Sunday 27 November 2011

Busy, commissions, Christmas & wind!! (The weather, not me)

Well, It's been a manic couple of weeks. I've managed to finished the three commissions for Crafts Beautiful. It's packed up and ready to go, I'll post it off tomorrow. Between doing the commissions, I've been doing the housework, washing, ironing etc, blah blah. Plus, I've had a couple of fun filled trips Christmas shopping. I have finally finished, just waiting for a couple of items to come through the post. I'm really chuffed with what I've got everyone this year. Hope they like them! (If not, I'll have them back lol!!)

So, it's now back to making the Christmas cards, I'll just keep going until the last possible minute. Every year I keep promising to start them earlier. I think I definitely will next year. Maybe just keep doing the odd one in between commissions and other stuff. Though for distant relatives etc, I've cheated and bought some, ooer!

The main topic for today is wind. It's a bright breezy day here in Norfolk. The wind was a bit rough last night. I can tolerate any weather, but wind, it's seems to get me really grumpy. I think it's the noise it makes and that it can be so destructive. The worst is the really annoying wind and rain combo. I mean, if you go out and it's just raining, you can wear a hat, take an umbrella, you know. But, if it's a combo of both, then you've got no chance, you can't wear a hat because it'll blow away, your umbrella will turn inside out and you spend most of your time grappling with it, eventually it tries to take off with you hanging on the end (I'm not much of an umbrella fan at the best of times, I prefer a hat). Also with the wind, there is no point what so ever trying to make your hair look nice, whenever you arrive at your destination, you look like you've been for a ride in a tornado.

Well that's the lecture on the disadvantages of windy weather. Here are some of the Christmas cards I've recently made. It doesn't matter how hard I try, I can't seem to get the photography right, but then again, I'm a card designer not a David Bailey.


I used the Christmas Reindeer (CL540) clear stamp set from Hero Arts, Sizzix 'tis the Season phrase die and a Cuttlebug Snowflake embossing folder.


This was a quick simple card to do, perfect for sending to a male recipient. The paper and die cut are from the K&Company Peppermint Twist collection. I really love anything retro, and doing cards like this are my favourite.


This card was fun to do, I used the Jumbo Snowman (SSC1009) clear stamp set from Stampendous. It's great, because you can stretch and stamp him in different shapes. I used some American Crafts paper for the background and kept to the chocolate and aqua colour theme (reminds me of a hot cocoa on a cold day).

Off now to make a brew, and get on with some more cards. I've made about 55 so far, I'll post some more of them next time. Enjoy!!

Friday 11 November 2011

Pumpkins

It's been a while since my last post. I've been really busy with the Crafts Beautiful commissions and trying to get my Christmas cards done as well!

Here are some pics of the pumpkins I carved for Halloween. Some are in daylight by the front door and the rest are after dark. They looked really good. We don't have many children in the village, so it was a fairly quiet night, but I still like to do the whole Halloween thing.






It was my dad-in-law's birthday yesterday. He loves birds and I found this stamp (Wading Birds 2) on a site called The Rubber Stamp Gallery. They have some wonderful and unusual stamps that they make to order. They come unmounted so you have to put them on some EZ-Mount, but the quality is brill. I've put a link to their site in the 'Fab places to visit' section. It's worth taking a look.

Dad loved the card, my skills with a camera don't really do it justice.
  
To make, stamp and emboss the image onto white card, colour in and die cut out. Adhere to a larger die shape black card, then mount onto aqua card and trim. Tie a length of garden twine, black ribbon and black bakers twine around a kraft card base (with the fold at the top) keeping the knots to the right. Fix the image over the cords with foam pads on the left. Add a button threaded with bakers twine to the bottom of the image. Stamp 'Happy Birthday' in black on the bottom right of the card and round off the bottom corners. 

Right, back to work. Happy crafting!

Saturday 29 October 2011

Spooky Halloween Stuff!

Hello again!! I just love this time of year, creating daft Halloween cards and things for my nephews and niece. This year apart from making them a Halloween card I bought a blank MDF shaped skull and crossbones and brought it to life. I really hope they like it. At least it will last for years to come, unlike the loads of sweeties they will no doubt be getting (the skull is healthier too). What my Sis will make of it, I don't know!

