Christmas Cards.......

A long post today - sorry!!

Every year I make our immediate family something different as a Christmas card - in previous years Ive made mini albums of photos, or scrapbook banners etc.  This year Ive made them little altered bird houses filled with chocolates!  Once for each of them decorated in the style (hopefully!) of their own Christmas decorations.  A sort of 'Merry Christmas from our house to yours'

 

I bought the little houses in the summmer from the pound shop - they were hideous, painted in pink or lilac with loads of flowers all over them,

Before pictures

 

The little roofs were held in place by the string hanger, but could be removed for putting bird seed inside.  A few coats of paint inside and outside and then a little altered art and they have been transformed into something completely different!!  and only a £1 each.....

(thats apart from the Basic Grey, K&Co & SEI patterned papers, tags, ribbon, Prima flowers, Prima & Basic Grey bling, chipboard elements, epoxy elements, wire fibres, wire foliage, rub-ons, stickers, paint, distress inks, stickles, perfect pearls, hermi fix, silicone gel, glue dots, foam squares, + 3 tins of roses chocolates for the filling, so really really cheap!  ha ha!!!)

however, with the exception of the chocolates, I had everything else in my stash!!

The roofs were punched onto white card stock using the large doily lace punch from Martha Stewart and then each lower edge was coloured with distress inks and then layered onto the roof, they then had stickles piped along each lower edge on top of the distress inks.  This is the punch used

Martha Stewart Doily Lace Punch

Anyways, Ive made 7 in total - heres the closeups!

Mums

Lindas

My brothers

Kev's Three Brothers

Ours

Filled with chocolate

Enjoy!

Baby its cold outside!.............

because of the snow and the non existent heating in the hall, we are postponing the Christmas party at Romford Scrapaholics for a week - hopefully the hall will be a little warmer on the 13th Dec (actually I have it in my diary for both the 6th and the 13th.......!).  Im hoping to be back on my feet by then as well........fingers crossed!

Here's a photo I took yesterday from my back door of the icicles on the garage.   Some of them were over a foot long!

Because its so cold, the girls haven't been going out much, but as I had the back door open, Lizzy decided to have a look around and I managed to get a couple of photos of her - very difficult as she's quite defiant and wont look at you when you call her with a camera in your hand!! 

Anyways, keep warm!

Tim Holtz - Movie Mogul.....

I absolutely loved this - its on the Tim Holtz blog......

Tim Holtz

For those that dont already know, every year since 2007 Tim creates the '12 Tags of Christmas', which are daily instructions on creating little pieces of altered art on a typical brown luggage tag, one for each day from the 1st December to the 12th December.

They are really worth tuning into just for the ideas on using ranger inks and paints if nothing else.  Tim does a photographic step by step for each of the tags. 

I love them and usually use a couple of the techniques in my christmas projects.

You can see his other years work here;-

2007 - 12 Tags of Christmas

One of the 2007 tags by Tim Holtz

2008 - 12 Tags of Christmas
One of the 2008 tags by Tim Holtz

2009 - 12 Tags of Christmas
 One of the 2009 Tags by Tim Holtz

What's really interesting is seeing how his style has evolved over the few years that he's been doing them.  Anyways, have a look, I'm sure there's something that he will do that will interest us!

Enjoy!

Cardmaking!

 Ive made a few cards lately that you might be interested in, firstly Ive made loads of thank you cards and ATC's to thanks friends and family for my birthday presents.  They were all created using stamps from 'Lavinia Stamps' - her designs are gorgeous!!    Lavinia Stamps

I used black stazon and stamped the images  randomly onto white cardstock, stamping three times before re-inking.  As you can see you get more prominent darker images and then other ones which almost fade into the background.  I also used perfect pearls in opal sprinkled with Glamour dust whilst still wet for the little sparkles.

This next one is the the centre of a birthday card I made for Sarah where I decoupaged the magnolia.  This was really easy, if a little longwinded as there are about three or four layers in some parts which means three or four lots of water coloured painting!

Next here's a birthday card I made for Georgina which has been watercoloured and has hand cut bunting - check out the grass and wildflowers!

Lastly I had to make a card in 10 minutes from scratch this morning so mum could get it to the post, heres the watercoloured detail of the teddy

Both of the teddy stamps were stamped for my by the lovely Jo Mcnally.

Enjoy!

Welcome!

Welcome to Natalie of Scarlet Sails Miniatures. Natalie makes the most beautiful miniature embroideries and has been working recently on a set of cushions including a beaded cushion which is to die for!  Pop over to her blog for a look, and remember to scroll down to see the cushion set - I love the Father Christmas, hes so cute!

Scarlet Sails Miniatures

enjoy!

Chuffed to bits!!!!

Ive won a lovely miniature christmas chair and handmade bear made and designed by the fabulous Julia at Bear cabin miniatures.  Julia was kind enough to auction her bear on ebay, with all proceeds going to Children in Need.  Here they are, aren't they gorgeous!

 I follow Julias blog and she makes the most amazing items, from bears to Halloween pumpkins!.  You can see Julia's blog here:-

Bear Cabin Miniatures

Big thanks to Julia for her generosity

xx

Welcome!

 

Welcome to Sylvia of lotjes dolls house

Syliva's work is YUM YUM YUM!!!  make sure to check out her 'Chambre de Seraphine' and on the way please have a look at her shabby bathroom!  I absolutely love all the little detail that goes into her work!

Chambre de Seraphine

Enjoy!