Pink Candy by Caroline

Obsession...

I am obsessed.  Really obsessed.  I just can't get enough of it and I am gutted as it is nearly at an end.

I am talking about the Twilight saga.  I am on the fourth and last book and I never want it to end.  And I so want my own vampire...haha.

I've not been 100% the past couple of weeks and these books have been my salvation for sure.  I have been reading the Twilight books avidly for the past 9 days and am now on the fourth and last book and I simply cannot put it down.

I also bought the DVD of Twilight and have watched that and as soon as I finished the first book I passed it to Abi who is now on the third book herself.  She is ever so slightly obsessed with it, like me.  The second film based on the second book New Moon, is out in November this year.  And you can guess who will be first in the queue to see that!

I love books, I love reading, but its been a long time since I found a book which gripped me like these.  The basic storyline, for those of you who don't know (are there any who don't know?!) is a love affair between a girl and a vampire.  And lots of other stuff inbetween of course.  Magical. 

Warning - picture heavy post!

In a desperate bid to get everything up to date on my blog I am putting a whole lot of stuff here in one go, and then try to keep up to date a couple of times a week.

It must be the mega sort out of the loft that we had over the weekend which has made me step up a gear into getting things sorted and up to date.  This blog is always last on the list for updating, but I am moving it up a bit as I want this to be a little diary of my crafting and some family stuff too.  I'll forget it all if I leave it too long between posts.

Here is a few Fiskars projects which I haven't shown on this blog yet....

This was for a challenge where we had to use buttons!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This was a challenge where we had to Recyle!
The Kraft journalling shape is from some K&Co packaging.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This was a fun challenge where we had to use Wordle somewhere on the project.

This is for a Recipe Box which I finally got round to decorating to contain all the gorgeous recipe cards accumulating during Recipe Swaps on the Bubbly Funk Forum.

Paper is K&Co and the nice 'Made with Pure Love' chipboard sentiment is WRMemory Keepers.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I also did some projects for Charmed Cards.  I was sent some gorgeous K&Co Lotus Tea Box and Lotus China papers and embellishments.  For full details of the projects go to the Charmed Cards site...

Happy Bird day  card...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Decorated Box...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

10 Reasons to Smile canvas...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For You card...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Camera Loves You layout....

I think that will do for one day,  haha!  Hopefully have more to show by the end of the week...thanks for looking!

Rose coloured specs...

Happy Easter to everyone!  That's come around quickly hasn't it.

Have had some fabaroo news in the past month - Abi has been accepted into the local Art College to do a Fine Arts Diploma, a two year course starting in September.  They nigh on bit her hand off and told her she had a place on the course there and then at the interview.  They also said her art work, for the piece of work they requested she do specifically for the interview, was the best they had seen so far!

She had to depict one of the five senses in such a way so as not to actually draw the actual sense, iyswim.  So if she drew a picture about hearing she couldn't draw the ears.  Abi did the sense of sight and did a fantastic piece called 'Rose coloured specs....'.  Showing how some people see the world in all its glory but around them there is mayhem.  Excuse my watermark all over the pic but its Abi's work and I want it to stay hers - she did give permission for me to show her pic though and I really have to as I am so proud of her.  This piece took about 10-12 hours and she used a fair bit of my Prismacolor pencils too - she is now hooked and wants the whole range of these pencils, over 100 is there?  So that may be a pressie for her doing well in her exams, which she is predicted to do, bless.

Abi loves doing abstract pieces, and I have really seen this develop over the past few months.  Her attention to detail is amazing.

She popped into my craft studio too and borrowed one of my rubber stamps for the little houses on the hill which she then expanded on and developed further.  Art and Craft go hand in hand for sure.

I love the whole concept of this piece she has done and I think this is going to have to be one of her pics that we frame.

I am keeping a close eye on my Copic markers as she has shown an interest in using those, lol.  The size of the pieces she colours would use all the ink on those I am sure, so they are kept under lock and key in my room, haha.  I nearly had a heart attack when I saw how much of my Prismacolor pencils she had used, but I didn't mind really, the piece of work she ended up with was well worth it.... :-)

Sew far, sew good....

