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Friday, December 28, 2012

Boring Gift??

Every Christmas I face the same old problem...what the heck do I get my Brother and Dad?? I ask and ask what they want and find myself buying the same old boring things....socks, chocolates, dvd's...it makes me feel like not bothering to be honest...especially when it's always so predictable. This year I faced the same old story...only this year I had a new idea to combat the boredom!!! I blatantly asked my Dad what dvd he wanted!! Yep...if he wanted predictable then I was going to make him choose it himself haha!! Only, the thing is his gift was going to be far from predictable...how?? Well look .....


Yep, he still got his dvd...but he also got chocolate, popcorn and drinks to enjoy whilst watching his dvd and all in his own little bucket!!! See, that's how you turn a boring gift into an interesting one haha!!

So with my Dad sorted, I turned my attention to a very special friend of mine...we've been friends for far too many years to mention without making you realise just how old I am!! But having been friends for so long, we've also gotten a little predictable...cue a bit of creative thinking, and I came up with this ... 


Same thing right?? Well no, actually this one's hiding a lot more...it's everything you need for a cosy night in...a dvd, cosy socks, face packs, nail varnishes, bath goodies, popcorn, chocolates and of course the little reindeer body puff to keep her company haha!! With it all put together, I needed a way of explaining why I'd done it this way, so...


Just a little rhyme I came up with all by myself haha!!

I have to admit, these gifts were pretty easy to put together...they were actual gifts...something they could open...how though was I going to give my Brother money without just handing him the odd note or two in an envelope and giving the most boring gift of them all?? Yet again I set my brain to work and eventually came up with these...


Yep, that's right...after years of believing money doesn't grow on trees...turns out it does!! Not only was this unbelievably simple to do, but my Brother also had no clue as to what he was unwrapping on Christmas day!! There was no "Ooo I have socks" just by feeling the present!!

And what Christmas tree is complete without...


Baubles!!...and money baubles are even better haha!! I have a bit of a confession with both the money tree and the baubles...take another look at the coins...yep that's right I've always been a bit of a perfectionist, but when it came to making these I took it one step further...on the tree not only are all the coins pointing in the same direction with all the queens heads up, but they're also in date order so as you look down the tree the queen gets older!! (that really made me chuckle!!)...and with the baubles?? Well I made everyone check their stash of coins so that I had 7 of the same pattern on the coins for each of the baubles...a little obsessive I know, but then again that's just me!! 

So as I said in the title...who says money or a dvd has to be a boring gift??...they're definitely not in my house!! Ooo and don't worry, I already have a plan for their birthdays so their gift of "money" isn't as easy as  handing over a note!!

Hope you all had a great Christmas

Little x 






Thursday, December 20, 2012

Just A Greeting Card??

Fed up with writing Christmas cards?? Think it's easier or less expensive to send a text/write on someone's facebook wall?? Well I have to admit that in fairness it probably is, but then again, you're missing the point a bit aren't you!!...You see the point of a greeting card is to make a loved one smile...sending a text/message on facebook does the same right?? ok, yes it does...BUT what happens when you change you mobile phone and the text disappears?? What happens in ten years time when there may no longer be facebook?? Well at that point all you have is a memory of someone maybe possibly sending you a message, but you probably won't remember exactly what they said. The other thing you probably haven't considered is what happens when the person who sent you that text/facebook message is no longer with us?? Well let me share with you something extremely precious to me...


That is the message my Grandma (Nan's Mum) wrote to me in my 21st birthday card...the last card birthday card she ever wrote for me...can you honestly tell me that that can be replaced with a text/facebook message?? See...that's where a hand written greeting card beats everything else...it hasn't got to be the longest message, it hasn't got to be the best written message (Grandma's writing was always curly!!) but if it's handwritten then it's yours to keep forever...in fact it's yours to pass on to future generations that ask about your past...when an email/text message has been lost because you've changed your phone or email address...when facebook no longer exists (technology always evolves) the hand written greetings win everytime!! 

Now, talking of things lost that can't be replaced...some time back we were asked to make some extremely personal and very special Christmas cards. I'm not going to say much as I think you'll find the cards speak volumes...but I will tell you that I cried like a big girl whilst looking for ideas on what to do...then cried again once they were made...so basically I'm a wimp!!









