A Couple of Cards & A Bit Of Girly Indulgence!

Well, my get ahead of myself campaign is continuing and I've done another couple of cards ahead of time. First is this one which is my Mum's Mother's Day card for this year. I'm so far ahead I don't even know what date Mother's Day is this year!


Of course there is felt on there, and some of it is thanks to my Mum. She found a load of pieces in a cupboard at home and gave them to me to use on my cards. Free felt, love it!

The pearl topped pin is from a new addition to my crafty stash. I've been meaning to get some for ages and found some on one of the haberdashery stalls on my local market. (Much cheaper than buying the 'Scrapbooking' ones). I also picked up some nice ribbons at the same time but I've not used those yet.

Ingredients:
Paper - Basic Grey 'Gypsy'
Felt flowers cut using Cuttlebug, Quickutz and Sizzix dies
Dovecraft brads
Coffee cup sleeve
American Crafts ribbon
Pearl topped pin
Inking and pen stitching

Yesterday was Daring Card Makers Challenge Day, and it was Lythan's turn to set the Dare:

I just love, love, love patterned paper so this week I dare you to join me in
Patterned Paper Passion
I want to see 3 different patterned papers on your card.And to be extra daring, why not see if you can use 3 different lines of paper!

Well I wimped out on using three different lines of paper and stuck with three from the Basic Grey 'Infuse' range:

It's another Mum card, but this time it's for my MIL's birthday next month; you see I am really getting ahead. My sister is getting married in August, at this rate I'll be making the wedding card next week!

Ingredients:
Paper - Basic Grey 'Infuse'
Felt flowers cut using Cuttlebug dies (leaves also cut with a Cuttlebug die)
Papermania brads
Papermania felt ribbon
Tag - Cuttlebug die
Scalloped and plain oval nestabilities dies
Lettering - Quickutz Katie Skinni Mini dies
Pearl topped pin
Inking and pen stitching

Now for the bit of girl indulgence - new SHOES!!!! Contrary to what Mr Crafty Blogger will say, I am not really a shoe mad girly girl, but when I saw these babies I just had to have them:

I have got them to go with a cocktail dress I am wearing for a black tie ball in a couple of weeks. The planned ensemble may end up looking hideous, and I may end up looking like I've gone in fancy dress at Dorien from Birds of A Feather (as Mr Crafty Blogger suggested when I told him about the shoes), but I 'll take a chance.

Just to prove I'm really not a girly shoe girl, this is a pic of how my feet are usually attired (when I'm not at work). Forget Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo, Dr Marten knows a thing or two about shoes!

Finally, I have moved my new DAB radio/I-Pod dock to it's permanent home in my craft room so here's a pic.

Have a good weekend,

Cheers

Ruthie x

And Hear Old Triton Blow His Wreathed Horn

How's that for a post title!

It's a link to today's prompt on HerSpace:MySpace:HisSpace photo challenge blog to find 'Carve' in your space.

My 'carve' is the relief which is on the ceiling above the main staircase of the Midland Hotel in Morecambe. It was carved by the artist Eric Gill and bears the inscription I used in the post title.

It's not a particularly brilliant shot, but it fits the prompt. I am hoping to get some better ones when me and Mr Crafty Blogger go to the Midland for our wedding anniversary, If not before. I am feeling the need to get the sea air in my lungs, and a Brucianni's milky coffee in my tummy so a trip to Morecambe could be in order sooner rather than later.

Eric Gill carved a number of pieces for the Midland and you can read more about them HERE. I also used a photograph of one of the others for another HS:MS:HS prompt (see HERE).

Nothing much else to report here at Crafty Blogger HQ, although I have treated myself today to a new DAB radio and I-pod dock to go in my craft room. Since we moved house the one I got last Christmas has found a new home in the kitchen so I decided I needed a little one for upstairs. I will post a pic when I set it up in it's new home. (At the moment it's still in the kitchen where I tested it when I got home, but I can report it's currently doing a sterling job with a bit of Rick Astley!)

Cheers

Ruthie x

A Productive Day

Yesterday was a very productive crafty day. I holed myself up in my craft room to finish my friends recipe binder (based on THIS fab tutorial), and here it is:

Front cover:

Side/inside view:

Dividers:

Close-up of the dividers:

I just need to print off the cards to go inside and then it's good to go.

