WOYWW 178

That time of the week again, when we get to see what everyone else has been making - to join in, visit Julia's blog HERE. 
My first photo this week is not of my actual workdesk, but I was so pleased to get my new machine that I just needed to show you!! As you will notice from the cutting pad, I have been trying out lots of dies already and everything is working really well - dies that I couldn't cut properly before are now working perfectly.  I know it is supposed to be my Christmas present, but I just HAD to open it straightaway (and you never know, maybe he'll forget about it and buy something else as well!! ;-)

On my main desk you will see I have found more felt - I spotted these lovely bright colours in 'Doodlecraft' in Cookstown and needed one of each colour (well two of the teal coloured one!) I am now trying to make a cover for a tape measure - I have one that has an apple cover and thought I would try out a couple of ideas for our craft fair at the end of November.

There are also a couple of decoupaged men's birthday cards, just waiting to be completed and the lovely one, sitting up with the leaves on it, is from Julia and contains my WOYWW badge, so that I can wear it next Friday at the NEC and maybe bump into a few other WOYWWers!  We have worked out that we will need to leave home shortly after 4am as our flight leaves Aldergrove at 7:10! - are we mad or what!? (So annoyed that BMI Baby have pulled out of Belfast!) Anyway - it should make it easy for you to recognise me - I'll be the one with matchsticks holding my eyelids up!!

40th birthday

I was asked recently to make a couple of 40th and 50th birthday cards - so I made this one using the sketch from this weeks Sketch and Stash challenge.  The paper is from my new Nitwits pad from LOTV and the stamp is also from LOTV, coloured with Promarkers and Flexmarkers.  I found some lovely blue and green cotton lace in my long neglected stash of bits and pieces, and it matched the colours just perfectly - mind you, I ended up nearly covering it all up again!  For the scalloped edges on the green panel, I used the SU scalloped border and corner punches - the green card is also from SU (certainly celery).  The blue card is from the Papermill - I bought a big box of A3 size sheets just before they closed down all their shops - you really miss having all that choice - mail order just isn't the same and the postage costs make it too expensive now, anyway.  The corner was made using a Marianne die and the scalloped circle is a Nestability die.   I added some stickles to her skirt and the flower in her hat and then Viva pearl pen to her necklace.

Baby with toy dog

We need more baby cards for the shop, so I made a boy one today following the Mojo Monday sketch for this week.  The blue and green card are both from SU - 'bashful blue' and 'certainly celery' and the paper if from one of the new Nitwits pads from LOTV.  The flowers and leaves are die cut with Marianne dies and the scalloped square is a Nesties die.  The ovals used for the sentiment are punches from SU.  As the 'Here come the boys' challenge this week is to use die cut and/or punches, I can enter it there as well.  The image is from SU and as usual I coloured it with Promarkers and Flexmarkers - so I think I can enter the PFP challenge as its 'Pets' this week (although, admittedly the wee doggy isn't real!!)

Birthday girl with cat!

I made this card a couple of days ago (actually it was in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep!) for one of Hannah's school friends who has a cat!  I followed the layout on this weeks Sketch Saturday challenge and coloured with Promarkers as usual.  I can't remember what pad the paper came from (well, I was half asleep at the time!) but the pink card is from SU, as is the seam binding ribbon. The happy Birthday stamp and label punch are also from SU. The colouring looks a bit strange - not sure whether it was the photography at that time of the night - or whether it actually looks like this!

WOYWW 177

To join in with the rest of us for WOYWW, go to Julia's blog HERE!

 

Back to felt again this week - no I have not made my cupcake pincushions yet - I was asked about a keyring like the dog pincushion from a couple of weeks ago, so I made three! Then I was trying out a rhinestone setter kit to use in school, so I made a lilac corsage/brooch with rhinestones in the centre.  I intend to bring all this stuff with me tomorrow, so that the girls in my creative craft class can choose what they want to make - the sidekick is nice and easy to carry, so I will just bring the smaller heart and flower dies which will fit through it.  For quite a long time now I have been thinking about updating my big old red original sizzix machine as a lot of the newer dies don't really work in it, but I couldn't decide whether to go for a Cuttlebug or a Bigshot - well after spotting the new Bigkick Vintaj on Minxys desk last week, I decided it would be perfect - right down to matching up with the colourscheme in my craftroom (and half the rest of the house!!)  So DH thought it would be a very handy Christmas present from him if I ordered it - just waiting now for it to be delivered!  Hopefully it will be here before next weeks WOYWW.

