Mother's Time

As mentioned in this post here I have been a bit stuck for time and once again am on the last minute keeping up with challenges and comments.

I did manage to create this card though for the Shabby Tea Room's 'Shabby Shutters' challenge which provided us with a shabby but sophisticated photo (above) with a Parisienne theme with the requirement to use navy blue, neutrals and a distressed element.

I was fortunate enough to come across some actual resin shabby shutters by the fabulous Prima Marketing in the local craft store.

I made a blue rose & glittered it up. I also finally(!) managed to find some satin seam-binding which I dyed and scrunched. I have only come across one store in the whole of our city which sells satin seam-binding! And I stamped a tag with a Paris/postage stamp.

I added a nice frilly doilie and topped with the shabby shutters. I made a teensy weensy blue rose and added a glittered heart-shape with the word 'Mother' attached as it will soon be Mother's Day.


Since it is not Mothering Sunday til 18th March ...I am now ahead of time!

Time

Never enough of it!

This last week I have been working on a tag and present for my brother whose birthday it was on Friday.

I made him a movie with Windows Movie Maker (took me aaages as I was trying to work out how to use the programme as well as actually making the movie). It was a series of photographs from throughout his life - images of the newspaper birth announcement, baby photos, right up to the present ...all set to music ...Groove Armada's 'Hands of Time'.

I put the movie on a usb stick along with some music. I wrapped the usb stick in some kraft paper and attached it to the tag. The paper was held closed around the stick just by the jute twine so all he had to do was unfasten the string and the stick was inside.

I stamped the tag with a pocket watch and the words 'birthday time'.

Here are photos (not very good photos as I was rushing to get it into the mail) of the front and back of the tag.

Front...

Back... with a space under the Happy Birthday stamp to write a little message
.

He liked it very much!

At Home

I used to work at a printing firm a long, long time ago, in the office. We used to get orders for printing 'At Home' cards. I thought it was a delightful idea.

Here is some history which explains the origins & tradition of being 'At Home'.

The Shabby Tea Room's challenge & inspiration photo 'High Tea' reminded me of this idea.


The provided photo is delicious in itself with the teacup & saucer decorated in crisp turquoise with gold edging & flourishes and a sweet pink rose. We are to use the colours in the photo and doilies.

Here is my card. I have made it an invitation to be sent to someone inviting them to drop round for a cup of tea and some cake! A sort of At Home card.

I made the backing paper myself using stamps with turquoise and gold ink. The stamped flowers look a bit random. They were meant to line up alternately ..but the light was fading so I had to hurry a bit.

I also made the palest pink flower myself from some colour(ink)-washed paper scrunched up & punched. I punched a frilly heart and covered it in nearly half a bottle of turquoise glitter!

The 'invitation' stamp is quite sweet & it was being sold off cheap, it was only a couple of ££s. I stamped twice and cut the invitation sentiment off one stamped image and used foam tape to position it over the first stamp to add a bit of dimension and finished it off with two Melissa Frances blue sticky pearls.

The flourish stamped in gold just above the doilies is from Hobbycraft who have started doing their own range of small stamps. It was perfect for this project.

Despite having two largeish craft stores a few miles away I struggle to find the best things to use, including doilies. I did however find these little ones.. though they are made of thin paper & are a bit shiny on one side (so I turned them over to have the more matte side which I think is nicer facing front. I had to put three on together to make it thicker & so that you could actually see they are there!

Finished with a bit of pink ribbon.

(And a cup of tea).

Dot dashing...

Took me ages to find this after seeing it on the telly. Although it seems a little scary at first it is very sweet & do watch to the end!



So cute!

Hope it makes you smile too :)

Cherry on top

The Shabby Tea Room's challenge this week has been all about the cherries in celebration of National Cherry Month (February).

This photo and their design team projects have provided us with some gorgeous inspiration to get our juices flowing....

I also learned a bit about cherries including that February 20th is National Cherry Pie Day in the US (check out this website for some beautiful pics of cherry pies - but warning, not when you are hungry), there are proverbs & quotes about them and that there is such a thing as Cherry Tea.

Suitably inspired, I made a tea bag envelope (similar to this design via here) and also a tea bag tag (round like a cherry!), using the colours from the photo and featuring cherries of course, for this challenge.

I tied off the end threads of the sewing at the front of the envelope to make a tiny bow with a little flower.

The cherry image is all thanks to The Graphics Fairy and I stamped the lettering ENJOY on the tag

So, take teabag out of envelope...

Pop it in a nice cup...

...and enjoy a nice cup of tea! (and a sneaky pastry)

I am amazed (though not really) at the number of people, and especially many crafters, who not only like tea but also love doing tea properly with china & teapots & beautiful table linen & flowers & tea parties. Here is a photo of my collection of cups I like to drink tea, usually Earl Grey, from.

And the cherry on top? I should say it was all the stuff I learned about cherries but in all honesty it was because I got to eat a cake with a cherry on top ...just to get in the spirit of things you understand.

Two little words that DO go together

Two words that DO go together are these...


I have been amazed at the number of people who both love crafting, all things floral, coloured, designed, patterned etc ...and drinking tea.

Although tea is best drunk out of fine bone china I am sorely tempted by either or both of the two mugs in the pic. But which one 'love' or 'tea'?

The beauty of these mugs for me lay in the simplicity, the words -love and tea- and the way the words are impressed in the clay...

The way the words are impressed creates the impression that someone actually took the time to actually press the word into the clay. The impression suits me fine.

I was bought a (metal type) typewriter for xmas when I was ooo about 8yrs old.... I also once worked (in the office/admin) for a printing firm that used metal (alongside modern techniques) type ..so there is something about the way these words are impressed on these mugs which evokes the memory and love for the way in which metal type impresses and, by extention, rubber or acrylic stamps impress or work on the surface of card/paper in a way which computer & printer doesn't (though I equally love the latter for different reasons & uses).

It's Valentine's Day!

...Google loves ya!

You will notice that sometimes the regular Google logo is ..hmmm... a little bit different.

HERE is how and why.

Imagine my surprise, and indeed, flattery, when I found that actual Google sent me a Valentine's message....