Xmas is a'Comin

Hello Everyone on another yucky afternoon here in Upper Hutt BUT we have had a couple of nice Spring-like days in the last week. It's just that these horrible days seem to linger longer in the memory, there have been so many of them. Anyway the good thing is that they are ideal days for crafting which is exactly what I have been doing. I have been a bit remiss lately as I have taken a couple of class samples to the shop and forgotten to photograph them!! So today's are samples for a Back to Basics class I have planned. Very simple ideas and techniques but still lovely I hope you agree. Sometimes I get caught up in doing challenging things and it was nice to do these today. I hope the ladies in the class enjoythem too. See you next time and thanks for visiting today.

Hexagonal Box

Good Friday Morning Everyone. It's been a while because I have been busy getting materials ready for classes. I had one class at home last Saturday and I have two tomorrow at Sister Act (Kapiti) . You of course have seen the projects weeks ago when I planned them so although I have been working hard I have nothing to show you. Kate, who owns Sister Act, cuts all the kits for the classes there but I have to prepare the project in various stages of completion so that my ladies don't get bored by 'watching paint dry'. I can show them step by step and 'by the magic of television here is one I prepared earlier'. Works well I find. Tomorrow we are doing Christmas flowers in the morning and the Mosaic technique in the afternoon. As always it will be a lovely day. Anyway on to todays post . . . . . Another of the templates I sent to the UK for (like the cradle and secret book). Again fun to do and very good instructions. I made one just the same in fabric years ago. It was called a Victorian workbox then and I put all sewing notions in it. I have never used it it just looks lovely on a small table at home. Anyway I hope you like my little box here today. Have a good weekend everyone. Let's hope the sun shines. We have had lots of sunshine here in Upper Hutt this week but still a cold wind blowing. Take care Everyone and thanks for stopping by again.

How's This For a Cool Idea?

Hello again. Two in one day must mean my AWOL Mojo has returned somewhat. This cool idea came from my favourite girl, Barbara Gray, using her own stamps. I watched her demo it on the Create and Craft show via the laptop and thought it was the greatest. So I sent for the stamps which arrived yesterday and these two are the results of this afternoon and evenings playing. The sparkle doesn't show up in the small pictures but will probably look good if you click on them to enlarge them. The stamps I bought were the NOEL and a set of nine minatures specially made to fit inside the O so I can make up all kinds of scenes to go in there. She does a PEACE stamp too where the C is the extra large letter to stamp a scene in. Hope you like. It's time for me to say 'night 'night. I never did get out into the garden today and tomorrow is forecast for rain. Again!!! Sleep tight all of you in my part of the world and everyone else have a good day.

Aint ' This Cute?

Good Morning Everyone and what a beautiful morning it is here in Upper Hutt for a change. I am supposed to be out in the garden so I must be quick with this. I made this on a very rainy yesterday and it was sooooo fun to do. I learnt a lot of things to 'do differently' next time but I absolutely love it. I am going to look for a wee teddy or bunny to lie in it. What do you think? I think it will make a lovely class. A great gift for a darling new baby!! I can hear the weeds calling so I'm off. See you next time and thanks for the fantastic nubers who have been looking at my blog in the last few days.

Variation on a Theme

Hello I'm back again. How do you like this cute little fellow? Done exactly the same way as Santa and his sleigh that I posted the other day. Such a cute wee penguin snowman, Actually there is another stamp which goes with this one and when you see the two together you realise that this one is the big brother, because the other one is really wee. I'm off to cut out some flower petals ready for an upcoming class. See ya next time and thanks.

Finished Project

Good Afternoon Everyone although it's not such a good one. It's started to rain again after such a nice morning. As today is Thursday it means my friend Di and I have missed out on our regular Thursday afternoon walk again. It's been an age since it was fine enough for us to go. In fact I think we have only been able to go once in the nearly six weeks I have been home from my holiday. Still the nice days are getting slowly better. Yesterday was a beautiful Spring day and I was lulled into thinking we were past the dreary days, but no Whammy! back it came this afternoon. Anyway enough of my moaning - let's talk craft. A few days ago I promised to show you when I had made the box for Ashleigh's 21st card. So, true to my word here it is. I used my Cuttlebug and Nestabilities to cut the labels to mount the numbers on, and made two more vellum flowers to go in the opposite corner. Needless to say there will be a little something inside the card for her to spend on herself and a Michael Jackson DVD. I hope she likes it. Happy Birthday on Sunday Ashleigh sweetheart. Thanks for stopping by again.

Santa Through the Window

Hello Everyone I hope you are all well and happy tonight. I am very happy because I lurve tonight's blog!!! I saw Barbara Gray do something similar on a UK craft show at the weekend and I thought 'I could do that' so I did!! I hunted through my stamps and found all I needed so that was good. I cut out a mask of the window and brayered the sky through the mask. Also stamped Santa and the trees through the window. Didn't like all the white space around the window so I used my holly corner (which is one of Barbara's Clarity Stamps) to fill in some of the white space and give it an even more Christmasy feel. I glittered on the trees and in the corners of the windows. The top photo (taken with the flash) is very true to colour but the bottom photo (without the flash), whilst showing the colours horribly, does show the glitter/snow up much better. Hope you like and thanks for looking.

Twenty First Card . . . .

. . . .for our darling Granddaughter Ashleigh. I hope she knows just how Special she is to us and how very much she is loved. She turns 21 this month!!! How can that be happening so soon? It just seems like yesterday that I held her in my arms for the first time and fell in love with her instantly. Anyway, before I get all teary, this is the card I have made for her Special Day. The vellum flowers I showed you the other day. I hand cut some leaves from green vellum and mounted them all on burgundy 'spider web' stuff I had in my stash. Then I added the gold bow and the gold 21 to finish the front. Inside I put a beautiful poem I found on the internet, (where else), written by a grandfather for his granddaughter. The words express just exactly how I feel about Ashleigh. The first photo is taken with the flash, the second without. I like them both! I need to make a box for the card now but I don't have any card big enough so I have to go to the art shop tomorrow to buy a sheet. I'll show you when it's done. Well I'm off to watch the netball - Silver Ferns (NZ) vs The Diamonds (Aussies). The Aussies won the first test last weekend so it's do or die for us tonight as it's best of three. GO THE SILVER FERNS!!! Thanks for looking at my work. I really appreciate your visits.