Quick update for loved Parents

I just want to make a quick post as regarding a card I made for my parents anniversary recently.

It was a card I was inspired to make after watching Kirsties Handmade Britain series on Channel 4.

Basically, its a card made up of different hand made papers, which I then cut into simple but effective shapes of a bird with wing and eye, on a branch, and a banner.  These were all sewn onto my backing paper (after being glued, as to not move around whilst sewing).  I think the finished effect looks really pretty and it is definitely a method I shall be using again!

The countdown is on!

In recent weeks I have been working towards my favorite time of year, and planning gifts and cards and such.  I love Christmas, especially making different present for my most favorite and loved people in the world and that's my friends and family.

I have made a list of possible gifts:

• Teacup Candles
• Embroidered Handkerchief 
• Cushions of various designs
• Butterfly Clips (previous blog)
• Decorated Picture Frames
• Truffles
• Homemade Body Scrub
• Wheat Packs
• Decorated candle holders

I haven't yet made a decision on who will be getting what, (I know only 42 days till Christmas), but this is the aim over the next 6 weeks, to get this sorted and ready.

I know I need between 10 and 14 presents, depending on what I am giving to who (no good giving a couple a present that only one of them can use, in my opinion), but I think how I am going to plan it is just making what I want to make, then decide at a later stage who gets what!

I already have requests for truffles off of a couple of people after making them for my brothers birthday in September, and them going down a storm with other guests at his party.

As well as gifts I also have to start thinking about Christmas Greeting Cards. The last few nights I have been working on some Forever Friends decoupage images I recently bought from Hobbycraft in order to make some, if not all the 16 cards (at least) I'll be needing to give out this year to friends and family.

So now you know where I am with planning for my Christmas.  As usual any questions or comments please don't be shy and leave a comment, or even get in touch.

Until next time

Sam <3 <3 <3

Current ongoing projects

Hello Readers,

Today I thought I'd update you all with some of the projects I currently have on going.  I find myself being quite scatty with my projects, starting and working on one, until I need to order something or go and buy something, by which in the mean time end up starting another project.

Anyway, the two main projects I have going on at the moment are my Butterfly clips and paper mache letters.

BUTTERFLY CLIPS

These clips were originally inspired by some butterflies my mum bought from a shop.  I thought them to be quite expensive for what they were and had a bet with my mum I could make them for the fraction of the cost - and so I did.  I have made a handful butterflies since I begun experimenting with these. They have evolved with each one as you would expect.

Originally I was just making the butterflies from jewelry wire and a black mesh sewn onto the frame, and embellished with black glitter.  With these, though, I found making the body difficult and hard to make it secure with the wings in place.

I have also experimented with tissue paper as the wings (right) and beads joined to form the body. 

 My latest experiments have been sewing some detailed lines onto the wings.  I have some clear jewels also, that I plan to experiment with as part of the pattern on the wings.

I have also recently purchased some crocodile hair clips from ebay, in order to mount the wings and body to, to make them more similar to the ones my mum bought, and so that they can be clips to various objects as decoration. 

Like I said this is an on going project, so will keep you updated with my experiments, and hopefully I will be able to achieve a few final butterflies that I am able to give as Christmas gifts this year!!!

PAPER MACHE LETTERS

After recently visiting a craft cafe I saw some decopatch being demonstrated, with paper mache letters and animals.  Again, I found the price of the paper mache letters expensive, and thought, with a bit of time I can easily make them myself, so I have done.

 

I made the letter templates out of card board and selotaped about a 2cm edge round the letters to make them block shaped.

 I then paper mached the letters to make them secure.  I then planned on decorating them with some decopatch paper.  However, my mum has recently also seen these and has decided that she wants them spray painted silver for her bedroom, so looks like I'll be making another set of letters to accommodate her request too.

So thats what I have going on at the moment, along with my planning for Christmas, and my Christmas card list.

Hope to see you again soon

Sam

New Toys

Having recently taken my interest a little more seriously of late, I have recently taken a trip to Hobbycraft and bought myself some new toys.

First, a quick note on Hobbycraft. I love this shop.  It's the only really good craft place (that I know, and I don't proclaim to know a lot, lol) I can go in Sheffield where I am actually able to view what I want to buy before I actually buy it.  However, when you look about on the deals you can get on the web it is quite over priced.

I would love to hear anyone else's view on this and where people actually get their craft supplies from.

Anyway, I had time on my hands where I could spend time getting creative, so my lack of patience led me to buy a few bits and bats from Hobbycraft so I could crack straight on when I got home.

Here is what I bought:

A butterfly paper punch
A heart paper punch
Acrylic stamp block
Pack of Birthday Stamps
Pack of 2 butterfly stamps
Black ink pad
Gold/Silver/Bronze ink pad
Red/Green/Black in pad
Forever friend decoupage Christmas pack
A Christmas pack of various card-making accessories (papers, toppers, decoupage)

As you can see my thoughts are currently focusing on Christmas, and what I can do for everyone.

Anyway, I have been playing around with bits of my kits and wanted to show you what I have been able to do.

      

     

These 6 cards were made from the Christmas pack I bought, using decoupage, toppers and papers provided in the pack. The 'Christmas Wishes' and 'Merry Christmas' were done with my new stamps too.  On the card in the top left corner, the 'Noel' was a topper provided in the pack, and the main background was achieved with a robin stamp I got in my pack, with the red and green ink pad I also bought.

The card on the left was made, also with the the Christmas pack decoupage and paper. The stamp was again from the Christmas ones I bought.  However, also on this card I used my embossing board which came in my pack. It doesn't show up very well in this picture, but I used a snow flake, which I embossed around the edge of the decoupage topper (all the white area), which I thought looked pretty cool.

The card on the right was made with my Birthday stamps, the background paper was one I already had in my kit. The stamps I coloured in with my metallic pencil crayons.

I have also done another 2 cards using the butterfly paper punch I bought.  I coloured half a sheet of A4 cartridge paper using pastel pencils with a red and a brown colour.  I then used the butterfly punch to cut out various butterflys, and used them to create these two cards.

 

Again please feel free to leave any comments, feedback would be much appreciated.

Thanks and see you for now. Hopefully speak again soon.

Sam <3<3<3

Hello and Welcome

Hello to you readers, and thank you for stopping by.

First of all I thought I best introduce myself and explain a little to why I have started this blog.
Well I'm Sam, a mum to a gorgeous 21 month old little girl and nearly half way through a pregnancy with my second child.

I enjoy all things crafty, and have done for many years, though never really taken it too seriously.  However, over the last 6 months or so, my part-time interest has turned into quite a keen hobby, so much so that I have really started taken my hobby seriously.

I don't proclaim to be the best at what I do, but I do try, and its my trying and experimenting experiences that I am wanting to share with you guys.
I have never had any formal education in art or design, and am pretty much self taught in everything I do. The internet has opened my eyes no end to different techniques that I maybe would have never thought of before. I hope to move forward with my skills, and hope that positive critique as well as maybe a helping hand can be given by people who subscribe to my blog, or maybe even pick up some tips yourselves.

Well I think that's the meet and greet done and dusted, I hope that you'll continue to stop by, and I will hopefully talk to you soon.  Please feel free to leave any comments, all welcome.

Thanks

Sam <3<3<3