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

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

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

Old-Lady's Crafts!!

For my final post about Mum's 50th birthday I thought it was about time I shared all the cards we made her...When it comes to making cards for Mum it's never easy...it takes me forever to think of what to do...then once I get an image of what I'd like to create in my head I wind myself up in stress to make it look as perfect as I can. You see as Mum's a crafter, I can't get away with anything!! No little glue splodge or glitter in the wrong place goes unmissed!! Crafting for Mum however is always a challenge...I usually push myself harder than I have before to create something extra special that she's not seen before or would expect.

With it being her 50th birthday I really needed to make her cards more special than ever before...how?? Well, by spending more than 8 hours crafting one card alone!!! Yep that's right 8 hours!!! Why 8 hours?? Well, this is why....

Apart from the card itself, and the ribbon, every piece of that card is hand stitched by me...and I'm NOT a stitcher!!! I'd made a card where I'd added stitched edges and a stitched sentiment, but somehow got it into my head how pretty a stitched backing paper would look...

Personally I think it does look pretty...but I shall NEVER EVER be doing it again!! I really do love it, but it caused me nothing but nightmares, pain in my hand and a lot of bloomin stress!! It was a seriously long process...I started by drawing the 50 onto aida (fabric used for Cross stitching) then I had to place that little 50 where I wanted to stitch...punch through all of the little holes where the stitches would go...then move the 50 to a new place and start all over again!!! Ooo and of course once the holes were punched I had to then stitch through them!!!...So do you see why I'm never doing it again!?!

My stitching phase didn't stop with this card though...

I then decided to add the stitched sentiment and stitched edges to this triple easel card too!! Ooo and you see the little 50 heart?? 

Yep, I hand stitched that too!!! Mental I know!!! In fact I'm pretty certain I need checking to make sure I actually have some sanity!!!

With my card, and the card from my Brother made, I then spent an afternoon making a card with my Dad!! Ooo yes, not even Dad gets away with buying a shop brought card...everything's handmade in our family!!

I may have cut the bits and pieces out, but Dad sat and glittered everything by hand...he stuck it all down himself and chose it all...Although when it came to the ribbon I had to take over, so he's not quite got a new job just yet!!

Crusty on the other hand...

Well seeing as she made this card all by herself, she can definitely have a job!!! Mum's favourite disney character has always been Tigger, so when it came to choosing an image to stitch she decided to use the black and white tigger. Then as she's on a bit of a button kick at the moment...she's stitching buttons on everything!! The orange and green she'd used fitted perfectly with the black and white stitched image. 

Next up is the card Lady made...

Mum really loves Fizzy... so when it comes to Lady choosing an image to stitch for Mum, it's always got to be fizzy...he's ever so cute! This time there was a choice between two images, but together we decided on this one. Lady worried that the flowers were too pink and as Mum's favourite colour is green that it wouldn't look right, but as you can see it's beautiful. Lady even cut out the stitched image and backed it with a doilie as she'd done on a previous project that Mum had loved...Ooo and she even used her favourite buttons on the flowers, which means Mum must be really special haha!!

Now I've shown you all the projects made by us here at little-lady's crafts, I can explain the title of this post...Mum's friends Jackie and Linda that I mentioned in the previous post also wanted to get Mum and extra special card. I guess when you're buying for a crafter you're perhaps more aware of what the card is and how it was made...or maybe they love our cards so much they want to try and match their prettiness!! Whatever their reasons, they both decided that Mum's 50th birthday would be the ideal time to try and make Mum a card!! Ooo yes, they too decided that a shop brought card just wouldn't be good enough!! So they went and brought some children's crafting pots full of all sorts of things to make and create....they brought a large piece of card, and then some time last week they both met up and made this ....

hahaha!! No matter how "rubbish" they think it looks, it will never be "rubbish"...it might not be up to our usual standard!! But the best thing about it, is they tried!! Jackie and Linda took the time to think about what they wanted to do, they put their heart, soul and hair into this card!! So no matter what anyone else thinks Mum absolutely adores this card...I'm not sure why I bothered spending 8 hours stitching her card!! maybe feathers, glitter and stickers was what I needed hahaha!!

Ooo and the explanation for the title??...

As we always put our facebook address on the reverse of our cards, Jackie and Linda decided that they'd put their own the reverse of theirs...Old-Lady's Crafts!! Well I guess they are Old-Ladies hahaha!!! 

Little x