HeyJude!

A few weeks ago I posed the question on UKS. Do "they" make anything that helps you to use punches easily? Several very kind ladies replied to say that yes "they" do! It's called a Punch Mate!

I was chuffed because I have in my stash a few punches and a book called Paper Bouquet that instructs you how to make the most realistic and exquisite flowers using punches, a few embossing tools and glue. The trouble is I have trouble actually using the punches. I don't have any strength in my elbows and shoulders so I can't put the pressure that's needed to push the button style punches down. Who thought up push button punches anyway?  My guess is that it was a man!

Anyway, back to my story. A very nice lady from Derbyshire, called Jude sent me a personal message basically saying "I have one that I don't use that you can have. I don't want anything for it, just glad it'll help someone!"

Crafters, I was overwhelmed by Jude's generosity and thoughtfulness. She has reinstated a faith in humankind with a demonstration of kindness that I thought was long gone these days.

The Punch Mate was sent right about the time that we moved house; and I would have never known it! But 3 weeks later Jude sent me a message asking if I had received it. Crafters, I felt awful saying no I haven't, or even worse the thought that Jude might have thought that I had received it and never bothered to thank her!

My DH collected it today and it's awesome!  I picked the evilest, stiffest punch in my stash and this baby showed it who was the boss!

Jude also sent me a couple of cute little punches with the Punch Mate and has told me that she does not want reimbursing for the post costs; she called it her Christmas gift to me.

So I want all of my friends and anyone else who reads this blog to know that there is a place where generosity and kind acts do exist; it's a site called UK Scrappers, and it's First Lady is HeyJude!

Thank you Jude.xx

New Stash

Don't you just love it when new stash arrives?  Our new postie is getting to know that he will be a busy bunny at our house with all of my 'bargain' craft purchases.

New stash... You know what's in the envelope but the excitement of getting a new bit of kit is always the highlight of the day; no matter how small the item is.

My snowflake die has arrived and although its not as pretty as the cut out will be I think its lovely! Other new stash to arrive includes some paper I ordered last week before I got the green light to get my 'Christmas present'.

I was feeling a bit neglected, not getting a Christmas pressy and all and I don't about you crafter, but it always cheers me up to buy paper. This is a Bo Bunny 'Ambrosia' Collection pack and a matchmaker pack of Bazzill basics to accompany it. I just love the colours and they were of course a bargain; Papermaze.co.uk is giving 20% discount off all items in their January sale!  

 

Papermaze of course had my full attention once I learned that they were very generously giving 20% off; and they had a couple of really nice cutting dies that I bought as part of my 'Christmas gift' from my dh.  They arrived today too!  They are Spellbinders Nestabilities Splendid Circles and Gold Labels 4. I'm really impressed that they have so many applications.  The Gold Label one can be cut, embossed, debossed, stencilled and letterpressed!  I need to find out what debossing and letterpressing is but I'm sure youtube will help me out on that score.

I won an auction on eBay!  On the sage advice of my dh I put a realistic bid on a Spellbinders Shapeabilities 'Vintage Lace Accents' and I won!  I'm seriously pleased with my little self.  I have seen it on eBay at £20.99 plus the dreaded post costs of £2.95.  I won mine for £10.10, less than half price! Even the post was less than half price at £1.20!  Result!

I'm really excited about the Grand Caliber now that I have a few dies to play with.  The courier messaged me yesterday to say I would be getting a visit from 'Santa in a van' today!

On to crafting.  I am such a dizzy mare!  I have made 2 cards for nobody in particular and totally forgot it is my godson's birthday this month.  I tried to stick to the wk 2 colour theme on the 52 card challenge and used a couple of lovely papers out of my stash.  They are from Lori Whitlock's 'Hello Summer' and Echo Park 'Beautiful Life'.

I wanted to create an embossed cloud background behind the pinwheel. As I didn't have a cloud embossing folder I improvised. I used a cloud design from my Cameo Silhouette library and mirrored it so that I could emboss it from the flipside.  I then printed it as a rhinestone template and just embossed the nicely spaced dots. Voila!

52 Cards Challenge 2014 - Week 2

As I mentioned earlier we have moved house.  My dh who is very difficult to give hints to for gifts (no matter how brazenly blatant my hints are) decided that we would wait until after Christmas to get my gift.  I have been telling him for ages that I want a die-cutting machine, preferably A4 size and preferably electric, get the hint here crafters?

I finally get the go ahead from he who should be but isn't obeyed to get my Ebosser; and after all  of the wait and the hype; I get cold feet and start looking for a Grand Caliber to try out first to see if I like die-cutting machines before taking the plunge and buying the big (by big I mean expensive) one.

As luck would have it, and this must have been fate because it was on the same day; I found the exact thing I was looking for on UK Scrappers marketplace; and in a couple of exciting days time I will be the proud owner of a Grand Caliber! My brilliant 'crafters' logic being that I will get my money back by reselling it on the marketplace when I get an Ebosser.  That reminds me, does anyone want to buy a Sissix Texture Boutique?

On to buying dies for my new acquisition...  Aren't they expensive!  I have decided that the best and definitely the most approved way of getting them; (by he who should be but isn't obeyed) is to buy on auction at eBay.  Do you know what?  I think that I am not the only crafter who has a he who should be but isn't obeyed at home who says "You paid what??!!!" So there we all are on eBay bidding against each other to get the "best bargains".

I did get a bargain though.  I got a Spellbinders 3 dimensional snowflake die for £6.50, plus £1.20 post; but post doesn't count - it's an occupational hazard for crafters. I do realise that it's only a bargain because its January but it'll save... The excellent bargain basement die was on eBay in another shop at £19.99 plus £1.25 post.

On to the title of my blog, week 2 of the 52 Cards Challenge. Here is the colour challenge for week 2. Isn't it pretty.  I may find myself doing a couple of cards with this colour template.

Back to the rambly bit of the blog and my new toy.   I was browsing through the craft stores and fancying the Bitty Blossoms die by Spellbinders. At £22.99 even I thought it was a tad overpriced.  It was at that very moment that a grade 'a' brainwave hit me and I raced, well opened my Cameo Silhouette link and found a lovely, well several lovely rolled flower templates.  this is the card that I made with it.

Happy New Year Crafters

Goodness me what happened?  It's 2014 already!

It's been a month of new beginnings for me. In the last couple of weeks I have moved house to a new city and now a new year to boot!  What better time to start writing a blog!

I have experimented with some form of craft for most of my adult life.  I started with wool and knitting and progressed to fabric, embroidery silks, paper, ink, glitter, beads and wire; not many crafting mediums have escaped experimentation. I came around full circle back to wool again when I learned how to crochet properly.  By properly I mean not restricted to granny squares, though there is nothing wrong with a good granny square.

At one point in my career I have taught others how to craft and use a computer, though not simultaneously I might add; and made some very good friends during that time of my life.  Now it's second nature to craftily compute to create!

My first card of 2014 in my new craft room in my new house etc is shown below.

Its a gatefold card using white 300gsm card.  To decorate I used the following:

• DCWV Metallic Stack card - silverleaf
• Imagination Craft Sparkle Medium - silver
• Imagination Craft stencil - Flourishes
• Cuttlebug embossing folder - spots and dots
• Patterned paper freebie in Papercraft Essentials magazine
• 10mm Edged organza ribbon from Joanna Sheen online shop
• Random flowery peel offs 
• The label was cut using a Cameo Silhouette store nested label pattern on DCWV Metallic Stack silverleaf and pink and topped with a silver peel off.

Inside I used the patterned paper again with Hobby Solution embossing folder Flower Corner -1 on lilac pearlised paper.