Spring was definately in the air when I made my last post, but its quite chilly today and we are still having to have our heating on in the evenings!

I have made some Springlike projects though over the past couple of weeks and as well as a couple of cards I got my needle and thread out and made this felt bird.

I really enjoyed making this, I haven't done any fabric sewing for a long time even though the sewing machine is permanently out but only being used for sewing on papercrafts.  This project, mind you, was all handsewn.  Stamping on felt was nice too.  I wasn't sure how that would turn out but it goes on easy peasy with StazOn and it was a nice sharp image, so was pleased about that.

I was able to make good use of a few of the gazillion seed beads I have and some of the sequins that I seem to have accumulated.  The little pink flowers are plastic sequins and quite sweet.  And doing good old blanket stitch - when did I last do that!  I even enjoyed that bit. 

I am even well prepared for Mothers Day.  Well almost.  I have made one card and just have one more to make.

And I actually used some BasicGrey.  I am not precious about paper at all, but kinda forgot the little stash of BG stuff that I have, so I have got it out and am going to use it!  This is from the Eva range.  I am trying to use up some of my blooms too and love layering them and aging them a little with ink, paint, whatever really.

And this card was for the recent Fiskarettes Challenge, which is to create a project with a Moving Part.  So this little K&Co journalling wheel was ideal.

Oooh, just thought I would leave you with a couple of sneaky peeks. 
Just completed a couple of projects for the May issue of Scrapbook Inspirations so be on the look out for these when that issue is available, which will probably be soon.......

 

Spring is in the air....

To update this blog goes onto my 'to do' list every day, but it somehow always ends up bottom of the list as more important stuff seems to overtake it.  I thought I should try and get in another post before a new month starts and that will take the grand total of my posts in 2009 to the grand total of three, haha.  Nevermind.

Fiskars asked if I would do a couple of simple Easter cards, using Fiskars tools, and the emphasis on simple.  I'm not sure I can do simple and its harder than it seems really as simple to one may not be simple to another but I think these two cards should be easy enough to follow should anyone want to!

Here are the cards:

Easter egg....

Hoppy Easter bunny....

They are made using only Fiskars tools and stamps and you can see the full instructions {here} and {here}

Cam spent the first half of the week on an adventure trip in Wales with school.  He came home on Wednesday evening and was a little subdued - trying to get any info about the trip out of him was really like trying to get blood out of a stone.  Then he spent Thursday and Friday feeling poorly with what the Doctor called a 'viral infection'.  He seems OK now though so thats a relief.

He bought back a load of wet and muddy washing so I have been really grateful that the weather has been OK this week and I've been able to actually hang it on the washing line and it be dry by the end of the day.  Seems ages since I've been able to do that!  Getting fed up of drying washing on radiators - just not the same as coming in off the line smelling all fresh and airy.

The colours of this layout seems spring-like to me too.  The photo was taken in the summer last year, on one of the very few sunny days that we had, and the lovely greens and lemons were just right for an outdoors pic.  Papers and embellishments are Crate Paper - Lemon Grass and the tree trunk is a Hambly rub-on.  There is lots of sewing, lots of doodling and rub-ons (love rub-ons)......

Now I haven't got the tidiest handwriting in the world and there are many that certainly wouldn't plaster it on a layout (Darren thinks my handwriting is quite unreadable!) but I thought hey-ho, its me and I want my children to be reminded of this little quirky bit of me when they flick through the layouts - so long as they can read it!  it really isn't as bad as Darren says, is it? 

Anyways, I have some design work to do for Charmed Cards, for Bubbly Scrumptious and for Fiskars so I had best get to it!  Just time for a cuppa though - I am sure that was top of my 'to-do' list, haha.....x

Snow Pics - better late than never...

I know the snow has passed for most of us, for now at least, and whilst the sun is shining as it is today its difficult to remember just how bloomin' cold and snowy it was!  But here are a few pics of the kids when they had a Snow Day from school. 

