Weddingy stuff!

Firstly thank you all for your lovely comments about my dare card, I was really touched. maybe I should be more last miute every week lol!

The dress hunting went well, a bit too well, I think I may have found IT! Scary stuff, a bit more than we hoped to spend too, eek! Still going elsewhere just to doublecheck though.

Anyway, my fab french friends Celine and Angus (ok Angus is Scottish but it ruins my lovely alitteration!) are getting married in the french alps in July and my gift to them is their wedding invites. We've been liasing for ages and are very nearly finished the planning. Now that they've seen them and picked a favourite I thought Id share the samples with you. So which one do you reckon they went for? It wan't the one I had my bet on! Had to do a montage as blogger wouldn't let me have 6 pics in a post!

Close to the metal

Thats what I was like this week with meeting the deadline for Saffa's inspiring dare, doesn't life get in the way of creative stuff sometimes?!

I started a new job yesterday, its a sessional post that came about after the one I didn't get in november, one day a week but really enjoyable. Not crafty but rewarding nevertheless and more good experience of tutoring adults.

Im off out for reasonably priced wedding dress shopping part 2 this morning, exciting stuff, but before I go, here's my take on the fantastic dare Saffa set this week.

HEAVY METAL
Make a card on any theme you like with the rule that it must include something metalic...thats all! You could use wire, charms, foil or even metalic pens.

I used my Rhonna Farrer flourish stamps, I haven't managed to put them away yet, they just live permanently out and in use! Silver embossing powder for stamping the swirls, the peace and layered a few times onto Cherry Arte chipboard letters. I can't for the life of me remember where I got the little metal frames from, but Ive had them for ages and this was the first Ive used *blush*. Clip, brads and ribbons from stash.

I really wish I was a better photographer and could actually take good shots of my cards, still that would mean having to understand the manual settings of my camera... scary stuff!

Extra, extra!

Its snowing again! The last lot hadn't melted where we are up on our hill but half a mile down the road it had. I came back from work in very pretty snow showers, hope we get tons tonight, you really cant beat the cruch of walking on snow, love it! Plus I have hardly any photos of snow, so if it does I'll be out with my camera.

Its been a busy last few days, but Ive managed to squeeze some more creative stuff in, heres a card I made for this weeks Daring Cardmakers Little Extra. Its a recepie dare to use...

7 brads or eyelets
6 flowers
5 letters

this is what I did.

The letters are the fantastic QK Sunshine Alpha, I just loving this more and more, the little flowers are an ellison thin cuts and the page turns are bosscuts, a fabby flower from Sarah
and taadaa. I thought this recepie was going to be really hard, but once I sat down and had a play it all came together.

Oh pants the snow's off again, 'snot fair, I want to go sledging!

Happy Birthday Grandma

Ive just made this for my Grandma with my new stamps, theyre lovely, great quality. Its inspired by the UKS weekly card challenge. Olivia QK alpha, Rhonna Farrer Flourishes stamps in versamark on the background and Navy colourbox ink on the ribbony bit and papermainia flower and brad.

Look what the postie just brought!

Yummy yumm! The fantastically talented Lynne has been raving about these stamps on her blog and producing some gorgeous things with them. I resisted for a very long time, but finally cracked when I saw them on US ebay for a bargain price! And they arrived today, whoohoo. Couldn't have been better timing as I have a few cards to make today!

We've got a date!

For our wedding, whoohoo! The Minister came to visit on friday and he's great. He has a great sense of humour, is really down to earth and has said he would be happy to marry us, so the big day is the 18th of August, 2 days before my Grandparents Diamond Wedding Anniversary. Sixty years is a very long time, 10 times as long as me and Matt have been together already...wow.

Yesterday I had a meeting with someone to discuss cardmaking classes, all will be revealed in due course, and then finally got round to tidying my craft room. So today I made a big mess again, as you do! Ive been making samples for my friends wedding invites, we've been too-ing and fro-ing ideas for a while and the deadlines getting close so I hope Ive made progress today, I need to take piccys to email then I'll share them with you.

Meanwhile I love this song, Lil Star by Kelis, I won't embed it into my blog incase you're listening to something else and it clashes but I thought it went well with my star card! I'm absolutely loving all the cards you've done for the dare I set, they're amazing and all so different, its an absolute honour being a Daring Cardmaker, very big grin :)

Happy Sunday to you all.

Through the Round Window

Oooo it was my turn to set the Dare this week and it was so nervewracking, not helped by the fact my Mojo upped and left midweek, argh! Anyway with a bit playing it came back and this is what I came up with for my own dareI made the window with the Big Shot using the cuttlebug star die, which cuts out loads of nested funky stars, Cuttlebug dies also seem to cut through quite a bit more than other thin cuts, it went through 2 layers of card with thick paper on top, impressed! The paper is from HOTP citrus pack, and the funky lettering is my new favourite Alpha, QK Sunshine. I hope you enjoy this dare and I cant wait to see what you do. Meanwhile if you fancy a bit of reminiscing about the windows on Playschool the BBC have a few clips to watch !

Happy cardmaking!

Raid the Wardrobe!

Lythan set the fantastic Dare this week to Raid your Wardrobe for inspiration! Love it!

I just had to make a card using my very silly patchwork trousers from my Art School days. I dont wear them anymore (I actually eat proper food now lol) but I kept them for the fancy dress box, and so one day my kids could have a good laugh at them like I did at my Mum's ridiculous and very out of fashion clothes!
And heres the card they inspired
Using lots of screen printed thick mulberry papers, QK Sunshine Alpha and Saru's Flower Font for the big flower which is then handcut, like the one embroidered on the pocket of the trousers, and a Leave Memories clear stitching stamp to sew the pieces together. I'm really looking forward to seeing what you do!

