A Swimming Party

Hello Everyone - Happy Friday!

Well yesterday wasn't as bad as I feared 'children-wise' - Eleri just had one friend to play with, and there is always so much less friction then! Although, at one point, I had a major panic as I did not know where she was - the last thing she had said was that she was going to ride around the square on her bike, and then when I was looking for her I couldn't see her bike - I thought she'd gone up the road to another house or to the park without asking me (and she would definitely have been in trouble if she'd done that!) But she was just next door with her friend - they had just taken their bikes inside the garden where I couldn't see them - whew, panic over!

Anyway, on to the reason I'm blogging today - to show a card. Eleri has been invited to a swimming party tomorrow (but, because the children are all under 8, parents have to go too - not sure if I'm looking forward to that really, but I can't let her down!) I did initially say she wouldn't be able to go because I would need to stay with Andrew and we hadn't got another adult to swim with her - but the boy's Mum said Andrew could come along too! Actually, I could do with a good swim - I do keep telling myself that I'm going to start swimming one evening a week but I keep making excuses for not going - meetings for work, Richard playing squash, Richard cricket training, Richard cricket coaching etc etc. Basically, I'm just plain lazy LOL!

Here's the card:



A very simple card. The background paper is a scrap of a digi paper I had in my stash - I can't remember where its from. So, as its a digi I've sprayed it with Crafters Companion Silver Spray and Sparkle to hold the ink on the paper. The image is the July freebie digi from Digistamp Boutique, called Molly and Tom. I've enlarged the image, and then die-cut Tom out with a Spellbinders Circle die. Matted him onto a scalloped circle die. I've copied the image and cut the little octopus out to decoupage him up at the side of the image. The sentiment was created on the computer, and just cut up, and then I inked around the edge of each letter with the same colour Promarker as I used on the octopus. Added ribbon and a button, oh and used my new paper crimper for that blue strip. I've added stickles to Tom's goggles.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Totally Gorjuss - Punch or Die
Totally Papercrafts - Bling It Up
The Paper Shelter - Anything Goes
Craft Your Days Away - Summertime

I hope you all have a good weekend. Hope to see you again soon.

***Edited to add - I spoke too soon! Eleri came in at tea time crying and saying that a little girl had been mean to her. So I suggested that she stay in the house after tea, but she's gone straight back outside to play with the same little girl :}

Love, Andrea xx

Some Jewellery for Me

Hello Peoples - I hope you are having a good week. I've finished work today for just over a week, but I'm not sure whether I'm looking forward to the time off or not - I can't bear it when the children in the neighbourhood start falling out with one another, and telling tales on each other (which has apparently been happening today!). Think I'm gonna have to plan a few days out somewhere, just hope the weather is kind and we don't have to spend money going places!

Anyway, this evening, I thought I would show you a jewellery set I've made for myself - a bracelet and earrings set. I love wearing bracelets - I don't often wear necklaces and don't change my earrings very often though I do love wearing dangly earrings. Mostly I just keep my gold studs in.



This is made with an amethyst chunk, sage amethyst beads and white agate beads, with a small sterling silver clasp. I really love wearing this bracelet.

The next image is a bit blurred but I'm trying to show the weaving technique I've used.



And these are the earrings - I need to practice making wrapped loops! Although I love these, they are a bit heavy to wear for any length of time.



I managed to wear them for the evening when I went out last Friday. And I did have a lovely evening. My name was chosen out of the hat to have my make-up done by the make-up artist, who was someone who does the make-up for Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Dancing on Ice (all of which are programmes on ITV here in the UK - and none of which I watch ;D). Anyway, I was really pleased with what she did - it was just a natural daytime look - perfect for someone who doesn't often wear make-up - it was just a shame I had to come home and remove it before going to bed LOL! And Richard didn't even comment (that's men for you I suppose!)

So, I'll love you and leave you for now. Hope to be back again soon.

Love, Andrea xx

A Disappointment!

Hello Everyone - I hope you're well and having a good week.

In case you saw my last post (below), my friend loved the jewellery I made her - she was wearing the earrings I made for her the next day I went into work, and they really suit her! I was chuffed to bits LOL!

Anyway, my nephew will be 4 tomorrow and I've made him a card. But, I'm really disappointed with the way it turned out - I don't know what's not quite right about it - I'm considering adding a Happy Birthday sentiment at the top but haven't got much time as I've made this last minute again! I'm actually going out this evening to a charity make-up evening - I honestly can't remember the last time I had a night out without my hubby (even those are very rare occasions!). And you know how it is? - you say yes to something and then wish you hadn't - well that's how I'm feeling right now - can't decide what to wear, blah blah! Stop, that's enough! On to my card:



The image is a Wags n Whiskers digi called Speed Racer which I bought from Bunny Zoe's Crafts. I've coloured it with Promarkers, with the same kind of colours as Lightning McQueen from the Disney films Cars - my nephew is mad on those characters. The papers are some I've had for ages. I've also had the buttons for ages - they were purple and blue, and I've coloured them with a black Sharpie pen. I added some gloss to the little windscreen and the headlights.

