Tim Burton Craft Swap

I am taking part in my very first craft swap and am very excited!
The swap is taking place here
http://meridianariel.blogspot.com/2011/01/nightmare-before-valentines-day-craft.html

My paertner is Denise and I am going to spend the rest of the weekend coming up with ideas for her!!!

Sweet Little Gift Shop

I mentioned yesterday that I have set up two small businesses. The other one is http://www.sweetlittlegiftshop.co.uk/.

At the moment, the business is mainly nappy cakes but who knows where it will take me!

I have made about 20 "cakes" so far for friends of friends and have attended a few craft fayres

Invite Heaven

Wow! I haven't blogged for about 5 months! I do have an excuse though as I have set up two small businesses and am in the middle of moving house whilst working from home part-time and looking after my 21 month old son. The first business is http://www.inviteheaven.co.uk/ which is a wedding stationery business.

I have attended one wedding fayre which was very scary (especially as I only had a weeks notice to prepare samples etc)!

The website isn't great but it is up and running and now just needs a lot of work.
I have just completed my first official order which I got after doing the wedding fayre.

The order was for black and champagne Pocketfold invitations with 3 insert cards and a velcro closure.

I delivered them last night and the lady was very pleased with them. I have another order for this year and three for weddings in 2012 so it seems to be going quite well.

Half Price Craft Sale At Papermill Starts Tomorrow

Just had an email from papermill about their half price craft sale!
Looks like a few bargains to be had!

http://papermilldirect.co.uk/card-making-craft-half-price-sale/rpp-200

Carly xx

Just A Quick Post...Fabulous Farting Fiddlesness

Just wanted to post about the lovely Helen and her Fabulous Fiddle Fart Blog!
http://itsallfiddlefart.blogspot.com/2010/08/free-giveaway-to-celebrate-fiddle-farts.html
Helen is celebrating a year of fabulous daily ideas that inspire us all. If you haven't read her blog, DO IT NOW! No gimmicks or giveaways (normally), she has a daily idea that will get you hooked! Its the first thing I look at when I log on in the morning (even before I start work). I am well and truly addicted!
Helen is giving away a £40 voucher for CSN Stores where there are oodles of fab items available.
Go pay Helen a visit for your chance to win!
Carly xx

Birthday Card Using Poundland Stickers

This is the birthday card I have made for my mums birthday this week. I have used papers from the Honey and Hugs Stack from Do crafts. The elephant stickers are from Poundland. I used a tip from the lovely Helen http://itsallfiddlefart.blogspot.com/ and added some hand drawn stitching. She is an inspiration and has a fab blog!

Carly x

Engagement Card

This is an Engagement card that I made for a friend recently. I used papers from the Honey and Hugs Stack from Docrafts. I used by Bigshot for the lettering and have inked the edges using Tim Holtz inks.

Carly x

Uncle Birthday Card using Poundland Stickers

I made this card for my brother-in-law from my 1 year old son. I made it by combining two cards to make a fold out card. I then decorated it using brightly coloured card and stickers that I bought from Poundland. I cut the lettering out using my Sizzix Bigshot. The stickers are quite puffy so I had trouble closing it in the end!

Carly

50th Birthday Card

I made this card for a Friend of my Mum's for her 50th birthday

I have used a mixture of papers from the Rose Garden Paper Stack by Papermania. The lettering is by Kanban

Carly x

WOYWW Wedding Invitations

Its Wednesday! Time to show off you work spaces and what you have been up to. Pop over to Julia's for a little peek around all the lovely desks!
http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

This week I have been making up a few wedding invitation samples for a few friends of a friend.

One of the colour schemes was green and ivory and I made up two samples for her.

I was trying to be arty on my mums mirrored table but not sure that it has worked!

Although I agreed to literally make them at cost price, she still thought they were too expensive and is going to try and make her own! Oh well.

I would so love to get my own site and do invites as a business but cannot afford the site at the moment!

