Munyip Makes

Hanging Decorations

2010-11-04T14:37:00.000Z

I've recently caught the stitching bug and have been making little hanging decorations to go on a new little Christmas tree for my craft room.

I've used felt to make elephant ones using a template, and added button eyes and ribbon for hanging.

These floral patterns were made in different shapes for a little floral accent to Christmas.

I made some holly shapes and used red beads for berries.

This bird was made with felt from a free template I printed off the internet.

A weekend with the girls.

2010-11-01T07:37:00.001Z

Last weekend I had a Christmas crafting session with my sisters. It's so much fun crafting with other people, we made Christmas decorations, bunting, jewellery and cotton bags. I am also ashamed to say that we decided to get into the festive mood and put on some Christmas music.

This is what Tor made:

This is what Amie made (she made some earings too but took them home before I could photo them):

Christmas wish list......

2010-10-26T07:09:00.000+01:00

I've just discovered some beautiful papers to put on my wish list for Santa. The stack is called Classic Christmas by S.Dyment. It's a paper and die cut pack and the papers come with some really beautiful red foiling too. The pack is not just paper but also two sheets of die cut notelets that you could use as toppers for cards, embellishments for Christmas layouts, or even gift tags. Best of all it's only RRP £7.99 for the 12 x 12, £4.99 for the 8 x 8, or £3.99 for the 6 x 6.

They also do a range of matching products to go with these papers, check out Docrafts to find out more, or click here.

The Snowman

2010-10-25T06:53:00.000+01:00

I loved the Snowman when i was younger, it was like a family tradition that we watched it all together on Christmas eve while Mum provided mince pies and hot chocolate so when I saw some Snowman postcards I had to buy them. The problem is I didn't want to just stick them onto cards, this didin't seem very creative to me. So instead I used three or four of the same design and created my own decoupage by cutting out different pieces from each image and layering them on top of one another. On some cards I used bright glittered papers with them for a modern look, where as others I used blue paper, to look like the snowy sky, I have to say I'm quite pleased with the results.

Elephants.

2010-10-20T06:43:00.000+01:00

As I said previously I recently brought a new elephant template, which I just love, so I thought I'd show you some of the crafting I've done with it.

I made some lovely cards using the elephant template, some beautiful patterned paper and some peel off stickers or greetings I got from a magazine. The result is simple, elegant yet fun cards for any occasion.

National History Museum

2010-10-18T06:52:00.000+01:00

I really love buttons at the moment and thought these wooden ones were perfect for this page.

I'm Back!!!

2010-10-14T07:08:00.000+01:00

Well after a long and very busy summer, I'm back to my blogging. I've only just been able to find time to craft recently, but unfortionately had no time to blog, so I have lots to post about in the next few weeks. I've recently been focusing on card-making, getting ready for Christmas in particular, but this week I'm going to start making some little felt decorations too, yes thats right I've caught the sewing bug!

Although busy, I have managed to fit in a couple of craft shows.... I went to Alexandra Palace for the The Big Stamp & Scrapbooking Show on 25th September. I came away with some fabulous papers, cardblanks, foam tape, embellishments and a lovely little elephant template which I've used so much already. Then on 3rd October we went to Hatfield house for the Rock Gem 'n' Bead show, I got some lovely gemstones which I intend to wrap in wire cages as pendants for my necklaces, and earings.

My jewellery making has been great through the summer as I've been able to squeeze in half an hour here and there without having to unpack lots of craft things, I enjoyed sitting in the garden for a while after work creating beaded gifts for people, while trying (and failing) to get a summer tan.

Buttons are also high on my agenda this month. I'm intending to try out some button covered favour boxes for my wedding with some little boxes I brought on sale for 10p each, and some more button jewellery too. We'll see how that goes......

Anyway off to work for me, there will be some pictures and crafts posted tomorrow. xxx

Roseberry Topping

2010-07-28T09:28:00.000+01:00

This page was made using the most beautiful paper(which is actually from a Christmas selection) which has glittered stripes and beutiful colours. I used a photo for my title by cutting it out and sticking letters onto it The journalling was written onto a beautiful blue and red notelet.

Whitby Seaside

2010-07-27T07:42:00.000+01:00

I've had some pictures sat on the computer just dying to be scrapped for over a year, so now I'm getting around to scrapping them. This page remembers when James and I went to Whitby last summer. I had such an enormous portion of fish and chips I didn't think I would fit in the car to get home!!!

I tried to make the background look like the seaside.

I used some gorgeous acetate over the images and added little seaside themed nametags too

I wrote my journalling in wavy lines to mimick the ocean.

I used a bold sparkly chipboard title to add some bling. (These letters were actually found in poundland and they're really good quality too)

Baby Mickey

2010-07-15T19:52:00.001+01:00

I used different sized and fonts of lettering and layered them in papers which match the mat of the photo. I kept the layout quite simple because I was using such lovely paper.

Vintage Page

2010-07-10T17:33:00.000+01:00

I love this page, the background paper has a vintage, faded look to it and I added journalling, a photo and a beautiful 3D flower embellishment to keep the layout quite simple, and not overpower the beautiful paper.

Big Cards...

2010-07-09T08:08:00.000+01:00

I've been focusing on scrapbooking alot more than cardmaking recently but when I saw these two A4 card kits in a sale for just £1.00 each I decided to give them a go. The kits had so much stuff in that I think I'll be able to make at least 4 more cards from the embellishments I've got left.

Purple Flower Card:

I love all the glitter details on this card and that the decoupage has four layers to really add depth.

Yellow Sunflower Card:

This card comes with gorgeous fouiled details around the edge and four layer decoupage really gives the card depth.

Cocktails in the sun.

2010-07-07T17:19:00.000+01:00

I made this page after my sisters came to celebrate my birthday with me oin April. I love the cherry print background paper behind the photos and have been looking for a way to incorporate it into one of my pages for a while. We all sat in the garden and had some cocktails, so I put the journalling into a cocktail glass for an unuaual effect. It was a really fun day so i used fun prints and bright colours to reflect this.

