Just Playing

I decided to take my own advice and play with a few of my favourite stamps sets and this is what I came up with.

I made up these cute jar tags using a couple of Papertrey Ink stamp sets - both the jars and the newsprint background on the tags.  Aren't these stamps just fab?  I've had them a while now so it felt good to give them an airing.

So far I have stamped up, cut out and assembled just over 60 of these pretty jars.  I have no real idea what I will be doing with them just yet and if I did something like Etsy I'd most probably be selling them but I can't face the hassle.  For now I'm content just to look at them.  I'll figure out something to do with them later.  I had great fun mixing and matching up the various layers.

And this is where PTI meets Waltzing Mouse stamps with these cute stamped button cards and my all time favourite WMS stamp set.  I seriously doubt that I will ever get enough of these cute flowers with the blanket stitched edges.  I just love layering them up.  And one of the reasons I'm having so much fun stampin right now?  Well I just adore stampin on patterned paper - that's why.

And can you see the chipboard and DP die-cut buttons to the right of this shot?  This evening I think I'll get out a big pot of modge podge and a paintbrush and make me up some handmade chipboard buttons to add to some of these cute stamped cards.

The weather has kept me at home today (my day off) and Jilly stopped by for company so we had a home cooked lunch and a good natter and then spent a relaxed afternoon watching a movie - Walt Disney's Pollyanna.  It was lovely!  Back to work tomorrow I guess but I have several days annual leave just around the corner.  Hopefully the weather will have cleared up a bit by then too and I can get out and about a bit.

Hugs

Suezie

Papertrey Ink Crafting

I have that many stamps in my ever growing collection I sometimes wonder do I really need any more?    Sometimes I even ask myself should I really buy any more too - the answers usually 'probably not' but somehow I keep on buying.  I keep on collecting.

That said I think maybe this year I should try harder to play with the ones I already have more often.  Some sets are barely used, just about scratched the surface with and even a few never ever used!  I should seriously be ashamed to admit that last one but it's true I tell ya.

So I did just that.  I set off for town and Rosina's shop with a few goodies in my bag and the two of us just sat and played.  We shared a few supplies, a bit of hers and a bit of mine and by the time we'd finished we both had a cute but simple card using one of my PTI friendship jar stamp sets.

And I just couldn't resist whipping up a quick tag along the same lines - nothin fancy - just keepin it simple but I had so much fun with this set.  In fact I came home and stamped a ton of jars on patterned paper so I could mix em' up and see what combinations I could come up with.

And once I finish this post I'm pinning this tag onto my 'Things I've Made' board for an easy reference.  Too bad the sewing machines no longer out - real stitching would look fab on this tag.  I must remember to stop by and see Rosina again huh?

Happy Crafting!

Suezie

Simply Wrapped!

I needed a way to wrap up some of my embossing buddies for gifting.  It needed to be pretty but also quick since I was headed into town and had already been way-laid so this is what I came up with.

I grabbed me a Cath Kidston paper bag - I save ALL these!  I grabbed me my paper pinking shears - I keep mom's for fabric since hers are super sharp and now just use my old ones for paper.  A couple of paper doilies - I always have these in the kitchen cupboard for 'pretty presentation' whenever I bake and gift something yummy to a neighbour or friend, a bit or red raffia and printed tag.

The sewing machine was already out on the kitchen table so a few quick stitches and 'Bob's yer uncle' LOL.  The girlies had to rip these open to get into them so I think maybe next time I'll make them with a fold over top and punch holes.  No reason why they couldn't be recycled then huh?

I still have a few more of these to get out but I'm workin on it.  I'm just a bit slow getting to the post office is all.

Hugs

Suezie

Crafting for 2013

Since I fell so far behind in my crafting projects during 2012 I have decided to start 2013 the way I intend to continue.  With that said I found myself surfing the net on 2nd January and pinning ideas.  How sad does that sound?  Always pinning - never crafting LOL!

That's not strictly true since I did manage to create a couple of things I pinned but when compared to just how much I pinned in 2012 it's laughable.  Trust me!

I ran across this idea for an embossing buddy on Betsy Veldman's blog (PTI) and just had to have one.  I simply couldn't resist and then once I made one I knew I had to make up a whole bunch more - 15 in fact!

And in case you're wondering just what an embossing buddy is - let me tell you.  You use it to wipe lightly over the surface you plan to stamp on so that when you add your embossing powder and then lightly tap it off, it doesn't cling to where you don't want it to.  Basically it reduces the amount of static cling on your card stock.  The idea is that it gives a neater image.  I often think too many people give up on stamping and embossing because they struggle to get good results.

And here is my little tin full of embossing buddies which will be going out to all my crafting friends to wish them 'happy crafting' for 2013 plus you can also see what kind of mess I made filling the little bags.  My counter top looked as though a mini snow storm had hit by the time I'd finished making these.  I just loved sifting through my Cath Kidston scraps to make these and I even cut into some fresh, never before touched (well often touched, never used) fabrics that I've been waiting to create something with.

And because I am gifting these I decided I had to have a card to go along with them but time being short I opted for a simple design.  I've had this PTI stamp set for a while now - always intending to use it but never quite getting around to it so now seemed like the perfect time.

Isn't this saying just sooooo true?  LOL.  I have been a collector for years!

A few of these got posted out today so girlies - watch your mail boxes.  A few more will go out over the weekend and then the last will go out next week.

So although I'm behind in posting on the blog isn't it good to know that I've been crafting already for 2013?  Like I said - start the way I mean to go on.  I have plans to go craft with friends and family on Wednesday next week so I might even have something else to share with you all - who knows?

Guess you'll just have to watch this space to find out.

So all that's left to say is that I hope you all had a wonderful time over Christmas and to wish you all a year filled with loots of crafting fun for 2013.

Blessings

Suezie

Christmas Gifting

I ran out of time to get much of my own Christmas gifting done for 2012 and had to settle for making some cupcakes and packaging them in recycled plastic containers.  I have a cupboard in our carport where I store these whenever I get any along with some of my jam jars and whenever I need one I drag it in, clean it up, add a tag and some ribbon and it's good to go.

I purchase these cake decorations (Santa) at Palmers each year.  They sell them individually and usually have 4 or 5 different designs.  At around 10p per decoration they're a much better deal than buying the packaged ones in the supermarket plus you can have as many or as little as you like.  I would suggest taking a small plastic container to bring them home in - although they do wrap them in tissue paper - but I'm usually doing a bunch of shopping so my bags get pretty full and I worry I'll squish them.

I'd also suggest getting in early each year - pretty much as soon as you begin to see them in the display case in their cake baking section - they sell out pretty quick.  And if you need a pretty cupcake during the year for a birthday then they sell some pretty amazing roses individually too.

And I didn't manage to get a single wheat warmer made up for gifting despite buying up all the wheat I could find in Butterworth's store in the Traverse shortly before Christmas.  I ended up making this one after Christmas but as it was for my doctor and my earlier appointment had been cancelled I lucked out and she never knew LOL!

It's difficult to see it in this shot but I add a loop (left of photo) to the inner wheat bag which makes it easier when getting it in and out of the microwave and the quilted cover.  I like to make a washable cover since I can be a bit funny about things you can't easily wash.

I've been enjoying these ever since I made the first one a couple of years ago - in fact hubby and I both have two each and this time of year I heat them up and pop them into the bed just before we head up.  I am one of those people that simply can't sleep if I get cold so with one of these to snuggle to keep me warm I drop right off for a good nights sleep.

Well if nothing else it means I have everything I need to make these so I can be ahead of the game next year huh?

Hugs

Suezie