More mini-stuff....

When we head to our holiday home, I try and take my craft bag with me (actually it's 2 bags but whose counting eh!!)  I really should make myself up a bag that stays there permanently, but I know that if I did, the item I wanted will be a 2 hour drive away and that would drive me mad...

The car was packed and full to the top, not a spare spot so if I wanted to take the craft bag I would have to carry it on my knee and I did...  So along with my camera gear, I took the 2 bags in the front seat by my feet and on my knee - not comfortable but so worth it.

On the evenings that I did sit down to craft, I challenged myself to do something different, on one of the nights I made the little wallets below and on another I made these little cards.  I had some of those square 135mm x 135mm cards and I just cut them in half.  The 3 parts made the cards and the last one I used to stamp the butterflies on as I had very little plain cardstock with me, it was all textured.

The papers are Pink Paislee and the butterfly stamps are Martha Stewart.  Very simple cards, quick an easy to make, but handy to have in your stash for that day when you need a card.

Now don't look too closely, as there was a little accident!  On the Sunday we were heading off it was raining on and off all morning, the car was being packed by DH and I was cleaning the house, so I left the bags that needed to go to the car in the hall and then just noticed the rain.  So DH ran out and closed the boot of the car but when I got home I noticed that the rain had gotten on some of the titles to the cards so they are a little blurry...  Shame as they will probably not get used now.

On the day we were going home the rain did shine briefly that morning and that day I did a little photo-shoot with next doors children.  The rain had just stopped and the sun came out but the ground was soaking so what looked lovely was in fact a soggy mess underfoot.  Here is how I presented the images to her...

She got a disc of Images and another of a DVD I made for her with all the edited images for the day.  Here are some of the nice images we got that wet morning.

I am off to clean up after having friends over for dinner last night, hate waking up to dishes, but seems my DH decided not to help after I went to bed.  Tempted to leave them to him but know that won't happen!!!  Have a great day! M

More Micro than Mini!

When my Grab Box arrived there were a few lovely little items, a little kraft envelope, a glassine envelope (love love love!) and a large-ish tag.  I immediately put these aside as I had a plan for them that popped into my head instantly!!!!

This little book fell into place, I folded the tag over a little to make it just a little bigger than the paper sheets that I cut the same size as the kraft envelope.  I spaced the paper bits in the centre and folded the tag over and punched 4 lots of holes thru the bunch of papers using my crop-a-dile.  Then using some fab string I used it to weave in and out of the holes and tied it securely in place (still with me?)....LOL!  Front decorated with sticker, flower, and bakers twine from box.  A Perfect Day title from a crate paper sheet that was also in the box.

Micro-book - Disney Paris (not Aris! as it looks like it says!)

Using a piece of left over cardstock (see the wedding LO!) that was lying on the desk, I used this as the front cover and the body of the micro-book was ready!  Now I have been keeping a lot of memorabilia that I wanted to use for minibooks, tickets, brochures and other bits from Disney Paris and Universal in Florida and knew there was stuff there, but when I went looking the tickets from the Disney trip have gone missing, and I had wanted to add them to the kraft envelope, so a map of the park from the trip had to do, till I find the tickets that are obviously in a very safe and obvious place....;)

The back of the micro-book....

Little Kraft envelope, supposed to hold the tickets but holds the map of the park....

Photos of the trip printed in passport size perfect for the book.

Inside pages - not all as you will be bored silly!

Lovely little glassine envelope - with ticket from Dinner Show

So that is it, 3 items and not made a huge dent in the box.  I had some other stuff to do and will be back playing with the grab box tonight for sure!  Thanks for popping in!

Ta M

Small paper storage!

Loving the Grab Box that arrived from Hannah's Handmade Craft Shop, I used some of the papers inside to make these wallets to hold, die cuts, photos and those Crate Paper cards that I love so much.

I love the Crate Paper sheets with the small little cards that  you can use on LO's or cards.  When I cut into the 12x12 sheet, I tend to cut all the little cards out and I had them stored in a small bag and this was getting damaged from being in my craft bag.  So I made this little wallet, and then I liked how fast they were to make and what such a handy little thing to have in my craft bag to keep photos, small die cuts and chipboard items safe in my bag.

Expanding Wallet

Supplies.....

Piece of cardstock 18cm wide by 30.5 (12”) long.

Same size patterned paper (or smaller if you wish!)

Co-ordinating cardstock

Embellishments

Sticky Velcro

Extra Tacky Double Sided Tape

Score board & Score tool

Cut a sheet of carstock 18cm wide by 30.5cm long and score at 10cm and 23cm.  On the short side (7.5cm) you can use a border punch on this edge as it’s the front pocket of the wallet.  I covered this in a patterned paper and inked the edges on one of the folders.

Take the Co-ordinating cardstock, cut a strip off the 12” piece that is 9.5cm wide and score this on the box side of the board at regular intervals around 1.5cm each and about 10 times.  Fold this piece into Mountains & Valleys and cut into two sections giving you two fan folds that are equal in size for each side.

I used the extra tacky DST to attach this to the sides of the wallet, and then embellished away, making the wallet as bling as you wish!!!

So off you go and make some of these - they are useful and fun!

