Christmas in July event

Well I would like to congratulate Maria on her absolutely fantastic Christmas in July event at the A, B and D centre in Bacup on Saturday. I think I can honestly say that the projects we made were fantastic, and every lady there enjoyed herself!!! The work you put in Maria was amazing, and all the Stampin' Up products look fantastic in the projects you prepared for us!!!! Christine also did a fantastic job, considering it was her first time at an event, and demonstrating like she did. I think she deserved a round of applause too!

However on the day, before we even got into the hall, we were greeted with these lovely little note pad and pens!

And these fabulous keyrings

And if that wasn't enough, we had little place names, with santa's face on (unfortunately I didn't get a pic of these - they were great too), and these beautiful bird houses with Robins on, and a ferrero rocher in!!!!! Oh my!!!!

I have added photo's of the projects for you all to ogle at. It was, (as I have said a million and one times) an absolutely fantastic day!

This was the first project of the day, imagine starting with this, it was wonderful!!

It is a pull up style card with a stand at the back. Using the wonderfully new Melon Mambo colour!! Absolutely gorgeous.

Then, the second project with did (after eating lots of cake and drinking lovely cups of tea) was this wonderful card holder (almost like a flip cd holder), and fours small cards to go in it! This apparently does very well in a smaller version for after eight mints too (so much better with chocolate, wouldn't you agree hehe)


And then (as we had taken soooooo very long to get the first two projects done, and my friends Cathy who was sat at the side of me, and Maureen who was sat opposite had done little but laugh all morning) we had a wonderful lunch, even getting our own named lunch bags (which as you can see ended up being a fantastic holdall for ALL the projects we made!)

The third project was this wonderful Dasher card, which we used Shimmer paint on (although this doesn't show up on the picture I have to say.) This card is so beautiful!

After yet more cake, and brews, and of course laughter, we proceeded to the fourth project! I have to say this is so simple, and yet so effective! A wonderful box!

The fifth project that we undertook, actually turned out to be my last completed one for the day (i couldn't complete the 6th as had to leave). It was a large box using the tree trimmings set. I actually really really like the effect of this box, and it is such a great size.

I left with the 6th project pack in my bag, ready to complete at home (I will put a pic on when I have done it!).

I couldn't beleive how quick the day went! It was like the blink of an eye, and i think everyone really thoroughly enjoyed themselves. I know I certainly did!

Barbara and Stephanie were quite wonderful supplying us all with cups of tea and coffee and juice all day, and handing the lunches out! And Jenny for making all the glorious cakes!!!!! But I would just like to say one more time...........................

Well done and thank you Maria!!

Link to a very talented lady.......................

Well, I haven't posted for an awful long while, and I have been so busy doing so many other things, however I have recently introduced a friend of mine to the world of blogging. She absolutely deserves a place in the "very talented lady" category, and has the most beautiful painting talent.

Her blog is here and she has posted loads of pictures of her work.

She does loads of personalized cards, name boards and paintings!!!! She is absolutely brilliant, and can turn her hand to almost anything! She has just very recently done this picture of Buzz Lightyear for my son Jayden.

Please visit her blog, leave comments, and if you fancy commissioning here to do some work, email her!

Thanks for reading

Vikki xx

"Don't like It"

This is the most wonderful picture of my beautiful Son Jayden, today, on his 3rd Birthday.
He had devoured loads of cake and then after we had all sat here and taken pictures of him, he shouted up "don't like it".
It was the most comical moment I have had for a long time, and as such I thought I had to share it with you all.

I have been extremely busy recently - recovering from the house fire, getting my space back together and getting the house back together, and also trying to get myself right. Today was wonderful for me, to see my Son on his 3rd Birthday, almost a "proper" little boy, but still my "Baby" and it all of a sudden makes everything worth while.
I will definately be osting more on my blog now I am back with you.
Thanks - until next time
Vikki x x x

Sorry for the AWOL

Well firstly let me apologize for the absent without leave from me.  We have suffered a fire in our house recently (we are all fine), and my crafting has been put on hold for a month or so, until the repair work has been carried out!

