Milton: finished !

Having spent most of today with a horrendous headache and cold, I had a lot of time to finish the Milton card project I started working on over the weekend. I'm pretty pleased with how he turned out and I enjoyed making it =)

The cross stitching and back stitching finished!

I then frayed the edges with a needle, added some beads to look like berries or cherries and chose my card background.

Added the bow, made using the bow tool on my Ultimate Pro.

Made a handmade bow using a tag punch (Hobbycraft) a pre-made stamp (Hobbycraft) and black Memento ink. I'm looking for some kind of purple butterfly motif to put on the left hand side of the tag. I usually use a bow, but I think it might be a bit too bulky to use on the back of cards.

Milton's Progress!

I've done quite a bit on this today - needed a stress relief & got a bit carried away! I'm finding this kit really easy to follow but the thread gets twisted quite easily so I have to keep letting the needle hang to allow the thread to unwind.

Still, I'm happy with how it's turning out :-D The bottom picture is my work and the top picture is the image from the magazine "The World of Cross Stitch" Issue 201

Today's purchase

I was feeling a bit down in the dumps today so to cheer myself up I bought this magazine. I don't usually buy them as two of my friends do so we share between us (although I do subscribe to Simply Cards & Papercraft) but the butterfly & flower design on the front cover really caught my eye (needless to say, I've added it to my to-do list!) The free "Milton" gift kit is pretty cute too.

In other news, my bigger *mystery* project is coming along nicely. There are 11 sections and I've completed 3 and partway through section 4. It's starting to take a bit more shape!

My Current Project ...

So, I've posted a lot of blogs today about what I've done in the past (and if you've taken the time to read them ... thank you very much!)

This now, is what I've been working on. It's a project I started over the summer (I think) and because it's quite involved I've taken a couple of breaks from it, especially to work on pieces for other people. But it's actually almost finished now - except for some of the backstitching and all of the french knots.

I'm working on something else for a friend at the moment, but I hope to have this hanging in my bathroom by the end of the summer holidays, if not sooner!

Ho Ho Ho!

At the start of December, when I was really getting into cardmaking and stamping, I thought about making my own Christmas cards. Unfortunately, there just wasn't enough time. Still, I managed to make this one ... what do you think?? Maybe I'll make more for Christmas 2013 and just start earlier!!

Pearlescent card stock, Hobbycraft Rudolph stamp, Memento black ink and Spectrum Noir pens, and Hobbycraft Snowflake punch (I punched out of the green and also stuck on white snowflake cuttings)

Projects for me

Although I love crafting for other people, I do like having the satisfaction of making something and then decorating my home with it. Here are a few things I've made over the last year and put in my house:

Eddie the Wee Hieland Coo - A fridge magnet I bought in Edinburgh

Like I need any encouragement!

Eeyore - Thinking Little Thoughts

Chinese Inspired Cross Stitch Kit

Our Friendship is Soda-licious ... one of my favourites!

Things I've made for Bren ...

After 6 long years, Bren finally graduated from medical school, so to mark the occasion I felt that this was perfect ...

Cross Stitch Kit: "Mr Bump" by Bothy Threads

In February 2013, we finally decided to live together and I already had this kit in my "To Do" box with Bren in mind ...

Cross Stitch Kit: Popcorn the Bear (and his friend Coconut)

For you Mum !

One of my favourite people to craft for is my Mum - mainly because she seems to think that everything I do is great! =D So here are a few things that I've made for her:

Cross Stitch Kit: "Oh Dear" by Heritage Crafts - reminded me of some naughty puppies we knew and know!

Mother's Day card 2013 - I used some pearlescent card stock, ribbon and adhesive gems. The inside paper is printed off from my Mulberry Wood CD-Rom. The dog design on the front was stamped (Mulberry Wood design) in Memento black ink and then coloured in Spectrum Noir pens.

This took me ages (actual years) but it was so worth it! Best thing was, she knew I was doing it but had no idea it was for her! (I don't think...) I believe this is a Dimensions design.

Travel Scrapbook!

I've liked scrapbooking since I was a teenager because it's a great way of combining craft with memories - it's more unique and personal than a simple photo album. When I first started out, the way I presented my photos were quite plain but that doesn't really matter to me because the memories and the photos are special. Having said that, recently I have started to experiment and become a bit more creative with my scrapbooking. Over Christmas, I started a travel scrapbook. It's not finished (as in, up-to-date) yet but these are the first two pages.

I used 12 x 12 scrapbooking paper for the backgrounds and a range of embellishments from Hobbycraft (the flowers along the top and bottom, the ribbons, buttons, adhesive gemstones and sunglasses) I made the tags by using a Hobbycraft punch and different coloured card stocks. The Sorrento title on the main tag was stamped using individual letter tiles and Memento black ink), then I added a bit of colour with my Spectrum Noir pens.

Travelling...Travelling...

Family Holidays

About 10 years ago, I was on a family holiday in Florida and we came across a stand-alone craft shop. It was a fantastic craft shop run by friendly people which, sadly, isn't there anymore I don't think. I loved it because it meant that I could still have my craft fix on holiday (my mum likes crafts too so it was pretty easy to persuade my dad to drive us) and they sold lots of different American cross-stitch kits that I'd never ever seen in the UK.

School Trip 2004

I came across these Victoria Heart samplers and thought they were such a good idea and a perfect way to remember my holidays to Florida. When I found out there was a design for every US state, that inspired me to want to travel to all of the states (something I've not yet done, but I would still like to try!). Each design shares the gold heart border but the different elements in each design represent that specific state. I'm entirely sure yet what I'll do with all of the hearts - maybe I'll make them into a throw?

