Cute festive card

 Here is a stunning festive card I received. Before you get too excited, the products are all retired. The reason I'm sharing it is to show just how simple cards can be whilst still being stunning! I love the use of the wheel for mass production of cards.

The inside of the card even got a quick run of the wheel which brought the look together really well.

Have you seen any simple but stunning cards this winter?

Clockworks video tutorial

Enjoy my non-festive video today!!

 

Here is the finished card:

 

 And a close-up of the clock.

Stamp set: Clockworks

Inks: Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, River Rock

Card: Early Espresso, Very Vanilla

Knitted mini stockings!

My new hobby of knitting has been keeping me well occupied! Here are a few of the mini stockings I've made for our tree:

 I can make a couple of these in an evening so they are immensely satisfying, as they can be hung up as I made them!!

 Stripey!

 Fairisle!

Polka dotty!

12 Days of Christmas - Day 11

We're almost finished with the 12 days of Christmas. I was so sad that I made another video for you! Here is today's project:

A jar of tags to give as a little gift!!

 Here's a (rubbish) photo of the tag on the front. The stamp is from Word Play and stamped in Midnight Muse.

 Here are the tags inside the jar. Scentsational Season is such a lovely stamp set for making quick tags.

Check back tomorrow for the final installment of my 12 Days of Christmas series.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 10

 Today's project: a Soft toy owl! I found this tutorial online which is only for personal use but I thought I would share the link with you. This would make a lovely a gift for adults and children. You could fill it with rice to make a heated owl or lavender for a yummy scent.

 I printed out the template provided on the link and then cut out my Spice Cake fabric.

 The first sewing job was to join the tummy to the rest of the body. Each side of the belly was sewn on and then the gap at the top was sewn up.

 Turned out the right way it looked like a rather unpromising pyramid!

 The beak was folded down and I embroidered with orange floss to secure the bright beak.

 I filled the inside using an old (clean) fleece dressing gown. It's great to reuse things and stuffing is pretty pricey in my opinion.

 It was then possible to sew up the bottom. I ran a running stitch all the way around and then gathered the cotton to pull everything central.

 Lastly was the base. This had been cut from fabric but needed a card insert. I punched a piece of Soft Suede cardstock (to match the fabric) with the 1 3/4" circle punch.

 This was glued together using the self-adhesive sheets. I stuck the glue to the fabric so that it was really easy to fold up the excess onto the top.

 This was hand sewn on to give a solid base for the little owl to sit on and hide the gathered bottom.

 Finally some button eyes were added (from the Neutrals button collection). Voila! A simple and quick soft toy. You could always make the eyes from felt if you wanted to make the toy for a young child under three.

It took less than an hour to make this little owl, including gathering and setting up materials and my sewing machine. Lovely!!

12 Days of Christmas - Day 9

Hello and here is my second video this week!!!

I couldn't resist making this sweet pouch. You can use it for anything really, but they are so quick to put together as the tag is ready-made!

The card is Cherry Cobbler to match the tuile ribbon and printed colours on the tag.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 8

Hello and Happy Saturday! It's already the 8th of December and preparations are in full force around here.

Today's video is a quick make using a Bigz Two Tags die to make a gift card holder.

 Inside is a Very Vanilla panel with a penguin stamped and, although you can't really see it on this picture, there is gold shimmer too.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 7

Good morning! Such a gorgeous sunny day outside and it's lovely to be in the warm getting festive. Today's gift features 1" wide cello bags. I love these as you can get creative with what to fill them with: chocolate balls, tictacs, pencils, small sweets etc.

This little reindeer topper is nice and simple to put together with some punches.

 The owl punch makes the reindeer head. Just cut off the feet!

 Here are all the punched pieces laid out. On the left are the antlers punched using the leaf part of the Bird punch.

Here is the finished piece! Nice and easy to sit and make on cold winter evenings!!

 

What would you put in yours?!

 

Check back tomorrow and Sunday for two new videos!!!

12 Days of Christmas - Day 6

Today's project was CASE'd/inspired by a project I saw on Monica Gale's blog.

