Gable Box

I saw this challenge over at http://www.dutchdare-cardchallenges.blogspot.com/ on 8th April and thought I would have a go at one - I knew I wouldnt have time to get it completed for the challenge itself as we were away and last week I was so busy but I am still mad about making boxes so thought I would do one to put on my little shelf of lovely things, so here is mine that I finished yesterday:

this is the front - using my (still) new Paperartsy stamps - and yes yet again another handmade flower! The blue bird is stamped out on metal and finished with a little bit of bling for the birdies eye;

This is the side - both are similar only this one has the scalloped circle on as I decided it needed a bit more colour other than that I left these quite plain (can always be added to at a later date cant they! - although to be honest I like them as is);

and this is the back - again I kept it plain but the stamps say it all really dont they! 

The box has been inked and perfect pearled to within an inch of its life and then just finished with the simple stamped images, prima flowers, tulle and a little nestability tag which is held on with a fancy pin (another little treat from the NEC) and some hemp (a treat from the local Hobbycraft store!).

Last night I also, finally, coloured in a Robin Hood Edwin image so I am just off to go and do something with him now - I dont usually colour in the images without sorting out my papers first but I figured I would just be doing him in green and brown anyway so I went for it whilst watching another episode of Flash Forward (only 3 more to go now and I will have caught up!) - has anybody any idea what is going on with that??  I am totally lost with it all....

Thanks for looking.

Getting sorted

Have had another mega organisation day today - not only around the house as we have been to the tip with a car load of stuff and cleared out some rubbish but in a lovely crafty way!

Last week I spent the week organising all my magnolia stamps into a new A4 ring binder which meant relaminating the older stamp sheets so that it all matched but it was fun and worth it - they are now all organised like this: 

and here are my lovely new Spring Stampclub set stamps

 - which have pride of place at the front of the book at the moment!

and yes this is all that I have had chance to do with them this week - cant believe I have had these beauties for 7 days now and not used them properly - still hopefully I can have a play tonight!

Have also found some A5 ring binders in Tescos for 60p so I bought a couple of those along with 50 of the inserts (think that they were a £1) and put my Lavinia and Lili of the Valley stamps into them:

I did use the Paperchase folders before but they kept sticking and ripping the inserts so I am now just using those for my Paperartsy rubber stamps which are fine in there - I have laminated these stamped sheets and then am storing the stamps with their own plastic cover over them - I know I could have put them in the Paperchase folders like that but they sit better in a ring binder.

I have also created these colour tags for my distress inks and favourite promarker colour blends - these are all bound together with a bookring and stored on my little bucket handle for convenience:

These are all of my distress inks - sponged on with foam, then inked directly around the edges and then stamped to show me all the different colour results in one quick look - very useful!

These are my little promarker colour blend tags so that I can see what shades I like to use for certain jeans or hair colours etc:

and then on the back I have written the colours used:

sorry for the poor picture quality on some of these but since my craft room has been half converted back into an office I have lost my photography "space" where I had good lighting and background beforehand.  I now have to clear a new space somewhere to create a new "photograph area" but until then I am just taking snaps directly onto a desk - not ideal I know!

I also bought four of these pencil cases so I could split my promarkers out a bit - now I dont have them all in one case and should be able to find colours a bit quicker and also a bit quieter as OH moans when I am mooching through the suitcase for a colour as he cant hear the telly!

they are only 39p each which I thought was a bargain.  I have just printed out another promarker colour chart from the letraset website and then coloured in what pens go in the case and then laminated those.  I love my laminator!!!

Thats it for now - I printed off some challenges and some inspirational cards earlier so hopefully they will give me the mojo to get cracking on some cards of my own now!

Happy crafting.

What a week

Sorry I havent been on much this week have been really busy with workshops, housework and school stuff.  Here is a piccy of a layout that I finally finished this week - its been a work in progress for about 3 months! 

and not a piece of patterned paper in sight either!  although the little journalling block is actually from a Designer Digitals pirate kit I have but the rest is just done with stamping, inking and some chalks.  Have just found a link about a challenge about doing a card/layout with no patterned paper so I am going to enter this into that: its here http://paperplaychallenges.blogspot.com/ however if I cant enter because of the journalling block I understand!