I've followed the sketch at Passion for Promarkers, and I'm also going to enter the following challenges:

Sweet Stampin Challenge
Cute Card Thursday
Totally Gorjuss
which are all for boys/men.

Well, that's it - I need to finish the ironing, then get the children some tea, before making an effort to get ready!

See you soon.

Love, Andrea xx

A Gift For a Friend

Hello Folks

Well I'm back sooner than I expected. I've decided to show you something just a little bit different today - the gift I made for my friend from work who was away for her birthday, so this is her belated birthday present - I hope she likes it!

This is the gift box I made to hold the gift:



This is just a simple pillow box printed from Cute Companions CD. See the sparkle? - I sprayed it with Crafters Companion Spray and Sparkle, to protect the ink from smudging (cos I do have problems with that when I use digital papers). I'm not sure what this Tilda image is called but she is perfect for small projects, and so quick to colour. I cut her out so that I could pop her up onto an embossed mat - the embossing folder I used is a small Papermania one which was free with a Do Crafts magazine - I think that's gorgeous for small projects too. Then a scalloped circle mat underneath that, and that's the box sorted. Just added some sparkle to her wings with Stickles.

I would like to enter this project in the Just Magnolia Challenge which is Pink, Purple and Pearls. But where's the Pink? It's printed on the inside of the box:



OK, that's the Pink and Purple, but what about the Pearls? Well they were part of the gift inside the box. I've said before that I have become addicted to the Jewellery Maker TV channel - well I have surcumbed more than once and ordered some jewellery kits. I've made myself some jewellery, which I might show you sometime, and I also made my friend some earrings and a matching bracelet:



These are made with shell squares, shell pearls and fluroite, with sterling silver findings. The bracelet is a stretchy bracelet.

I will totally understand if my project cannot be counted in the Challenge, but I thought I'd give it a go anyway ;}

I would also like to enter the Kaboodle Doodles Challenge which is Embossing - you can barely see the embossing, but it is on the mat which Tilda is leaning on.

Right, I'm thirsty, I need a cuppa before going to bed! Goodnight!

Love, Andrea xx

Retirement Card for Teacher

Happy Sunday everyone - I should be doing housework but just cannot get started LOL! Well, Richard's working til 4 so as long as I've done something by the time he comes home ;)

Today, I will show the card I made for a teacher who retired from school this week.



I embossed the base card with a Do Crafts V&A Hanoverian folder. The gingham paper is printed from Cute Companions CD, and this time I sprayed it with Crafters Companion Spray and Shine in the hope that it won't spoil in any way (with teacher's tears or something!). The image is Elisabeth Bell's Daisy which I bought from Funky Kits - coloured with promarkers. Not much more to it really, just a bit of sparkle with adhesive dots coloured with promarker and stickles around the image circle.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Passion for Promarkers - Gingham
Cute Card Thursday - Going round in Circles
Totally Papercrafts - Girly Girls

Have a fab day and thanks for taking a peek at my blog. Not sure when I'll be back, hope its not too long.

Love, Andrea xx

And Now for the Teaching Assistants

Hello again

Well this is my second post today - extremely unusual for me LOL!

These are the gift boxes I made for the teaching assistants at school. I just put a Flake (mmmmm yummy!!), pen and pencil in them - I know nothing special, but just a little thank you, and I just could not think of anything exciting!



I made 5 of these altogether.

They were very simple - for each box I just die cut two pieces of card with the largest Spellbinders Labels Ten die, embossed those, and also cut a strip of card 28cm long and 5cm wide (folded it across at 11.5cm and 16.5cm, and also folded down each side (at an angle so that the top was narrower than the bottom)) and glued it all together. Then added another die cut piece of patterned paper to the front and a die cut piece of the base card which had the thank you sentiment stamped on. Added a die cut flower, and some stickles, et voila! Oh and I added some paper thread for a handle.

My explanation of how I made them may not be particularly clear, so I'll show you a side view and hope it makes more sense - do you see that the bottom of the side panel is wider than the top - this was to make the box more stable when it was standing - oh I also just trimmed the bottom of the two labels shapes I'd cut for even more stability!



I would like to enter these in the Papertake Weekly Challenge which is Hot, Hot, Hot - I used reds, oranges and pinks on some of these boxes and I must say they did look gorgeous IRL, even though I say so myself LOL!

Enough waffle - I need to check what the children are doing LOL!

I do have another card I made ready to show you - it was for a teacher who retired yesterday - not sure if I'll have time to post it tomorrow but as soon as I can!

Have a fabulous weekend everyone - I hope the weather's not as wet as is forecast here in the UK.

Love, Andrea xx

Teachers' Gifts

Hello Again Folks

Well I did manage to have a bit of a lie in this morning - I was reading til about quarter to nine, then it was up to get some washing in the machine.

Today I'm showing the gifts I made for teachers and teaching assistants at school this week.

These were for the teachers:


They are mini easel card boxes - I followed the tutorial here - they were really easy to make. I've seen them lots of times before and never had the courage to try them. This Tilda is the perfect size for these 3" cards. I would like to make a set of mini cards with envelopes to give as a gift sometime.