Flowers and Butterflies

2010-07-03T21:01:00.000+01:00

I bought some Anita's 8"x8" cards and decided that I wanted to use them to make some vintage floral designs. I made this card using Papermania 12"x12" Paper & Die-cut Pack - Rose Garden, which comes with papers, borders greetings and die-cuts. On this card I chose two contrasting papers, one for the background and one to mount the greeting on, I also mounted this square onto pink card. I used a matching border and added a "For You" greeting. I stamped the butterfly onto pink card in clear ink and heat embossed it to give it some sparkle. I'm really pleased with the result.

My Parents.

2010-07-01T07:06:00.000+01:00

As you can tell I'm really into my scrapping at the moment. I loved this picture of my Mum and Dad together, they just looked so happy and in love so I decided to use it on the first page of my new scrapbook. I used a title sticker, a quote sticker by Helen Keller which is beautiful adnd some butterflies to fly up one side of the picture, I put them on the RHS so that they looked balanced with the photo as my Mum is leaning to the left into my Dad. The background paper has a beautiful vintage feel to it and such a soft colouring that worked well with the tones of the photo. I love scrapping picturesof Mum and Dad as I think they contain wonderful memories to share with future generations.

A day on the lake.....

2010-06-30T21:47:00.000+01:00

I love the paper I used on this page, in fact it inspired my whole layout. I'd had it for a while from a papermania goody bag and wanted to use it for a water themed page because the blue swirls made me think of waves, so when I looked at these pictures of James and I on the lake my page started to take shape. The brown of the paper has quite a vintage look to it so I stuck with this theme and used some metal Papermania letters for my title. I added my journalling onto a notelet with blue swirls on it that complimented my theme and printed my pictures with a white background to make them stand out. I really loved scrapping these pictures as we had such a great day, and think the page turned out really well.

Going home

2010-06-25T18:49:00.000+01:00

I'm very excited about going home to see my Mum, Dad and the boys later on today. My Mum is very crafty and does lots of different crafts to me, but she has recently ventured into the world of cardmaking, so I'm intrigued to see her projects. I've also got my fathers day present to give to my Dad. I'll keep you updated on the boys and how much they've grown too.

Floral Teacup Card

2010-06-25T08:00:00.003+01:00

I made this cute birthday card for a friend who is really crafty so I knew I wanted to make something that would impress. Her style is elegant and simple which I think I've managed to capture. I normal keep florals quite plain, but I decided to try using clashing patterns (which I keep hearing is a big trend at the moment) and think it came out quite well. I used an Anitas glitter decoupage for the flower teacup, I love Anitas decoupage as it's die cut and it's quite easy to use without any fiddely cutting out (which I can be hit or miss with). The background was made using Papermania 12"x12" Paper & Die-cut Pack - Rose Garden, which comes with papers, borders greetings and die-cuts. I used a background paper, a border and a greeting on this card. The pack costs £5.99, which is a real bargain for all you get in it. I also chalked the edges with pink for a vintage look. Overall I'm very pleased with the result, and I hope Sue is too.

Spring is here....

2010-06-24T09:00:00.000+01:00

I love this page I think the colours I used here really catches the mood of the pictures that spring is finally here. At the minute I'm loving papermania metal letters. I've had them in my stash for a while but haven't used them recently until this page. The chipboard shapes were a free gift from a craft magazine last year which I've never found a use for. I love the backgroound paper because it's quite vintage and unusual.

London Page.

2010-06-23T17:54:00.000+01:00

My mum brought me a beautiful scrapbook for my birthday in April, so I've started to fill it with some beautiful pages of what I've been up to over the past couple of months. I really love this page about a trip I took into London with James. I've tried to do something a litttle different with this page by putting together a square of photos and writing my journalling around the outside of that square. I used a beautiful background paper with some of the dots being foiled and added an unusual title.

Teenage Cards

2010-06-21T07:04:00.000+01:00

I was reecently asked to make a birthday card for a friends teenage daughter, which made me realise that my stash was sorely missing teenage friendly embellishments. Luckily I found these decoupage sets on QVC which I think are just great for teenage girls.

I think this pink card is quite unusual, parrticularly the greeting, and I loved the foiled effect on the borders. I layered the decoupage used patterned background paper and a greeting.

This blue card was made by layering up the decoupage adding it to swirly card and adding a greeting and some glitter dots. I'm very pleased with the result. I like the foiling on the edges and the girls t shirt and tried to match this by using a background with foiling on.

My Garden.....

2010-06-20T21:26:00.002+01:00

James and I have spent alot of time in the garden over the past month and to be honest it really needed it. We looked at this before shot of the garden and were amazed at just how much we have acheived (although we've not finished yet), I have also successfully grown my own fruit and veg from seed...

BEFORE:

NOW:

I tried out my camera on Macro mode for the pictures of the flower and the bee and was amazed at the results!

2010-04-15T07:46:00.000+01:00

Today is my birthday!!! Unfortionately I have to go to

work but I had some lovely presents over the weekend including a new camera, a Radley purse, a beautiful lace top, jewellery and so much more as well as a wonderful birthday tea with homemade cakes. I've been so lucky already and my fiance has a gift for me tonight too!!! Good day to be me!

The Boys....

2010-04-13T08:00:00.000+01:00

Here are the latest pictures of my two adorable dogs Teddy and Mickey.

Give me a paw Teddy.

Mickey and his new elephant toy.

Even though they're not puppies any more they still like to be cuddled.

They love snuggling on the sofa with daddy.

The boys love going on long walks in the fields.

Button frames

2010-04-12T18:26:00.001+01:00

I made this frame using a cheap wooden frame, which I then added lots of papermania mini buttons to using strong glue. I really like this picture that I put in the frame, it's of my family in Disney world after we won dream ticket prizes. I gave this frame to my mum for her birthday, I think homemade presents are a really thoughtful gift.

2010-04-09T07:35:00.000+01:00

Sorry I've been a bad blogger recently. I've been doing lots of crafting but havn't managed to get any posts up. I got a new camera for my birthday from my Mum and Dad which is georgeous and red, so I'm taking better pics of everything and will be posting again soon.

P.S. also started a new blog about my wedding plans visit http://www.munyipmarries.blogspot.com/!!!!

In April......

