Molly's Birthday

This was my daughter's birthday card.  She loves everything "cute" and there is no denying this little Sarah Kay stamp comes under the "cute" category! The birthday label was stamped and cut out. The background of the card was embossed with a sizzix folder from the dots and flower set. The images were coloured with promarkers. This was a quick project but I thought the results were quite nice and simple. My daughter liked it anyway!

Corset invite

My niece asked me to produce invites for her new year themed party. This year the theme is "Cabaret" and she liked the idea of a basque shape card. I did have to cut them out by hand after drawing them on black bazzil card following a template (I trimmed mine so the front and back were the same but the template has a straight hemline at the back - your choice). Luckily there was only 25 (still took me a couple of hours!). I then embossed them with a sizzix folder although I am not sure what this one is called as I don't have the original packaging... I printed the wording on the invite on white paper and cut the insert to fit inside the basque and hey presto!

Actually the photo doesn't really do it justice but you get the idea....

Template is here

ATC- exchange for October

Here are the ATC exchange from October for the forum les Ateliers du scrap. I must admit I wasn't particularly inspired by the october them... so this is mine. Just a cut out chauldron with a little wire handle. The rest was hand drawn (as you can see I am no Renoir!).

 

This is the one I received from Mamily who was obviously a lot more inspired! I actually like her and it made me smile!

Lilac & Lavender free images

Lilac & Lavender: Welcome Merry Christmas:
Have a look at ther blog for lots of freebie tags and images for your Christmas project. Examples below.
Visitez le blog de cette gentille dame qui offre des tags et images gratuites pour vos projects de Noel. Examples si-dessous

 

Magic Moonlight Free Images

Magic Moonlight Free Images: Christmas Collage For You!

If you like vintage images take a look at this site. There are lots of free images to embellish your projects!
Si vous aimez le style vintage allez visiter ce site. Il y a plein d'images gratuites pour embellir vos projets!

Carrot and coconut cake bars

This is a recipe I do on a regular basis to satisfy my little tribe at snack time! It is very versatile as you can change the ingredients to satisfy your own taste.
Here is the recipe:

Preparation time: 15mn
Cooking time: 25/30mn  (180C in fan oven)
Makes between 12 and 20 depending on how generous your portions are. I normally do 20 (small enough to replace a biscuit with a cup of tea!)

You also need:
32cm x 22cm baking tray lined with grease proof paper. If your tray is smaller your car will just be thicker. So use what you have available.

Ingredients:
250g (9oz) self-raising flower
300g (10oz) demerara sugar
100g (4oz) desiccated coconut
100g (4oz) sultanas or mixed dried fruits
75g (3oz) walnuts or pecan nuts
100g (4oz) grated carrots
2 eggs beaten
100g (4oz) melted butter
100ml (4fl oz) vegetable oil
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla essence

What to do:
1 Preheat oven to 180C fan oven, (350F, gas mak 4).
Mix together the flour, cinnamon, sugar, coconut, sultanas, walnuts and carrots. Then add the oil, butter, beaten eggs and vanilla essence. Mix well, you should have a fairly heavy mix.
2 Pour into baking tin and level with the back of a spoon.  Cook for approx 25mn or until the top is golden brown and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 10mn and then turn over onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into bars and enjoy!

These cakes will keep in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days - that's if they last that long!.

I regularly omit the coconut because I don't really keep it at home.  I have used dates and figs on occasions where I ran out of sultanas. I also change the nuts I use depending of what's available in my cupboard at the time. So try your own version and tell me how you get on! Oh, and for an extra special cake bar I have been known to add an extra teaspoon of brandy to the mix ...

Box Card

I wanted to make a special box for my sons' friend birthday but as I was pushed for time I didn't have time to make a card too so I decided to make a box card! I  used the tutorial in a previous post and quite enjoyed it so I had another go. This one is larger than my previous attempt. I also made some jewellery to put in the card.

 

 


This embellishment is a metal frame which I stamped and heat embossed with white powder. I printed the words on my PC and cut them out in the shape of the inside of the frame. I inked the edges with rangers vintage photo distress ink and then I glued the cutout inside the frame and covered it in modpodge.

Back Pack

It was my eldest daughter's birthday  on Sunday. Fourteen years old! I still remember the day they handed her to me at the hospital after 19 hours labour and a caesarian...  I just thought she was the most beautiful thing I had ever done!!  She now gives me advice on how to structure my essays and tells me off when I get distracted and surf the web instead of working!!! Things change don't they?!  Anyway I have been so busy with studies (as you have noticed from my previous posts!!) I didn't really have time to go shopping for her present. She wanted some new "converse" so I ordered those online but she also wanted a back pack (apparently they're back in fashion...) and I couldn't find anything. My sister had offered me a backpack template a few weeks ago and I thought that would be the perfect time to put it to good use!  So instead of making her a card I made her this little bag which I filled with bracelets I made for her.  She loved it! It did take me over an hour to make but it was worth it don't you think? For the file with template and instructions it's this way

Birthday card

My partner was visiting a cousin who was unwell and sprung on me an hour before he was due to go that it was his cousin's wife birthday.  Could I make her a card? well I had been looking for an excuse to take a break from my study so I jumped at the chance to have a little play... Here is what I came up with... I hope you like it!

