The button fairy came to my house ...shes called Val

Yesterday Morning I got such a wonderful surprise off Val, some wonderful buttons, beads, a little gecko and two pens one silver one gold thank you so much Val

I been given some old keys and decided to have a go at altering one so used some of the wonderful buttons & beads Val sent me I'n not sure what I ma going to use it on.










Right off to have a go at the March Scrapbook Layout challenge on Docraft ....

Miss Green arrived in the big city

A couple of days ago Miss Green arrived, after the initial shock of all the noise and being squished throught the letter box, she tells me they were a bit rough with her, she finds she really likes it here and is getting on fine with her new neighbours in Window Pane lane. We think she looks like a real country bumkin, thank you so much Carole I will treasure her always. So without further ado....drum roll....here is Miss Green the country bumkin

Look at that smile, it really does never leave her face, she just loves it here:)

Carole also send me a wonderful card which I just have to show you

I also finsihed making my friends daughter her milk carton gifts No matter how I tried I could not get the true colour to come out they are purple and do look much better than the photo honest

 

One of the cartons has  jelly babies in, the other has a ribbon brooch I made her in it 

 

Thanks again Carole for the wonderful dotee doll:)

Creating Serendipity Shapes

Do you have lots of odd scraps of paper, and no idears as to what to do with it why not make serendipity shapes. You can use any paper for this at all old bingo cards, wrapping paper, scraps of vellum, odd scraps of papers. Tear or cut them into about 2" or smaller squares or random shapes Then glue them onto a larger piece of paper in any order I used a piece of 12x12 paper and PVA glue but you could use a glue stick or whatever you have

I just glue the pieces on to my backing paper in any order I fancied 

This is the first stage finished At this point you can add glitter, rub ons, peel off, stamped images, anything you fancy really

I added all kinds to mine at at this stage it looks to me like its a right mess, and it was destined for the bin but I had started so as the saying goes I will finished  The next stage is to cut out any shapes you fancy from this square I used a star shaped punch 

Now they are looking better but needed something else, well as everyone knows I love buttons so I thought why not add a button to each one I did not pick the colours I just went with the radom theme

The finished stars all ready to go onto a project :) 

Some close ups

This is not my techique I came across it while blog hoping and surfing I,m not sure who created it but the possabilities are endless and it sure is lots of fun 

Yesterdays News Today ... lol now I know I am slow

I woke up bright and early on Saturday all ready to attend my Crop, I love going, we have a right good natter, a giggle, the odd gallon of tea/coffee and even get some crafting done

In the morning I wanted to scrap my appearance in Scrapbook Magazine I had taken in my treasured copy of Scrapbook Magazine to blow my own trumpet I did so several times, only stopping when people were yawning and leaving the room lol, no I wasnt that bad...was I? I was amazed at what one of the girls had made shes so talented, you know who you are and why I cant say what it is:)

I wanted my Layout to be busy so this is what I come up with

Please excuse the camera glare I took it at night but
you get the idea













In the afternoon we made a little easter gift, but they
could be used for any time of year by altering the papers
colours etc Its filled with goodies :)

So how did the handbag template go?

My first handbag made with the handbag template I used double sided thick paper 12x12 size I worked with the template exactley as it is, but to me, although nice it feels a bit flat so I might have a do at one with more depth to it, how, not a clue yet but quite pleased with this one

The inside of the card I stuck on chatsworth notelet and added abow so I could write a greeting inside the card I also added a velcro dot to close the bag











Oh I forgot to show you the wonderful cushion my husband got me for Valentines day, hes knows me so well

 

I adore it look at all those cups of tea, my idear of heaven :)

Two wonderful Blog Awards, Also trying to get my head round how to use a Template

LOL do I win longest blog title ???  hmmm do I?

my first award is from a wonderful and talented lady who called Gill who goes under the name of Drumcloggirl on the Do craft forum she has a marvalous blog which is well worth a look at
http://drumcloggirl.blogspot.com/

So here is the award I got off Gill Thank you so much Gill
This little award comes with several rules I must name three things I would never do ...

