Advent calendar update

Here's the latest on the advent calendar. I think I'll use it as my entry for this months 'Lets Get Shabby' challenge when it's finished. I've almost finished making a star for the top out of Ten Seconds Studio stuff and have some lace to add.

As a reminder, this was the calendar in it's un-altered state. It is wooden, so hopefully will stand the test of time.

I've taken a few close up's to try and show up the background. It looks plain black but it has been rubbed with copper wax and stamped over randomly with my favourite Impression Obsession flourish stamp. It's real hard to see but it looks a bit like a brocade design close up.

I am looking forward to a 'Christmas away day' tomorrow with Gina, (my daughter), my sister, niece, and lots of 'girly friends'. We are taking the train to Lincoln for a bit of shopping and a nice pub lunch. Unfortunately Ash is working so Faye won't be able to make it which is a shame. This has been a regular trip for the last five years and I've always been at the shop and unable to make it. I'll make up for it tomorrow!!!!! Sunday will be spent wrapping and getting into the spirit of all things Christmassy...........

Sue x

Calendar, DDA and Josh update

Here are the first of my advent calendar drawers. It's been a bit of a challenge as when I got into double numbers I didn't have much scope for decorating. Oh well, we learn by our mistakes!

I got my DDA put together, but no doubt I will have to move pages around a bit. I haven't added any embellishments yet, as until I journal and get some photo's it's difficult to know where to put them.

All of the pages are different sizes, shapes and colours.

Some have extending flaps, some have pockets.

Some are acrylic.

But all of them are just begging to be embellished, and I can't wait. I have enjoyed this so much. I only hope I can manage to keep up with it each day, we'll see...........

And here's the other man in my life!!!!!!! Four months on and growing almost by the minute!!!

He's having more 'nasty injections ' tomorrow, but it has to be done. Faye was happy saying that these were his last ones until he gets to a year old, but after a visit to the Doc's tonight, (I splashed Loo cleaner in my eyes, don't ask)! I was told they will be giving babies flu jabs at six months now. Oh well........

Isn't he just 'yummy'? I love him in this hat. It goes lovely with his teddy coat. He's certainly getting his wear out of this, thanks Deb Deb XXX

This ones for you Kate!!!!!!!!! Hope you like em!

I'll hopefully be back tomorrow, and pigs might fly!

Sue x

Seasonal projects

This Christmas 'Star Book' was a class I designed and taught when I had the shop last year. I came across it again as I sorted through my many old samples and realised I had not added any photo's from last year. I must get it done...........

It opens to form a star shape, hence the name.

The pages are very basic so I will to be able to add photo's, journalling or more embellishments easily.

I added some heat embossed stamped images and a cuttlebug corner to this page.

The left side of this page opens out to reveal more space for photo's.

More rubber stamping and faux stitching.



A gate fold opening on the left for more photo's again. As you can see it has last years date! I really must get it finished as it will be a lovely keepsake.

I hope this will be another keepsake too. It's an advent calendar I picked up from Binns in the sale last year. It's wooden so quite substantial. Unfortunately it was RED, but after a couple of coats of paint it was...........

BLACK!!!!!!

I'm really looking forward to the challenge of altering it, not quite sure how yet, but I'll think of something.

Finally this is what I started today, a December Daily Album as I thought it would be a great way of recording Josh's first Christmas. I had hoped to go on the class at Running With Scissors but we were out this afternoon for a family birthday so thought I'd start my own. I just couldn't leave it alone and struggled to drag myself away to get ready to go out. It's the first time for ages that I have got engrossed so much on a project. I made lots of varied pages using lots of techniques and lovely papers from My Minds Eye. I was especially happy at the 'snow effect' made by splashing water onto a distressing ink background.

This will probably be the front cover. A mish mash of paints, rubber stamping, wax rubs, and foiling onto some cardboard. I'm looking forward to decorating it with a tiltle and embellishments.

Here's a few random blank pages, hopefully there will be more to come tomorrow as I am really keen to get it ready for adding photo's and journalling all through December and into the New Year.

I'm not taking any bets as to weather I will manage it though lol.

Sue x

Travel to Paris tag

I dragged all sorts of 'old' stuff out to create this tag. I wanted to do something different incorporating the Crafty Individuals frame I bought recently. It's real diddy in size, only 7 1/2 by 9 cms, and only 99p, (I think), a snip! It fitted quite well on this MDF tag, so I made a start.

I used the new 'Travel to Paris' stamp as a theme and started off by adding texture to the tag with texture paste. I coloured it when it had dried with distress inks and added more interest with gold embossing powder. The stamp was used in the bottom right corner, and simply chalked. I then coated the frame with gesso and distress ink and decorate the inside with various CI backgrounds, images, words (love 'em), and other bits and bobs. It is hard to see by the photo, but there are three 'layers' in the frame consisting of the backgrounds, accents on 3d pads, then finally an acetate cover with the tiny words and heart. Oh and a lace trim!

Off to Fayes for dinner now, YUMMY, Chippy here I come!!!!!!!

Sue xxx

Completed grey board frame

I've been on a roll with this frame, in fact I couldn't wait to get stuck into it again today. I'm so glad my idea worked! It makes me smile to think the frame was made from a piece of gray board destined for the bin. Although I would have recycled it, OF COURSE!!!!!!

So here it is!

All images and words (CI-256 and CI-258) are by Crafty Individual. I knew I would use these words constantly, they are such good value.

Gotta dash, off to Brigg Garden Centre with the family, SPECIAL TIMES!!!!!!!!

Sue x

Almost finished, another future class?

Well have I had a good day today? I had this idea in my head yesterday, and I really got stuck in! I love making 'something out of nothing' and decided to make a compartment frame out of gray board. I am well happy at how it's turning out!


