Pre-printed goodies

I was looking for some quick and easy makes - so I thought I would see what was out on the web and found Crafts U Print!!!   I chose a couple of things that I have been meaning to do for a while (more so that I could use them as templates in the future!) - here they are made up....

 This is a little notelet and envelope set in a box - the actual download also had a template for notepaper, which I didnt bother with!

And this was my first ever exploding box!  Now I have made one I think I will feel more confident to do another one soon.

I must admit, the predesigned sheets were actually quite handy for a quick "no brain" type of a make - you know the days when your scissors are in your hand but you cant think of what to do!

Thanks for popping by

Rx

Delicious Doodles

Just before I post this up - need to tell you about my sillyness!  I came to schedule a post yesterday and most of my toolbar had just disappeared! "Ho Hum" I said, not unlike Pooh Bear, "I will go away and come back another time.", so I did.  And the same thing happened today....it took me waaay too long to realise that I had clicked one of the tabs at the top and I was looking at the "edit HTML" tab, rather than the "Compose" tab - doh!

Today is my day for posting over on Delicious Doodles Blog.  Sorry - this picture is a little dark!

I loved this image when Teri put it up last week - thought it was so lovely, but her face is kinda sad too!  I printed her out a little large (got carried away!) but actually I liked the way she came out after all - I think she deserves to be the focus of the card.

There you go, this one is a little lighter.  I glittered all over the place!  Used Sakura tiara pens wherever I could!  And then used flower soft on her bodice...this is the first time I have used it and it worked so well!  Believe me, you are gonna see this on everything from now on!


Ruthie x

Bob's Your Uncle...

Just had a little smile....Denise, from Stamping Vacation left a comment about me saying "Bob's your Uncle" - it got me to thinking how many sayings we use like that in each of our countries.

Thought we could have a little "off the cuff" competition......how about we all submit the phrase we most like that begins with the first letter of our name?

SO - my name is Ruth (Ruthie, Roothy Toothy, Rx) so my phrase begins with R - and thats Rumpy-pumpy!  Just makes me laugh everytime I hear it!  In fact, when we were talking to my son about SEX we used to call it "slap and tickle"!!!!  He is SO gonna kill me for adding that little fact!!!  BUT my phrase HAS to be Rumpy-pumpy because Slap and Tickle doesnt begin with a "R"!

Here is a website which may help if you can't think of a phrase! Your phrase doesnt have to be from this site! If I can't find out what it means then I will pop over to your blog and ask you - so make sure you dust and put the kettle on!

Will leave this open until next Friday (23rd)......I will try and use as many of the phrases as I can in the following week's posts!!!!

Thanks for popping by!

Rx

New blog design - what do you think?

Hey there - just thought I would see what you thought.  I value your opinions - so, leave me a comment and let me know what you think about this new blog template?

Thanks

Rx

Little "bags"

I found the pattern for this little baggy thingy (Leslie calls it a tote) on this blog here!  I have to say it is really, really, really easy to put together!

They are soooooo easy that I made 3!

How cute are they????  Just love them!  The image is from Delicious Doodles - love the variety Teri produces!  They are probably large enough for baby socks or a bib - something little!

The little badgy thingy is a blog hop win from Susie at Diecut Dreams - think I might have to buy some more of these!  You know when you think "I could do that!" - but you dont!  Or you cant!  Hee hee - yep, think these are a fab time saver and really add to the look of the bag!

And have just linked this design up to Stamping Vacations who wanted an image that DIDNT begin with S - how cool is that?

 I had a complete change of theme for this one!

Yep the old ecraft machine got another outing!  My wonderful "snowball" cut all of these bits out so quickly and easily - no mat, no bother!  ermmmm - I kinda like this machine...had you guessed??

 All the pieces are from the Fundamentals SD card - lots on there to keep me going!

Bit of sakura pen on the leaves.

 Hung a couple of leaves on each side!

 ...and Bob's your Uncle! - well actually mine are Terry and Johnnie, but hey!

These totes are about 6x5"  - give or take!

And I got a blog award from my new DT buddy at Delicious Doodles - Maria!  Yay - go and pop over to her blog if you get a chance - she has some great stuff over there!

