THURSDAY BLOG HOP (13 October 2011)

Hi everyone

The days and weeks a re whizzing by, nearly Halloween then then the count-down to Christmas - roll on summer!

It's Handmade by Me Thursday Blog-Hop today, so click on the link and take a look at the other great blog contributions.

My card for this week's Blog-Hop is a Christmas card - Halloween hasn't completely passed me by, but my stock of Christmas cards needs to be increased - asap, as have lots of pre-Christmas events coming up.  this is a 5" x 5 " plain which card.  I have added a pine tree branch (using a punch for this), added some glitter glue lightly along the main part of the branch.  Topped it off with metal baubles and added a Christmas greetings rub-on embellishment.  Believe it or not the baubles are silver, but clearly picked up a reflection when being photographed and they look gold.  As the saying goes, all that glitters is not gold!

A mini-post today, off to make more cards.  Don't forget to check out the blogs of my fellow blog-hoppers and come back for my 'new' combined Sunday/Handmade Monday post.

I am also taking part in the Celebrating Fall with Linking Party this week, so please check out the great blogs taking part

Hope you enjoy the rest of the week

Jill

WELCOME TO WEDNESDAY

Hello everyone

Is it an age thing or a seasonal thing that time rushes by so quickly?  I know we are always being told that life moves very fast these days, but as I have now turned 21 (OK, it was a little while ago), I had hoped life might slow down just a little.  Well, it hasn't and I still seem to be running to keep up.

A BIG thank you to everyone from the Handmade Monday 'group' and my blog-followers who left a comment on my blog - glad you liked the card, and yes agree with the comments that we crafters do use anything and everything for our art.  When I buy embellishments they are very often on a very pretty piece of card - guess what, trimmed it makes a good layer.  I often buy large peel-off letters and once I have removed the letter, I cut around the outline that is left, fix this to a piece of coloured card and trim again around the letter - a double-whammy, reduces the cost of the original item and I get a different set of letters.

A fairly busy week so far.  Out shopping on Monday - we had lunch in Gunwharf Quays.  I bought a new handbag - unfortunately shoes and handbags are my downfall.  Had coffee and catch-up with a friend yesterday (Caroline of Caroleecrafts) - put the world to rights as always, bounced some good business ideas around and as we met in a garden centre, bought some crafting materials - silly not to really!  We are both concentrating on the events we are booked into over the next few weeks and hoping we will do well - we both have lots of gorgeous things to sell (such modesty) and looking forward to meeting up with customers and friends, old and new.

A short post today.  From next week I will be combing my Sunday post with my Handmade Monday post - posting time will be late Sunday evening.

Enjoy the rest of the week everyone

Jill

MONDAY'S MINI MUSINGS - PART 5

Good morning everyone

I hope you all had a great weekend.  It's Handmade Monday and did you know that including today, there are 11 Mondays left before Christmas Day?  11 more opportunities in 2011 to visit great blogs and view the fabulous work everyone taking part has made.

A short post today - in the middle of a major clear-out: garage, workroom, nearly every other room!  Amazing just how much 'stuff' we have accumulated - my problem is that I hate to part with anything.  However, the time has come...................

I joined the Blogaholic Social Network today and have been enjoying reading through their great blog posts and looking at the pictures of the contributors great makes and finds.

This week's Handmade Monday card is one of a series I made recently using wallpaper.  Yes, wallpaper.  We crafters will use just about anything and for me if it is paper (or similar) it gets used for decorating a card.  this is a DL size card and the front and back are covered in textured wallpaper - this has a flower decoration on in creams with dark brown stems.  I added a line of pearl beads on the left-hand-side and two greetings embellishments.  I have made several cards using this wallpaper and I now have two left - they have proved very popular and I think this is because they are very different.

I will be back on Wednesday with my usual mid-week post, so come back and check it out.  In the meantime don't forget to visit all the other blogs taking part in this week's Handmade Monday Blog-Hop to see what lovely work everyone has made and I am looking forward to reading your comments on my post - and on the others of course.

Have a good week

Jill

TIS SUNDAY AGAIN

Hi everyone

What a chilly end to last week.  It is hard to believe we were basking in hot temperatures a week ago - wouldn't believe it if someone told you about it, would you?  The days have been sunny, but the nights are a bit nippy - not much fun and certainly not t-shirt weather.

As always a big thank you to my blog followers, and a welcome to my new ones.  It's lovely to share my blog with you.  Plus, a big thank you to everyone who leaves comments on my blog - they are very welcome and I do look forward to reading them.

I joined the Professional Crafters Guild this week - very pleased with that - and you can see my lovely gold button at the top right of my blog.  The guild was established to raise the profile of crafting to a profession, not just a hobby.  This is great as often our work tends to be looked at as a side-line rather than the business it actually is.  Members are encouraged to raise the awareness of the beautiful handmade crafts which are made by people with a passion for their work.