Ingredients:

Based on Cathy Zielski tutorial (get it HERE)

American Crafts Modern album and page dividers from HERE

K&CO Amy Butler Sola 12x12 papers

Letters cut from funky foam using the Cuttlebug Red Tag Sale alphabet

While I was waiting for the bits of my binder to dry I decided to make a couple of cards with the off-cuts of paper which were left.

As some of the paper was stripey I thought it would tie in with a challenge over on Crafts By Carolyn's forum to create a card featuring stars and stripes. The star is very subtle as I used it for the brown petals of the flower, but it's there!

and a close up:

Ingredients:

K&CO Amy Butler Sola Papers
Bazzill brown card

Papermania felt ribbon
Lettering cut with Quickutz Katie Skinni Mini alphabet
Flower cut from felt and homemade chipboard using Sizzix star and cuttlebug scalloped circles/flowers die

Dovecraft brad

I carried on playing with the off-cuts and came up with another birthday card:

Ingredients:

K&CO Amy Butler Sola papers
Coffee cup sleeve
Flower cut from felt and a coffee cup sleeve using Cuttlebug asterisk and scalloped circles/flower dies

Cuttlebug swirl border

Greeting created using Dymo tape

Yesterday was also a productive day because while in my craft room I listened to an album I hadn't heard in ages (possibly even years) and realised I love it:

A bit of a controversial favourite as it was absolutely panned by the critics when it came out, but I'm not afraid to admit I like it, but it does make me feel old as it was released nearly 15 years ago. It also reminds me of the scene in the film Shaun of The Dead where they are killing zombies using old vinyl records and the Second Coming gets saved as Shaun liked to too. (Love that film, might have to watch it tonight :) )

I ended up listening to the album as I was reading a discussion on Crafts By Carolyn's forum about what kind of art people like. I remembered I read in the paper last week that the artist John Squire (former Stone Roses guitarist) has a new exhibition of his work starting shortly in London. For some reason this made me want to listen to the track Begging You from the Second Coming, so that's how I ended up crafting and listening to the album (twice through).

All in all a very productive day: recipe binder done; an album rediscovered and cards made. Excellent!

Cheers

Ruthie x

I 'Felt' The Need For A Challenge

I feel that I have been neglecting my felt fancying duties of late as most of my recent cards and projects have not included it. So yesterday I decided to join in with this week's Daring Card Makers challenge and add my own personal challenge that it must include felt.

Keryn had set the DCM challenge:

My dare for this one is the predictable, someone had to do it, theme of Valentines. Although I don't want you to feel you just have to make Valentines Day cards, feel free to make a card fitting any theme you like as long as it has a heart somewhere on it. Stamped hearts, punched hearts, diecut hearts, heart embellishments, cut from patterned paper, whatever, whenever as long as it has the right shape.

So here is my take on hearts (and felt):

Ingredients:
SEI Paper
Papermania felt ric-rac (isn't it fab!)
Felt hearts cut using Cuttlebug dies
Bulldog clip and buttons from stash
A bit of inking to finish

Cheers

Ruthie x

HS:MS: HS and Mid-week Catch-Up

I thought I would just check in with a quick catch-up.

I am a regular reader of the HerSpace:MySpace:HisSpace photo challenge blog but I don't get to play along as often as I would like, particularly at the moment when it's dark when I get in from work.

Anyway I popped in today and the prompt was 'Tip'. I could have taken a photo of my craft room which is mostly a complete tip, however I opted for the tip of one of my new set of fineliner pens.

As you know I love doing fake stitching on my cards and so I have been on the look out for suitable fineliner pens so I can stitch in colours other than black, so I was delighted when I found a set of 10 0.3mm ones in my local Sainsbury's. They are in a really clever pack which means you can stand them up on your desk as I demonstrated here (can you tell I love stationery?)

My crafty mojo seems to be in residence at the moment and last night I set down to have a go with my new Sizzlits owl die. I only intended cutting one to see what it was like, but I ended up making a full card!

