Make A Child Smile

It’s a while since I’ve set a dare for the Daring Cardmakers but my turn has come round at last and I’ve decided to link it to Post Pals,
a charity I’ve been involved with for several years.

They are an organisation that was set up with the intension of sending cards, letters and post cards to children who have long term or terminal illnesses and it’s not until you go to their web site and read the children’s profiles that you realise just how much these children and their siblings suffer.
It must be so stressful for the families.

That’s why, when I’m cardmaking I like to make an extra one now and again to send to one of the children. All it costs me is the price of a stamp but it could make the world of difference to a sick child who needs to know someone is sending them love and thinking about them.
Well worth doing if you ask me!

So as I say, my dare this week is to make a card with a sick child in mind and send it to one of the children featured on the Post Pals web site………..simple!

I’ve use a pre coloured Digi Stamp on this card because the colours were a perfect match for the Crate Paper ‘Orbit’ Collection papers that I’ve used…..how lazy was that!

In my defence I did put a lot of extra work into the card to compensate, by adding lots of embossing, doodling and faux stitching.

After I had made my card I had a read of some of the children’s stories.
It makes difficult reading, I can say and it also made it very hard to choose just one child to send a card to. In hindsight, what I should have done is looked at the list first and made the card accordingly but I struck lucky when I came across a little boy called Jordan who likes anything to do with outer space, so it was perfect.
Jordan also has a sister so I decided to send her a card too.
There's blog candy up from grabs too because anyone who makes and sends a card to one of the children at Post Pals can enter the draw onAnn's blog, so why not join in. Not only will you be bringing a smile to a childs face, it could put a big smile on yours if you're lucky enough to be picked!

Card Blank – QVC Kit
Patterned Paper – Crate Paper (Orbit)
Digi Stamp – Digi Stamp Boutique (Out Of This World)
Inks –Ranger Distress Ink (Peeled Paint) Tsukineko StazOn (Black)
Dies – Sizzlets (Stars)
Embossing Folders – Cuttlebug (Spots& Dots, Tiny Bubbles)
Rubber Stamps – Studio G Alphabet Set
Pens – Sharpie (Black & White) Marvy LePlume (Green)
Glitter Glue – Stickles (Green) Craft Planet (Iridescent Sparkle)

Other BitsRibbon
Buttons
Green Embroidery Thread

Sketch Saturday #56

I'm just back from a rather 'LARGE' combined Father's Day/Birthday lunch for my dad and now I'm too stuffed to do anything at all other than put my feet up and be a couch potato for the rest of the evening.

But before I get myself settled with my needlework, I thought I would show you the card I made this morning .

Sketch Saturday has a fab template this week and I thought it would work well for a Second Birthday card I had to make. In fact it's one of four I have to do for a friend of mine because her daughter has twins.

Here’s the template:-

And here’s my card:-


She asked for a Princess on the card but I didn’t really have anything that I could use in amongst my craft paraphernalia so I had a look round for something that I could download.

I eventually found Cute Daisy May, who fits the bill perfectly I think!

I printed her out three times, once onto plain card and then onto two patterned papers and I ended up doing a combination of colouring, paper piecing and decoupage.

Once again the papers are from my 6 x 6 Basic Grey ‘Wisteria’ pad and I had the chance to use my new Hydrangea punch to make all the little flowers.

Card – Craft Creations (Embossed Linen)
Patterned Papers –Basic Grey (Wisteria)
Embossing Folders – Cuttlebug (Swiss Dots & Birds & Swirls
Digi Stamp – Cute Daisy May
Paper Punch – Martha Stewart (Hydrangeas) Fiskars Border Punch (Sunburst)
Inks –Versa Color (Olive) VersaMagic (Aegean Blue)
Glitter Glue – Stickles (Lime Green) Craft Planet (Iridescent Sparkle)
Pencils – Prisma Color Pencils
Gems – Anita’s Tiny Gems

Other Stuff
Ribbon
Computer Generated Greeting

Missing You

I thought things were beginning to settle down in my life after all the upheaval of the last couple on months but last week was another where me feet didn’t seem to touch the ground.

