New babies

Here's a cute little girly card that I made for a new baby - I've had a few of these to make, boy and girl, so I've just updated the colours and the design. I love the Autumn Leaves giraffe stamp, there is a smaller giraffe in the pack too which work lovely for new baby cards.

I started making some more of my Christmas cards last night too as I have over half made, but need some more. What have you been making?

Stamping

I've been up and down with this blog alot lately. I like updating it with what I've been doing, but I keep coming back to the idea that I don't like my personal information 'out there' and I don't have the time to update it. I'm also not sure how many people are reading it now as I had a bit of a break from it, so the logical thing seems to be stick to craft work and that's it! So that's my plan.

I'm guilty of browsing other people's blogs, but not having time to update my own. What about you?

I don't spend anywhere near as much time looking at other's blogs as I used to, and actually because I am too busy it would frustrate me too much if I did as I would constantly want to be making when I can't! However, when I do look, it's always such lovely work.

I’ve been making my Santa list from Stampin’ Up products as I just love them so much but have no justification at all for buying more craft materials myself! I’ve been looking at Monica’s blog a lot lately as well as other stamping blogs, take a look here as she makes some wonderful projects.

Excuse the bad photo lighting for this card, but I only seem to get time to photograph my cards late at night, the night before they are due! This is a card I made recently mimicking one of Lousette's Christmas cards - see here for her original.

I've also been making other birthday cards and buying lots of nice handmade gifts today from a Christmas barn that I visited - so cute! I will share those later on. I just wish I had time to make them all myself but I couldn't resist buying them.

The tree is up - and it's nearly Christmas!

December already

I was reading something today about people using direct images of other’s work (by taking them from their blogs etc) and passing it off as their own. I mean, how often do people actually do that? It’s always a bit of a hot topic and there are always strong opinions on it. I’m sure there are times when people do it knowing full well what they are doing, and I’m sure there are times when someone has accidently forgotten to say whose card it was or has forgotten where they saved the image from. But do people really pretend to have made something someone else has, to take the credit for it? I can’t see the feel-good factor in it myself, if I haven’t made it then the praise isn’t mine.

Anyway, using other people’s work for inspiration is another thing entirely and I like doing it, particularly when I am short of time and don't have time to think of something new. It’s a great way of stretching your own imagination and trying things you wouldn’t have thought of too.

So to share a couple of things that I've done, I finally continued with my Stampin' Up! Christmas cards, as I said that yonks ago, that I would. I've literally only managed to try two of the cards that Suzanne and Lousette made in the blog event, but I am persevering! The image above is a slight alternative to one of Suzanne's here (you'll need to look for the Oct 1st post as I can't get a link to it). I changed a few things i.e. the shape of the card for starters but essentially it's the same design.

I also made a few more from the old Stampin' Up! card set I had and just love, so it's always an old favourite to return to that and make a few more to build up my stocks of birthday cards. So I've added those to the Christmas cards I made from Lousette's design (in one of my previous posts). I'll share the other birthday card and new baby cards next time.

Busy, busy, busy

I've been too busy to blog lately, and it's been nearly a month! I have made a few cards lately though and have a scrapbook page I want to try. I've been busy with birthday celebrations (not mine!), which included a lovely meal at a specialist fish restaurant, an overnight stay in a country manor house and tomorrow - a day at Billingsgate Fish Market Cookery School in London. I'm excited! We will learn how to cook recipes and prepare fish such as these....

Not so sure I am going to like the preparing of the fish from scratch, I like the 'not too fishy' type of fish, but should be an experience to remember and it was a gift well received which is what counts.

I've made a couple of new baby cards for new arrivals, and then have continued trying to make a few more Christmas cards - it's a good job the Stampin' Up challenge started us off in September as it's nearly December and I've still not managed that many. I will share again soon...

Other's designs

Is there ever such a thing as a tidy craft space when there is work in progress? I don't think so.

This was my area last week when I finally returned to my Stampin' Up! projects, weeks after our last blog challenge. I have been ridiculously busy lately and so I only managed to return to it a week ago, but then it's taken me the whole week to post this. Madness.

So with Christmas cards in mind, I decided to stamp some images in bulk, with a view of making lots of cards in one day. Only with the help of my two nieces, I didn't quite get as many made as I planned...