Cam and Jake are sliding down the hill at the local playing fields which are at the bottom of our garden........Cam is on a snow board and Jake has a bin bag, bless him...haha

and here they are sliding down the hill!

and not forgetting Abi, who still manages to look gorgeous despite the wet and snow.....she really knows how to play the camera - isn't she lovely.....x

and onto VD day (as Karen put it until the different connotation of that abbreviation was pointed out, lol) - Darren doesn't usually bother as he thinks it is too commercialised.  And he is right too as I found when looking in a card shop and seeing valentines cards 'to my cat', whatever next.......  but this year he did bother, bless him, and he gave me a lovely card and a scrummy box of choccies, which I am still eating.  Thing is, as I know he doesn't really bother I didn't either.  Still, I didn't feel guilty, haha.......

And I have been asked to show more pics of my mini books that went into the Jan issue of Scrapbook Inspirations.

So I have gone into detail over on Bubbly Scrumptious........x

Caroline x

Busy......

I have been so busy that my little bloggie has been very badly and sadly neglected.
Thanks Di for the little comment in the last post.......x

Anyways, we had a fabulously relaxing Christmas (haha, so long ago now mind!) but January has been mad, mad, mad!  I am here now though, albeit briefly, but I didn't want January to go by without at least one post on this 'ere blog.  I will do my best in Feb to be a bit of a better blogger, haha.

I know lots of you who frequent the Bubbly Scrumptious blog will have seen my Journal Jars, but I just want to record them on this blog too, as my parents and the in-laws were so positive about them and the whole concept.  I was so pleased as you never know about something like this.  Go here for a whole article on how to make these and for a taster here are the journals....I can't wait to get these back!

aaaaaannnnnnnd I just have to show you this - it was our Christmas Cake and it was gorgeous..........x

I have just got to do a scrapbook layout about this beauty........

Catch up!

I can't believe how December has just gone in a blur and here we are with Christmas only a couple of days away.

I did manage to make another card since my last posting - WOW, haha.  It was one I did for Fiskarettes with a sketch......

the 'Let it snow' sentiment was heat embossed and then I went round with a fineline black pen to highlight the words.  The snowman is from Hobbycraft! and the snowflake it white felt die-cut.  The flower sitting behind the snowmans head and the paper is from a festive collection by Heidi Grace - Frost.

This is the sketch on which this card is based.

Early December also saw the putting up of the decorations!  Abi is on countdown for a couple of weeks before hand as she likes them up as close to 1st Dec as possible.  Bless.

Thought you might like to see some photos of the Christmas decs.........

Here is the tree - its a real one and about 5ft tall.  We normally have a mahoosive one as we have high ceilings but they seemed sooooo expensive this year!  So we had this gorgeous fairtale style table in the shape of two big books and thought the table would look lovely on there - and so it does......

This is what the tree looked like at the beginning of December.  The base is now surrounded with piles of presents!

Here is a gorgeous 12 days of Christmas wreath that we have up every year.....

and my very special tin Christmas Angel.......

I am all ready for Christmas now - more or less anyway.  Going to Sainsburys early in the morning tomorrow for those last minute bits and pieces.  They are open at 6am and I am hoping to get there as near to that time as I can!  We will see.  Then its off into town to the cinema and lunch.  I love Christmas Eve.

I have just opened a tin of Quality Street and emptied them into a wooden bowl to have on the coffee table in the lounge.  I did take out all the strawberry and orange ones though and have them in a bag beside me.  Bit naughty really but they are my favourites and I want them to be all mine!  haha.  What the kids don't know about ain't gonna hurt them, right?!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and I will try to be more regular with my posting after Christmas.  I made some gorgeous Journals and Jars for my parents and the in-laws and will sort out photos of those to post next time.......take care........x

More Cards!

Yep, I have done a couple more cards.  Its a quick crafty fix for me as I take ages doing scrapbook pages haha!

I actually managed to do last weeks DCM card!
The challenge was..... "we are dreaming of a WHITE (and splash of pink Christmas!) I would love you to design a card which includes white mostly (ie: snow, snowmen etc ) and also a little splash of pink somewhere on the card. :)"

So this is what I did and I made it with one of my nieces in mind......