I added some little wooden butterfly pegs and flower paperclips, and stamped a thank you message on a mini post it pad as the gift inside the drawer.



I'm entering these boxes in the following challenges:

The Paper Shelter - For the birds - anything with wings - I've sparkled Tilda's wings with stickles
Craft Your Days Away - Fancy Folds - I hope these boxes and easel cards on top count for that
One Stitch At a Time - Anything Goes

I'll show the teaching assistant gift boxes later - my son wants the computer!

See you soon.

Love, Andrea xx

Clean and Simple Card for My Niece

Hello Everyone - I hope you are well. Well, I've finished my extra busy stint at work - our Office Manager has been on leave for 3 and a half weeks, and I've been covering for her as well as doing my own work, and so I've had to work 5 days a week instead of 4! But I have a day off tomorrow as the children have finished school for the long summer break today - it only seems like last week that they were starting the school year in September! Then I'll be working 3 days a week instead of 4 through the school holidays.

I've also been busy at home this last week making presents for the teachers and teaching assistants which has meant late nights - but I'll show you all those goodies another day. I am feeling pretty shattered at the moment, and I'm looking forward to a lie in tomorrow (I'll be lucky probably - not LOL!).

Today I want to show you the card I made for my niece who was 6 on Monday - I hope you had a lovely birthday Caitlyn.



Sorry, it's not the best photo - the image looks kind of squashed up somehow - it didn't look quite that bad IRL.

The image is a digi by Wags n Whiskers, called Snuzzle Love - I bought it from Bunny Zoe's Crafts. I chose her as I think she looks just like my niece, and my niece often has some kind of a cuddly toy with her. I tried to colour her hair like Caitlyn's. She's been coloured with Promarkers. I cut the image out, so that I could emboss the mat to sit her on using 3D glue (the mat was die cut using a Spellbinders scalloped circle die)- the embossing folder I used is a small one which was free with a Do Crafts magazine. I just love the gingham paper - printed from a Cute Companions CD.

Unfortunately, I don't have much luck with papers I've printed - this card was standing on the table drying as I had to use wet glue at my Mum's to stick the insert inside the card. I forgot I'd left it there, and then spotted Eleri dunking her sweets into her glass of water! - she'd blinking well splashed the card with only one tiny drop of water, but it splodged the gingham paper. There was absolutely nothing I could do about it though as I was at my Mum's and I was leaving the card there for Caitlyn - I just hope it wasn't showing up too much! I had thought about spraying the paper with a Crafters Companion spray but I decided not to - I'm going to always spray papers that I print from now on - lesson learned!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Sweet Stampin Challenge - Cute and Cuddly - I hope my cute little girl cuddling her teddy counts
Kaboodle Doodles Challenge - Use those Scissors - I cut the image out to give it a bit of dimension
Digital Tuesday - Spellbound - the mat was cut using a Spellbinders die, and the flowers are a die as well, the only set of flower dies I have, and I really must buy some more!

Well, that's enough waffle from me. I really should be back soon as I do have another card to show you and the teachers' presents. I think I'm going to do a bit of jewellery making tonight - I'm developing another addiction, and getting butterflies whilst watching the Jewellery Maker channel on TV - I would love to buy so much from there too! You never know, I might just show you some jewellery I've made soon.

Love, Andrea xx

A Wedding Card

Hello Everyone

I don't know, I just can't get my 'arris' into gear at the moment! I feel pretty awful that I forgot it was my sister in law's birthday on Friday and so had not made her a card. Luckily, Richard remembered first thing in the morning and, unusually for me, I had a couple of cards made up in a box so we were able to give her a handmade card - pheew!! I knew I should have been making a card for someone!

But I did manage to make a wedding card for my cousin who got married yesterday - Congratulations to Ceri and James! They got married in a beautiful little church, which had a woodland walk down to it, and there was bunting tied to the trees along the path - it really was a stunning setting. Anyway, here's the card:



A very simple card, but I liked the way it turned out. I didn't use any designer papers, just pearlescent card. I embossed the white with a Cuttlebug folder, called Kimmy's Love I think. I added little dots with promarkers around the edge of the image, to look a little like confetti. Then added stickles around the edge of it. I'm not sure what make the flowers are - I bought a bunch from my local craft store. I think the pearlescent brads are Papermania. I used lilac and white organza ribbon to make the bow.

I followed the Mojo Monday sketch, and am also entering the following challenges:

The Paper Shelter which is Anything Goes
Do You Stack Up which is Squares

I'm having real difficulty leaving comments on some blogs at the moment - is anyone else having the same problems? It is as if I haven't signed into blogger and it keeps asking me to sign in again when I try to publish my comment, but it will not accept that I have done - so annoying! And why is it only on some blogs? Anyway, stop moaning, best go and check on the chicken - it's smelling good!

I will have to make a card for my niece this week, so I hope I will have another card to show you sometime soon. I really ought to make some little gifts for teachers at school, but I can't muster the motivation for that at the moment either! Crikey, I sound like a right whinge bucket at the moment - sorry folks!

See you soon.

Love, Andrea xx