Scooter boy

• LOTV- scooter boy stamp
• We R memory keepers- anthologie 6 x 6 paper pad
• Lawn fawn custom craft dies- large dotted square & large dotted rectangle stackables 
• Copics- C4, 5, 6, 7, 8. W00, 1, 3. E21, 35, 41, 50, 51, 55, 57, 93. R17, 27, 29. B95, 97, 99. YG00, 01, 21. G20. 0. 
• Neenah classic crest card stock 
• Red card stock 
• 6” square cardblank

I was asked to make a great grandson card for a little boy turning 6. I created a custom sentiment on the computer to fit inside the rectangle die, printed it onto Neenah card stock and cut it out. For the image I stamped, die cut and coloured the scooter boy. I covered the cardblank with the patterned paper and die cut a panel of a coordinating red card. To complete the card, I simply arranged the pieces onto the cardblank, overlapping each other, with just the sentiment raised on foam pads for a bit of dimension. 

Mx

50!!

 

• MDF/ laser cut wooden shape
• melody ross- homespun chic 12x12" paper pad
• studio paint and brushes
• anna marie designs- flowers etc
• pink ribbon
• scrabble tiles (travel edition)

 

I painted the edges and the base with brown paint. I covered the front and back of the '50' with patterned paper. I placed the 50 into the base. I then created arrangements of fibres and flowers for decoration, which I secured in place with hot glue. I also added 'mum' in small scrabble tiles using the hot glue gun. I finished it with a ribbon around the base and tied it in a bow, then added another bow onto the corner arrangement.

 

Mx

 

Challenges I'd like to enter:

Simon Wednesday says 'anything but a card'

don't forget the gifts...

 

• mdf blank
• ranger studio paint
• ranger glue n' seal - matt
• tim holtz tissue wrap
• golden gel medium - matt finish
• adhesive backed felt pads

As the memo blocks from last year were a success and appreciated by those who received them as a gift, I decided to make another this year. I painted the inside of the mdf blank with grey. For the outside, I selected pieces of tissue wrap to add a butterfly to each side of the box. I shaped, glued, then sanded the tissue pieces to cover the outside. I then gave the box a coat of paint to soften the print. I used purple to add a wash of the recipients favourite colour. I sponged a small amount of black on the edges. I added a protective seal using the golden gel medium and felt pads on the base to protect work surfaces from scratches. The right size of white memo pad was purchased on ebay to sit inside, along with a couple of small pencils wrapped in the coordinating tissue to finish it off. 

 

 

 

As before, I packaged the memo block in kraft cardstock and acetate, with a hand stamped wrap ready for gifting.

I would like to enter the following challenge:

Simon Monday says 'Christmas gifts'

  

Mx 
 
 

letter rack...

• mdf blank
• ranger studio paint- traditional tan & stable brown
• ranger glue n' seal - matt
• tim holtz tissue wrap
• golden gel medium -matt finish
• adhesive backed felt pads

I made this letter rack using an mdf blank coated with some cream paint. I selected tissue wrap to cover the outer faces of the rack. I cut the pieces roughly into shape and glued them into place, sanding the edges once dry for a neat finish. I then coated the box with another layer of cream, to dull the print of the tissue giving a much softer look. I finished the edges using a small amount of brown paint applied with a sponge. This creates a distressed vintage feel to enhance the paper print. To seal the piece, I coated it with the gel medium. I added felt pads to the base to prevent the rack from scratching work surfaces.

 

• Kraft & cream cardstock
• SU! skinny mini alphabet stamp set
• archival ink pad - sepia
• red lining tape
• acetate

As this one was made as a gift, I also created customised packaging using Kraft card. I made the box the perfect size to hold the letter rack snugly and provide some protection from knocks. The window of acetate provides a sneaky peek at what's inside, with the lettering on the band to let you know what it is. I think it provides a professional finish, with that extra attention to detail that makes it feel crafted rather than just 'homemade'... as well as making it easier to wrap up for Christmas !!

 

I would like to enter the following challenge:

Simon Monday says 'Christmas gifts'

 

Mx

butterfly box...

reverse of tag

• Purple and white cardstock
• SU! spring flowers embossing folder
• SU! butterflies thinlits
• SU! made for you & Christmas wishes stamps
• Sizzix scalloped circle dies

I love making gift packaging, I think it makes receiving that bit more special. I made a simple gift box and a tag to coordinate and finished it with some bakers twine to secure the tag.

 

I also handmade the gifts for my special friend. I wood block printed a tote bag using a butterfly design block and purple fabric paint. I also painted this mdf heart, click here to find out how I made this!!

 

  

Mx 

I would like to enter the following challenge:
Simon Wednesday says 'gift it'

friendly butterfly

front





reverse

• Heart shaped MDF blank
• tim holtz tissue wrap- terminology
• Claudine hellmuth studio paints and brushes
• stampendous- jumbo butterfly trio
• dreamees sentiment stamp
• some lilac ribbon

I created this door hanger by covering the mdf shape with the tissue using ranger matt medium. I then painted a layer of cream over the tissue and sponged some lilac paint around the edges. I stamped the sentiment and images with archival ink. I then painted the butterflies in lilac. I relined all of the black lines, with black paint for a crisp bold image. The final touch was some ribbon tied in a bow on either side with a loop to act as the hanger. 

 

Mx

 

I would like to enter the following challenge:

Simon Wednesday says 'gift it'

 

a notable gift...

