Oh for more space

Yet again my crafty corner is being used to put bits in whilst other bits of the house are sorted out.  I have my eldest son at home at the moment whilst he has an internship at a law firm in London, so we can't use his room - but having him home is wonderful!  When we all sit round the table together I feel complete again - stupid I know!

I have some new stamps from Indigo Blu that I am itching to get crafting with, but with everything so cramped it makes it quite difficult.  That company was the best find of the year for me, they are only small but their stamps are beautiful for the more "edgy" card - great for men and teenagers - both of which I seem to be surrounded by in abundance, and non of which appreciate all the glitter that seems to spread round the house :)

Anyway - I hope to be blogging some more cards soon - they are being despatched before I have a chance to get them on here at the moment!

I did squeeze in for 5 mins and make this :)

Lots of love to you all

Melissa xx

Snatched Time

It always amazes me that with all the time saving gadgets we have there always seems so little time!. I am in an am dram play at the moment so that has taken up a good few evenings, not that I really wanted to do the part but the lady who was dropped out last minuet and I know the director who phoned and said if I didn't do the part the whole play was off - so no pressure then!!  We are half way through and we seem to be making the audience laugh - AND I've remembered all my lines (I hope that I haven't spoken too soon!)

Anyway with that, choosing the next re-decoration project, Chris's ever blossoming Rugby capers I have managed to make a few more cards.  I won't post the Christmas cards I have made in case I spoil some surprises :)

I discovered that one of my embossing folders had a secret panel that lifted up so you could ink up the pattern! the paper is sparkly but it doesn't show that well - it was a really good find.  It was one of those blue ones - cuttlebug I think, anyway they come in a clear perspex card - Eileen knows and will probably tell you all in the comments!

One of the magazines I have had recently had this image as a give away on the front of it.  Not too keen on the image - but I love the sentiment - I may have to use this again!  I cut the Christmas tree and frame  out on  my new bigshot pro.

 With all the dark days I fancied a bit of colour and glamour and this was the result - I hope you like it.

Matthew (number one son) and his girlfriend Jenni are coming to see the play on Friday - can't wait to see my boy again.  I know he is all grown up and independent - but he is still my little boy! Oh what am I going to do when Chris leaves home EEEEK.

Just One

 Hi Everyone - It has been manic here decorating has paused but to take up the slack I've been landed with managing the local U15 Rugby Team and be in a local play - am I mad or what - all with chronic back pain!!

That aside the worst part about it all is that I have new toys and no time to play with them.  I made this card recently with some new dies and stamp and it came out quite nicely - I particularly liked the flower in the corner - I think that you'll be seeing a lot more of this :)

I've also been making loads of Christmas tags for pressies - and yes I've already wrapped some up too!

Hope everyone is ok  and love to you all

Melissa xx

Here again!!

Eileen has moaned at me for not blogging!! so here I am.  I've been busy decorating the upstairs but we are on the home straight now so all is good - until I pull around one of the downstairs rooms :-) next on the list.  I have been doing a crafty present for Matthew, I don't think he reads this.. but I won't put it on here just in case.  It is taking HOURS and loads more to do so I hope he appreciates it!

The Big Shot Pro is fantastic, no more wasted scraps of paper and such a great range of products to put through it - I can't wait to play a bit more.  Here are a couple of recent play pieces.

SUCH a lucky girl

I got my Christmas present early  my lovely lovely lovely husband bought me a Big Shot Pro!!! can you believe it - it's HUGE and lovely and does everything and even better there is no motor to break!!

This makes up for all the moaning and groaning Christopher is doing because he hurt his knee whilst playing rugby - honestly that limp was an Oscar winning performance :)

Love to you all - mucho cards to follow xx

OH No not again

The motor on my Vagabond had died a death AGAIN!! where do I go from here :( I had a big shot and the bearings went, the same thing happened to my mate Eileen so I don't want to go that way.  The Grand Calibur won't take the thick dies I have - any one heard anything about the Joy cutter?

Live from the Ali Pali (just)

I have had the most brilliant day with a fantastic set of ladies  - thanks girls xxx  only a couple of hours home and ta da ...

So.. here I used my new Lilly of the Valley stamp, new flowers, new Letraset flex pens as well as some of my stash.  One thing I have noticed about the flex pens is that they pulled some of the ink out of the stamped image making it a bit brown in places.  I love the almost non colours, it's like having a tinted blending pen and they could prove useful but I am not ready to rave over them just yet.

Oh I came away with bags and bags of goodies and now I have my crafty corner back I am going to have some fun!!

I really enjoyed the show, there seemed a lot less people than before and it was fantastic that they stopped those awful ankle scrapper wheeled shopping trolleys in there!!. SO all I need do now is save  up for next year ;-)

Lots of love and luck to all
xxx

can't wait

we are doing some major upstairs decorating and so my lovely craft room is being used as a storage area.  However I now have a lovely cool, clean and hopefully elegant cream bedroom complete with restored beam and Christopher's room has been stripped and re-papered.  His room as caused some excitement, we re-instated a fireplace in it, and whilst stripping of about 10 layers of paint from the cast iron surround, have found the most amazing detail in it, then we pulled back the carpet and found the original hearth and stunning floorboards - result!!

