My newest Project

I made this little mini Using a Sainbury's Recipe folder and free recipe cards, you can pick these up in your local Sainsbury's for £0.49 for the folder and the recipe cards are free, you can not get a cheaper mini album any where:)

I simply sprayed the outside of the album with Stick and Spray and then covered in the paper of my choice and cut the title with my CraftRobo.  As it is for a little girl  (7 year old) I also covered it with a protective self adhesive plastic.  I used the recipe cards as a base to create  very sturdy pages.  Then I pasted coloured card on one side and turned it over to punch the holes in the right place, turned it over and repeated the process before decorating.  Hope she likes it.  We are giving it to her this afternoon.

Here is the rest of the pages, hope you love it:

Paper Used:  Petal Party Scrappin Kit by Stampin Up

My Kids, My inspiration

At last I got a photo of all three monkeys together.  It was not easy as Bianca and David always try to steal the spot light from each other as well as poor Juliet.  I took about 15 photos, thank goodness for digital cameras, and could not get one where all three are smiling or looking at me:)

Support Epilepsy Research

A friend of mine makes the loveliest Knitted Bears which she sells to help raise funds for Epilepsy Research.  Please pop over there and have a look:).  She will also be adding other items from time to time and does personlization as well, wow that it just brilliant.  Well doen Deb.

Lack of Tutorials for Hougie Board Yahoo Group

I am sorry I have not been able to post any as so many things are going on at the moment in my personal live.

I have been hoping to move just before Christmas, so all my crafting stuff are in boxes, but the 3rd attempted House purchase has just fallen through due to the vendor not disclosing all the info needed.The first one changed his mind just before exchange, 2nd one got a better offer just before exchange and 3rd one bought the property from the council, who still have a hold on the property till october unless she pays the penalty.  Each time we have paid solicitors, search fees, morgage arrangement and valuation fees, so over £3000.00 later we are still without a new property and its not for a lack of trying.  What upsets me the most is that all my crafting goodies, half my baby clothes and most of my kitchen appliances havce been packed up since before christmas as we were suppose to move before Juliets birth. At this rate she'll be walking, talking and getting married before we get something:).  Fingers crossed we will find another house to buy, this time without any complications, soon so I can start crafting and adding stuff to the Hougie board group. There is a few other members who have tutorials on their blogs. As I say between trying to sort out the house purchase, a seven year old that wants to craft as much as mum does and my 2 little girls (15 months and 15 weeks old) I have neglected the blog and both my Yahoo groups a bit:)

Nappy Cake and Booties

Here is some Photo's of a lovely gift I got from Dawn  my StampinUp Demonstrator, after Juliet's birth.  Thanks again Dawn:)  It is a simple Nappy cake made with a few nappies, a few bodysuits (onesies) rolled and wrapped in a gorgeous fleecy baby blanket and secured with a nappy pin.  She also made a lovely keepsake and card to go with it.

Here's some close close-ups of the pair of paper baby booties, aren’t they just gorgeous!
 

Go have a look at all het lovely creations, she is so talented and have really great gift ideas.

Even more reason for absense

Ok now it is taking really long and I am getting frustrated.  We have been trying since 24th of December 2010 to get a bigger house sorted out and it was suppose to have happened before Juliet's birth.  I even packed most of my crafting goodies so I would not have to worry about it while in hospital but then our buyer had issues and then the person we were buying from pulled out, just one thing after the other.  Now at last it looks like the move might just happen in the next few weeks.  It better I so need to craft even just making one card would be excellent stress relieve.  To add to it all it is school holiday in the UK and because most non essentials have been packed my seven year old is doing my head in.
More news soon hopefully.

I have however found the most beautiful digi papers at Bearly Mine Designs.  I think Donna makes the best papers I have ever seen, I am hoping to use them in some mini albums I plan to do ones the move is over and everything is in it place. Oh just remembered I need a new printers as Bianca managed to reck the one I got two Chrismasses ago, cause Daddy up it on a low shelf and his little Princess dad great fun with it while Mummy was out to have her eyes tested. Please pray with me that this happens quickly.

Take care till next time and please do go look at Donna's blog.

Reason for my long absense

Sorry to all of you who used to follow my blog for my long absense, the reason for this can be seen in the photo below:

Her name is Juliet and she was born on 11-01-2011.  yes I do now have three children: David who turnrd 7 in December 2010, Bianca who turned 1 in December and our precious little Juliet.  I am sure having two littlw ones will take a lot of my time and limit Crafting time but even busy mums need to relax sometimes, so I will have to make time for crafting.  Maybe when everyone is asleep at night I will get a chance, providing I do not fall asleep myself.