Treasure box

 

I made this one a few weeks ago to give some jewellery to a friend for her birthday. The border is a marianne die cut, the green foliage is sizzix and the flower is a mixture of docraft flowers with a sizzix die petal. I made the box with my crafter's companion box maker. Et voila!

Birthday Boy!

Ok I know, I've been neglecting my blog! I am very busy at the moment with exams etc... so I don't have much time to craft and even less to blog! So to satisfy my "cravings" of everything "arty" I just have a quick hop on Pinterest from time to time in between exams preparations! I have to survive somehow!! Anyway this card was actually made in the summer when our Australian cousin we met for the first time came to visit with his dad. It was his 30th on the say he arrived so I didn't have much time to come up with something especially since I only found out when he landed! So this is what I came up with. He is very much a man's man, with typical Australian male no messing about approach if you know what I mean! I always find cards for men a challenge as I like pretty... but I didn't think a butch australian would be particularly excited about prima flowers or even vintage lace... So there you have it:

 

 

bubblewrappd: Breakfast. | A Recipe For You. |

bubblewrappd: Breakfast. | A Recipe For You. |: Saw this on a very cool site and thought it would be worth the try. Does sound rather yummy so will have to try it maybe at the weekend when things are not so crazy around here!

Cute bracelet

These are very popular in the UK at present with the Olympics and all that there is no getting away from the patriotic flag. I actually really like these beads myself and this design is proving very popular as I think it's the 4th bracelet including the flag bead that I have been asked to make this week! All in various combinations with other beads or even on its' own! I better place another order for these beads before the British mania ends... What do you think? maybe we need beads with the French flag too to even things out.....

Just a little card...

This card was made with background papers from My Mind's Eye "29th Street Market". The flowers are a selection of docrafts paper flowers to which I added holographic glitter glue. The butterfly is a Cheery Lynn die cut that I inked to give it some depth. I used a stamp from My Paper World: "labelling Fields" (art. no 4003 003 00) which I embossed with Wow embossing powder "Earthtone Olive". All the edges are inked in Rangers "Walnut" distressed ink. The flourishes are marianne creatables, not sure of the reference as I lost the packaging but it is a fairly easy one to get hold of. So there you have a little card on its way to wish my partner's daughter a happy birthday indeed!

Jewellery

Had to find presents for teachers and teaching assistants as my daughter was leaving her primary school and wanted to thank all of them for all their efforts with her over the last 7 years. Chocolate seemed a bit predictable so I made them each a little piece of jewellery. I am not sure if they all liked them but they said so , so that's good enough for me!

What do you think, any favourite?

Resin rings/bagues résine

A quick hello during my break. We are clearing out the attic to transform it into my daughter Zoé's room and oh my good lord!!! It used to be the children playroom and frankly the last two years they really haven't been ther to play. They have outgrown the toys and it just became a junk room where everyone just "dumped" the stuff they didn't know what to do with! So we are now paying the price of this slack attitude and have spent the last two days clearing it out. I have tons of playmobils to sort out and sell on ebay and no energy or enclination at all... Still we are making good progress but it doesn't help that the kids break up in two weeks and that we are having guest then so all need to be finished!
Still in all this crazyness I managed to produce some rings and pendants for sale at a craft fair so I thought I would show them to you. This was my very first attempt at using resine so be kind....

I have already taken out two of the rings that I wear myself! Not good business practice I know but I just love the look of them. The photo does not do them justice.  Anyway I am off for more sorting so I may not be back for some time..... 

Beyoncé look-alike!

Ok maybe if you squint slightly and inthe dark but eh I still think there is some kind or of resemblance... don't you? Meet Mittens our 5 years old cat and acting as her personal wig, my daughter Zoé! I just though I'd cheer you up with a giggle as it certainly had us in stiches!!

Magnolia card

Yet another birthday to accomodate at the last minute for one of my daughters' friends. I was also under instructions to make three bracelets to accompany the tee-shirt she bought her. All this yesterday 4 hours before the party! I had started the card the night before thank goodness but sometimes I think my children still believe I have a magic wand and can make anything happen!! Anyway here is the card:

Mai ATC exchange

Here is the ATC I received all the way from Polynesia from Okéalor. Lovely colours and very pretty. Thank you Okéalor, I love it!

June ATC

Here is my Atc for the june challenge at "les Ateliers du Scrap". Theme was red fruits so strawberries came to mind straight away being one of my favourites followed closely by raspberries... yum... my mouth is watering just thinking of them... Anyway here is my mini art...

 

The strawberries are hand drawed and cut out. I inked the edges for this aged look we are so fond of at the moment and added the letters around. The ribbon was free from a magasine and the paper was left over from my stash.

 

This is the one I received in exhange from Domino. Isn't it lovely?

 

Design Diary

My daughter's best friends birthday was a chance to create this little design diary. Her friend enjoys sketching clothes and accessories and I thought this way she could save her design with style! I really enjoyed creating this little book and I hope she'll love it too.

May ATC swap at les Ateliers Du Scrap

Fancy a cup of tea?

When my sister sent me a lovely teacup card for my birthday I was itching to make one myself. I loved it so much! Anyway a friends' birthday is coming up so I thought that was the perfect opportunity to have a go. So here is mine:

 

The chocolate from the Hotel Chocolat was just the right size to fit in the box and my friend told me today this was the best chocolate she'd ever eaten... All this advertising and I'm not even on commission!! ...