Love Postcards

One of my treats for Mothers Day was a completely empty house all to myself for the whole afternoon! now normally I'd rush around tidying up and doing things for everyone else, but I have been very disciplined and actually played in my craft room for the last couple of hours - sheer bless!

Earlier in the week, I received new stock from Prima, who don't just do flowers, but also amazing papers, rubons and stamps. I couldn't resist their new collection Madeline and bought a pack of every paper, the rubons and a couple of the stamp sets, all ready for this month's Scrap Saturday workshop. They are Divine! and I can't decide which one/ones are my favourites. The above Love Postcard tied with fabric is the start of my designs for Saturday - very pleased with this, and actually did about half a dozen so that I could immediately post them to a couple of creative girlfriends as little notes to say I'm thinking of them...hope they like them!

If I have any stock left over, I'll put on my website and give you all a heads-up on this blog.

Happy Mothers Day everyone!
x

New Post

We have a lovely postie, who always puts handwritten post to the top of our pile. It's a relationship we've built up with him over the past few months, where he knows how excited we are when we get letters like this. Today he was really excited as he walked in and showed me this one. One of my clients Susie always sends me the most amazing post. Today I received her cheque for the Vintage Album retreat along with this amazing fridge magnet all beautifully scrapped. Believe me I squealed when I opened it.

Thanks Susie! I love getting post from you!
Hope you had super Tuesdays!
x

Brighton

Had a wonderful morning "moochin'" with my mate Sam cameras at the ready for capturing Brighton. Just played with our cameras, not really worrying about the subject which was lovely, and a must for you all! It's really fun to see what you capture through the lens. Here are a couple of my favourite shots of the day.


Got home to another card from mini scrapper, OMG we are so missing her, and I am starting to count down the hours now till midday tomorrow when I finally get to pick her up.

Here is her 4th card, lots of fairy houses, a word-search I made for her on-line, and a cutting from a Hello magazine pretending that I'd spotted her and Snowie at Brownie Camp....wonder what she has made of all her cards? will be interesting to see what she thinks.

Upstairs now whilst the house is still quiet to play with some new pale pink French cards and envelopes, along with some papers and old postcards I bought today as well.

Happy days!
x

yeah return post!!!

Yipppee, I got mail!
Mini scrapper has sent us a postcard and a homemade card. Her postcard reads;

Dear Mummy & Daddy, How you had a good day. I had a good day. I love you round the world and back. Love from Hols xxxxoooo

I heard from Grandma and her bff (best friend forever) that they also got postcards, so mini scrapper has obviously been busy.

Here is my day 3 card for her.


I know they will be hitting the beach, so I've stamped some woodware mermaids stamps onto white cardstock and cut them out, one for each brownie to colour in. I also thought Curly (her bear) might need a card today so made one for him too.

Yeah treating myself to a day off tomorrow, and going to Brighton with a friend to take some pictures - no real subjects, just playing with our cameras - can't wait!.

x

Day 2 without mini Scrapper

My wednesday dosn't seem quite as special as normal...its funny but when I wish for more time on my own, the thought seems so blissful, but in reality when I have the whole day with only a couple of phone calls and a small exchange of words with the bank teller, somehow the reality isn't so great. My working from home day on Wednesdays is always a packed day trying to be as creative as possible before the 3pm pick-up, but today whilst its wonderful not having to pack up just yet, I don't seem to have been any more creative! that said I've been busily sewing silk squares ready to make up the front page kits for the Retreat album - the rainbow colours of the silks and ribbons look amazing together.

So,...I wonder what Mini scrapper has been up to. Still no contact at all which I'm finding very hard. When she goes to a friends or family, I still phone or text her to catch up and see she's ok. Nothing since yesterday lunch is simply horrible. Hopefully they've had lots of sunshine fun today...wonder if she's got her 2nd letter yet? Here it is - this time I cut out a cute dog from a scrapbook paper, and highlighted his nose with a diamond. I stamped a flower and popped a 3d butterfly on for him to sniff!. Daddy wrote in this one, and I popped in a tiny card and envelope from me with a secret message saying I loved her...hope we get some post tomorrow!

