thrifting dreams

It might have been her eighteenth birthday, but Luu still got a go-to card. Although, Mark did help with choosing what went on the card - with my ultimate design choice, of course.  And the good news, is she got an offer of a place from her favoured university, subject to her grades. But, they are really do-able, so she should be off in the autumn.

 And, talking of birthdays, and the money that came with it... We're going thrifting today. Which reminded me, I haven't shown this little project that I did over the Christmas break. I saw a few last year around the blogosphere, on my favourite Dottie Angel and on Decor8, to mention just two, and wanted to have a go myself.

With few thrifting opportunities, it took me until December to find a likely shade that I could pull apart, wind strips of fabric around, and hang a motley selection of items from.

Not the best photos, probably why it's taken me two months to show, but you get the idea... Anyway, I've seen a few more around lately - being used as actual shades... So, now I want one as a shade, for my dressing table, here's hoping the thrifting gods look favourably down on me today...

the card making plan

I've been making quite a few cards lately, for birthdays and such.  However, I usually forget to take any photos, or, more honestly, they're usually put together at the last moment and I literally don't have time to wait for some half-decent light...

But, last week I made one for Luu, a good luck card for a Uni interview.  So, I've managed to get a photo. 

I like making cards, and giving cards, but I don't really like that moment (or ten) when you sit down and think - yikes, what shall I do???  So, when I got this Octopode stamp last autumn, I came up with a sketch for my cards.  I put some cards, papers, ribbons and whatever else I came across that would work on this style of card into a kit bag, and hey presto!  No-stress card making. 

Oddly enough, since I started this method of card making, I've had no male birthdays.  But, I have a hot air balloon stamp that will work for the boys.  And, actually, I should probably get a male Octopode.  Yes, I think I will...

And, did the good luck card work?  Well, yes.  She's had an offer from that Uni, but has also now had another interview at her favourite University, and should hear from that one by the end of this week.  Fingers crossed...

No photos!

Ages ago, I won a giveaway on my friend Lisa's blog of a Bite Sized Scrapbooking Bundle.  Basically, scrapbooking in bite sized chunks, sounds good to me.  Especially when I'm trying to move from the right-hand side of the page.  So, I pulled a photo, used the Scarlet Lime kit, and scrapped another story.

If you're interested in the journalling, it says "How am I supposed to become a world famous scrapbooker, when my children do this to me?"  Total irony on the world famous bit.  But seriously, this is about the usual standard of photos of my girl's - so that's the story that gets scrapped.

 

At the moment I'm really trying to get into scrapping the stories, there are so many of them still to do...

Scarlet Lime Kit

Way back, in November, last year... I was tempted by the Thanksgiving/Black Friday sale at Scarlet Lime.  And splashed out a whole five dollars on a sight unseen kit.  Now, the post and packing added another $15, but I thought I'd go for it - my first order from the States!

It took a couple of weeks to reach me, but it was so worth the wait.  There was quite a bit of purple in there, as well as some greens, some wood effects, some trims and embellishments and a set of stamps. 

These are the first three layouts I made using the kit.  I whizzed them up one afternoon, and then realised that I had completely used my fail-safe scrap-booking combo - can you spot it?  Yes, everything on the right hand side of the page!  Nothing wrong with that - but I'm now on a bit of a mission to mix it up a bit. Which includes the layout in my last post, using Shimelle's project. 

I'll be back soon, with some more from this kit, and a move from the right-hand side of the page....

9 pilots

So, I sat down yesterday afternoon for a little blog hop, and came across this post on Shimelle's blog.  And decided to join in. I shopped my stash, came up with some suitable papers and a photo I took on holiday in Cornwall last year.  The photo had a couple of stories I wanted to tell, but I just wasn't sure how to scrap them.

And about an hour later, had this layout. Thanks for the inspiration, Shimelle.

'Tis the season

This year, I decided to go a slightly different way with my Christmas cards.  For years I've made my own Christmas cards, but this year, with working full time, it just wasn't going to happen.

I decided early on - in about October, that this year, I would do just one piece of art, using the She Art course, that I did earlier in the year.  Then, this would be printed out for my cards.  I finally got around to doing the canvas, which is actually 12" by 12", late in November. I got it scanned at work and set about printing them off at home.  I decided to go the easy route - and print straight onto the cards.  However, three hours later it just wasn't happening, and I even ended up with the printer spewing out dozens of copies onto ordinary printer paper, which promptly got put to one side.

About a week later, whilst considering buying cards, I decided to just go with what I'd got.  Although the prints were on very ordinary paper, they were printed at best quality.  So, a production line of cutting and sticking brought me a neat pile of Christmas cards in about half an hour - result!  Some doodling around the edge of each picture gave just a little bit more of a hand crafted edge.  And I also have a Christmas piece of art, as I said - Result!

A birdie told me

 
Ages ago, I made a papier mache boat. Do you remember?  And I wanted a bird to go in it.  But, you know how it is, I had in mind the perfect bird. And, I just couldn't find a pattern.

Every so often I'd look at the boat, and the bird that was looking after it.  And wonder, will I ever find the right birdie sailor? 

So, a couple of weeks ago, while wandering around the internet, something prompted me to go on a bird hunt.  And I found just what I had pictured in my mind. I bought the pattern from The Paper Shed, although this pattern doesn't seem to be available at the moment. But, there's an owl one! I may just have to go shopping there again!

The pattern arrived, and after about an hour or so, I had the sweetest little bird for my boat.

 

I think there may be a little flock of these on the horizon.