It wasn’t really bad stuff, just hospital and doctor’s appointments and a very nice girly day shopping at Bluewater but it meant I was out and about every day and in between I still had card orders to fulfil, so a bit manic at times.

I managed my card for the Daring Cardmakers challenge by the sink if my teeth and even then it turned out to very, very basic.

It was Lythan’s turn to set the dare this week and because her daughter is away from home at the moment and she is missing her dreadfully, she ‘dared’ us to make cards with a ‘Missing You’ or ‘Thinking Of You’ theme to them.

So there I was at 11pm on Thursday evening trying desperately to make my card for the 10am Friday launch….and this is what I came up with.


As I said, very, very simple!
Just two sheets of 6 x 6 with part of the pattern cut from one of them and layered over the top of the first with 3D foam and then some faux stitching around the edge of the card…….and there you have it!
Card Blank – Papermania
Patterned Paper – Basic Grey (Wisteria)
Inks –Ranger Distress Ink (Dusty Concord)
Dies – Spellbinder Nestabilities (Labels One)
Pen – Marvy LePlume (Wisteria)
Half Pearls – Basic Grey Opaline

Other BitsRibbon
Computer Generated Greeting
The hospital appointment I had was the first time I’ve been back since having the surgery on my knee back in April.

Although I’m still getting some pain in it, he seemed pleased with the way things have gone and said that I have very good movement back in it already so I can now start exercising and swimming again, which is great!
As for the pain, well, he did say it’s early days yet and most of it should go in time but I have to except that I do have arthritis in my knee and unfortunatly that’s not really going to improve.
Still, it’s certainly much, much better than it was before and if the pain can be controlled I can cope with it.
I have to go back in six months by which time I hope to have lost some of the weight that I’ve put on from not being very active.

Sizzling Hot - DCM's

I’ve been having a look through a box that I keep all the freebie bits and bob in from the magazines. It’s full to the brim with ribbons, beads, chipboard shape and papers that I never seem to use, especially the papers because a lot of the time the quality isn’t that good. I did come across a few that are not that bad though and I’ve used them on the card for this weeks dare over at the Daring Cardmakers.

Keryn’s turn this week and she says…….

Hi it's Keryn here this week and in New Zealand we're in the middle of winter. Not snow like some of you get but we think it's cold all the same. I want to see card creations using only sizzling hot yellow based colours like red, orange and yellow to send some heat out to us through the web.
Here's my Sizzling Hot effort!



The centre flower has been stamped twice, embossed with clear embossing powder and mounted onto a background that was stamped with clear VersaMark ink and dusted with Yellow chalk.


Card Blank – Craft Creations Kaskad (Cream)
Patterned & Plain Papers – Magazine Freebie
Rubber Stamp – Rhonna Farrer (Flowers) Rubber Stamp tapestry (Happy Birthday)Basic Grey (Flourishes)
Inks – Ink It Up (Orange) Tsukineko StazOn (Black) VersaMark (Clear) Ranger Distress Ink (Dried Marigold)
Chalks – Readicut Decoration Chalks
Shape Cutter – Creative Memories (Small Circle)
Gems – Anita’s Tiny Gems
Pen – Sharpie (Black)
Glitter Glue – Stickles (Yellow)

Other BitsBrads
Ribbon
Braid
Paper, Fabric & Felt Flowers



*****************************************************

Don't forget to check out my Latest Charity Stitching project for Kids Company

If you feel you could help by donating any materials, please drop either Nicki a line to nicki@leconcierge.ch or email me at s.hyde7@ntlworld.com.

Any donations would be a great help and would be gratefully received.

Thank You
x
*****************************************************

Charity Stitching In Full Swing

I'm sorry that this is a very, very long post but I’m pleased to report that the charity stitching I’ve been doing recently is still going well and because I haven’t told you what we’ve been up to recently I wanted to give you a (not so) quick run down.

