Bean Sidhe

Sam sent me this.  I've not managed to capture it properly.  It is beautifully constructed with a 'tiled' floor, three regal panels and my Queen (a spoon) sitting on her throne.  I am SO chuffed with it and it has to be seen in the hand to be fully appreciated.  Thank you Sam!

Her throne had to have a week cushion (a bit of cut'n'dry).

I haven't caught the detail of her face very well here.  Love the dress!  All done in layers.  She's got great hair too.

Shaped Cards

Sara's Time for Crafting subscription area has some exceptional tutorials and ideas (as well as those available for free!).  This card is delightful and like magic, it balances on the letter Y and the J and O jump up in the air.  I'm SO chuffed with it.  The templates are there to cut out either by hand or using your Robo if you have one.

Here's Sara's (obviously much better than mine).

Here's mine!

The dots and stripes papers are downloads from Sara's site.  The snowflakes are downloaded from here.

On From a lines forum, Mama posted this link.

From this site, I used the central stepper template to make this card.  I had a bit of trouble at first because, referring to the diagram, it looks as if the back panel is larter than it is when the card is cut but then I realised it had been heightened by the added topper.

I made a little pocket to put my tag into because it has the verse and greeting and needs to be lifted out.

I just don't seem to have had much time to be on the computer lately.

However, I have made some cards, including, finally, come Christmas cards.  You can see them here.

Art Group

I wanted to take my turn at our local art group but as my art is, lets say (to be kind), at an elementary level, I wasn't able to demonstrate any painting/drawing techniques.  Rita said it would be ok if I showed some paper craft projects.

As it's near Christmas, I did some little favour boxes which are suitable for table settings, together with a decorated candle and a couple of tree decorations - a bauble and an icicle.

Pillow box, cake box and napkin ring.  The napkin ring is just a piece of card fastened into a circle.  The cake box and icicle templates are from here.  The pillow box template is from here.

The instructions and template for the bauble are here. 

This card is patterned but it doesn't show up on the picture.

This flower is cut from a paper napkin.  You can make this match the napkins you are using on your table.  The instructions are here.

Craft Club

Dorothy did the turorial this week.  We did a tissue box cover using stamps and distress inks.  Thanks Dorothy, a lovely project.  Here's mine.

More cards

As well as the cards on the slide show (link at the top of this entry) I made this for a cyber bud who had a recent 'special' birthday.

...and this one for my elder grandson who has just jetted off to Japan.

Well, it IS time for crafting, or, at least time I got some crafting done.

It is also the name of Sara's site where she has lots of hints, tips and free templates, including some cutting templates for the Craft Robo. 

I'm signed up to her VIP area (I've never been a VIP before) and subscribe to her on line magazine where she has additional projects, techniques, product reviews and great prizes on offer.  The latest magazine, as well as Christmas projects, has this lovely heart card with a fancy cut out.

Now my efforts fall far short of Sara's lovely card.  Firstly, I tried to heat emboss the card.  Either my embossing pad is too dry, or the card is to absorbent (probably both) but it certainly didn't have the wow factor.  I also forgot to put my wee bow on before I took photos.  However, I will try again and post what I hope will be a more successful card.

I embossed the heart using my Cuttlebug paisley folder but not sure whether it shows up at all.  The swirl stamps are from Third Coast Rubber Stamps.

Trying to get back to visiting blogland after a bit of an absence.

Firstly, here are my birthday cards - I had them up for over 2 weeks because they were lovely.

The ones below are all hand crafted.

My crafted gifts are shown below.

Firstly, from Lottie, a messenger bag - you can see full details HERE on her blog.  The collaged picture is from Sam - you can see full details HERE on her blog.  Both beautiful pieces which will be treasured and admired.

I couldn't get a good picture of this intricate flag/tag book from Nes lots of elements - very inspiring.

I was asked to make a card for a lady who is 90 years old and which incorporated bowling (as in green bowling not bowling alleys).  It was a last minute one, so, fairly basic.  I changed the image and made the backing paper in Paint Shop Pro.

