Painted Pillowcases

When I was asked to be a creative muse for a mummy friend (who was the bravest woman out there with six 8year girls coming for a stay-over!) I was of course delighted!

She asked me to come with some ideas for making the party memorable...so I got some plain white pillowcases and used my stash of "big" template letters and drew the girls initials on with fabric pens. I then sewed on little heart jewels to get them started. Tied with cotton twine and of course couldn't resist a personalised label...how sweet do they look!

The girls were really excited and spent an hour or more happily decorating their very own pillowcase. After they were ironed to set, they all used them that night, and then left with their pillowcases filled with party treats to take home (ie; the pillow case then acts as the party bag).

Thought maybe this might make a great "christmas eve" present for your little ones to do, and keep them distracted for a moment or two from the presents under the tree!

Sleep tight!

more advent calender treats

 



well I can't quite believe I'm still managing to think up a new paper treat each day for mini scrapper...need to get busy tomorrow and make a couple more days in advance.

Hope you enjoy!

xx

two more little surprises

Dec 2nd and 3rd see a couple more surprises for our handmade advent calender for mini scrapper. We also now have our wonderful advert house filled with little sweets and chocolates from Grandmas too, but it seems the handmade version is going to be required for each day as it is becoming a favourite.

Dec 2nd is a small lime green card and velum envelope (no of course I didn't make the envelope - give me a break!)...just happened to find them in my "spare envelope and little card" box!! he he

Dec 3 sees my famous and much loved "fat bird" being made into a christmas robin of a "debs sort". Actually I think he looks kinda neat....might make some more to go with my other bird parcel tags this year. Definately worth looking at your templates and simply changing the patterns and colours into the Christmas theme.

Check in for the next couple of days surprises in the morning!

xx



1st dec!



1st december came yesterday along with the first of the snow for most of us - what a wonderful way to start celebrating this festive month!...along with advent calenders mini scrapper remembered me. My brillant mum-in-law always has this in hand and fills all the grandchildrens calenders each year...well that is if the parents climb into the attic and find them!...was all planned until my boy got stuck in snow for 20 hours!!!!, so no fear mini scrapper understood that she'd simply get hers a little later and would have 2-3 pockets to open in one go. 

Now I should have been satisfied with this plan, but as the boy and I picked her up from brownies last night we got all romantic and decided she should really have a calender on the 1st, so went through the snow to tesco, then co-op, then the garage - all sold out!!! oh no she had got really excited by now...so not to be beaten creative mummy magic ran upstairs and produced a present for dec1 - horrah all was wonderful in our world again...until mini scrapper said "oh mummy its amazing, can you make me something each day - I love your homemade presents" yikes now I have 23 more to produce...so watch this space. (if you love these amazing little home sweet home diecuts I've just put them on my website under diecuts 5 for £2.45!! - wouldn't they be gorgeous for your table decoration this year!!!) Siuply follow this link;
http://www.thescrapbookcompany.co.uk/shop/Die-Cuts/Mini-Home-Sweet-Home-Diecuts/prod_117.html

Is anyone else doing this crazy task...or indeed making an album for december - let me know. I'm going to simply take a picture of each day's advent and make an album or double page spread out of the photos - like I haven't got enough to do - oh well wish me luck

Hope you are remembering to take lots of snowy shots! 
x

Fabric & Ribbon Christmas Tree



Thought I'd share this cute fabric and ribbon Christmas Tree card with you. Simply collect all your favourite ribbons, fabrics, bling and get stickin'. Just make each stripe slightly shorter and graduate up till you reach the top of the tree. Add buttons, brads, any jewel bling for the very top. You can also use small stamps to decorate your tree. Once you've glued in place, try sewing a line down the middle to add some depth.  I've used a cool little topiary stamp (just hid the tree) to get the pot planter - you could also draw one or make a paper template and cut out little planters in pretty papers.

