Craft Life

Monday Musings #10

2009-11-09T14:20:00.002Z

Small-N-Grubby is still off sick. He has added an itchy rash to his list of symptoms. Having him at home for a few days has led me to the conclusion that :

There is no toy more interesting than the one your brother is playing with!

(Picture taken back in the summer)

The Daring Card Makers this week are using kraft cardstock in their projects. This is mysterious stuff that looks like plain cardboard. I couldn't find any in time to make my card so I have used a couple of shades of brown (which aren't really as dark as they look in this picture).

The bird stamp is one of my newest purchases by My Minds Eye.

** Kate **

Just one of those days

2009-11-07T17:32:00.002Z

Small-N-Grubby has been under the weather for a few days , we thought he was on the mend until he threw up his breakfast this morning. Despite this I still got to escape to a Christmas Fayre with my sister, but it was very disappointing and we came away with nothing. Thinking about it afterwards there were at least 3 stalls I remember buying from last year that weren't there this time. Anyway, it put a dampener on the morning.

I hadn't been home long enough to put the kettle on when the electricity went off. There was a very helpful message when I rang the supplier saying that an underground cable had been severed and so the power had been switched off for safety reasons. The repair was expected to take all afternoon.

SMO took the Dinky Diva and Branston out for a walk and I tried to persuade Small-N-Grubby that the best place for him was under the duvet. SMO arrived back with takeaway coffees just as the power came back on about 3.30. He passed me the drinks and then went back outside to get the pushchair. I warmed my hands on the cup and was completely oblivious to the fact that he had tripped out the door, twisted his ankle and rolled down the road. Apparently, people coming out of the corner shop rushed across the road to help him as his tumble looked so impressive.

Early nights all round I think.

** Kate **

BasicGrey Photo Inspiration

2009-11-06T09:33:00.006Z

There is a challenge currently over at BasicGrey with a photo for inspiration. It's an interior design picture with lots of deep burgundies and stripes.

So I set to work on a card using a piece of Mellow paper which has undertones of the right vibe. I coupled this with some Anna griffin burgundy, but the papers were double sided and I accidentally stuck it down green side up. So this is the not quite right card.

The branch stamp is by My Minds Eye and is one of my craft shop buys this week.

Then I found a chipboard frame that I liked and started again with some more Mellow paper and this is where I ended.

After that it was using up the leftovers to increase the Christmas card supply.

At this rate I will reach the 50+ I need in plenty of time, famous last words!

I needed a new baby card this morning and reached for another of my new stamps.

This one was being unpacked when I was at the shop and I just had to have it. His name is Koetie (don't know how you pronounce it) and I think he and his little friend are just adorable.

I stamped him in VersaMagic Oasis Green for a softer look, but actually the details on the stamp are so fine it doesn't look too heavy in black. I'm just finishing one where I have coloured it in purple and I have plans to make him into a Christmas card and nursery rhyme card too so he is very good value for money.

** Kate **

NEC Crafts for Christmas

2009-11-05T13:47:00.004Z

Had a bit of a re-organise on the blog, not quite how I want it yet, but getting there.

Crafts for Christmas starts today at the NEC (runs 5-8 Nov) and hopefully Creative Moments will have taken some of my latest projects with them. Lots of lovely Prima supplies were involved.

If you're going I hope you can try and find Claire and Margaret on the stand and have a look at the projects.

I've had a bit of a craft spend of my own yesterday at a nearish shop. Lots of new stamps to play with, just have to find time now to get making!

** Kate **

Packing a Punch

2009-11-03T19:32:00.006Z

Yep this week's Daring Card Makers has got some punch, cos that's the theme! Your most recent punch to be exact, which in my case is a pine branch, I think.

I've also incorporated 2 of my most used punches, a large scallop and a circle that fits inside. Rather than punching the stamped image out, I've punched the circle and then punched the scallop over the top to get a frame. The papers and embellishments used are Anna Griffin.