My friend's Mum was due to have a blood transfusion on her 80th birthday (I don't think it was part of her planned birthday gifts).  We were discussing this when I said that it's good to have a pint on your birthday, which triggered the idea for this card.  I amagamated the two images to make the 'pint'.

Had a lovely birthday with lots of great gifts, cards, visits and 'phone calls.  Some lovely hand crafted items, which will feature later when I've scanned them.  To those who've sent them THANK YOU!  I really appreciate the time and care that's been put into my choosing and making my gifts and cards.

Had family to dinner (or is it lunch? - well, it's dinner when I eat it mid-day).

I have been watching too many episodes of Masterchef I think - I tried out some new (to me) recipes.  However, the constestants can rest easy for now - I don't think I'll be giving them any competition!

For starters we (my assistant chef and myself) did salmon mousse in cucumber on a bed of watercress (recipe from Mrs Beaton's book).  It set well and I was pleased with it.  My guests said it tasted good too.

The main course was roast beef and roast veg and you all know what that looks like, so no photo. 

For my birthday I had an ice cream making machine so my first attempt at ice cream,  rich vanilla, was put before the testing panel and pronounced a huge success.  I had decided to attempt brandysnap baskets (never done them before, nor seen them done).  They looked somewhat agricultural (a big feature of my cooking), they tasted gorgeous BUT wow, were they hard!  They ended up in the bin because I couldn't afford a dental bill.

So, undeterred, I decided to try a tuille biscuit (never done one of these before either).  One trayful resulted in a mess of crumbs, nice tasting but useless for icecream.  The other trayful, which I cooked slightly longer and left to cool a bit, came out useable - albeit not very atristic.

I also made a boozy jelly using the fruit and juice from my Rumtopf . 

My sister in law brought me a beautiful light sponge birthday cake - it's a wonder it didn't float away - but I'm glad it didn't!

Here are my gifts - a distinct cookery theme this year.

My niece brought me these - I LOVE them when they are fresh and juicy (no, they are NOT conkers - they are chestnuts).

Art Group

On Monday Jane showed us how to make a start on Encaustic Art (thank you Jane) and I finally got around to using the kit which Dorothy had loaned me (I'll bring it back soon Dorothy).

Here's the result of my first try.

I made some Cuttlebug Cards

I've used my Cuttlebug embossing folders to make these.

You can see the rest HERE.

Decoupage cards

and another Kinetic card

Craft Club

This week Dorothy did the project - thanks Dorothy.  We did a little wallet into which we put birthday reminder pages but it could be used for anything, recipes, addresses, reminders.  Quite versatile.  My little stamped image is a bit anaemic so I will change it for something brighter.

Well, I've just typed ALL this in and then lost it - so - here I go again!

At craft club we had a great demo by Monica, a Stampin' Up demonstrator.  She brought beautiful samples and did brilliant demos of the stuff but wasn't pushy and didn't pressure us (no need with all that lovely stuff to hand I have to say!)  We did a make and take, here's mine.  There is glitter on it but it doesn't show on the san.

I made this card for my sister in law's birthday.

Again, it hasn't scanned too well.

This is a vintage card I've made using one of the Crafty Individuals images (great little books with these small images in, so useful).

Here's a card I made for my neighbour for her son who has just passed his trainer's exam for training other fork lift truck drivers.

Pop out (?pop/up) Card

Kinetic card

I made this for my brother in law's birthday (lots of birthdays this month).  I got the template here.  I found the decoupage image on photobucket Created by Di's den for personal use only September 2008.

Here's the verse I've used:

Why is it that brothers never seem to be able to tell each other how important they are to each other?

We can talk and joke about so many things; we reminisce about the times of our lives when we were growing up; we try to keep in touch with each other's comings and goings...

But of all the things I've ever said to you, I don't think I've ever said something that I feel inside and something I've always known was true...

And it is true; you're a very special part of my family and a very important part of my life...

Crochet

I made these wee crochet flowers for Lindsey who spends so much time keeping our craft club up and running.

She sent me this lovely THANK YOU card (you're very welcome Lindsey)!

Well, no, not the bills but I got this today.

