Beat the Christmas rush

More quick and easy Christmas cards from me this month.

Are you all managing to keep up and do a few cards each month?    

My favourite from last month is this one from Deanne.

Don't forget to link up with Creative Craft World and I hope to see you next month.

WOYWW 203

Time to take a peek at craft desks around the land so you might want to have a look over here at Julia's blog to see how to take part.

I realised as I was about to take the photo of my desk that I can't show you what I am making in case someone who occasionally reads my blog sees what I am doing lol!  So, I thought I would show you the fabric for my next project.

I bought this Cath Kidston fabric last week and I'm going to make a couple of camera/phone cases from it, like this.

On my other desk I've started to put some papers together to do the weekly challenge over on UKs.

I'm also in the process of adding the names to the place cards I have made for Adam's forthcoming wedding - the list is on the left below the drawers.  At the bottom right is a recipe for lemon meringue ice cream cake which I made last night and I can thoroughly recommend:)

This is what it looked like when I made it.

Mmmm... I could just eat a slice!

So,do you like being nosy?  Do you like seeing what others are making?  If you do, join in with us at Julia's stamping blog:)

Cath Kidston fabric bag

My friend Maria asked me to make her a small bag for her in some Cath Kidston style fabric and I happened to see a bundle of Ck fat quarters in John Lewis on Friday and thought that one of them would be perfect.

For the inside I used a rather bright green!  I hope she likes it :)

Take time to be together

A layout for the weekly challenge over on Uks which was to scrap someone you love, use the colours soft greens and  burgundy and to use a shape.

I found this picture on my pc - I'm not sure how it arrived there as it was taken in Feb 2012 and I only have photos from Sept 2012 on this pc but it fitted the bill so here it is:)

Holly took the photo of us at Odell Country Park - we'd gone out in Polly for the day - taken some food, the dogs and had a lovely time.  As a bonus, the weather was good too.

May mini challenge

Over on Creative Craft World, the new mini challenge has just launched along with the kit.

To be in with a chance of winning one of these kits, the theme this month is blues and browns and whatever you make, it must be smaller than 12" x 12".

Here is what Sue and Jen made with their kit.

For all the details, check out CCW blog:)

Completed bag

Following on from my last post, here is the finished bag.

The front

the back

the magnetic catch

zipper

Key thingy!  A place to attach your keys to so you don't have to rummage around in the bottom of your bag - if someone knows what this is called, please tell me Lol!

I wouldn't normally line a bag in calico but in a fabric to match the outer but this was a trial run for the zipper so I didn't want to waste expensive fabric if it all went pear shaped.  I think I'll have this one for me:)

A cup of coffee is called for before I press the bag and clean up the mess left in my room.

WOYWW 202

Wednesday's come around so quickly don't they?  Time to be nosy and see what is happening on everyone's craft desk.  If you pop over to Julia's blog and you will see how to join in.

Today I have been sewing - well let me rephrase that, I have been having a go at putting a zip into the lining of one of the bags I am making.  Although I have put a zip in a dress and skirt before, I've never put one in a bag and was a bit daunted so I searched on the internet and found a tutorial which I could follow.

I didn't really manage to clear my desk before I started!  You can see a card on the left that is work in progress but not needed until May so plenty of time!  Behind that on the little easel is a photo of Holly I am waiting to scrap.

The zip is all lined up ready to sew in.

Sewn in - I have to say I am overjoyed how well it has turned out:)

This is the inside of the pocket which is lined with the material I am using for the outside of the bag.

Happy dancing!!!

Maybe I'll see you next week and I will show you the finished bag.  Actually, it's here if you want a peep:)

An every day occurence

My page for the weekly challenge on UKs which was :-  

1. Scrap your everyday life
2. B&W photo and colourful LO or colour photo and black, white and grey LO
3. Lots of journalling or one sentence

I kept my photo in colour and intended only to scrap in the specified colours but when I added black flowers the page didn't look right, just too drab so I added the red and it looked much better but unfortunately, I won't get the full points this week.

