Recipe book

One of our New Years Resolutions this year was to be a bit more adventurous about what we eat each night. I love cook books but only use them on special occasions, Andrew loves to cook now too so we have been scouring the Internet and magazines to find recipes to use. So of course I needed somewhere to keep the ones we like and here it is, made with the bind-it-all and vintage kitchen images, now all I have to do is sit down and write them all in !

Valentines Card

This was Andrews valentines card for this year, he liked it but said it was a bit pink !! I ask you what colour should it of been black !!

V for Volunteers

V was for Volunteers in my A-Z album, I had to use the Red Cross in my page as it is very dear to my heart as I was a member for almost 10 years as a youth leader, instructor and first aider, so I found this wonderful poster on the net and as the challenge was to use vellum printed out on vellum and then used red German scrap as a frame, simple but I like it.

Snow in Bristol !

This past week Bristol has had the most snow it has had in years, so I have been creative in a different way, well I have to build a snowman where ever there is enough snow ! Has made up a tiny bit for not being able to get to Austria this year as I am now waiting for op number 3 in 18 months on my ankle, so I have been been stuck in the house all week as my ankle isn't strong enough to cope with the slippery pavements.

Fly ATC

This weeks mingle with my google group was wings so I just couldn't resist using my flying bus again, well it just had to be done !!!

U is for underwear

The U page in my A-Z album is underwear and the challenge was to use UTTI, so I made a tile of am image I had on one of my image CDs of a corset advert by building up 4 layers of UTTI and then cracked it so it looked old. I wanted the page to look delicate so I added some paperlace, chose a pretty paper for the background and added a title it. Aren't you glad we don't have to wear underwear like that any more !!!

T for Time

My A-Z journal took a brake while I was busy with Christmasy things but now I'm ready to get it finished. So T was for Time, the challenge was to use texture so the borders were done with silver lagging tape put through my Cuttlebug and then coloured with Alcohol inks, the time collage was stamped ( the stamps I made myself ) onto tissue paper then stuck onto a embossed piece of card coloured with paper stains.

50th Wedding Anniversary card

The card I made Mum and Dad for their Anniversary matches the Just add photos album which I can finish off fro them when they return from their trip.

Bon Voyage card

Mum and Dad are off this weekend to Las Vegas and Hawaii to celebrate their 50th wedding Anniversary. Someone in my Google group had spotted a website that you could print out first class tickets for free, so of course I had to have a go and then make a Bon Voyage card to send them on their way !

Collaged file folder

I saw this idea on Paper Imagery Designs blog, a file folder made from large envelopes and greyboard, a great idea for me to get my digital collage sheets sorted out so I will actually use them ! It was the largest area I had ever collaged and a bit scary but I printed out my collage sheets and then just cut out some images, put on some music and went for it with out thinking too much. I must admit I am pretty chuffed with the way it turned out. I have coated it with a coat of PVA to protect it. Now all I need to do it get organising !!

Guardian Angel keyrings

I just couldn't resist the little angel when I saw them in my local craft shop so I just had to make a keyring for myself and my friend Boo as part of her Birthday present, we could both do with a guardian angel at the moment !

Snowman ATC

The theme for this months ATC lottery with Altereddesigns it snow.So here is my snowman ATC made using the Cuttlebug cut and emboss snowman set. I used craft metal for his body which embosses very well. Not my usual style but I think he is cute.

Twit Twoo !

This weeks ATC challenge with Altereddesigns was to use transparencies. I had this 12x12 sheet of acetate covered with owls which fitted the bill so I stamped the background, added some distressing glitter stickles to the back of the owls and used that a long with some glossy accents to stick it too the card.

Re-cycle ATC

This should of been for the Alterdesign weeks mingle to make an ATC with re-cycled bits, but unlike me I missed the deadline. Never mind just been one of those weeks, not a min to myself till today. Still I enjoyed making it out of the side of my Bodyshop box, a gift for my Sister and the star is a chocolate wrapper stuck onto a piece of card from my scraps.The letters ,also from my scraps are cut with my Quickutz alpha. I did use new star buttons and some gold wax round the edge to finish it off. What a shame I'll just have to keep it all too myself, he he, perhaps it should be my phrase of the year ???

Domino ATC

I hosted a Domino ATC on Alternative in November, the idea is the ATC folds out in a domino pattern.We all did Christmasy themed ones so here is mine, I used the poem "Twas the Night before Christmas " for my theme

Noel card

When I had my operation on my ankle back in the summer a friend gave me the template to make this lovely card/album. As it took longer then the average card to make I made them for the family and of course for Jane who gave me such a thoughtful gift.

Christmas crafting !

Happy New Year 2009 to you all, may it bring plenty of time to play and craft !

Now I have time to sit and catch up I thought I would show you some of the things that kept me busy and happy over the Christmas festivities. The first things I made was 2 advent calenders, made out of matchboxes, for myself and my Nephews ( mine the green one theres the red ). Great idea at the time until it came to painting 48 matchboxes and finding chocolates small enough to fit 2 in a matchbox ! I ended up making them form some chocolate moulds I had bought years ago, Andrew remembered as we looking in the hundredth shop, finding nothing, trouble was I had lots of shapes but only 1 would fit and it only had 5 moulds in the one plate , so it took quite a time to make them !! Mind you the look on their faces when I gave it to them was worth all the hard work. I have it back now ready to stock for next year, think Ill start looking now !!