Once my main card was done I set to work on a batch of Christmas cards following Kathy's theme of Cuttlebug backgrounds with a few added extras.

In this case the extras are again from Anna Griffin.

When I bought my Christmas embossing folders and dies (last January in a closing down sale) I couldn't resist adding this one to the pile.

I haven't worked out how else to use the scene yet, but found this double sided card really useful as I made the whole thing from one cut.

Lastly, it's been far too long since I got the Patchwork Pals out so I have updated a Christmas card over here too.

** Kate **

Monday Musings #9

2009-11-02T09:57:00.005Z

Cute photo overload this weekend with lots of firsts for the Branston Pickle.

We went on a spooky treasure hunt at old Sarum on Friday looking for pumpkins in the style of famous characters from history. Here's Small-n-Grubby with Henry VIII.

Lots of running up and down battlements and ruins.

SMO and Branston contemplate the defences.

On Sunday Branston tried out a puddle suit his cousin had grown out of (thank you very much). He loved it as we no longer had to remove him every time he found some muck to get into. How cute is he? (Not that I am biased or anything.)

He loves water, any he can find.

Later he managed to fall from this step and has a grazed face to prove it.

Despite the torrential rain in the morning we were even able to get him onto Granddad's allotment for the 1st time. Here seen helping Small-N-Grubby with a thoughtful moment.

** Kate **

P.S. yes the pumpkin was Pooh. By Sunday morning Branston had stolen his ears and tried to eat them so he looks even sorrier for himself now!

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T17:02:00.002Z

Perhaps I should give a blog prize if you can guess who it is supposed to be, lol?!?!

** Kate **

A day out to Creative Moments

2009-10-29T10:44:00.004Z

Yesterday I decided to combine the delivery of my latest batch of DT work with a day out and some shopping too. So I hopped on the train with SMO and Branston Pickle in tow and took the 45 minute journey to Yeovil.

We found Creative Moments quite easily at the top of the main shopping area. It's a small shop but packed to the rafters with really great craft goodies. I met the lovely proprietors Claire and Margaret and sent SMO off to find some lunch while I had a really good shopping session.

My latest DT pack was full of Prima goodies and there were loads more in the shop. I really enjoyed working with the Pebbles, little glass domed embellishments, and had to get some for myself.

I also bagged a Prima stamp with sticky jewels included in the pack.

Well worth a visit if you're in the area. But, if not they have a great site here with P&P at just £1.

The next show Claire and Margaret are off to is Crafts for Christmas at the Birmingham NEC 5-8 November (stand F36 I think) and hopefully some of my Prima makes will be on display there.

Although the post had ground to a stand still, I did receive some goodies from Craft Stamper earlier in the week.

Really cute and summery, I want to have a go with them but I really must restrict myself to the C-word. In fact as October has practically finished I think it can officially be time to get ready for Christmas!!

** Kate **

Monday Musings #8

2009-10-26T12:06:00.004Z

My thoughts today are :

DT deadlines + Half-term + Postal strike = NOT fun.

Over at the Daring Cardmakers the theme this week is 'Favorite Things'. I won't have time to play along this week but it did remind me that I had made a scrapbook page with that title. It was back in 2007 when I 1st discovered how much I enjoyed scrapbooking.

It was called 'The sound of crafting'.

The rhyme, which just about fits the tune, goes :

Raindots on roses

And Fiskars cut borders

Bright copper eyelets

And worn chipboard corners

Brown paper packages tied up with Bling!...........

I made all of the individual items, photographed them, then made them into a page. I submitted it it for publication but it wasn't accepted. It's still one of my favorite pages as crafting is one of my favorite things.

Should update you on the 'Wacky tri-athlon', he made it. SMO finished the Great South Run in 2 hours 4 minutes and got back home in time to play cricket in the evening!!!