The background was embossed using a Sizzix texture plate and then the pink is a strip of vellum.  The ribbon is tied around both pieces which was all then sewn onto the card blank.  The little snowmen is Sizzix again which I layered and coloured in.  There is a smattering of pink ink around the edges and highlighting the embossing under the snowmen.  I also stamped little snowflakes onto the pink vellum.  Aaaaw, love those snowmen - they are soooo cute!

This next card was for the latest Fiskarette challenge (click on blinkie on the left and join us!) - Sew onto a project.  Thats an easy one for me cos I do that anyway.

I used Cloud 9-Christmas papers and chipboard sentiment from BasicGrey Wassail.  The gorgeously thick felt is from a table runner which I bought at the weekend.  I sewed around the flower and up the stem and added seed beeds into the middle of the flower.

I have a load of this table runner to use so you just might see some more appearing on projects over the next few weeks!

Fingers crossed I will get some time to craft this weekend.  I really, really need to!
Last weekend Abi and myself spent the whole Saturday in town, looking at the stalls at the Victorian Fayre and managing to get some more Christmas shopping done.  Abi managed to finish hers too.  The whole town was heaving with people - so many come from far and wide to visit the Fayre and you could barely move!  Had a lovely lunch at Pizza Express though - mind you we did have to queue to get a seat.  Not eaten there before and as I am not really into pizza I tried one of their pasta dishes and it was gorgeous!  Will have to go there again.

This Saturday is free at the moment though - so I must dedicate that to getting some presents made - and maybe more cards!  You never know.... :-)

Serendipity - don't you just love that word?!....

I am so glad I have gotten back into cardmaking.  I had got to a point where I just didn't make them anymore and really thought I just couldn't do a decent card.

Taking part in the Think Pink challenges gave me the bug again and I am so keen now to actually make some to send this Christmas!

Challenges in general are helping me to make them too.  The weekly Fiskarettes challenge makes sure I do some crafty project and that has been cards most of the time.  I just wish I had time to participate in more. 

This is a card I made for a challenge on Bubbly Funk forum, where we are doing weekly challenges in the run up to Christmas.  This was a Serendipity card which I really enjoyed making.  Its free in a roundabout kinda way too as its made from scraps!

Please excuse the darkish pic - I really was fighting the daylight here and this was taken around 4.30pmish when it really was the very last of the light.

I love sewing onto cards - I'm sure I have said this before.  But I think it really helps to enrich the feel of a card.

This is one that is for the current Fiskars challenge - Christmas Flowers.  I used gorgeous Cloud 9 and BasicGrey papers and embellies.

I am so loving the aged, scuffed look right now!  I achieved the edges of this card by inking and then running over it with my fingernail.  I then realised I have actually got a little distress tool, so I might try that next time!

Last Wednesday - 19th Nov - was Cam's 11th birthday.  Bless him.  He wanted money to go visit Games Workshop where they have lots of War Hammer goodies.  He spent a small fortune on some plastic bits that assemble as warriors, soldiers and the like and some paint.  So he is now addicted to model making and painting.  I am pleased really cos its creative and he is enjoying it - despite Jake telling him it is nerdish!

Here is a pic of him blowing his candles out.  My Mum and Dad treated all three kids this year to a birthday cake with their photo on it.  I say treated - not sure the kids see it that way with a huge cake with some photo they would rather forget on it - but its a lovely thought.

I know that once Cam's birthday is over that Christmas is well and truly on its way.  I am pleased so far though cos I have everyones except the kids.  I will concentrate on theirs in December.  I do have some presents to make too though - for my parents and the in-laws - but I do have the bits to make them with so thats good.  I am doing Journalling Jars and Notebooks for the parents this year.  I want to get their memories and thoughts onto paper for us all to appreciate.  I am sure they will enjoy it and it makes for something a bit more interesting than adding to their wine, food, jewellery or tie collection, don't you think?!