Love those grandkids!

I spent most of yesterday babysitting the grandkids - at least until I had to drop the boys off at school for a coach trip to the Ipswich Football Stadium with their school teams and coaches.

While they were waiting for me to get my shoes on, the boys were sitting around and found the display boards I have been working on.

After carefully looking at all the designs I've made Kaleb shouted up the stairs - "hey Grandma - you're a real artist!" . They were both so impressed with my work. How lovely it was to get this kind of spontaneous compliment from those sweet little boys.

I am very blessed!

More mini's!

I am soooooo lovin these cute little mini stamps sets that are cheap as chips! I decided to store them in clear CD cases the same as my Paper Trey Ink stamps. I have a nice opaque snap together CD box for storage so it works just perfect. I think I can get 5 or 6 sets in one case which should make it easy to take them when I craft with friends.



Just wanted to share a couple more 'little' cards I made.

I chose blue and brown for this baby one. Ok so the baby has a bow in it's hair but I still think I can get away with it. There is actually another baby design stamp that has the quote 'poo happens' so maybe that's the boy baby. Ask me if I care? I'm just happy to be creating right now.

This one is funny and will appeal to all you women out there who've ever tried a diet. I think the 'stick' images are simple and such fun too.

I put the second part of the text inside the card with a bit more tape measure. Boy isn't this the truth!!!!

I still have the fish set to play with. How sweet was Jessica to get all of these for me :-). I must remember to do her a set of cards some time to say thanks.

Cupcakes Stamps

A good friend gave me a voucher for my birthday this year (February) and I finally got the set of cupcake stamps I have been drooling over! I had to wait quite a while since the shop had to order them in for me but they were sooooo worth the wait.

They're made by Hero Arts and I knew as soon as I saw them they'd make some really cute cards and projects. Here's what I created with them.

Besides loving this card I have had the idea to make a box to fit a cupcake in as a gift for some time now. All I needed was the stamp set and a reason to actually get around to doing it.

This is the card I ended up making. I think the colours came about because of the green stem and red fruits of the cherry stamp but I like how they work together. It's almost impossible to see in this photo but the cupcake base is coloured using a pale yellow sparkle chalk and the frosting with a pale pink chalk. I used my tab punch to create the 'yum!' tab for opening the card and the text 'seize the cupcake' on the front. I love the red gingham in the paper and ribbon - so much better than plain red.

I used this text message inside to keep the card fun. I don't usually decorate the liners in cards but lately I have. I think the cherry in the corner works well and I love that I can substitute a button for a bit of 3D embellishing. I also mounted the back of the card onto red cardstock and trimmed around with my scalloped scissors for a different look.

I used my trusty 'impressively hand stamped expressively for you' stamp on the back (and on the base of the box too) - I'm so glad I found this stamp amongst my stash.

I made the card first and was then inspired with the matching colour scheme for the box. I created the box from a sheet of A3 white cardstock and then created paper panels for decorating it. Each panel consisted of a strip of red gingham paper topped with a strip of green scallop and a large strip of hand stamped and coloured cherry paper.

I created 2 different tags for the top of the box and tied it all up with pretty sheer green and red ribbons. Of course I will have to fill it and I plan to cut a strip of card stock that will fold and fit inside with a hole cut out of the centre to hold a cupcake perfectly. I can't wait to give this to my friend who has a birthday in mid April.

It just so happens that this month's issue of the freebie Tesco magazine has several recipes for cupcakes in it including a cherry one and I'd love to say I will hand make the cupcake too but I know myself only too well. I will end up leaving it until the last minute and then be too tired or too busy to do it myself.

I guess I will either buy a pretty cupcake from somewhere like Waitrose or if I have a little time I can buy a chocolate muffin and decorate it with a swirl of butter cream frosting myself - it will be half home made that way. Either way I wish I was the recipient of this sweet little gift!

Inkadinkado Cuties

My darling daughter has been spending a couple of days visiting us and she treated me to several mini stamp sets from Inkadinkado! They are soooooo cute that not only have I crafted a couple of cards with them already (I only got them this afternoon), but I just have to share them with everyone.