I have also joined Craftlinks.org, which is a social enterprise providing the opportunity for professional and amateur crafts people to promote their work, skills and ideas.  This is a world-wide organisation and I am looking forward to the amazing variety of work that will be showcased.

No pictures of cards today, although I have made lots they are similar to ones already posted this week.  However, I did want to show you a photograph I took of the Parthenocissus quinquefolia we have growing in our garden.  At this time of year it is stunning and as it covers a trellis that is approximately 12' long, you can imagine it looks amazing - just like a blazing fire.   Although I love the colours of autumn, the rich reds, browns, shades of gold, they are in a way quite sad as they are so colourful because they are dying.  Nonetheless they are magnificent - the colours range from the Spring and Summer shade of green/dark green through bronze and into deep, dark red.

The really interesting thing is that we have seedlings in the garden that should not be growing until Spring.  My geraniums are still in full-flower, but really need to be watchful at this time of year as the first frost will kill them.  So, pretty soon it will be into the greenhouse with them and hope they survive the winter.

We are moving towards the Wear it Pink day and if you have a look back through my recent posts, you will see further references to this and information about other crafters taking part.  Don't forget, if you live in the Normandy area to come along to the Wyke Primary School Shopping Evening on 19 October - 10% of the value of my sales at the event will be donated to the Wear it Pink cause.  Have a look at the Wear it Pink website for more information about what is taking place on 28 October.

Enjoy today everyone - I will be back tomorrow with my Handmade Monday post.

Jill

THURSDAY'S BLOG HOP (6 October 2011)

Hi everyone

Sad news about Steve Jobs - such a clever guy, and so many brilliant Apple products.

Pretty nippy today!  Guess that's it, summer's finished?  Ever the optimist, hanging on in the hope of just a little more good weather as want to have one final BBQ - preferably not standing outside in thick socks and a fleece please!  I know in the UK we can talk about the weather until the cows come home, but come, on exactly a week ago the temperature was 25 - 26 degrees, the forecast for today is 15 degrees!

Don't forget today is the Handmade by Me Thursday Blog-Hop, so click on the link and have a look at the other gorgeous makes from my fellow crafters.

A busy, busy, busy week - made lots of cards and actually put together 4 packs of 5 Christmas cards in an envelope-style wallet (made by my own fair hands).  Using the big scrap book sheets it was fairly easy and I hope they set the cards off well  - here is one open pack displayed (together with some of the other packs already completed) so you can have a look and see what will be available at the events I am attending in October and November (check out the list on he right-hand side of my blog for full details).

A mini-post from me today, but do check out the other Thursday Blog-Hop posts and also remember we are all supporting Wear it Pink, a great cause.  I will be back on Sunday with my usual weekend post.

Enjoy the rest of the week everyone

Jill

WEDNESDAY'S THOUGHTS

Hi everyone

I started the week with BIG plans to sort out my work-room - guess what?  All I can say is that I planned to get around to it, and I have!  Look top right of my blog.

Hasn't the weather been wonderful these last few days?  Sad that it seems to have gone back to what we expect of Autumn now, but great while it lasted.  I have read numerous posts on Facebook and Twitter that snow is forecast for the end of this month - I hope  not.  I don't mind snow (well, when looking out of the window at it), but would prefer to have some more summery weather first please.  After such a  disappointing summer, I think we need some more gorgeous autumnal weather to set us up for winter.

Yesterday was World Animal Day.  To celebrate Jazz and Daisy had a packet of Dreamies - they can eat those treats faster than I can finish a bar of chocolate!

I have joined in with the Wow Me Wednesday blog hopping event today - you must check out the amazing makes on the blogs that take part is this great event.  So many gorgeous Halloween goodies.

As well as being industrious (well, sort of) in the clearing-up area, I have also been busy making cards - in fact I made 20 on Monday.  I decided September was my 'getting out of the habit of having a stressful job month' and now back to planet earth and need to get on with making my business successful.  My plan was to make some inexpensive Christmas cards in packs of 5 to sell at my forth-coming events.  I will pack them into a handmade envelope and think they will look pretty nifty and, I hope, prove to be very popular.  Here are some pics of a few that I have completed:

The cards are 5" x 5" 300 gsm and the papers are from a Christmas card-stock pack.  I have cut it into either squares, long strips, triangles or curves.  Added stock greetings toppers, and some jewels too.

It is not long until my first event of the season - 19 October at the Wyke School. Don't forget to come along and give them your support if you are in the area, and of course also buy some of my Christmas cards.

Enjoy the rest of the week everyone, I hope the temperature doesn't drop too much.  I will be back with my usual Sunday post.

Jill

MONDAY'S MINI MUSINGS - PART 4

Hi everyone

Well I made it!  Seriously thought I was going to have to miss out on this week's Handmade Monday, but decided too good to miss.  I am going to be a bit cheeky and post the card I put on my World Card-Making post this evening - why?  Because I rather like it - something smart about black cards and they don't all have to be associated with sorrow do they?