Yellow and black

 

Yellow and black are not colours I would normally choose, but its good to try something different and as the PFP challenge is 'Bee happy' this week, I thought I would try out this wee free stamp (from Papercraft Essentials) that had never been inked yet!.  The background bee stamp is an 'Anitas' one, sadly neglected as well and the bee-lated sentiment stamp came from Elzybells.  The colouring was done using Promarkers and Flexmarkers as usual and I have followed the new sketch on this weeks 'Sketch and Stash.'  After I had finished I found some black ribbon with white dots, that I now wish I had used instead of this plain black grosgrain, but eveything was stuck down by then so it was a bit too late!  The 'I love Promarkers' challenge is 'anything goes, so I can enter it there as well.

Birthday girl

A quick birthday card today, using a LOTV stamp, coloured with Promarkers and Flexmarkers.  The paper is from one of the new Nitwits pads, also from LOTV.  The scalloped card and sentiment are both from Craftwork cards.  I will enter the LOTV challenge as it's 'Anything Goes' this week.

Another baby boy

While I had the LOTV stamp and Nitwits paper pad on my desk, I thought I would just make another baby boy card, using this weeks sketch from The sketchy challenge blog for the layout.  I coloured the image with Promarkers and Flexmarkers as usual and paper pieced the balloons.  The star and leafy branch are both die cuts and I have a really big roll of this lace from the time my MIL worked in a factory that made children's clothes - they had a factory shop and she brought me home lots of lace, fabric, buttons and ribbon - I've still got so much I could nearly open a shop!

WOYWW 176

Yes its that time of the week when we can have a nosey at everyones workdesk - to join in, visit Julia HERE.  First of all I need to say a big thank you to all those who gave advice about my doily die last week, and in particular Mary Anne, who was very helpful indeed.  I tried a bit of everything - I wiped the die and the card all over with a tumble dryer sheet, then used waxed paper (well it was actually silicon coated baking paper as my local Tesco didn't have waxed paper) between the die and the card.  It all cut out really well and afterwards I just needed to tap sharply on the back of the die and all the wee 'bits' fell out - now wasn't that a great success!
My desk is even more cluttered today than normal - I'm still trying to do a few things for the craft stall in November so I bought some small jamjars yesterday to cover with felt to make into cupcake style pincushions (I hope - haven't actually tried this yet).  Then I bought some Ruffles yarn to make a scarf - I have lots in blues and greens but my friend told me last year I needed to do some in reds, purples and pinks (green and blue isn't everybodys favourite colour!!).  The messy pile to the right is still waiting to be tidied away, after making some cards recently.

Baby girl

Another baby card using one of my LOTV stamps, coloured with Promarkers and Flexmarkers.  The paper, card and ribbon are all from SU (Pretty in pink) and the flowers were made using a punch and then the centre made with a Viva pearl pen.  The challenge on this weeks PFP is to do 'Shabby in pink or blue' - I don't really do 'shabby' but I did sand the edges of the patterned paper, so I hope that will do!

Baby boy

A baby card - for a change from engagement and anniversary!  The stamp is from LOTV, coloured with Promarkers and Flexmarkers.  The paper is from one of the Nitwits 8 x 8 pads from LOTV - I had to put an order in when I discovered they weren't coming to the NEC - but I really wanted to see all the paper and new stamps IRL! :-( For the layout I followed the sketch on this weeks Friday Sketch Challenge and as I paper pieced the balloons, I can also enter this weeks CCT challenge.  I used Nesties dies for the ovals and a DooHickey die for the leaves (- so its eligible for this weeks Simon Says challenge).  The flowers were made from scraps of the paper using a small punch and small adhesive pearls.

 

Mojo Monday engagement

As I had all the materials on my desk from making the previous card, I thought I would make another one following the Mojo Monday sketch. Same paper pad etc as with the previous card.

Too late!

I made this card a few days ago, following the Sketch Saturday layout, but forgot to blog it until now, when it's too late to actually enter the challenge! The papers are from a MME 6 x 6 pad - I love these papers and don't want to use them up!  The image is a die cut square from LOTV, as is the sentiment stamp.  The flowers were a bargain buy from WH Smith, when I was on holiday in York.  I don't know why the photos recently are looking so pale and insipid, but it is much brighter than this IRL.