As you may remember I, along with Nicki and her friend Ilse have been stitching panels that Nicki makes into cushions and quilts for children living in deprived circumstances and who are being supported by the London based charity Kid’s Company

Mind you, there’s not only the three of us involved, we’ve also had stitching, material, buttons, felt shapes, zips and other bits and bobs donated by the wonderful ladies from the SOLAK stitching group and the girls who hang out at the Crafts By Carolyn forum.

I must say, Nicki does a fantastic job of coordinating the whole thing from her home in Switzerland…..no mean task if you ask me!

She tells me that to date she's sewn 132 Cushions and I'm not sure how many Quilts but you can see them all for yourself on her web site if you click on the links.

These are some of the last batch of panels that I stitched and sent to Nicki to be made up.

These two Flower fairy panels are a bit sentimental in a way because they were the first pieces of counted thread work that I ever stitched. The trouble was they were just sat in the drawer of my cabinet gathering dust for many years because I didn't really know what to do with them.

Now Nicki has made them into two beautiful quilts.

The two Bunny panels were a special request, made to go some quilts that Nicki had already stitched.

I really think it’s great being able to stitch for such a worth while project like this and we never expect to get anything back in return, so when we receive feed back such as I’m about to share with you it’s the icing on the cake.

Dear Nicki,I was also hugely moved when I gave your beautiful cushions to the children. Arif and Samira are thrilled with the matching cushions as is their mother. They have thank you cards and are writing them this weekend. I will then send them to you so you can give them to your team. Samiz was completely overwhelmed when I gave her the beautiful, bright cushion with her name on it and the lovely message. She just looked at it and then after a few moments threw her arms around me and hugged me as she didn't have any words. She then said thank you very much and I just felt so touched by her pleasure. Thanks very much to you and Ilse. I can't take a photograph because of confidentiality issues as she is a therapy client but you both have really helped to give her pleasure and make her life a bit brighter and easier....Words actually feel inadequate to express the depth of this....

***

Dear Nicki and Camilla

I wanted to write to say thank you for the wonderful gift of the ‘name’ cushions Nicki made for each of the children at ******** School. It was very thoughtful of Kids Company to put forward this unique project for our school. I was in the assembly when the cushions were presented to the children, and thought you should both know the surprise and delight on the children’s faces on receiving their cushion!
I am the school art therapist, so I have a particular interest in made things – I also do quite a bit of sewing in my own time, so I know it takes a lot thought and time to sew! Through my work here, I have noticed how children treasure things made for them, keeping them for years and making sure they have a safe place to keep them. I imagine the children will find it a lovely thing, that somebody who lives in another country could think about them and make something especially for them.
With warm wishes,

***

But the thing that really brought home to me just what this project is all about was this photo. It’s not very clear I’m afraid because this little boy was right at the back of the picture and I’ve cropped it so you can see.

Just look how he’s hugging that cushion………..

It’s made me realise just how much a simple cushion can mean to a child that has very little.

So, the cushion and quilt making goes on and I’ve even started on a Christmas project for one of the schools but it all involves vast amounts of materials to keep the projects going.

We’re always on the look out for anyone who may be able help by donating anything suitable for these projects such as shaped buttons, bows, ribbons and braids, zips, shapes for applique or even a donation of money to help with postage costs from Switzerland.

I was able to raise some money to buy cushion pads recently when I came across an advert in one of the cross stitch magazines from a lady called Joan Kitchener.

She was looking for a chart that had been published in the magazine some time ago but was unable to find it anywhere. I had actually stitched the geisha she was looking for a little while back but unfortunately I no longer had the chart.

Just like my Flower Fairies she was still sitting in the drawer feeling very unloved so I emailed Joan and asked if she would be interested in buying the completed panel from me.
I asked for £25, which didn't really cover the cost of the materials let alone the amount of time it took to stitch but she was happy with the amount I asked for so now we have the money to buy 25 pads for the next batch of cushions….how fab is that!

If you feel you could help us in any way please drop either Nicki a line to nicki@leconcierge.ch or email me at s.hyde7@ntlworld.com.