This is just a quick post to let you know that I am still about and will be posting as soon as the house is sorted (I am getting withdrawal symptoms already hehe)

Thanks

Vikki x x x

Stamping Up Sunny Summer Picnic Basket and Tri-Cut card

Firstly, thank you all for reading this. The weather here this week has been terrible, and I had been asked to make a gift box and card for my friends mum's birthday. I thought seeing as we haven't had much sun, I would try to inject a bit of colour into it, so here are the outcomes. I used a tri-cut card that I found over at splitcoast stampers, and decorated it with Pumpkin pie and old olive DSP and flowers.

I also decided that seeing as it isn't at all like summer, I would use the picnic basket design, (to remind us what we should be doing in summer), that we used at our monthly class from Maria. I absolutely love this design, and although it does use quite a lot of card etc it is so worth it.

Again I used Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive DSp and card stock. As the lady whom this was being made for loves candles, I decided to stamp sentiments onto two smallish candles, and then use rub ons on the front of them, both in the chocolate chip and creamy caramel. I then laid them in the box that I had filled with tissue paper!

Please excuse all the mess in the background of these pics, but I finished them late at night, and struggled to get pics of them, as the lady wanted them dropping off the same night (at 11pm - I was so tired!!!!!), so I had to take them on the desk I create on (unfortunately this seems to be the way I create - very messily!!!!). I beleive that the lady who these were for cried when she received them. I love the fact that people like the things I make for them, but I have never had that sort of reaction to any of mine before!!! I was truly amazed. I thank Maria for inspiring me to do the things I do, and also all you wonderful crafters out there, who have the wonderful ideas in the first place, and very kindly blog and share them with us.

Thanks again and until next time

Vikki x x x x

Noble Deer

I have been really really busy this week, but I have done loads of creating. It was my friend's great niece's 30th this week, and as I was browsing blogs to come up with ideas for a card, I came across one that inspired me to do this. Unfortunately, I forgot the blog where I got the idea from, so I cannot give credit, however i am sure the lady knows who she is, should she stumble across my blog. I used the wow flowers, Night of Navy, Ballet blue and whisper white, also printing the Thirty sentiment using my computer. I loved the finished card.

I also had to make a Welcome Baby Girl card for my friends daughter who has had a baby girl, Congratulations Tracy, so here is the creation. I used the rabbit from the forest friends set, and some paper I had left over, stamping the "best is yet to be" sentiment out of best yet, on a piece of whisper white. Plain and simple!

My last creation is my favourite. Iused the Noble Deer stamp set and the Sincere salutations.

I hope you like them as much as I do.

Until Next time

Vikki x x x

Well I thought I woudl start this post before putting a title in as I have no idea what to call it. No doubt by the end of the post it will have acquired a title. Firstly I thought I would share a close up of the truck that I did on my previous card, to show the watercolouring. I absolutely love this truck and have only just bought it after many months of drooling over it, so no doubt it will get it's fair bit of use.

I have also been busy fulfilling cards for people's birthdays, and here is one I made for my friends fiance for his birthday from Her. I used techniques I have never really used before and I was unsure of the outcome, but people that have seen the card, think it is wonderful. Let me know what you think.

I didn't actually have a Fiance stamp so I decided to print the sentiment onto Whisper White, using my computer and then inked the edges of the card. I have used the direct to card technique, on the textured card stock for the base card.

I stamped the image of the trees four time (twice off each inking) to gain the image of depth.

Inside as you can see from above, I have placed a piece of chocolate chip card on the left hand side to cover the excess ribbon and brad backs, and then again printed a verse onto whisper white cardstock and inked the edges.

The last card in my post today, was a quick one for my frineds Dad, from her son. I will put a grandad sentiment on it before it is sent, but I absolutely love this Daisy and dandelion set of stamps that I have used for this (the doggy actually had a flower in her fur on her head, but I hoped that by colouring it in the same colour as her fur, it wouldn't be noticed!!!!)

Anyway, thanks for looking, and please feel free to leave comments as you please.