The size is folded A4 and the first layer is from scrap book card stock, it is black with white flowers and sparkles on some of the petals.  I added some jewels to some of the flower centres to sparkle-it-up a bit more.  I then added some shiny purple butterflies (used Martha Stewart all over punch for these).  Then I added a greeting - I should have added one more topping, it was going to be a cat, but didn't quite make it on to the card.  Still, I hope you like it

Don't forget to check out the other contributors to this week's Blog Hop and it would be lovely if you left a comment for me - I love the to read them almost as much as I love to read everyone elses blog-hop posts.

Have a good week - I will be back on Wednesday with my usual post of the what, where and how of Christmas Pie Crafts.

Jill

IT'S WORLD CARD MAKING DAY TODAY - UPDATE

Hi everyone

Sadly, despite frequently postings on Twitter and Facebook, World Card-Making Day doesn't seem to have made a big impact on the UK craft world.  Perhaps the notification of my mini competition was a bit to near the time for fellow crafters to make a card?  However, my thanks to the two people who commented on my post of yesteryear, but a BIG thanks to those who entered a card.

First to be displayed is one from Caroline (www.caroleecrafts.com).  Caroline has called this a vintage bookmark card and decorated in flowers, butterfly, ribbon and gorgeous pink - this is to fit in the with current Wear it Pink charity event that Caroline is hosting on her website.

Next is from Carol (http://yellowroserhymes.blogspot.com/) and is a lovely birthday card decorated in pink with a cat and butterflies.  I have a sneaky feeling this card is going to be sold on behalf of the Wear it Pink event.

The final card is from me.  Also a birthday card, the main back ground is black with flowers that have some glitter on them.  I have added shiny butterflies (I love butterflies in card-making) and was going to add a cat, but he hid!  Just can't get them to settle down when you want them to.

I hope you like them - I think we are all really pleased with our makes and plan on ensuring World Card-Making Day is trumpeted earlier next year.

Don't forget to check back in the week for my posts.  I may not make this week's Monday's Handmade Blog-Hop, but will try very hard to do so.  If not, I will be back with a post on Wednesday.

Have a good weekend

Jill

IT'S WORLD CARD MAKING DAY TODAY

Hi everyone

A different day for my weekend post because today is World Card-Making Day, which is celebrating its 6th birthday this year.  Traditionally, World Card Making Day is celebrated on the first Saturday in October and it is a day for the whole card-making community to celebrate the creativity that is the heart of card-making.  As a card-maker I just have to celebrate this along with all the other wonderful card-makers out there.  So, come on, I am setting a mini-challenge, no prizes, its just for fun and a great opportunity for self-promotion.  How about having a go at making a card which includes, say, 3 of the following:

Tree(s)

Cat(s)

Dog(s)

Flower(s)

A butterfly

Sunshine

A cup cake (or cup cakes)

A pair of shoes

Car(s)

A baby

A chair

It is just for fun, but if you would like to take part send me a pic of your card and I will put them all into one post on Sunday evening (2 October).  I will include links to your blogs or websites, you choose.  Just think of all the potential extra visitrs or business you might get?  Please email your pics and blog/website details to me on the following address: christmaspiecrafts@virginmedia.com.  The cut-off time is 2.00 pm UK time on Sunday, 2 October.

I am looking forward to uploading pics of some beautiful cards.

Enjoy the weekend - the weather in the UK is great at the moment, hope it lasts a few more weeks and have a Happy World Card-Making Day

Jill

THURSDAY'S BLOG HOP - WEAR IT PINK

Hi everyone

Wear it Pink is Breast Cancer's biggest fund-raising event - the main focus of this event is 28 October 2011 when everyone should aim to wear something pink and give a donation to this charity to support their work.  A good friend and fellow crafter, Caroline of Carolee Crafts has been encouraging fellow crafts people this week to take an active part in this event by contributing in whatever way they feel they can (for example, a percentage of sales during October or for items sold on 28 October).  Caroline has set up an area on her website specifically for this event and we can link to this to pledge our support (and money of course) - so if you have landed on my blog either by chance or to check out my latest news, please do click on the link above to access Caroline's website and give us your support.

In a pink frame of mind, I made the following two cards.  Plain white card stock, topped off with pale pink. the first one has a triangle fan-shape embellishment, two green jewels and a Happy Birthday topper.  the second one also has a pale pink background, topped with a dark pink embellishment (cut using a Martha Stewart corner punch) and finished off with a Best Wishes topper.  I will continue to make 'pink stock' with the aim of selling them at my 19 October event at Wyke School.

So come along blog followers, join us in our aim to help support Wear it Pink.

I will be back blogging on Saturday of this week (not Sunday as usual), so don't forget to come back and check out my new makes, news of the day and an update on our Wear it Pink campaign.

Jill