2010-04-01T08:03:00.004+01:00

Celebrate Easter with some beautiful handcrafted Easter decorations.
Pastel colours and polka dots are making a big impact this month, so invest in DCWVs blossoms and butterflies stack to inspire you.
It's started to get warm and sunny again so start getting the BBQ cleaned and ready for summer.
Give glass painting a try, there are loads of kits out there for total beginners and this is a great craft to do in the garden when the weathers warm (I find the wind stops my attempts to paper craft outside...)

Birdcage Card.

2010-03-26T19:07:00.001Z

At the moment I'm loving all things bird and birdcages, particularly when combined with greens in pastel or more zesty tones, as green is the perfect colour for Spring. I made this card using papermania elements toppers. They are RRP £1.99 and come in many different designs. But, if you go to http://www.artandcraftworld.com/Papermania/Embellishments/Toppers you can find them for just £1.19.

My garden!

2010-03-25T07:00:00.000Z

This is a story about my weekend spent in my garden with James:

We started with this................

We worked really hard................

We got to this......

We had a little visitor................

And we planted some lovely flowers...........

But my favourite part was finding Pedro the flower pig in Homebase..............

THE END!!!!!

Anitas 3D Butterflies......

2010-03-24T20:26:00.002Z

At the minute I'm loving Anita's Dimensional Stickers - Fairy Wings. You get one sheet of dimensional holographic butterflies for just RRP £1.25.

I've made two cards with them so far:

1. Happily ever after.......

2. Just for my Mummy. (This was Mums Mothers Day card)

Bracelets

2010-03-23T20:23:00.000Z

I've been really enjoying making bracelets at the moment. These are so easy to make, just pick your beads, thread onto elastic and tie the ends off. I've made these ones with wooden beads and shell beads for a natural theme.

Fly away to fairy land.

2010-03-22T18:27:00.000Z

At the moment I'm rediscovering monochrome. In this card I used black, white and tones of grey and accented it with pink. I made this card using a topper set, I love these for a quick and easy make.

Method:

Take an A4 piece of black textured card and fold in half using a bone folder.
Matt a piece of patterned paper onto white card and mount onto the card blank with 3D foam pads.
Take four fairy toppers and arrange in a square onto the patterned paper.
Add a greeting, mine reads 'Make a wish and wave your wand then fly away to fairy land', and two buttons on either side.
Finish by adding gems to the fairies.

Glass painting...

2010-03-21T20:55:00.000Z

Sorry for the long absence!!!!

I've been trying lots of new techniques recently. The first of them is glass painting. I really enjoyed doing this, although it's not as neat as I would have liked I don't think it's a bad first attempt.

I made this using an introduction kit from Reeves which gave all the tools and materials I needed for the project. It was a great little kit and I would recommend it to anybody wanting to give glass painting a try!!!

In March.....

2010-03-01T07:50:00.001Z

Make and send your Mothers day cards. Try a bunch of homemade paper daffodils as a unique gift.
Brighten up your look for spring with some handmade jewellery. Try pretty pastels for a beautiful spring look.
Start packing away your thick wooly jumpers and unpacking your summer dresses.
Visit the Hobby crafts show in Birmingham 21-28. (Advanced tickets are £8.50.)
Get ready for Easter by crafting Easter cards, decoration and gifts.

Overnightprints.com Free Business Cards GUEST GIVEWAWAY!!!!

2010-02-26T08:23:00.001Z

For anyone selling there crafty goods, check this out......

Overnightprints.com Free Business Cards GUEST GIVEWAWAY!!!!

My wishlist........

2010-02-25T12:00:00.001Z

I don't know about you but my favourite crafting product is paper. Yes paper, I love the stuff. If I'm stuck for inspiration I just flick through my paper stash until I find one that inspires me to start a new project. However, last night while flicking through my paper box, I noticed that it was getting a little empty!!!!! So here's my wish list for what I want to fill my empty box with.........

1. Cosmo Cricket Early Bird 6x6 paper, 36 sheets.

RRP £6.75.

I love these papers, they are quite bright and fun and match all my spring time projects.

2. Cosmo Cricket Double Deck Lil' man and snorkel, 12x 12, 48 sheets.

RRP £23.99

I thought these would be fun for my summer scrapbooking.

3. Papermania signature range, Regency A5 paper pack, 48 sheets, 12 designs.

RRP £6.99

I l;ove the muted soft colours in this collection, and thought this would be nice to indulge my girly side.

4. DCWV, Safari Chic Stack, 48 sheets, 24 designs, 12x12.

RRP £19.99

I love the animal inspired prints and tribal designs, plus the paper's textured too.

5. K and Co Paper flowers,24 double sided 12 x 12 pages of flowers, leaves and extras, there are 578 die-cut pieces ready to fold and embellish.

RRP £14.99

I really fancy giving these a try. They are something new that I haven't tried before and I love the K and Co patterns and colours.

My two talented sisters!!!

2010-02-24T18:11:00.001Z

Congratulations to my sister Tor who has just got a new job!!!!! She is now a Community Manager - Fashion and Lifestyle. She's so talented and I'm so proud of her.

My sister Amie is also starting a new job!!!!! She's very talented and has done so well!!!

Mini Blue

2010-02-23T09:00:00.000Z

After spending much of last year making big cards I decided to start making some mini ones. I made these cute little mini cards in lovely tones of blue. I used either Popcorn the Bear embellishments, 3D butterflies and outline stickers to decorate.

2010 Scrapbook

2010-02-20T09:00:00.005Z

This year I decide to try and do a layout a week in my scrapbook so I didn't miss any key events. Here's some of my pages so far......

Front cover.

Engagement page:

Walking in the snow double page:

My mum and Dad:

Elephant Card

2010-02-19T07:21:00.001Z

I was in the mood yesterday for a bright and colourful card (I wanted one to send to a uni friend up in Newcastle), so I came up with this lovely elephant card. I love this fun safari paper (I think it's DCWV but the front cover was lost years ago...). The elephant was simply cut out from another paper with a circle cutter and mounted onto the card, the I surrounded the image with Papermania mini buttons in sunny oranges and yellows. The greeting is a rub-on I've had in my stash for ages and never got aroung to using. This card cheered me up on a cold, dull day.

Also, check out http://jacqui47.blogspot.com/2010/02/sweet-thank-you.html for the chance to win some great craft candy!!!!!!

