This week is 'In colour' Week

I have decided that this week I am going to focus on this years in colours. I haven't used them very much so some of this is a first for me, particularly the greens!

Its a bright morning and the sun is trying really hard to get through. The daffodil yesterday really inspired the colour choice for this card, I don't have an actual daffodil stamp, pity really. This is a sunflower but the yellow for the flowers is 'crushed curry' must admit I use this one a lot.

The card base and layer is in Mint Macaron - I do generally call it mint macaroon but hey ho. Its a very soft colour and works really well with the neutrals and pastels but I wanted something a bit different.

 The flowers from Grateful Bunch have been stamped in early expresso then coloured with a blender pen in crushed curry. The centre has a mixture of crushed curry and crumb cake then I have covered it with some of the fine tip glue. This when dry is shiny and raised. I have actually fussy cut all three flowers.








The sentiment is from one of the SAB sets - Botanicals for you.
The leaves in the background are stamped in mint macaron, from the same stamp set as the flowers.

Does this make you think of spring? It does me...

Daffodils

Its been a funny day to day and I haven't actually finished anything on my craft table and tomorrow we have visitors for lunch. I am going to meet the a future daughter in law.  Have to admit to being a little nervous.

Today I bring you my inspiration for the half finished project which I will show tomorrow evening or Monday......

The Christmas before last my friend gave me a lovely bowl of mini daffodil bulbs and the soil - a kit type thing. But it was so ong after Christmas when we met up they didn't do very much. After they had grown 2 " and flowered I put the pot into the greenhouse and never gave it another thought. Some weeks ago when I was thinking about seeds for the coming season I decided to bring the bowl into the kitchen window sill which is a very sunny spot and hey presto I have a delight full bowl of green shoots and the first couple of flowers have opened.

spring is on the way!

Shopping and treats

I went shopping yesterday with my friend Elaine of Laineybcrafts . We went to that large Swedish everything store - we spent the day at Ikea.
There were 2 things on my shopping list, some 'ribba' box frames and some doors and drawers for my shelving unit.
Pictures are a bit dull because its a dull grey day-


 I had heard on the grapevine that they were discontinuing the box frames but I can assure you Leeds branch had loads. They are the cheapest and better quality than other 'cheap' brands locally.

The doors and drawers were another matter. I have 3 cubby holes on my unit where I can't find anything and I thought a door for one then I could just shut it away and at some date in the distant future I would get rid of everything in there 'coz I haven't used it .....well maybe, and the other two I wanted to sort out into drawers so its easier to find the googly eyes etc without everything falling out onto the floor.

However Ikea have got me again, I wanted 'green' but they only had red or white drawers, no green doors either they were out of stock. I bought a red set of drawers but not sure how long I will keep them.

On a happier note whilst we were out we thought we had better check out Home (Bargains) well spotted Julie Kettlewell, should say Home Sense!  I rarely buy in here I just dream of buying lots, but today I bought impulsively!
 I came home with this fabulous display shelf. The metal heart and bird cage with pegs have gone and this has replaced it. What do you think?

Final Mothers day card

Today I have my favourite style of card, a box frame card. Mothers day again, this one in pink, there is a crumb cake one I am working on but more of that later.

Detail of the pearls on the butterfly and the flowers........                                                        and the flowers flowing from the frame.............      love the mini letters............

And think this is the best sentiment for the inside.
 

You do need to message me today, dates are going quickly. You get 3 friends together, I'll bring everything for the 4 of you to make this or one of the other mothers day cards and decorated box. 

£35 for an evening of creativity for four.

Mothers Day Cards are on the table.....

As its mothers day a week on Sunday I thought I had better crack on with my final 2 styles of card. Other one tomorrow.

Both of these will be for sale in my Etsy Shop as well as being available for classes.

Next week I have 4 nights ready for classes - one is booked. You get together with 3 friends and I will bring everything for all of you to make a mothers day card each, complete with box, tissue paper and ribbon. £35. Contact me to book yours (Must live within 10 miles of Halifax).

Today I have the tri fold shutter card. These can be done in lots of colour ways and with plainer papers, you will get a choice.

