22 December 2011

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL!

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a magical Christmas and a happy, healthy, glorious 2012 
full of sunshine and laughter. 






And also thank you for taking time to pop by to look at my ramblings.

It's been nice to be able to follow up on your comments and take a look at your blogs in turn. My goodness there are some talented people out there!! The only problem I have is, I get so hooked on bloghopping that before I know it it's 1 o'clock in the morning -Whoops! But I do find some amazing ideas. What a wonderful addiction to have.

I hope you'll all come to see me in 2012 for another year of crafting adventures. My crafty calendar is already brimming over - just can't wait to get started - and it's all your fault, you supply me with far too many wonderful ideas. ;0)


Merry Christmas!!
 

14 December 2011

A LITTLE 'SPRING' IN THE AIR & A WINGE


I needed an eyecatching card for a friend of mine so I thought I would have a go at this design.  I love the decoupage black and white design and coupled with the bright pink and silver edging, it really makes a striking card which springs into life when taken out of the envelope.

Most of the cards I make are done with Word 2003.  It's amazing what you can do with the program, although I have been having great difficulty since I upgraded to Word 2010.  In the old program you can lasso objects and text boxes together using the mouse, but in the newer program this it would appear isn't available so you have to select items one by one. Honestly, when you have 40 or 50 items to select you almost lose the will to live!!

The thing that really bugs me though is you can do it in Excel 2010, which appears to have the same set up as word - go figure!!

Please, please, please if there's anyone out there who can whisper in Microsoft's ear, can you let them know there are a lot of very frustrated Word users out here waiting for someone to put them out of there misery and fix the problem.

Apparently they have told the millionth person complaining that there isn't the call for a fix  ;0)

1 December 2011

KNITTING NANNA

I've been a fanatical knitter since my Great Aunty Rosa took me in hand and introduced me to the gentle art when I was about 6.  Since then my knitting needles and crochet hooks have never left my side - much to my families amusement and sometimes embarrassment.  I went through a spell of picture jumpers, which turned out really well, but the girls weren't altogether happy about me wearing them - sigh!






What's wrong with a fifty year old with a Winnie the Pooh jumper, that's what I want to know?





I just love the little bees on this jumper and so did the little girl who was being held by her Dad behind me in a queue.  She spent an interesting 5 minutes trying to pull them off.  Poor Dad ;0)






Teddies are a favourite of mine and this one made from one of Jean Greenhowes pattern turns out so well, that I end up making them by the dozen.  As soon as one child gets one, I can guarantee that there will be a spate of  'please can I have one's.  They are soooo cute.



The nice thing about them is that they have proper, cute little faces, they can be made to sit or stand and if you make them out of a boucle wool they actually look furry.





My daughter's friend, Remo is an avid Naples football team supporter, so when his brother came over with his family and they decided to go to see Liverpool V. Naples, I thought I would make his new little nephew a Naples strip.  The boots were a particular success as they look like little shoes and socks and they actually stay on!  (Something we found with the last few newbies is that they are amazingly adept at removing footwear). So these boots are now being turned out in all colours to go with various outfits.  They look lovely knitted in pink with little white socks for the girls.  Good all round pattern with maximum effect for minimum effort.  Perfect!!!

15 November 2011

ROUNDING OFF THE CORNERS WITH A FREEBIE





I made this card for a friend of mine and was so pleased with the result, I thought I would show it off.

It's one of those cards that once you've got everything in the right place just looks stunning.


I've put a couple of floaty butterflies onto thin strips of acetate, which I've then adhered to the back of the card





 


I really must stop taking photos of my cards on the carpet!  But in my defence I was a little pressed for time.

If you can see the greeting inside it says 'Blowing lots of love your way'




This is one of several .png files I have made to use in cards, which work really well as the background is transparent so you can stick them on top of anything.

I've put a couple of freebies on the bottom of this post for you to download.  I hope they are useful.