Envelope made with the Hougie Board

I got this Idea after looking at the Martha Stewart Scoreboard. Everybody have a 90 degree triangle and if you do not they are very cheap from any stationer or even a Pound shop.

Making Envelopes with you Hougie board is very easy.  Simply follow the steps below and soon you will be making envelopes in minutes.  Using the metric side you can also make envelope boxes for your 3d products.

Before starting line up your trinagle as shown in the photo above, the size of the traingle does not matter as long as it is has a 90 degree corner to fit nicely on your board.  I use a smaller if I make smaller envelopes.

Decide what size envelope you want to make, check the table below to find out what size paper you need to start with and cut your paper accordingly.

Envelope Size	Start With in cm	First Score	Second Score
C6	21x21cm	6.5cm	9cm
DL	24.5x24.5cm	6.5cm	12cm
C5	28x28cm	9cm	12cm
5"Square	21x21 cm	8.5cm	8.5cm
4"Square	17x17cm	6.5cm	6.5cm

More to sizes to follow.

Now for the steps:

1. Place your paper on the board against with the edge of the paper firmly against the traingle and score down the indicated line.
2. Rotate the paper 180 degrees and score along the same line again.  Then score the remaining two sides on the second indicated line.  I use a corner rounder to soften the corners and make the envelope look more profesional.
3. Fold the two outside corners toward the centre.
4. Apply your choice of adhesive along the bottom edges of the flap.
5. Fold the bottom flap of your envelope and press down to secure.  
6. To add the finishing touch tuck the top part into the envelope or use a decorative corner punch for a nice effect.

Next time how to do a envelpe box and line your envelopes.

Easel Card and Envelope made with the Hougie Board

Here is a Easel Card and Envelope both mede with my Hougie board.  The Grahpics used came from the Purple Pansie set at Fred, She Said Designs .

For the Easel Card:

1. Cut you cardstock 12" by 4".
2. Score at 6" and then again at 9".  Fold at 6" to create your standard 6"x4" card base.  The 9" fold will be on the front of your card and will be the part that help the card stand up.
3. Cut a second piece of cardstock to measure 6" by 4", this is the piece that you decorate.
4. Adhere you decorated Card stock to the bottom 3" of you card front.
5. Open the card and decorate inside.  Remember to use a bit of foam tape or double sided foam pads to raise a part of the inside decoration as this is where the top flap will rest when the card is standing up.

For the Envelope:
A full tutorial in the next post.

Hougie Board

As I told you before I have just about every scoreboard available in the UK, but I just had to buy this one as well as it is a great double sided board.  Centimetres and 1/2 cm on one side and inches and 1/2 inches on the other so there's no need to try and convert cm in to inches.

It makes Measuring super easy and accurate first time. With this knowledge comes confidence to try any project and with confidence comes speed. So you can now make more projects in the time you have.

I already have a tutorial ready for the magix box, an A6 Easel card and envelope and also how to make any size envelope with you Hougie Board.

You can order yours here.

New Goodies for May 2010

This is the first time that I actually show you my newest acquisitions, the only reason for this is that I am so impressed by them.

I think the Wobblers CD by Kanban is the absolute best CD I have bought in a long time, already made a Magix Box with it.  I just had to get the matching stamps as well.  I am also bidding on the other Kanban CD Seasons Collection on Ebay and the Two stampsets to go with that I will same for my June Projects.

I will be doing quite a few Tutorials witht he Hougie Board and have started a Hougie yahougroup, contact me if you would like an invitation.  The Slice cutting tools I got because they match so perfectly with my Hougie Board and I can also use them to cut on my Hougie board in the grooves with a Ruler.  The ceramic blade is just the right lenght so I do not damage my Board.

The 20cm Ruler from Marianne Design is ideal to create perfect matting and Layering bits.  I have also invested in quite a few Marianne Design Creatable dies but will show you these as I use them in my projects.

Creativity! Cancer Research Campaign Update >> View

Even more funds are being raised through sales of two new clear stamp designs from Papermania launched earlier this year! >> Click Here to visit the Cancer Research Uk website and find out more about the work they do. Show your support today and download this great avatar to use! >> Click here

Folded Mini Album

Front Cover

Back Cover


What You Would Need:

12"x12" Patterned Paper

Double sided Tape

Glue Stick

TOOLS

Piercing Tool or Crop-a-dile

Cutting Mat

Bone Folder

Fold each of the 12x12 papers into 16 equal sections. With the pattern side down, fold the paper in half. Unfold. Fold both sides in to the centre crease; this is commonly called a cupboard fold. Open the paper up and repeat these same folds, but folding in the opposite direction. The paper now has 16 equal sections.