 The detail

Now the packaging  -                                                                                    tissue paper wrap -                                                                                               into the box -                                 decorated lid on -                           lace wrap with bow. Pretty.

Birthday Cards

How often do you send a Birthday card?

 How often is it a last minute purchase? 

How many do you forget?

I am notorious in our family I rarely send cards...... yes I know I make them but......

At the start of February I was having a conversation with a friend about cards and letter writing in general and how we no longer write letters and that cards are often a last minute thing and often only for birthdays not just note cards in the post. I went away to boarding school so letter writing was something I have always enjoyed but no longer do.
We made a pact we would send a minimum of 5 cards a month....thats more than one a week and they could be just a note so if I have your address watch for the post man!
In our jems team we have a birthday list - if I know you or you know me, or you are on the list you might just get a birthday card this year.......can't promise for next.

This is todays make, and its in the post today too. Just hope the recipient likes it.





I have used the aqua painter to colour the petals and the leaves. The flower centre is gold from the wink of stella pen, it is a very rich gold!

Other colours are the same as yesterday. Wisteria Wonder and Tip Top Taupe with a little green for the leaves.

                                                                                         The script for the sentiment is lovely. It is from the same set as the flower Birthday Blooms        It is available in my online shop for £17

An abundance of 'thanks'.

I have sold some of my retired stash on ebay this weekend so I set out to make a dozen 'Thank You' cards.
Timeless textures was on the desk along with the grateful bunch punch so I went in search of the grateful bunch stamps. I always find picking the colours the hard bit, I have a thing for Wisteria Wonder so chose the Tip Top Taupe to go with it as I haven't used it very often and just very vanilla.
I'm really pleased with the four cards they start clean and simple and get more distressed as went on.
Non are the same but all similar.

These two stamp sets have to be the best in the spring summer catalogue. Both of them are really versatile and can be used in so many ways. Having the punch for the daisy flowers is such a bonus not   not having to fussy cut all those flowers.

 

Project Life - Brimham Rocks

A bit of a late post today as we have had visitors this weekend which has been lovely. Next time we see Matthew and his fiancé it will be at their house, their first home. I remember that, it was so exciting but so many years ago now!

During Friday evening I decided to start on the mammoth task of the 300 photos I had printed by snapfish for my project life album. I picked one of our days out last year with Matthew and Amy to Brimham Rocks. This is one of our favourite places to walk and we knew they would clamber/climb, its what our boys did when they were small and even now my heart is in my mouth watching them.

Unfortunatly it has been raining here all day so the pics are taken with a flash so not very good quality.

Where are your photos.......still on your phone? Its so nice to have an album to look through and project life allows you to embellish, which I haven't done much of here, but my latest holiday envelope is bulging with bits to add. Its quick, fuss free and simple to do I did these 3 pages in front of the TV last Friday evening. 

Starting on Friday 4th March 

(and every first Friday of the month)

at 2.30 and 7pm

 I am running a project Life class

£30 for the first session

  will give you a pack of plastic wallets, 

a project Life card collection and accessory pack of your choice. 

After that it will be £5 a session or free with a £35 order.

book your place

I have chosen subtle colours to match the very rainy day, despite it being May. The page with the  journaling on only has 3 photos where as the other two pages are very photo heavy. 

 Here are some of my previous pages that I have shared in general a bit more colourful.

Who has a baby to buy for. Something very different.

Knitting, a short story of my knitting. The story of this wool is long and sad...... I started a jumper back last September, it had trees on it and I thought it would do for Christmas.......I was still knitting last week, the pattern was just too complicated, at one point I had 18 small balls of wool going at once. The first 29 rows of the pattern looked lovely the next four went ok but when I looked at it I didn't like it so I went to pull those 4 rows back, could I get it back on the needles..................
I ended up pulling it all out, rewound the wool and looked for something else - no not cardigans  for your little one but miniature knitting. I really enjoyed doing these. One per night sat in front of the telly, most telly I have watched in an age.

What do you think?

So what do you think of this? I shall be putting this in my Etsy shop next week.