Till next time

Vikki x x x x

Busy, busy, busy 2

Hello all,

I have been exceedingly busy this last few days - the world and his wife seem to have birthdays in August - and it is also my beautiful Step Daughters birthday on Thursday so I will be making her a card too (that will be osted on Thursday).

Well the card I am going to post today is one I have made for my friends fiance, from his son! It's his birthday on the 16th and she has asked me to make him a card from his son, and one from her. I had no idea what to do, as I don't usually like making male cards (they aren't the easiest for me). As I had just bought the neighbourhood wheel from Stampin' Up! I thought I would give it a go, with the "loads of love" truck and hearts! I was very happy with it, even though it took ages (mind you my husband was still tiling the bathroom so it broke the boredom a bit hehe)

As you can see, I coloured the houses using the SU markers in barely banana, bordering blue, chocolate chip, close to cocoa, bellet blue, and ruby red. I using old olive and always artichoke for the grass, and then also watercoloured the truck with creamy caramel, close to cocoa and then basic black for the tyres. The picture is not the best unfortunately, as my camera is still playing silly beggars, so I have to do that off a little tiny camera. The hoop on the left is actually a curtain ring that I bought from a local B&Q surplus store. There were 24 in a pack for 50p. I was very impressed. The pewter type hooks that come off that are the ones that come with it (there was only one on each, I just nicked two off others), and I attached the letters that I had drawn and edged in chocolate chip to it, using eyelets in holes cut using the crop-a-dile.

The "Birthday Wishes" sentiment is from Sincere Salutations and is stamped in Chocolate chip.

Anyway thats it..........off to make some more now!

Bye Vikki

Swap Card

Well just a very quick post tonight to show you the swap card that I sent for the Tag swap. I have had it confirmed now that the lady received it, so I'm happy to put it on now.

Here goes:

I used a few different types of stamps on this, as i do not have many SU flowers, but I used pocket sillouettes for the foliage in the background, and also the flower from the Mr and Mrs set. I also used the Yummy set to do the greeting. The thinking of you tag is on a metal rimmed SU tag and has been stamped in real red, and clear embossed. I then also used the DSP for the pot! I absolutely adore this idea, and was exceedingly pleased with the outcome.

Thanks for reading
Till next time
Vikki x x

Finally a photo

Well at last I have a post with a photo (or a few more). I was away last week for a couple of days in that terrible rain, in a caravan (I can hear you all go awwwwwwwww hehe), and on my return I attended the 3D christmas class part II at Maria's. This was such a welcome class and as a result of showing this in my house (just on the mantlepiece) I have had a few orders for personalised xmas cards already. This is such a wonderful set and I loved every moment of making it.

I know these aren't the best of pictures as I have taken them at night and the flash has hampered the quality some what, but i have tried to be a precise as I could be with them. I hope they are ok for you all to see.

This is an amazing little box - (the side view is below) - it is so sturdy. The top note die was used for the top and bottom of the box, (with a normal hinged folded box inside). DSP on the left in the shape of the top note and then layered the tree on a stamped background image and two co-ordinating mats. I was very impressed with the outcome.
Then we made a "bonbon" box (I think this is the correct term for them) - these are so simple and yet so effective There was then the bag in a box, or box in a bag (I forgot which way round it is supposed to be). This was done with DSP! I love this too.

And last but certainly not least - the gift card holder. This is sooooooo very nice and I am going to use this loads.

I went a bit mad stamping the poinsetta on the inside but I love the effect.

Items used: Old Olive cardstock, Real Red Cardstock, Top Note Die, Season of Joy stamp set, with old olive and real red Ink, Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, whisper white grosgrain ribbon

Well I do have a few more pics to put on - but they are mainly for swaps so until the ladies that are receiving them confirm they have, I don't want to put them on. So I will get my finger out (as my husband is tiling my bathroom at the moment so it's giving me more time to card) and get some more things made and blog them for you to see.

Anyway I think I have waffled enough for now on this post, so till next time x x x

Vikki

Rainy weekend...........

