A day in the big city

Sorry to have been absent this week - somehow too much has been going on with teaching work, family ( and the General Election!) to make it on to here.
One highlight of last week for me, though, was that this little country mouse went down to London to meet up with a friend who I hardly ever see nowadays. It was great fun for me as it's such a change from my usual life. As another, local, friend said to me, even sitting on the train reading the newspaper or a magazine for an hour and forty minutes was a blissful break from my real life!
I met C., my friend, in Oxford Street and we spent the next 4 hours or so talking, having coffee, talking, having lunch, talking and window-shopping and in all that time didn't stray more than a couple of hundred yards from where we met up.
As you can see we did make it as far as Selfridges - and what is in the bag?

This gorgeous Guzzini mug which C. bought me as a  early birthday present and which is perfect for drinking my daily Cappucino out of. Thank you so much, C.!

With the busy-ness in my life this past week, crafting has unfortunately been rather pushed out, but I did manage to make my Sister-in-Law a card for her 50th Birthday:

Sending out today...and an award!

Went to the Post Office this morning and got these sent on their way.
First the card for my niece who will become a teenager tomorrow, made using the lovely dress-form stamp from The Girls' Paperie and resist stamping technique:



Next is the decorated box of stash for Amanda in the Community Chest stash swap which is part of the run-up to the Cyber Crop on UKS. I cheated a bit here as the box, which had contained some toiletries from Boots was already decorated on the sides, so I just used patterned paper on the front and back and attached some ribbon and a flower. Inside is a collection of small items from my stash such as buttons, brads, chipboard shapes, journalling spots, gems, pins, charms. I really hope she likes it:



And last, but by no means least, I have received my first blog award - from the talented Winnie - thankyou!

I understand that I now need to list 7 crafty things about myself and then pass on the award.

So here are 7 crafty things I do/have done:

1) I make all my own cards for birthdays and other occasions, including all my Christmas cards for the past two years.

2) I knit, having learned to do so as a child, but have only recently mastered the art of circular needles.

3) Since taking up scrapbooking in Feb 2008, I have made more than 100 scrapbook layouts, of which 8 have been published in magazines.

4) When I was a teenager I made lots of my own clothes and got a sewing-machine for my 18th birthday. ( more than 30 years ago!)

5) I recently got a new sewing machine and have enjoyed getting back into sewing.

6) When my children were young I made and decorated all their birthday cakes ( does this count as crafty?)

7) In the past I have also done lots of drawing, painting, cross-stitch and even pottery.

I'm passing this award on to 3 other creative bloggers : Nicky C, Sandie and Claire.

Quick Easter Cards

A quick post to show these quick Easter cards I made for my mum, brother and family and sister and family - the bunny image is clip-art, coloured with my lovely Promarkers and the patterned paper is all magazine freebies. So, very cheap as well!

Catching up

Counting down to Christmas now and there's still lots to do, but I am trying to fit in something creative each day. Today I finished making my cards, I had intended to make 65 but when I counted them up today there were 61 - I think this will be enough!




I've now made all the bunting triangles - they are not perfect - there are some not-very-pointy-points there, but once it is finished I think it will look good. Today I bought some red seam binding and ribbon (not sure which will work best) to attach them to, and I hope to finish this tomorrow.


Although I didn't mange to post about it, I did make something new for supper on Tuesday - this is Aubergine and Red Onion Bake, from "365" by Gary Rhodes. A very quick and simple recipe, and it tasted really good - in fact I had the leftovers for lunch both yesterday and today ( I doubled the quantity). I realise it is another gratin-type dish - I need to find something completely different for next week!

On Tuesday, I also went to an Ornament Exchange party at my friend D.'s house back in S.W.
This was the first one I had been to and wasn't sure what to expect, but it was a lot of fun and some lovely food, as well as seeing people I hadn't seen for ages - one or two people I hadn't seen since we moved up here nearly 6 years ago. It was really good to catch up with them.
This is the ornament I took to the swap:



And here is the one I ended up with - it is actually a little photo frame, so I am debating what photo to put in it:

It was a really good evening, but the party went on till after 11.30pm , and I didn't get home till 1am, so have been feeling a little jaded. In contrast it has been lovely being home these past two evenings, just reading and relaxing...

A quick and simple card

Yesterday I forgot to share the very easy and quick (but still, I hope, pretty and effective) card I made for L.'s birthday. The gorgeous fabric is "Confections" by Robert Kaufman, and the epoxy sticker is by"Love Elsie" from KI Memories.

W.I.P. Wednesday

My first posting for W.I.P. Wednesday and today my Work-In -Progress is my Christmas cards, which I finally started this morning and managed to get 10 completely done and 10 more partially done in just over an hour. My design is very simple this year, and apart from the dove stamp and the card blanks which I have bought specially, everything else is items already in my stash. ( I have got so much stuff I really need to use up!)
The dove stamp is from te English Stamp Company and the background calligraphy stamp is by Invoke. The paper is left over strips from a Dovecraft pack I bought for last year's cards.
I'm hoping to do another 10 each day to work towards my target of 70.

Christmas is coming...if you're a crafter

No, I'm not so organised that I have already designed and made my Christmas cards. This is a picture of last year's design, of which I made about 65!
But I do need to , in fact have started thinking about this year's one. When I was in my local garden centre last week the staff were busy putting together the Christmas department. And I have now ordered my stamp for this year, a dove, from the same company as the tree - The English Stamp Co.
I promise, though, that apart from my cards I will do nothing else about Christmas until at least November. But making 65+ cards does have to be spread out a little...