And here are two tags I have prepared for a class - hopefully this will be run on Thursday 20th May from 10.00 - 12.00 but I still need to confirm the venue but if you would like to come along and see how the paper flower is made - these are so all the rage at the moment and so useful to know how to do - I have made loads and use them on nearly every project at the moment! then please let myself or Morag know:

Thats if for now - hope you are all enjoying the fabulous weather!  I have had my washing out on the line yet again today - honest!

Thanks for looking :)

Dont you just love the holidays!

Sorry I have been a bit quiet but we went away last week to Windsor and Chessington - have had a fabulous time and the weather was brilliant for this time of year however I am a bit theme parked out now!  We had two days at Legoland, one day at Thorpe Park and then Two and half days at Chessington World of Adventures (my favourite place now - I was pleasantly surprised!).  We also had a lovely day wandering around Brighton where I found a fabulous jewellery shop and a Cath Kidston shop so I bought a few goodies (as you do!).

Here are a few items I made before I went away - sorry I didnt get time to upload them beforehand:

Here is a new necklace I have made for myself - its using two new Paper Artsy stamps which have been stamped out onto metal and I have again made a flower (told you I was addicted!) - its very light and comfortable to wear although I might change the chain and put it on a leather strip when I get round to buying one from Hobbycrafts (have I mentioned that there is one in walking distance from my house??)!

Here is a card that I actually started about two months ago - it was based on a sketch and I was trying to get a clock theme going using the clock glimmer screen and then image inside it which I am not sure if it has totally worked but I am still pleased with the results:

Next I was messing around with some texture paste I bought at the NEC - again from Paper Artsy - such a fabulous shop! - and yes there is another handmade flower on there using their stamps, the birdie is also on the same set.  Cant wait to put this little beauty on a layout:

And then here is a cute little tag I made using a plastic tag I got (again from the NEC and I think it was a freebie from the Paper Artsy stand or it could have been the Graphicus one).  Very simple, one Paper Artsy collage stamp on the background and their butterfly wings, finished with a metal embellishment.  Background is done using distress inks and the flower is a bought one!!  leaves are punched out though:

I have come back from holiday feeling quite inspired and then what a glorious welcome home I had as my Magnolia Spring Collection stamps had arrived!  16 fabulous new Magnolias for me to play with - so I have spent this morning reorganising my Magnolia folder - just need to run the pages through my laminator now and I will be done and ready to go!  Have also managed to get three loads of washing done - the first of which is already dry after being on the line!

Looking forward to the crop tomorrow and hope to see a few of you there!

April Class

Hi, Have been busy finishing off more easter baskets and cards all of which have now been delivered.  Have also got the house to myself today and have so far tidied up after everyone and spent 3 hours ironing!  that will teach me to miss a week!  still at least I got to watch the second episode of Touch of Frost and a canterbury tale so I am not complaining - am just going to go and run the vaccum around downstairs and then have a little scrap - am expecting B home anytime soon so the peace wont last much longer!

Just thought I would pop on here and show you this months class:

a very simple layout, although quite a bit of cutting out - sorry girls, but the Animal Bash Prima papers are so cute they do all the work really.  Crop is on 18th April.

Thanks for looking :) and I hope you all had a great Easter and didnt eat too much chocolate!

My passion

for making boxes continues and there I was merrily making this one the other night: 

when Morag said "that tag would look good on a suitcase" - well of course I just went right off on one and came up with this little beauty:

isn't it fab (even if I say so myself!).  I changed the handmade flower (how addictive are they! have already made about 20 of them!!) for a gorgeous prima flower - stamps are Tim Holtz, Prima, Paper Artsy (my new favourites at the moment) and some travel ones I bought from the Works a while back.  I used kraft cardstock and bazzill cardstock in green and dark brown, distress inks, Stampin Up inks and a bit of string!

Hope everyone is having a great Easter - we are having a day in today after venturing out to Stratford yesterday in the rain and then also visiting Tescos.  So whilst the boys are all entertained either playing with lego or Flat Out on the Xbox360 I am going to do some scrapping!  Have an urge to do a layout or a card at the moment - who knows I might manage both!!

Thanks for looking :)