Daddy's taking me to the Quirky Zoo - 2nd installment.

 The zoo story book is growing, I have printed off some words to add to the cover and first page. What do you think? Chameleon image from Bugaboo, coloured with Promarkers, die cuts are Sizzix for the album and branch, and Spellbinders for the words.

Should I add more words, like - "there he is", and/or add a small arrow?

This image is Lion Topper from Bugaboo, with Chameleon.

I have entered these pages in the following challenges:

Catch the Bug blogspot - July anything goes.

We are also sponsored by Doodle Dragon, and I will make something with those images for the reminder.

Edited to say: I have an eBosser as you may know, but I am really glad I still have the Big Shot. Why? Well first of all I tried to cut the album pages using my Bigz XL die and chipboard on the eBosser, no way would it take this, needs a thinner platform underneath. So I cut the chipboard with the Big Shot. I thought I would cut the paper to cover the chipboard with the eBosser, shouldn't have a problem with that - should it? I have used Bigz XL dies in the eBosser before with paper (it would not take funky foam last week though) and although the dies are longer than the platform the actual cutting blades are usually just within it, not this time! So I ended up with one page not cut at one end. Big Shot out again, solved the issue. I am also not happy at all about a new Crafts Too A4 embossing folder that I bought, the eBosser will not take it, kept turning off, eventually reversed the sandwich, so a few centimetres of card were embossed perfectly the rest rejected. I cannot use the folder in anything except the eBosser. I have messaged Craftwell about the failure to be able to cut chipboard, funky foam, use Sizzlets and my new embossing folder but as yet I have had no reply. (One lady was so frustrated by her die sandwich jamming in the machine she broke it up and put it in the bin and posted that she had done that on the Craftwell facebook page), a bit drastic when all you need is a rubber mallet, or hammer and piece of wood to carefully hammer the sandwich back out again). Any helpful suggestions, like buy extra platforms, would be welcome!

Sweet sweet music

In honour of the Bradford on Avon Music Festival this weekend at the Wiltshire School of Music I have been making musical cards. I only just saw these stamps by Crafty Individuals at the beginning of the week and had to have them, and they came really quickly with some freebies, thanks Crafty Individuals! 

I stamped the music stamp onto some marled card, and cut a frame using a Spellbinders die, which I cut the centre out of to make a frame. The reason you are seeing three photos of this card is because I tried 3 different dies in the centre to get different effects. I embossed the frame then used the die as a stencil to shade it with plum Memento ink, and then cut the music sheet to fit behind. I stamped the piano and instruments and cut them out to add, oh and I should have said the first thing I did was stamp and heat emboss the sentiment using stamps from a Hero Arts clear set.

Do you like this frame the best? I just used a square Nestie in the middle here.

Or this one? I used the next size down of the main die this time.

They are all easel cards, inside I added a panel of the green card, some ribbon with musical notes, some Prima blooms and a gem, and a French horn, or is that a tuba?

Slightly different inside, I used Tim Holtz Ideology tape on this one.

I had high hopes of making more cards using this wonderful Dreamweavers stencil, and I tried it embossing it by passing it through the eBosser ( I had several attempts before getting anything like what I wanted, the one with two pieces of card to shim it worked best but then the machine reversed it and wouldn't accept that a second time, after which all attemps were not so good), then I tried the Big Shot, the Big Shot gave me a better definition, and I tried the embossing paste. I had a few problems with the ebosser and didn't end up with the result I had hoped for. I got in a mess with the paste trying to do the black piano keys only despite have the little brass masking tool, well I just got in a mess! So this one ended up with the dry embossed image cut from the keys, and I used black Promarker pen to mark the embossed notes, words and the black keys. I also used Cordinations Black Magic embossed with a music note folder and sanded, then die cut with Grand Nestabilities die. I mounted them on gold and added Happy Birthday cut out of some printed card I bought ages ago at a show, and I used Sizzix ;Lollipop dies for that.

I am entering the ABC challenge E for embossing, take your pick the cards above all have embossing!

These little characters are stamps which I think I bought from Smiling Summer Girl on ebay many years ago, I think they are mythical folk art figures maybe Mexican and beginning with X but I could be wrong! It is really bugging me that I can't remember what they are called. The set includes the figures in different sizes, so the block comes smaller, and the small individuals come in a bigger size. The sentiment might be from her too. If anyone knows please tell me. Anyway this is a CAS or clean and simple card, I used Kaleidoscope ink and stamped directly onto the card.