If you download them please be kind and don't pass them off as your own. You won't sleep peacefully and I'll come and haunt you!! ;0)



 


          With love on your Anniversary download - click here
 

          
 
 
 
 

14 November 2011

CHRISTMAS INSPIRATION!

As it's coming up for Christmas again - at speed! - I thought I would hop over to see what Tracy at  Delightful Doodles has to offer.



This is a wonderful site and she always seems to have just what I need, and what do you know - she  is having a sale and all her downloads are on sale for 2 dollars which is £1-25 in Sterling - a fabulous price when you see what you get!!! ;0)

Christmas Countdown Magic
Her Christmas boxes etc are just perfect for advent calendars etc.

These icicles are from a file I downloaded last year and made up for The Tiddlers.  The icicles were just big enough to take a few sweeties or a little treat. (Not to much - hyperactive kids at 9 o'clock in the morning are not teachers favourites we find!)

We hung them up on Ben's Canvas wardrobe with little pegs and The Tiddlers thought they were magic.

So it's back to Delightful Doodles for some inspiration for this year!

Advent Calendar for The Tiddlers hung up on Bens Fabric Wardrobe

Hope you find the link useful. Nip along and take a look, it's well worth it.

3 November 2011

BUTTERFLY LOLLIPOPS FREEBIE


These butterfly lollipops are just too cute and so popular. I have had lots of requests for the template. So I have decided the best way forward was to make it a freebie so you can all have a go. It's a .jpg file so everyone ought to be able to use it.

                 Click here - then right click and save image as .......

Butterfly Lollipop Freebie



All you have to do is print it out on photo paper - I use 240gsm, which is quite robust and doesn't tear easily. Cut round the butterfly . Make two small punch holes about 1" apart along the body and thread the stick of a small round topped lollipop through the holes together with a hair clip (optional - but nice- extra).

 I hope you find this file useful, and if it is, could you leave a comment and I'll see what else I can find! ;0)

2 November 2011

I'M OFF TO THE N.E.C.!!!!

I went to the hobbycrafts show at the NEC two years ago with my daughter and it was AMAZING!  Last year we were all ready to go again but fate had other ideas - doh!  This year we are all ready for the off and barring acts of God, the tiddlers going down with something interesting and catching or taxi (Robin and Mark) malfunction, we shall be there - whoopeeeeeee.

I have a list an arm long for all the things I've been wanting to get and like visits to previous craft shows, it is going to take me a week to get over the backache caused by galloping overspend  ;0)  On one occasion I bought a bargain pack of 100 x 300gsm cardstock and then got a free pack thrown in. Have you any idea how much 200 sheets of card weighs - I  have......!!!!!

1 November 2011

WEDDING CAKE WITH A DIFFERENCE!


When my daughter got married, they decided to have an outdoor reception. So with this in mind, the thought of cutting up cakes in the great outdoors and the afore mentioned hate of cake in napkins, we decided the best bet would be to have the cake already cut and in boxes. A great deal of thought was given to the problem and then the answer came to us and.....

the theme of the wedding turned out to be a little 'bookish'!
  
      

Mark's Mum, Marianne, made the most wonderful cakes (the secret family recipe) and I designed and made up 80 little book boxes to put it in. Trying to figure out how to make the boxes and how to decorate them took a little time (if only I had had my Craft Robo then!)  but in the end they turned out to be very easy to make and looked very effective.  Robin made the 'book case' and then we made the large book to go on the top which had the cake in for cutting. 



 
The top cake was wrapped in cling film and put into the box and an insert with a poem that Michelle and Mark had found and liked,was popped on the top, and was lifted off when the cake was cut.