Ingredients:
Sizzix Sizzlits owl die
Ovals cuts using Nestabilities
Basic Grey 'Infuse' paper
Coffee cup sleeve
Papermania brads
Inking and pen stitching (using one of my new pens)

The lovely Ellen commented on my last post, asking about the recipe binder. Yes, I have started it, but it's still a work in progress. I decided to start the one for my friend's birthday first (as I am on a deadline with that one). Here's a quick pic of it as it is at the moment:

I have done the cover, and one of the dividers but I still need to do the rest of them and design and print the recipe cards themselves. I will post full details and more pics (taken in better light) when it's finished.

I found the idea for it here: http://cathyzielske.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/09/if-you-like-foo.html

I almost forgot, Ellen gave me an award too:

It's the Marie Antoinette Award, but Ellen if you read this can you let me know what it's for :)

Cheers

Ruthie x

Bring On the Burlesque and Other Crafty Projects

Well I never thought I would be doing party invites inspired by those tassels which Burlesque dancers wear, but there is a first time for everything. My sister is getting married this year and we are going for a Burlesque dance lesson at the Ministry Of Burlesque for her hen party. She has asked me to come up with some hen party invite designs, and so far I've come up with this one:

I took inspiration from the email my sister sent informing me she has found sequined heart nipple tassels on ebay. She assures me they will be stuck to t-shirts for the event!

All the hens have also been tasked with coming up with Burlesque names which will be printed on the t-shirts, so I am now going by the alter-ego of:

What do you think?

I've got quite a few other crafty projects I need to start this weekend too. I am going to attempt to make a recipe binder so I can get myself organised. If it goes to plan I am also making one for a friend so fingers crossed. I've also got some cards to do and I am going try and continue to be organised and make Mr Crafty Blogger's valentines card.

Obviously you need inspiration to complete all these projects and last night I found myself in hobbycraft and inspiration just jumped into my basket, including this fab 12x12 K&CO pad:

I already have the 6x4 mat pad, but decided this pad would be perfect for doing my recipe binders. I also purchased some felt to co-ordinate with it :)

Have a good weekend.

Cheers

Ruthie

Getting Ahead of Myself

This morning I've managed to make a card in plenty of time, wonders will never cease. I think it may be some kind of subconscious New Year's resolution! It's a birthday card for a friend. Her birthday is not until the end of the month but I can post it here as she doesn't read my blog.

It also fits in nicely with this week's dare over on Daring Card Makers:

We'd like you to do your bit for the planet and make a card using some recycled items.Yes, we know we've done similar challenges in the past, but some things are good to revisit and this is one of them - it gets us looking at stuff we might be throwing away and asking ourselves if there's some card-making mileage to be had from it.And besides, it's FREE! If you can use something rescued from Christmas rubbish (scraps from cards, decorations etc) - then you get double points! lol

Here is a couple of shots of the finished card:

As you may now from previous posts I am an avid collector of coffee cup sleeves, so they quite often find there way onto my cards. In addition to this I printed the greeting onto a scrap of card which was lying on my craft desk, and the chipboard flower was made using a scrap of mount board which was also lying around.

Non-recycled items on the card are K and Co Amy Butler papers, Dovecraft brad, and Papermania felt ribbon, felt flower cut using a cuttlebug die, with inking and pen stitching to finish.

Yesterday morning I ventured out in the freezing cold with my camera hoping to get some nice frosty shots in the garden. I didn't find anything frosty worth shooting, but I did find some fungus on a tree stump:

After seeing these shots Mr Crafty Blogger declined my offer of a mushroom risotto for tea. I can't think why!

In the afternoon I ventured out with Mr Crafty Blogger to the East Lancashire Railway to take photos of trains and ride on them. (It's a Mr Crafty Blogger thing, although he has said if I come along then he doesn't need to worry about the photo bit as I take care of that, and he can presumably concentrate on riding on the train, which obviously takes a lot of concentration.)

It wasn't a brilliant afternoon for photographing, but we still stood in a field in temperatures hovering around zero and I did get one shot of the afore mentioned train:

There was method in my madness for venturing to the East Lancashire Railway as there is a craft shop right opposite the train station at Ramsbottom. So on the return journey I left Mr Crafty Blogger and his friend on the train so I could have a look round the craft shop. Everyone's a winner - he gets to stay on the train for another 15 mins and I get a peaceful mooch round the craft shop.

I did make some purchases, the felt ribbon used on the card above, and some friendly plastic. I have to say the friendly plastic seems to be harder than it looks and we are not quite getting on at the moment! More practise needed I think.