1.   I would never give up  my usual gallon of tea a day I love tea, normal tea, posh tea with milk no sugar...bliss
2.  I would never be a minimalist, I love so many things and like to surround myself with them
3   I would never knowingly damage someone's self confidence


Now the the next rule of this award is that I must pass it on to three other wonderful blogs

I would love to give this award to

Joanne
Suzie Boo
Debbi

I got a Happy Award Blog  from Debbi who blog is wonderful

http://taylor-madecards.blogspot.com/

Debbi is a new but wonderful friend her blog is very inspirational So with this award I have to list 10 things that make me happy, and then link to 5 other people and them to link to my blog, then they pass the award on to 5 other people and so on


So Here is my list of 10 things that make me Happy

1.  My wonderful husband and soulmate
2.  My best friend Elaine, who know me so well we have been friends for 40+   years
3. My wonderful Sons who have grown into men with there own families
4.  My grandchildren
5 . My Wonderful Dog
6.  Crafting
7.  Tina Turner Music

8.   My friends
9.   PC Games
10. Reading


I would like to pass this award on to

Sue Bubbles
Val
Caroline
Tracy
Maria


Now today I am trying to work out how to use a new template I got off my husband off a handbag I will take photo of the template to show you Now my first thought was get a piece of 12 x 12 paper fold in two cut out on fold so that it forms handbag bottom

Wonderful handbag template

so I got a piece of 12 x 12 inch paper to try it and the handbag wont fit so guess I need to use  2 pieces of A4 and join at the bottom or 2 pieces of 12 x12 I wonder if anyone has this template and have they made a card from it, also would they like to share any tips on the how to I will set to working it out shortly

I say I will set to it shortly but the time it takes me will be longly is that even a word lol


Watch this space for maybe a handbag or maybe a mess


Thanks again to Gill and Debbi for my wonderful awards it certainly is turning out to be a marvelous month for me

Simply Cards I,ve enjoyed making

 Well you know how it is a birthday creeps up on you, and you have to make a card fast, but guess what, that day your not able to  because of any number of things life throws at us, shopping day, illness, appointments etc. So I decided while I was feeling as good as I get for me, I would set about making some cards. I had recently got a new clear square scalloped edge punch from sizzix, which I had to try as soon as I got it of cause lol so I had already cut out some squares in beautiful paper Laura Ashley and K& C designer paper. I also at some point had got the wonderful die cut cupcakes in a free goody bag from I believe Topaz Crafts, and they were so yummy I wanted to use them.  I had a New Martha Stewart edge punch so I combined all these things to make some wonderful cards all ready for the next set of birthdays I also used my wonderful little birds from Acessorise on one of my cards and some inch stamps on another. I had great fun making them

Fame At Last

I  found out today that I have a link to my Blog on UK scrappers home page under the  Blog Bits section how wonderful is that.

http://www.ukscrappers.co.uk/index.php

Thanks Caroline for telling me:)

Dotee Doll all complete and ready to go to her New Home

This little Dotee Doll has been made for my friend Carole, her favourite colour is red I am enjoying her for a few days before I send her to her new home

I just have to add her little tag and shes good to go :)

I love doing Dotee Doll swops because as you can see from the posts lower down I have lots of room for any new ones :)

Woohoo ! What a Surprise

I am often to be found on the  Do Crafts Forum happily chatting to my friends When I saw a thread posted by Sue -Bubbles entitled “Congratulations to Alma and Mandy” I thought congratulations what for? So I open  the thread to see what we were being congratulated about, well to say I was shocked would be an understatement it seems we were both sharing a page in the latest addition of scrapbook Magazine (issue 44) with our projects, well it’s the first I knew of it, but I knew exactly which LO I had, had published as I had only ever sent one to a magazine and it was an Autumn LO from Issue 41 using there free papers So today I have been out and got Scrapbook Magazine I am so chuffed Mandy who is also a member of do crafts forums won letter of the day, well done Mandy enjoy your stashJ I got a half a full page LO so was so chuffed I was grinning from ear to ear and had to pose reading the magazine and pointing at my LO Thanks for letting me know Sue I must say issue 44 is full of yummy ideas I simply have to give a go

Hubbie asked me to pose with the Scrapbook Magazine

A closer View of my Layout

I was also lucky enough to win some yummy blog candy off Kate   

http://katy-itsmyworld.blogspot.com/ 

Thank you so much Kate for such wonderful Blog Candy I look forward to using it :) 

So february has been a very lucky month for me so far:) they say good things come in three I wonder what other nice and unexpected thing will happen to me?

Completed My second scarf for christmas 2010

Feeling all pleased with myself  I have completed my second scarf for christmas next year.

While watching  Tim Holtz on QVC in germany the other night I felt inspired to make a tag, so was crafting while he was on, I inked and stamped the tag, Then I added a leaf, button, flower and gem I then though I might be able to make a nice card out of the tag







 So I matted and layer up my card and added an embellisment to the 
bottomright corner, however I was not pleased with how it looked 
at this point , so I thought maybe if I stamp the fern from the tag
round the edges of the card if might look more "done"













So I gave it a go and decided that was much better ...