 


The whole thing turned out beautifully, Mariannes cake was superb and after the champagne and the cake cutting, everyone had a little box ready for taking home to eat later.  Very satisfactory!!  ;0)

30 October 2011

ANOTHER FABULOUS CRAFTY BLOG

I've been surfing around, trying to find some inspiration for Christmas cards and advent calendars for the Tiddlers, and I bumped into this site, Scrappin Cookie.  It has so many cute ideas and cutting files for all you Cricut owners.  Unfortunately, I can't use the files on my Craft Robo, but so many dimensions and handy hints were included that I'm sure I'll be able to cobble something together to use on my faithful machine that will fit the bill.

If you've got a little spare time, toddle over.  It's well worth a look.  
Say Hi to Marlene and let her know Sheila sent you.

25 October 2011

LITTLE ANGELS

Cute Thread Crochet Angel



After a weekend labouring in the garden, trying to reverse the ravages caused through not enough TLC being applied during the early part of the year - doh! - I decided that a little quiet crochet was in order and as Christmas is approaching, and I have promised friends and family little thread crochet angels for their trees etc. I had better crack on.






Sparkly and ready for Christmas
 Last year I made about a dozen angels using different patterns I had aquired, but this one seems to be the best and certainly the most eyecatching.

I bought the basic pattern from Crochet Memories but adjusted it a little as I prefered this helo.  It was quite easy to crochet and shape using a cone of cardboard for the body and some cotton wool covered with cling film held in place by a covered pencil pushed through the armholes, to shape the sleeves. I use a solution of glue and water to stiffen it as described on my crochet page.  It really works well and I was well pleased with the result  :0)

22 October 2011

IF YOU WANT INSPIRATION CHECK OUT THIS SITE

I've been following Dawn Griffiths page for a couple of years  now.  She's always got something new and interesting to try with video tutorials to help you along.  She doesn't just do cards but gifts and 3D items so it's well worth a look if you've got time & tell her Sheila sent you.

18 October 2011

CRAFTY CAKES

This crafty cake topper was made using my Craft Robo

We celebrated our Ruby Wedding Anniversary this year.  It has been the most amazing forty years, with so many marvelous happenings on the way.  So to mark the event we had a party with all the family. 
I needed something special for the cake and when I saw this .gsd pattern for a card here Thyme Graphics I knew it would be perfect!

 

However my efforts were totally upstaged by the cake made for us by The Tiddlers. Decorated by five year old Beth and supervised by Ben (three). 
It was just spectacular!   
We have achieved many things in our forty years together but our most spectacular successes must be our two talented & beautiful daughters and two of the most wonderful grandchildren we could have been blessed with.
sigh......... ;0)

By the way, Thyme graphics have some fantastic cutting files.  It's well worth having a look!

14 October 2011

BUTTERFLY LOLLIPOPS

I was asked if I could give something to help raise funds for my Granddaughters nursery school, and these really did seem to fit the bill.  They went like hot cakes - or should that be hot lollies? mmmmm.... so raised a fair bit for the cause.  I also made lips and moustaches with lollies stuck through them, so when you are sucking the lolly it looks like you have lips or a 'stosh' (Little Ben liked those, because Pop's - Great Grandad - has a 'stosh') and they were also went well.  You find once one child has one, they all have to have one.  Great marketing strategy!







They are butterflies printed on photopaper with two holes punched out to thread the lolly through.











They need to be round  lollies which are not too big (I used  Chuppa lollies) and the overall effect was quite stunning.  I also pushed a hair grip through the holes, so the butterfly could be used as a hair ornament when the lolly was gone.



 
Right - I'm just nipping off to finish knitting a jumper for one of my Tiddlers (not so Tiddly any more - she's growing like Jack's Beanstalk) but when most of the family are about 6 foot tall I think I should have expected it!! doh!
This time I'm trying to make sure the jumper has a big enough neck.  My girls swear the reason their ears are so small is because they got sanded off by my jumpers when they were pulled over their heads as children.  Maternal cruelty at it's worst, but I am trying to reform!