They were certainly some of the toughest cards I've had to make.

Little
x



Wednesday, December 19, 2012

A Month Of Birthday!

Not surprisingly, my birthday is the same day every year...just like everyone else's!! The only difference between mine and most other people's birthdays, is that mine is on a rather annoying date!! Yep...my birthday was in fact yesterday...a week/7 days before Christmas day...could be worse...could be Christmas day itself...well I know that, but in fairness being a week before still sucks!! Every year it's the same thing ...people don't have any money as they're spending it all on Christmas...people can't make certain dates because they're either visiting relatives, or they have relatives visiting...the winter weather makes them ill...I have to work (being in retail means no time off at Christmas) ...or worst of all, there's SNOW!!! Ooo yes, for years when I was younger I asked for it to snow on my birthday...I thought it would make the best birthday present EVER...what with it being all snowy and pretty and all that...what I didn't factor in though was that no-one would be able to get anywhere!!! So when the snow finally did start to fall on my birthday, it ruined everything even more!!! So I can safely say that every year I try my best, but every year I'm let down by one thing or another...it's the same old story, only I'm a year older!!

This year we decided to play it a little differently...we arranged a trip to London for the first weekend in December...we figured things would be a little quieter and there would be a little less chance of snow!!! We also booked tickets to go and see Starlight Express in Southampton for the same week...I saw the musical years ago...it's the best one I've seen, so when the tickets came up for sale I knew what I wanted!! Yet again the curse of my birthday struck!! Not that it spoilt my birthday...just that yet again it didn't go to plan...it's a curse I'm bored of living with now...so much so that I'm quite tempted to move my birthday to July...surely things can't go too wrong in July??

Anyway, like I said, yesterday was my birthday...but on my actual birthday I didn't do very much at all...I sort of forgot that planning everything for other days would leave me with nothing to do on my birthday...oopsies!! I was just a little bit spoilt this year instead...It's been a little more like a birthmonth than a birthday!! haha!! Spoilt maybe a bit of an under statement, especially when you consider the fact I've technically had 4 birthday dinners (or 5 if you include going out tonight!!).

So, do you want to see my birthday makes??? ... Well, first up I need to remind you of a little story!! Remember way back when I started this blog?? I was off work...I was spending my summer sunning myself in the garden...well that plan went a little wrong!! But whilst I was sunning myself, I'd also planned to grow a few vegetables to give me something to look at in the garden!! Remember how I told you my Sunflowers all got eaten by the evil slugs?? and how I held out little hope for my pumpkins?? ...Well, I did actually manage to grow two pumpkins...one was even pretty big, but they didn't quite get to orange in time for halloween...but add them to the cucumber, the beetroot, the potatoes and the tomatoes I managed to grow from scratch, and I was pretty impressed with myself!! Why am I telling you all this?? Well...


Mum thought it would be funny to make me this card...she'd been walking past this sunflower for months, and seeing how my sunflowers failed, she knew she had to use it!! She just wasn't too sure how until she spotted the little spade and fork...the story behind the spade is it apparently broke three times before I got the card...she even had to replace it the morning of my birthday as it had broken again!! It's very cute how she's made it look like tatty's growing the sunflower, pottering about in the garden...and she's even added my name to the little basket...very clever!!

To add to the garden themed card, Mum also gave me this ...


My very own gardening hamper!! Complete with spade and fork for the "little" gardener!! Plus as it's for me and I love a certain jewellery brand that comes in a little blue box with a white bow, she even managed to get the wellies in the almost "tiffany blue" and ...


added the little white bows to the sides of my wellies hahaha!!
 Thanks Mum xx

Mum also made me this card ...


Well, it was signed from my Brother, but considering he's got a warped sense of humor, this doesn't say "get well soon" or "happy hannukah" and it's far too cute, I'm pretty sure it was Mum that made it!! 

Next up there's...


Yep, piglet!! Crusty's stitched him...Piglet's my favourite disney character...there's a line from Disney that goes along with piglet..."in the back of his mind, piglet wishes he was tall as it's hard to reach when you're so very smal " which is obviously tailor made for me!! Not only has Crusty stitched piglet, but she's also surrounded him in polka dots...all very me!!