They are an absolute steal at just £1.75 a set! Really it doesn't get much better than that - except to say that I actually chose these out of a catalogue when I went to the trade show recently and Amanda at Your Touch of Craft was happy to stock them. I knew I was going to like them as soon as I saw them. I just wish I'd picked more designs - guess I need to speak to her about getting more in huh?

This is the turtle set which says "birthdays are good for you, the more you have the longer you live" and a big "Happy Birthday" as well as this cute little guy.

This is the fish set which says "just dropping you - a line" in 2 parts so you can add the first part to the front of the card and the rest inside - how cute. It also has a cute fish, a hook and even bubbles which would make a really cool background in blues and greens. See my turtle card to see how easy it is to create a simple background paper.

I thought this one would be fun for friends who are always dieting. It seems like some of mine are continually on one! I've long since given up on this fruitless exercise myself!!!! I don't need to explain the text as the photo is clear enough to read but I really like this one.

I'm not sure how often I'll use this one but I think it's so darn funny. In case anyone can't read from this photo it says "does this diaper make my butt look big?" . Diaper being a 'nappy' to us limeys but since I had my babies in America 'diaper' makes me feel right at home. I know I could do a couple of cute cards with this design.

Then of course there's this one. It comes with a double flower which I used to create the background, a trio of cars, one with a flower on the arial and says "when you're in a jam - it's nice to have a friend" (in 2 parts). I coloured the cars with ordinary colouring pencils and then added clear glitter glue to the headlights and the centre of the small flower. I added the first part of the text to the front of the card.

I added the second part of the text inside the card and then finished it off with a few flowers in the bottom corner.

This one was my first effort with the turtle stamp set. I coloured him in with green and blue and although you can't see it in this photo I used Anita's clear gloss liquid on the green part of his shell. Once dry it looks really cool. I used the happy birthday stamp inside the card and stamped a few of the small flowers in there as well.

I am only sorry I didn't choose the one about chocolate! You can view the other designs here http://www.inkadinkado.com/products/prod_list.lasso?catid=2_clear_stamps. You can purchase these stamps at Your Touch of Craft. Amanda hasn't seen my cards using these stamps yet but when she does I'm sure she'll want to work a class around them. I sure hope so cos I'd just love to teach one with these.

They are just too CUTE!

Design Mode

I am in design mode at the moment since I will be demo-ing at the craft event in April at the Bury Sports & Leisure Centre. I am putting together several boards full of cards and scrapbook pages to use for display.

Here are a few designs I've come up with so far.

This is an 8" x 8" page which shows how you can stamp your own background papers. The flowers and the 'sweet' text are also created with rubber stamps. I am using the Upsy Daisy designs.

This card uses the same techniques but also uses a black peel off greeting.

This card is created entirely with stamps - only the ribbon isn't stamped!

These ones all make up the 'blue' board since I have tried to create and collate items on boards by colour.

When I got tired of working with blues I decided to use purples and lilacs. This is a mini card with rounded corners that's kinda sweet. Just about everything is stamped except the dark paper and ribbon.

I'm not sure what I was aiming for with this one. Sometimes you just have to create and you won't like them all but at least they get you headed in the right direction - maybe?

This one turned out far too busy for my liking but it shows you what you can do with stamps anyhow.

I finally ended up doing a design I liked. I had several scraps lying around from trimming paper so I decided to use them. You just cut strips at an angle and layer them on a card. I used black strip peel offs to add more detail and to tie in with the black on the 'pen' stitches. Since I hadn't used the circle text stamps I decided to add one of these to finish the card. I really like this quick and easy card and I've made several like this in the past.

After deciding I wasn't doing so well with the purple colour family I switched to pinks and reds with a hint of green. This card is more my style and it's a mini one too so it's doubly cute. This uses another circle text stamp from Upsy Daisy designs.

I was inspired by the card to create an 8" x 8" page using the same cute designer tag. All I need now are some photos to add to the pages.

Here's another shot of the tag. I first stamped the 'love' with one of the round text stamps. Then I added it to pink cardstock and cut around with scalloped scissors. Because the scissors don't cut evenly, i.e. you end up back where you started with a half scallop; I covered this up with the ribbon which I stapled to the tag. Next I stamped a flower on pink cardstock, cut it out and 3D mounted it in the centre with a jewel on top. Finally I stamped and added the green leaves to hide the staple and add the finishing touch.

