Just One More.

My very last post for 2011.
Back in November Sherry of Sherry's Simple Blog and I decided to do a swap with each other. Sherry chose the theme (Christmas Altered Altoids tin) and I chose the colours of red, white,
green, Gold and crystal for the buttons to go inside. We both shot off to ebay and managed to get our altoids tins and then were ready to go.
Here is my tin for Sherry. Painted green and covered in green felt on the lid with mica gold rubbed over the edges of the tin base. I covered the inside with cream satin. The berries are made from a strip of empty acorn casings painted white dipped in white snowflakes glitter and then small pieces of material fashioned into tiny balls and glued into the acorn shells. The flower was cut from red plush (non fray) material and blanket stitched in white around the petals with glass beads threaded together to make the stamen in the centre. The ivy leaves were stamped onto white sheeting, cut out, glossy accents applied and silver glitter sprinkled over.


Close up of the tin and below the selection of buttons.




I also made a selection of buttons up in shrink plastic but photos I took were no good. Der!!
Would like to enter this into the following challenges:

Tip Top Tuesday: Anything Goes.

Rainbows Lady's: Your choice.

Gingerloft: Christmas & Winter.

Secret Crafter: Anything Goes.

Here is the tin that Sherry sent to me. You can see further photos on her blog above.

I think Sherry may have been watching 101 Dalmations as that was how many buttons had been packed into the tin!!! Didn't I do well.

Just leaves me now to wish all of my followers a Very Happy, Healthy and Crafty 2012 and to thank you for stopping by and leaving me comments during the past year. Hugs Mrs A.

Bookmark Swap and The Pud wot I made!

Just a couple of pictures showing my last few makes of 2011.

The Bookmark was made for the Art 'n' Soul Christmas swap where we made a bookmark and a Christmas tag (already shown) to go with it . The Stamp is from Crafty Individuals which I stamped onto cream calico attached to the apricot ribbon and lace and them embroidered around the edges by hand.

And here's something I made earlier when all the family came for the day. Christmas pudding with a difference. Cooked in the microwave (my kinda cooking) and left in a dark place for 2 days. You can find the link to the recipe here on Elizabeth's Blog Silverscrapper. Mine only took 18 Min's to cook but Elizabeth said hers needed 40Min's so if you follow the recipe just be aware that each microwave will vary in cooking time.

I didn't have any flaked almonds so used chopped mixed nuts and I replaced the dried apricots with dried Mango pieces. Delicious. Especially with Cold custard!

Christmas? No! When?

As Fluff seems to still be under the impression that the 'C' word dosen't happen in any Yr with a 2 in it let alone it's in 2 days time and no Mince Pies have been made, I have had to put my own adversions to the 'C' word (in my case CARDS) to one side and bite the bullet. Mind you , you won't find a promarker or watercolour pencil in sight just glue, glitter, shrink plastic, embossing powder, glossy accents, inka gold, embossing folders, beads,design papers , distressed inks and a heat gun. (Well if I'm gonna do it might as well go the whole hog!)
I had a pile of plain cards in my stash from a frebbie gift in an order sent to me so for the
1st card I used an embossing folder and design paper die cut to fit the panel. The flower and ivy leaf were made using plain white copy paper coloured with distressed inks. The flower layers were diped in Embossing powder whilst still wet and then dried with the heat gun. Beads were threaded onto red cord and the Merry Christmas stamped and cut out.


Entering this into the following challenges.
Do You stack Up: Stripes.
Divas By Design: Merry Christmas.
Creative Belli: Must have Christmas on your Card.



2nd , 3rd and 4th cards I went to town on flourishes, glitter and Inka Gold. A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do!





Card 5 pre printed christmas cut out and wording with a shrink plastic button covered in glue and glitter for the top of the tree and and twirly corners (which Fluff didn't know I had).

Card 6 using design papers, another flourish and a christmas bauble made from good old shrink plastic.

It took me the rest of the day to clear up but perhaps my 'C' word isn't so bad after all!!!