School Trip 2004 (I haven't technically been to Maryland, but my dad said it would be the closest thing to Washington D.C., for which there is no heart sampler)

School trip 2004

My first foray into Decopatch!

You may remember from a previous post that I'm a BoJangles fan. Well, also at BoJangles you can Decopatch wooden items. Rachel and I had never heard of it before, but a staff member told us how to do it. By then, we'd already committed to our ceramic pieces so made a mental note to Decopatch on another visit.

A few weeks, later, I was in Hobbycraft and I saw a whole aisle dedicated to Decopatch. If you don't know, basically you choose a cardboad item (it's strong - almost like brown papier mache, not that cereal box rubbish) and you cover it in pretty paper by cutting or tearing pieces and sticking them onto the item (again, like papier mache). There are such a wide range of papers to choose from - you can customise anything to make something completely unique, from animals to trinket boxes.

I really wanted to try it, so I made this for my mum because she loves elephants and I thought the paper was different, but still very much like an elephant.

Crinkles the Elephant (materials from Hobbycraft, but you can search the web and find a whole range of Decopatch materials)

Writing this post has made me remember that I bought materials for my next two Decopatch projects, so I may have to get those out tomorrow!

Baby Lucas!

 My friend Stacey had a gorgeous baby boy, Lucas, in November 2012, so to mark the occasion I made a couple of gifts for them (as did the godmother Jenny). I hope she liked them!

Cross Stitch Kit: Peanut and Friends "Sleepy Birth Sampler"

I used my Ultimate Pro to make a white, embossed card frame and then put it on the front of an ordinary photo album.

I made this card using pearlescent card stock. I then used my Ultimate pro to fold the card and emboss the pattern down the sides. I used ribbon and a baby boy embellishments (from Hobbycraft) which I glued on the bottom of the card to hold the top part in position. I used a flower design punch (from Hobbycraft) down the sides of the dark blue card stock. The blue swirly paper on the inside is simply printed from a Mulberry Wood CD-ROM and stuck to the inside, and the die-cut picture design on the front is from a Mulberry Wood cardmaking kit.

Mr and Mrs Bright!

My good friend Claire married her husband, Marc, in August 2012 so I made her a wedding card (which was my first proper attempt at cardmaking) and a cross stitch bookmark. I hope she liked them!

This is a cross stitch kit called "Celebration Cake Bookmark" by designer Michael Powell www.michaelpowellart.co.uk

I made this from a pre-cut and folded pearlscent purple card,

 and pre-made stick on embellishments.

All materials bought from Hobbycraft.

Team Fairy Liquid!

I also make clothes ... I actually have an A Level in it! This is the craft I most definitely have the least time for, mainly because once I get started I'd love to keep going, and then marking and planning and housework doesn't get done! When I was younger I used to have vague notions of being some kind of fashion designer - I even had a notebook of drawings - but I was never very good.

Last year, I took part in an 11 mile sponsored midnight walk to raise money for the Hospice of St Francis, in Berkhamstead. We decided on a theme ... fairies! (because they're awesome and it was also Fairy Liquid's 50th birthday) So, I made us each a tutu for the occasion - I already had a purple one (as it's my favourite colour) from a fancy dress party, but I made a pink one for Lizzie and a white one for Claire because she was getting married a few months after. Tammy had a green one, but she had that one already. Tutus are actually really simple and quick to make (and fun!) ... I think Lizzie was pretty happy with hers!

The Pink Fairy! We raised £505 for the Hospice of St Francis in June 2012!

The wonder of BoJangles!

In my opinion, the BoJangles craft cafe is one of the greatest enterprises since the mini-skirt because it's got a great, friendly atmosphere and a wide range of ceramic products to decorate. I only wish I had more time to spare so I could go more often! You pay just £5 for the studio time and the use of paints, and then the value of the product you're painting - and you can get a great little piece for a couple of pounds if you're on a budget. When you've finished painting it, the staff will fire it in the kiln for you and it's yours to take home in a week: no extra charge! You can choose from figurines, crockery, boxes, letters ... the staff will even take commissioned orders to make special personalised pieces for special events. Best of all there's a place to buy drinks and snacks from so you can eat and paint (but i would advise against mixing the two!) It's also a fantastic place to take children - I know several children who I've taught in the past have thoroughly enjoyed their BoJangles birthday parties. 

My Unicorn - created at BoJangles, Amersham (inspired by a mixture of My Little Pony and the Purple Unicorn club in Sweet Valley High; anyone remember those??)

I remember first visiting BoJangles when I was a guide, and I painted this unicorn. I was on a time limit which is why I think the painting wasn't the best quality but I'm still please with how well it turned out, even 15 years later! Shortly after, a family friend kindly gave me some money for my birthday (thanks Penny & Stuart!) so I went to BoJangles and bought this turtle and started painting it. I didn't finish it in one sitting so I was allowed to take him home and bring him back another time, but stupidly I put him in a "very safe place." Many years later when I was preparing to move out of my family home, I found him! So I took him back to finish painting him. It was then that I introduced my friend, Rachel, to the wonder of BoJangles (she painted a treasure chest - which came out beautifully). Even on a Saturday, we both found it very theraputic to chat and paint with a soft drink by our side. That day, I finished Mr T as we christened him, and a week later I was able to take him home! I'm incredibly pleased with how well he's turned out!

Mr T - created at BoJangles Craft cafe, Amersham