I have been upset this weekend - we had one beautiful day of sunshine yesterday and to be fair, I got four loads of washing done and dry before 10am (my son decided he had to be up at ten to six in the morning). But of course of the one day it was sunny, I was at community animmator training all day, inside (all be it at a greenhouse), and by the time I got out it started to cloud over!!!! And of course today it's done nothing but piddle it down all day. No wonder my creativity is at a low! I have made a couple of things but like I said previously they are for swaps, so I don't want to post without them receiving them first!!!! On the upside my potatoes in the tyres are almost ready for flowering so it won't be long before we have a lobvely harvest of finest potatoes. My ONE strawberry turned red and the birds had a real feast on it! but my tomatoes are doing really well!! So even though I'm not being very productive in the house, my garden is!!!!
Well till tomorrow
Vikki x x x x

Power Cut..............again

Well I have no picture again at the minute, for thi blog post, as I have had no bloody electric again since 1.20am last night (this morning) and it came back on at three and went off at 5. This is the seventh incident in seven days of having no power, so needless to say the letter of complaint will be winging its way to the post box tomorrow. So I have not been able to transfer the pics of my lastest old fashioned christmas project that I made at my class with Maria. I am definately having a very productive day tomorrow and am going to get ALL the stuff done that I need to do, and craft tomorrow night (a new project). So until then (providing we still have electric as we are running on massive generators at the minute)
Vikki x x x

Busy like a little bee...................

Well been a bit of a mad day today - rained all day and then low and behold when we are cooking tea, we have a power cut!!!! Great timing (mind you thats the 5th in less than a week). So when it finally came back on I decided that I needed to be carding all night tonight whilst we have light hehe. I then realised that as the things I have made are for a swap, I can't really post them until I have been contacted to say that the lady who I am sending them to has got them!!!! I was gutted as this now means that it is a non-photographic post again!!!! Never mind, however the clue about what I have made is in the title (it's a card in the form of things that attract bees!!!!!) Got it yet?? Well if not, and if you don't take hints very well (a bit like me) then it's a flower pot hehe. And a butterfly!!! No bees thank god!

My friend also bobbed round earlier today and saw the Chrictmas cards I made at my class last thursday and has started making her list for me to make for her!!!!! OMG orders for Xmas already - can you beleive it. It also means that I have to invest in Old Traditional Christmas now hehe

Well heres till tomorrows post which will definately have a photo.

Bye for now Vikki x x x

Tidying up the house is supposed to make you have a tidy mind??????

Well today I decided that the kids bedroom needed decluttering................................ well it was one of those jobs I wished I never began. There seemed to be more dust than toys, and the sneezing started, and I then realised that tidy house, does not really mean tidy mind. I have began doing this BLITZ to make some money for more craft stuff (all the stuff that is no longer needed can be sold via ebay then the proceeds go back into Ebay for crafty stuff hehe). I did all this with the kids (I have to say my two yr old just found it highly amusing to be playing with the stuff rather than tidying it), whilst Phil built a new hutch for the two guinea pigs so that they too can go outside. My personal craft area is coming on no ends now, and shortly I will be crafting EVERY day, all day, and am looking to make it more of a permanent fixture of my working life (as I am a little bit incapacitated at the moment). I would love to be able to do something I love all day, as a job, but I have no idea where to start really, and whther it's really a viable option for me............................. oh well thats just another thought that can bounce round my head for a while hehe. Well till next time (which I promise I will have a picture of a creation on - definately)
Bye for now................................
Vikki x x x x x

Busy......Busy.........Busy

I have been extremely busy this last few days again, and have unfortunately not had any chance to craft. We have had me husbands cousins up for a couple of days and it has been lovely (even though I have not been at all productive). I also have a couple of busy days coming up too, so I am unsure what pics I will be able to post, of creations. However, whatever I make, I will post.
Just a quick post today to let you know I've not abandoned you hehe
Thanks
Vikki x x x

A little lost..........