 

i made this memo block by painting an mdf blank with some cream studio paint. i selected a section of the tissue wrap to cover each side of the box, and glued these down. once the glue had dried, i gave the box another coat of cream paint. this dulls the print of the tissue to give a much softer look, i just used cream to keep it quite neutral but you could add a wash of colour. i used a small amount of brown to the edges using a sponge, to give a distressed look and make it feel more vintage. i used the golden gel medium to seal and give a protective coat. i added felt to the underneath to make sure the memo block didn't scratch any work surfaces. i bought  white memo pad/blocks (the right size to fit inside) from ebay and added a couple of small pencils, to complete the memo block.

i think this makes a great gift as it would be useful to most people, the natural colour also means it will go with most décor.

Mx

baby love !!

• LOTV- 'baby with bunny' & 'rocking horse' stamps
• SU! 'simply wonderful' sentiment stamp
• mdf heart shape from the mdf man
• tim holtz tissue wrap- terminologie
• Claudine hellmuth studio paints and brushes
• docrafts artiste- flesh
• golden gel medium

to make this heart hanging decoration, i first painted it cream. I covered my mdf blank with the tissue wrap, then painted another coat of cream over the top. i used brown paint on a sponge to distress the edges. i stamped my chosen images and used the studio paints to colour them. i use a fine brush to do the black outline and details, to give a neater finish as most of the detail is lost during painting the colours. i threaded a ribbon through the hole at the top and tied a couple of bows to finish.

Mx

fruity!!

I have decorated some tea towel as a gift and felt they needed some packaging.

 I cut 2 pieces of white card to 14x19cm, I used them as a guide to fold the 2 towels neatly and to the same size. I next made a label I cut a 14x4cm piece of cream card, I used coffee archival ink pad and the SU! skinny mini alphabet. then I cut a 35x5cm band of kraft card, this was scored at 15cm, 16.5cm, 31.5 & 33. glue is placed on the left over 2cm flap, the label  is added to one of the long sections and a handmade stamp added to the 2nd. the final thing to do was stack the tea towel, wrap the band around and glue the flap to join the band. I put the finished item into a card bag and sealed it, to keep the tea towels nice and clean.

 

check out how I made these tea towels, on my other blog here...

Mx

a totally great tote!!

 

this is a canvas tote I have free motion machine stitched some applique onto. it's quite simple to do, and although I did ok for my first attempt, I do think practise will make perfect !!

 

 I bought the blank canvas tote from hobby craft. I used heat n bond on to some tilde fabric I had and die cut the letters and butterflies using some of my sizzix dies. I then bonded my shapes where I wanted them and free motion stitched around the outline to secure the pieces in place.

 

Mx

 

delightful droplets ...

I made this simple pair of earrings for my nana. they are made from a head pin and a simple white drop bead, then an eye pin and a pink crystal bead. I connected them all together and attached them onto a clip-on earring finding. To make the earrings feel more special, I hand made this little gift box for them using kraft cardstock and acetate, embellished with patterned paper and ribbon.

Mx 

a tweet little treat !!

 

these pegs are a fun and easy to make gift idea. I bought some plain wooden pegs, painted them and then hot glued an embellishment on. I choose these little wooden bird buttons I got from homebird house. (of course you could use whatever you liked... the idea is to customize them for yourself or someone special !!)

I added a strong magnet (cut into a strip) onto the back of each peg, making them perfect for holding notes on the fridge. as I was sending them as a gift, I made a presentation box/ packaging. for this I used a piece of card, cut into a strip and scored and folded into shape. It was very handy as they were a perfect fit for a 4x4 card bag.

Mx

out of this world...

front

 

insert

 

back

 

 

I did this card mostly on serif craft artist, using the good life digi kits. I designed my layout ready for printing on to good quality cardstock. I then trimmed and matted onto a black 6x4" card blank. I printed out an extra rocket and cut it out to layer on top of the other using foam pads. I love serif for the times when you just want a play without using up all your cardstock, it can also be a quick way to create personalised cards. I do like to print out the sheets and do some matting and layering, sometimes adding extra layers of decoupage or embellishments... even just a touch of glitter makes a digi crafted card feel more handmade!!

 

Mx

off the page crafting !!

since I haven't been blogging much whilst we have had builders in at home, I thought I would share what I have been doing. I haven't been able to craft much, so I kept busy with some upcycling and home décor projects ...

 I bought this chest of drawers and a matching dressing table (I forgot the take a 'before' picture of that). although it was painted a lovely grey colour, it didn't match the colour scheme for my bedroom. I decided to paint it using autentico chalk paint in rose, finished using their clear wax sealer. the paint went on easy and the furniture needed very little prep, just be aware that it does dry very quickly!! this is how they turned out...

i had been wanting my granddad's old bedside cabinet, so I asked my nana if I could have it... it took a little persuading but she gave me it with pleasure in the end. I sanded it down as there were a few little chips (which I fillered) and it had a polished surface.  I then painted it to match and added a matching knob. I also lined the shelf and cupboard using some pretty wallpaper. I think it looks great now and means so much more because it was my granddad's...

after sanding



after painting

I had bought some vintage lace cheap from an antiques fair, that my dad took us too. I used it as a simple way to add detail to a pair of old bedside lamps. I marked in pencil where I wanted my trim to be and used fabric glue to stick the lace on to them ...



before



after

 I also did the same to a cream lamp shade (from argos).

I'm pretty pleased with how my upcycling has turned out, adding some crafty touches to my new room. I must say a big thank you to my dad for helping me with my projects. I hope you have been inspired to have fun customizing some pieces too!!

Mx