It's an organiser to help you get ready in December. It's not too late to have a central place with all those lists kept safe!

 

Here's a view of the inside. Had a few technical difficulties, so apologies that the photo is the wrong way around.

The folder is made from one piece of 12x12" cardstock. Score at 4" and then turn the sheet 90 degrees and score at 3" intervals. Fold up the 4" section to make pockets and then decorate!

The whole thing was made with the Snowflake Season simply scrappin' kit. Such a fabulous kit - it contains everything you need to make a double page scrapbook page, including glittery snowflakes, ribbon, mini pegs and die cuts. At just £8.95 it's a bargain!

 This organiser could be made with other products to be non-festive - maybe as a wedding list organiser or holiday planner.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 5

Having made some cards and gifts, we mustn't forget to decorate! Here is a beautiful snowflake ornament that was made for me by my good friend, Jackie.

It looks a bit like the one on the front of the Autumn/Winter catalogue, but I like it even more becaue it has SNOWFLAKES on it.

 

It's been stamped in Night of Navy ink using the Ornament Keepsake stamps (pg3) and cut out on the Big Shot using the co-ordinating Holiday Ornaments framelits.

The snowflakes were cut out using the Bigz die called Snow Flurry (pg14)in Night of Navy and Whisper White cardstock. Beautiful!!!!

12 Days of Christmas - Day 4

Hello and welcome to Day 4 of the 12 Days of Christmas series I've put together. Today is a quick and easy gift to make for girlfriends/female members of your family.

 

I started off using some Spice Cake (pg110) fabric.

 The Circles #2 die cut me 6 circles at once.

 Next I roughly sewed in running stitch around the edge of each circle. Running stitch is just in and out/up and down until you reach the part where you started.

 Next, pull the thread tight to make the fabric gather to make a puff ball.

 Tie a knot and sew a button over the rough edges to hide them. I used Naturals Designer Buttons (pg176).

 Here are all 6 circles laid out. I then sewed this to a piece of 1/2" elastic to form a bracelet.

Here is the finished gift! A great stocking stuffer or heartfelt gift for a dear friend.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 3

Welcome to my 12 Days of Christmas series - Day 3! Easy and quick festive projects to give your home that handmade cosy feeling, plus gifts for neighbours, friends and family.

 

For today's project you'll need clean jam jars (no lids required) and some newsprint DSP.

 This first jar had a Christmas tree cut out on the Big Shot using a die from the Holiday Collection framelits and was stuck to the jar using red tape. A little linen thread finish it off nicely.

The next had a number of stars cut out using the same framelit set and has a strip of Cherry Cobbler spotty ribbon around the top of the jar.

 The last card has a bit of wavy Cherry Cobbler tuile ribbon. It's so easy to make a number of these in no time and would look great on the coffee table, by the front door or on a festive dinner table.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 2

Today's idea would make a lovley addition to a Christmas tree or to be added to anywhere that needs a festive touch!

 

It's a dove decoration, inspired by my Dad. When we were young we always had decorative birds hanging around the living room at Christmas. I'm not sure of their festive significance but whenever I see paper birds I think of my lovely Dad.

 

This birds was super quick to make: Simply cut out two birds and two wings with the Bird Big Shot die.

Each piece was then embossed. The bird body was embossed with Lace Brocade die (from the Autumn/Winter catalogue) and the wings were embossed with the dotty embossing folder.

 

To stick the pieces together I used the self-adhesive sticky sheets to put the body pieces together. This meant that they stuck all over and also the bakers twine and wings could fit in too.

A little glitter for the wings...

...and a rhinestone for the eye! What a sweet flock they will make.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 1!!!

Welcome to my 12 Days of Christmas series! Easy and quick festive projects to give your home that handmade cosy feeling, plus gifts for neighbours, friends and family.

Today's project might give you a kickstart to make some Christmas cards if you haven't already.

This is the finished card:

 A close-up of the Shrinkle star...

 Here is the alternative card made using a cookie cutter as a template. You could also try large Die cuts such as butterflies, other festive shapes or circles for different cards.

 Am loving the silver sparkles!!

See you again tomorrow for Day 2!!!!