** Kate **

Wacky Races Tri-athlon

2009-10-25T10:14:00.003Z

Today SMO embarks on the weirdest tri-athlon you will have heard of yet.

The 1st leg is a tedious train journey to Portsmouth via Basingstoke at 6am this morning. Plenty of opportunities to fall asleep and end up in Birmingham. But I can confirm that he has made it past the 1st hurddle and is in Portsmouth.

The 2nd leg is to 'run' the Great South Run in aid of The Prostate Cancer Charity. I say 'run' as he has had no practice, is carrying his bag, and has a dodgy knee - so for 'run' read walk.

Then, after a hopefully shorter train journey home, he will play cricket this evening!!

Good luck - love you even if you are insane!

** Kate **

Half-Term

2009-10-22T09:33:00.002+01:00

Yep half-term starts here for us. SMO finishes his job today and so will probably be around for most of half-term. This is handy as I have DT work to do. I might even have to deliver it in person, watching the development of the postal strike with interest.

Quieter day yesterday, although the visit to the dentist on Tuesday wasn't all that pleasant.

TV and pyjama day today me thinks!

** Kate **

Is it Friday yet??

2009-10-20T13:16:00.003+01:00

It feels like it, what a day yesterday turned out to be.

Dashed round to mum's to see what the panic was. The window had flown open fully and jammed. The neighbour had put all her (considerable!) weight behind it and tried to force it shut, buckling the metal mechanism. I was sent up a ladder to fix things, but could only just reach on tip-toe. It wasn't going to bend back without tools and considerable force.

My next mission was to visit the several people in the street who were having work done to see if their builders could be borrowed. It was a 1st for me, door to door, looking for strong helpful builders. I found one little old man that was shorter than me. He looked at the window, rubbed his chin and said we'd need to replace the bent mechanism. Now actually we knew this, we just wanted to get the window shut. The house had a gale blowing through it and couldn't be left like that over night.

We were quite chilly by now so we made baked spuds in the microwave and had a bit of lunch. Then, what do you know, like number 7 buses, 3 builders arrive at once.

They stand around collectively rubbing their chins at this point. #1 builder, a DIY enthusiast from 2 doors down has a go with a set of pliers and gets some way to bending back the metal. But it must be dead straight for the window to shut.
He hands over to the professionals, currently working on a loft conversion 2 doors down in the other direction. They finally get the job done and kindly arrange to get the parts to fit a new mechanism (hopefully later today).

By now it's time to go up to school and collect the kids. I've got nothing done but at least mum is sorted. Go to collect the Dinky Diva and she arrives with a piece of paper and a tied plastic bag. The paper says she has collided with another girl, fallen over backwards and smacked her head on the concrete playground. She shows me a nice egg shaped, graze and bloody lump on her head. But what's in the bag?? Her school clothes. Apparently another girl threw up over her.

So I end my day sponging another girl's vomit out of my daughters school shoes.

I've got the dentist this afternoon, it'll be a breeze!

** Kate **

Quick Monday Musing

2009-10-19T11:47:00.002+01:00

Not what I had planned. Mum has just called to say that a neighbour has broken the mechanism on my mum's front window so that it is wide open and won't shut. I have a rescue mission to go on.

In the meantime, I was looking for photos to scrap over the weekend and found this which reminds me just why he is called 'Small-N-Grubby'.

** Kate **

Where have the days gone

2009-10-18T11:27:00.002+01:00

I don't know where the days have slipped away to this weekend.

We were very cultured yesterday and visited some of the destinations on a local art trail. The Dinky Diva looked through the catalogue at the ones she liked the look of and then we planned a short route taking in as many of them as we could. Some were in big studios and colleges, but our favorite was in someones basement only a few streets away. Amazing to discover things right under your nose.

Today we have the very antithesis, we're going to spend the afternoon at a car boot sale. Haven't been to one in ages and my expectations of snagging a bargain are high.