Anitas 3D glitter decoupage

2010-02-18T09:00:00.005Z

I love these decoupage sets, they're so pretty and girly. There are lots of sheets to choose from and they all come diecut so they are very quick to put together without all the fiddely cutting out.They have an RRP of just 99p and each sheet comes with three floral decoupage images which are beautifully glittered.

Here are my first two examples:

I love this image, it's so pretty and the butterfly is lovely. I used a deep leafy coloured background with a pink mount for the greeting to tie in with the pink on the butterflies wings.

On this card I punched some daisies out of the corners to continue with the floral theme. I used a more pastel green for the background. This image is just such a wonderful pink colour.

Envelopes

2010-02-17T08:00:00.001Z

Envelopes are the first impression people get of your card and it's important to make them as beautiful as possible. At the minute I'm loving lining my envelopes to match my cards.

It's easy to do too:
1. Just draw around your envelope on your selected patterned paper.
2. Then cut 1cm off the slanted sides at the top, and 1cm from the bottom.
3. Run tape runner around the edges and pop it into the envelope leaving the gummed edge uncovered.

Top Tip: Use a thin paper so the envelope isn't too bulky or heavy.

My examples:

1. Pears Soup Vintage Card:

I found this amazing vintage looking toppers advertising sap, cigerettes, food etc, and just fell in love with them. They are just so pretty. I used one on this card with some georgeous green paper, a rub on greeting and a little white bow for a fresh look.

2.Cigarette Vintage Card:

Another card using those great vintage toppers. I teamed this one with LLB paper, a rub on a bow and 3 glitter dots(anitas) for a more luxurious, decadent look.

3. Pink Bird Card

This card is made using amazing shocking pink paper, a beautiful bird image which I framed with Anitas glitter outlines and a rub on greeting. This bold card is perfect for Spring.

Update

2010-02-16T15:00:00.006Z

JUST A QUICK LIFE UPDATE OF THE LAST FEW WEEKS.............

My sister Amie's birthday and her birthday cake. We went out for a meal and then back to Tor's (My other sister) house for cake (a princess one of course)

Went home to visit my mum, dad and the boys. I miss them so much!

My fiance James and nephew Cole (who is getting cuter by the day!)

Went to see Strictly come dancing live at the O2 arena, such an amazing day!!!!!!

Valentines day.... My fiance made me my card this year!!!

Get Well

2010-02-16T08:00:00.005Z

GET WELL SOON GRANDAD!!!

I made this card last week for my Grandad who has been unwell and just though it was quite a fun card. It's not in my usual style, but it was fun to try something a little different. The image, background paper and greeting is from Occupations and Hobbies Twin Set by Crafter's Companion. (RRP £49.99 but only £39.99 introductory offer. Visit http://www.crafterscompanion.co.uk for more information.) And my mum gave me the bow from her stash.

Honey & Hugs Decoupage

2010-02-15T18:37:00.000Z

As promised some cards made using the new Honey and Hugs collection. These were made with the decoupage and papers. I really love this cute, fun collection from Papermania.

1. This little piggy.....

For this card I simply made up the decoupage, mounted it onto blue cardstock then stuck it onto a lovely background paper (The Spring Stack) attached a ribbon and bow (Papermania), mounted the greeting onto coordinated cardstock and stuck it over the ribbon.

2. Baaah Baaah Rainbow Sheep.....

For this card I stuck a rectangle of Honey and Hugs paper onto a white card blank, then added a decoupage sheep and three white glitter dots (Anitas).

3. Twit Twoo a card for you.....

My fiance actually made this card when I forced him (he wanted to craft really) to have a crafty day with me over the weekend. I think he has done an amazing job, and he even let me teach him how to line envelopes!!!! Well done James!!!!

2010-02-14T16:49:00.000Z

Happy Valentines day!!!!

Honey and Hugs.

2010-02-10T08:20:00.002Z

I've not had much time to craft this week. But I'm going to spend tonight doing some serious catching up with my 2010 scrapbook and making a start on my Easter cards (I know it's a bit early but I love the chick and bunny embellishments I've got in my stash to use up)

I just love the new Honey and hugs collection from Papermania, (not only is it beautiful it also has a fab name).

It comes in notelets, papers, stamps, stickers, embellishments and decoupage.

I think that the pretty pastel colours are just perfect for spring and I love the notelets for adding journalling to scrapbook pages, the characters are so cute and fun too (my favourite is the little chick)

I'm hoping to make some cards and scrapbook layouts with these products tonight, so I'll post the results shortly.

Crafts Beautiful.

2010-02-05T07:55:00.000Z

Don't forget to pick up the March issue of Crafts beautiful on sale today. It's only £3.75. The free gift this month is a flower fairies accessories pack - perfect for Spring. I can't wait to get crafting with mine.

More Mama Craft....

2010-02-04T08:00:00.003Z

Last week I posted pictures of my very talented mums patchwork throws. This week I'm going to show you her amazing flower arrangments for weddings.

This beautiful white set includes a bridal bouquet, a bridesmaids bouquet, a flower girls basket and headband, two corsages for the mothers of the bride and groom, four button holes for groomsmen and one for a page boy.

The button holes......

The flower girls basket and headband and the brides bouquet.......

The next two sets are in lovely autumnal colours, and contain a bridesmaids bouquet and a hairslide. The first has two beautiful bows on the handle and long trailing ribbon, whilst the second has a beautiful fairy nestled within.

As I'm currently planning my wedding, I'm finding my mums beautiful crafts a real inspiration and will definetely be getting her to create alot of things for my wedding.

2010-02-03T08:02:00.000Z

Happy Birthday to my beautiful sister Amie!!!

The Beach...

2010-02-02T09:00:00.001Z

This page was made with some pretty old photos from a few years back after James and I had a day on the beach.

The paper is DCWV Once Upon A Time paper. This is my absolute favourite range of paper. I then wrote my title and journalling on sandy coloured paper which I mounted onto blue cardstock. I put three small bronze brads in the corner of each photo as an accent.

In February.....