Lilac anniversary

I'm still using up my lilac/purple paper and card - it just happened to match up with the die cut image from LOTV.  For the layout I followed this weeks Sweet Stop sketch - 179.  The doily die is a Marianne one and the flowers and leaves are made using punches - so I can enter it into this weeks Simon Says challenge as it's 'Dies and/or punches.' I finished it off with tiny buttons from Papermania and a little bit of Stickles.

WOYWW 175

I'm still making aniversary and engagement cards - so lots of bits on my desk this week.  The paper pad is MME and is one of those ones you just like to look at rather than actually use!  I have just spent ages picking all the wee bits of paper out of the doily die - if anyone has any tips for an easier way to do this than with tweezers, I'd be delighted to hear about it!  The double sided tape in two widths is my preferred method of sticking everything together - I go through rolls and rolls of the stuff - I order a dozen at a time from Viking Direct!  The rubber stamp is an old Sugar Nellie - I'm hoping to use it soon to make a card for their latest challenge.  The beads are still there from all the felt creations I was making last week and the phone is in the middle of all the clutter as I've just made my wee bedtime call to my Mum!
If you are wondering what this is all about - visit Julia's blog HERE to join in with the fun!

100th Birthday

Recently I was asked to make a 100th birthday card, so as I already had some lilac paper and card on my desk, I thought I would use up some more of it!  The stamp is from one of my favourite SU sets - 'A rose is a rose' (now retired) a 'two step' set of stamps - so no colouring required! The paper is from The Craft Bug and the card is SU 'lovely lilac' (also now retired).  The large shaped 8 x 8 card is from Craftwork cards.  The scalloped edged circle and oval are both Nesties dies.

Yet another engagement!

This one has been made using a Magnolia stamp, coloured with Promarkers and Prismacolour pencils.  The plain card is from SU - sage shadow, really rust (both retired) and soft suede.  The paper is from a First Editions pad called 'New Leaf.'  For the layout I followed the sketch on this weeks Sketchy challenge.  Just realised I can enter it into the Just Magnolia challenge as well as its 'Anything Goes with fabric' and I think the crocheted cotton lace would count for fabric.

Another engagement

Another engagement card using a LOTV diecut square.  The paper is from a First Edition pad called Love Letters and the brown card and taffeta ribon is from SU (soft suede).  Flowers are made using punches and the leaves are a DooHickey die.  The pearl heart is from MeiFlower.  The challenge on this weeks CCT is Lotsa ribbon - so I think I will enter it there.

Engagement

Just a quick post as it's away past my bedtime! I have been making some engagement cards using some of the LOTV die cut squares.  On this one I've used paper from The Craft Bug and card from SU - lovely lilac (now retired).  The muslin fabric came from a local craft shop and the flowers were made using my favourite flower punch.  I've added Stickles to the stars and bow, so can enter this weeks Simon Says challenge (glimmer and sparkle).  I will also enter the Papertake Weekly challenge as it's 'Anything Goes' with the theme of 'to celebrate.'

More felt!

I'm now getting a bit carried away with making things from felt - it's very addictive!  I've run out of embroidery thread for a cross stitch picture I'm working on at present, so its nice to stitch something else while I wait for the post man to deliver my skeins of thread.  I think I'll soon have to put in an order to The Felt Fairy for more felt - they have a great selection of colours - I like to choose colours which I can then match up with my large collection of ribbons and buttons!

WOYWW 174

Lots of embroidery thread and felt - that's what's on my workdesk this week.  I thought it was about time I started making some stuff for our craft fair stall in November.  I had seen some pincushions and keyrings on Etsy and Pinterest made from felt, and decided to have a go! The shapes were all cut out using Nesties and Sizzix dies - I'm sure its OK to cut felt with them - hopefully it won't make them blunt or anything - it really gives a much more professional finish than using scissors.  I used beads for the eyes and nose on the dog and stitched on co-ordinating ribbon and bows so they could hang up.  I'll probably do a few of the heart keyrings/handbag fobs in different colours. 
To find out what everybody else is up to this week, look at Julia's blog HERE.

Yet another wedding card

I used the sketch on Papertake Weekly to make yet another wedding card, using a Magnolia stamp.  The Just Magnolia challenge is to use pearls and diecuts/punches, so I can enter it there too.  The leaves are a Doohickey die and the flowers are made using puches.  The seam binding ribbon and kraft coloured card are from SU (crumb cake).  The paper is from a Papermania 6 x 6 pad.  The pearl heart is from MeiFlower and the 'Bride and Groom' stamp is from a LOTV clear set.  I used Promarkers for the colouring and then added Stickles (after taking this photo!)