Well, thanks for popping by today!

Rx

Aud Sentiments - Baby!

The challenge over at Aud Sentiments is to do anything to do with
a baby!  I know this card is really simple - and the girls on the DT do such fabulous work (truely in awe of them) - but I liked it!  I gave it to a friend of mine when she had her little baby boy and she was over the moon with it - and I guess thats the reason we make cards!




Our sponsor this week is Revi Devi .

Stop by her Etsy store and browse around.

She creates the most adorable digis! They are so easy to work with and she has such a variety of images. She has something for everyone.




The winner of this challenge will get a digi set of their choice! We were lucky enough to be given some images to work with and I loved this rattle - there are different versions of it too!


The sentiment this time is "Anything That Has To Do With A Baby" - how easy is that one?  Just cant go wrong really!


So, pop on over to Aud Sentiments if you get a minute today or if not, smooch on over tomorrow, or mosey on over on Saturday or ...... oh you get the idea!  See you there!


Rx

Thank You Card (for a famous person!)

We had a visit from Martin Bell at our library last week - so my colleague asked me to make a Thank You card for him....he is a very straight forward, to the point, politician, BBC war reporter...so, me thought, NO FRILLS or FLOWERS!

So this is what I came up with - distressed the edges, cut out the letters on my ecraft - oh, am just loving this machine more and more!  You can't see it very well, but the backing card is the same as the letters, so it all kinda links in well.

thanks for stopping by today!

Rx

First PROPER post up on the new blog!

As you know, or dont (!!!), I have started a new blog to celebrate and support crafters who "do things" for charity, to be nice, to make someone's life better.  I have details about a card drive over there.

Please pop over if you have a minute!

Rx

 I thought I would post this up quickly.  I got the template from this from Maria on Stamping Inspiration and it made up like a dream!

 I cut the flowers on my ecraft - the yahoo group has a little competition going on to use any 3 files on the sd card that comes with the machine!  So - thats 2 different types of flowers - all shimmered up!

 ....and a couple of swirls!

And here is the inside - I am going to pop some little cards in this for a pressie - or I might even just take it to work so I have some cards at the ready!

Thanks for looking

Rx

Looking for helpers!

Its my birthday today...happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to mmm-eeeeee, happy birthday to me!  Arent you glad you couldnt hear me singing that?

For my pressie to myself, I thought I would do something for others!  I realised that I sometimes make things with no focus for who they are intended for - and also often dont have anyone to give them to!  That got me thinking that I should give these things to charity - I already donate bits and bobs to our twinning society but wanted to do something a little more consistent.  I also dont want to do it alone!

SO - I have started a new blog where we (notice that "WE") can share our charitable goodness, set tasks, make things for specific charities etc.  I just feel that there is a wealth of creativity out there and that just by making another couple of cards we could really help do some good out there!

And here is where you come in....I really am going to need some help on this - I would like to post others achievements, manage projects etc and just keep the blog busy - but am so aware that I cant do it all on my own.  I am based in UK (near London) so I guess it would also be good to have people from other countries to help out (as well as more from UK) - that way we could spread the kindness further.

Once we get going, we will then ask people who they think we should create for - so they wont be all of my choosing etc. We can then set some projects up and get sharing that kindness!

Oh enough waffling!  If you would like to join in then pop on over to the blog http://kindnessofstrangers-craftingforothers.blogspot.com/ and either follow (to show your support) or email me ( the addie is on the blog) if you would like to help out in any way....obviously, if there were any companies who would like to help in anyway - it would be great if we could offer some candy to start things off!..........

My aim is to first get a group of people to help with the blog (need a blinkie too!)
Then get a creative team together
Then get a challenge together - or should that be a task or a project - oh you know what I mean!

Thanks so much for reading to the bottom of this rather long post! 

Please pop over and leave me a message - or leave me one here!

Rx

Delicious Doodles!

Ooooo - its my day to get introduced over at Delicious Doodles today.  I am sharing my day with Anita - which is a pain in the butt cos she does stunning cards lol!

