It's a Creative World

A little break!

Hi from the creative girls!

We're just letting you know that we are taking a little break for just over three weeks. We're expanding our team and spring cleaning our lives (well except for Di who is preparing for winter!) and will be back on the 1st May.

Don't miss the first post as we have a GREAT challenge for you all with loads of prizes and lots of fun!

See you on the 1st, only 25 sleeps :D

IACW girls!
xx

12 MONTHS = 12 PROJECTS MARCH/APRIL

17h25.... Well I can't possibly choose a winner so Sharon, Sarah and Katie, email me at [email protected] with your likes, dislikes and address, and i'll get a little something off to you in the next few days :)

Hello, Eleanor here as usual, with a minibook and an allotment update.
We had hoped to have started planting in March, but it's only just beginning to warm up in the North West, so we are behind our planned schedule, having to run with Nature's schedule, but, if you've ever sung this song (recorded by Pete Seeger, the Byrds and others)

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
etc

I wonder if you knew its origin?

Ecclesiastes 3. Probably written by King Solomon. Son of David and Bathsheba (she who is said to have bathed on the roof, her beauty overthrowing David, as fans of the recent xfactor/not so recent Leonard Cohen (and others) hit will know).

But much as I love these stories, I am straying from the point - which today is that the soil is ready when the time is right, no earlier. So we have waited.
Not idly though, for our choice of vegetables for planting has had to be rethought, following a recent new addition to our family. A girlie who particularly enjoys:

Spring greens
Spinach
Curly kale
Pak choi
None of which were in our original plan.

I made a hutch book to celebrate Penny's arrival:

 

 



 

The covers are painted with crackle glaze, and popped up on foam tape to leave a space for mesh and some hay.

The faux hinges are made entirely with cardstock, scored and scribbled around the edges and in the indented circles with a versamark pen, brown embossing powder sprinkled on and off and heat embossed for a rusty look.

It joins the first 2 minibooks in the handybag,

together with the recipes for March. I delved down in the freezer again, and this time I found bags of blackcurrants and Bramley apple pieces.
So here we have fritters and tart:

The fritters work well made with frozen apple, as the coating batter sticks easily to the ice-cold fruit, and the apple is not overcooked when the batter is well done. (Bramleys have a tendency to puree away and drizzle out of the batter if you cook them too long.)
The tart is very tart, needs lots of custard or cream. And cream, even.

Hi from Caz!

April 2008 was a sad one for us. Our neighbour and friend, Ron, passed away. He was 83, and had had a great life, he was our friend for a little over 3 years and had burrowed very deep in DHs heart. My heart was sore for his wife of over 60 years.

 

Nothing else of importance happened in April 2008.

March 2009 has been lovely. With the arrival of Spring and the garden coming to life. A visit from a very special little lady and the winning of the NLD cup for C's team.

 

Oh and of course the arrival of DHs beloved R1.

I've not journaled my layout yet, because sometimes I really need to think about what to write. It's odd how sometimes the words just don't come.

A final reminder that all comments left on this post by 5pm tonight will be entered into a draw to win a RAK. If you make a card using the sketch you double your chances and will be entered twice!

Thanks for visiting!
And haPPy creATing!!
IACW
XX

Keep, sell, use or throw?!

I don't know about anyone else but I am a total hoarder of everything including my cardmaking and scrapbooking stash. It amazes me sometimes when I see people selling or chucking out their stuff just because they happen to have had it for a while or it's no longer fashionable.

I find it difficult to throw out any offcut of paper that's over an inch square and so have drawers and files full of various bits that I've kept. If I buy a "mixed lot" on Ebay then all the parts of my purchase are safely stored for future use or if it's something that I know I won't use then it goes in to the kid's craft cupboard.

My hoarding skills were proven when I was making a card last week and found the perfect papers to go with the stamp I was using. I remember buying them about 6 years ago on Ebay when I first started scrapbooking:

 

So, what about you? Are you a hoarder or do you throw out anything over a few months old? How about using some of that old stuff? I'm making it my mission to use loads of my old stuff  - how about you?

Jo xx

Paper tearing

Okay, okay I know, paper tearing has been around for years. BUT I had forgotten about it. And following the VINTAGE post last week I was inspired to rekindle my love of tearing paper.

 

To get a 'white' torn edge effect, hold the side of paper you will be using on your layout down with your left hand flat on a solid surface. Then tear the paper (towards you) with your right hand. However if you don't want the 'white' edge to your tear, simply turn the paper over and the white edge will be underneath.

 

 

Sometimes is great to go back and revisit the old techniques, maybe next time we'll revisit distressing!!

Don't forget our RAK! Each comment left on this post will get you entered in once. And making a card based on the sketch will double your chances! You have till Sunday 5th at 5pm to leave your comment.

Thanks for visiting!!
Caz
xx

Ribbon Storage.

I am the first to admit im obsessive about being able to see everything i own in one go! Im talking, having all of my punches on display incase the one i want is the one ive forgotten i have. all of my papers out incase the one burried at the bottom of the shelf is the one i NEED right now...............this follows through onto my ribbons too!! How on earth people manage with them in jars i just dont know - i would be forever having to empty them all out and rummage -yes i know, i cant think of worse things too!! LOL

Here was my solution.

I placed 2 of the cupholder hooks either side of the top of my dresser and looped all of my reels of ribbon onto some strong twill.  I then tied the ends into small loops and fastened them over the hooks. 
The Stampin' Up! reels of ribbon, these were placed onto a dowel which is resting on 2 more cup hooks behind the pillars of the dresser. The length of wood can easily be moved if i need to add more ribbon and it means the reels have freedom to wheel around as they are used.

Hope this helps anyone else out there with this problem (surely i cant be the only one...........please??) lol

Hugs
Debbie
x

Just a simple mini album

Hi all from Di

When I cannot face 12 by 12 layouts I always resort to hand made mini albums. Its a great way of scrapping small pages and using up some of that stash!

 

I cut 7 pieces of chipboard each 6 by 6 inches punched holes in the top and then just decorated with patterned paper, paint,  and what ever embellishments I had - lots of hearts! I scanned my original photographs then converted them to sepia before printing them:

This is earlest photograph I have of Caz she was about 1 week :

For this page I made 2 flaps one on each side:

 

  I love this shot of my beautiful Caz :

 

Here are just a few of my memories of Caz 'Growing up":

 

 

 

I am blessed to have such a remarkable daughter.

Love from Di