Here is a pic of the spooky card I did for my Mum & Dad. My Mum loves it, especially the googly eyes. The BOO! is from a Halloween themed sticker sheet from K & Company and the paper is from the American Crafts Boo collection.


For this card, I made a coffin template and cut out a card base in purple card. The paper is from the Bo Bunny Boo Crew collection, the stamp is Hero arts, and the ghost, gravestone and Boo! are Sizzix Sizzlits dies. I attached the ghost with a length of acetate so that he looks like he floating in the air.


Tomorrow I'm going to carve out a couple of pumpkins and have them sitting by the stable door at the front. I'll take some piccies of them and post them next time. With what I scoop out, I think I'll make some soup and some home-made bread rolls, mmmm! Just what you need on a cold Autumn night.
Happy Halloween!!

Friday 21 October 2011

Almost finished!

Hi all! After reading Suzannes post on ugly cards, I've picked one of mine. I had to choose the tall pale blue card. Bleughhh! What the hell was I thinking. I know I hadn't been doing my blog for very long, but why chose this monstrosity for the whole world to see? The card is awful and the photography isn't any better.
Thankfully I think I've come on with the ol' photo side of things now. The worst thing is, I sent it to my sister for her birthday - sorry Yvonne. No offence. I've never been happy with it on my blog, but I'm going to leave it there as a reminder of how not to make a card :o)
Have a good laugh, I did - with a bit of cringing too.
Colette xx
Hello again.

I can't believe it's nearly a week since my Mum went home. We had a lovely time and such a good laugh (we have the same mad sense of humour) and I'm missing her terribly.

I'm almost finished my latest project for Crafts Beautiful. Can't say any more, you'll have to wait to see it in the magazine. For more crafting ideas visit Crafts Beautiful.

It's been a challenge. Why is it you have an idea in your head, and despite all the beautiful papers etc. you have, you never seem to have the one that is just right. So, then you have to have a re-think, so annoying.

In between the magazine projects, I've got Christmas cards, general friends and family Birthday cards, plus a Halloween project for my nephews and niece, Thomas, William and Emily. I'll take a piccy of it when it's finished and post it on here.

Talking of piccies, here are few more of my recent creations. Hope you like.


Take a pale blue tall card blank, round the top right hand corner. Stamp some swirls in brown ink and a sentiment on the lower left hand side. Die cut two flowers, layer up and attach a button and fix to the card over the swirls, add a few pearls to finish. I used the Prima 'Madeline' papers for the flowers.


Trim 3cm from the edge of a black 15cm square card blank. With the fold at the top, cover 3/4 of the top right hand side with patterned paper and the bottom edge with a co-ordinating paper. Tie a ribbon around the join. Stamp and heat emboss a cat, shade in with Promarkers and attach to the card above the knot. Finish with 'purrr-fect' using rub-on alphabet letters and a few hot fix crystals. The cat is from the 'Pampered Pets' stamp collection by docrafts and the papers are from the Anna Griffin 'Fifi & Fido' collection and are just too scrummy for words.

Well, I'm off to make a coffee and crack on with my commission. Have a lovely weekend, until next time. Ta ta.

Friday 14 October 2011

My Mum and an enormous apple pie!

Hi all! It's been a busy week. I've had my Mum visiting from Yorkshire since last Friday. My Dad was supposed to visit but he chickened out at the last minute, so it ended up just Mum. We've had a fab week, spent lots of money and had plenty of laughs.

I thought I'd post a pic of a recent Christmas card I made. Something quite different. I bought the stamp in the sales earlier in the year and have been dying to use it. It is Egg & Nog 5 by Paper Artsy. I stamped and heat embossed the images, shaded in with the old faithful Promarkers and then mounted onto a black card blank and finished with a simple tied ribbon. I'm really pleased with the result.

I also made a felt brooch for my sister, Yvonne. Mum and I clubbed together and bought her a Cuttlebug for her birthday, but I wanted to make her something extra. The photo doesn't really do it justice, it turned out really well, she nearly never got it!
Something else I made this week was an apple pie, it was enormous. We decided to call it 'The Blob'. I went a bit mad with the apples and I nearly didn't get it in the oven it was so huge. It wasn't the prettiest pie I've ever made, but it tasted really yummy. Definitely no pics of that creation!