2010-02-01T07:45:00.003Z

Make and send your Valentines day cards and gifts. This year why not try a homemade photoframe or mini book for your loved one.
Chase away the Winter blues by crafting with bright florals and bold patterns.
Liven up your wardrobe ready for spring with a handmade corsage on your coat. (Sunny colours will liven up your mood)
Give up on your January diet and make some cupcakes.
Visit Stamperama in Stevenage on the 28th for a fab craft fair. Perfect for real stamp lovers to find out all the stamping trends for 2010.

Tomorrowland!

2010-01-31T08:00:00.001Z

This is a layout of my last holiday in Florida. I used a lovely starry paper for my background. and paper pieced a planet as a mount for the lovely picture of Tor, my sister underneath the Tomorrowland entrance.

The stickers are from Disneyland and were of the two rides in tommorrowland and Minnie and Goofy riding one of them!

I love the paper I used to paper piece the planet as it's still starry in keeping with my outer space theme, and the blue colour is so summery and reminds me of how warm it was in Florida. (Sorry about the glare on the next photo)

I like to collect things to use in my scrapbook layouts when ever I go anywhere interesting. In this case a map from Magic Kingdom. It's worth thinking about this when you go on days out so you've always got things to use on your layouts.

Wrap it up!

2010-01-30T08:00:00.005Z

I like to take pictures of all the getting ready for Christmas, this page is based on the wrapping up of the presents.

The background paper is a nice icy blue which ties in with the blue of my scarf in the pictures and also the cold season.

The title is made of odd letters in a cool colour scheme placed at jaunty and random angles.

I stuck random stickers with a present theme all over the page as interesting embellishmants.

I mounted the photos onto striipy paper and topped them with a beautiful snowflake bow.

2010-01-29T09:00:00.006Z

Happy Birthday to my wonderful fiance James!!!!!

London Trip Layout

2010-01-28T07:48:00.000Z

This is one of my favourite double page layouts. This is from when James and I went to London back when we first started dating. We went to see Sunderland v Tottenham (James supports Sunderland) and went to see the lion knig show (I'm a BIG Disney fan), which is the best show I've ever seen. We stayed in a beautiful hotel and had an amazing indian meal too.

More DCWV paper. I love this paper so much...

I kept this page quite simple with just the pictures surrounding the central picture of a glittering knight on horseback.

I did the journalling on strips of coloured paper to match the floral strip down the right hand side. I made it interesting by sticking them on at jaunty angles.

I mounted the my Lion King ticket onto tiger print paper for a bit of extra interest.

Teddy

2010-01-27T07:13:00.000Z

We did pictures of Mickey my lovely poodle through the year on Saturday, so I thought it only fair to do his big brother Teddy too.

12 weeks.....

5 months....

9 months....

11 months.......

15 months...

With plenty of room left to grow.....

Tea time......

2010-01-26T08:04:00.000Z

This was when we went to Florida for my 21st birthday last year. My two sisters treated me to an amazing Disney tour called keys to the kingdom. This is us on the mad hatters tea party ride afterwards. We all felt so sick........

I put the Title on a paper pieced tea cup with the two main letters made out of ribbon stickers.

I love the background paper. Polka dots are really inspiring me at the moment and the lovely pink colour ties in with the colour of the tea cup in the photo.

I used a border punch on the top and bottom of the page for added interest on quite a simple layout.

I love movement photos, this is Amie, my sister, as the ride went around, it went so fast!!!!

I made the writing curly and swirly and wrote it all wonky and wavy to give the feel of movement and motion to fit with the theme of the page.

Giveaway!!!!

2010-01-25T16:57:00.000Z

Head over to http://barbsgoodlife.blogspot.com/2010/01/anniversary-giveaway.html for your chance to win a fab prize.

Mamas Patchwork Throw.

2010-01-25T07:06:00.000Z

I have got a very very talented mum. This is one of her beautiful patchwork throws that she has been making recently. She used beautiful natural colours and handstitched everything. My mum is a great crafting inspiration to me and I think this patchwork throw is stunning. My favourite patch is the beautiful elephant.

Me, mum and the boys.

A working progress........

A finished throw......

Easel Cards

2010-01-24T08:00:00.002Z

I've just learnt how to make easel cards, and I'm now totally hooked.

Directions:

1. Start with a square card blank.

2. Fold the front cover in half inwards. (see picture)

3.Stick card on the front cover, glue only to the bottom half.

4. Put a brad, or 3D embellishment halfway down the back cover so the card can stand up.

5. Decorate

Fairy card.

Someday my prince will come card.

Love tree card.

Mickey

2010-01-23T22:08:00.000Z

This is my beautiful poodle Mickey, look how much he's grown over the past few months.

4 months old......

6 months old.....

8 months.....

9 months......

.....and he's still got some growing to do!!!

Snow Bunny

2010-01-23T20:33:00.000Z

We have had some terrible weather over the winter this year, but the snow has finally started to melt.....

Last weekend we were out and about enjoying the snow before it all melted away.

This is my fiance James, doesn't he look cold..........

Pepper and friends.

2010-01-20T09:00:00.001Z

I just love the new Pepper and Friends stickers. They are thick cardstock stickers with glitter effects. They are just RRP 99p a set which is great value for money.

The three sets I've bought are:

Just Pepper (top)
Friends together (middle)
Buds and butterflies (back)

Below are some examples of how I've used theses stickers.

Cole Photo Frame:

In this example I used DCWV Spring Stack paper to cover a hamemade frame cut from chipboard. I then decorated the outside edges with a Pepper sticker and some bugs. Th summery feel of the photo is reflected in the frame.

Top Tip: When making your own photo frames, stick a card blank onto the back to make it stand up.

Daddy's Girl Card:

I'm really loving personalising my cards with photos at the moment. I used DCWV Spring Stack paper as a background and cut the greeting from a cosmo cricket 12 x 12 page (Everafter: Elements). I think the hedgehog adds a cheeky touch.

Thinking of You Card:

I cut the greeting from a cosmo cricket 12 x 12 page (Everafter: Elements) and used some patterned paper from my stash mounted onto a blue base card. I really love this Pepper sticker as he looks like he's lying in the grass daydreaming.

My Ring

2010-01-19T09:00:00.000Z

The photo cord thing is working again, so as promised a picture of my beautiful diamond ring. Very excited about becoming James' wife. x

National Popcorn Day.

