Sunday 24 February 2013

A busy half term

This week has been mad! Sooooo busy I have been collapsing into bed at 9pm which is unheard of from this night owl.
School holidays mean children, in the centre where I work, all day everyday - lots of trips to plan and all the other things that go with entertaining youngsters with disabilities.
By the end of this week (and yes I still have a shift to work) I will have clocked up 52 hours!
Thank goodness for some quiet time next week and a jaunt with crafty buddies to look forward to.
I was up early making this today as before I go to work we have a naming party to go to.

 You may remember the baby announcement cards I did last October? Well today is his day - a day to welcome Henry Peter and for his family and friends to celebrate.
 I have no idea who makes the image on the card - it was sent to me (a few years ago) by a docrafter - if you know who makes it I would love to know - he is such a cute dragon I have been putting off using him.
So here is the full card.  Papers by Stampin up and sentiment by Whimsey.

Right off to wet his head with a drink of orange !
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by xx


Wednesday 20 February 2013

Shades of blue with creative moments

All sorts of weird and wonderful things have happened to creative moments in the last fortnight not least we now have a new home!
This fortnights challenge is Shades of blue and here is my offering.  I made this to send to a friend in Aus for her birthday - 5 years since she left GB and she loves every minute of it though I do miss having a cuppa with her.
So inside is a little reminder of this very British drink!

Do stop by Creative Moments and see what the DT have come up with some fab prizes of offer too!

Have a peep here

Friday 15 February 2013

Playing around as you do......

 A little shadowy these pictures I apologise.  I started this little box at the beginning of the month - a lovely buy from Samuel Taylors Embsay shop. Its been given some fair treatments with a complete paint job, some direct stamping, some tissue stamping, some ageing and the magic stuff that is rub n buff!
The stamps are buy Tim Holtz - papillion.  The butterflies were coloured with distress markers
I love the super size rose from my pal Alison - gives a lovely lift to the box..

No purpose for the box - just for fun which is the best kind!

Hope you have had a fun filled Friday!
Janet x

Saturday 9 February 2013

altered sweetie tin

 This project was inspired by  craft stamper project from 2010! Yes I read my old issues over and over again!  At our Lovin Ink stamping club the ladies are keen to play with shrink plastic and buttons are adorable to make so this was the chosen project to tie both these things together.
 Gosh the pretty pink papers are so old I have no idea who makes them but they are from a love collection and so lovely for this old fashioned type project.
On the top is a Tim Holtz die cut cotton reel and some tiny cotton reel.  Sentiment by Crafty secrets, buttons, pearls and roses from stash.
It was a fun thing to make and I just know they will love making buttons to go inside too!

Have a great weekend x
Janet

Wednesday 6 February 2013

Creative moments - buttons and bows challenge

 I love all the sewing stuff around at the moment and these stamps by Crafty Secrets were a must have.  The inspiration for this card came from Pinterest but I have of course changed the design quite a bit. The sentiment is actually from a set that was free on a magazine last month. 
I made this as a thank you card for a pal and also my DT piece for the Creative Moments challenge - why not stop by for some buttons and bows inspiration xx

Tuesday 5 February 2013

A little family history project..........

 This project was inspired by a class given by Dyan Reaveley a couple of years ago and has been brewing in my head ever since.
It is nothing like Dyans project except I have used an old book - there the similarity ends - but we are all inspired by things we see so I thought I would mention it!

This project has pictures of my Dad and 2 brothers Darren and Richard.  Darren is on the far right, Richard in the middle and my Dad on the left hand page.  You cannot see it well but Richards dog Sam is also in the right hand photo.
 Ironically this photo was the last one taken with Richard on.  In 1994 my Dad died suddenly - we found we had very few photos of him as he was always the one behind the lens. The photo of Richard and Darren was taken to ensure there were photos of them together and then tragically Richard died in a car accident 9 month - exactly 40 weeks after my Dad.
 Dad took the family to Scotland to live in 1987.  The month I found out I was pregnant with my first child.  Mum was gutted but Dad was trying to realise his dream of becoming a Hotelier.
 Here you can see that dream was fulfilled - he loved working behind the bar - spending time with his customers and offering them hospitality.
He delighted at reading menus and was always striving to make his hotel a place folks wanted to come back to. Maybe you stayed there sometime?  It was the Royal Hotel on the harbour front, Campbeltown, Kintyre.
My brother Richard was only 18 when he was killed in an accident.  I had just begun to get to know the gentle man he was becoming. Most of my memories are of his childhood including the little elephant you may have noticed at the side of him.
Like most children Richard had a cuddly - it began life as a beige coloured mohair elephant (probably now it would have a warning on of do not give to a child under 3!) Richard used to stroke the ears of his elephant whilst sucking his thumb.  Elephant and he had many adventures until Elephant became just the scraggy bit of his tail (and even that was patched!)
Each bit of this project has some significance.
The book itself is an encyclopaedia - a symbol of knowledge - My dad and Brother Darren were/are hungry for it and given time maybe Richard would have been too.
It was written by Arthur Mee the closest I could get to Arthur Lee who was my Grandad.- another man who was hungry to learn.
The page is open with a picture of sheep - this symbolises our roots here in the Yorkshire dales - despite Scotland being my dads last home.
The verse - I cherish my memories and hold them dear.
Dad lived for the day - following his dreams and I know Mum is so glad she helped him realise them as he only had 8 years to enjoy them.

My intention is to add some tags to the pages so some of the pages are stuck to hold pockets.  I have lots of memories to write down - to pass on to my children and this seemed a great way of keeping them alive in my home forever.

At the Lovin' Ink craft retreat we are altering books in March. My class will be along a family history theme. Undoubtedly there will be tears - memories can bring back sorrow and pain as well as happiness and joy but the past is something to celebrate and keeping loved ones alive in pictures and memories means they are never forgotten.
So if you are reading this and coming to the retreat - get your thinking cap on and start collecting your memories.

Thanks for stopping by
Janet x