Any donation would be a great help and would be gratefully received.

Shoe Time - Papertake

I’ve been having a nosey around the world of Digi Stamps lately and in my travels I came across the fab art work of Christine Dark on Sketching Stamper Digi Stamps. There’s some amazing images, including backgrounds on there and they are all reasonable priced too, so it’s well worth a look.

I noticed a beautiful shoe image on there last week, so you can imagine how pleased I was when I saw this weeks Papertake challenge because it has given me the opportunity to use it.

The Image was printed out and coloured with Prismacolor pencils and then decorated with glitter glue and tiny gems to glitz it up a bit.

I distressed around the edges of the main mat with my Tim Holts gismo and then run a VersaMark ink pad along the edges and dipped it into Silver Embossing Powder.


Card Blank– Craft Creations
Patterned Papers – Basic Grey (Wisteria)
Plain Paper – Memory Stor (Costco Kit)
Digi Stamp – Sketching Stamper
Pencils – Prismacolor
Ink – Tsukineko Encore (Ultimate Metallic Silver) VersaMark (Clear)
Embossing Powder – Stamp-n-Stuff (Detail Silver)
Paper Punches – Woodware Small Circle (Peach) Corner Rounder (Blue)
Gems – Anita’s Tiny Gems
Glitter Glue – Craft Planet (Iridescent Sparkle)


Other BitsButton
Ribbons
Computer Generated Greetings

Mojo Monday #90

I’m feeling pretty chuffed with myself this morning because thanks to the template from Mojo Monday I’ve finally finished the six card that I have to make for Dad’s birthday and Father’s day.

June always looms like a big black cloud for me, not because I don’t enjoy making cards for dad, far from it…..it’s more to do with coming up with six completely different ideas. Added to that I also have lots of other family and friends birthdays in June and one of those I also have to make three cards for so you can see why I find June daunting.

Well, this year I’ve finished all dad’s cards with thirteen days to spare and all my other ‘June’ cards are done too…phew!

Anyway, as I said, the card is made using this weeks template from Mojo Monday

and three of the new My Minds Eye papers from Andrea Victoria with some added faux stitching and doodling.




Card – Craft Creations Kaskad (Gray)
Patterned Papers – My Minds Eye papers (Andrea Victoria collection)
Inks –Ranger Distress Ink (Vintage Photo)
Dies – Spellbinder Nestabilities (Labels One)
Embossing – Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (Tiny Mosaic Texture)
Pen – Staedtler Triplus Fineliner (Brown) Sharpie (Black)
Brads – Basic Grey (Large Round)


Other BitsBrads
Eyelets
Fibres
Hand Cut Lettering
Computer Printed Greeting

Cuttlebug Challenge – Be Inspired #35 – Basic Grey with Coredinations papers.

Well I’ve made my card for this weeks Cuttlebug, Be Inspired challenge but for some reason I can’t quite put my finger on, I’m not initially happy with it.


I don’t know if it’s the papers, the colours or the fact that I’ve used Gold Peel-Offs but something seems to be throwing the whole thing off and I’ve no time to do another one so this is going to have to do.

I didn’t have any of the Cordinations papers either, so I’ve used Beige DCWV card stock that has a White core instead, so I hope that passes.


A5 Card Blank – Craft Creations (Cream Hammer Embossed)
Patterned & Plain Paper – Basic Grey (Scarlet’s Letter)
Card Stock – DCWV (Christmas Stack)
Embossing Folder– Cuttlebug (Texture Textile)
Rubber Stamps – Penny Black (Flying Stars) Imagine That (All Occasions-Have A Wonderful Day)
Inks – Ranger Distress Ink (Dried Marigold, Peeled paint & Embossing Ink)
Embossing Powder – Ranger Distress (Peeled Paint)
Gems – Anita’s Tiny Gems
Peel Off’s – Craft Creations
Ribbon Slide – Maya Road
Glitter Glue - Stickles (Lime Green)

Other BitsRibbon
Gold Brads

I Can Sing A Rainbow Too! - Colour Create

Thanks to the girls over at the Colour Create blog I’ve had a tune going round in my head all day and no matter what I do I can’t shift it.
It’s all because the colour challenge this week is Rainbow Colours, so I’ve been singing the little ditty that goes

Red and Yellow and Pink and Green, Orange and Purple and Blue, I can sing a Rainbow, sing a Rainbow, sing a Rainbow too.

and I've not been singing that I've been reciting the rhyme to remember the order the colours are in

Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain

Anyway, in between all that I did eventually manages to make a card.