This is the first of two cards Lady made me for my birthday...if I remember rightly, she had made the other card, but when she saw the image in this on, she just couldn't resist making it!!...soooo many buttons!! In fact when I opened the card I knew exactly where she'd got the image from, but then instantly forgot...I had a sudden burst of exictement...I knew I had the lettering in our design discs, so had visions of Lady making the surrounding frame out of lots of different buttons from the same design suite...I was a little disappointed when I realised I don't actually have them to use haha!! It is such a beautiful card filled with lots of beautiful buttons!!


My favourite of the two cards Lady made me, is this one...it seems to have worked out that whenever we're choosing colours, Lady has pink, Mum has green, Crusty has purple and well, I have Teal!! The only problem is Teal isn't always an easy colour to find...but as always, Lady manages to find just what's right...a teal and white card with tatty in the centre...and he's even got my name on his shirt!! Very pretty...but then I'd expect nothing less from Lady!!

The biggest surprise this birthday, I guess you could say was this...


Not our usual standard?? Not quite the sort of thing we usually make?? Well that's because it's made by Lady's partner (his name's Wiggers/Mick not Man!!)...I'm pretty sure it's the first card he's hand made...and how privileged do I feel to get it!! I have lots of stanps, but I've never got on with them...I just can't seem to get them right and lose patience...but having now seen Wiggers' attempt, I think I'll be getting him to stamp for me in future!!...he even designed and coloured it all himself...not bad for a first attempt I guess haha!!
It certainly made me smile...thanks Wiggers!!

Lastly, but probably most importantly there was a very special gift that Lady made me...last year she spent months knitting me my Christmas Reindeer jumper. This year I hadn't asked for anything...there wasn't really anything I wanted...until that is I saw something in a magazine...someone had cross stitched a beautiful pattern and then made it into a Christmas cushion. So a couple of months ago, seeing as I can't stitch I asked Lady if she'd be able to make me a cross stitch for a cushion...I didn't ask her to do it for my birthday, but she insisted it was what she was going to do!! Well...that was until she realised just how difficult it is to get hole of teal fabric!! Why teal?? Well I wanted it to sit in my teal, cream and brown room...it would look lovely on my sofa next to my cushions that Mum made me...she wasn't too impressed with the colour...she hunted everywhere for fabric...we spent hours wandering around the craft show looking for the ideal fabric, but couldn't find it...then whilst we were in Birmingham...I was fast asleep, Lady was busy dreaming up visions of how to make my cushion in a different way!! With a bit more searching and adjusting, she made this ...


Just perfect isn't it?? ...tatty teddy, teal, polka dots, buttons and bows...it has it all...in fact it's so beautiful I've been told that if I even think about dribbling on it Lady will punch me!! haha!! 


You can't quite make it our from this photo, but the little book says "story time" and I'm pretty sure that the little bears are Lady trying to work out what the word is, whilst I'm just thinking "come on read it properly"!!

I really do love it ...thanking yous Lady x x

Well, that's my birthday over for another year...I guess the biggest bonus was there was no snow this year...do you remember the snow!! 

Thanks to everyone for making it a happy Birthday 
Little x 

Ooo and I even got a whole day off for my birthday...not a single bit of crafting in sight!! (even if there is still Christmas cards to make!!)












Thursday, November 15, 2012

24 Of Everything!!

For the past couple of years, I've been asked to make an advent calendar for someone very special. The first time around, I was still pretty new to all this papercrafting malarkey and didn't quite know what to do. I sort of made little puches that stuck to a large piece of card. It wasn't the best looking thing in the world, but it was handmade and sort of worked...although some of the pouches started falling off half way through advent!!! Second time around though, with a bit more experience under my belt I attempted to make something entirely different. I'd seen the how-to guide, I'd seen what the finished results could look like, and I was determined to give it a go...

Thankfully, it worked...but...it caused one heck of a headache, and took me days rather than hours to complete. I was ever so proud of the final result...so proud in fact that I went on to make more...then I took the original idea, twisted it up and created something entirely original and a little bit different. The people that received my makes were also pleased with the finished projects...they worked well, but I vowed not to make them again...they're not easy to do, are very time consuming and pretty costly in regards to the amount of card and paper you use. So I put the projects in my portfolio and forgot all about them...