I want to do a wedding fayre but would like to have a site beforehand so people can have a browse, but you don't want a cheap rubbish site as it gives the wrong impression....CATCH 22!

Anyway, babbling on...supposed to be keeping this brief!

Have a lovely day people

Carly xxxx

WOYWW - Willy Wonka Themed Card

It's Wednesday again, so that can only mean one thing! WOYWW! Time to show off our desks
Pop over to Julias http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/2010/06/whats-on-your-workdesk-wednesday-55.html and show off your work space.

I've been making an Engagement card for a friend of mine. She is having a purple and gold themed wedding Willy Wonka Style! Everything on the tables is going to be edible!

I thought I'd get in the spirit and make a themed engagement card for her.

I made the lollies by winding thin rope and covering it with stickles. I have also made a chocolate bar out of felt and ribbon. I used a few Poundland stickers to finish it off.

Madness, I can't wait for the wedding!

Happy WOYWW

Carly xxx

WOYWW

It's Wednesday again, so that can only mean one thing! WOYWW! Time to show off our desks

Pop over to Julias http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/2010/06/whats-on-your-workdesk-wednesday-55.html and show off your work space.

I've finished the giant cushions for my son's Wendy House (no thanks to the rubbish sewing machine!) I had to hand stitch all the zips as the zip foot wouldn't work and it just aboout held out for the straight stitching although it messed up everytime I tried to reverse stitch! Time to invest in a new one I think. If anyone can recommend a a good cheap machine with just simple stitches etc, I would be grateful.

Sorry this isn't my actual desk but have not managed any other crafting this week. Looking forward to looking at some nice spaces this Wednesday

Carly xx

WOYWW Time...A whole load of confusion!

Time to show off our desks (or disgrace ourselves).

Pop over to Julias http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/2010/06/whats-on-your-workdesk-wednesday-55.html and show off your work space.

My desk is very confused at the moment. I am getting back into sewing and have loads of projects going on at once like I always do. The sewing machine man came yesterday to service my machine as it didn't want to play anymore.. He got it working fine and he demonstrated everything and all was good. I was so excited. I made a start as soon as he left and that was when it all begain...... I was there for two hours trying to sew in a zip using the zip foot and I got so upset I had a tantrum with tears and everything! I have a teething son at the moment who likes to be awake for 3 hours at a time in the middle of the time so I am feeling very tearful at the moment anyway but this has now just finished me off! Plus, I feel embarrassed calling this guy back after everything was fine when he was doing it! How soft am I? I hate people to think I'm stupid and I feel really embarrassed phoning him back. I paid £49 as well.

Anyway so all the material for the oversized cushions is on my desk (the sewing machine was taken away and put in the kitchen before I had a full breakdown!)

I have also got my 99p Store frame which I have put two coats of paint on. The paint hasbn't covered completely but I think this adds to the effect.

At the top sitting on my printer is a card for my brothers dog (we are big on dogs and have birthday parties and all sorts for them).

In the top right hand corner is a greek yogurt pot with my first set of promarkers in. It is waiting to be decorated (it will be waiting a long time I tell you!).

Other points of interest are Frankie's milk bottle and a stitch ripper which I used to undo all the machines mistakes! For the record, if I had just stuck to hand sewing, I woud have one cushion done by now.

I have Julias desk on my computer screen!

Lastly at the very top you can see a pair of feet. This is Mildred!

I bought Mildred from a craft fayre in Woburn from a lady who sculpts all her own models. I love her and she keeps watch over my desk and witnesses all of my tantrums! my beloved nan is in the picture behind her. I talk to her quite a lot!

Anyway, I can hear Frankie so I'm off to get him out of his cot and have another cry (maybe) LOL

Can't wait to have a nose around everyones desks

Carly xxx

Completely Hand Sewn Clutch Bag

I have made a few bags and purses before and am keen to sell a few on Ebay to see how I get on. I came across a great pattern for sale over on http://noodleheads.blogspot.com/

The pattern is here http://noodleheads.blogspot.com/2009/08/gathered-clutch-pattern.html

Noodleheads is an inspirational blog bursting full of fantastic ideas, Anna is a genius!