I have a load of new stamps, from a new company called Indigo Blue I can't wait to get my inky fingers on - results to be posted here as soon as decorating is finished :)

I hope everyone is well and happy in blog land and will post again soon xxx

Die Cut Heaven

Now  I have my Vagabond back - it's die cutting all the way :)

Notice how this one is made using the negative cuts of the other cards elements - does that make sense?!

It is a shame that the sparkle of the background paper doesn't show up on this one.

 Lots of love
Melissa xx

Hi!!

I haven't posted any cards for a while because I've not had my die cut machine and they have all been pretty ordinary - however here are 3 I quite like :)

I hope I've given you something pretty to look at rather than the riots on the streets.

Lots of love to everyone xxx

still here

Hi, I haven't disappeared! finally I lost my temper with My Craft Studio and demanded my money back as three weeks later still no machine!!

Dad took me down to the Craft Barn and for 4p more I have a new machine YIPPEEE!!!  I have been crafting and will post more pics soon xx

Enveloboxer

As my new Vagabond hasn't turned up :'-( I've been playing with the enveloboxer today and I really like it.

You can make a 6" square 1" deep  out of one 10.5" card.  The boxes are great for presentation, but these are good if you are being stingy with your card (you need 2 bits for a box) or want to send through the post.

I had to send a  card with a few flowers on it to a friend via post and didn't have a suitable envelope and didn't feel my box making skills would last the distance - so after words with my trusty mentor Eileen ( who had heard of them but not used) I decided to give them a go.

Anyway I've only played a bit with it - but I would definitely give it the thumbs up!

Oh what a time I've had - not being able to get into my craft room because it is so full of "stuff" from No. 1 son in between residences and having rooms decorated to disaster of disaster my Vagabond has broken!! one day the motor just stopped :( Mycraft Store have been brilliant and collected it from me and will deliver a new one when they have it in stock.  I didn't realise how much I use it and what a difference a die cutter makes to you cards.

So I decided to sit in the garden and practice my colouring -I have friends who have been on proper courses and I am getting SO left behind :) anyway there were some free Lilly of the Valley images with a magazine which I have photocopied and played with - I have left a space for the sentiment until I know who wants what for what - but I hope you like them

Love Melissa xx

One last picture - because Betty decided to eat her cushion she had to creep in behind Mack - fortunately he is a deep sleeper - or more tolerant than I thought!!

Betty's first bath

Betty had he first bath on Sunday.  The weather was so hot we decided that it was an ideal time as she could run around the garden to dry off.  Poor thing looked like a forlorn drowned rat in the bath.

you could see that she couldn't wait to get it over with ! I had to give her a mohecan (sp?)

after a little run around in the sun I got the dreaded brush out and her hair exploded into a mass of really soft curls.  You just had to pit your fingers in and scrunch it all up!

Now you can see her say "Mum how COULD you - you've ruined ALL my street cred!)

3 different cards

What a rainy week it's been, just as I've got someone in to paint the outside of the house too!  I've made 3 more cards, all very different - I hope you like them, it was great fun doing them :)

This first one is for my son's mates!

This is because it is so grey out there I fancied some colour!!

This one was because I found some lovely bling!

Lots of love
Melissa xx

Nothing for ages then all at once!

This is to show that naughty puppies, shelves collapsing and kids with exam stress have not stopped the crafting!!  There is another card, but as it is Christopher's birthday card I will post it later.

I love this little boy, there is a glaze on the boat but it doesn't really show.

This angel is the most beautiful stamp, I love it you  may see a lot more of it!

9th June

I have decided life it too short to try and make a never ending card!

CRASH

There I was surrounded by new toys, Pup asleep at my feet, when a huge shelf collapsed under the weight of my goodie stash :( fortunately we have a friend painting the outside of the house who has managed to put the shelf back up but instead of an afternoon crafting whilst I work, I'm clearing up and putting all the bits back :'-(

Betty

There has been some crafting, but not as much as usual as some chocolate coloured fury thing has taken over!!. I'll post card pics later.

Here are some of my favourite pics so far xx

This is Betty with her step brother Mack and step sister Mable.  Mack is a mizzy old git and won't play but Mable has great fun chasing Betty round the garden!!

Oh what a time!

Oh what a time I've had!! a new puppy and a new die cut machine!!  Betty (see below with her favourite toy) came to our household and seems to have quietly taken over! she has the most delightful nature to her and apart from a little nose nibbling if she gets near your face, there is not a jot wrong with her, she is an absolute delight, and a distraction from crafting, although she does like to sit on my feet while I'm card making :)

As I said before I have just purchased a Vagabond to replace my broken Big Shot and I have cut out LOADS of random shapes just playing with it!!  I also got a Hougie board as Eileen and a number of other crafters rave about it, and today I created this pocket card from a 12" square of paper in no time at all.  I added one of the tags cut using the vagabond and decorated both with a lovely set of flourish stamps.  I found the instructions on another blog, but have closed the page down without noting it :( I'll see if I can find it in my history if anyone is interested.

lots of love to anyone who has taken the time to read my ramblings :) xx