Ta M

Grab box heaven....

The thing I like about kits and grab boxes is that you have no idea what's in them.  When I have been in a monthly kit club, I never looked at the site to see what was coming, I always wanted the joy of opening the kit, and stroking the papers, and un-peeling the layers of stash.  I might sound weird, but happy to sound that way as I so very much enjoy the surprise element of each kit.

My hands were itchy to get going over the weekend, but I needed to spend some time on this house, and shopping to get the kids dressed for a wedding we are all going to in September (Hi Jen & Tim!).  So when I finally got to pick up the box from the post office I just dropped all motherly and housewifely chores and played happily with the stash!  I have already been working on a project and tutorial which I will post this week, so I wanted to share this LO that I made.

Apart from Scrapbooking and Paper crafting, I am really into my photography, and was the main photographer at a Wedding recently, and helped out with another friends wedding a few weeks ago.  I have been making a Photo Book for the Bride & Groom and my head was just full of the photos.  When I opened the box I realised that inside was the Crate Paper Wedding die-cuts and stickers and that just sealed the deal for me as Hannah must have crawled inside my head and seen what I was working on as this was just perfect.  So all first plans for the box went out of the window and I started with a photo and a copy of her sketch and this is what I made.

The sheet of cardstock, the gem pin and ribbon were the only bits I had to add to this LO, the rest came in the box!  It was stuffed and I am cutting and sticking like mad.  The next few days will be be a flurry of posts to share what I have made and what potential there is from these boxes....  Not hard when Hannah picks such fab products.

I hope you like the LO and it might get you to scrap one of those wedding photos!

Ta M

Small card with big feelings....

Last week our family Social Worker retired, it was a lovely 8 yr relationship, where we were always on the same page, never had a cross word and she always had my back.  (Just in case you are new here, my husband and I foster 2 little girls and have been foster parents for nearly 7 years now).  Anyway, it was a very sad day when we had to say goodbye, and I suppose after all those years, it really is not goodbye as we will still remain friends.

Here is the card that I made for her - along with a gift card for Marks & Spencer.  I used Crate Paper and The Girls Paperie papers....  some handmade roses and a Websters resin rose.  Most of the items came from my Handmade Hannah's Grab Box that I recently got my hands on and if your quick she will have some available tomorrow.  The price is £10.00 and it's fab value.

Thanks for looking.....

Michelle

Failed....

I had a moment this morning and a plan in my head to what I was going to share with you today.  Got the kids ready to play nicely so I could blog, and then I realised that there was no photo of that nice card I made Ann as a "Get Well Soon!", as I completely forgot to take a photo....  Then I also realised that I forgot to photograph the mini-album I made for the Bride & Groom, Sandra & Eamonn, who got married on Saturday, and on Sunday I edited the best of the photos and printed them in a small wallet size and put them into a small album.  Of course, when I looked at the album, it needed a little altering and then I covered it with papers and ribbons in their wedding colours and even used a small piece of ribbon that came off the flower girl arrangements - but again no photos!!! Grrr.... Maybe I can blame being busy, or having busy kids, or the busy house, or just my scatty brain....

Can't post without sharing some photos, here is some of the wedding shots - I was not the main photographer but I did help out and it was a pleasure to help!

Scatty brain again - I do have something crafty to share! Yah!!!  Here is the wedding card that I made the Bride & Groom, some lovely rolled flowers, and gently added some Diamond Stickles to the centers of the flowers.  Not the first time I've used this type of card, but I think it really works well for those special occasion cards.  I used some embossed white cardstock to make the flowers and this gave added dimension.  The little white feather was just an after thought, but it gave the card some softness and romance that was needed.

I am getting ready to start myself a little photography business - my website is in the process of being made and in the background I am working hard at getting my logo, cards and cameras and kit to a point where I can call myself a Photographer (with a big P!).  Right, off on a weeks Staycation with the kids... Looking forward to it.

Using up my stash!

We did a huge re-organisation of my office recently, it's no finished yet, but it's getting there and nearly where I want it.  When moved all the stash out and re-organised it I realised how much paper I have.  Probably not as much as some,  but too much for me, and I am on a mission to cut and cut and cut till I have made a dent in the paper mountain.  So - I am cutting without conscience now!

So starting with this LO of a photo that I had printed for ages and ready to be scrapped - My Shannon Aged 5 on the local beach.  I loved making the little pin wheels and added the string to complete the look of the LO.

We had an evening out at our LSS evening crop, and as my little one had been so unwell (again!) I had very little interest in joining in and mainly went for the chat and the craic with the girls.  When I finally got sufficient interest in cropping, I started to make this card and finished it the next day when I got my Seam Binding out.  Actually I did not have the right colour and I used white seam binding and coloured it in with my pro-markers! Clever!  This card is all Melissa Frances papers and OMG I am so sorry that I have cut in so far into these as when they are gone, I will probably have to go out and buy them again!  (Not good at this stash busting thing am I!)

This card went in the post to a special someone today - so hopefully she won't read my blog till I arrives (probably late...lol) for her Birthday.

More to share soon - must upload more cards from the camera as I am missing some stuff to show you.  Night all!