Ok, so at least I have put a post on hehe. We have had problems with the electric today (bloody power suppliers) and I have not been able to have my main computer on (which is where all my pics are held, and also has the memory card reader on my printer attached to my main ccomp) so I have not been able to get the pics on here of my card for my neighbour (I know your probably thinking that this is an excuse, however it is a REASON hehe not an excuse) so you will all have to wait until tomorrow.
I have also been on the phone to my good friend Maria, chatting for some time tonight, discussing crafty cardy things, and also had relatives up, so all in all, it's been a busy day!!!!
I know that you will all be disapointed, BUT I will put a cracking little card on for you all tomorrow!!!!! Trust me (this is after I have been to my beautiful step sons play!!!!!!)
Well till then x x x
Vikki x x

Lost for a while

Well I must apologize. I promised myself faithfully that I would blog everyday, but I am struggling to find time to even make myself a brew at the moment, let alone blog. However I have made a resolution that I have to blog at least every other day if not every day, and I must put a new crafty item on each post (apart from this!!!!!). So lets see how it goes. I made a wonderful card for our neighbour who was 55 years old on the 10th July, but I have lost the pics, so I am going to reshoot them tomorrow (as he only lives next door) and post tomorrow, making that post the start of my new resolution. So till next time!!

Vikki x x x

Sugar Bowl Challenge

Well this is now my third time of trying to add this post - fingers crossed. (blogger doesn't seem to like me at the moment) I have finally got round to adding my offering for the sugar bowl challenge of the week. This is the first time I have entered a blog challenge, and here is my attempt:
I don't know whether I have actually done this right, but I suppose practice will make perfection. I have followed the sketch as required on the challenge blog here. Why don't you go over and have a sneaky peak, and maybe enter yourself. You have until midnight this evening.
I have to say that this is so far from my usual style, but I am loving using my stash.
Well I will post more tomorrow, and until then wish me luck x x x
Thanks
Vikki

Copics Workshop at Headingley

Well I am truly amazed by the workshop I have attended today at Maddy's for the Copics. This lady is soooooo talented and we are really loving the Calvin Mouse character.

As you can see from my previous posts, I have been dabbling with the copic's pens but today I have developed an unheatly obbsession for the ease at which you can create a truly amazing image. This is my attempt today:

I am very happy with the finished card, and it is sooooo far away from anything I have ever made, and the style is nothing like anything I have done before. Not only has it inspired me to use the copics markers more, but it has also inspired me into a totally new style, out of my comfort zone.

I would like to thank Maddy and Rachel (I apologize if I have spelt your names incorrectly) for today, and would love to hear from Eileen, Gay and Lauren also. It was lovely to meet you all today, and I can honestly say the whole day was a lovely experience from which I have taken away a lot. Thanks again.

Missing in action............................

Well I firstly apologize for not blogging for a week or so. I have been extremely busy trying to sort out my husbands new pen (well actually trying to get the pen to start with) and catching up with all my housework that I have let slip this last week whilst enjoying the sun......... what a beautiful week it has been. I amazed, however we will pay with three weeks of bad now won't we.


Even though I have been busy with many things, I have managed to squeeze in a card that my friend wanted for her son's 1st birthday this week. His name is Branden (and as you can see from the picture, I spelt it Brandon, so it had to be changed), but all in all, she loved it! So even though it's not the normal colours for a baby's 1st birthday, I thought I would be adventerous. I used stampin up More mustard card stock as the base card, layering an S U summer sun CS mat on top. The ribbon and the layer on the right are both chocolate chip and the gorgeous giraffe is from the wonderful SU "bundle of Joy" stamp set. I then used the big shot to die cut the moon and stars, and the "bradon 1 today" from the sizzix night and day alphabet set. I actually coloured the giraffe using the copic markers, but was amazed by the match to the SU card stock.

I am still really relatively new to this, and love it when someone actually likes a card I make, especially from Maria, because she is my best critic and tells me if it's terrible as well as if its good. I just wish more people would be like that, then you would learn what people really do like. Mind you I loved this one, and also the one I made last week that I've not managed to post until now. It was a very easy one that I just put together using the live your dream stamp set!

I used the old olive base card, then so saffron and chocolate chip mats, with a whisper white piece embossed with the swiss bots cuttlebug folder through the big shot. I then inked the flower from the live your dream set with so saffron on the petals, chocolate chip in the middle and old olive on the stems, using the to you from me stamp from the best yet stamp set to stamp the sentiment.
Thanks for looking and till next time bye x x x