I'll sign off for now, I have another commission to start for Crafts Beautiful. Ta ta.


Tuesday 4 October 2011

Poppies Project - Crafts Beautiful

Hello again! Another lovely day here in Norfolk, though slightly cooler than of late. I went into Norwich yesterday, not ideal trying on clothes when it's hot. I'm enjoying this unexpected warm spell though.
Here is a sneak peak of my Poppies project in the Nov 2011 issue of Crafts Beautiful (on sale 14th Oct). The magazine is packed with projects, ideas, hints, tips and useful information plus a free gift with every issue! For more crafting ideas visit Crafts Beautiful


On Sunday I had quite a productive day on the Christmas card front. Some I made in the same colour-way I used in this months Crafts Beautiful (Xmas Special 2011) using the Bo Bunny papers. I also designed some using Cosmo Cricket papers. I'll post some piccies up in the near future.

I'm excitedly waiting for a paper stack to come from the US. It's from the Carolyn Gavin 'Greenhouse' collection by K&Company. VERY hard to get hold of. I have the punch out flower pad from the same collection and it is just scrummy.

I'm off now to do some more Christmas cards - ideas are just buzzing around in my head. Ta ta for now!

Saturday 1 October 2011

Simple Anniversary Card

Hi there, it's a lovely day here in sunny Norfolk. I can't believe it's the 1st October, it's like July out there! It's Simon's Mum and Dad's Anniversary today. This is the card I made for them. They are not into the lovey-dovey, slushy style, so I did this simple, chic card. Definitely my style! They are having a little get together later on, so hope they like the card. Off now to have a coffee and maybe a bit of cake, yummy yum.


What you need to make this card:

1 x 14.5cm square card blank (with fold at the top, trim 3cm from one side), Basic Grey 'Hopscotch' papers, Paper Artsy Grunge Flower dies,Tim Holtz Scallop On The Edge die, American Crafts Dear Lizzy 'Whistle' stamps,1" circle punch, dark brown card,  brown ink, metal button, white cord, pale yellow ribbon
Layer top two thirds of card with Hopscotch paper. Cut out a wide strip of brown card, edge with the scallop die and lightly distress. Fix under the paper punch a circle and hand cut 3 leaves in contrasting papers. Distress lightly, assemble and stitch a button in the centre. Arrange and attach to the left of the card, above the ribbon. Finish with the stamped sentiment in brown on the bottom right of the card.

Tuesday 27 September 2011

Teal Delights - Crafts Beautiful - Christmas Special 2011

I thought I'd share with you a set of four of my designs in a project called Teal Delights featured in the latest issue (along with full instructions and templates) of Crafts Beautiful (Christmas Special 2011). If you like fresh, bold and contemporary designs, then have a go at making these! For more crafting ideas visit Crafts Beautiful







I still haven't got round to getting any more Christmas cards made, other things just seem to keep cropping up and I do get distracted quite easily!

Simon and I had a nice day out on Saturday. We had a run to Taverham Crafts and Garden Centre. I (of course) had to have browse around Sew Simple (massive craft shop). We had some lunch in the lovely Craft Tearooms and then visited the aquatic shop to buy some more Koi food.

There is a fantastic little shop called Country Corner. If you love American Folk style goodies, then this shop is heaven. Plus, they sell Yankee Candles (I adore Yankee Candles) so a stock up was needed.  Oooh! and not forgetting the chocolate shop called Saffire, where they make and sell the most wonderful choccies. I resisted temptation and didn't call in this time! It was nice to have a day out together and have a bit of lunch.

If you ever visit Norfolk, then Taverham Craft and Garden Centre is worth a look. Taverham is just outside of Norwich and has much more than what I've just mentioned. Well, must crack on, things to do, people to see etc. Bye for now xx



Tuesday 20 September 2011

I think I'm up and running!

If you are reading this, then I have managed to successfully set up a blog. I will hopefully be posting my designs from Crafts Beautiful in the near future.
After sitting here setting this up for the last few hours, I'm going to have something to eat and then crack on with some cards I need to do.

Time to get motivated me thinks. Ta ta for now.