Advent calender

This project is not using Stampin Up products but its what I have been slaving over for the past few days.

When my daughter Amy started school 4yrs ago, one of her teaching assistants was a crafter & she quickly found out I owned a Cricut machine. I was asked that first Christmas if I could cut them some numbers out for their Advent calender, which I willing did.

The next year I was again asked for the numbers as well as a circle for the numbers to go on. By the third year it was now could I design the calender in the shape of a Christmas pudding.

This year Amy has a new teacher fresh out of college so I thought I would not be asked for any involvement but I was SO WRONG. It appears that each new teacher gets briefed of my "artistic" skills so last week I was dully asked to produce the calender for this year but that I could choose the design myself.

As I'm so snowed under with Stampin up parties & trying to organise a Stampin Up crafting day for December, I did not have time to do the images under the numbers so I got the children to design these. As there are 24 children in Amy's class, the teacher wanted all the children to have the opportunity to open at least one day but they have to be good to earn this right. This is why the numbering is slightly odd as it is going to begin on 25th November.

I choose a simple Christmas Tree layout & this is the end result. The teacher & children just love it & cannot wait to start opening up their calender.

Here is a close up of the numbers which have all been embossed using my Cuttlebug & rubbed over with metallic rub ons. I attached the baubles using some Christmas themed brads I had lying around.

Amy's Birthday

Well what a busy couple of days I have had. Yesterday was my DD Amy's birthday & after being woken up at the crack of dawn by a very excited little girl, I then spent a very pleasant morning crafting & eating delicious cake with a very special group of friends whom I met over 5yrs ago via a craft forum.

In the evening I took Amy & her little friend to Pizza Hut for birthday tea before coming home to do all the cooking for her party today.

She went tubing with a group of friends & had a great time.

I asked her before her birthday what she wanted on her card & she wanted a cheeky monkey & this is what I came up with.

To add some interest I add Doodlebug flock to the monkeys tummy & ears. His paws were stamped using Stampin up's sanded background stamp. The greeting is computer generated.
Recipe

Monkey made from Anne Marie design

Hat - Cricut doodlecharm cart

Cupcakes - Hero Arts

Background paper - papermania

Wedding place settings

At the weekend I had the pleasure of attending the wedding of a lovely couple, Carla & Adam. We all had a great time & the weather was just perfect, as was the whole day.


I also had the great honour to be asked to make their wedding invitations & place settings. I've included below a photo of the place settings which I made using my Cricut machine & punches. The carts I used were Doddlecharms (for dragonfly, ladybird & seahorse) & Happily Ever After (the rose). The shapes were cut at between 2.5 - 4cms. The butterfly was made using a Stampin Up punch. The shapes were attached to the place settings using thin craft wire which I wound around a pencil twice. To ensure the backs were as neat as the front I attached the wire in between the layers & used a quickie glue pen & Stampin Up diamond dazzle to add that extra bit of glitz. I also used Stampin Up's scallop punch to decorate the edges.

Everyone at the wedding commented how they had never seen place settings like them before & once the children started playing with them I could not help but notice how the adults could not resist moving the wire so their shape appeared to be moving. I think nearly everyone put their place settings in their bags/pockets at the end of the reception & that included the men too.

Well hello all, this is my personal ramblings & thoughts as I make my journey along my crafting road.

I will aim to make regular posts about my crafting creations.

So here goes............




This is a simple card I made for my niece's birthday and not a bit of stamping on it which makes a change for me. I used the Cricut's Paper dolls cart to make the cheerleader as Kelly loves High School Musical & as 1 of her birthday presents were tickets to see HSM on stage when it came to Norwich's Theatre Royal recently this card seemed very appropriate.