Trying other people's designs is something some people are shy of, or feel bad about, but I think its a great way of expanding your own styles and pushing yourself in areas that you wouldn't usually, so I recommend it. I wanted to have a play at making the cards both Lousette and Suzanne both created in the blog challenge, so here is the first of Lousette's designs, chosen as my first because I loved the way that the ribbon was folded and layered. I also loved this swirl stamp when I used it on white paper so I was naturally drawn to this design of Suzanne's.

I began some more of the other designs, but only got half way through them so when I am back to them again, I will share them. Five Christmas cards done, only about another 30 to go...

Time flies!

Wow, time has just disappeared these last few weeks, with a busy work, a house move in the family, lots of social things - so I haven't been able to blog for a while. And disappointingly, I still haven't got back to my lovely Stampin' Up! Christmas stamps either.

I would like to say a thank you to the Stampin' Up! press office as I received a lovely little card in the post to say thank you for taking part in the blog hop challenge event - it was my pleasure! I've seen more people signing up to be SU demonstrators recently too, I must say, the demonstrator's package has been enough to make me consider it and I didn't even have it in mind!

Are you looking for a nice way to deliver a gift and card in one this year? If your friends or families like jewellery, then these are easy presents to incorporate into your cards. I've decorated a card in the usual way - patterned paper, scalloped edges etc, and then I've created two circles and punched a hole through the centre of each. If this is already attached to your card blank when you do this, it's easy - simply hook the earrings through the holes and voila! A quick card and present in one.

Quick makes

I'm going to share just a couple of quick makes with you, Christmas themed again, as who doesn't need a quick-make Christmas card at some point?

I am still itching to get back to my Stampin' Up! cards and make some duplicates of what I made on the night, and then try out some of Lousette and Suzanne's - I think I should be done for all my Christmas cards by the time I've done that! The only snag is, I've got a manic few weeks coming up so I'm not sure that is going to happen.

I was flicking through the new Stampin' Up! catalogue partly to browse, and also to see if I could see any sets designed for men's birthday cards. Now yes, I know, any stamps can be used for men if you just give the card a male twist, but I can't be the only one who struggles with male cards? As an experienced crafter, I still find it hard to sit down and create a card for a man off of the top of my head. I would like SU to have created a Simply Sent card kit just for men, but as they haven't, I might sit down and choose some versatile stamps, some masculine papers, a greeting and some coordinating ribbon. And order my very own card kit! If you have got links for male cards (not just SU) I would love to see them. Paula does wonderful cards for men and women over here.

Another year on...

Well I haven't made it back to my craft table yet, I had too busy a weekend, but I do have other cards to share. I am looking forward to getting back to my desk as I thought I'd try making the cards that Suzanne and Lousette made during the Stampin' Up! blog event too - trying other people's styles is a great way of stretching your own.


These are some cards that I made for a 'Crafting for Christmas' publication last year or the year before, using the Blonde Moments stamps. My colour scheme was black paired with bright pink, orange and lime green, sounds horrid, doesn't it?


And although this calendar is clearly now out of date, I thought it might be good to share for an idea of what you could make someone as a handmade gift this Christmas. If you want to personalise it and add photos to make it more like a scrapbook calendar, you can of course do that. I created the date pages in a word document and printed it onto card.


I've added lots of stitching, just because I love it! And have used book rings to hold it all together, with the base folded into a triangle. I actually made the base have four sides, so that two can overlap and be stuck together.

Happy crafting!

what next?

So when do you ladies receive your new Stampin' Up! orders that you've placed? I was thinking about how much of a success this blog hopping event was and how much everyone seemed to enjoy it, and was thinking that there is nothing to stop you guys that are demonstrated from doing your own between you! You could each pass a box of goodies onto each other or something similar.

Thank you to everyone who came over here to have a look at my work, and for all of the comments that you left, I really enjoyed taking part.

This was what my craft desk looked like when I set up to begin the blog event... I'd love to see some links to what any of you make with your new orders - so please let me know your links and I will come over and have a look! I had no idea that my kit was going to be Christmas themed, and that was actually a huge help so while all of my SU materials are out on my craft desk I might make some good progress on the rest of my Christmas cards....!