Have great evenings! enjoy the sun!
x

Brownies Scrapped Post

Boo Hoo, mini scrapper has gone to Brownie Camp...it feels very odd stilling being in the office at 4.30 and not having to rush like a mad woman through traffic to pick her up...even more so as I see other children off at Half Term. Still on my "very proud Mummy" side, I was delighted that she waved me off all confident and ready to start her adventure. We settled her in, putting out her sleeping bag and brownie blanket (which I suddenly remembered whilst in bed last night, needed more badges sewn on, so did them with sleepy eyes and by bedside lamp), and of course Curly, and popped her things under her campbed.

One of the things they asked us to do was to prepare some letters for them for each day...hey now your cookin' just my kind of thing. So on Sunday night I stayed up late and prepared 4 handmade and personal cards for her. Quite tricky to come up with designs that are for children, (especially having the daughter I do)I'm much more used to designs for big people. Anyway 4 cards later I'm very happy and only wished that I got more scrapped post. I'll show you each day's here on the blog.

Today's features this gorgeous little owl. You know when you see a set of stamps that are quite cute, but you don't want them to look tooooo cute. This was the case with these ones. I've stamped him on pretty paper, and then stamped his wings on a contrasting one and stuck over the original wings. Then I've glittered his eyes and couldn't resist sticking a flower on his head. I also stamped the word love on his tummy with my cool typewriter font stamps. Next I stamped a spray of flowers for a branch, and a little bit of script stamp on the bottom. Yeah very happy. Inside there is also a quiz and one of those cool folded thingeys (can never remember there name!), pick a colour, pick a number, pick a number, lift up the flap and do the crazy task....hope they have fun swapping socks with each other !!!

Yucky weather here - hoping for a sunnier Wednesday.
xx

Butterfly Card & Envelope

Loved teaching this tiny 4x4 Butterfly Post Card with matching envelope yesterday at the Eternal Maker in Chichester. I especially love the matching envelopes made from a 6x12 piece of paper. Simply find a smallish envelope, carefully undo all the seams and make yourself a template. Just be careful not to go too big, as it could then take a whole sheet of 12x12 paper which might make the envelope a bit expensive. If you are worried about the envelope going in the post, there's no reason why you can't simply write on a plain ol' white envelope and pop your beautiful one inside. They would also make great secret journalling pockets for your albums and layouts.

Have Fun!
Debs
x

Yeah I got mail!

Kinda nothing sort of day just working on some new designs for classes after Easter, so happy pottering, but nothing really rocking my world, until I checked the post! Yippee more scrapped post - you can always tell before you open it, because its handwritten and usually decorated and stamped. How cool that I got a card about fairies after my blog yesterday was all about time fairies! I love this card!

Here is another card that I got when a friend got out her melting pot again - amazing results!

Here is one of my favourites, loads going on for me to look at time and time again.I look the mixed media look.

....now just to find cards to send back to those that I haven't already done so, big bum when 2 of the above are actually girls from my classes, so have either seen all my designs, or indeed can't see any new ones 'cos they are secret till the next April workshops...hhmmm will have to get my thinking hat on.

Here's to a creative evening! hope you get one too!
x

Production Line Crafting!

This is my pet project this year - you'll already be sick of me going on and on about preparing in advance lots of lovely embellishments ready to use, but it's so true, and to prove that I really do try to do it myself, I thought I'd share with you a picture of 4 pieces of scrapped post that I sent just before I dashed off on holiday.
It was a typical scenario in a loving woman's world, I needed to extend extra thanks to a friend who have given me a whole bag of plastic bags (now only us crafty chicks will know how exciting this really is!), a friend whom I'd not managed to speak to before I left, but wanted to let her know I was thinking of her, a friend who was going into hospital, and a new e-friend who had sent me a gorgeous handmade card from my previous blogs - you see what a nightmare! 4 cards all in the same precious half an hour to design and make!. Now I could have just left it, but I wanted to prove to myself that I can do cards quickly....so I used one of my new paper roses, put on my famous frame template = card 1, then I fiddled around with the same design but using tissue as well = card 2, then I use Oh the same famous frame template, ready made fabric flowers and already punched butterflies = card 3, then finally another stamped frame, mounted and stamped letters thanks, got a ready made paper and button flower - Yippee, only about 30 mins later, all made, written, stamped the envelopes, wrote out and put my 4 large 1st class stamps on and posted on my way to do the school run.
Actually the biggest pleasure?? knowing that 4 wonderful ladies were going to receive something I'd handmade just for them - imagining their faces when they saw a handwritten letter come across their mats, and more importantly 4 wonderful ladies knowing that I cared!
Getting prepping lovelies!!! and hit your postboxes!
x

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!