Slapped Wrists!

 

Well, that’s my wrists well and truly slapped for being such a lax blogger.  I really must get into the habit of posting much more often.  It’s not even that I haven’t been crafting, I have honest!

Since I last posted I delved into the murky world of digital crafting to make more personalised cards for family and friends.  Last year I even pretty much kept ahead of things too which for me is unheard of as I am invariably a last minute crafter.

Towards the end of last year I started knitting again having rediscovered yarns I’ve had for donkeys years.  Made myself a cosy scarf out of a very chunky yarn called Snowball by Emu (not that it’s produced anymore as far as I know).  I also started my needlework again as I have upteen things I started many years ago for myself but never finished as most of my needlework was done as presents and given away.  My needlework is a “just for me” craft I have decided so I can work through all my unfinished work.

This year I have also started jewellery making.  I originally tried it a few years ago (around 2006 I think), but due to family reasons I didn’t do it much at all.  However, along with my yarns and needles, I also discovered my jewellery making things so I thought why not?

I started with a couple of pairs of earrings, one for myself and one for my lovely friend who feeds me lunch once a month when I go and visit her.  Much to my surprise, not only did she like them but so did other people who asked if I made jewellery to sell.  She passed this on to me and now she sells jewellery for me which is lovely – even if it wasn’t what I expected to be doing with my jewellery making!

Here’s a photo of the earrings that started it

I’ve mostly made earrings so far, but also now make bracelets and necklaces.  Here’s a photo of my most recent set, which is also my favourite so far:

All chain and findings are silver plated and the beads are baby blue glass pearls.

Well, I’ve gone on for long enough.  I will post again soon (but don’t hold your breath just in case!)

Take care and happy crafting

Kate x

How Time Flies!

Well, would you believe it’s over a year since I last posted anything?  There was me planning on being so much better about blogging and what do I do?  Disappear for a year!

So what have I been up to while I’ve been gone?  If truth be told not that much really.  Obviously I’ve been card making and I will be gradually putting up a selection of cards I’ve made.

The biggest change where my crafting is concerned is that I use the computer much more now.  I have, for a long time, used my computer to create inserts and even moved on to inserting images (usually from photos of finished cards) into them as well as wording.

However, earlier this year I started to use Craft Artist from Serif and it opened my eyes to a whole new world of digital crafting that could be incorporated into my work.  Though I have to admit that it did sit to one side for quite a while before I actually did anything with it.

It’s amazing what can be done with this software and it is so worth getting.  The first digital card I made was for a friend and I used a Jem’s Designs cd called Spellbound the Fairies Collection which is below  (I have removed the personalisation from it by request)

The swirls are from a Daisy Trail digikit called Swirling Memories one of my favourite kits.  The bow came from a free kit, also from Daisy Trail, called Haberdashery Christmas and was recoloured to match the rest of the card, it was originally red or green.

This was a completely digital card and now I tend to produce a mixture of traditionally crafted, digital and hybrid cards.  My favourites to do are hybrid – after all nothing beats actually getting the scissors, ink pads and glues out does it?

Well I’ve wittered on for long enough today.  I hope you’ve not been too bored by my rambling and, if not, I will be rambling again soon along with more pics of what I’ve been up to. 

Take care and happy crafting

Kate x

Christmas Cards

Hi :-)

While you wait for me to get round to finishing off and taking photos of my paint fusion projects from Port Sunlight, I thought I’d post a couple of Christmas cards that I’ve done for my “for sale” box.

The first is one of my most favourite toppers from Hunkydory.  I’ve always loved unicorns and have a small collection of unicorn items I’ve collected over the years – you wouldn’t believe how hard it can be to find really nice looking unicorns that don’t just look like a horse with a horn stuck on it’s head.

I matted and layered the topper onto a stamped background and onto silver mirri card.  The stamped background uses my favourite snowflake background stamp from Creative Expressions (OASIS1200K).  I stamped a full A4 sheet using Versamark and embossed with Winter Wonderland embossing powder by Stampendous.  It’s a gorgeous powder and you will see both the stamp and powder turn up a fair bit in my winter cards.  The stamped backgrounds have also been coloured and edged with Weathered Wood Distress Ink.  The greeting is a peel off as my printers refuse to take card even though they should.

The second card is a lovely landscape scene, also by Hunkydory.  Both card toppers have touches of glitter on too.

This second card has individual tiny snowflakes stamped all over both the card blank and the background mat, then embossed with – you’ve guessed it – Winter Wonderland embossing powder.  The mat has been coloured using Dusty Concord Distress Ink to make the snowflakes stand out.  Silver mirri card has again been used as layers.

Well I think I’ve gone on long enough.  I hope you like the cards, feel free to add any comments as I would love to know what you think of my cards.

Happy crafting and take care

Kate x

Just One More Sleep!

I am so looking forward to a full day of Christmas paint fusion tomorrow at Sheena Douglass' workshop at Port Sunlight!

Everything's in my craft trolley waiting for tomorrow, apart from my lunch and drinks of course, they're in the fridge.

I've been bad about fusioning over the last few weeks, though I have a couple of cards with fusion in the background.  I'll be putting up pics over the next couple of weeks - as usual, once I've actually taken the photos :-)

No matter what I think of my workshop projects (which in themselves will be fab, it's just my interpretation I'm not so sure about lol) I will post pics of my attempts, so feel free to criticise - as always I am open to any comments good or bad.

Well, time for me to finish off the last few bits and pieces before heading up for a good night's sleep.  I'm usuing the "Christmas principle" tonight - the sooner I go to bed the sooner tomorrow will arrive :-)

Have a great night yourselves and I hope you're enjoying your weekend whatever you're doing.

Happy crafting
Kate x

Another post already?

Well, can you believe I’m posting again without waiting for Christmas to arrive?  Maybe I should have warned you to sit down first *grins*

I thought I’d show you a couple of birthday cards I’ve done which will be going into a “for sale” box I’m doing for someone.

They’re both from the same decoupage pad from Dovecraft designed by Helz Cuppleditch called Cookie’s Birthday.  The pads include 4 sheets of decoupage, 2 each of 2 designs and 2 each of 4 coordinating backing papers.  The decoupage and 2 of the backing papers are glittered, the 2 unglittered (hmmm is that a word?) papers are double sided.

The first is Cookie’s Little Extras

I’ve edged the layers with Distress Inks and embossed a Woodware parcel stamp with a clear holographic powder.  The greeting is from Hero Arts stamped with Dusty Concord and also embossed with clear holographic.

The second is Cookie with his birthday cake

I’ve made it in a similar way to the card above, again using Distress Inks, a Woodware parcel stamp and a small Dufex greeting.  I think the glittering on the decoupage shows more clearly in this photo, as does the clear holographic embossing.

Well that’s it from me for today, happy crafting

Kate x