 This is the card I have put up for my introduction!  I wanted to put up more, but blogger didnt want to upload - then this morning - ziiiip - straight away!  So I may just pop over there and upload some more quickly!

The fold took a bit of working out - have seen it on other people's blogs but didnt have time to go back and check instructions!  Its really simple, just needed to work out how to do it and not cover the girls up!I have just linked this up to Stamping Vacation's Challenge to use a frame as your starting point!

And this piccy shows the glittery stuff!  The images were really quite tiny (for that last bit I mean I printed them too small!).  I duplicated and put two together, then enlarged another one and stuck it in front!  Used sakura pens to get the glitter - love those pens!

We have a busy week at work this week!  Last night we hosted an event with Martin Bell (from the BBC!) - he was lovely, very dry sense of humour, very gentlemanly - lovely voice...hmmmmm, tiny crush??  Today, we have a new author visiting three of our schools, tonight is a poetry event!  Have no idea what is happening on Weds - but I DO know that Thursday is my son's ADD assessment (does it exist?  and if it does, does he have it?) - and in the evening we have Edwina Currie coming to us (did she, didnt she???)

Gotta dash now!  Thanks for popping over!  Have a great day!

Rx

Get well Soon ELLA! - second post today!!!

Ahhhhh - one of the girls at work has had her tonsils out - and had a horrible time of it, bless her!  So we made her some cards! YAY!  Her mother-in-law works at my son's school and got a thank you card in July - it is still on her fridge!!

 Ahhhhh - Josh chose this image - from Dustin Pike - this is the third time I have used this one and I still love it!

 This card was from Josh and Dexter (our library dragon!  Go check him out, his link is in the sidebar!)

And have just entered this into Stamping Vacation's challenge to include an animal with unusual or non-furry skin!

 Close up of flowers - cut these using my ecraft - and the little swish!  They are all from the standard design card that comes with the machine!  Used a glitter sakura and then used glossy accents over the top to make them look like gems!

 And took this picture to put inside the card to show Ella how to display it! 

Digi-doodles have a challenge this week to 3D it!
Paper Pretties would like to see an animal on the cards this week - hmmm is a dragon an animal????
Stamping Vacation want to see an animal you wouldnt want running through your house - well, if a dragon is an animal then I dont want it running through our house - not that this one looks like he could run anywhere!
Creative Card Crew would like to see flowers this week and the Sisterhood of Crafters want to see 3 flowers!
Incy Wincy have an anything goes challenge this time!

 And this is an image from Bugaboo!  I was SHOCKED to discover that you no longer have to eat jelly and ice-cream but rather toast - no kidding!  It gets the scabs to come off - errrghhhewww!

Bugaboo have an anything goes challenge this week - so thats cool! 
Other Lovelies - want us to use a digi image this time for their Thoughtful Thursdays Challenge

Would like to link BOTH of these cards up for Creative Inspiration's Get Well challenge! 

Phew - thanks for popping by!

Rx

Gerald's Mid-life crisis

We went to a lovely party last night - it was a surprise!  Not for us, we knew we were going - but Gerald is 50!

I needed to do him a card - and we wanted to pop some cash in too - so I made this one!

 As my son would say...."hubba hubba!"  Image is from Kenny K (but you guessed that already).

Used some gromlets on the corners (sneaky little things to fix!)

 Not just putting this up to show the cash - it is to show the pocket to hold the cash!

And a close-up of the image to show the glittery stuff.

This meets a few challenges....

Kenny K's Challenge is to add some bling - well there is a lot of sparkle so hopefully that counts!
Sew Many Challenges is Anything goes!
Creative Challenge want us to Bling it On!
Stamping Vacation want us to use Kitten but not show Kitten!  Oh Yes, this is one Sex Kitten!  Lolx
Stamp Something want us to celebrate something - well, a mid-life crisis - oops sorry a 50th birthday, is something to celebrate!


Thanks for taking the time to visit!

Rx

October Blog Candy

Evening all - or morning if ...or afternoon!

Well, the September candy has been drawn over at Aud Sentiments - check over there to find out the winner!  So, onto October.....