Here is the journalling, just in case you can't read it above.

A quick tutorial

I was asked how I made the wedding card so I thought I'd do a very quick tutorial.  It's very simple.

If you click on the photos they will appear bigger.

Start with a 12" x 12" piece of cardstock and cut it in half to give you 2 pieces 6" x 12".  You might be best trying this out on some scrap card first just to get the feel of things.

Measure 3" (on the 6" edge) and cut from the 3" mark to the opposite side giving you a shape like this.

Do this on both pieces.

Now score at 4" and 8" on both pieces.

Cut half way up from the bottom at 2" and 10" on one piece and down half way at 6" of card and on the other piece, cut down at 2" and 10" and up at 6".

This picture might explain things better.

Fold on the score lines.

Now slot the bottom  2" cut in to the top 2" cut like this.

The slot the bottom 6" cut into the top 6" cut

 and now for the tricky bit, slot the 10" bottom cut into the top 10" cut and there you have it.

Decorate as desired.

I would suggest that if you are going to decorate similar to mine by using layers of card, you might want to measure these up and get them all prepared before you assemble the card but stick them down after you have put the card together.

I haven't taken very good photos but I have a layer of grey card and then the patterned on top.

Any questions, please ask.  I'm not the best person in the world for explaining things Lol!

WOYWW 201

Quite a tidy desk for me this week because I wanted to do some sewing so had to clear the decks before I could start.

For those of you who are wondering why I would be mentioning my craft desk, pop over to Julia's blog where you will find desks from all corners of the world to poke around in and enjoy:)

So here is my offering this week.

Click on the picture and you will see everything more clearly.

I'm making a bag using some Ikea striped fabric for the inside and this

fabric on the outside.

My desk on the other side has my sewing machine on - even this is quite tidy.

If you are wondering what I keep in all the little drawers - ribbons!    Above them in the bright blue box are all my threads, to the left of that is a bag of rice (don't ask!) and in the clear box to the right of the blue are the elastics I used on my iPad covers and on top of that is my ATG gun.  In the blue and clear set of drawers next to the sewing machine I keep the buttons I sell on Etsy/Folksy and in front of that is another set of drawers which my husband covered in used stamps and varnished.  At the moment, these are empty but I'm thinking I might keep my pom pom trim in them.

Much later on....

the bag is finished apart from pressing and a few threads need tying off:)

You make me smile

The photo is Adam and Holly when they were about 5 and 3.   Adam must have started school as he's wearing a hand knitted red jumper made by my Mum!

I've created this page for the monthly challenge which was be inspired by a layout in the UKs gallery.  I chose a page by Scary Mary which had lots of circles in it and as my photo was perfect for cutting into a circle shape I went with it.

This is my page.

A couple of close ups.

I will do some journalling following the circles at the top but I haven't quite decided what to say yet.  The photo was on my desk and has been for a while so I'm not sure why it was taken, exactly when etc so I need to do a bit of research.

A wedding card and a birthday card

I was asked the other day to make a couple of cards - one was a wedding card and it had to include something to do with Arsenal football club and Snoopy.  The second was a 30th birthday card for the bride and had to have Snoopy on it somewhere.

I struggled at first and went with a red, black and white theme but a few days after I'd started, I had an email from the lady who wanted the cards to say that the colour scheme for the wedding was grey and jade so I had to start again.

Click on the photo to see it better.

I had to make a box for it to go in too.

I'm not sure that the colour is very "jade" but it was the nearest I had.  I tried to make Snoopy and the Arsenal shield quite discrete.

Lousy photos I know, sorry.

Snoopy was a bit easier - I got a picture off the internet, printed it off twice and cut the main image out of the second picture and also the road sign and popped these on to 3 d foam to give a bit of height.

The inside I made as a pop out.

Now, how much do I charge?