Happy 3rd Birthday!

Well Maddy turned 3 today and we had a lovely family day. We went to church together this morning and had dinner later today which was followed by presents and cards and cupcakes with icecream! Papa and I bought this lovely wooden play kitchen from Early Learning Centre in the post Christmas sales. The whole thing folds up so she can take it anywhere and she just loved it - we knew as soon as we saw it that it was perfect for her birthday and it was a steal at only £20.

I had created this little box/basket as an extra gift so I could hide all kinds of treasures, just perfect for a 3 year old inside. I used Doodlebug papers to keep it bright and fun.

I actually used some of my Papertrey stamps to stamp the birthday greetings on one of the papers. I attached the handle using brads so it would swing out of the way to make it easier to get to the goodies inside.

I filled it full of sweeties and some really girly things like hair decorations, pretty necklaces and a beaded bracelet. Maddy had great fun digging into the tissue and pulling out all the different items.

I will be teaching this basket at the next Crafty Women's evening although we will be using very different colours and patterns. When I get one made I will post a picture. Hopefully I will be able to do a tutorial for it as well.

I needed to make her a card and couldn't resist playing with some designs using what was left over from the Doodlebug paper. This was the first one I came up with.

This was the second one and also the one I decided to give her. It might be a bit OTT but then she is only 3 !

Believe it or not I only had one sheet of the stripe pattern, one sheet of the floral and 1 sheet of the circles with 3 sheets of cardstock, one in green, orange and pink. That's all I used to make the box with handle and these two cards and I still have enough left to make a further card and to scrap a page of her b'day. A little goes a long way!

Mummy frosted cupcakes using a professional piping bag for the first time and she did a really good job. We didn't have time to make enough to fill my pretty cupcake stand so we used my new red glass 2 tier cakestand instead. I'm sure Maddy didn't mind.

I saw these dainty pastel pink tulips the day before and decided that maybe it was time for Maddy to have her first real bunch of flowers - I couldn't resist.

She loves flowers and I thought these would look lovely in her 'pink' girly bedroom. If you pierce straight through just under the flower heads with a pin then the flower heads don't droop and they last longer. Don't ask me how it works - I just know that it does.

All in all I think she had a great couple of days. Happy 3rd B'day Maddycakes - oxoxoxoxo

Busy, Busy, Busy!!!

Well my year 2008 is filling up already!

For anyone who is interested I have now posted details of both the Crafty Women sessions and also the classes I've booked to teach at Your Touch of Craft in St John's Street.

I am really excited about some of the things we hope to do and I have a kitchen table full of paper, stamps etc., ready to start designing. How cool is that? Shame I can't post the designs until after I teach them but I will still craft for the blog in the meantime.

I hope I will see some of the lovely faces in class that I haven't seen for a few weeks and maybe one or two this year that couldn't get to one last year.

Happy Crafting!

First Post 2008!

Well it's 2008 so a 'HAPPY NEW YEAR!' to you all - let's hope it's a good one.



I woke up early this morning (couldn't stay up long enough to see the start of 2008) and went downstairs for tea and a spot of crafting. I think this is the time of day I like most - early in the morning on my own, Dave fast asleep upstairs, the house still and quiet, a nice cup of tea and a bit of crafting to start the day off on the right foot.

I cut about 60 card blanks and all the other elements for my Christmas cards. Later when I was stamping away I decided to see what this little card would look like using different colours, stamps and theme.

I think it looks cute although I think I prefer it all in one colour.

I've decided to start the year off right and make several cards so that I always have one for b'days and thank you's when I need one in a hurry. I also think I'm gonna cut blanks and stamp blocks to have in reserve. Why did I not think of this sooner?

I think it's gonna be a good 'crafting' year ahead - I can feel it in my bones. Happy Crafting!