When the new stamps arrived I tried to use every bit of the one EZ mount sheet I had left, and some scraps! So the Crafty Individuals had to be mounted so I could use them and as many Krafting Kimmies as I could fit!

Ermmm, I think I need to order some more EZ mount!

Shaun and Richard outside in the cold and very wet laying a new base for the new greenhouse to come, with toughened glass so that Kenny doesn't have any accidents. The old greenhouse is being used as shelter here, and will be going to a new home next week!

Wedding butterfly book

Here at last is the book I have been working on to put those butterflies in. It isn't completely finished, there is more I can do on some blank pages but this will give you an idea.



First the covers were made with chipboard packaging which were covered one side with pale green and one side metallic brown, then punched with the Cropadile Big Bite and laced with the thin ribbon, which was the same as that used to hang the butterflies, I used the Bind it all to punch the spine side of all pages and the covers even already assembled which was thick!

You can also see one of the butterfly pocket pages empty and with butterflies tucked into it.












Inside the front cover is the photo of the butterfly tree surrounded by small butterflies followed by the dried roses from the base of the tree, with a chocolate wrapper.

The next page holds the wedding invitation, closed with ribbon, but here are three pictures to show the design.

First without the ribbon, then open so you can see the stamped butterflies.

Finally with the ribbon tied in a bow as they went out.

Here are the roses I dried in my Sunwave that were round the base of the butterfly tree.

Cutting the cake page.

Just before the back cover is the table plan and a shot of the tables with the lovely green bows tied on the chairs, matching the bridesmaid in the picture.

Inside the back cover is the menu from the day, here it is closed and open.

I hope this will provide wonderful memories of the preparation and the day that maybe would otherwise be lost in the other keepsakes and photos.

More stash

I just had a pile of stamps arrive from the USA (all the House Mouse ones and the PB bicycles stamp). I have bought from this seller before but now she is not using Global Priority and told me she sent an email to that effect, which I probably read and promptly forgot. So I didn't check how much postage was going to be, usually in the Priority envelope it is about $12 which is around £7 right now, but I had to pay $21 for this lot so double and with the exchange rate going down not so many bargains about but I did get quite a lot of stamps.

The stamps are mostly still cheaper than over here despite the low exchange rate, but I will think twice about purchasing again, at least without checking postage! Recently I have been buying some stamps from the U.K. because I have found them as cheap as the USA and postage is less.

There is one USA seller (beecreativestamps) who packs in as many bubble envelopes as it takes whatever the size of your order but only charges around $15 tops and bears the cost herself of any extra postage, and she now gives me 5% off all purchases for buying so much from her! I don't know how she makes any money from this.

Yesterday I had my goodies arrive for featuring in the article in Quick Cards Made Easy about latest craft purchase, it was 16 sheets of 12"x12" paper and several sheets of 3d card stickers all by Karen Foster.

I have a package on the way as a swap too, I have to put up a parcel of stash to send back which shouldn't be hard.

Yesterday I bought a "few" more dies on the Ellison site, they are having a sale on many items, some were reduced from £13.50 to £3.50 - how could I resist! I know I can get them for around £10.99 from Cutting Edge Crafts but £3.50 is still a bargain, and some of the thin cuts were down to £1 or £1.79 each. I put it down to retail therapy as I wasn't feeling well, and when I finally managed to get out of bed, and dressed by the evening I was on the spend!

I did take a couple of dies out of the basket again, they were the less reduced ones and three that were to make small cards with windows and a matching envelope (I assumed it matched) but I figured I could do those without the aid of a die but I kept one of the £9.85 ones to make a Christmas hanging star.

I thought I would show you some of my recent purchases and the prize stash. I had to include the Big Shot, I know I bought her a while ago but she is so pretty! The BS is not that way round now, I am left handed so I have the flower side showing and no gems.

What about the Inkadinkado Inchie stamp sets then, I haven't done a lot of inchies but I love these sets and there are at least two more sets that they make.
I added a spider to the Halloween card but I had a lot of trouble making him stick, and in the end I had to use silicone glue which is showing in the photo. I added another leaf to the baby pumpkin too.








Here are a few of the topper cards I made from the Arty Miss mystery box, no skill required! I haven't been sleeping well lately so last night was sitting up late sorting Christmas bits into a Really Useful box with compartment tray, before that I kept catching the corner of the box they were balanced on and sending them flying all over the floor, will be picking up for months!