A mixed post...

... a little bit of everything today (well, except a card - which may be later). Okey doke, where shall I start - I finished my little Barbara Ana design the other night:


I am really pleased with it (I've missed off the bottom row of some squares- as I liked it like this) just need to get it framed now - and after giving myself a kick up the bum to actually get stuff finished I'll be off to get a frame tomorrow and have a go at doing it myself.

I've actually started & finished covering the foam for my pew - err how many months has that taken??? lol - see what you think:
It was hard sewing and reading the intruction manual to the sewing machine - oops its only its second outing since my hubby bought it for me last Christmas!! Can you spot my new oil cloth - just a little bit CKish - doesnt go with the peach walls though hmm how can I break it to hubby he's going to need to decorate - hee hee.

Have you heard the song Jar of Hearts - well here is my Jar of Tarts:

My mum gave me the jar (I think its just an old coffee one), I have filled with Yankee Candle tarts added ribbon, painted a little wood heart and written on tarts - et voila!

Are you still with me - not bored you to tears yet???

Just a couple more pics honest!!

Right, I need new magazines, like I need a hole in the head -BUT - have you seen the freebies at the moment, I got my subs. copy of cross-stitcher yesterday and I have read the print off it already and what about this for a fab freebie kit - I cant wait to start it:


Or how about a cute Margaret Sherry one in World of Cross Stitch, stitching not your thing?? There are some soooo cute Humphreys Corner Christmas stamps in Papercraft essentials???

Right just off to hide one of the mags before hubby comes home!!

Thanks for looking

Ali
xx

p.s. A bit of Sewing Machine help please when I have been stitching and finishing off when I go to snip the cotton and the cotton from the bobbin I have been getting 3 threads to snip instead of just 2??? Nothing in the manual??? Can anyone throw any light on this - I am wondering if it is because I am stitching quite slowly???
Thank you!!

New stitching..

... yup I've started another new stitchy project. I know, I know, I should finish off some of my other projects - well I am waiting for my hubby to cut me some mount card for my little welcome stitchy - so thats my excuse and I am sticking to it - lol!!


Here is my new project:



This is a cute Barbara Ana design that I originally saw on Craftymoos blog and fell in love with it as I thought it summed me up on a morning - when it is finished it will say 'hand over the coffee and no one gets hurt!' - lol. Loving the colours.

Right, I need to ask any super stitchy ladies out there - how do you store yours??? Your threads that is - do you store them in numerical order or the order of colours on the dmc chart?? Mine are alway in a right pickle and I cant seem to find a way to keep them organised. I've now got a list of dmc colours (taken from an old cross stitch magazine) with the numbers ticked off so I know which ones I have, but then trying to find them - aargh!!.

I took some photos last night of my desk, and my little sewing area around the chair where I sit on a night - but having just looked at them again now - I am ashamed to put them on here - good grief I am untidy!!! No wonder my kids are messy - oops!!

Right I can smell burning best go and check the tea :-). Thanks for looking and any advice on storage would be great.

Ali
xx

Hoping this works...

... hmm been having trouble with either blogger or my pooter not sure which, I can see only so many blogs on my dashboard and when I try to link to them nothings happening - so hopefully this post will work.

Been out and about with hubby & the kids the last few days so not getting a lot of time for crafting but I did manage to make this just to have a card for a man handy incase I forget anyone.



Another photo to try and show the 3d golf balls:



The image is a cute penny black one that I got in a bundle of stamped images from ebay coloured with promarkers. The papers came with a magazine and then I have stamped some golf ball images (the stamp was a bargain from Hobbycraft - probably the only one!!!) then punched them out and 3d sticky squared them onto the image. The green card was in my stash from the Papermill.

I would like to enter this into:

DYSU (Do you stack up)- Boy or Man
Forever Friends - 3d
Papercrafting journey - anything goes.
2 sisters - boys and their toys
Challenge up your life - for men
Crazy for challenges - male themed

Right going to hit the settee now - been swimming with the family for the first time in ages and now all I want to do is curl up and chill out - how lazy is that!!!

