What a day !

Well, Sunday was the day for the Craft Fayre and what a day! I was really worried when I started setting up my table. the usual stuff, what if nobody buys anything or doesn't like my cards! I had to have a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie to calm my nerves - lol. The doors opened at 10am and a steady trickle of people started arriving. My stall was next door to a friend of mine who was selling belgium chocs (yum!) so she was always busy (as you can imagine) so people came over to my stall while they were waiting. The gift bags, boxes, crackers boxes and gift tags went like hot cakes - cards were a little slower but I still sold a respectable amount. The altered notebooks I made went really well though - I decorated them with Pink Petticoat paper in pink and black and the teenage girls really loved them - wish I'd made loads because I would easily have sold them!

Here are a few pics I took before the crowds arrived.

Where does the time go .....

How time flies when you are having fun! I've been making more christmas cards and having so much fun doing it! I've attached a couple of pictures of the cards I have been doing this week. I have made several of each design so I hope I can sell at least a few!

The ribbon on this card came from Tesco's of all places, I bought loads because it was so cheap!



This one is only an A6 size but looks really pretty, I used a rubber stamp of a christmas tree and then used Sakura pens with the water brush to colour in some of the tree - it shows up better in real life than in the photo though.



I used a Bookatrix page on this card, which I thought looked very effective, together with some embellishments from the Anna Griffin Christmas box which I bought from QVC a month or two ago. The box is gorgeous too - lol.



I also made a load of lovely gift boxes using the designs by Gina Jane Johnson from Daisie Company which are really nice - I've been visiting the site quite a lot recently, oops - lol, and I am hoping that after Christmas I will be doing a lot of digital scrapbooking - well I have to justify buying all that stuff somehow - lol.


I've now received my lovely Papertake Challenge kit from Kym which is great, I can't wait to get started on it but as I have a whole load of family descending on me today it will have to wait until tomorrow. I've been baking all morning and the house smells wonderful - none for me though as I still have to lose a bit more weight before Christmas!

Autumn Colours

The autumn colours in my garden are just so beautiful at the moment that I had to get my camera out and take some pictures to share with you. These berries are such a vibrant orange they just seem to glow.

I wish I could reproduce this colouring on cards, its just wonderful.

I love the pattern of these leaves on the ground with the green of the grass showing through.

On another theme, I went out on Saturday (buying crafty stuff of course! need you ask - lol) and when I cam home there was a box waiting by the back door containing the most beautiful huge bunch of fresia's from everyone I used to work with - it was a lovely surprise and they smell absolutely gorgeous. If anyone from work is reading this - thanks guys, what a lovely thought.

Cards, cards & more cards .....

Sorry I haven't posted for a while, been busy making more christmas cards and having a great time doing it too. Here are a few photo's of some of the cards I have been making.

These ones are little packs of five 10cm square cards which I made using a set of Christmas See Dee's which I bought from QVC last year. I coloured the images using Whispers pens and Sakura Stardust pens - my current favourites! I have since made another three packs using some more traditional images which I am very pleased with.

I really like this black and gold one, it looks much more striking in real life though, very opulent!
There is a similar red one too but I used varying sizes of christmas tree on it but it looked just as effective.

Oh dear .....

Well, today was (officially) my last day at work, I have unfortunately been made redundant which is a bit of a blow to be honest but I am looking at it positively - one door closes, another one opens - sort of thing. At least I shall have time to make cards and stuff - lol. I am looking around for new opportunities at the moment and I'm not sure which direction I want to go in. I am very lucky in that hubby says to take my time and not rush into the first thing that comes along which is very comforting I must say. I would love to be able to start my own business up but first I need an idea - lol. Not sure if I want to stay office orientated or have a complete change of direction. Still, at least I have the time to consider all my options.

Papertake Challenge (Group 4)

Well, I've finally finished my altered item. I used an old crisp tube (washed!) and decorated it with all the lovely papers and things I was sent. I added a few twinkly christmas trees and some stick-on jewels for the lid and some coloured cord but other than that I just used the items from the pack.


I am quite pleased with the results and I think it will make a great container for home-made biscuits to give at christmas - in fact, I am planning to make some more altered items like this to put pressies in for christmas!

I've been Tagged ...............

I've just been tagged by Anne so here are my answers :-


1. If you could have £100.00 worth of scrapbook paper or assorted embellishments, which would you choose?
Irredescent paper and card in assorted colours

2. If you had to choose between using only stamps or rubons, which would you choose?
Stamps

3. If you knew how to do both awesome cards and layouts but could only do one for a whole year...which would you do?
Cards

4. Would you rather own a scrapbooking store or have your own scrapping room at home...
(can't have both he he he)
Its got to be the store, best of both worlds with that, you can craft at the store hahaha

5. And last but not least, what is your CURRENT cardmaking or scrapping style....
Currently its stamping and decoupage for Christmas Cards

Now for five more people to tag ...... thats hard ............ ok, think I've got it ..........

Jeannette
Nicki

Can't do Lou because she tagged Anne so I am stuck at two ...... sorry!

Crafters Companion Crafty Addicts Challenge

Here is the card I made for the first CC Crafty Addicts challenge organised by our lovely Lou. We have to post our pictures of this up on the forum tomorrow so I thought it would be OK to put it on here now! Lou provided us with a great kit using Pink Petticoat papers and images, a couple of flowers, ribbons and some stick-on stones. I decided to make a gatefold card and I am pleased with the result. I coloured the images in using my Whispers pens.

I haven't put a specific sentiment on it yet because I'm not sure which one to use! Happy Birthday, Thank You, or Best Wishes would all be good on here though.

Zutter Zisters Bind-it-All Machine

Well, I've just blown the budget completely! I went mad and ordered the Bind-it-All machine with the case and binding rings from Artymiss! I just couldn't resist it any longer - lol. In my defence I have thought about it carefully over the last few days (since the Artymiss email popped into my inbox) and I think it will prove to be a wise buy. It means I can make calenders for family, photo books, notebooks etc and give them as Christmas pressies - as well as loads of stuff for myself too - lol. Don't know what hubby will say - will face that when the time comes!
Unfortunatly it won't come straight away, not till after the 12th November but as it will be my birthday on the 15th perhaps it will arrive then and I will call it my present to myself - lol.

Glitter Girls Celebration Board

I can't believe I've had my board now for two whole days and havn't played with it yet!!! How sad it that!!! I put it down to it being half term and everytime I pick up something crafty I hear the words "oh mum, do you have to do that - play with me instead". And so I end up playing various 8 year old boy games (not always suitable for knackered mums!) instead of playing with my crafty stuff - it's just not fair - lol. Still, he will be back at school next week so I will have plenty of time to play with it then. Got some great ideas for Christmas Cards with it using images from Joanna Sheens CD's - I must make some for us to send and not just for sale I remembered - lol.
I finished all the CC Christmas Group's cards and have posted them off so that's another job well done, just hope everyone likes their card, I can't put up pics of them on here because a lot of the people who will be getting cards look at my blog and I don't want to spoil the surprise!
I'm still working on the Papertake Challenge, not finished yet but I think it will look good when it is done - hopefully!