One Last Little Batch of Christmas Cards....

....and it's time to let the good times roll...


Morning all. The sun is shining and my gang all break up for the holidays today so I'm feeling hap..hap..HAPPY :oD

I've really enjoyed making some Monochrome cards this year and love the simplicity of this red and white scheme.

I could easily whip up a few more if the need arises but I'm hoping I'm done and can just enjoy the next few days' build up to Christmas. I think I might finally be able to clear the dining room table which has been my sewing/wrapping/card making station for the last several weeks :o/

YEEHA!!!

Lx

Not So Much Walking in the Air...

as swinging from the stairs but here's my latest make. I love these gorgeous snowmen from the Crafting Christmas Gifts book by Tilda.

He's SO cute and I've made him into a little keepsake by using a pair of much loved (hence the slightly scruffy appearance) PJ's that belonged to my son when he was very little (the benefit of keeping a rag bag...). I'd really love to make several of these but I've run out of felt AND those gorgeous wooden buttons I've used for his ear muffs so it looks like that will have to wait. He was fun and easy to make. Another great scraps project.

Youngest son and I will be decorating the hallway today so hopefully he won't look so lonely by this evening :oD

Have a great day.

Lx

Christmas Wreath 2014

Morning all. Had a fantastic afternoon with my pals yesterday making our Christmas Wreaths. We had buckets of foliage from our own gardens and just went MAD!

(Hmmm... looks like a new door mat is in order!?)

Our outside lights are going up this afternoon and that will really make it feel like Christmas is on its way.

Have a great Sunday everyone.

Lx

She is compleeeeteeeeeddddd!!!!

Cue maniacal laughter...mwah ha ha ha harrrrr

The first set of skate blades arrived this morning and I'm hoping the second pair are on their way.

Here is my first (felt) angel, with adjustments and ready to skate.

To re-cap:- I've lengthened her skirt, changed her wings and those pesky ear muffs. She also has new bows on her boots as my son's girlfriend bought me some pretty pink bows that were crying out to be used.

I'm making my Christmas wreath today so I should be back tomorrow with pictures.

Lx

Clear as a Bell

Don't faint! I made a card...

I saw this gorgeous bell stencil by Sweet Poppy at a fairly recent craft fayre and HAD to have it. I used a white paste which I liberally sprinkled with Glamour Dust and I really don't think it needs a whole lot more. I just LOVE IT!



I forgot how great stencils are. I'm thinking tags next...

Lx

New Clothes for Molly

Now I don't usually hold with dressing up dogs BUT Molly currently needs a little t-shirt to keep her scar from her recent op nice and clean and dry while it all heals up properly.

So, as is the current trend in our house, it was out with the sewing machine and my trusty Sizzix Bigshot to make this sassy little number... I know the heart is completely unnecessary but I just couldn't help myself. I did also add a very useful button hole for her lead to go through though (clever huh!?)

She doesn't look too chuffed does she. I've had to relax my "no dogs on the sofa" rule A-GAIN to try to win her round

Actually, I don't think it's working is it. Hey ho... I enjoyed making it so she's quite likely to get another one before the week is out (one to wash and one to wear ;oD). I'm sure that will cheer her up no end.

Lx

Winter Delights Polar Bear

Here's my latest make from the divine Winter Delights book by Tone Finnanger. This is the largest polar bear and I plan to make the medium and small sizes to go with him. I must admit I think he's lovely.

and in between sewing I re-cycled some pretty pots and glasses I've been saving to make some candles. These are my test pair to make sure they burn properly AND that they smell good. Guess what! They do...

I got seven candles in various sizes, which I scented with a lovely festive spice fragrance. Now all I need to do is pretty up the pots to make them nice and festive for Christmas so watch this space.

Lx

More Sewing (sorry)....

....AND the Quest for Quilt Supremacy continues...

"At last the quilt is MINE...ALL MINE..."

"Uh oh, I've been spotted. Say nothing Mr Food Bowl. Just act naturally... Pretend you're asleep."

"Maybe if I use you for cover. There! She'll never spot me now. I'm completely invisible..."

She is, as you see, PURE EVIL... She'll be on The Naughty List if she's not careful :oD


Anyhoo, my blue feathery angel wings arrived and I decided to have another go at the Tilda Angel using fleece for the coat instead of wool felt.

I think she turned out well. I gave her a longer skirt and a funky punk hair-do. I also added a ribbon at the back so I could hang her up. The ribbon can be tied into a bow at the base of her wings if I decide to sit her somewhere instead.

I plan to gently de-construct the first angel so I can put right the bits I don't like, and I'll order another pair of feathery wings. No sign of any skate blades yet....sniff, sniff

Today I'm making Christmas candles and polar bears so I'd best crack on. Have a great day, whatever you're doing.

