Back to crafting today

Apart from the fact I have had a poorly child at home today I have managed an attempt to get me back into crafting. A friend asked me to make an 80th card for her so I made up another 3 similar at the same time.

The craft stall wash out has really knocked my confidence and enthusiasm and I haven't set myself any targets this week. Still knitting my little piglet though!!

I also cut some dies cuts today ready for the die cut swap on Crafts by Caroyln...done 20 so far need to do another 20 and get them in the post tomorrow. Now what ones shall I do!!!

At a loose end!!

After a complete wash out at the craft fair yesterday and am so unsettled on the craft front. It was the first event at this venue and there were 6 card stalls, one in the foyer and another right by the door, another right opposite me, and one right behind me...I was sandwiched in the middle with no room around me at all!!! Not letting it put me off I am going to give it another go next month but I am wondering if I need to change my style, my prices, what I make....I am just so unsure and have no confidence in my work at all. When small bargain cards with a peel off stuck on them seem to be selling it has to make you wonder doesn't it!

I dragged out the clutter from under the stairs today in search of some pink cotton and I am going to do some knitting tonight!!!! But as for the rest of the crafting front and am completely unravelling!!!

Not really knowing what to do and what path to choose I decided to be self indulgent and not care less about stock, whether it will sell...etc...I decided to be flamboyant and OTT and make Chris another Valentine card ( he saw the last one!!) I don't care that it's too fussy, or busy or anything...I had fun making it and that is what it is all about....and Chris will love it, because he knows how much love I put into making it for him.....total slush I know...but like I said, I don't care!!! Very unlike me!!!(blush)

I made it inspired by this weeks dare from the Daring Card Makers!!! Foiled!!!

"My dare this week is 'Foiled!' -I would like you to utilise some plain old aluminium (aluminum for our friends across the pond!) foil from your kitchen :). You can scrunch it, die cut it, emboss it, ink it, coil it, cover chipboard - or anything else that you choose!"

Look what I've just made....

.....it's errr....it's a.......box type thingy!!!! What shall I do with it? Ideas...on a postcard to Dilly Dally Dingle ......

The wonderful Carole on CBC gave out a link to http://www.thetoymaker.com/2Toys.html and I just couldn't resist it!!!! I simply printed it of on some nice pearlesent card, cut it out and embellished it with some embossing powders, ribbon and a few primas!!! I must make another card for tomorrow and then organise my stock...but I want to play instead!!

MORE from me!!! (shock)

I really AM on a roll. Here is the rest of yesterday's crafting.

I had some part made baby embellies laying around so I actually finished them by backing them onto toppers and making up 2 more cards for my stock box!!

Then I got started on the next card on my list- a card to be sent over to France to my Brother in Law. What an ideal opportunity to take part in the "It's all Greek to me" challenge over on Crafts by Carolyn.

"Your challenge is to make an item that includes a word or phrase from a language other than English. You might already have items to hand or you might want to handwrite or use the computer and printer - use your imagination and see where it goes! "

Using more stamp from Jennie at The Artistic Stamper!!!!! I think you might say I am hooked to this stamping lark now!! (hmmm) While I was making this one...I made another 3 at the same time.......just left of the french wording though!!!

I'm on a roll.....

Today the craft market table was confirmed..starting to panic a bit, not got a lot of stock, but going for it anyway. It has given me such a boost of enthusiasm anyway I can't really lose..will make sure I take some crafting to do and if it's a total wash out at least I won't be sitting twiddling my thumbs!!

I started off today making a matching card to yesterdays notebooks...I thought while I had a scrap of paper left, I'd be a good girl and use it up. Not bad going either- that's a note book, a shopping jotter and a card topper all out of one 8.5 x 8.5 sheet of BG paper!!

Them I decided to make another 2 notebooks and a matching card...not necessarily to go as a set, but in an attempt to save time..LOL...not sure it really worked but still. The colours look really wierd under to gloom and the artificail lights...I used a mixture of my own blooms and some from The Craft Fairies Design Team stock.

I am amazed I have never really enjoyed stamping before I think this sort of design is wonderful for the not so perfect stamper as, in my opinion, a few blotches justs adds to the character!!

