Ciao 2013!

I had thought that 2013 was going to be bad. Plain and simply. I did not like the number. The first half was,  and I suffered for it, then having to deal with my disappointment in the summer. But then my Autumn term was fantastic, and I had some of the best people around me, and the best times I've had in a long, long time. 2013 has been about 'building character', and I feel a better person for it.

 

I have put a decent effort in to this blog this year - I even sustained my August challenge for posting everyday (bar one). And here are some promises I have yet to keep:

 

1) I will finish my travel scrapbook. I still need to print out photos.

 

2) My 50 has been extended as part of my 2014 Resolution. I'd love to finish my list.

 

3) I will again try and post frequently, although A2's are very important, so begin wishing good luck now, if you please!!!

 

4) This  year I participated in the December Daily Challenge, and I have nearly completed documenting all the way up until Christmas Eve, with hopefully a mini celebration of Christmas at the end. However, I still need to print photos....

 

2014 will be a year of change again. Next year I should be off to University, to study History. What I have learnt this year is that documenting what goes on, and finding the positives to flick through, is very good for my mentality. This means art journals and Scrapbooks. So hopefully, even if I'm not sharing it here, some form of craftiness will be occurring somewhere in my life.

 

Thank you for sticking with me for this year, and I hope that 2014 will bring you hope and happiness too.



We Three Kings of Orient are...

...One in a taxi, one in a car.

One on a scooter, blowing its hooter,

Smoking a big Cigar.

I know. I sing wonderfully.

Equipment:

Gold Card blank

Paper scraps in Gold and black

Outline stickers

Glue

1) Trim a strip of Gold Card to the same height as the width of the Card Blank. 

2) Arrange three stickers of the headdresses (hats. I prefer hats, but they don't look like hats) onto this gold strip.

3) Attach to a strip of Black card that is the same height but 2cm wider.

4) Glue down the decorated strip, and arrange three sticker diamonds in the bottom corner.

Ta da!

Number of items used from stash: 2

Gold Card, Stickers

Sparkle

I love glitter,but hate the mess. Glitter outline stickers solve this problem no end.

Equipment:

White Card blank

Glitter stickers

Ribbon

1) Tie the Ribbon into a bow around the bottom of the card blank.

2) Arrange the glitter stickers onto the top half of the card.

Ta da!

Number of items used from stash: 2
Stickers, Ribbon

Button Red

A GREEN Card today...I've mainly been using white card this year, but I began to ran out,so in the spirit of using up my stash, I turned to this colour as well.

Equipment:

Green Card Blank

Patterned paper

Ribbon

Buttons

Felt star

Corner Rounder

Glue

1) Tie the ribbon around the patterned paper so that it forms a bow.

2) Attach a button to the centre of the felt star.

3) Glue the star onto the patterned paper, next to the ribbon bow.

4) Round the two corners of the patterned paper closest to the star, and attach the opposite flat edge to the front of the card.

5) Round the outside corners of the card blank and attach two more buttons to the side of the patterned paper.

Ta da!

Number of items used from stash: 6

Buttons, Paper, Ribbon, Star

Christmas Green

Green and white looks so good together, and it makes a refreshing change to the usual red and green.

Equipment:

White Card Blank

Ribbon

Circle sentiment

Scalloped circle

Foam Pads

1) Attach the ribbon across the bottom half of the card and secure on the wrong side.

2) Using foam pads, layer the Circle sentiment onto the coordinating scalloped circle.

3) Adhere the scalloped circle on top of the ribbon using foam pads.

Ta da!

Number of items used from stash: 3
Ribbon, Sentiment, Circle

Circles

This one is plain and simple, and the cold blues go well with the white.

Equipment: 

White Card Blank

Circle embellishments

Border with words

Glue

1) Attach the border across the lowest third of the card blank using glue. Make sure that the writing is fully visible, as this will act as your sentiment.

2) Arrange the two circles on the card and glue down as well.

Ta da! So Simple, yet effective

Number of items used from stash: 3

Circles, border

Deck the halls...

...with boughs of holly!

A running theme that may start to occur with my cards is their simplicity. I find these sorts of ideas great if there are a lot of cards to make, or if you want a quick repeat design.

Equipment:

White Card Blank

Patterned paper

Ribbon

Glue

Outline Sticker Sentiment

1) Cut the patterned paper to half of the card blank. I chose this one as the holly appeared to hang from the centre. Adhere to the lower half of the card.

2) Tie a Coordinating ribbon into a bow across the front of the card, covering up the paper join.

3) Add an outline sticker sentiment on the plain top half  of the card.

Ta-da!

Number of items used from stash: 3

Paper, Ribbon, Sticker

Layers

More Christmas Cards this week! Yay!

Equipment:

White Card Blank

Paper Scraps: I had some handmade paper and that silver sort of netting stuff....

Paper Embellishments

Ribbon

Chipboard Sentiment

Glue

Foam Pads

1) Tear the handmade paper to fit onto the card blank. I found that using a paintbrush and water worked well. Glue down.

2)Tie the ribbon to the edges of the Chipboard sentiment and add foam pads.

3) Arrange the other elements to the card and stick down.

4) Adhere the chipboard sentiment with the foam pads.

Ta da!

Number of items used from stash: 6

Paper, Net, Snowflake, Star, Sentiment, Ribbon

Baubles

This one is inspired by this card, and I love how simple it is! And, just one month to go! EEK!

Equipment:

White Card Blank

Bauble Die Cuts

Foam Pads

Black Pen

Corner Rounder

1) Using foam pads, arrange the two baubles on the front of the card.

2) Draw black lines for string and write greeting below.

3) Round corners of the card blank.

Ta da!