Lx

Smart Dog Blanket Made from Scraps

Molly, our elderly Jack Russell cross is needing a nice new blanket and the weather has been too awful to do anything much outside so yesterday I sat down with some scraps I've saved and set about making something for her

I added a nice fleecy backing for extra comfort and warmth

I made some bias binding from a fat quarter (haven't managed to iron it yet because The Beast has had her beady spaniel eyes on the prize. I didn't dare add a hot iron to the mix until she was well out of the way)

What ya doin....?

Looks comfy...

I cut the festive snowflakes from some wool felt using a Brenda Walton die by Sizzix (I LOVE this die. It is SO beautiful).

We moved the blanket SEVERAL times for its own safety but Miss Luna was not going to be put off...

I'm waiting...

Stillllll waaaaiiiting.....

I'm just testing it to make sure it's okay...honest... I do think it might look better in MY bed though. This one is a bit small....

Pleased to report that Molly did eventually get the blanket to herself but I guess we all know who will be getting the next blanket don't we....

Still raining cats and dogs but at least it's a good excuse to stay inside and get crafty. Have a great Sunday everybody.

Lx

Late Night Sewing Session....

Feeling slightly bleary eye'd today as I was up until late working on this Tilda Skating Angel. Frustratingly I can't seem to get the skate blades for love nor money at the moment so I'll have to add them later if, and when they become available (pah!). Waiting for a lovely pair of feathery blue grey wings to arrive so she's a bit of a work in progress but I've kitted her out with a temporary pair of felt wings to get a feel for how she will look when she's finished.

oops! Looks like one of her ear muffs needs attention too. Ho hum....

Getting quite a few makes under my belt now. I've already picked my next project :oD

Lx

Loved this idea from Sew Home & Style Magazine

and couldn't wait to sit down and have a go. I was pleasantly surprised at how quick and easy the robin was to make out of small scraps of fabric (if you've got any left over charm pack squares or jelly roll pieces, they're perfect). In the magazine the wooden spool was purely decorative and covered in a scrap of fabric but I decided to make mine a bit more useful so I've used a gorgeous ribbon spool by the lovely Kirsty Allsopp and glued my birdie on the top to make a pin cushion, though he's so cute I don't know if I can bear to stick pins in the poor little chap...

Can't wait to sit down and make some more now.

Have a great Sunday.

Lx

I LOVE this die by Debi Potter for Sizzix

It's soooooo gorgeous and so versatile I could play with it for HOURS (and let's face it, I probably will :oD)

Couldn't resist adding one of my Whipper Snapper Snowmen into the mix and I think it works really well

Lx

Black and White Blast....

I LOVE pattern and colour and there's nothing I love more than fussing over a card but when time is tight you can't really beat the simplicity of black and white and some great dies... and that's kind of where my journey started with these cards.

I've already made a very similar card with a reindeer on it but I just love this die so...

I tried it with an oval window, snowflakes and one of my favourite Waltzing Mouse sentiments

...then I tried it with just a single star for a cleaner look...

Then I decided I'd done that one to death (for now...) so

I dug out this lovely die which I bought at Newbury Artstamps wayyy back in the summer. It works so well with the black and white. I think the sentiment stamp is Inkadinkadoo. Whatever it is, I should definitely use it more. It's so pretty.

THEN I found these lovely medallion dies by Spellbinders tucked away in my stash and thought how great they'd look in black and white... (Hmmmm somebody should have brushed down their work before they photographed it. Looks like I left half my anti-static pad on this card. WHY do you NEVER notice these things until after you've uploaded your piccies?)

Guess what! They look pretty fab all gussied up in aqua, white and red too...

Looks like my black and white phase could be over. It's back to glorious colour tomorrow....

Lx

Soooo... No Mags for Months...

and then two come along at once ;oD. As well as having a really cool set of bauble stamps as the free gift, there were some great ideas for rocker cards in Quick Cards magazine so I threw caution to the wind and nabbed a copy. I couldn't wait to have a try and I just happened to have another of the Whipper Snapper snowies glossied up and ready for action so I set to with some sparkly Thickers to make this...

Lx

I rarely buy craft magazines these days

but Homemade Magazine just happened to have a set of stamps that really caught my eye this month and I thought they'd be great for embroidering/stamping/embossing etc

Here's just a very quick set of gift tags using traditional colours and red and green embossing powders. The actual stamp doesn't have berries on it but it was a matter of moments to go round with my trusty embossing pen and add a few dots and some red embossing powder. I think I feel a matching gift box coming on...

....and I couldn't resist making another little Goodnight Angel in between coats of paint yesterday, so now there are three...

but now it's definitely time to move onto another sewing projects so I think I'll call these done.

Lx