October 2011

Hi there! Well we certainly can't complain about the weather for the start of October can we?I have spent the afternoon with my Pro and Fleximarkers in the garden stamping images! I'm preparing for a craft and hobbies day at the library where I am based for work.It's on Wednesday and I have assisted with the planning.The day is all about getting people to take up a new hobby and I will have a card making table, hopefully encouraging people to sit down and make some simple cards. Wish me luck, because I have never done anything like this before and taking workshops is definitely something I would like to do in the future.


Just one card for the moment: this was made for a male who likes waistcoats, roses and is quite theatrical..that was my remit anyway! The waistcoat is a digi-stamp coloured with promarkers and decorated with a tiny paper rose. I embossed red card with roses using my cuttlebug and decorarated the sides with ruched ribbon.


I'll be back later in the week with more cards and a follow up on next Wednesday's event!


Wednesday 5th October 


What a great day! I am happy to report that the hobbies event at the library was hugely successful with a steady flow of people from when the doors opened at 2pm. I really enjoyed helping people, young and old to make cards for the first time, I don't think I have had such a rewarding day in a long time. A couple of people asked if I teach card making and after today, I really would like to..so we'll see..who knows? Whatever the future the whole event was so good..people could find out about scrapbooking, lace making, photography, art, crochet, knitting, sewing, sugarcraft, papermaking and my dear friend Jan came with her wonderful tatting..which was very very popular.


Now I am tired and hungry so that's all for tonight!


15th October 2011


Well it wouldn't be October without Halloween cards..probably because of my American connections, I love Halloween! When friends children were small, we had many a fun filled fancy dress party and went Trick or Treating. The best ever, was the year my American cousin Elisa was over here studying for a semester and helped me put the party together.


I only make a few Halloween cards...mainly to send to America and Italy, where they seem to get  into the spirit of the season a lot more. I do take a few along to the annual October craft fair that I do and have managed to sell a few. Here are this years designs for a bit of spooky fun!

For this card I used a black base, which I layered with some autumnal paper, which had been hiding in my scrapbooking stash for years! The cat was cut from a cricut cartridge and is displayed on two layered spellbinders dies.

I used black base card, layered with purple vellum, which was attached with 4 brads and I finished this with a layer of purple glitter. The tree, bat, fence and pumpkin are all from cricut, cut on coredinations card, which has been slightly distressed to reveal a green core (the black card), though this doesn't show too well in the photo

Not a good photo! I used the same scrapbook paper, spellbinders dies and spideweb cut from cricut on to black and silver mirri-card. There is a tiny spider and bat, both cut from cricut. The ribbon is from stash and the photos don't do it justice! It's very 'rich' in colour, decorated with spiders and webs that feel like velour to touch.

Finally...because honestly I could go on making Halloween cards for..ever! The black 'paws' paper is from stash, the orange oval cut from a grand nestie and the cat and witch's hat cut from cricut. I like the spotted orange bow - I think it really sets him off. 


Hope you like these cards...please leave a note and let me know! I am working flat out at the moment to make cards. I have a craft show on Saturday and had no stock...plus I am trying to finish Christmas cards and orders!


If you live in the Chipping Sodbury area, drop in to Chipping Sodbury Town Hall and say hello, I'll be there trying to sell some cards.The fair is in aid of St Peter's Hospice, a very worthwhile cause.


I'd also like to say thank you to Amy from 'Out of the Blue' gift shop in Chipping Sodbury, for adding a link from their facebook page to this blog. If you are looking for craft supplies, they stock some of the very best  names in crafts and also some beautiful gifts for all occasions...call in and have a look. I actually cannot walk past without popping in and (at least) buying some ribbon!


30th October 2011


After a pre craft show card making frenzy, this week I had to return to the card orders that had landed in my email inbox! The craft fair went really well. I was really impressed by the quality of stall holders and even bought some Christmas presents! I had a really successful day of sales (which was a relief after all my hard work in getting some stock made!) and some lovely comments from people. I would love to do more craft fairs, but apart from not having the time to make stock ( I usually get 2 days a week to concentrate on cards -if I'm lucky), it's hard to get 'invited' if you're a card maker - although, I have to say there are more jewellery makers around at the moment!)


So what were the best sellers? Well...a few months ago I bought software from DoCrafts   to enable me to make 'Me to You' cards. I happen to like Tatty Teddy and he is pretty popular on the high street. The 'gamble' paid off as the cards, especially for Christmas were excellent sellers. Another cd I bought recently, was  Joanna Sheen's 'Furry Friends', a collection of beautifully and quirkily photographed pets - well that went down a storm. People always love cats and dogs! And most pleasing to me, were the number of people who bought my cards made with my spellbinders and snowflake and poinsettia dies...and the lovely comments I had about them. They were harder work to make, but  I enjoyed every moment. They are my kind of card!


I have spent this afternoon cutting and embossing a LOT of these dies for my own Christmas cards. The last few years I have been very last minute, but this year I have resolved that no matter how busy I am, my own cards (and there are a lot to make) will be finished and written by the end of November!


So I have a backlog of cards to upload and here are a few at a time...for Christmas ones, please check my Christmas page....


Yes, it's true the first two cards below are MEN's cards...well no matter how girly I like my cards to be, it had to be done for the craft fair and to be honest, they all sold really well because people are looking for something different for a male friend or family member.

 The above card is 6x6: I covered it with paper from stash and cut the topper shape with my cricut on blue coredinations card, which I sanded to reveal the blue core and then sprayed with Crafters Companion, spray and sparkle (multi-colour). The vespa is a rubber stamp, which I coloured with promarkers.

 This is another 6x6: I covered the front with light blue coredinations paper, which was sanded. The trees were cut with my cricut and the man in the hammock is a rubber stamp, coloured with promarkers. Both of these were quick, simple cards to make.They aren't really my style and are more made out of a need than a desire!

 This one could be for a male or female and I had such fun making it - a very autumnal card for any occasion. The size is 8x8 and was covered with some maple leaved paper from stash. I printed the photo from the Furry Friends cd and then used the leaves mat, putting the photo through the Grand Calibur, just over one corner. I also did the same to some bronze metallic card and cut out the leaves. The photo was then matted and layered and placed at an angle over the leaves.I finished the card off by tying some absolutely autumnal beautiful ribbon around the card. I think this has to be one of my favourites.

I photographed the above 8x8 card before adding the greeting - so that's why it has the 'unfinished' look! The card itself was covered with some paper from stash that had a pale 'newsprint' background. The photo was from 'Furry Friends' and I matted and layered in on silver metallic card (even though it looks red in the photo!) and then some monotone checked, quite masculine paper. The edging at the side of the card is a spellbinder die (Parisien set) and I added some small pearls. I tied a black and white check ribbon around the matted and layered photo and aded a few buttons. The card was set at an angle and my finishing touch was a flower made from newspaper using the anemone spellbinders die. This is a 'masculine' card, but I think it still has the feminine touch that I like!


That's all for today...I'll be back with a few more and a new November page in a few days...meanwhile, "Happy Halloween!"