And the reason Im so late updating.... because I went wedding dress shopping yesterday. Wowee what an experience. I tried on some gorgeous dresses, didn't find 'the one', but now I have a much better idea of what I want and what suits me, which is not what I thought at all. Me and Matt's Mum had a fab day out in Glasgow and a real laugh together, it was so lovely. We also had a giggle at some of the styles that are 'in' this year, definately not my taste but as I seem to like old seasons styles there should be a bargain to be had somewhere out there, which is perfect for me! I've never been fashionable so why start now!

Big traffic jams meant I didn't get home till really late, in atrocious wind and rain, twigs flying everywhere and having to drive through small ponds! It made it all quite an adventure. Of course I can't really share any of the pics we took just yet but heres a snippet of one thats lovely not quite right, in amongst so many gorgeous colours of fabric, lush. Yes those are my arms!
I'm so excited, I think I need a little lie down now in a darkened room, but before I do, another fantastic and exciting bit of news, Gillian has joined the DCM Design Team. We're so happy to have you on board, welcome Gillian :D And there will be other opportunities to be involved too so keep you're eye out for them!

My Word for 2007

Ive been getting the updates from the Ali Edwards Blog and its taken me a whole 10 days to settle on my word! Nothing seemed quite right but then this popped into my head today and straight away I knew it was the one! I made a card with it but I'm not going to send it, Im going to put it in my 6x6 scrapbook, bizarre but it was much easier to make something on a folded piece of card than a flat one specifically for a scrapbook! Im planning on making a second page with my journalling on.

So my word is...
I used Papermania Ribbons, DCWV Card, Lil Davis Foam Stamps and my brand new Sassafras Lass bracket stamps. No more hiding my light under a bushel this year!

AWOL!

Sorry I went AWOL there for a bit, I haven't had much time for crafting, I seem to have been doing everything but.... working, cleaning, sorting through old stuff I don't need any more, Yawn. Still Ive taken a few bags to the charity shop now, gave some stuff away and binned some proper rubbish so I'm going to treat myself and put aside tomorrow just for crafting!

I'm going dress shopping on friday, how exciting it that! I'm off to Glasgow with my Mother In Law to Be, the only scary bit is we decided to drive as the train was so dear, £86 for us both for a day trip, whereas the fuel will cost £20 max (and the government wonder why we don't use public transport grrr) and Im doing the scary Glasgow driving bit! Eeek! I just have to remember I managed to get all the way to Birmingham and back so as long as I stay calm it shouldn't be too bad. Unfortunately I don't know if my Best Woman can make it as she may have a funeral to go to. Its very sad as its a close friend of hers Mum who died suddenly and having lost my Mum years ago I can understand how important friends are at a time like that.

We've decided on Best Woman as her title though, no Maid of honour here, sounds too much like Milk Maid or Old Maid for us, lol! Plus we've agreed against a night on the town with veils, L Plates and potty's for my Hen night. Phew!

We've also spoken to the Minister and he's coming round for tea next week so its all very exciting.

Ive had a few lovely Crafty deliveries recently from my Birthday and Christmas pennies, The Yummy QK Sunshine which I got as a total bargain .And some stash from local Shops too, well Use Them or Loose Them as the local paper says. Its tough but someone has to do it! The bracket stamps weren't bought locally though, they're from Roundacres Crafts and I can't believe how quickly they came, I ordered on monday night and they were here this morning, wow! I'm really impressed with the new Papermainia range, some lovely new bits at really reasonable prices, and the Cardmakers pack was reduced at Craftspirations so it would've been rude not to, 'specially since its my 'local'.I'm lucky that my Birthday's so close to Christmas, it means if I save my pennies for just a few weeks I can get loads more stuff! Fab! If you don't have any new stuff to use then pop over to the Daring Cardmakers Blog for some great cards recycling found or rescued bits and bobs.

Black Tie Bling

What a fab Dare Lynda set us to start the new year with a bang! Its Bling and Beads!

My Bling turned out to be quite black tie in the end, I didn't mean that to happen, I had all my coloured bits strewn across my desk (well ok, across the whole room if I'm honest) loads of multi coloured papers out wire and thread, stamps and chalks as well as sequins, beads and gems, and ended picking all the clear ones out of a mixed packet of mini gems and using an offcut of black card. Isn't creativity a funny thing the plainest simplest bits of card can sometimes be the most inspiring. Still Im glad Ive got my pretty paper stash!

For the words I used Papermania rubons which I bought today on a total whim, and I really like the effect, bargain at 99p a sheet too! Sizzlits die cut heart, black card, gems and eyelets all from stash. I also tried to do a clever photoshop thing to show the sparkle better, but couldn't get it to look right so you'll just have to imagine the sparkliness, unless you're a photoshop pro and have any top tips! Its just like when the good guy in a film has a big shiney sparkle on his teeth so you can tell he's the hero.

I still haven't made any more thank you cards and have my friends wedding invites to finalise as well as all the usual stuff so if I'm on the pc too much give me a kick and remind me about that long to do list I have! Happy Cardmaking!

Happy New Year!

Had a fab time with friends at a house party, none of us really fancied trapsing the streets in the wind and hail! lol. I managed to drink just the right amount too, so no horrendous hangover yesterday, I was just knackered from staying up so late!

I hope you all have a happy and healthy 2007 with lots of time for crafting.

Heres a pic I promised of the trees on Christmas day, it looked amazing although most of the photos came out pants. Everything was covered in a thick layer of ice, so cool. I can't wait to have another crafty meet, so now its new year, are you up for it girls? You know who you are!