Paper and thread in one post!

This weekend is my friend Bab's BIG  birthday and I managed to get her card and present in the post on time.
Her card used the MCS Fab 50s CD and is quite simple. I have been making Babs handcrafted cards for years and think I have done every style for her in that time....

I decided after my visit to Chiltern Quilters on Saturday that I ought to do something about the UFO pile in the bedroom (soon to be craft room).  I havea piece of quilted material I created from squares of Japan-inspired prints. I made one quilted bag last year (or it might even have been the year before) so I thought I would have a go at making a loose cover for a notebook. My first attempt at a closure was a disaster as I used organza ribbon so I had to improvise a magnetic closure. Will learn by my mistakes and do a few more of these for the present drawer.

 

JANUARY AND LOTS OF BIRTHDAYS

Busy time of year for card making. Here are 2 I managed to get there on time. This one was a request. I made a champagne bottle card for a 50th birthday for Andy's Mum and she asked for a Malibu bottle on a card for her Mum's 70th birthday. Here is what I came up with.

For my Mum I did one of my favourite cards of the moment- one with a vintage photo and flowers. Very pretty pretty.  The photo is from a lovely site Magic Moonlight and the rubber stamp is a Lili of the Valley one I got in their pre-Christmas sale. The stamp is just the right size for several dies I have so it will be much used this year.

Also playing catch up with some cards I made for December birthdays. Both were for 50ths.

2011 RESOLUTIONS- HOW DID I DO?

Not very well at all.  Not sure I am going to bother with 2012 resolutions. If I do I wont be so ambitious.  I have enough stress at work meeting objectives without giving myself more with my crafting.

Any Christmas card I send which has not been crafted by 1 December will have to be a bought one- made 75% of my cards but only about 25% of them were done by 1 December. As usual I got stressed. Already bought some Dr B's cards for next year which I will bling up with glitter and some embossing. Only got one hand made card from friends so I am disappointed by that.

It is not obligatory to send everyone a hand crafted card so I wont beat myself up if they are not all made by me- dont think I bought a single card 

Birthday cards will be posted in plenty of time (no last minute crafting)- still got room for improvement 

Every card does not have to be totally unique so I will start making  similar cards if I find a design I am happy with- stuck to this one and used alot of CD images from Debbi Moore

I will create a craft room in the third bedroom and give back the dining room- made a start at least-now I am spread out in the third bedroom and the dining room

I will make myself a bag using the Klimt inspired fabrics I have - failed

I will make a lapquilt with the Clarice Clift fabrics I have- failed. Only managed one quilt and that was done for a birthday present and had to rush at the end.

I will continue with my blog and improve the photography of my projects- still have to work on the photography for the blog. I  do have some photos I am proud of and seem to spend a long time messing about editing my photos and filing them. My favourite project of the year was the diary I had done using 52 of my favourite photos.  

I will make a start on the job of putting 25 years of holiday photos into scrapbooks - failed

I will scan all my hard copy photos for prosterity- failed

Two more cards

Blogging Without Obligation

Written in November:

A post from a fellow blogger about not feeling obligated to blog hit a chord so I am not going to comment on the long gap since I last wrote.  My crafty mojo has gone on his holidays at the moment which is a shame as I needed him to help me with making my Christmas cards- havent made a single one yet and I promised myself that I wouldn't stress myself by making cards in December. So what is not done by the end of November will have to be a bought.

Here are a few cards made in the last few weeks.

THANK GOODNESS FOR UPS

I  can make the cards in plenty of time but getting them in the post to ensure they get there for the day always lets me down especially for cards which need to be sent abroad. This week I failed miserably with two US cards and had to resort to letting the cards hitch a ride in a company courier pack going by UPS.

First there is a card for my penfriend of more than 45 years in Pennsylvania USA. I was inspired by a card made by one of my favourite bloggers, Bev Rochester, so copied the layout and used some images from my favourite fallback Cds from Debbi Moore. Just love the Art Deco ladies.

For my friend Barbara in company HQ I made a quick card using an LOTV image.

MORE STEAMPUNK

Young men's cards are the ones I find the most difficult so for nephew Iain's 20th this week I went for Steampunk again (I've done sports and music to death over the years).  I used the Graphic 45 pad again and this time I embellished with the new die cuts I bought.  It's got a Monty Python vibe going on and I like the result.