Blogtoberfest 2014 Day 24 - Stretchy bracelets

I try to have plenty of stocking filler style gifts on my stall when I do my fundraisers and I have found these little stretchy bracelets are inexpensive to make and very popular.  I have these all ready to sell at my fundraiser next month.

Since taking these photographs I have already sold both of the skull bracelets - I hope I can get some more of these beads as they have been very popular.

Blogtoberfest 2014 Day 23 - Throwback Thursday (Happy New Year and Tandoori Nights)

It's Thursday and time for another blast from the past - I seem to have a lot in my 'to be blogged' folder that never made it here at the time.

Last year I missed a few people with Christmas cards so decided to send them a Happy New Year card instead.  I always miss all the extra mail dropping on the doormat so hopefully getting an unexpected card on a dull, dreary January day brought a little bit of cheer to some people.

I used some of my favourite Penny Black stamps and stamped them directly onto the card and coloured them with Promarkers. The sentiment is by Kaisercraft.  A bit of Stardust Stickles was added for some sparkle.

Today Wendy has shared a layout that she did in 2010 using a photograph from a post crop meal out.  At the time she challenged myself and Sy to use the same photograph and do a layout as well.  I did blog mine at the time here but thought I would pop it up here as well - notice that I did pinch Wendy's title!!

Blogtoberfest 2014 Day 22 - WOYWW #281

It is Wednesday therefore it means it is time to fess up and show off the clutter that is on the dining room table.  I do promise you that I do clear this away when we need to eat - can be a right pain sometimes, but apart from my laptray it is the only work space that I have.

So on the dining room table I have some panels of silver cardstock that I have embossed and a pile of diecut snowflakes - they are for the Christmas cards that I have made for this month's Beat the Christmas rush and I will share them on the 25th.  In the background is my laptop - I often listen to crafty podcasts or watch videos on Youtube whilst crafting.  And the mug is my favourite Marillion one that I love to drink peppermint tea from.  At the front left are my Perfect Layers tool - my most used crafting tool - so much so that I have just treated myself to the larger size for scrapbooking.

And on my laptray I have -

Some Christmas cards that are a work in progress plus a pile of papers ready for other cards that I'm making.  These scissors are my favourite - they are Fiskars and have lovely large handles (I struggle with scissors as I have arthritis in my hands and my hands often lock onto the scissors with small handle), despite the large handles the blades have very fine tips and are brilliant for fussy cutting, I would be devestated if anything happened to these or I lost them as Fiskars don't seem to make them anymore.

If you want to join in or take a peek at other desks then head over to Julia's blog

Blogtoberfest 2014 Day 21 - Bon Voyage

I have found another crafting blast from the past that I haven't blogged yet.  Over a year ago one of our lovely Meadow Barn friends Alison returned home to Australia with her husband and twin sons.  We were all very sad to see her go and she is much missed at our annual crafty weekend away (though we did have fun Skyping with her this year).  We all made a page to go in an album to celebrate our friendship so that hopefully she doesn't forget us.

I actually first met Alison many years ago when we use to go to Debden for an annual crafty retreat and before we discovered Meadow Barn we had our first Twilight Addicts retreat at a place called Peacehaven on the edge of the Cotswolds.  I used a group photograph from the Peacehaven retreat for my page.

I didn't record at the time what papers I used - I know they are kit leftovers and might be a mixture of October Afternoon and MME.  The punched butterflies are Martha Stewart and the chevrons are a Stampin' Up punch.

As well as making the page I also made a little Bon Voyage card using this sweet Penny Black stamp.

The paper is from a cruise themed set by Sandylion and the large sentiment is by Penny Black, the smaller sentiment is Personal Impressions.

Blogtoberfest 2014 Day 20 - Me on Monday

Hello Monday, well here you are again!!

It was a summer shirt wearing, pie and mash eating, snowflake die cutting, Christmas card making, restocking my cards for sale box weekend.  Only three weeks to my big open house fundraiser that I do each year and as I sold plenty of cards and all my post it note pads at my last fundraiser I do need to make new stock.  So my weekends are very much taken up with that at the moment.

So Monday finds me with a dilemma or dimella as we call them at Parkhurst Towers, I really really want to play with new crafty stuff that was delivered this morning.

But instead I find myself doing this - oh well I suppose I can always do something crafty this evening.  I will feel virtuous if I can empty the ironing basket today!!

If you want to share all about your Monday plans then pop along and give Sian from High in the Sky a wave

Blogtoberfest 2014 Day 19 - I Love My Daddy

Our September class with the lovely Anita we used some lovely male themed papers from Authentique 'Strong' range and made two layouts.

This is the first one using phototgraphs of myself and my niece Chloe with my lovely Dad at one of my nephews' 18th birthday meal -

I will share the second layout very soon.

Blogtoberfest 2014 Day 18 - My 50th birthday cards

I was very lucky to receive a large amount of cards for my 50th birthday and quite a number of them were hand-crafted.  Even though I took my cards down a couple of weeks ago I have still left the handmade ones up as they make me smile so much.  I am sure none of these lovely ladies will mind if I share the cards that they made for me.

From Lee -

 From Fiona -

 

From Lisa -

From Anita -

From Marion -

 From Sarah -

From Jacqui -

From Wendy -

From Christine -

 

Thank you ladies I loved all my cards xxx