I'm back after too long a gap, but I have been busy crafting as well as socialising.  I've just finished (I think) the last Christmas Card so can now tidy up my craft area, it's in a bit of a mess as you can imagine, with dies, scraps of paper, embossing folders, glue and goodness know what else all over the place.  Then there's all the bits of rubbish that landed on the floor when I missed the paper bin.

Here are some of the Christmas cards I've made and as you can see I've been obsessed with snowflakes this year!

Now I can concentrate on Christmas, and my New Year resolution will be to regularly update my blog!  She says optimistically.

Bye for now

Jean

Wall hanging in progress

Hello,

As I mentioned in my previous blog I recently attended a Mandy Munroe workshop at Hometown in Rochester.  This is the quilt  I am endeavouring to make.

The photo is a bit fuzzy but you can get the gist of it.  You will see that my choice of fabrics are much brighter than Mandy's version, but I hope it will be as effective as hers when I eventually finish it.  At the moment I'm not sure how big to make it, I may make a table runner rather than a wall hanging.

Anyway, these are the two blocks I've prepared so far.

Bye for now

Jean

Me again.

I know I've been a tad on the lazy side in updating my blog, but other things keep getting in the way! No excuse really.

We are in Devon for a few days at the moment and the sun is about to shine - forever the optimist that's me.  This means of course that no cardmaking, sewing or anything else is happening.  Although, I have been busy at home, doing some patchwork.  I recently attended a Mandy Munroe workshop at Hometown in Rochester on a negative space long cabin wall hanging.  The day started badly for me mainly because I took a machine I haven't used for quite a long time!  It felt like driving a new car.  I took the older machine because I've bought a new machine which is much larger and heavier than the old one.  Very silly of me.  I won't make that mistake again!  As a result I didn't have a quarter inch foot with me, which didn't help matters.  I had a slow start to put it mildly.  But, at the end of the day I had made a good start on one block.  Have now got two completed and when I get home I will take some photos to show you.

Bye for now

Jean

Baking Day

No Cardmaking today because it's a baking day.   I've volunteered, cheerfully, to make a birthday cake for my Grandson.

He wants a Minecraft 'Creeper ' cake, and as he loves chocolate I'm making a chocolate sponge with chocolate filling.  It will be decorated with green fondant icing, and a Minecraft topper.

I must admit I'm feeling very pleased with how this cake has turned out. Let's hope it tastes good.

He now wants me to make him an apron!  I made his sister one and he doesn't want to be left out.  I guess that's my next task as well as making Christmas cards of course.

Bye for now

Jean

A Minecraft Creeper Birthday Card

Hello,

As promised here is my Minecraft Creeper birthday card for my Grandson.

To create the card topper I used the following:

A Creeper image downloaded from the internet and printed on white card.

Black and white check cardstock
Black and green card

White card blank

A silver number 8 peel off

I began by matting and layering the green card on to black, then that on to the check card

Next I adhered the Creeper image to the front of the white card and then added that to the green card.

I then printed another image and cut out the head only of the Creeper.  Using some 3D tape I positioned it over the  head on the topper, slightly offsetting it for added interest.

I placed the silver number 8 peel off onto a small piece of black card and positioned it on the bottom right hand corner of the topper before adding it to the White card blank.

Bye for now

Jean

Watch this space

Hello,

My next card project will be a minecraft themed birthday card for my grandson.  As I'm going away for a few days I will have plenty of time to plan what I'm going to create.

So, watch this space....,...

Jean

As Promised

Yesterday afternoon I made a start on my first Christmas card for this year.  Hurray!

To create the card topper I used the following items:

White card blank 6" x 6"

Dark bluey/grey, pale blue, light grey pearlised card

Snowflake embossing folder

Spellbinders Create a Flake Six Die 

White and pale blue pearl drops

Christmas sentiment

 I began by matting and layering some dark bluey/grey card onto pale blue card.  I then embossed a piece of light grey pearlised card with a snowflake embossing folder and adhered that to the darker card.

My next step was to die cut some snowflakes using the pale blue and white card.  I then decorated the snowflakes with pearl drops and adhered to the topper.

Add caption

Then the final touch a Merry Christmas peel off Christmas sentiment.







This is another version using a Memory Box Blooming Ponsettia die.

Owning Up

In my previous text today,I said I'd tried to include a photo in a blog, what I didn't say though, was that my good intentions yesterday to start making Christmas cards, failed miserably, because the sun was shining!  Instead of cardmaking I did some gardening, just as well really as its raining today.  Anyway, I tried to include a photo of a card I made recently.  So here goes with a second attempt!  I am definitely going to make cards today though.

Wow, success!  A photo has appeared.  I made this card for my daughter Charlotte's birthday.  One of her children tried to take the slip saying 'Happy Birthday' out of the mini envelope, which is why it looks a bit bent.  I know, I should have taken the photo before giving it her...

Bye for now.

Try again

Good morning,

I seem to have failed miserably yesterday in my second blog.  I tried to insert a photo, unsuccessfully.  I will try again!  I' don't give up easily.  A bit more research needed I think!

Bye for now

Hello and Welcome

Good morning - welcome to my first blog ever.   My very good intentions are to write regularly here with details of cards I have made, but we all know about good intentions and what can happen to them!

So, today I am going to make a start on my Christmas cards.  I tend to make cards for the favoured few so don't expect a prolific number.  I do spend a rediculous amount of time (in my husband Kevin's view) thinking about which dies to use, the colour of the papers, whether to emboss,stamp or embellish or to go minimalist.  That's without even considering what size the card should be, which is a whole new dilemma, ie, how much will it cost to post?

Watch this space........