Sneak Peak for Scrap Saturday!

Thought it would be great to share what we'll be up to at my Scrap Saturday workshop this weekend. We have a full house so will be guaranteed to have a lot of fun. I've designed layouts with the new High Tea range, which has been fabulous to actually get a chance to really play with. Obviously I can only sneak peak a couple of the embellishments from the layouts, 'cos my ladies love a surprise! I'll upload the whole layouts on Sunday once everyone has made them.

I love to get scrapped post!

OMG, how excited are you when you get a coloured envelope drop across your doormat in amongst horrid brown bills! And even better when its not expected! Well that happened to me when a gorgeous and very talented client of mine sent me a thank you note. I was and still am blown away! It's everything I keep saying we creative chicks should do as a matter of course - simply make beautiful cards, notelets, postcards and send them to people who will adore them. I also think perhaps you should buy 12 first class stamps in advance so you can't be put off by having to queue at the post office, and definately make some cards up in advance so that when the moment seizes you, when a lovely thought of a missed girlfriend pops into your head, or when you just want to tell someone how great they are - you are ready for cards and stamps to hand. Tell you what if you send me something you've handmade, I'll send you something gorgeous back that I've made - that's a promise, send it to me at 4 Roundstone Barn, Roundstone Farm, Littlehampton Road, Ferring BN12 6PW. (don't forget to tell me your address so I can send you post in return).

Saw this great title when I was mucking around on the net -thought it might inspire your first card
"just wanted to let you know that you're FABULOUS"
Happy posting!

My kinda craft heaven!

So have you ever wondered what scrapbooking mad woman in the craft industry do on their days off? well its obvious isn't it we go to a craft shop!

After our gorgeous walk yesterday, the sat nav just seemed to take us past The Eternal Maker in Chichester - spooky the way my sat nav is programmed with speed camera alerts and craft shops in a 5 mile radius! As most of you probably know I run scrapbook classes and workshops for Anna and Sarah at their fab home of fabric, buttons, paper and oh well just too much heavenly crafty stuff. Whilst I snooped in the fabric racks, obviously on important business, buying fabrics to compliment my new paper collection.....my companions made felt birds and bought fabric themselves, whilst posing for a couple of much needed pictures as well.

If you haven't ventured to The Eternal Maker then you really must - just don't expect to "pop" in for 5 minutes, its just not that kinda shop - the girls make you feel so welcome and there is so much to see and do that you'll get lost in there for hours. If you have time do also try some of their classes - they are all amazing!

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Tiny Treasure Boxes

Yippee I managed to get a background on my blog - actually was really easy when I just applied by frazzled mind to it...what do you think?

Had the luxury of a whole day off to spend with Hols and girlfriends. We started the day with a long walk stopping (of course) half way for coffee and cake!



Whenever I meet up with friends I love to find the time to make a little gift to take....especially when they are scrapbook nuts like me! Here is what I made my Havant pals today...tiny treasure boxes, perfect for keeping little things in. I made them from two large match-boxes stuck together and then covered in a new High Tea paper. I then fished in my box of pre-made paper and button flowers (definately make up embellishments like this in advance as its so cool to have them at the ready for moments like this!), and choose favourite ones to put on the top.

I then wrapped them in cellophane and put curling ribbon on....they didn't open them there and then, so I hope they love them.

Hope this inspires you to make tiny treasures for friends

Heart with Wings!

Couldn't resist the best day in the year to celebrate my love of hearts by making a heart with wings. My lover was really good and pretended not to see me making it as he whizzed past my office saying "I'm not looking, I'm not looking", and then seemed really surprised when he got a cute postcard with a big X on it. I haven't really shown you anything I've been up to with the new Delish collection High Tea, not because I haven't wanted to, but because I can't seem to hold onto the product long even to actually have a play - it's flying out the door (maybe thats where the heart with wings came from LOL). I used the High Tea Entree and Main Dish papers to do my heart, wings and background, and then one of my old favourites Peppercorn's Hor d'oeuvre for the mounts. I then used the new High Tea rubons, seals and pearls and gems to decorate the heart, and then embossed a little script onto the wings. Whole piece is roughly around 4x6" - a new favourite size of mine as you can make lots of postcard size pieces ready for cards, mini albums or onto your layouts. I like working in smaller sizes as I find the designs come easier when I'm not faced with a huge piece of 12x12 paper.
Of course you can't do valentines day with something sweet, so we had special cupcakes (not made this weekend I'm afraid, Mr Marks and Mr Spencers baked them especially for us)- how cute are these!

XOX!!!!

Check out what's in my bag!

Just had to share this with you! I came across these gorgeous 8x8 fabric albums and couldn't resist buying some. Wanting to be good and not buy plastic bags, I managed to get them all into my new and beautiful big pink bag I got for Christmas and thought how wonderful and inspiring they looked! Am hoping to do some really exclusive workshops this year, and thought these would make a wonderful class...just can't decide which one I love myself to do the design in.

I love 8x8 scrapbook album size, and haven't done much in this size for ages...I'm always saying to others how you mustn't worry about redesigning every layout or idea, that you can and should happily use your designs or templates more than once, yet I seem to put myself under this same scrap stress of making everything brand new...maybe I'll simply convert my favourite 12x12 layouts into 8x8 with other favourite photos and papers - keep the ol'gal busy!

x

Button Hairbands & Fudge Cake!

In my day an after school play date was to rock up at a friends house, be given a snack - (in my house, something yummy from the freshly baked cake tin, or my favourite at a friends was fairy sandwiches, made from lettuce leafs with sugar sprinkled inside and wrapped up!) and then sent to play. Around 5.30 we were shoved out the door so we could run back down the road for tea with our own family.

It's taken me a while to get into the swing of play dates of today which is actually a full blown date with another child, including picking up from school, (usually carrying two sets of everything!) providing a light snack when you get home to keep them going whilst you prepare a gourmet meal. In between times you need to organise the entertainment, manage personalities, check that there is no homework or urgent notes in the school bag! as well as try to get your house straight before their Mums get there....lucky I have fab mum friends with cool kids who know I'm a bit different and like to do something creative when people big or small enter my home. Today was no exception as I thought up an easy thing for the girls to do....get your button boxes out, cut some elastic about 30cm long and get the kids busy making their own button hair bands, by simply threading on favourite buttons. Just knot the ends together afterwards. They were so thrilled with them and have promised each other they will wear them tomorrow at school.



I then thought I'd get them to cook their own after supper treat, so found this recipe of my mums and they made yummy chocolate fudge cake...it's so simple, takes no oven time, and they were both proud of their efforts, especially when any passing adult couldn't resist stealing a piece. Here's the recipe;



CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE

1 packet of plain biscuits(crushed), 1 cup sugar, 100g butter, 1 egg, 1 desertspoon of cocoa.

Melt the butter and sugar and cocoa on a very low heat. Stir in beaten egg (don't boil), add crushed biscuits - mix all together. Place in flat tin and cool. Make some chocolate icing and spread on the top. You may want to pop in the fridge to set ready to eat as soon as possible.

(We put fudge pieces on the top, but you could do coconut, nuts whatever you have in your cupboard).

I keep stealing the bits around the edges now every time I'm in the kitchen, pretending to myself that they have less calories 'cos its not a whole bit! Yeh right says my waist. Great news is that I can now take some to my Scrap Cafe tomorrow morning at the Eternal Maker where I'm teaching vintage tags.

Hope you might be able to use the ideas above - sorry boys mums not so good at thinking up boy stuff, but you could still make the fudge cake!

Debs
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