Still Crafting

I have been busy crafting various things of late - nothing for me tho', but I'm still crafting.  I should have an evening entirely to myself tonight so I'm hoping I can whip up a card for the latest Waltzing Mouse Challenge.  I actually sketched out a design in my lunch hour at work would you believe? LOL.  Whether I get it done or whether it turns out to be completely different remains to be seen.

Anyhow I'm sharing just what I've been up to.

I needed a gift for something and it was due on 8 December so since I had a deadline I figured I'd better do it sooner rather than later.  Does anyone else feel like things are really rushing by right now?  I'm sure Christmas approaching has something to do with it.  I am getting booked up with all kinds of dates for things and I'm still trying to squeeze in a workshop date for Church too.  I was aiming for 17 November but somebody got that date before me and we're now celebrating American Thanksgiving a week early at church (we have several American families that attend).  I'm struggling to get an available date!

The specifics I was given was an apron and tea towels, red to match the kitchen so I ran up a red & white polka dot apron on my day off yesterday.  Next I trimmed a couple of store bought tea towels to match.

Then before I knew what had hit me I started cutting into a third tea towel and whipped up a couple of matching hot pads.  I even hemmed up the left over tea towel for a matching dish cloth.  Am I sad or what? LOL.  I can get really carried away with co-ordinating handmade gifts - SERIOUSLY!  But it does make a lovely bundle all tied up with some wide cotton twill tape and a handmade tag to finish it off.  The tea towels came wrapped with the tape so I am recycling too.

I have been waiting for this Nestabilities ornament die set for ages and this is as much chance as I've had to play with it but since I needed a tag once my sewing was finished I thought one of these would do nicely - thank you very much.  I ud=sed a bunch of other WMS stamps to stamp up the back so I could write on it.

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And I have finally made enough handmade card kits to get some into the post this weekend.  Hopefully these will sell and make a whole bunch of money for charity.  They're such a cute idea and I just love em'.  I finished a whole bunch off at my mother's yesterday on our usual Wednesday dinner & crafting evening.  I am really enjoying these evenings and even my mother is getting involved rather than just sitting and knitting while we craft.

Each kit has 2 cards (stamped with 'handmade') on the reverse, 2 matching envelopes, 2 liners (stamped with 'sharing with you in the miracle of the season' inside), 2 scalloped mats with adhesive strips on the back, 2 colouring nativity blocks with adhesive, 2 'Christmas Blessings' sentiments with foam pads on the back and even 4 colouring pencils to get you started so it's a complete kit.  How cute are they?

This is an old set from StampinUp! that I rarely use but since I'm getting together with a few girls from church on 9 November to make cards to sell and then with the youth group on 30 November for crafting with the kids I think it might just get a whole bunch of use this year alone.

I think I may have to have the grandkids make a few of these too - they absolutely love to colour.  I have been purchasing the card blank packs from Denny's for just £3 for 25 cards.  I know, I know I always make my own but when you mass produce to this extent it really isn't worth doing so I am very grateful I found these.  I think they're 'Anita's' but I don't have the wrappers any more so I can't be sure. I pick up a pack of 48 small colouring pencils at the Pound Store which are perfect for these kits.

Oh and before I go.  Have you seen some of the fab samples Claire has been posting the last couple of days for Waltzing Mouse Stamps?  She is launching large background stamps and shared a really neat way to use them.  You can check it out here.  I love that you don't actually need a block if you use them the way she shows cos I'm guessing you'd need a pretty large block to use them.

I have been popping onto her blog over the last few days waiting for the next release.  She has some really different stamps this time around so I can't wait to see the sets in full.

Well hubby's home so I'd best go cook dinner.  He's out at the men's group this evening and Jessy is working so I think I'll pop my PJs on and relax with some crafting after dinner.  Sounds pretty good to me.

Hope you've been busy crafting something fab. Oh and for those of you in Bury there's a craft fair this weekend at the Sports & Leisure Centre.  With Christmas around the corner I shall be popping in to see if there's anything I can use for my Christmas crafting or for gifting.

Hugs

Suezie