I've Been A Little Crafty

It's been nearly 2 weeks since I blogged! Since then I've been doing a little crafting. Here's my finished Maze Book for Carmen's challenge. To get maximum points, we had to include heat embossing (the title on the front), dry embossing (on pictures 4 & 8 of the multi-pic page) and ribbon (used on each double page). The tags show 5 things I love.

Part 2 of Carmen's challenge was to make a bracelet with at least one charm and a painted or hand-made element. I made my bracelet for my niece's birthday. I used Hearty Clay to make the 'E' and glued in the beads to match the ones on the main bracelet before covering it with a layer of Liquid Dome Gel. I made a one-layer exploding box as a gift box and the stand using 2 strips of white card.

So, that's maximum points I think!

I've also made a couple of cards. One's for my niece. Hand cut name and die-cut flowers and the faint wording on the front which says 'happy birthday'.

The other is for a Sketch Challenge on the 3C's. I loved working with this sketch, so thanks Karen. I made the card for David's step-mum's birthday at the end of this month.

I think that's the lot for now. Thanks for taking the time to look. Take care and see you here again sometime soon I hope.

What A Brilliant 2 Days

What a great start to my week. Went to stay with my friend Tee on Monday morning and came home Tuesday late afternoon. I thought it'd be a great idea to head off early, so left at 07:30. Silly me forgot that that would be the day that everyone would be on the road. Usual commuter traffic plus those who were back to work after the Christmas/New Year break. Even so, it only added half an hour to my journey.

What a blast I had. I was really nervous about staying with Tee even though we'd met at the Bury Craft Show in September, but all my apprehensions went as soon as she opened the door. Tee's husband was away working so we never met, but I did meet her son, lodger and some of their friends. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. We even managed to get some crafting done and started a Maze book for one part of Carmen's challenge on the 3C's site. I'm planning on getting some more of it done this afternoon.

So, I'd best get off here and get crafty. Take care until we meet again xx

Another Card Sent

This is a card I sent to my friend Shell for her 30th birthday on 5th January. It's hand-cut using numbers I printed out as templates. The large flowers are cut using my new Tag-A-Long.

My Entry In A Christmas Mini-Album

I was honoured to be asked by Lizzie to join in with a mini-album of Christmas LO Greetings to be sent to the very nice lady Karen, who runs the bestest forum ever.

Despite the post being unpredictable and a couple of LO's arriving late (they were sent to Karen post haste), the album was put together and delivered in the nick of time. None of us thought to put a packet of tissues on our page(s) to dry the happy tears. I can't wait to see photos of everyone's LOs and the cover. Here's my entry. I was a tad nervous as I've never done anything like this before, but I gave it a go as Karen's worth it. The background is dark green and shiny although the photograph doesn't show it very well. I have realised that I forgot to photograph the LO after I added glitter round the edges - oops. Oh well, here's what the un-finished one looks like.

My Crafty Time

I had a crafty time at the end of yesterday. After printing out some numbers and letters, I used them as templates to make some cards. Here's a number card I made for my cousin's son who's birthday is today. I painstakingly took each of the negative parts of the telephone peel-off and placed them on blue card. I will put the other 2 cards here when they've been received by the birthday people during this month.



During the last few months, I have made some cards for my sister's O/H. He keeps forgetting birthdays so asked for some belated cards. Here's the ones I made.

And the box to keep these in plus some more cards I added (birthday, thank you and general)

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I'm meant to be getting ready to go to Mum's for the evening with Sis and her O/H, but

I couldn't let 2007 end without wishing you all a

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I hope 2008 brings you all the good things you could wish for and more.

Hope you all have a safe and happy night tonight.

See you all next year

xxx

Christmas Day

Woke at about 8 on Christmas Day to find that Father Christmas hadn't been here. So, got up, had some crumpets and got ready to go to Mum's. Christmas at Mum's is always great. Walked in to Mum's to find the tree laden down with presents which got opened after lunch. Mum had even filled me a stocking as she thought I was sleeping there the night before. She loves tradition, so my sister and O/H Mark had done her one too.

I love Mum's Christmas lunches - veggie roast, roast pots and mash, roast parsnips, Yorkshire, carrots, mushy peas, Brussels sprouts and stuffing followed by Christmas pud and custard. All washed down with a glass of wine.


We banished Mum to the living room while we cleared the table and despite having a dishwasher, there were still things to hand-wash! Sorry Mark, just couldn't resist posting it! You know I luv ya really. You did make a good job of it.