More note books!!

Got a little pile of notebooks to "tart!" This morning I have done these!!!! I feel I could get slightly hooked on this stamping lark....must find out some tips on embossing though!!

Took a slightly better picture of yesterday's attempts!

...and for Sheilagh......these little hearts are out of the Sizzlit Alphabet set "In my Heart!" they are very cute and very tiny , measuring in at aoprox 1 x 2 cms!!

..and a matching Blooming Notebook!

Made this tonight to match the shopping jotter!! Very basic, quite quick and easy...mights attack them both tomorrow with some embossing powder!!! They do looked a bit washed out in all this artificial light!

Blooming Shopping!!!

With the fast approaching of my craft table at a new craft market...I am desperate for some quick and easy ideas to bulk out the card stock I have.

Hubby came back from Morrisons yesterday with a handful of little notebooks and I grabbed them before he had a chance!!!

Here is my first attempt!!! Might add a bit more detail after the school run but quite pleased with it!! Blooms by Lisa at Craft Fairies!!!

I found time to play Hide & Seek!!

Thank you Daring Card Makers for this week's dare. I haven't managed to play along for ages and I have really missed it!

"Okay, for my dare we're heading to the playground for a game of
Hide & Seek
I'd like you to make a card which has a hidden component of some sort.The hidden part could be a tag, a concealed photo, message or something along those lines, maybe a pull-out or pop-up.Anything goes as long as there's something extra for the recipient to find on your card that's not immediately visible when they open the envelope."

Today I have sat down and played with some stamps!! Really not much of a stamper but I just had to try out some of the wonderful stamps I choose with my prize from The Artistic Stamper! Beautiful bloom by Lisa at Craft Fairies- inked to give it that "aged" look!

I've gone all girlie!!

Here are my two latest cards. One off my list for a 19 year old girl...the other for my stock box. These used to be some of my favorite die cuts and I haven't used them for ages!"!

The spotty dotty paper..which I love, is by Paper Salon.

Tuesday thoughts!

Another funny day today, the weather has been awful, cold, dark, windy and very wet!!! It has cast a gloom over me I am afraid.

I suppose I am apprehensive about this NVQ I am about to start and how much time I will need to comit, time is always such an issue with me.

Today I got all the Down Syndrome Group accounts up to date, updated spreadsheets and ordered sticky labels...all things I needed to do, but I feel like I have wasted a day. After that I ran around with my hoover in an attempt to feel I had at least achieved something!!

I have been busy over the last few evenings- with Mr Cuttlebug of course! I have cut around 10 little QK trucks, about 20 little TVs and game controllers and about 50 flowers!! Now I can start working down my "to do"list again!!

Here are a few quick cards I have made, one is the boy's 13th Birthday card I needed, and the other 2 are for stock!!

I am a Craft Fairy!!!

Before Christmas I was lucky enough to be chosen to join the Design Team at http://www.craftfairies.com/ so I am plodding my way through some wonder chipboard goodies, prima flowers, blooms, die cuts......some seriously scrummy stash!!!

Here are a few pics of some of my creations so far - I am hoping to start a mini album very soon, some papers arrived last week so I really need to get my act together now!!

This one meets the Big Button Challenge over on Caroyln's - where the button MUST be over 1.5cms. This chipboard button die cut from Lisa at Craft Fairies is nearly 3cms and I loved inking and embossing it. I love working with buttons but you don't always want the bulkiness- this was the first time I had used this die and I love it! I teamed it up with a couple of lovely blooms from the DT stash and tied with a snippet of ribbon!!

The next card used another chipboard die- this time a lovley little car, inks and finished with some glossy accents for a "polished" effect...shame my car doens't look that shiny!!

Next is a very simple Sympathy card using yet more Fairy Blooms!!! (not a great piccie- lighting was awful but Chris wanted to take it into work the next day for a work colleague!)

...and finally...for now anyway,

an attmept at me getting organised a Mother's Day card- it's early this year (3rd March I beleive) so how could I resist using those cheerful spring coloured blooms!

Look what I did last night!!!

