Kumihimo bracelets

For some reason I woke up at 6.45 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep so I thought I would get up  and sort out some photos for my blog and web site as they are both getting an update this morning. It's a while since we have done any work on the web site so as it's a long weekend we thought we would spend a bit of time on it. I uploaded the photos for this post on Wednesday so that I could sit and write a post and here it is now Sunday, and I'm sat here writing this post!! Not very good is it?

I find making these bracelets so relaxing and always take beads etc with me on holiday. I've made them on trains and planes, and it the car and people are fascinated by what I'm doing and will often stand and watch me lol. I made quite a few on holiday last year too and didn't come back with any (although I did give a couple away as prezzies :)). I have my DD1's bracelet on my desk so I can take it to pieces and remake it for her. Hers was the first Kumihimo bracelet I ever made a couple of years ago and she has never taken it off until now. I made it in pale pink and silver and it's so pretty but she's a hairdresser and it has different dies etc on it and the cord has stretched too. I'll use the same beads but new cord.....in fact, I may just do it this afternoon.

I've had quite a run on these bracelets so far this year and I really love making them. I don't like making them all identical and like messing about with the way I string them and by not using the same beads all the time. Although I have made quite a few white and silver ones...they are really pretty. I will be adding the bracelets to my web site later today :) 

The first one is silver lined gold and matt gold  beads

 2.  This one is mine and is silver lined rainbow and dark grey beads

 3. Silver lined clear and matt white beads

 4. Silver lined clear and matt white beads

 5. Silver lined clear and matt white

Thanks for dropping by, till next time....Happy Easter and don't make yourself sick on chocolate ;).

Oblong layers

It's time for an update over on Kathy's Waffle Sketch File challenge and boy do Kathy's sketches challenge you :) Take a look at these.....

The second sketch works perfectly with the C6 card I used for my sample. All the papers and image on this card are available on the Funky Hand web site. Why not have a go yourself and show us what you have done?

Take care, back soon xx

Allsorts challenge

I haven't taken part in any challenges for absolutely ages so I thought I would try some of the ones I used to visit. If anyone know of any good ones then please let me know :)

Well, it's a beautiful day, if not a little nippy, here in Scruff's Corner and I feel I should be out in the garden. However, I have wedding work to do so it will have to wait. I'm hoping for some nice weather over the long weekend so I can get out then. Monday has been reserved for shopping by DD2 as her and her boyfriend move into a flat on 3rd May and they are starting from scratch, but the rest of the weekend is free.

So the challenge I have chosen to start with is the Allsorts Challenge as it was always one of my favourites :) Their theme for this week is Spring Blossoms and I have used one of my new stamps from Clearly Besotted Designs, isn't it lovely. Stephanie is just so talented, I love her stamps and dies.

I've stamped the image onto ivory card and coloured it with Promarkers, I then embossed a piece of ivory pearlescent card and mounted them onto cream card. The label is actually stamped onto one of the labels I use for my jewellery, I added a pink bow and pink gems and hey presto a very quick and easy card but I like it a lot!

Thanks for dropping by, back soon :) xx

Art Deco ladies

Did you see the Create and Craft shows last weekend where the kit was made of Art Deco Ladies and associated backing papers, card etc? Well, the kit was absolutely fantastic and the girls on the Kanban/Aspire Crafts design team were lucky enough to be given a kit each to make samples with.....and we all fell in love with it :) There are some of the sheets in the kit available on the Aspire Crafts web site.

These are the samples I made for the show

I altered a white paper carrier bag

 

Leonie and Keith both liked my exploding box and gave my name out on the programme :))

There will be a lot more cards coming from this kit in the not too distant future as it's a stunning kit and I have loads left. 

Thanks for dropping by xx

Baby basket

I am so pleased with this, I could burst. I've always remembered someone making or buying my mum a basket similar to this when she had my brother a long time ago. We lived in Belgium at the time so I don't know if it was just something they used on the continent but no-one in the UK seemed to know what I was on about whenever I mentioned it lol I thought it would be handy to keep here when #1 Grandson arrives that way we don't have to lug great bags full of stuff about when he comes to stay and it keeps it all in one place. 

It's a long time since I had my sewing machine out to do something other than repairs. I used to make loads when I was younger but I haven't actually made anything for years.I thought the fabric was just gorgeous, it's pale blue with tiny white stars on and I bought it in Dunelm. I'm thinking of making a couple and filling them as baby gifts to sell on my web site.

I would love to know what you think, thanks for looking.