Cheers

Ruthie x

Back To Normal

Well the holidays are over and things are back to normal for me. The trees came down yesterday and it was back to work this morning. I can't complain really after two weeks off.


I have managed one quick card since my last post. I am not really happy with it, but I needed to do something quickly on Friday night so I could get it in the post.



Cartoon image is a download from Tigerfrogg, paper is Basic Grey and the ovals are cut using nestability dies.



The reason I was in a rush on Friday night was because we went to Edinburgh for the day on Saturday. I did take the camera but most of the shots I came back with were quite rubbish it has to be said. However, I am prepared to share this one, just for the name of the shop:


I have to say that I was amazed at the amount of souvenir (or tourist tat) shops Edinburgh has, it seems like every other shop was one, but the name of this one did make it stand out. I really should have gone in here to add to my fridge magnet collection, but I didn't think at the time.


We didn't have that long in the City, but we did manage to wander down the Royal Mile; debate who would actually pay to go in the '3D Loch Ness Experience' and walk up to the castle and admire the view:

We also went to the pub for a very nice haggis lunch (no pic of that though).

All in all a very nice place to spend a crisp winter Saturday. Id like to go again when I have more time to look round, and I will remember to buy a fridge magnet too.

Cheers,

Ruthie x

Happy New Year from the Crafty Blogger

First things first:
Hope you all had a good one. We celebrated with a few friends, quite a few drinks and a lot of bad singing courtesy of the new(ish) Singstar Abba. If you've seen Mama Mia and thought Pierce Brosnan was bad, he's got nothing on me!


Well I've had an excellent start to the New Year, my first ever blog award. The lovely Sarah has awarded me this !


Sarah makes fantastic cards so I was honoured she picked my blog to forward the award to. Check out her blog and cards here.


Now the rules of the award are that you have to name 5 addictions and 5 fave blogs. So here goes:


My 5 addictions:


1) Making cards and papercraft projects
2) Felt (to go with no. 1)

3) Trying to get better with my camera, and posting my efforts on Flickr

4) Morecambe Bay Potted shrimps

5) Rubbish chick flick movies - the cheesier the better!


Now my five favourite blogs (in no particular order), who I've chosen to pass the award on to:


1) Jo Kill's brilliant card making blog - Jo is the queen of cards for me.

2) Paper-and-String - Fab blog for all felt fans out there.

3) Emma Bagladee - Fab bag designer and blogger

4) Artfartymacs crafty news space - You are never short of inspiration on Claire's blog as I think she produces on average 1 card an hour, compared with my 1 every 8 weeks!

5) Jen's Journey - I don't scrap but I love looking at what Jen comes up with on her blog.



I did intend to blog after Christmas but somehow never got round to it so I will have to combine it in this post.


We had a lovely time a Craftyblogger HQ, and were lucky enough to receive some fab presents. The man in the big red suit was particulary kind to me this year and I got this BEAUTY:
I am now a fully fledged Nigella wannabe as I have my own KitchenAid mixer. It also goes very well with the bright pink apron my friend bought me with 'Kitchen Goddess' embroidered on the front.

And here's a rare shot of me proving that I do actually use the mixer, rather than just photographing and stroking it. (I was making Nigella's Norweigan Cinnamon Buns - highly recommended)

I can't finish my post without mentioning my TV highlight of the Christmas period. I know a lot of you out there love Dr Who, and in particular Mr Tennant (well who wouldn't), but the thing which got me most excited was the new Jonathon Creek Christmas Special.

I love that programme so much. I was like a child on Christmas Eve waiting for it to start. Mr Crafty Blogger and I settled down with a nice bottle of red and some Christmas chocolates to watch it. A perfect night and JC and his new assistant didn't dissapoint.

Not quite a good as the Black Canary Christmas special but still excellent entertainment. As a friend of mine once said, 'it's like Scooby Doo with real people' and who can argue with that! Here's a clip courtesy of the Beeb.

I really hope they make some more.

Finally I have managed to sneak in a bit of crafting, a quick mum to be card.

Image is Pink Petticoat, Basic Grey paper, and of course felt flowers!

Must dash, card to make and domestic goddess type things to do!

Cheers

Ruthie x