Pull up a pew ;-) its a long one!!

Ooh I seem to have lost a couple of weeks - erm not sure how - lol. Right what to catch up on??? Well Jack made it safely home from France - eventually - after numerous road closures and detours they made it home for 9pm on the Friday. I think he had a good time - apart from the food!!! Plus I cant believe the tat he bought, the market stall holders must have been rubbing their hands right heres another coach full of kids with money burning a hole in their pockets :-). So all the washing up todate it was straight into new secondary school visits and meetings, rehersals for the leavers production and getting ready for sports days.

While he is dashing around we have done a bit of sanding and painting - we bought an old church pew from ebay and have been sorting that out, not sure if I have mentioned it here but we live in a modern house but I lurve shabby chic so stealth like little bits of CK & Laura Ashley pop in - except couldnt really sneek this in but hubby was quite keen on the idea.(When we win the lottery and buy an old farmhouse it will fit right in - lol) So thats sorted - nearly - I think I have bitten off more than I can chew in that I am going to have a go at making a long cushion for it - so I will be blowing the dust off my sewing machine - plus the kitchen now needs redecorating so it will match the colours of fabric I have chosen - oops - never thought about that!!

I've also started a chicken for a cushion to go on the pew:

I have used more of my linen oh but flippin' heck I have nearly thrown it out of the window numerous times - I seem to do a couple of good rows and think I've got it and then cock it up on the next couple of rows - grr - however, I will not be beaten and the last couple of nights stitching have improved. Following a recommendation I got some gold plated needles (size 24) but I'm not sure if I need something sharper/thinner???


I've also had a few card making makes as well - a couple of party invites for Jack (quite short notice too), and a couple of makes for friends I wont blog them all now but here are a couple:




This is for Jacks friend Sam.

I would like to enter this into:

Card making mamas - red white and blue
Fairy Knoll - red white and blue
Craft u Crazy - red white and blue
Pixie Dust Studios - red white and blue



This is for a friend of the family who is turning 80:


I would like to enter this into:

Lili of the Vally - celebrate

Thanks for looking

Ali xx

How quick!!

Wow!! I dont think I've ever finished anything so quick!!! (well apart from some little beads) oh and the little task of turning it into something - so many things to choose from though!! Here is my finished stitching:



Tah Dah!!Quite pleased with it although I dont think its perfect for a first attempt its ok.

Ooh just to let you know Jack and his year arrived safely in France and from the few photos on the school website they have had good weather and there seemed to be lots of smiley faces - although I cant spot Jack on any of them :-( , the school have a policy of no phone contact while they are away so we are assuming no news is good news as the info seems a bit less than I had hoped for - pah! no pleasing some parents lol!!

Thanks for looking

Ali
x

Trying something new...

...I have finally got round to having a go on my evenweave (or linen) not sure which it is (lol), however I really should finish my other projects first. I was itching to have a go though I got some great advice from mouse, who sews some gorgeous things!!

So here is a pic of how its going, I have even attempted to adapt a pattern out of this months Cross Stitch Crazy magazine:



I must admit I am finding it quite tricky compared to aida, but I wont give in - just yet anyway!!

I have also made my fathers day cards, one for Ian off the boys and one for my father in law - its my second year without my dad - but smiling as I type this because I know he's with me :-).

Ok, here's my father in laws:

He loves his garden and thought this image was great for him, it has been colourerd with promarkers and I have distressed the edge of the image with Tim Holtz inks. The papers are Basic Grey and the erm not sure what it is called but the string type ribbon is from my stash.

I would like to enter this into:
Cupcake Craft Challenge: boy oh boy oh boy
Crazy 4 challenges: masculine.
Stamptacular - dads/grads
Little Claires - Cards for men

Here is Ians:


I would like to enter this into:

LOTV - anything goes

The image is a pre coloured one from LOTV, again onto Basic Grey Papers, I have die cut the letters and added card candy from my stash.