Until that is, the day Mum came home from work and asked me to make another advent calendar!! The craft store where she works had been asked to have lots of inspirational ideas dotted about the store. She'd been speaking with some of her bosses, telling them the sort of things we've made and before I could say no, I was sitting in the craft area making up the advent calendar!!

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy making them, but it's a very long winded process...how long?? Well, I shall explain...

Firstly you need about 30 or so sheets of card...you can choose any colour, but I find that white is easiest to work with (and cheapest) and then you can cover it with lots of papers and pretty things!!...


From those sheets of A4 card, you then cut 24 squares and 24 strips of card...one sheet of card will make both a square and a strip...so long as you remember to concentrate and don't keep talking like me and forgetting which bit you've cut like I tend to do that is!! Ooo and by the way for any paper crafters reading this, I don't have a die to cut each of these from, I literally measured and cut each one with a craft knife and ruler!! 


Next up you have score the folds in each of the squares and strips...I used my hougie board, but you could easily use other score boards. Again each individual piece of card requires you to measure where the score lines need to go ...that's 48 pieces to measure and score individually!! Once scored, you then cut out the un neccssary parts of the squares to make the shapes of your drawers....


Now that you have all your drawers and sleeves measured, it's time to start decorating...in order to open the drawers, you need to add some form of fastener to hold onto...I used split pins, but you could also use ribbon or buttons so long as they're stuck on well enough. As I said before, I like to use plain white card, for ease, but as it would be a little boring if left plain, I then cut out 24 little rectangular shapes to cover the front of the drawers and stick them on...


once the pins are in and the decorative paper rectangles are stuck, it's time to fold and stick your drawers and sleeves together...now's the time you find out if all your measurements were right!!


If they are, you'll now have 24 drawers and 24 sleeves...


with the drawer fitting inside the sleeve...


being tight enough to not have gaps, but loose enough to open....told you it was fiddley didn't I!!

So now you're drawers are made...what next?? Well, now you have to put them all together to create the calendar...

There are lots of options with the shapes you can form them all into. I started by making the box shape, but once you know how to do this the possibilities are endless...I've seen some where people have made them into Christmas trees!!

To make the box style drawers, you stick the drawers together in little blocks of three...I tend to use sellotape around the outside of the drawers...you won't see any of the tape as it will be covered...


Once the three drawers are stuck together, you have to cut another strip of card and stick it down one side of the drawers from top to bottom...again I tape that at the top and bottom as you won't see the tape once it's all placed together..


Once you have your blocks of threes, you simply build them up to create a square...making sure the drawer fronts are on the outside!! I then tape it all together to give it extra hold and strength...



You'll have two layers of 12 drawers that sit one on top of the other....

All that's left now is to decorate your squares. As I made this one for the craft store, I used the papers and images from their current stock. You can of course change the colour conmbinations and decorative finishes to make your own personalised calendar.

Once completely decorated, you then cut a slightly larger square to sit on the top (covering all your taped up mess) and another for the bottom so it has a base to sit on...add the numbers to the drawers in any order you like, and hey presto you're advent calendar is complete!!


As I said, it's very fiddley, takes a heck of a long time, but always seems to look pretty when it's finished!! I'm not making these to sell due to the amount of time they take up, but if you feel like you want to give this idea a go yourself, you can find the instructions here ...good luck!!

Ooo and check out my drawers on display in the store!!...


Little x



Saturday, November 10, 2012

A Bloomin Tiara!!

Ever since Lady discovered that we would be in Birmingham on her birthday, she's been talking about "needing" a tiara...or as she called it...a ta-ra-ra!! She kept telling everyone that she was getting a ta-ra-ra for her birthday!!The only problem was, way back when I asked her if she really wanted one, she'd said no...so I did as she wanted and didn't get her a bloomin ta-ra-ra!!!

Or so she thought!!!... Yesterday though (and I hope this is true) over morning birthday coffee we finally gave her her bloomin birthday ta-ra-ra!!! Along with a couple of other things....