I could use this tag over and over again on numerous projects. I just love it.

Well I have several more but I will share them later.

Snow!

I couldn't resist taking a photo in my back yard of the sight that greeted me this Easter morning - snow!

I guess there won't be an egg hunt today then!

You might recognise this pretty flowering plant from an earlier post. The flowers were dusted down with snow but they still looked pretty.

More Scripture Album Pages

I am trying to limit the time I spend at my computer since it aggrivates my back/neck injury. It's going pretty good at the moment so I'm keeping things short and sweet to keep it that way.

I took a couple more photos of some pages in this album to share.

This first one features a family portrait we had done a few years ago while mom was visiting. I just love using black and white photos because you can add any colour or element you choose.

I love this swirly, very classic looking paper and the lime green is quite striking against the black!

Since there are 4 generations featured in this shot (Dave's mom, Dave, our daughter Vicky and her 3 kids) I thought this verse was perfect.

I love this shot of the boys watching the boats come and go on the Ely river.

Never be afraid to take a shot from behind. I may not have their cute little faces in the shot but I love the 'moment in time' feel and the natural element this shot gives. I love seeing them in their baseball caps (it was pretty hot and sunny) and their somewhat longer denim shorts and trainers. They look like boys should look.! I kept this shot colour because the blues and greens were so vibrant.

This close up shows the verse and the beautiful detailing in the paisley papers.

This is the last one I'm sharing today. This is one of Maddy on the baby swing at the Abbey Gardens. I got this paper from 'Your Touch of Craft' and just loved that the design was already on the paper. All I did was mount and add the photo and then add little gems to the centre of some of the flowers. Finish it off with a verse on some ribbon and voila!

I think they still have some of this paper left too. I believe it's in the 'Upsy Daisy' design range.

This would make a really cute page in any little girls album. This close up shows the verse and also the detailing. I used a craft knife to cut slits where I wanted to slide the ribbon through the text. I create all of the text on my computer.

After seeing these pages I have a hankering to do another one but right now I am in design mode for the craft event at the Bury Sports & Leisure Centre coming this April. If you don't have tickets yet they are selling these at 'Your Touch of Craft' in St John's Street. I will be demoing on the day.

My mission today is to clean up my craft room and complete a few more projects for the display boards. The weather outside is wet, windy and pretty dismal so it's stay indoors and keeping warm and busy today I think.

Easter Basket

I am sharing this tutorial for a cute little basket that goes together usper easy and super fast. I don't know who had the idea first. It's difficult to know when you see the same idea again and again on several different sites but I hadn't seen this handle variation before so credit goes to Angie for that as far as I'm concerned.


I decided to fill each one with a cute little Lindt bunny. These ones are the 50g size which is not too much chocolate for little ones. You have to cover their ears with some paper 'grass' filling but that'll just make it more fun to watch the kids tucking inside to see what they've got!

You can make them any size you want but I'll give measurements of mine.

Start by cutting a square of card stock measuring 8 1/4" x 8 1/4".

Score it at 2 3/4" and then again at 2 3/4". Turn and score these same measurements again to produce a tic, tac, toe (noughts & crosses) effect.

Fold along all score lines.

Flip square over and score in the 4 corner squares diagonally.

Fold the cornes inward as shown.




Bring two of them together on the same side to form one end of the basket,

Use a clip to hold in place while working with it. Fold in the other two corners to complete the base of the basket.

You can make these without adhesive tape but I wanted mine to look a bit more professional so I secured these ends in place. If you choose not to then keep working with the clips on until you secure it with brads.

Punch holes through all layers on either folded side.


Add a square of decorative paper measuring 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" to the front and back of base.



Next cut 3 handles each measuring 11" x 1/2".

Use a clip to keep all 3 handles together and punch a hole in each end.

Insert brad through handles and then base and open to secure in place. Repeat for the other side.

Gently pull the 3 handles apart slightly.

Create an embellishment to suit your theme and add to the front panel. You could easily use a purchased sticker or a punched flower to make it even quicker.

And there you have it. An oh so cute little basket just perfect for Easter or any other occasion.

Hope you get some inspration from these and have a go at one yourselves. Enjoy!