For the month of October, Mad For Markers will be sponsoring us. They are giving the winner pack of Xpress IT Blending cards. Cool prize!  BUT as ever, you have to be in it to win it! 

So pop on over to Aud Sentiments to find out all the details - its nothing too arduous but if I spend time typing it all out here my hubby may well divorce me!  Its 10.30pm and I still need to make his cousin's 50th birthday card for tomorrow night!




Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Rx

I have a secret!

Oh no - its not a secret anymore....I can reveal it today!  ...but before I do...who else finds it hard to keep secrets?  I am terrible....I have long conversations with Pickles (one of our cats), who lies on the landing while I sit on the stairs...I tell him all the things that I have to keep secret because then the secret doesnt keep fizzing inside me.....do you do something like that...or is it just wierd???

This is clue number one...dont worry, there are only two...and you can always scroll down!

This is not my normal thing at all! Not sure if I like it or not - looks a bit like a card you would give a rather elderly aunt!  I hand embossed the backing card (which has a goldy sheen to it) - the brown card also has a goldy sheen.

Then added the ribbon (from a pack of premade cards) and the little pearly thing!

Closer view of image - I put little dobs of crystal effects on the roses and then did the vase with it!

And - my money-saving hint of the day....I used tumble drier sheets to put the ink on with - saved money by not buying the Famous Man's thingy whidget doo-dah!  It also stinks to high heaven....errr, no.....it also smells lovely!  Perfect for giving to an Old Aunt!













This is clue number two!  Hee hee....dont peek now!

Now this card I like way more!  Just think the girl is beautiful.  And, really just like the way it came out.

 Close up on the girly - she is a pumpkin witch!  All the little dots on her, her bands etc are all glittery - really didnt take a great photo of this!  Background was just different inks - smeared all over the place!

 And these were the corners I printed on the card prior to doing the rest of the stuff.  The joy of digis - just flipped it over in inkscape (free programme) to do the other side.

Hmmm - now to link up a couple of challenges!
By the Cute and Girly are looking for Spooky. 
Stamping Vacation are after Halloween
Simon Says its Autumn - and photo inspiration!
If the Shoe Fits (new one for me) want ORANGE - oh yes!
Inktegrity are looking for Fall colours
StampsRUs challenge is to "do" Halloween

Phew, dont think I have ever linked up so many challenges but it just seems that kinda time of the year!


And this is my secret!!! YAY I got in - am just so excited!  Am part of an incredible team - and so lucky to be working with Teri's images - they are all so different - lots of different styles to play with!

Pop over to the Delicious Doodles blog to see the rest of the DT! 




Rx

Aud Sentiments - Halloweeeeeeen!

I love making little boxes - just dont know why I dont do them more often - I find them so satisfying!

So this is my little halloween set....the template for the coffin came from Martha Stewart - it was just on her website!  I made one last year for a treat box for Joshy - its been used as a money store all year so I thought I needed to make a new one this year.






We were so lucky to have The Cutting Cafe as our sponsor over at Aud Sentiments this time. They have such a variety of products over there all of which are so fun to work with! We were lucky enough to use the treat boxes and they are so easy to make and so adorable! They are giving the winner of this challenge 3 sets of their choice! WOW! 

I used pipe cleaners for his legs - and I suspect the sentiment thingy was from Cuddly Buddly - although please dont hold me to it!

I had such a time trying to work this out though....the idea is that there are two boxes and the child gets to pick which one they think the treat is in and which one will have the trick...I made a little cardboard spring so that the spider jumps up at them - had to prop it on the edge of the box to get this picture.

And because the lids and boxes are the same size, I can swap the lids around each time - so the treat really could be in either box!



So - down to the challenge - ha ha, all this way and I only just get round to it!

Your challenge is to "Use Any Halloween Sentiment" and the bonus challenge is to make a treat holder.

I really cant wait to see what everyone makes - I just love seeing boxes and packaging!  Oooo and you just gotta go over and check out the other DT member's stuff - amazing!  SO, why are you still here?  Oh, the link to Aud Sentiments.....here it is!

Still here?  Just as well you are....keep a lookout tomorrow - I have a lickle bit of news!  Shhhhhhhhhh....its a secret!!!