My sister's mad! In one of the films her and Mark had seen, there was a weather thingy where you can choose what weather you want. Apparently Mark made the remark that "Oh, it'd be so fantastic to have one of those". So, she made him one. On reading the note that came with it, he realised that if he wanted rain and pushing the right numbered button didn't work, he was to go to the bathroom, run a cold shower and stand under it holding an umbrella. For sun, he had to book a tanning session. Ice? Empty the freezer and stand in it. A rainbow? Blow some bubbles and look directly into them. And so on. She'd even made picture weather sticks for him to put in the top where the curly hair is. It was mad, but ingenious.

Yes, Santa had found somewhere to take my presents. I'd forgotten that in my letter to him, I'd told him I was probably going to be at Mum's the night before and that's where they were. Hers some of the things I got: Alphabet die cuts for my new Big Shot, beads, sequins and funky foam shapes, 2 duvet sets, a black fluffy magic scarf, beauty products, cordless screwdriver, chocolate, money and an A3 printer that I actually received in the summer.

Mum's dog wasn't forgotten either. Bless her, she's so small and Mum bought her a squeaky stocking toy. She spent several minutes working out how to open her mouth wide enough to be able to carry it. We thought she was going to get lock jaw, but she did it in the end. That's what you call determination.

After an evening of playing the Taboo board game amongst others we were all shattered, but a good day was had by all and that's the main thing.

I came home Boxing Day at lunch time and spent the afternoon crafting - well, playing with my new die cutter. I didn't achieve much apart from that, but there's always another day.

Hope you were all able to have great days and feel happy, full and refreshed.

I've Finished My Christmas Crafting

I never thought I'd say I've finished my Christmas crafting, but I have, so I can. My nephew is Arsenal mad and Niece is High School Musical mad, so I've made them cards, fridge magnets and door plaques. Hope they like them.

Here's my first attempt at a star card (I think that's what they're called) with it's box

Just so I can give Lou another mention, here's the last 2 curvy cards I made

That's my crafting and probably blogging finished until Boxing Day. Off this afternoon to deliver a couple of cards and presents, then hopefully a relaxing evening before the big day. I'll be spending Christmas Day at Mum's and coming home Boxing Day - hopefully with new crafting goodies if Santa's been listening to me!

I hope you all have a very merry and safe Christmas

xxx

Changes

I've not blogged in a few days, but that's not because I've had nothing to tell you.

My life's changing (for the better I hope). As some of you know, in the last week I've been offered 2 jobs. After deliberation, have taken the one that is so different to what I've ever done. I'm hoping it will be exciting, challenging and rewarding. I'm going to be a freelance sales person for a publishing company and hopefully sell advertising space. I have to generate my own leads and make appointments, then go and get them to sign on the dotted line. I've no idea if this will work, but I'm going to give it a go. If it doesn't, I'll try something else.

The other job was at the taxi office (see 14th December's post). The owner there was really good when I said I wouldn't be taking the job after all and said that I have his number so can always call him. It helped that I worked wth him at another taxi company several years ago, so we knew each other and he knows that I am capable of doing the work.

Apart from having a week of interviews and life changing decisions, I have managed to get into the Christmas spirit eventually. Decorations are still in the loft as we decided to leave them there, but I now want some up. That's a project for Sunday as David's working Saturday - I will be patient, I must be patient, I want them up now!!!. I have managed to make a couple of Christmas cards for family, so have only got 5 left to make. I can see a busy Saturday coming up. Will photograph them all when they're done and put on here. Have also got 2 door plaques to make for niece and nephew's bedroom doors.

Christmas presents are all bought and apart from one last addition (saw and just had to get), they're all wrapped. 3 households even have theirs. I have 3 to go back to shops which will be done after Christmas. A musical book which doesn't work, a spiderman thingy that says 3+ on the back and 4+ on the front and was bought for a 3yr old, and a magnetic jewellery set which I won't give after watching the Dispatches programme on Monday night about the dangers of magnetic toys. It should've been on earlier in the month before we all went shopping. But, I'll now have a couple of pound for stash shopping after Christmas which is never a bad thing.

Oh, we got a couple of lottery tickets (something we hardly ever do cos we never win and don't like throwing our money away) for Wednesday and Saturday night and won £10 on Wednesday! Trip to the cinema is on the cards now, just got to decide what to watch. Wonder how we'll get on with Saturday's draw?

Cards

One week left until Christmas. It's rather scary, but I managed to get another present on Saturday and I'm off tonight to take advantage of some of the shops being open late.

Here's some more of the cards I've made this season.

Still have a few cards to make, so will be busy this week.

Thanks for taking the time to look. Love to you all xx