Archive for ‘Children’

September 30, 2016

Birthday cards, sweet treats and September sun …

Hello and welcome to my blog. 

It’s a beautiful September morning. The sun is shining. The breeze has a slight chill, and a smell. A smell that instantly transports me back to my childhood. A smell that provokes vivid memories of school, of playing with friends in the school playground, of carefree days long ago.

I remember playing French skipping on sunny days, and oh how I loved to play. A game that didn’t cost a lot, well, as long as you didn’t mind playing with ordinary, brown elastic bands that is. That was my French skipping rope – a line of tied together, brown elastic bands, squirreled from my mother’s stationery supply. They were all different lengths, some long, some short and some fatter than others. I longed to have a multi-coloured, rainbow rope like some of my friends had. A pack of coloured elastic bands only cost a few pennies more, so I could easily have used my pocket money to buy the pretty colours, but those precious pennies, tuppences and threepenny bits (yes, I am old enough to remember threepenny bits), those pennies were reserved for buying sweeties such as fruit salads, black jacks, yellow bananas and pink shrimps. There were lots more to choose from of course, but these were my favourites, with the occasional sherbet fountain too. I didn’t quite understand why anyone bought gob stoppers. I know my friends liked them, and they lasted ages, but they weren’t my thing. Now bazooka bubble gum on the other hand, that would keep my jaw chewing for hours…

swizzels-sweets

I remember my dad telling me that my school days were the best days of my life. At the time, I thought what did he know? He didn’t have to do “hard work” like my sums and reading tasks that teacher set. How I wish I’d listened to him. Now I realise that every word my dad ever uttered to me was true.

birthday-lolly-ice-cards

These ice lolly birthday cards, or if you’re from Liverpool like I am, they are lolly ices … whatever you call them, they are fun to make and fun to receive too.  Cardstock, stamps, ink and punches all from Stampin’ Up!

Sweets in the photo above courtesy of the very generous goody bags I got at my first BlogOn event – more about that coming soon #BlogOnMSI.

Thanks for dropping by today

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July 13, 2015

Punch art monster …

Hi and welcome to my blog.

The best thing about crafting with a friend is the opportunity you have to be inspired by their creativity and, if you are lucky, to see something new so you can grow and learn. I had the most wonderful day crafting with a friend at the weekend. We had such fun together, we laughed until our cheeks ached … crafting can do that for you, especially when we get together, we have the same sense of humour – she just cracks me up!

I hadn’t been able to craft for a while, too long really, crafting is my therapy, my go to place when I need to feel good, and I’ve missed it. So when I visited my friend and she mentioned in conversation that she needed to make a card for her nephew, I was only too happy to offer to be her assistant. I sat by her side while she cut and scored card, and helped her look through her collection of dsp and coloured card to find just the right ones to make a monster card like this …

Monster-punch-art-tempting-turquoise

I made these cards a while back, for some little monsters in my life. Inspired myself by a card I’d seen on Lesley Oman’s blog, I used different dies for these colourful, fun cards. By changing the direction of the edge die, the monster can look grumpy or happy – which do you prefer?

Punch-art-monster-old-olive

I can’t wait until my friend posts photos of her card too. She changed hers up even further, and had an ingenious way of using punches that I would never have thought of in a million years! But I’ll let her have the pleasure of sharing that tip with you (when her post is published, I’ll add a link here.)

Punch-art-monster-pumpkin-pie

My friend had very graciously given up a day out of her very busy week to spend time with me. I had been feeling pretty low as I’ve not been well recently – feeling sorry for myself if truth be told – but she was there for me, to lend an ear, to offer her friendship and advice, and to cheer me up.

I love her lots. She is the nicest person you could wish to meet, and I feel lucky to have her as my friend. 

 Want to make this blog colours

cardstock: whisper white, basic black, old olive, tempting turquoise, pumpkin pie;

punches & dies:  1 3/4” circle, 1” circle, 1/2”, edge die;

accessories: dsp from retired brights and subtles paper stacks, stampin’ dimensionals;

All supplies from Stampin’ Up unless otherwise stated. 

I love receiving your messages, so if you have any questions, or you just want to say hi, do please leave me a comment.

Thanks for dropping by today

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