Rx

Little bit quiet - get over there and win!

Have just looked and seen that there are only 11 entries in Aud Sentiments challenge so far!  Just thought I would give you a quick "heads up" - the sentiment is Cheers, so why dont you pop on over and have a quick go!

Link is in my left sidebar!

Rx

One for the boys!

I hardly ever make any masculine cards - most of my male friends are not into the masculine stuff!

I chose this image from Delicious Doodles and discovered something wonderful....I didnt even need to colour it in!!!  I just looked at it and thought it looked quite brilliant as it was!

So - just added a few dirty smudges (yep and a fingerprint!) and it was just about done!

See?  Just doesnt need anything else!  Oh yes - there will be some wonderfully crafty types who will want to do more - but I just like it plain and simple...like my men!

Josh was very impressed with the fingerprint and wanted to do his....so we did and then made it into a spider!  He was so chuffed - its on our shelf now!  I just asked him what its name is and its.....HECTOR!

Thanks for stopping by!  Ooooo and check out the post below this for my stress reliever post!!!

Rx

DO SOMETHING NOW!

Oooooo - that was a really pushy title for this post!!!  Hee hee!  I just wanted to encourage everyone to be brave and face one thing that is weighing heavy on their mind! 

I just pulled out of a group I was in (not a DT position or owt!) - because I really just cant commit to it fully.  AND I FEEL SO GOOD!  It is like a huge weight has been lifted!  It was a lovely group (not demanding or anything) but I was feeling so bad that I couldnt keep on top of things with it - so I just left a lickle post for them explaining that I would be pulling out.  I know they will understand (or, of course, they may just start sending me hate mail!!!  Lolx).

SO - I wanted to spread this sense of relief far and wide - please, take the time to face something that has been weighing you down and deal with it!  We all know that those big deals are often not big deals when we get on and do something about them! 

Feel free to leave a comment if you do something then I can share in your relief too!

Thanks for popping by

Rx

Little bit of playtime!

While I was sitting at the table with Josh, doing his homework - no, he was doing his homework, not me!  Start again....Josh was doing his homework at the table so I sat with him and fiddled with some crafty fun!

I love, love, love little quickies like this...just inked up a flower, inked the pearl and added 3 skeleton leaves!

Have been playing along with some of the challenges at Stamping Vacation - and this one is to use a leaf as an embellishment.  It also fits their Sweet challenge - you really gotta check out this site!

And inside.... a little something sweet!  Had to keep dragging these back from Josh!  Good job I had a pack of 4.

Cut this little snowflake out when I was playing with my ecraft - it cut beautifully - no mat, and in this example, no tabs either!

Then we decided he looked like an alien!  So I turned him into a fridge magnet!

Hmmmm - not sure if this still fits with the FIRE AND ICE challenge over at stamping vacation!  I mean, it started as the ice bit - but then it became an alien!

Here he is, with his shopping bag and fork, on the fridge.  Josh had such fun with this - he told me where to glitter this one (and the other two that will go on cards) and also loved the googly eyes.  He arranged it on the fridge!  He THEN went and finished his homework!  I am not a good mother some days!

Rx

Quick and simple with my ecraft! Free svg or crw file if you want it!

I decided that I would do a quick something to welcome my boy home from his school trip!  Had about 15 minutes to do it in, so I grabbed my ecraft machine.  Used inkscape to make the word and the mat - imported it into the ecraft software - and hey presto!  No mats etc - love it! 

The whole thing took about 10 minutes - so still have time for a quick cuppa!

AND - the use of the alphabet also matches up to a couple of challenges....Lisa over at A Day in the Life of a Craft Fairy wanted to see die-cut alphabets - she said it was ok to use electronic cutters.

AND - its been ages since I joined in with the Order of the Opus Gluei for one of their blog hops!  This blog hop is one around alphabets!  YAY!

And a little sneaky something for Josh to discover later!  He is having a friend over for a sleepover tonight, so think these will be good for a midnight snack.

thanks for popping by!

Rx

PS If you want the svg file of this then just leave me a comment with your email in it (obviously write the words dot and com to avoid spam picking up your email addie)