2010-01-18T09:02:00.000Z

Just a quick note to let you know that tomorrow (Tuesday 19th January) is National Popcorn Day!!!!

It's the perfect excuse for a naughty treat!!!!

Or why not combine your popcorn eating with a trip to the cinema.

Hot or Not????

2010-01-17T17:22:00.003Z

I just love Papermanias capsule collection. Particulrly the Red Hot collection, which comes in tones of pink and red. This is just perfect for Valentines day, or just all things girly.

There is also, monochrome, aqua, heather and sunshine.

Each collection comprises of, mini buttons, mini polka dot buttons, paper flowers, embellishment set, paper, ribbon and ribbon bows. I particullary like the mini polka dot buttons, and the embellishment set shown below. The embellishment set includes, flowers, large brads, mini brads, shaped brads, gems and photo tags.

mini polka dot buttons

embellishment set

Paper Mill Shop.

2010-01-16T07:58:00.000Z

For all those who live in Hertfordshire. The Paper Mill shop in the Galleria, Hatfield are having Customer workshops in January and February. A really fun way to start the New Year and learn some new crafting techniques.

The schedule is:

21st Jan- 1-3pm: Step Up Cards
3rd Feb- 12.30-2.30pm: Pocket Cards
11th Feb- 5-7pm: Hexagon Cards
23rd Feb- 12.30-2.30pm: Peel-Off Cards

I'm going to go to the Hexagon Cards workshop. Very excited. Come along and give it a try.

In January.....

2010-01-15T17:16:00.000Z

I'm going to start giving you my top hints tips and ideas in a post each and every month on the first of the month (I know that Januarys is late....)

So, In January..............

Pack away all your Christmas cardmaking products and start focusing on the New Year.
Get those Christmas pictures printed out and ready to scrapbook. It's a good idea to write down all the things you remember about Christmas now (whether funny stories or lists of presents, anything you might want to include in your scrapbook layouts), before you forget.
Buy the latest Docrafts Creativity. The free gift this time is a CD rom which is a perfect introduction into crafting on the computer for beginners or for adding to your stash for more experienced crafters.
Give jewellery making a try. It's great thing to do sat infront of the TV when the weathers cold and the snow just won't go away.

Stitch and Craft Show

2010-01-14T07:54:00.001Z

Just a quick note to let everyone know about the Stitch and Craft show at Olympia 2, London on the 18-21 March. Dawn Bibby (my favourite celebrity crafter) will be doing live demonstartions on the Friday and Saturday and her birthday's Saturday too!!!. There will be a tea party for Dawn to celebrate her birthday but you have to book in advance. Visit http://www.stitchandcraft.co.uk/ or http://www.qvc.co.uk/ for more details, or call 01473 320407 for the ticket hotline to purchase your tickets.

Docrafts sale!!!!

2010-01-13T16:47:00.000Z

Just wanted to let you know that Docrafts are having a BIG sale!!!

The Bargain bags are now £2.99 down from £9.99 and the contents come with a much higher RRP. There are lots of different sorts to choose from for both cardmakers and scrapbookers alike.

Plus you can buy a DIE-CUT XL machine for just £24.99, RRP. £49.99.

There are also scrapbooks, paper, stickers, peel offs, brads embellishments, card blanks, acetate, stamps, stencils, ribbon, glass painting kits, punches and more at bargain prices.

Check out www.docrafts.com to find out more and buy yours while you can.

Sorry!

2010-01-13T07:19:00.002Z

Sorry about the lack of posts, having a few problems with uploading pictures!!!!!
Hopefully be back up and running by the end of this week.

Anyway exciting piece of news. I'm engaged! (Picture of ring coming soon) Yes after four years James proposed and I of course said yes. Now starting to plan my wedding and hoping to make as much of the crafty stuff myself as possible. Very excited!!!! Just hunting for ideas for invitations, order of service, etc. in magazines and on the internet.

Lucy x

K & Co Paper Purses.

2010-01-02T20:52:00.000Z

This is a great product. K and co Paper purses.

You get 32 pages of die cut and pre scored 3D paper purses. Some pages have two purses on, some only one.

They come in beautiful pastel colours and you also get some die cut decorations to go with it.

These are perfect for putting little gifts of sweets, homemade jewellery or little smellys in.

Here are few of mine.

Give it a try. x

Cole Mini Book.

2009-12-31T20:58:00.000Z

I made a mini book full of pictures of my beautiful nephew Cole.

This is my favourite page, I used blue tones to tie in with the beach photo.

I decided to keep it quite simple and just matted the photo onto dark blue card tied with pale blue ribbon and a bow which I matted onto paler card.

I then embellished the page with two lines of buttons in similar tones.

Again I decided to keep these pages quite simple so as not to detract from the georgeous photos.

On these pages I used red and black mirror board as the backgrounds and embellished with Laua Ashley velvet rub ons.

I kept to black, gray and red to give a striking page with the black and white photos.

Happy New Year!

2009-12-30T20:47:00.000Z

Don't forget to make New Year cards! This is an ideal opportunity to use up all your left over Christmas/winter stash!

Christmas Table.

2009-12-29T21:13:00.000Z

I like to take lots of unusual pictures at Christmas to show what Christmas means to me and my family.

For us the table decorations are a main focal point as my mum spends alot of time making sure both the table and food are perfect over the festive period.

So I decided to dedicate a page of my Christmas scrapbook to the Christmas breakfast table.

I used a rich red background paper.

The title is made of muddled up red/white letters on white/red squares which I applied a little wonky and messy.

The four pictures are arranged in a square and matted onto white and gold vellum.

Candle Christmas Cards

2009-12-28T21:12:00.000Z

This book is such a great go to book for those last minute cards that you've forgotten to make, and I'm embarrassed to say I forgot quite a few again this year.

I particularly liked this candle card which I made in several colour schemes.

This card is great because all it uses is colored card and some sequins (which I always have in my craft stash) and only takes about ten minutes to make.

So I recommend this book highly as it's full of loads more fantastic cards.

Christmas Tree!

2009-12-28T20:47:00.000Z

This is my Christmas tree. This is the first year I've had a tree up in my own house.

Alot of the ornaments are odd (which I really like) as it's a tradition in our house to collect decorations from important places we've been, and my mum gets us a special decoration every year for Christmas.