Noel twins art dolls

My Google group is holding an art doll swap and someone mentioned a vintage Christmas doll would be nice, that captured my imagination and I couldn't wait to start.I had the perfect kit from K & co and used the tags for their skirt and the matching paper for their tops. Here they are the Noel twins, Holly and Joy all ready to travel to the other side of the pond for Christmas !

Halloween makes

I have been getting in the mood for Halloween by making cards and little books to send to my nephews.

Witch ATC

As it is Halloween this week my google group have chosen women witches as our mingle theme, always great fun to play around with old photos and witches hats !! Here's mine

S for Suffragetts

The S challenge was shinny, a bit of a challenge for me as I don't use many shinny things. So I used gold embossing powder to form the words and around the page and slithers of mica over the picture to add some proper shine.

R for Romans

The challenge for the R page was to use rubbish or anything you would normally throw away, so the background I have had for years, it was the packaging for some Christmas cakes from M&S. The paper was a piece I almost threw away from my note book which I stained with my tea bag from my mourning cuppa. The words are cut from the TV listings book, boy was I lucky there was a character called Roman in one of the soaps at the moment! The thing that has taken literally weeks to find were the words ever and done, in the end I found them in my book pages I had taken out from a book I altered. Finally the ribbon isn't ribbon but the plastic sash that kept my hoover bags together in their box and a coke can ring pull to finish it off !!

P for photography

The P challenge was to use texture paste, so I slapped it on for the background and painted two of my Moonglow stains over the top, added the mount and photo of Miss Ruth Hanaley March 20th 1915 !

I for inventors

I have been catching up with my missing I page for my A-Z journal. I was tied to the settee with my foot up when the ink challenge was set and thought it was best saved until I was back in my craft room again, it has taken me this long to get to it !! I used the shaving foam technique using acrylic ink to make the background then stamped the inventors title and the pointing hand.

Eye Guys

the ATC theme this week in my google group altereddesigns is eyes. I was inspired by the advertising for a new TV station here in the UK to play with eyeballs and came up with these cute guys. They are totally addictive and I have loads of plans for my new friends. I think it could of been too much Pepsi and sour sweets !!!!!

Jigsaw ATC swap

I have just hosted an ATC swap on Alternative. This time we used a slightly different shape, a jigsaw shape. It was an open theme and everyone came up with fantastic cards. Here are mine

Slider card

It was my friend Carrolls Birthday over the weekend and as she is a super doper card maker I had to think of something a bit more impressive than your normal card, so I found instructions on the net to make a slider card. I used the textured rub on kit from QVC to decorate it. I am pleased to report she was impressed with it !

Q for Queen

I have finished my Q page for my A-Z journal, P is on its way. Q was for Queen in my alphabet and the challenge was to use a quote.

Door ATC

This weeks theme in my Google group was doors, so here is my door ATC. I took the picture whilst on holiday in Sidmouth in May. I must admit I have a thing for taking pics of doors and windows so I couldn't let the door theme go by with out using one of my many door pic !

Dr Who album

My youngest nephew is a huge massive fan of Dr Who and so as a surprise day trip for his birthday we took him on the train over to Cardiff, the home of Dr Who , to the Dr Who exhibition. I am a fan of the show too but for Andrew it was just another excuse to take the camera and get some photos and of course I couldn't let a day like that go by with out making an album for him to keep to remind him of his day. Carroll had tough us how to make a Flip Flop album at the last crop and it fitted the job perfectly, along with some space paper and stickers, great photos and cute little space aliens and spaceship Quickuts. I had a great time making it and my nephew loved his present !

O for Omnibus

We have reached the O page in our A-Z journal and the challenge was to be outrageous !!! So what is more outrageous than a flying butterfly bus clone ??!! I just loved playing with this one, got out my favourite watercolour wax crayons to make the background and sky line, found a nice red bus in Google images and in my collection of images a nice butterfly to cut the wings of( hehehe ! )

My Hubby actually loved this and said it could be the next Flaming Lips album cover ! For me that is a huge compliment as I LOVE the Lips !!

Bingo ATC

The theme for this week in my Google group Alterddesigns is Bingo. So here is my card

N for Nursing

The N page for my A-Z journal was for Nurses, well they had to come into it somewhere as I used to be one. I found this wonderful image I just had to use but struggled a bit with the needles challenge. In fact this is mark 2 as I totally ruined the first one when I tried to machine round the outside, so I just settled for the pin pricking I did along the top of the mount ( don't look too closely its not that hot ) and a bit of a cheat but the lace must of been made by a needle ?????!!!!!

perr ATC

This week there is an open theme for my Google groups ATC mingle so anything goes, here is mine

Sky scraper ATC

This weeks challenge on TMTATC was architecture. I just love the retro look of the skyscrapers in New York that were built in the early 1900's and so chose the Empire State to use this week. Thanks to TMTATC I can use the German instructions to get ready for the new term for my German course. I always check though that I've got the right end of the stick though !!!