This is it:-

When I started to think about my card I decided to make little plaques in each of the colours, which lead to a Tapestry Stamp feast because I used no less than seven sets here……a record for me on one card!

The trouble was, when I came to arrange the seven squares on the card I couldn’t fit them all on so in the end I had to leave the Yellow one off and mounted the whole panel on Yellow card instead, just so I had used all the colours.

The greeting was also stamped onto the Yellow card and I’ve added some Yellow braid as well, just for good measure and finished the whole thing off with a rainbow of brads.

Here are the panels in close up.

I’ve only just realised that this card and the last card that I made both have little squares on……..Guess this must me by ‘inches’ phase!

Card Blank – Craft Creations (Creative Colour- Green and Kaskad-Yellow)
Rubber Stamp – Rubber Stamp Tapestry (Poinsettia Wreath, Garden Veranda, Butterfly Blooms, Tiny Grape & Holly Border, Full Mum Border and Porcelain Bouquet) Whisper Words (Happy Birthday)
Inks – A combination of VersaColor, Versa magic, ColorBox & Ink It Up (Various Colours)
Dies – Spellbinder – Nestabilities (Scalloped Square)
Brads – Basic Grey
Pens – Krylon (Gold Leafing) Stabilo (Fine Points)

Glitter Glue - Craft Planet

Other StuffBraid

Where has Mr Blue Sky gone?

Two days ago we were walking about in shorts and T-shirts trying to find a shady spot to rest in and today it’s back to long trousers and a jumper and trying to get warm.
Who would believe it could change so fast?

It looks miserable out there and it’s raining and yes I know, the garden could do with it but personally I prefer the sunshine.
Just a typical English Summer I guess!


While I’m on the subject of the weather, that just happens to be the subject of the Daring Cardmakers dare set by the lovely Jo this week.

Whether the weather be fine....

...Or whether the weather be not.
Hi all, Jo here this week with a meteorological themed dare, we have had some fantastic sunshine this week so I thought that it would be fun to have a weather filled dare. Of course it doesn't have to be a sunny card, it just needs to have a type of weather featured somewhere on the card. Rain, hail, clouds and (dare I even say it) snow would all be a brilliant starting point for a card.

This one really had me stumped!

I wanted to try and do something a little different and the only weather related item in my craft stash was an Umbrella rubber stamp. I didn’t really want to use that so I visited my old friend ‘Google Images’ and came up with some fabby little weather symbols.

I printed them out twice and cut one up into the individual tiles. The other I cut some parts from so that I could layer then on 3D foam and I enhanced them with brads, Diamond Glaze and a button before mounting them on Navy scalloped squares cut with my Nestabilities.

All edges were inked with Distress Ink before matting everything on to the card and I’ve added some faux stitching to finish off.

Square Card Blank – Papermania
Patterned Paper – Doodlebug (Boldly Blue Dots)
Dies – Spellbinder (Nestabilities)
Rubber Stamp – Imagine That (Get Well Soon)
Inks – Tsukineko StazOn (Ultramarine) Ranger Distress Ink (Faded Jeans)

Other BitsBrads
Button
Fibres
Diamond Glaze
Computer generated Greeting (Sorry you’re under the weather)

2 Sketches 4 You 1st Anniversary

I couldn’t let the first Anniversary of the 2 Sketches 4 You challenge blog pass by without joining in this week, especially as there’s some major celebrations going on and some fabulous prizes on offer.

