I'm Pants....apparently...


I have been told recently (twice, actually....and by the same person) that I am a "pants Blogger"....do you know what? She is absolutely right! I am a pants Blogger. I used to be good, back when I had design team commitments to fulfill. Perhaps I ought to try to get back into a Design Team??

Anyway, after my Friends (?) comments I thought I really ought to have a catch up on here. So what have I been doing?



My Daughters Friends have just had their second child together, a baby girl called Rae. This is a quick shot of the High Chair I made for my daughter to give to them. I made a moses basket for their last baby, so had to do something different this time.


My Daughter's partner's Brother (hope you followed that) has just got married and this is the card I made for them to give. I really like this card design.
Our Niece is one today, and now the day has come I can post this picture. I don't think the family read the blog, but I didn't want to chance it.


I have spent any spare time over the last couple of days playing with my new love...my Altenew stamps. I just love how these stamps layer up. I am a Stampin Up fan, and love their two step stamps, but these take the idea a stage further, and the effect is lovely. I have tried several different ways to try to line the stamps up correctly....it can be a bit tricky to get the positioning just right. The best way for me is to use an acrylic block (even though I usually use the Misty). Trouble is I have twice dropped the block whilst trying to twist and turn it to line up the layer stamps resulting in having to start again with that panel. I am waiting for some little acrylic handle to arrive and I will hot glue them to my acrylic blocks to help with my problem. I wasn't aware that I had a problem with my grip...but I obviously have! I love this card shape too. I saw it on Dawns Stampin Thoughts and just had to have a go. A cutting file makes the job much easier though!
Well that's me all caught up (Karen!!).

Catching Up


Hello Dear Reader,

I was pottering around at my craft desk and realised that not only had I forgotten to photograph some of my recent makes, but also that those I had photographed I had forgotten to post! I am useless!

I was asked for a first birthday card and couldn't wait to use this new tonic die that I had purchased..
so cute!
A Graduation card for my Son's Girlfriend, who's graduation ceremony is actually today. She did really well and he is very proud of her.
A really busy time for her because in addition to graduation today, yesterday was her birthday. As they have just spend three weeks in Japan I decided a fan was in order.
On to My Husbands Birthday now, which was also yesterday. He has hit the big 60...but I am not teasing him as I am acutely aware that I am not that far behind him!
Kevin is very difficult to buy for, but he suggested that he might like to improve his cookery skills, so we have bought him a cookery course. I made this stand up chef's hat to house the voucher for the cookery course booking. Made from a file on the Silhouette Store. Made into a top fold card before cutting and then I added the utensils.

Right, I think that's me caught up!

Di
XX



Dan is 21!


Ok this post is scheduled because I can't run the risk of him seeing this before his birthday tomorrow.....and as it is my Birthday too I hope I will have better things to do, no offence intended dear reader!

So what do you get the Son who has everything and when asked what he would like says "nothing I need really!"
answer
Sky diving vouchers! no, I am not deliberately trying to put him in danger or get rid of him.....these are for the indoor skydiving tunnels, which looks fun! But being his 21st I would quite liked to have been able to buy him something that he could keep. I decided to make him a keepsake instead. Dan is a big DC Fan and also really likes Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, so I took my inspiration from that knowledge and....


came up with this. A folded book for the 21st part. Covered with a Game of Thrones map with Game Of Thrones ribbon around it. Couldn't really see him appreciating flowers etc, so went with ivy and fir cones to decorate and then added some Game Of Thrones memorabilia including a book mark, compass and what I am informed is a family medal which has Winter is Coming on it....I know absolutely nothing about Game of Thrones, but I know this must be right as he has a T shirt with that on it, so I am on safe ground there....I hope!

swim card


I received a phone call yesterday with, I think, the most bizarre request for a card that I have received to date.......wait for it.....

"Can you please do me a Congratulations for learning to swim card?"

ok, never done one of those before!!!
here is what I came up with...


I found this adorable image on a site called Tiddly Inks.com. Just what I needed. Card shape and mats and lettering designed and cut on my Cameo.



Valentines



Just a quick post to show you the Valentines Card I have just made. This is actually from a free file from Bird's Cards. The file was, I think, intended to be a shaker card, but I have changed it a bit. I decided to cut extra heart, L,V and E pieces. I sandwiched them together to make chipboard style letters, topped them with backing paper and nestled them into the original cuts in the card front. I also used a second cut of the front to make an inside decoration.

















Bits and Bobs



I promised myself to make an effort this week...so here I am again. Two posts in one week!


My first offering in this post is a quick card I made today for my little cousins birthday next week. Because I needed to get it done quickly I used my Silhouette subscription to download the file for the following card. I think he will love it. The papers were printed at home from kits designed by Summertime Designs.




My second offering today fulfills my intention to make myself get back into my crafting and blogging. I have been following the MoJo Monday blog for years and often use one of the layouts for a starting point inspiration, but I have never completed the current challenge...until now. This is being entered into MoJo Monday challenge number 433, you can find the challenge here.


A lovely blogging acquaintance of mine, also called Diane, was kind enough to email me this week. She decided to check up on me because I hadn't been visible online for a while. Wasn't that jolly nice and caring of her? It was much appreciated.
Di has a blog called Pixies Crafty Workshop. She has a weekly "playground" where pupils can link cards made from snippits, you know....all that stuff we all save 'incase it is useful'. Well the following card was made with everything from my scrap box except the base card and the stamped image.






Catching Up...

Hello???
Anyone There???

Quite possibly not as I am such a bad, bad blogger!
Well, if there is anyone there I thought you might like to see a couple of things I have managed to do.
This was my Christmas Card for my Mum this year. I am hooked on Stampin Up stuff and have built quite a collection over the last year. I normally do a standard card for everyone I send to and then something more individual to Parents. As we lost both Kev's Mum and Dad during the year it is just My Mum left now. Christmas was a bit sad for My Hubby!


I also had a couple of birthdays to make for around Christmas.






Once Christmas was out of the way I couldn't face the craft room at all. I really need something to kick start me again, because when I actually get to it I feel much better and actually enjoy myself, so I don't understand why I am finding it so hard to get going nowadays!
I wanted to do something different.....so.......


My first ever folded book. Loved doing it too!