13 October 2011

FABULOUS FOLLOWERS

Once again I opened my blog to find that I have, thanks to Audrey Frelx , even more followers and not only that, she has given me an award!  How splendid is that!  My week is getting better and better.
  

  


 Thank you all for taking the trouble to pop by and visit and for leaving such kind comments.  It's doing wonders for my ego and my productivity!!  I shall be giving you all a visit in return and hopefully pick up loads of inspiration from your posts.






I DO HAVE A QUERY THAT PERHAPS YOU, AS CRICUT USERS, CAN HELP ME WITH.

I have a very much loved and used Craft Robo.  It's only the small version, but my goodness is it useful!  I make a lot of my own templates for boxes, cards and papercraft in general.  Now, the thing is, I save these files as .gsd files. which work on the Craft Robo and Silhouette machines.  Can you import these files to use with the Cricut?  Does Cricut have it's own file name? Can you convert at all?  I ask, because I have several files which I could post, which could be downloaded if they are of any use to you.  If anyone out there has the answer,  please get in touch. :0)

10 October 2011

WELCOME LITTLE ONE

I've been experimenting with the idea of keys as cards just lately, starting with these cuties.





They really do make an unusual card, either stand alone or as a topper.  The difficulty I have is that because they are double sided, when you come to print them out, unless you have a flatbed printer like my age old Epson, the keys come out offset. doh!
I'll have to see about a fix for that - something else to keep me attached to my computer for a few minutes. This is a standing joke in the family.  I only have to say 'It'll only take a minute' & everyone settles down for the long haul - I do tend to get a bit sidetracked occasionally :0)

HOW COOL IS THAT!

I opened my blog this morning to find I have my first follower on my new site. Audrey Frelx left me some wonderful comments about my work, which really made my day. Thank you so much Audrey, they were much appreciated.  In return, I nipped over to your blog and in turn picked up a lot of inspiration, what a clever crafter you are!

8 October 2011

WONDERFUL WEDDINGS!

Weddings seem to be the order of the day just lately.  I've had so many requests for cards and this one I particularly like.

The little butterflies are on acitate and wobble around in the breeze, just adding a little bit of extra movement, and although the little diamonds are actually printed on, they do seem to twinkle!
It's nice to be able to give someone a personalized card on their special day, and of course it really stands out from the rest!!

7 October 2011

Starting Again!

As my other blog name - The Crafty Pink Butterfly - was taken by another blogger (not quite sure how that happened) I decided the best way forward was to start over - so here I am in my crafty corner, up to my neck again in wool and paper. Heaven!!

5 September 2011

Cake with a difference

Over the years we have found that having a traditional birthday or wedding cake doesn't always fit in with the plans for the day.

 On Robin's 60th Birthday, it was going to be a bit tricky cutting cake and handing it out - always a very messy operation at the best of times, usually ending up with lots of crumbs and a napkin full of squashed mixed fruit! So we went to plan B which has worked wonderfully in the past, and had 'The Cake with a Difference',

This not actually being 'cake' at all.  I made up little gold boxes, with Robins and  Birthday greetings printed on the sides, filled them with sweeties (really nice ones, the sort you don't want to part with) and arranged them in the shape of a 60 on a HUGE board.

The whole thing was a great success, everyone had a little box of sweets and I'm pleased to say that there wasn't a crumb or soggy napkin to be seen - RESULT! Definately two thumbs up for that one.

More Albums to view

I have quite a collection of beautiful crocheted ornaments, wedding good luck gifts and christmas ornaments now, which you can view in the album below. They look spectacular, particularly in their customised boxes and a personalised greeting. They make a unique gift for a special day!


CROCHET ORNAMENTS & WEDDING GIFTS ALBUM
TO VIEW EXAMPLES OF CARDS AND CRAFTS PLEASE CLICK ON THE ALBUMS BELOW WHICH WILL TAKE YOU TO PICASA WHERE YOU CAN SEE DETAILED PICTURES AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE ITEMS


KIDDY CARDS ALBUM

4 September 2011

DUCKY ROCKING CARD FOR ALL OCCASIONS!