Spring.....

is the theme for the Clearly Besotted challenge this month, you will find the details on their blog, Stamping and Sharing if you would like to take part.

I decided to use the You Are stamp and die set for my card

I coloured the flowers and leaves with Promarkers and added gold flat back pearls and green and white gingham ribbon from Ribbon Oasis.

I love that stamp set but have trouble lining the die up for it, not to worry though, it's easy to cut with a knife :) I have watched Michelle Shorts videos time and again and I still have trouble with this set...I'm ok with the other sets though and I might have the odd few sets now....oh alright  then, I have lots lol

Thanks for dropping by and I'll be back soon xx

Nappy / Diaper cake

A quick project that I made for my daughter, boyfriend and bump a couple of weeks ago. I love making these but I cram loads into them and they end up costing me a small fortune!! I might, at some point, try sourcing some decent quality products and see if I can make some to sell but at the moment I'll stick to what I do best :)

Anyway, this is my desk when I laid everything out to see if i 

 and this is the finished project

 I will try to remember to photograph it in it's wrapping tomorrow as it's still sat in my craft room as it's so big there is nowhere else to put it till they move out lol

Back tomorrow, take care xx

Kathy's Waffle

As it was the beginning of the month last week the new challenge, Oblong Layers, over on Kathy's Waffle Sketch Challenge went live. Although there looks to be two different sketches it is actually just on, the second has been rotated :)

          

Hubby has run out of wedding cards so I decided to use these sketches to start making him some more for his box so these are only C6 cards. This is not a size that I like using they are perfect for these sketches. I've made three so far but I will just show you my first card this week

Papers are remnants of some old, free Crafter's Companion papers which I got in a magazine some time ago, the butterfly is from the Botanical Odyssey stamp set by Kaisercraft (these were a gift from my Secret Santa), the sentiment is a clear stamp from the Make A Wish set by Clearly Besotted Stamps, the flowers were hand cut from odd pieces of left over paper, hence the difference in size lol I do have a couple of dies to cut these but one of them is too small and the other one is too big!

Just a thought, you could use this sketch when you make your "Monochrome" card for the Crafting Muskateers challenge :)

Thanks for dropping by, back soon. xx

Challenge cards and DT call

I know I've been absent for a while so without going into too much detail, I'm back. My story involves bad backs and crappy lap tops but I won't bore you with the details, I just hope I can get some posts done and get caught up with challenges etc before the lap top packs in again! :)

I have loads to catch up with so I will start at the beginning of this month with any news, challenges etc and once I'm up to speed with April I will start on March (assuming I don't get stuck again!)

So the new challenge for April from the Crafting Muskateers is a good one. The theme is "Monochrome" and the sponsor is Anice McNamee from Funky Hand who has very kindly donated a £10 download voucher which can be spent on the Funky Hand web site. Here is an overview about FH..... 

"Funky Hand started with the launch of our first backing paper CD 'The Funky One'. Things have certainly moved on since then and I would like to thank all of our wonderful customers for making our time in the craft business such fun!

There are a lot of exciting things ahead for Funky Hand so keep popping back to see what we are up to. Anything that I want to let you know about will be added to my blog Funky Hand Thoughts as soon as it happens. I update it regularly with new card designs to inspire you, exciting news that I want to share and just general day to day chat. I look forward to you visiting me there! Don’t forget to leave me a comment so I can drop by your blog if you have one.
If this is the first time you have visited Funky Hand or if you are a Funky Hand customer and friend I am sure you will find something to inspire your paper crafting projects amongst our CD-Roms, downloads, stamps and stash. Don’t forget to take a look at the examples of cards, scrapbook pages and word-books for each CD or Download collection, new ones are added regularly. My thanks to my design team members Kathy, Jackie, Amanda, Jenny, Lou, Allison, Debs, Ni, Belinda, Debbie, Samantha and Ruth for all their hard work creating fab new card designs to add to the ones I pull together when I have a spare moment! As well as making cards for this website and my TV appearances, the Funkettes also run a monthly challenge blog - Get Funky! where there are Funky Hand goodies to be won. Why not have a go yourself?"

Here is my challenge card

 Anice very kindly gave the CM design team a download of their choice to work with and I chose the limited edition "Mother of Mine" download kit. I used shades of pink (apart from the bits of green on the flowers ;)) from the kit.

Why not pop over to the Crafting Muskateers challenge blog and take a look at the fabulous DT cards and entries? You have plenty of time to join in as the challenge runs for a month! We are also looking for a new member to join our wonderful Design Team as Sheena has decided to step down from the team due to other commitments. 

Look forward to seeing you, good luck xx