Then I mounted the tag on the card I am quite pleased with
the results I think it has "rainforest feel" to it

I wonder what other people do with their tags when they have made them ? 

Whilst making the mens cards I made recently I stamped an image I was less that pleased with however it was too good to throw away so I wondered if I could rescue it, so I gave it a go and made this card .








Went to Hobbycraft today to get some cards and envelopes I got two pack both the same size and amount 10 in each pack 6" x 6" when I got to the till the natural coloured ones were £2.99 and the white ones were £7.99, so you guessed it I left the white ones at the till :(  a few other bits fell into my trolley without me noticing lol it would be rude of me not to take them home. Also I spotted some yummy bits in accessorise I had to have 

 

New Home for Dotee Dolls, also been busy making cards

Way back in June of 2008 I stumble across a wonderful blog. So worth a look it a real feast for the eyes :)

 http://dotslifeandart.blogspot.com/2008/01/dotee-doll-fervour.html

Well they were so pretty I just had to have a go :) I also decided to post the link on docrafts to show my wonderful friends there how pretty they were Well we have had some wonderful dotee dolls made and swopped on the forum but our queen on the forum of dotee dolls is Sue bubbles

My very beautiful Dotee dolls needed  a new home where I could enjoy them every day and also show them off to everyone who came to visit so what better place than the window next to my front door the light shines through and they look amazing.  Thank you to everyone who has sent me a dotee I adore them

These are wonderful little treasures, maybe you could make one for a friend, or yourself or do a swop with someone There are no hard and fast rules about making these any shape any decoration it all up to you, just have fun :)





I have also had several birthday cards to make, three of which were male birthday cards ... not the easiest cards to make

The Old Car Card  was made by stamping and embossing with detailed black stamp n stuff embossing powder onto an old page of a book that was falling apart and past saving so I gave myself permission to use it. I then inked the image using a green sponge the type you wash pots with, I then inked the edges and layered it to within an inch of its life. Oh before this I added eyelets to put string through  to make it more masculine One of the matting layers was done on pattern paper I stamped clock faces all over it but the amount of matt that shows you cannot see them. I then added a tag and again used string and a peel off greet coloured inn green I then used corner of the once upon a time paper stack, as background paper I added three brown buttons then put gems in the buttons (I love doing this I think gems and buttons go so well together) I mounted it all on to cardstock in complimentary colour.

The second card "Men on a Mission" is a fab stamp by crafty individuals I love their products I stamped a clock face on the background  on 6x6 Laura Ashley paper then used another piece of paper, from some stash I got for my birthday. I  inked the edges.  I used distress ink and a brayer to go over the stamped image and misted it with water  in two colours then let dry I then mounted on green card and added buttons with string through

The lampost card is amde using a Dimension four stamp and thenn layered over and embossed on top of a bike stamp by personal impressions I used inks on the background to creat effect

The wonderful bird stamp is made by Penny Black coloured in using water colour pencils and mounted in complimentary colours

Getting ready for Christmas, lol yes really

Well last christmas it sort of snuck up on me, and announced it arrival..."I behind you it shouted" lol So this year, I will have the advantage of being ahead of it and trust me I am keeping my eyes over my shoulder so it has no time to catch me unawares. I have already made some tags for christmas gifts from old christmas cards(but not handcrafted one I keep them all) I have now completed my first scarf for next year, they are nice and easy to make 20 stitches and three balls of wool, they also look wonderful and are nice and warm. I have added a tag to it which says "handcrafted with love from alma x"

During last week I was still recieving birthday cards and gifts, its wonderful to have a birthday season rather than day thank you for your wonderful card suzie

Elaine & Allan thank you for your wonderful card and gifts I felt so spoilt, wonderful craft stash, jewellery,
a red velvet skirt, cash top buy even more stash
and ticket to see a show later in the year how wonderful I was so surprised I was lost for words
and anyone who know me will know that not something that happens often thank you both so much:)

Carole thank you for you stunning card and wonderful little hart its so cute I have hung it up in my craft room but I think I have an new place to hang them I just need to try it then i can show you all









Today I am hoping to do a valentine card for my hubbie which I cannot put on here for fear he may wander in and see it also want to try and make a start on some male birthday cards i have three to make, I always think male cards are harder to make