Lastly, my eldest has gone to France with the School today for a week, I dont think I've looked at the clock so much wondering where they are - they are due to go on Eurostar at 4.30 and thats the only bit I'm worried about!! I'm not worried about anything else as I know he will have a fab time he was sooooo excited to be going, infact he couldn't wait to go - no cuddles though before boarding the bus they had to be obtained at home prior to leaving - lol - that wouldnt be cool!!! He was slightly worried I would cry - but I held it together!!!

Thanks for looking (and reading my waffling!!)

Ali
x

Flitting again...

...yup flitting from card making to cross-stitch - I am still plodding away with the wizard although not sure why after darling son no.1. said 'well I dont really want it - I never asked you to do it'- fair do's he didnt but I thought it would be nice in his room - pah he's still getting it any way - I love his attitude NOT - I'm really looking forward to the teenage years if this is a taster - lol!!!



I do keep getting a bit bored with it though so I have been making up some of the freebie kits that come with magazines and a little kit I got at Newcastle:


I had a couple of others however they seem to have disappeared into the abyss that is my youngests bedroom. I am currently working on the one on the left which is a footballing bear with this months cross stitch crazy magazine - do you know I would be quite rich if I could stop buying magazines!!!

Oh I made the other birthday card that I needed to make quickly wrote it, sealed it and then realised I'd forgotten to take a photo - DOH!!!

I have a couple of lovely xstitch patterns to be cracking on with and I've got some linen (I think) from Harrogate possibly 28 count however, I've never stitched on it before only aida - do I need to bear anything in mind while stitching on this or just crack on as I normally would???

Thanks for looking xx

I dont think...

... the glue is dry on this one yet. Realised it is my best friends daughters birthdays soon they are 16 & 17 the day after each other, so one down one to go. My friend lives about half an hour away so we dont get to see each other as often as we like with work and one thing and another but we are meeting next week at her gym but the only things that get excercised are our jaws - lol. Anyhoo, here is Alice's card:



The image is one I recieved from Laura and have had it coloured for ages, so having a mooch through my papers spotted (excuse the pun!) and thought it looked good I have coloured the image with promarkers and matted it onto some pink card and then cut out some swirls from part of a sizzix set that I got in the January sales and not used yet - cough!

I would like to enter this into:

Totally Papercrafts: pink & girly.

Thanks for looking xx

And another one...

... yup another post and another 30th Birthday card and there'll be anothe later in the year must have been a baby boom!!

This is for a Sarah who is a lovely member of our family (married to Ians {other) nephew), she turned 30 the day before I had my birthday and I made this for her:


I love this ladybug image and imagine it to be me reclining with a martini - however I could never be that sophisticated in my fleecy dressing gown curled up in my chair and any drink will do - preferably rose but depending on how the day/kids have been - it could be stonger - lol.

The image has been coloured with promarkers, the papers where free with a magazine the ribbon, numbers, flower, pearl and pearl brad(ebay) all from my stash.

I would like to enter this into:

Crafty Sentiments: Special Occassion
I love promarkers: - pearls

Thanks for looking xx

30th birthday card.

Ooh another post this is going to be a quickie though as hubby is hovering to be on the pooter!! I just wanted to blog this card that I made for Ian's nephew who is going to be 30 soon:





Chris lives in Leeds now and we dont really see a lot of him so dont really know what his interests are I had recently purchsed this digi image and thought that would be useful I'm sure all men are interested in beer!! I have coloured the image with promarkers and added some stickles and glossy accents to the froth and the glass. Matted onto some SU card & paper added some twine and then squashed a bottle cap in the Big Shot added 30 and then glossy accented that as well.

I would like to enter this into:

CYDA - Fathers day/speical man (gone for the special man - nephew).
Charisma Cards - boy oh boy
Do it with digis- its all about the boys
Samuel Taylors - males

Thanks for looking xx