It's not finished yet but here's a few snippets..........

Fingers crossed it'll be done by tomorrow!

Sue x

More CI stuff

Here's a couple more bits I finished today. This card uses one of the many beautiful images from the Crafty Individuals image books. I used punches, distress inks, cuttlebug, scrapbook paper for the background, gems and a Hampton Art alphabet to complete the card.

The second card uses a Scrapbook paper background, black velvet effect paper, a covered Crafty Individuals long slide mount, snowflake punch, 'magical' word from the CI-258 plate and the street scene again from CI Christmas trees plate. It's not a good photo as the light was really bad but the snowflakes are glittered with gems in the centre. The glitter on the street scene was created by using two sided tape over a stamped image, then adding ultra fine glitter.

Finally, for today, a tiny accordion book in black and white. The front cover uses the branches stamp from plate CI-234. The 'moon' is made with a small circle punch, rubbed with silver wax then black soot distress ink and highlighted with silver stickles. The words are from plate CI-259, a little bonus for me as they are not shown on the picture with the trees.

Here's the book opened. I just stamped the trees individually and mounted them in slide mounts which had been embossed in the cuttlebug and highlighted with silver wax rubs.

I have yet another more in depth project on the go so don't know when I'll be back. Looking forward to doing it though!!!!!!!!

Sue xxx

A couple of Crafty Individuals projects

I have just loved playing around with my new stamps today. Thanks so much Jean and Malcolm for giving me this opportunity.........

I made this little wall hanging by firstly creating a crackle background usin Jo Sonja acrylics and crackle medium. I stamped one of the trees from plate CI-257 twice onto a random piece of fine muslin fabric (which I had frayed the edges) with green Staz-on and added 'baubles' with gold stickles.

I created a narrow border on white card by punching with a fiskars border punch, added colour with a green pigment ink and heat embossed it with a holographic powder. I finished it off with a few poinsettias, punced leaves, flat back metal studs, Merry Christmas greeting, also from plate CI-257 and a green ribbon.

A very simple card here. The street scene, also from plate CI-257, is gorgeous! I simply stamped it in black, chalked the sky, added 'snow' with stickles and mounted it behind an embossed frame. It's hard to see the detail, but the centre of the embossed snowflakes hve been highlighted with stickles. I used CI-241, 'snowflake background' to add a bit of interest to a plain black card, then mounted the frame centrally. So simple, but effective.

Just out of interest, plate CI-257 contains five trees, six words, the street scene and five other tiny elements, great value and so versatile.

I've a couple more pieces started, so hopefully will have more to share tomorrow.

Sue x

Saskia, Josh and new Crafty Individuals stuff

Thought I'd do a page showing Saskia, our ten year old Dobermann. She was Gina's dog and when she moved to her own house, took Saskia with her.

The photo was taken a couple of Easters ago, when we had lots of snow. I remember the day well. All three of our dogs played merrily in the snow, while we built a snow 'lady' lol. I must do a layout of her one day too.

And here's a couple of Josh, can't resist can I?


Disney is never far away from him!



Last, but by no means least, here's some lovely 'goodies' I received from Jean and Malcolm of Crafty Individuals http://www.craftyindividuals.co.uk/ a couple of days ago. I've made a start on a couple of projects, can't say what yet, cos I don't know lol. You know me, I just play around adding bits, changing bits, re-doing bits until I come up with something, so I'll do a bit more tomorrow and hopefully have something to show.

Oh I just had to come back to my post and add a link to my good friend Sara's blog. She's new to blogging, so pop over and visit, I know she'll be pleased! You can find her here http://sazzleberry-sara.blogspot.com/



Sue x

Another layout and a visit to Pennels

Here's the layout using the finished frame. I simply added wax rubs, a real quick and easy fix, especially on a black base. In fact it was a quick layout really. I simply added glitter to the word, believe. I matted the photo of Dizz, which was taken last Christmas, then secured the photo and frame to the page.



I added a few self adhesive square red gems around the bottom right corner of the frame, and then the words. I finished it off by making some holly leaves of old text and music papers, spritzed and randomly glittered, and cut a few bobbles off some braid and used them as berries, as shown below.


Finally, here's Josh taking in all the magic of Christmas at Pennells on Tuesday with Faye and my niece Abi. He was in his element, and so was I!!!!!!! I'm so lucky to be sharing so much time with him................ I had the family round for a lovely roast dinner tonight and he was as good as gold AND we are babysitting tomorrow while Faye goes Christmas shopping, AND tomorrow night too, BONUS!!!!!!!!

Finally, thanks to everyone for the lovely comments about my project in Craft Stamper, I appreciate them so much..........

Sue x

IT'S IN !!!!!!!! (but I haven't seen it yet)......

Well here they are, the long awaited projects I did way back in the Summer for CRAFT STAMPER magazine.

I've had the photo's stored on my computer all that time, desperate to get them on my blog but unable to until they had been published in the magazine. It's a set of vintage stuff to showcase the fantastic products available from Jean and Malcolm of Crafty Individuals, http://www.craftyindividuals.co.uk/ my favourite rubber stamp company.

DELETED DUE TO PUBLICATION - SORRY

First to show you is the picture frame. A plain MDF frame made by my hubby a while ago, which was just the right size to suit the images, and ripe for altering.


DELETED DUE TO PUBLICATION -SORRY
A co-ordinating greeting card...........


DELETED DUE TO PUBLICATION - SORRY
Free standing swirly chipboard frame, and a tiny gift tag which unfortunately I deleted by mistake, sorry.


All product numbers and details of how to make the projects are in Craft Stamper, so why not give it a go. Let me know if you do, I'd love to see what you come up with.

PLUS, I will probably be holding a class in the New Year, and yes regular ladies, I have you booked in!!!!!!!

Sue xxx