Here is my first attempt at the gathered clutch. My sewing machine doesn't want to play at the moment so I did this completely by hand which took a couple of evenings to complete.

I am pleased with how it turned out and I can't wait to make another (next time hopefully using a sewing machine). I am actually sitting here now waiting for the sewing machine repair man to turn up!

Carly xx

Jeremy Kyle Father's Day Card

My husband and I have an ongoing joke about Jeremy Kyle and he can do a great impression of him! He does early and late shifts and when he is on lates, he will sometimes watch it (the shame of it)

Anyway, I thought I'd make him a funny card for Fathers Day using one of the many sayings he uses over and over again!

Carly x

Cupcake Stickers From Poundland

Just been to the brand new Poundland in Milton Keynes. We had a small one but now we have a mahooooosive one! It was being opened by Joe Swash LOL. Ironically, he was charging £3 for an autograph, should have been £1 in Poundland!

Anyway, got these fab cupcake stickers from there. Great bargain. Have bought many stickers from there in the past but these are definitely my favourite so far! (The stickers are on A4 card, just to give you an idea how big these are)

Carly x

Challenges

I would like to submit this card into the following Challenges-

Cupcake Craft Challenge 95 - One For The Boys

http://cupcakecraftchallenges.blogspot.com/2010/06/challenge-95one-for-boys.html

Incy Wincy Designs Challenge 45 - One For The Guys
http://incywincydesigns.blogspot.com/2010/06/challenge-45-one-for-guys.html

Totally Gorjuss Challenge 34 - For The Boys
http://totallygorjuss.blogspot.com/2010/06/challenge-34-for-boys.html

Cards For Men Challenge 12 - Fathers Day
http://cardsformen.blogspot.com/2010/06/challenge-no-12-fathers-day.html

WOYWW Fathers Day Card

As you can see from the pictures, my desk is a mess! I am busy making cards for Fathers Day (My Dad, Father-In-Law, Husband blah blah blah)

I saw an idea a few months ago in an issue of Papercraft Inspirations which I have been wanting to make for a while.

It was a shed design card which I have adapted slightly. I found a roll of wood effect sticky back plastic in Hobbycraft for 49p which I thought would be great to use for the shed.

I cut the card into a shed shape and then added strips of covered card for the roof and decorative diamond. I then cut the door out which I struggled with! Not as neat as I would like but not bad for a first attempt. I then added hinges and a sign which I inked and then added tacks using a silver pen (brads would have been better).

I then made some flower pots and a spade out of card (I have just ordered a Sizzix Big Shot which I cannot wait to start using! It would have been great for this sort of card.)

To finish it off I added some punched flowers and leaves.

Am reasonably happy but it could do with being a bit neater and I am going to cover the inside of the card with the wood effect on my second attempt to see if it looks a bit better.

The front of the card is a little flimsy after cutting the door out so need to strengthen it a bit. I did add some flower pots inside hoping this would strengthen but this hasn't worked.

As always, the inside of my card has let it down. I am never very good when it comes to the insides of cards!

If anyone has any tips on how I can improve this card, I would be grateful

Anyway, I'm off to have another go

Carly x

2nd Attempt!!!!!

Looks a little better I think

Carly x

B Wise and Poundstretcher Bargains

Just wanted to share a few bargains that I bought on Sunday.

I got two sets of mini beads from B Wise for £1 each which Ithought was a bargain! I am planning to make a few purses and use these on the embroidery. They come in cute little jars which I am sure I can do something crafty with. Am thinking 'message in a bottle' sort of thing?

I also got two sets of wooden animal stickers and some Sarah Kay stickers which are lovely. Does anyone remember Sarah Kay?

Carly x

Embroidery

I bought this book a while ago as I really want to do a bit of embroidery. It is a great book with step by step pictures and starter projects.

Carly x