** Kate **

More Halloween

2009-10-15T09:11:00.007+01:00

Lovely Claire and Margaret sent me so much stash in my 1st DT kit that I ended up making 10 Halloween projects. So here are some more.

An invitation to a haunted house party.

A spooky altered notebook,

And there's always a big enough supply of off-cuts for ATCs. In this case a set of 3.

Then there was the rest of my party goodies. A sign.

A banner.

Cute place names.

And not forgetting the yummy bits.

Nothing to do with the DT work, just gluten free buns for my reward at the end!

** Kate **

Halloween

2009-10-14T10:01:00.003+01:00

Some of my Halloween DT work for Creative Moments today.

This little guy is a friend of the Branston Pickle and his mum very kindly let me use the photo of him that I had taken in the summer.

Just shows you don't have to have a Halloween topic to use Halloween supplies.

This is a little party bag I made.

I made quite a few things along a party theme and then set up a little party photo shoot before I sent everything off. I'll find some more of the photos for tomorrow.

The supplies used were mainly from the Imaginisce Hallowhimsy line.

Creative Moments have announced a fantastic line-up for a mega event in May 2010. Scrap-A-Mia! The details are here and on the shop blog. I think I am going to have to book a place at this one. have you seen who the event teachers are?!?!?

** Kate **

Purple Autumn

2009-10-13T09:45:00.002+01:00

Another Autumn themed challenge to distract me from my Christmas makes, this time at the Daring Card Makers.

Not just Autumn mind you but 'Purple Autumn'. I decided to experiment with a design I had seen in blue and silver on a book jacket.

Some bits didn't quite go as planned but I think I might use a bit more heat embossing on some of my Christmas cards.

There were no bridges to build yesterday, I just thought the little red bridge looked cute and that if you crossed over it you might find little imps and fairies.

Feeling much better after spending most of Saturday in bed, but got very little crafting done.

Today my thoughts have turned to dog insurance, do I renew? The Hairy Horror is getting on in years and not only have they added £100 to our usual premium, they have hiked up the excesses and exclusions. This means we would get very little benefit from claiming unless she was involved in some terrible accident or ate someone who then sued us. I'm going to give them a ring and see what they have to say for themselves. Regrettably, it is likely that, due to her age, she will die in the next few years, 5 if we are lucky, so they have excluded death by illness! I have paid at least £2000 to them in the last 10 years and I feel that enough is enough.

** Kate **

Monday Musings #6

2009-10-12T11:49:00.003+01:00

#6 already!

Little red bridge of happiness.

So what do we know about bridges.

"Don't cross a bridge until you get to it."

"It's all water under the bridge."

"The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn." (David Russell)

I quite like Oscar Levant's comment of a politician "He'll double cross that bridge when he comes to it."

** Kate **

Copic Colour Challenge

2009-10-09T14:54:00.005+01:00

At Copic Colour Challenge this week I almost have the correct colours (2 out of 3), so I just had to join in.

I tried to copy the colour chart from their blog but it just came out huge so you will have to pop over there if you want to see them. They are Pale Olive, Garnet and Cool Grey.

Here's my card made using some cute free stamps that came with Card Making and Papercraft magazine.

And this is the card inside.

The patterned paper is from Anna Griffin.

Looking forward to a long lie-in tomorrow, so wait for my next blog entry something is bound to have happened to stop me! Supreme Commander Branston has had a cold and I think he has kindly passed it on to me. He's fine, other than refusing to sleep in his own bed. My throats really hurting and I doubt my voice will last through Rainbows tonight. Added to that I have an ulcer on the end of my tongue, so I am feeling quite sorry for myself.

Tomorrow's plan :

Lie-in
Make crafts
Go shopping
Have afternoon nap
Make crafts whilst SMO makes tea
Watch TV
Sleep

Well I can dream, can't I???

** Kate **

True Blood

2009-10-08T10:27:00.002+01:00

Well, dropped a few crochet stitches during that one!! Twilight it aint, more like vampire porn SMO says. The Radio Times claims it improves as the series gets going, so we might have to give it another try?!?