Thanks Nan for giving us this gorgeous tree.

Graduation!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-12-28T20:42:00.000Z

This is a photo of me at my graduation a two weeks ago in the frame that my Mum and Dad bought me as one of my graduation presents.

(sorry about the reflection of me taking the photo!!!!)

I was so lucky, I got lots of lovely graduation cards and gifts.

We had a great day up in Newcastle and the ceremony was lovely.

I felt so proud of myself in my robes, and had a lovely hood of blue silk and white fur.

Braying Cards

2009-12-27T14:27:00.000Z

These cards were made using a fantastic techniue called braying.

To try this yourself you will need a soft rubber brayer and some kaleidoscope ink. Mine in these cards is blue breeze.
How to: Take your brayer and roll it repeatedly onto the ink pad, then roll it onto your sheet of paper.
This looks amazing when combined with black outline stickers as in these cards.

Another way to use this technique is as a background, as in the following card.

Give it a try. x

Buckets

2009-12-25T22:46:00.000Z

These buckets were bought plain from a craft shop for just 50p each!!

I decorated them using ribbon tied around the handles and the body of the bucket and a Forever Friends decoupage, a chipboard snowman or some small diecut snowmen and eyelets (my cropadile came in very handy for this).

I'm going to fill them with smellies, knickers and homemade jewellery as a little festive treat for my sisters Amie and Victoria, and my mum.

href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__P7QPM3XW6A/Sy41scKwRiI/AAAAAAAAAN0/7b0Gmoa7E1A/s1600-h/P19-12-09_1023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">

2009-12-25T09:00:00.000Z

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brad Tree

2009-12-21T09:00:00.000Z

This is a great card to use up any odd brads that have been littering your craft room for a while.

Step 1:
Just take a plain card blank, I chose a white textured card.

Step 2:
Ink the edges with a chalk/ink pad. I used silver chalk as this looked best on the textured card.

Step 3:
Choose which brads you want to use and position them into a christmas tree shape. Make sure you save a star for the top.

Snowmen Cards!

2009-12-20T12:10:00.000Z

I just love that feeling when you know it's winter, it's cold outside, Christmas is coming and hopefully so is the snow. This week we had to start using the de-icer on the car!!!!! This cold weather has inspired me to make some snowman cards which are ideal for Christmas cards and also winter birthdays (which are so hard to make for without being too festive). These cards were made using ready-made toppers, I know it's cheating but as Christmas nears I find them perfect for quick makes for people you've forgotton (not that I've forgotten anyone again this year.........) My top tip at Christmas is to always have a handful of spare cards for when that friend you've not seen in a while pops round to give you theirs.

This snowman is so prettty flying like a Christmas angel. I decided to use Blue icy tones here to tie in with the chilly colours of the snowman and his blue scarf. I love using silver mirror board on my Christmas cards to add some festive sparkle. The 'let it snow' greeting comes from the heart as I'm desperate to build my first snowman of the year.

This card is made in a similar style to the first but here I used a Forever Friends greeting and some extra special swirly paper which looks to me like snow blowing in the wind.

I decided to use a swirly Christmas vellum greeting on this card to match in with the swirls of the background paper.

This card was the last in my snowman batch and as I was starting to feel a little cold I decided to use some warmer colours. The pink and brown is quite retro and the felt snowflake brad is so touchy feely and adds a touch of dimension.

Gingerbread men....

2009-12-18T07:48:00.000Z

At the moment I'm just loving using gingerbread men (and candy cane) embellishments in my crafting. They're such a fun and envoke memories of making gingerbread men and houses with my mum when I was younger.

So I decided to give you a recipe for making your own gingerbread men, I found it on BBC food and it is just a great recipe.

Ingredients

200g/7oz self raising flour

10g/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

55g/2oz butter

55g/2oz dark brown sugar

2 tbsp black treacle

1 tbsp golden syrup1

finely grated orange zest

To decoratesweetened dried cranberries

Method
1. Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

2. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets with butter. Sift the flour, ginger, cinnamon into a mixing bowl.

3. In a heavy-based saucepan, melt the butter, sugar, black treacle and golden syrup over a low heat. Do not allow to boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange rind.

4. Pour the butter mixture into the flour and mix thoroughly to form a soft dough. Roll out the dough to approximately 4mm/¼ inch thick and cut 10-12 large people shapes or 25 small shapes, re-rolling the dough when necessary.

5. Using a palette knife carefully lift the gingerbread people onto the baking tray and decorate with the dried cranberries. Cook for 6-10 minutes until just set and beginning to brown.

Try it yourself.

Giveaway!!!!!

2009-12-16T17:04:00.000Z

If any of you live in the US, check out http://groggyfroggy.blogspot.com/ . This lovely blogger is giving away a fab free gift of a lovely Christmas display and a santa egg (sounds wierd but really nice). All you have to do to enter is join to follow the blog, and post a message about it on your own blog. I'm so sad I can't enter though as you have to live in the USA. Good luck!!!

My Craft Room!

2009-12-16T09:00:00.000Z

Yes I am a very lucky girl because in the new house I have my very own craft room. Luckily it came with a massive inbuilt cupboard for storing all my crafty bits and pieces.

So the purpose of this post is to share with you my clever storage system......... mushroom crates. These blue, plastic baskets can be obtained from any greengrocer or corner shop, and they stack together neatly. They're the perfect size for A4 papers, decoupage, embellishments, envelopes, well just about anything. Use luggage tags to label whats inside.

And for your brads, buttons, sequins etc why not try empty sweet jars and/or small wicker baskets. They're ideal as you can see exactly whats inside. And if like me you have a craft desk they make it look pretty!!!

Hope these ideas help. x

Earings!!!

2009-12-15T11:52:00.000Z

Just a few pairs of my handmade earings to give you a few ideas. I used these as table presents for my sisters when they came round for a meal last week. I tend to start by deciding on my colour scheme, then I pick my main bead before deciding on the particular design and subsequent beads to finish the project off. All you need to have a go yourself is round nosed pliers, earing findings, beads, and head pins. Try it yourself!!!!

