A New August Challenge from Crafty Individuals

Hello all! It'll soon be time for the Crafty Individuals August challenge - I won't tell you what the challenge is, but here's my piece... guesses welcome!

Hope you like! xxx

Completed Travel Album

As promised, lots of photos of the completed travel album from last Saturday. Any questions about it, please ask! xxx Hope you like...

Here It Is!

I've been working on a special album this week, which my Scrapaholix gals shall replicate this weekend, take a look:

I'm really pleased with how it's turned out, and hope the girls will be too! Within the covers, there's lots of stamping and hand made embellishments, which should keep us busy for the day! Here's a piccie of an inside page:

This particular album is off to Craft Obsessions once we've finished the class... I struck a deal that they could have it to promote sales of the Simple Stories kits they have left in their store, and of course for Brenda to have fun with once the photo shoot was complete, in return for being very kind in helping me put the kits together for a great price. So, if I want one for myself, I shall have to craft along on Saturday wont I?! Hope you like. xxx

Yum Yum - Candy Time!

Take a look HERE! for some lovely blog candy, and don't forget to leave a comment for the chance to win! xxx

Wheelin' and Dealin'....

Just a short post for my scrappy gals! I have spent the last week sourcing the BEST possible for our albums next week, have struck deals left, right and centre to get the best prices possible! This of course means, that your albums are going to look A-MAZING... be excited... be very excited... xxx
P.S - come with a clear head - it's gonna be a fun, but busy day!

Well would you believe it...

So, a while ago, I set up an Etsy and Folksy shop - you know - to sell some of those things you've created that you JUST can't find room for in your ever burgeoning home of crafty goodness - and you can't possibly give away to your loved ones, because then they'd have two!
Not being a whizz in advertising, my creations have sat quietly for many months... but that's ok, they were doing no-one any harm.
Then, I get a sale!!! Woot woot! It obviously deserves a celebratory bottle of wine (that costs more than the sale) but hey, who's counting the pennies - some one likes my creation enough to buy it!
I spend a while packaging it up, before popping it in the post to it's new home. I log back into Folksy, to let the buyer know it's on the way... and there... is another message from a different buyer, telling me that they noticed I'd sold something that they would REALLY like to purchase - could I make another??!!
HAH! Just like buses! Nothing in yonks, and then two at once! I obviously told the second buyer that I'd be happy to make another for her. What I didn't tell her, was that this time there'll be no celebratory wine - It would be too easy to drink away my profits!
The little item I'm talking about is HERE, if you'd like to see it. Hope you like! xxx

Smiley Faces...

Morning! I have a couple of things to share today. Firstly, some cards that are for my children to give to their Dad for his Birthday:

I am lucky enough to own a Gypsy and Cricut Expression, and though I don't use them very often, they certainly have a place in my crafting. The cards are made from the Smiley Faces cartridge that was available a few months ago as a free Gypsy download. I've kept them simple, as they are for a man so frills and fancies didn't seem appropriate! The papers I used are from Pink Paislee Hometown Summer, Crate Paper Portrait collection, Cosmo Cricket Odds and Ends and Lilybee Design This and That.
Next up, something much prettier and MUCH yummier! My best bud had her fourth child a week or so ago (she had him at home, and I was honoured to be there helping out!). I wanted to give her something that would make her chuckle. Well, she has a SERIOUS addiction to sugar, so, what better than a sweetie jar only for her? Take a look:

The jar had cherries in Kirsh in it once upon a time (always repurpose!). I filled it with Haribo's of every shape and size, before labelling it as hers, and no-one else's! Some red cellophane, pretty ribbons and a wonderful tag which I purchased from THIS girls Etsy shop - the most fabulous vintage tags and labels I think I've ever seen, and very reasonable too!
Hope you like! xxx

Crafty Individuals new stamps!

Morning bloggerland! I've been playing with a couple of new sets of stamps from the wonderful Crafty Individuals... sets CI-322 and CI-320.
The first set is great fun - a trio of well dressed ladies and a vintage tag...

To make this card, I created a simple easel card from a scallop card blank, then covered the base and top flap in papers from the Prima Madeline 6x6 paper stack and also the Crate Paper Portrait stack. I sanded all the scalloped edges to give a neat finish. I then stamped the ladies, and paper pieced their outfits from various collections of paper... this was time consuming, but I think worth the effort!! I coloured their skin with Promarker satin. I then added the vintage tag to the card, before placing the ladies on with 3d foam pads. The border punched 'stopper' on the base is using the new Xcut Lace Trim punch, and the lace is from my stash. I've also used Paper Pen in charcoal to make the various sized 'gems' along the bottom.
Secondly, I played with the new beautiful birdcage stamp:

I created a tag using the Tim Holtz die, then covered it with paper from the new Cosmo Cricket Odds & Ends mini deck. I added a few downloaded digital images at a jaunty angle, before stamping the image onto kraft cardstock. I coloured the flowers, leaves and bird with water colour pencils, before coating the flowers with Glossy Accents. I added Distress Crackle Glaze to the cage, and when dry gave it a coat of Pumice Stone ink to bring out the crackles. I did the same to the sentiment, before adhereing it to the tag with 3d foam pads. Everything, of course had a generous helping of Pumice Stone around it's edges to help with that aged effect!
So, I had great fun playing with these new stamps - you can find them HERE! P.S, sorry about the photo quality... the lighting's terrible this morning, but it's been toooo long since I last posted!