My aim was to make 10 Xmas embellies each week but I got a bit carried away with a tin of Quality Street, a glass (or 2) of wine and my Cuttlebug!!! Ended up with 31 likkle reindeer all ready for Santa later on in the year!!!

I am going to start on a card for a January Birthday next!! I suppose I had better get my priorities right! LOL.

Week over, time for new goals!

Off last weeks "to do" list I made...
x20 xmas embellies !!
x12 valentines cards
x3 21st birthday card
x2 mother's day cards
1 anniversary card
1 sympathy card

For this week:
make another 10 xmas embellies
make another 10 cards for stock

...then work on my list
make a boys 13th birthday card!
make a 19th Birthday card
make a birthday card for BIL
make x1 Feb Birthday club card
make DH valentine's card
make a girls 11th birthday card
make SIL birthday card


Out of that lot, all I made yesterday was 1 Valentine's Card, then I cut and made up 20 little Xmas trees. Today all my start up papers have arrived for my NVQ- which officially starts 17th January...so I somehow have to allocate time in my weeks for that too!! hmmm..what have I done!!!

Not much time for crafting today, got to paint Jack's bedroom...but I am sure I will find something crafty I can slot in somewhere!!

New goodies to play with!!!

Before Christmas I was very lucky enough to win £50 of goodies of my own choice from Jennie at http://www.theartisticstamper.com/ . Well I am not called Dilly Dally Dingle for the sake of it.....do you think I could chose what goodies to get. Eventually I made out a list - stuck to it and Jennie worked wonders!!!!!

I really am not much of a stamper but New Year and all that...gonna try a stretch myself a bit more! Here are a few pics of my new goodies!!






So no guessing what I have been playing with today!!! I am about to take part in my first ever rubber stamp image swap on Crafts by Carolyn, so I stamped a few images...then I made my first card using my wonderful stamps. Again I dithered like made, faffing around with the layout THEN...inspiration struck in the format of Sue's New Year Scrapbook Challenge Template again, over on CBC!!!
With that inspiration I ended up with THIS!!! Not really happy with the card as a whole but I think I could get to enjoy the stamping!!

Ok, Ok,I know I souldn't have...

....but I just couldn't resist trying them out!!! Then likkle bunny die cuts that SueF sent me that is!!! Thank you, thank you...they arrived today and I just HAD to make a card with them...didn't think they would be suitable for the next card on my list (a boy's 13th birthday!) so I made my 11th Valentine card this week!!!

I feel the urge to go in search of the bunny die now!!! Not sure about the positioning of his head..but he's a shy likkle bunny!

Valentine cards - number 9...and 10!!

I can cross another thing off my weekly list...just completed my 9th & 10th Valentine card. Here they are! Pictures/colours not great...but you get the idea!!LOL.

I am going to change my goal posts re; Xmas die cuts slightly. Instead of aiming for 25 each month I am going to aim for at least 10per week. That way each week I can aim for 10 cards (occasion or stock), 10 xmas die cuts, and just work through my cards to make in date order..hopefully I will eventually get a month ahead of myself!! Currently I still have 3 more cards to make for January though!!

Right, let's get out my little friend Cuttlebug and work out what I am going to cut and stick tonight!!

2008 End of Week 1!!!!

Been a funny old week-quite a mixture of emotions really. I seem to be fluctuating from wallowing in self pity, full of cold and completely out of sorts...then the next minute I am flapping around like a woman on a mission to get my life (and the house) organised. In the last week we have moved the single Ducal wardrobe out of the craft room, re-organised some of the storage, re-sited the printer- the room is still utter chaos but at least I have more spacw to work in now. The wardrobe has been put in our new bedrooom for the time being - as we have ordered new ones -which won't be delivered for about 6-7 weeks! At least we will have somewhere in our room to hang a few of our clothes.

Jack's new room (our old bedroom) is still in the process of being decorated. The ceiling and coving has all been done, the skirting and architrave has at long last been stripped, sanded and re-painted and we have got underlay down, all ready for the new carpet. Chris and me need to pick a few colours that Jack can choose from-then the walls need a quick coat of paint. I can remember moving the children into the same room last Summer, before the extension really got going, thinking it would only be for a few weeks and here we are, in 2008 and they are still sharing a room...he really needs his own space!