Snowflakes.

The last card of the eight. The one that was the most trouble but the one I liked making the most.
I inked the snowflake die over a sheet of plain white copy paper in a random pattern using distress ink in 'Stormy Sky' & 'Chipped Sapphire' and whilst still wet sprinkled with a very fine dusting of blue glitter.Once dry I cut to size and matted to the card front. Happy Christmas was stamped onto an oval die tag edged with distress ink and dipped in the same blue glitter.
The snowflakes were die cut from thin card and then coated in crackle paint. Two were painted with white and two painted in blue acrylic paint and whilst wet sprinkled with a fine dusting of the blue glitter. I then coated each one in a liberal coating of Glossy Accents and left to dry overnight and that's when the fun began.
You know when you see a sign on a newly painted park bench/railings saying WET PAINT don't you just have to test it to see? Well the blue ones were fine , dry as a bone and the white ones looked ok so just to test and be doubly sure I turned them over onto a sheet of news print and the rest is history (yesterdays news item to be precise.) Ok, so scrap those and start again.
Two white snowflakes later and for some reason the Glossy Accents dried with a distinct yellow tinge so scrap those and start again.
Third time lucky and it worked. Adhered them to the front of card with sticky pads and typed a verse in word to go inside.

After all that effort am entering into the following challenges:

By The Cute & Girly: Let it Snow.

The ABC Challenge: Frosty.

Alphabet Challenge: W = White for Christmas.

Rainbow Lady's: White Christmas & Happy Christmas.

Papertake Weekly: Last Christmas .....Card of the Year.

Shrink Plastic Star.

Card 7. Couldn't possibly make a Christmas Card without using my beloved Shrink Plastic.

A really easy one. A star stamp used randomly over a sheet of white copy paper using distress inks in 3 christmasy colours. Cut to size and matted onto front of card. Over stamped with Happy

Christmas. I drew a large star free hand and covered in Yellow distress ink. When dry simply shrunk down . Applied Glossy Accents and dipped the edges of star into gold glitter, then stuck to card using sticky pads. Verse was typed in word and added inside.
I'm getting the hang of these cards now!!!

Entering into the following challenges:

Tuesday Taggers: Anything Goes.

Creative Inspirations: Anything Goes.

My Mums Craft Shop: Anything Goes.

Paper Play Challenges: Christmas.

Charisma Cardz: Anything Goes.

Is he here Yet!

The boys have spreadeagled on the floor as Norm said he needed plenty of room so that he could concentrate on colouring his picture for Father Christmss.

They asked me to make them stockings which of course had to be hung straight away.

They couldn't resist a quick peek up the chimney though!

It's not the 24th yet boys.

Last Three Gifts & WOYWW 133.

I have had to clear my desk as I'm working on a swap which is due to go out to my partner next week so it is top secret and under wraps.
But I can show you this!
'The Doc' knows now to pass everything by the 'Craft Pod' before throwing it in the bin. His casual remark this morning was "Do you want this cork top for anything?" My eyes lit up and as he was trying to back out of the room a flash of inspiration hit me and when I told him what I wanted it for he said "Well you had better have the bottle too as it's the right shape"!


Intrigued? Come back in the New year to see what it has become. Answers on a postcard please!!

These are the last three gifts that I sent my partner in the Christmas Gift Swap.

Shrink plastic (my beloved crafting tool) Star tree ornament.

Felt Dove to peg on the tree.

And a wall hanging using up another curtain pole ring. (2 down 48 more to go)

Latest update on my wrist is that the plaster is off but I'm now in a steel splint waiting for an MRI scan to be taken after Christmas. They still can't see from x-rays what I have done but think I may have chipped a bone and a fragment has become detached. Time will tell. (Become very adapt at using crafting tweezers, my teeth for tying bows and my elbow for holding things in place.)

As usual here is the link for Julia's blog where you can go and see what the rest of the crafting community has been up to on their desks this week.