With the pattern side up, fold all four corners to the centre. Unfold. With the pattern side down, fold all outside corners in to the first intersection, or mountain fold. Glue these folded corners down with a glue stick.

The folds in the paper form a 4-section square in the middle. Reinforce these folds by folding the paper in along these existing creases, folding one at a time. Bring the centre of each raw edge inward and down to the centre of the square along the reinforced fold lines, collapsing the corners along the existing creases.

When flattened, the corners of the paper now form a frame. Cut eight 6" squares from a sheet card stock. Insert a square into the four corners the folded page. Make as many pages as you require.

Join the pages together with card stock hinges. Cut five 4" squares from a sheet of card stock. Fold each of theses squares in half diagonally. Open the square and fold on the same crease, but in the reverse direction. Apply double sided tape along each side of the crease. Or Punch holes and use

Remove the backing from the tape. Carefully slide the “hinge” between the layers of one of the pages made in Step 4, lining up the edge of the page with the crease. Press down to adhere. Slide the other half of the hinge between the layers of the next page and press down to adhere. Repeat until all pages are connected.

To secure book closed, apply adhesive to one end of a 18" piece of ribbon. Adhere the ribbon to one side of the back cover, sliding the end between the layers of the cover. Repeat with another piece of ribbon for the opposite side of the back cover.

Decorate the inside pages with mini envelopes, stamped images or photos. Slide each photo into a small vellum envelope stamped with simple words and phrases.

Happy Halloween

I made this card as a Thank You card for a mother that invited David to her Daugther's Halloween Party. She loved it, it was also a great way of giving her my Contact number in case sonething went wrong at the party and she needed me to come pick him up.

Mini Waterfall Anniversary Album

Here is a Little Anniversary Album I made for my Husband.

Page one is a photo of me on our Weddingday on the beach

Page two is "The Kiss"

Page three is a family photo taken during our holiday on South Africa when my son, David, was 9 months old.

Page four and five does not yet have photo's as Bianca was not yet born when I made it.

I am in the Process of making another and will take photo's as I go for the Tutorial I will add later.
Materials:
1 piece of 12" x 6" firm cardstock    - for the cover (Purple)
1 piece of 12 x 12" firm cardstock    - for the 5 pages
cut 5 pages from this sheet with the following dimensions. (Red)
5½" x  5¼
5" x  5¼
4½" x  5¼
4" x  5¼
3½" x  5¼
1 Strip of 11" x 5¼ firm thick cardstock - for the waterfall slider 
1 Strip of 1½" x 6" firm cardstock
1 pull tab: 2"x2" piece of cardstock folded in half
Adhesives - wet glue and double sided tape
Paper trimmer
Paper scoring tool
Pencil

Step 1  -  The cover
Take piece of 12"x6" and fold it at 5 7/8" and 6 1/8".
Take the  1½" x 6" strip, apply tape to the ends and stick it to the right inner cover 1" in from the rhs. Set the cover aside for now.
 
Step 2  - Pages
Cut the pages and set these pages aside.
5½" x  5¼
5" x  5¼
4½" x  5¼
4" x  5¼
3½" x  5¼

Step 3.
Take the 11" x 5¼ Strip and score a fold at 3", 3½", 4", 4½", 5, 5½".

Step 4
Stick the tab onto the right hand side

Step 5.
Fold at the first score line, use a bone knife or your thumbnail to create a nice crisp fold. Open the sheet and fold at the 2nd score line, create a crisp fold and apply glue to this section. Take the shortest of our 5 pages (the 3½" x  5¼) and stick it to the fold.
  
Step 6.
Open the sheet again and fold at the 3rd score line, create a crisp fold and apply glue to this section. Take the 4" x  5¼ page and stick it to the fold.       
Repeat Step 6. for the remaining 3 pages.

Step 7
Open up the page slider (the pages should be underneath) Slip the slider under the strip and center the page lot onto the back cover. Take some double sided tape and stick it on to the strip.

Step 8
When the slider and pages are centered then close the album sticking the slider to the top of the strip and stick it down good.

Test your album opens ok by pulling on the pull out tab and decorate.

I'm Back

After a long absense I am back with a vengence.  I will be uploading a lot of photo's of the cards and creations I have made in the last 4 months.

Bianca is growing quickly and now that she is a little less demanding I can get to crafting and blogging.  I will also be taking up some online challenges and try post at least 3 to 4 times per week.  I will also be uploading the tutorials and tips and advise promised earlier.

Graphics on my Blog

Thanks to Ingrid at http://cute-bloglayouts.blogspot.com for the lovely graphics.