** Kate **

Autumn

2009-10-07T21:47:00.005+01:00

Lots of Autumn themes about on the challenge blogs at the moment when really I need to be creating things for Christmas, otherwise it will be here before I know it. To reduce my Autumn makes and leave more time for Christmas creations I combined 2 challenges for this latest card. Not something I do very often as it requires extra thought and I just look at the individual challenges and plow headlong in.

The current BasicGrey week 5 is a sketch and the theme is Autumn Breezes over at Penny Black.

The patterned paper and dies-cuts are BasicGrey mellow. The little mouse stamp is a Christmas one which hopefully looks OK for an Autumn birthday card.

The weather has been wet and nasty so it really feels like Autumn is here now. It does mean that my crochet project has been coming along at a pace as I sit in front of the TV. I think my stitches are actually getting neater.

Off to watch the 1st episode of True Blood and crochet some more.

** Kate **

Monday Musings #5

2009-10-05T10:47:00.004+01:00

With the kids off for an extra day I almost forgot that it's Monday.

I haven't shared many of the photos from the ill-fated day when the Branston Pickle was taken ill. There is a little feeling of guilt there when I think that I left him sleeping and poorly with his dad whilst I wandered off to take photos.

I think I approach life a little like a swan. Attempting to glide gracefully along oblivious to what life throws at you. When actually underneath little legs are flapping like mad.

These are the last few photos I took on the day. A moment of calm before the storm.

** Kate **

Paper Folding

2009-10-05T10:16:00.005+01:00

I was planning to make cards for World Card Making Day incorporating the latest challenge at DCM to use paper folding, but I got side tracked and it all took longer than I had planned.

Anyway here are the results. A little Christmas surprise.

The purple parcel is a little folded box.

And when you pull the box open ...............

He is stuck on a little folded paper spring, so that's double paper folding points for me.

Also thought I would try something new in honour of the day. I had bought a brayer recently and hadn't had a chance to use it.

I think the paper I chose wasn't as glossy as I thought so back to the drawing board for that one.

Teacher training day today and so typically it is pouring with rain. Might take them down to the library if it clears up enough later. Otherwise I had planned some tidying up, although I can hear them in the other room and it sounds like the opposite of tidying to me!!

** Kate **

Crafty Calendar Challenge #1

2009-10-04T10:42:00.005+01:00

A new blog Crafty Calendar Challenge has launched its 1st challenge this month. The theme is Autumn with optional plants and vegetation. The reason I have latched on to this blog is that the challenge is not restricted to cards so at least once a month I can enjoy a non-cardmaking project.

This month I have had a go at a stampbord pendant.

I really love working with Stampbord it takes the ink so well but is forgiving if you want to wipe away or lightly sand off a mistake. In this instance I stamped the main image as a black oak leaf and didn't like it at all. I wiped it away quickly with a baby wipe and then re-inked the background a little. No trace of the leaf and I was able to use the pine cone stamp in copper Brilliance ink instead.

I can see myself creating a few more of these by Christmas. I fancy trying something a bit Gothic next. There is a steampunk jewellery article in one of my back issues of Craft Stamper, I might have a look at that.

** Kate **

Scrapbook Stamping

2009-10-02T12:35:00.004+01:00

Over at BoBunny there is a great tutorial showing some stamped flower and butterfly embellishments using the Flutter Butter range. The project was so lovely I decided to have a go at my own version sticking to closely to the materials and design used in the example. I made the shaped blue card using a Fiskars Scrapboss (the checks on the paper helped).

Have decided it would be a good idea to make an album of my Monday Musings so that's one page done and out of the way. Now I just need to catch-up and keep-up.

These are the flowers and butterflies in the style of the BoBunny post.

All materials are BoBunny apart from the yellow paper, silk flowers and brads which are all Brenda Pinnick.

** Kate **