Thanks for looking

Ali
xx

Morning...

... all hope you are all well. I'm not sure how it happened but I was talked into having another sleepover last night - but THAT IS IT!!! No more it was only one boy but it was worse than having the two that I had last time - lol. I am not used to late nights.

So before I chill out with a nice cuppa I just wanted to blog this card. I dont think I'll send it but you know when you see an image that you just want to use:



The image is another cute freebie from the lovely Spyder - thank you. It will only be there another couple of days so pop over to her super blog soon to grab it.

I have coloured him with promarkers and then added sakura glitter pen to moleys fur. He is matted onto alphabet paper that I had printed off ages ago really sorry cant post a link but if it rings any bells with anyone please let me know and I'll pop a link up. Then just used red card that I have punched along the edge and blue card with die cut letters stuck on.

I would like to enter this into:

2 sisters - back to school
paper creators - red and blue (hmm might be tenuous with the image- but just let me know and I can remove it)
Fairytale - back to school
Creative inspirations - back to school

Thanks for looking

Ali
xx

Another post...

...just before I pick up the boys from their nannas.

I had coloured this image the other night and had a go at decoupage with my new silicone glue - hmm not sure if I've got it right - think I need a bit more practice:



I have only decoupaged the balloons and then added 3d glossy accents. The whimsy doodles image is coloured with pro-markers and then matted onto some American Crafts paper and patterned paper from Echo Park - and that bl**dy guillotine is def. NOT cutting straight!!! I have the paper flush along the top so I dont think its user error.

I would like to enter this into:

Aud Sentiments: anything goes
Cupcakes - sketch
One stop Craft Challenge - Bold & bright

Thanks for looking

Ali
xx

Playing with colouring in...

...again, yup having a bit colour of another of the lovely images Claire sent me. When I started off it wasnt going to be a get well card but sometimes things just go off on a tangent - lol. What a trauma I had with the cutting and gluing aargh!! thought I was going to have to chuck it but managed to rescue it and I am sure my x-cut guillotine doesn't cut straight!!!

Anyhoo, here is my card:




I have coloured him with pro-markers and added sakura glitter pen to the raindrops and puddle although not sure it shows in the photo. Matted onto purple card and then Basic Grey Eerie paper printed off the sentiment (since our other motherboard or something went in the other pooter I've lost loads of lovely fonts and now cant remember what to do!!- doh) with ribbon from my stash.

I would like to enter this into:
Basic Grey -anything goes.
Aud Sentiments - anything goes.
Stamp scrap & doodle - sympathy/get well
Thanks for looking

Ali
xx

Isn't it spooky...

... when you have an idea in your head and then the perfect challenge comes up. Well, that is what happened with this card - I'd had the image for ages that one of the girls (sorry cant remember who - oops!!) from MSE had sent me. I also had the map image downloaded for a while and while I was sorting through my images had the idea of putting them together, but wasnt sure how it would work out from my brain to paper - iykwim!! because sometimes things get lost along the way - lol.



Not sure if I have over done it with the distress inks??? The card blank is an 8x8 from a £1 stall at the pins & needles fair. The brilliant treasure map was from Spyders blog (thank you) with ribbon from my stash - the image has been coloured with promarkers and a little silver pen on the knife blade and buckles - he has been 3d sticky squared on so he stands proud of the map a little bit - doesnt show too well in the photo.

I am really pleased with how it has turned out - now my son wants a treasure map printing - hmm wonder where he is going to find the gold - aaaarrrr - sorry couldnt resist - lol.

I would like to enter this into:
Creative craft world - for a child
passion for promarkers - a pirates life.
Cards for men - anything goes (not sure if you are allowed 2 entries so I can easily remove it if not)

Thanks for looking.

Ali
xx