As usual there’s a sketch


but this time it’s linked to their

1st Annual 2 Sketches 4 You Ultimate Card Showdown.

Here’s my attempt.

As you can see, I couldn’t wait to play with my new Basic Grey ‘Wisteria’ papers.
I often find when I buy a new collection there’s at least one of the papers that I’m not to keen on but that’s not the case with this one. I Oooo’d and Aww’d over every single sheet because they are so lush and when the time came I even found it hard to bring myself to actually cut into any of it……..what am I like?
I think it was worth the sacrifice though because even if I do say so myself, I'm quite happy with the results.

This was also the first outing for the new set of Sentiment Stamps that I brought from Imagine That on Monday and my new set of ‘Cherry Blossoms’ Tapestry Stamps.
The scalloped border was dry embossed by hand onto Vellum, to which I’ve added tiny gems and ribbon before finishing off with some faux stitching.

A5 Card Blank – Craft Creations (White Embossed Hammer)
Patterned Papers – Basic Grey (Wisteria)
Vellum – Pergamano Parchment Paper
Stamps – Rubberstamp Tapestry (Cherry Blossoms) Imagine That (Sentiment)
Inks –VersaColor (Olive, Tea Green, Boysenberry, Lapislazuli, Sand Beige & Chateau Gray) VersaFine (Onyx Black) Ink It Up (Blue)
Chalks – Readicut – Decorating Chalks
Dies – Spellbinder (Nestabilities)
Embossing Folder – Cuttlebug (Floral Screen)
Gems – Anita’s Tiny Gems

Other Bits
Ribbon
Brads

A Friend, a Challenge & a spot of Shopping

I spent a really fabby day with the lovely Lythan yesterday and we chatted, made a few cards and then chatted some more.

I managed two cards:

This one was for the Colour Create challenge which was to use Lemon, Pink Sorbet and Chocolate.

The medallion was cut from one of the papers and the three layers mounted on 3D foam.


Card Blank – PaperMania
Papers – Basic Grey (Patterned – Lilly Kate, Plain – Granola)
Rubber Stamp – Rubber Stamp Tapestry (Happy Birthday)
Inks – Ink It Up (Pigment Ink) Ranger Distress Ink (Vintage Photo)
Dies – Spellbinder – Nestabilities (Peony)
Brads – Basic Grey
Gems – Anita’s Tiny Gems
Pearls – Crystal Stickers

Other StuffRibbon

The second card I made is one of the three 86th birthday cards I have to make for my dad.

The theme was a must because before he lost his eyesight he used to spend hours watching the cricket.


Card Blank – Craft Creations (Cream Hammer Embossed)
Patterned Papers – Basic Grey (Boxer) Jolly Nation (Card’s for Men Kit)
Inks – Ranger Distress Ink (Vintage Photo & Peeled Paint)
Shape Cutter – Creative Memories (Circle)
Dies – Sizzix Alphabet (Hunky Dory)
Embossing Folder – Cuttlebug (Forest Branches)
Image – Jolly Nation (Card’s for Men Kit)


Other Stuff
Chipboard Numbers

When it was finely time to leave Lythan's and head for home, my plan had been to go to the shopping centre. I had every intension of searching out a new water feature for my garden but having just spent the day drawling over her new buys, my plans changed at the very last minuet.
I got as far as the traffic lights in Upminster and was in the lane ready to Left but as the traffic started to move off I changed my mind, moved across, and turned Right instead, heading for Imagine That, the local craft shop.

Now I’m blaming Lythan for this pile of loveliness.


If she hadn’t shown me her 6 x 6 pad of Basic Grey Wisteria I would now be the proud owner of a water feature but instead I have Wisteria in 12 x 12 and 6 x 6 and some of the new Andrea Victoria papers from My Mind’s Eye which had only arrived at the shop that morning.
I also came away with three packs of stick on pearls in Pink, Blue and White and two sets of their own sentiment stamps, which incidentally just happen to be a give away in this months Craft Stamper.

I think it’s just as well I don’t go over and visit Lythan too often, don't you!