Have fun!
x

This year gift vouchers are ok!

whatttt I hear you say...me the queen of "can't stand gift vouchers"...well that's not actually true, I love gift vouchers when you have to actually take the time to go into the choosen shop..be inspired by all the goodies in them and then think "oh how lovely that my friend will get to spend her voucher in here".  You see why I'm not so keen nowadys, is that you can simply buy them when you are doing your weekly shopping at the supermarket or you've nipped into WHSmith for a paper - it just dosn't seem right!!! am I alone on this one???

Anyway vouchers and gifts of money certainly still need to play a part in our Christmas shopping lists, so when I saw these really cute money and gift voucher wallets the Martha Stewart website, I just couldn't resist making them - this way I feel that the receiver knows they have definately been throught about and should feel loved in a special way just as they should be! have fun - warning they are quite addicitive so be prepared to make them just for fun!

xx

For the money wallet cut a strip of paper 8" x 4" and fold in half. Taking a contrasting paper, simply cut a 2" strip and glue over the fold to bind your wallet. Next use a thin ribbon and tie around the middle - (this can then have money folded and slipped inside, or a lottery ticket, or even a little note of where to find a wee present. Decorate the front to your heart's desire - I've just used simple flowers punched and stamped in pretty contrasting colours.

If you want to make a gift voucher wallet, simply cut your paper length to 10" (x 4") and fold in 2" and glue at just the sides to make a slip in pocket.

Cutest Tags

I so enjoyed making "fat birds" this summer and have used them on so many projects, that this Christmas I decided we definately needed a bird. Simply find a template that suits your style and make lots of bird bodies. I inked him and then stamped some flourishes and some script along the botton. Next I hand-drew a wing (several times till I got it right...don't panic if you make a few!), which I then cut out of another Christmas paper. I then punched a small 1" circle and sewed a pretty festive button on with glitter thread (in the workshops we referred to this thread as "swearing string" as it was awful to get through the button without fraying!!!). I then popped this button circle onto the wing, which glues onto the bird. Perhaps try making lots of bodies, lots of wings and lots of button circles and then put them together, its quite fun not to choose papers as you go as you seem to get more diverse designs when you make them a bit more randomly.

On the reverse of the bird, I simply stamped a blank frame so that I can write a message inside. I also think they would look gorgeous hanging from the tree, or hung in a window to welcome people to your house.

Have fun!
x

Find your Tag!

Wanting to always try and make mini scrappers celebrations even more special each year, especially as I'm becoming very conscious that she is getting older and start to panic about how long the magic will last....only for a moment though as this week I was speaking about family traditions with my lovely creative clients who reassured me that their children (how all grown-up some with children themselves)..still return home to enjoy their mothers' magic ways...what a wonderful thought that my mini scrapper will do the same.

So, this year she will need to crawl under the tree and find pictures of herself to identify her parcels..hoping to do this for other family members to...now just to find photos of everyone!

x

Fa La La

Here's another idea for your Christmas Card Design, simply make sweet bunting triangles from your favourite Christmas papers (or indeed green and red papers) and stick onto ribbon. You might want to try little stamps or rubons onto some of them. Make enough to go across your card size twice. Next stamp a simple tree or any other Christmas stamp you have, I've also added a little flourish to fill a little more white space. Stick on your bunting and yippee a nice modern twist to Christmas this year.

Have fun!
Why not make extra for a page layout?x

Christmas is Near!

So, let's get busy with Christmas! I've now got my ladies all geared up, designs in hand, and hopefully off to a good early start to making their own Christmas decorations and cards. If you are like me every year you plan to do everything handmade and gorgeous, but simply run out of time and then nip to M&S and buy their goodies..well remember my focus this year has all been about "production line" crafting? ie; make in advance, do lots of little lovely projects over and over so that you can then simply put all the elements together and have wonderful finished items to be proud of..now has never been the more perfect time to start this habit. I'll show you lots of ideas this week to get you inspired!.
xx


For this card, I've simply cut a triangle off the front of the card, and covered in paper as well as the inside. Take a frame shape (or diecut if you are lucky enough to have a clever machine) and mount on your favourite cardstock. Make a small parcel embellishment, add a tag and some ribbon and bling and stick onto your frame mounts. Then stick this half way across the triangle front cover. If you have really colourful paper, simply leave the inside front cover of the card to write your message.