Number of items used from stash: 2

Bauble die cuts.

Ribbons

Another Christmas card to brighten up your November!

Equipment:

Square white card blank

Patterned paper

Ribbon bow

Card Scrap

Gold outline stickers

Glue

1) Trim patterned paper so that it sits with a 1cm border on the card blank. Glue down.

2) Wrap a ribbon bow (I kept mine from an old bunch of flowers) around one side of the card, and fix to the inside of the card using your preferred method (I like sticky tape).

3) Cut out the scrap of white card and round the end corners. Position the outline sticker greeting on it.

4) Glue the sentiment so that the end of the card is underneath the bow of the ribbon.

Ta Da!

Number of items used from stash: 3
Paper, Ribbon, Stickers

Candy Canes

Hello, Christmas cards again!

Look familiar? It is very similar to this one I did last year. A good example of where multiple ideas can spawn from the same items.

Equipment:

Square White Card blank

White Card

Patterned paper

Ribbon

Candy cane embellishment

Mini 'Christmas' tag

Foam pads

Glue

1) Trim the spare white card to a 10cm square.

2) Across one side, wrap the ribbon and secure at the back in your preferred method.

3) Attach the Candy Cane embellishment above the ribbon.

4) Adhere the mini tag where the candy cane crosses the ribbon.

5) Trim the patterned paper to a 13cm square, and glue onto the card front. Centre and attach the decorative panel using foam pads.

Ta Da!

Number of items used from stash: 4

Embellishment, Tag, Ribbon, Paper

Purple Snowflakes

Another Card to show you! Hoorah! 

This one turned out much better than I had expected. I'm usually pretty dire at anything like stamping, but this turned out really well, so smiles all round!

Equipment:

White Card Blank

Pink and White card

Pink Ribbon

Snowflake Embellishment

Snowflake Stamp

Inkpad

Foam adhesive

1) Using your stamp and Ink (my ink was purple), stamp onto the white card to create a background. Trim down to an 8X8cm square, and round the corners.

2) Wrap the ribbon around one side of the patterned card, and secure at the back with your favourite method ( I use tape).

3) Position and adhere your snowflake embellishment on top of the ribbon.

4) Trim the pink card to a 9cm square, and round its corners. Adhere the patterned panel to the pink square using foam pads. Attach all of this to the card blank, also with foampads.

Ta da!

Number of  items used from stash: 4

Snowflake embellishment, ribbon, pink card, stamp & ink

Red and Gold

This year, I've set myself a challenge. I was only allowed to buy my stash one new thing for all of my Christmas cards. It been pretty tough, but I really like some of the results I've been getting. So I'm going to show you some of the things you can do, and let me know if, like me, you long for your huge pile of craft supplies to diminish (so you have a valid excuse to buy more!).

This one, I hate that the bow is lop-sided, but otherwise I feel it's a rather sophisticated card.

Equipment:

Gold Card Blank

Red Card

Gold patterned vellum (mine says Christmas over it)

Red Ribbon

Red Gems

Double sided tape

Foam Pads

Glue

Scissors

1) Trim the vellum until it measures 9cm X 10cm. Trim the red card to 10cm X 11cm.

2) Matt the vellum onto the red card using double sided tape.

3) Tie a bow with the red ribbon. Use Glue to secure the knot, and cut a pennant into each of the tail ends.

4) Glue the bow to the centre of the vellum piece. Attach this panel to the top of the card using foam pads.

3) Beneath this, glue 3 red gems for detail.

Ta da!

Number of items used from stash: 6

Ribbon,Vellum, Card Blank, Gems

50 Things to Make in One Year

1. A Birthday Card
2. A Christmas Card
3. A Thank You Card
4. A 'Just because' Card
5. A Friend Card
6. A Winter Card
7. A Spring Card
8. A Summer Card
9. An Autumn Card
10. A Cake
11. Mince Pies
12. Peppermint Creams
13. Muffins
14. Brownies
15. Scones
16. Biscuits
17. Cheese Straws
18. A Sausage Plait
19. Something Chocolate
20. A Cushion
21. A scarf
22. A hat
23. A doll
24. A bag
25. A piece of clothing
26. A piece of Jewellery
27. A painting
28. A decoration
29. A Pin Board
30. Something Knitted
31. Something hand sewn
32. Something machine  sewn
33. Something quilted
34. Something Crochet
35. Something in an Organised Nature
36. Something Harry Potter
37. Something alternative Fandom inspired
38. Something Purple
39. To become more thrifty
40. A Children's Picture Book
41. A Finish to at least one of my ongoing stories
42. An AS Art Piece
43. A History Essay Competition
44. A Successful UCAS Application (It counts, ok?! Shush!)
     
45. A Friend
46. Improve my mentality
47. An attempt at fashion
48. Maintain a sketchbook of ideas
49. A selection of Book Reviews
50. A decent Contribution to this Blog



 

Sort of a New Year's Resolution, but perhaps more keepable than the last one. I was going to go for 52, one for every week of the year, but I figured two weeks off might be a good idea. Plus 50 is a happy number(you can draw a smiley face in the zero). I don't intend on completing one per week, and some may be combined together for ease, but these are my aims for this blog in the next year. And to actually get into the habit of posting again.

Another one of my resolutions is to join in with Creatives Unite by Miss Beatrix more often, instead of just curling up and sleeping on the sofa... Which, although appealing is unproductive and highly impractical when people wish to use said sofa.

And thank you to all who made 2012 a good year, it was difficult and I'm sure the next one won't be much easier, but I guess all we can say is roll on 2013.

 

Hug Hogwarts. It is good for you.

 

If not, it will come anyway and just flatten you like a rolling pin and pastry.