Yep, as her name is Lady...and it's her birthday, I made her this "birthday Lady" badge...I really hope it's put a smile on her face and got lots of attention from everyone at the craft show...I say hope, because I'm currently typing this sat in my kitchen at 10.12pm on Thursday night, but I'll schedule this post for Saturday morning!! So in all honesty right now, I have no idea if she even wore her badge...but she better have worn the bloomin ta-ra-ra!!!

The final thing Lady got for breakfast on her birthday was this ...


Ooo yes that really is a "chicken" puppet...now if you have any knowledge of what Lady is like, then you'll know she won't be calling it a "chicken"!!!!

I can hear her now...sitting on the train saying "that man's staring at my "chicken"!!!

Hope you enjoyed your "chicken" Lady!! and your bloomin ta-ra-ra!!

Little x


Friday, November 9, 2012

Birthday Lady

There are two very special things about today...the second is that we're all off to Birmingham this morning to spend the entire weekend at the big craft show...lets see how much ribbon we can buy shall we!!! The first and more important thing, is that today is Lady's 47th birthday!!! One of the things I didn't share with you on Mum's birthday is that Dad didn't quite know what to get her, so instead decided that as he needed to give her something she could unwrap he put 50 pound coins in a jar!! When I told Lady what he was doing she said "tell him I'm 47 on Friday"!! haha!! Well, neither I nor Dad got her 47 coins, but we did make her a few special things...starting with her cards ... 



This card was a joint effort from both Crusty and I...Crusty stitched the "mon-key", I placed him onto the card and decorated him!! I'd already made Lady a birthday card (or two) but when I saw the "mon-key" I really wanted to make him for her...but I can't stitch!! So thankfully Crusty was able to help me out and together we made quite a pretty card...well I think so anyway!!

Next up there's the card Mum made...


A while back, Mum made a card with folded over corners that Lady really liked. So when it came to choosing what to do for her card, Mum already had this planned in her head!! With lots of flowers, and pretty pinks, it turned out perfectly for Lady. 


As Lady is a big Snoopy fan, Crusty couldn't resist stitching him for her birthday card...again she's added the buttons (see what I mean about the button phase!!). This is another of Crusty's "all by herself" creations...she's getting rather clever don't you think?? Definitely needs to be doing more of them I think!!

Last of all her cards, is mine...


I'd made this card in greens for Mum, although obviously Mum's had a 50 on it!! When I showed Lady, she'd loved it so much that I couldn't quite resist making another version in pink!! Pink is apparently her favourite colour, although I've had so many issues trying to match shades of pink that I've been trying to convince her that it should be orange!!...she wasn't buying into it though, so I had to stick with pink haha!! With a little bit of pink gingham, some more stitched edges and a lot of pink flowers, I'm pretty sure this is "very Lady"!!

Well I might have lied before when I said that was the last card...you see I thought I'd messed up again as I hadn't taken a photo of the other card I'd made her...but thankfully after a few text messages I have a bit of a dodgy quality (taken on a phone) photo...


Yellow car!! (punch for you)...Way back in August as I sat sunbathing in the garden, I made two of these cards...one for Crusty, and one for Lady. The only problem was if I'd shared this card in September when it was Crusty's birthday, then Lady would have seen...so Crusty's been itching to watch Lady open this card!! On Wednesday night when we all descended on Lady's house to deliver her presents, we all sat watching as she opened this card...knowing what was coming...as she opened the envelope and saw what was inside, she got the "YELLOW CAR" slaps!!! Somehow with us all being together this entire weekend and both Crusty and Lady having these cars as keyrings I have a feeling I'm going to get a lot of slaps!!!

Did I mention presents?? ...


I did didn't I!?! This is how Lady's presents were delivered...


as brown paper packages tied up with string...and in there were a few of her favourite things!! (The Sound Of Music in case no-one got the reference)

Don't worry, her presents were wrapped up nicely in pink papers and cellophane inside!! 



Some were in a pink spotty bag...



and some were made to look like ice-cream in a bowl!!

But mostly they didn't stay wrapped for long!!....


Happy Birthday Lady...Hope you have a fun packed day

Little x

Mum x

Crusty x