How cute is this little duck with hovering butterfly

 This card was made for my daughter Paula on her last birthday and although she's grown up (?) she still loves to get cute cards - so this one fitted the bill perfectly.
Looks cute from the back as well!


Pink Paisley Card for Triplets



This Card is sooo cute and can be made in blue if you wanted it for baby boys - well, actually any colour you like.

7 June 2011

Pink Father Christmas!

Last Christmas I wanted to do something special for The Tiddlers in the way of advent calendars, and saw just the thing in a book by Sandra Lounsbury-Foose.  She really does come up with spectacular ideas with very clear templates that are so achievable.  Anyway as I needed 50 for the calendars I decided to make one up on the computer to which I could add the numbers and make in different colours (Beth has to have a pink Father Christmas - of course!!).  They printed out really well, but did take a while to cut out.  I  have since got a Craft Robo which would have made life so much easier.  Each of the Father Christmases has moving arms and legs and had a sweetie stuck inside with a glue dot for easy removal and we hung them up with little pegs (well out of the way for safety.  25 chockies all at once is not good for the system we have discovered!)

Beth's had to be pink - of course!

Good old Ben goes with the traditional

Branching out


Having had a fair bit of success with the bells, I've now started to branch out into other crocheted items.  The fans turned out particularly well and have been requested by friends for bridal good luck gifts.  Again I had a few hours of brain twisting to get the boxes to fit and look professional.  I've had several attempts that looked good but either didn't stay together for very long, (see picture) or didn't stay shut properly, but eventually I hit gold and am so pleased with the final product.

31 May 2011

THREAD CROCHET WEDDING BELLS

My most recent passion is for thread crochet ornaments.  Years ago, when we were in Bosham on the south coast, I peeped into a craft gallery and saw some crochet bells and little animals.  They were so beautifully made, that that was it - I had to have a go!  So I looked round for patterns - not a chance - they are like gold dust.  Eventually, I found just what I needed and got cracking.  At the time you could get fabric stiffener called Stiffy from almost any craft shop, which did the job perfectly.  However, you don't seem to be able to buy it over here anymore so, after trying starch, PVA glue and everything else I could think of to stiffen the material and having disasterous results, I gave up making them.

However, last year I discovered that Evostick Wood Glue (blue bottle for outside use) is just the job.  It dries clear and very hard.  Perfect, I was off again. :0)

Crochet Wedding Bell & presentation box
So this is what I made for my friends wedding.  I also had a wonderful time designing a box to put it in.  Oh, the joy of being a crafter, it keeps me quiet for hours!

28 May 2011

Being brave and jumping in!

So.... How to start!  I've been thinking and thinking and thinking about this for months.  The family are fed up to the eye teeth with me banging on about starting a blog and so now I've knuckled under and got going, but as I said - how to start.
I love crafts - all crafts - and have been making things ever since I could hold a pencil and a pair of scissors.  My Great Aunty, bless her, took me in hand when I was a tot and showed me how to crochet and knit and since then, I've never looked back, hence my name Knitting Nanna.  But I'm also addicted to papercraft.  Card making, box making, toy making, origami - anything I can do with paper, card and a bit of glue.  My house is full - absolutely bulging - with every craft material imaginable and machines to work with them. The family are used to me saying 'I'll just pop and get this done - it won't take a second' and then being gone for hours, sometimes days!
Over the years people have often said 'How do you make that' or ' Where can I get the bits to make so and so' or just plain 'Help! it's all gone wrong, how can I fix it?' so hopefully this blog will give me a chance to share some of my craftmaking ideas, where to find things in England, as you invariably find that the makings can only be purchased in America, and how to get out of some tight crafty situations!
Right - I've started.  BIG SIGH!!!  Not so bad after all.