Where has it all gone?

I went to Artbase yesterday - and I have to say, where has all their stock gone? There was still a good choice in the shop, but nothing compared to what used to be there. I hadn't visited for about a year so I was expecting to find lots of goodies to tempt me, but I struggled. I wonder if this is just a sign of the recession and they are being careful?

They still had stacks and stacks of scrapbooking paper and bazzill card, so I treated myself to some bling card and a lovely scalloped punch as that will definitely come in useful for making cards with. Anyway, I'm off to look online at their site to see if they have more...

Back to the future?

Is my urge for creativity coming back? Is it?!? Is it?!? Maybe! Since I started a new full time job last October, working away from the crafts industry and leaving my freelance craft work behind completely, I've not had the desire to do anything. I've not made a single card or scrapbook page. Well, other than 100 wedding invitations and 100 order of services, but I don't count that.

What I mean is, I've not picked up a single piece of paper, just 'because I felt like it'. That's partly because my craft area is a mess and I really need to sort through and get rid of lots of it. And the bonus of that is, I can get rid of all of the materials that I really don't like and never would use unless a magazine asked me to - that's such a good feeling.

I'd built up such a collection of cards that I am still using them, but I've got a reason to make a few cards about now (I can't bring myself to buy one!) and i'm starting to feel the creative urge again... so just maybe, this could be the revival I was expecting at some point.

It's not been as long as I thought, and it's not back quite yet, but I knew I'd need a definite break. And I certainly love having my working hours at fixed times again so that my evenings and weekends are mine to do as I please. I think a good clear out of all of my craft materials is a good place to start as being left only with things I love to work with is surely a good thing. That, and I still have artbase vouchers to spend...

Buy, buy, buy

I seriously need to filter out my craft materials now as I have just too much so I will be selling some of my larger materials and/or equipment on here - just as soon as I've had a chance to sort through it all!

That may take me some time, but feel free to check back for updates and I will let you know in advance before I start posting things for sale.

x

New Year's Resolutions

I think my new year's resolution is going to have to be that I finish this blog. I'm not blogging anymore, and I just don't have the enthusiasm for it, so now is the time to stop as I'm not using it for the purpose I intended it now.

So if there is anything you want from here, this might be your chance to save it as I'll probably delete it all by the end of January.

Happy New Year!

x

Time to craft

Are you a traditional crafter or one for the modern collections? I like both but ultimately I am for the modern styles. The last few years I've just loved bright fuscia pink for Christmas, and through my magazine work I've been asked to use a few weird and wonderful colour combinations!

This pink card is pretty simple, a stamped image (stamped twice so that the second tree can be cut out and raised, decoupage-style), with a scalloped edge, stitching inside and pink eyelets.

This second card was part of one of those colour combinations - black, green and orange! I love this card. It's black Bazzill card torn for effect, orange thread used to create simple tree shapes and black ink around the outside with a black stamped message. Just a couple of green mini brads in the corners too.

I don't like the fact that now I'm working full time on a regular job again, I don't have time to blog anymore! And more importantly, because of that, I don't have the enthusiasm either. I like to blog and miss it, but now I don't have my days to think about crafts and taking photos as I go along of things, I just seem to forget. Since moving house a couple of years ago, I started the bases of some canvases to put on my bedroom wall. Two years later I got so fed up of looking at blank walls and not having finished them, that i finally brought myself a headboard so brought some canvases to match. Well, you can't wait forever to have the time to create, can you? I'm sure everyone has lots of half-finished projects.

Tree Tops

It was Dad's birthday so we had a little celebration over the weekend, a busy day but we all enjoyed it. He has got a bit of a rotten cold since then so that's a shame, but he was feeling much brighter on his actual day.

Having got the decorations out of the loft this year, I came across some new home decor I made last year but didn't receive back in time to display. So that is really nice that I can get them out this year to have them on show.

This tree was plain wood from Art From The Heart and I decorated it using the Blonde Moments papers and buttons. Isn't the colour scheme so cute??? I should really take a better photo of this but you get the idea...

On the first day of Christmas...

As it's the 1st of December, I thought I'd kick start it with inspiration for Christmas cards! This one seemed to be one of my most loved cards last year, although its just so simple. It is a black square card blank made from textured Bazzill card, with thick lime green organza ribbon tied into a present design on the front (make a slit in the spine to thread the ribbon on the left). I made the tag by hand and rounded the corners, and added a Blonde Moments Christmas stamp design in black ink to the centre. Voila! I could make this as my card this year as its so simple, but I have lots of others to use up so I won't.

I had a day of wedding invitation-making on Saturday with my girly friends, it was great fun. Photos are to follow!

I miss blogging!

I was just looking back to March last year when I had uploaded the videos surprising the girls in Sydney, and it made me all nostalgic. I was then reading some other posts and looking at all the things I've added here and it made me miss blogging! I've been thinking about stopping this for a little while now as I never seem to get time to update it, but now I miss it, I'm not sure!

The weekend before last we had a grown up bonfire party, complete with sausages, tomato soup, jacket potatoes and toffee apples! Plus lots of other food, haha.

We had a fun evening with sparklers too, and just enjoyed the evening together. I think I must start taking more photographs of things as I've got so lazy with that, and then perhaps I'll feel more like blogging!

Don't forget my Christmas Making Cards cd book is available out to buy! See my posts below or click here to buy... here

TV mania

I'm going to start posting Christmas cards here from magazine projects very soon, as it's getting to the time of making them, if you aren't organised enough to have done so already (I haven't!). So to finish off the last project, here are the few remaining cards on embossing.

This is one of my favourite as the Autumn Leaves little monkey stamp is just sooo cute! I've heat embossed him with red powder and I think its really effective. I wish I could draw as I'd love to design my own little motifs. (Oops there I go already, so much for a break from crafting!). The papers in this card set is BasicGrey.

For this card I've clear embossed the message onto green card, and used a BasicGrey Undressed tag which has been covered with paper, stamped onto and then also clear embossed. I like the effects of the ribbon at the sides teamed with the hole-punched border (a BasicGrey sticker).

Again this is the same paper and sticker collection, onto a black card blank for a difference. I don't reach for black very often (mainly because magazines ask you not to use it as it doesn't photograph well) but I like it with bright colours every now and then. I can't remember the name of the cat stamps (they might be Hero Arts) but I've mounted them onto a scalloped panel from Craftwork Cards - I just love their panels, they have such quality products.

So who's been watching X Factor and I'm a celebrity? I love them! I think the challenges in the jungle are just hilarious to watch, although sometimes sickening too I just have to look! I'm not a big fan of Kilroy, and I want Joe to win so far, he is so funny. I'm glad Rachel went from X Factor on Saturday as I prefer JLS, but my biggest favourites are Alexandra and Diana. Now lets see what happens, I think Eoghan is to go next week!