of another creative team! The designer who asked me is called Dani Mogstad, and her rather fabulous designs are available from Sweet Shoppe Designs. Her work is so varied from the bold and feminine All You Need is Love to the amazing and grungy Punk'D.

The card below was made using All You Need is Love:


...told you Dani's designs were lovely didn't I? I recreated her heart design in felt as I wanted the main embellishment to be a little more tactile (and I like felt!) - substituting a bloom for a button in the process.

I hope you'll pop by Dani's creative teams blog, Girl Talk, too - I have joined a very talented group of people (and I'm feeling just a little nervous about it!). The blog is full of ideas and challenges - and at least once a month I have to pop a post on it too (ahhh, quick panic...).

By the way - the mini bloom I used on the heart was from Poppicrafts, who are having a bit of a sale right now, which includes these mini blooms now available in packs of 10! Good job 'cos I use loads of this colour. Pop over and indulge!

I now just have to go and figure out how to get Dani's blinkie on to my PC....

Sx

Other bits & bobs used: Ribbon was also from Poppicrafts, buttons & rub-ons by Doodlebug, and chalk from Dovecraft.

Sunday 15 February 2009

{Mega} sour cream containers!

I had no idea that these cute twisty gift parcels were sour cream containers in the US. I have to thank Liz at the-ever-so-fab PP for educating me!

Alex and I made them as part of Liz's blog challenge for February. Her originals were nice, delicate little parcels, but our are daddy-sized - literally, as my son & I made them as Valentine's gifts for my husband! ...if I'd only put one delicate chocolate in he would have been most upset so we made one large enough to hold an entire packet of minty Aero chocolate balls and the other a packet of Jelly Babies. He was a very happy man.

Only one complaint though, Liz - my son said that the papers I showed him were too girly for his Daddy (honestly! He finally chose a cute space design for his parcel). So please could you come up with some papers with added grrr for the boys in time for Father's Day : )

Sx

Valentine parcel: Image and paper - Pink Petticoat
Space parcel: Moon and paper - Nitwits

Thursday 12 February 2009

Daft, but a bit fun too.

I decided to do a quiz to see what kind of person I am (!) - a handful of (totally anonymous) multichoice questions et voila!



Your Word is "Think"



You see life as an amazing mix of possibilities, ideas, and fascinations.

And sometimes you feel like you don't have enough time to take it all in.



You love learning. Whether you're in school or not, you're probably immersed in several subjects right now.

When you're not learning, you're busy reflecting. You think a lot about the people you know and the things you've experienced.


Yeah, that's me.

Daft but, as I said in the title, a bit of fun too.
I've noticed that Michelle of the ever so fab Poppicrafts has some new blooms in. I don't really need them, but they are so pretty...

Tuesday 10 February 2009

Pizza {box} anyone?

I made this mini pizza box as a challenge over at the Sweet Shoppe (love this site!). It's my first diy box and it turned out beautifully.

I found this template via this lovely blog. I did fiddle with the dimensions to make it fit my card, but it worked out so well that within minutes of the photo being taken, my son claimed the box as his own (I managed to grab the flower & ribbon back though!).

My big tip, if you decide to have a go: when folding the box into shape, check and double check which flaps to apply adhesive to before its too late. I 'dotted' the appropriate flaps just to be sure!

Sx

PS I actually got a mention on the Sweet Shoppes blog for this box too!

Designs: Libby Weifenbach (Love Shack kit - which is really, really lovely)
Bloom, ribbon & button: Poppicrafts of course!
Plus wire, seed beads, a black pen and my mini tag punch from Woodware.

Sunday 8 February 2009

Handbags and a digital layout

I made this beaded handbag card this week - it a variation on a theme I've used before, but I was so pleased with how it looked with the addition of beads, I thought I'd share it with you.

I also had a go at another community challenge with Sweet Shoppe Designs (SSD) - I'm getting quite addicted to it to be honest! The challenge was to 'lift' a layout by a lady called Amy Stoffel - her work is so beautiful, it was quite difficult to select one to 'lift'. Eventually, thought I created the the digital layout below:

...and I am delighted with it!

Love,

Sx

Handbag
Dottie paper: Pink Petticoat (Sweet Cupcake kit); black 'velvet' card: Doodlebug Designs; seed beads: JoMil

Layout
All paper & most embellishments: Traci Reed (Vanilla Pear-adise kit @ SSD); stitching: Christie Lyle (Unscary Tricksters kit @SSD); font: Little Days

Thursday 5 February 2009

A fairy nice card (get it?)

A pretty little card for a soon to be 2 year old - and the most girly card I've ever made on behalf of my brother. It's for his god-daughter, and being the closet sweet heart he is, he asked his friend what his daughter would like for her birthday, and found himself lost in the scary world of The Night Garden. I don't think he's quite recovered yet.

This week has been a bit of a card makers nightmare as my son, like lots of other children, have had school cancelled due to the weather. Unfortunately, he has been unwell and so we haven't been able to get out and indulge in the amazing snow fall we've had. We are beginning to show signs of cabin fever - its a toss up as to who's the grumpiest, him or me...and there's more snow to come apparently!

Keep warm,

Sx

All papers & image: Kay Miller ('Enchanted' kit)
Alpha: NitWits ('Never Not Talk')
Organza ribbon: Ribbon Oasis
Jewels: Lakeland Ltd & heart freebie
Chalks: Dovecraft

Monday 2 February 2009

Nice & simple

I like this type of card, you know the type that when you need a card for a friend in a hurry, you can just pop together (reasonably!) quickly and know it'll be just right.

My last post mentioned a challenge by Liz at Pink Petticoat. That challenge is now closed, but the very good news is that she's going to make it a regular monthly thing! The winner will be randomly chosen, but we get to share ideas and stand to win something useful and pretty (which is always a nice incentive) plus some chocolate - check this out:
Fab idea, Liz! I will be looking out for the February challenge for sure!

Whilst on the subject of pretty nice things, I found this amazing blog, which is guaranteed to inspire and make you go 'oooooo'. Take a look: An Altered State (I need to find a source of colourful good quality plain felt 'cos I want to make stuff like her too... any source suggestions would be welcome!)

Sx

Paper & Image: Pink Petticoat (of course); Ribbon & bloom: Poppicrafts; Button, sugar coated card & heart sequins: Doodlebug Design; Font: Cupcake (naturally!); Sequins: Jomil