This weekend all the Xmas decs have come down and been packed away in the loft. The dining room furniture has all been moved around and today we took delivery of our new fridge-freezer. It is constantly like musical chairs in this house at the moment!!LOL.

If I sit back and think about what we have actually achieved over the last 6 months, I know we have come such a long way, but it is so hard to see when we still have so much to do and so very little time to do it. I really need some time with the children and Chris this year-the whole reason why we took this project on in the first place.

On the crafty front I am quite pleased- I only hope I can continue to be so productive and motivated...if you see that I am lagging behind...come along and give me a kick please!!

A few days ago I set myself a to do list. I am going to try to update this a couple of times a week and set myself a new list every week Here goes:

Short term goals;

cut/make up 25 xmas embellies each month! NOT DONE

10 valentines cards this week! MADE 8 SO FAR, 6 "Sweetheart" & 2 Teddies.

make 21st birthday card MADE 3, 1 for mum, 1 for me and 1 for stock (still need pic of 1)

ADDED-made January Birthday Club card

ADDED made a Mother's day card

ADDED made an Anniversary card

ADDED- a sympathy card
make a boys 13th birthday card!
make a 19th Birthday card

make a birthday card for BIL

make x1 Feb Birthday club card

make DH valentine's card

make a girls 11th birthday card

make SIL birthday card

Oh, thought I hade done so much but it doesn't look much off the this does it!! Best get on then!

Start as I mean to go on...hopefully!

Pics; My Lovey Dovey Teddy Cards. Made using my beloved CB embossing folders, little hearts stolen from one of last years birthday cards, and my first use of my new Sizzlits, In My Heart Alphabet!! (quite surprise how large the letters are!)

Been a busy ol' bee!!! So far this week I have managed to make;

3 21st birthday cards (1 extra one to go in my stock box!)

1 Anniversary card

1 Mother's Day card (yeah, I know that wasn't on my to do list but I got carried away!)

6 Valentine's Day "Sweetheart" Cards

6 "sweetheart" embellies ready for more toppers/cards

1 flowery Valentine's day card

2 Teddy - lovey dovey cards!!

cut some die cuts...but not the Xmas ones I planned!!!

I have had such fun...been playing around with the feathers I have had in my stash for years..LOL...become quite hooked on them now!!

Not taken all my piccies yet, will put the camera back on charge and take some tomorrow when hopefully the light will be better. Chris has just given me a nice long drink of soda water...with a splash of wine (!!) and I am trying to organise some "sofa crafting" for tonight!

My short term goals are...

...OMG..really wish I hadn't listed them now.

cut/make up 25 xmas embellies each month!
make 10 valentines cards this week!
make 21st birthday card
make a boys 13th birthday card!
make a 19th Birthday card
make a birthday card for BIL
make x1 Feb Birthday club card
make DH valentine's card
make a girls 11th birthday card
make SIL birthday card

That is only 'til the end of February and I am hoping to start a monthy craft stall,about to start an NVQ and the house is still nowhere near finished!!!

yeah, I know it the 3rd but....

Happy New Year!!!!

Thank goodness, life is slowing down a bit, just as well as I am full of flu and the kiddies aren't back to school until Monday. The house is coming together, bit by bit, very slowly...but hey ho, Rome was not built in a day!

The time has come to put some of my resolutions down in 'print' so that I cannot forget what they were and brush them under the carpet in a vain attempt to spring clean the clutter from my life.
Here goes: (still got to make them more precise so I know where to aim)

Me
Eat healthier- only 1 take away per month!!
Drink more water- my intake is awful-aim for 1-2ltrs water per day
Exercise more- get my pedometer out, actually look at that yoga DVD I have recently treated myself to..............
Treat myself to a pamper night more often (now our new bathroom is done!)

Crafting!!!
Make my cards the month before I need them to avoid last minute attempts at midnight.
Make at least 25 Xmas die cuts each month.
To actually organise my craft room, it is getting better, but not quick enough!
To use my scraps/offcuts as I go.

Short term goals!!!
Make 10 Valentine Day cards this week!!!!