Jolly Nation 3D Box Cards

2009-12-14T09:00:00.000Z

Jolly Nation have done it again, these new 3D box cards are amazing!!!!!! Not only are they a masterpiece that will be treasured by the lucky recipient, they fold flat for posting too. The kit comes with 9 different designs from the ever lovable Jolly Nation range and include the luxury bath lady shown below, as well as 70's and 80's dancers, gardening and TV remote guy. At RRP £8.99 this works out at approximately £1 per card, but there are lots and lots of left over borders, greetings, and pictures to make more cards from, so this kit becomes good value for money. The contents include: 9 3D decoupage sheets, 9 box card blanks and envelopes, and accessory sheets containing borders, greetings and corners. (You could also try making a template from the card blank and give making your own 3D box cards a try......)

This is my first try at a box card and I just love the result, I'll post pictures when I've finished the other eight and of any cards I make with the leftovers.

Forever Friends

2009-12-13T12:06:00.000Z

At the minute I'm just loving all the forever friends products. Here are some of my cards made using the FF Christmas decoupage and Christmas stickers. (I also used Anitas glitterations, Daisy and Dandelion papers and Craft Companions Stick and Sparkle). There are loads of Ff products out there in two ranges Christmas and everyday. Try bringing these lovable characters into your crafting.

Crafters Companion Sprays.

2009-12-08T07:47:00.000Z

Product Focus: Crafters Companion Stick and Stay

Stick and Stay is permanent and repositionable. You just spray position and leave for a perfect bond. For me this is my favourite adhesive because it's so quick and easy to use. I recently used it on fabric for a patchwork effect scrapbook page and the bond was still good. Stick and Stay is acid and lignin free, so it can be safely used with your precious photos too. At RRP £5.99 it's definitely worth buying.

Product Focus: Crafters Companion Spray and Sparkle Glitter Varnish

This spray combines a varnish with ultra fine glitter. I have used it on most of my Christmas cards. It's available in silver or gold and adds a perfect finishing touch. Apray and Sparkle is acid free and non-toxic, so you can use it with your photos safely, and it's safe for children to use too. RRP £5.99.

If you're considering buying any Crafters Companion sprays check out their website where the offer of the minute is any 3 for £15!!!!!! (http://www.crafterscompanion.co.uk)

Competition!!!!

2009-12-07T07:23:00.000Z

Just quickly letting you know about a great competition on 'All The Things I Love' (link: http://bevscrafts.blogspot.com/2009/12/some-candy-for-you.html). The prize is some Wild Orchid Crafts flowers (roses, asters and arum lilies) and a Sarah Kay Noel Charity stamp. All you have to do to enter is leave a link to your blog (or just your full name if you haven't got a blog). Go on give it a try!!!!

Free Daisy and Dandelion Papers On DoCrafts Website!!!!!

2009-12-04T07:41:00.000Z

I just love Daisy and Dandelion and have brought several of their products, so I was delighted to discover there are free downloads containing these lovable dogs on the Docrafts website. There are two sets of backing papers and some decoupage to choose from. So join Docrafts and try it yourself!!!

This set is my favourite!!!!!!!!!!

You could also check out http://daisyanddandelion.blogspot.com/ for some inspiring ideas on how to use these beautiful products.

I buy mine from http://www.madaboutcards.com if I don't want to go out in the cold,or the Paper Mill shop when I'm out and about.

Give these cute characters a try.

Jewellery for Tor!!

2009-12-03T07:46:00.000Z

Check out my very talented sisters fashion blog http://fabfrocks.blogspot.com/ the post is called keeping it in the family to see the beautiful necklace I made her to say thankyou for hosting a wonderful festive weekend for the family, and also for some hints and tips on what to wear for that special Christmas party. I've also made both my sisters some lovely pieces for Christmas but I won't post the pictures yet because I know they'll take a peek and ruin the suprise.

Gatefold Glory

2009-12-02T16:52:00.000Z

As all cardmakers can testify always making regular A5 cards can become a little mundane. So why not try a gatefold card instead?

How to make a gatefold card.

1. Start with an A4 sheet of card.

2. With a ruler find and mark the centre with pencil.

3. Fold one side in to meet the centre.

4. Repeat on other side.

5. Rub out pencil maerks and decorate (inside and outside).

Vintage Christmas

2009-12-01T07:44:00.000Z

Product Focus: My Mind's Eye Christmas cards sets........

My Mind's Eye Christmas cards sets contain 50 beautiful printed Christmas cards just waiting to be embellished. The front is printed with a pattern and the back with a complimenting block colour. They are ideal for quick Christmas makes when you've got too many cards to make, and not enough time to make them in. The designs are quite vintage looking with some distressing to the edges which lends itself well to more traditional or vintage looking designs.

Beauty in nature...

2009-11-30T17:30:00.000Z

This page was made following a walk me and James took last summer. I wanted it to reflect the beauty and colour surrounding us in the pictures.

I used a flowered patterned background paper in muted tones to link in with the nature theme.

This flower is actually from a wallpaper sample I took from a decorating store, but I think it really suits this page and it became the main focal point because of its touchy feely texture.

I just love these papermania letters, They add a touch of vintage charm to the page.

Snow Scrapping

2009-11-29T10:05:00.000Z

These pictures were taken on the town moor in Newcastle last year. I love snow because it makes me feel so Christmassy. Me and James (the boyfriend) went for a walk on the moor to enjoy the snow. Lets wish for snow this Christmas.

This page is made using silver glittered chipboard letters which look snowy with the blue and white patterened paper. I also journalled in silver pen to keep with the icy theme, and added snowflake brads to the bottom corners of the photos.

Earings for crackers!

2009-11-27T07:38:00.000Z

As I was browsing the internet for inspiration I came across this beautiful pair of earings on Gypsy's Ramblings (http://gypsysramblings.blogspot.com). I tried them myself and made up several pairs to put in Christmas crackers this year. I decided to make them in several different colours so everyone got a slightly different gift too.

Cute Companion Window

2009-11-19T07:28:00.000Z

I made this beautiful card using free Cute Companion papers from Creative Cardmaking issue 9. I just loved the cute window image and decided to add a wintery background through the window by cutting out the window panes and adding a snowflake background paper behind it and also some glitter (well it is Christmas). I thought it would be fun to add Santas sleigh flying across the window.