Sara who runs the Time for Crafting forum organised a mystery swap.

Firstly, we were sent a large jigsaw piece which had to be done to a SEA theme (in, on or beside the sea).

Then we got a piece of board which had to be done in the same theme.

After that, we were asked to make a tag for which the template was provided for the theme of friendship.

Sara put all these together so that all the participants got back a different piece from different people.  She's made a beautiful spiral bound notebook with the pieces - thank you Sara.

The work's gorgeous and the scan really doesn't show it up properly.

You can see all the pieces here.

Here's what I got.

Jigsaw piece by Colleen - I love how she's made the sun in the sky and the texture's gorgeous.

The background is by Eileen Scott.  Again, gorgeous texture and it's really pearly and glittery with fronds as if it's under the sea.

The friendshop tag's got a lovely soft feel to it and the background is all pearly too.  It's been made by Fudgebabge.

Here are the pieces I made.  The background is paper piecing (each colour is cut out of a different piece of paper).

I couldn't make my mind up about the tags - so I sent two.

Apples, apples and more apples!

The first run of apple juice completed over the last couple of days.

Washed apples ready for chopping.

Chopped (just to make sure there are no 'creatures' inside!)

Minced in the machine.

Pour onto the 'cheese' (the cloth).

Flatten ready for wrapping.

Wrap first layer.

Add the next rack (the wooden slatted platform through which the juice runs).

Adding the former (the frame) to make the next layer - this helps keep its shape until wrapped in the cheese (the cloth).

Adding next cheese (cloth).

and so on until.............all the layers are on and then add the block ready to press!

This is what's left after all the juice has been pressed out (pity we haven't got a pig to fatten).

After the juice has been extracted, it's bottled and pasteurised and this is what you get.

Well I don't seem to have been very productive since my last posting but here's the little I have done.

Preserving

Our harvest of crab apples looked a bit sad because there were lots of marks on the apples.  However, as we planned to make jelly and not jam, this wasn't a problem.  The apples are boiled down in water until soft and mushy and then put through a straining bag so that the juice drains out and that's what is used to make the jelly.  We haven't enough jars just now so the juice has been frozen.  We got 19 pints of juice!  It should be clear but as I'm very mean and didn't want to waste any, I squeezed the straining bag to get the last of the juice, hence it's cloudy but that won't make any difference to how it tastes, it just won't look clear in the jar.

We were given this lovely bunch of tomatoes from a friend's greenhouse so they became soup!  It was yummy!

A gift

Thanks Karen for this lovely gift - she's given up scrapbooks and moved on to her lovely jewellery.  I'm not a 'pink' girl but I can soon decorate the front and the lovely little box with all the different shapes will last for aaaaaaaaaages!

Cards

Yes, I did manage to make a couple.  Firstly one for my Cousin's birthday.

and one for my reserve box using Dufex decoupage

Art Group

This week was button art.  I had to Google as I'd no idea what button art was but there are some lovely and complex examples on line.  I opted for a simpler approach and used a mask which came from Wilko's and was quite cheap.  I didn't have enough buttons of the same colour to do all the panels in buttons so I added the other bits when I got home but I think it's come out quite well.  I used Lumiere paints, glitter, sequins and a peacock feather to finish it off.  I've taken three photos from different angles but I don't think the full effect comes out on the photos.

My mojo's still in hiding but I did manage to do these few croched flowers, which seem to be all the rage just now for card making and scrap booking.  I could have done with a more suitable yarn but they're not bad for starters.

A couple of cards

I nearly forgot craft club (how could I?)

Dorothy did the project on Monday and for some reason they keep talking about this thing called C*****mas!  (Thanks Dorothy).  You can see lots of lovely examples of her work on her blog.  Well, I'm still in summer so I just can't get my head round this. 

Still, I did enjoy what we did.  I didn't have any pearly and metal bits for the middle of my flowers, so I put little gems there instead.  I didn't realise there were any bits until it was too late but still, it looks ok(ish).  I still can't get this colouring business so did another image using my glitter gel pens - a bit vibrant but at least I didn't smudge!  You can't see my glitter very well but it is there.