Another Crochet Update

Nearly finished my Secret Paths Shawl which is a freebie pattern, I've used a Scheepjes Whirl while not cheap I think never beats their gradual colour changes.

I may have mentioned I don't like lots of projects in progress but I couldn't resist the Ugly Christmas Sweater Afghan Cal which again is free. I always wanted to join in with one and I also wanted a Christmas coloured Afghan so its a win win situation. So far I'm two weeks in and probably working on week three as I post.

I still working on my Thursday Night Afghan Blizzard Squares annoyingly my Sister keeps going away so its not growing that quickly.

Also I thinking of making a cover for my foot stool since I've had to repair it with parcel tape and I've order some wool for an idea which should end up as jacket for me. Oh dear that's five projects and make over hundred Christmas cards, better get off the PC then.

Baby with Giraffe

This was another image that I was thinking of using for a 1st Birthday but wasn't in keeping with the theme, the actual card can't be posted till Tuesday and I will do my best to make sure I post it, certainly was out of my comfort zone.

So I used the fab Echo Park Sweet Baby Boy, really good do with this set to scrapbook but will need the larger size. The Stars are MFT and the scallop border I think could be Lawn Fawn. 

Nearly forgot the main part of the card the image, its from Mo Manning called Baby with Giraffe. Finally the sentiment is a Simon Says Stamp die sentiment.

It's been a real busy week and this weekend I'm at the Scrap Cafe Retreat although we have to leave early on Sunday to celebrate a very special cute baby's 1st Birthday, trust me the photo's will follow after hearing part of conservations between my Sister and her Daughter!!!

Animal Antics

Hi all and welcome to another week on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge
Thank you for joining us for the Anything But A Card Challenge and we hope you will all join us again this week too.
This week the challenge is

Animal Antics   

We are showcasing Hello Bluebird Products this week. You don't have to use them to join in but if you have some we would love to see them used

The lovely folks over at Simon Says Stamp are generously giving away a FABULOUS $50 voucher to shop at the  Simon Says Stamp Store! All you have to do is take out your crafty supplies, make something following this week’s prompt, and add a link in the Inlinkz at the bottom of this post! You can join 5 times so you could have 5 chances to win! How AWESOME is that!! All winners are chosen randomly, so everyone has an equal chance to win! Woo Hoo!! Good Luck to everyone! The Design Team is looking forward to seeing your crafty makes and will pop around to visit you ASAP!

One of things I discovered was my Birch Trees dies have all retired and since this is my DT card for Simon says Stamp I couldn't use them. I decided I would buy the Hello Blue Bird Birch Trees dies and blow me you've all brought them at the moment out of stock, if you want them I would definitely do the notify me when back in stock, this allows Simon to know how many are interested as well as letting you know.

For some reason I decided to make a circle sky and using the Simon says Stamp Falling Snow Stencil and using a white uni-ball pen I used the stencil for my snow dots. Why I've never done this before because it was soooooo easy.

I used the Simon says Stamp Wonky Rectangles mainly because it gives a finished look and for my little critter I used their Retro Deer. Coloured his antlers with a brown pen and Nuvo Drops Autumn Red for is nose.

Not sure what I was thinking but I cut the top of the Birch trees with Simon says Stamp Stitched Circles which gave me the curved space at the top for my sentiment.

Now to work out the sentiment, from our Family part is from Simon says Stamp Ornate Ornaments. Oops can't seem to work it out and I've tidy my craft room since making the card, seriously need to get my act together and write things on a post it note. I've sneaky feeling that 3 stamp sets were involved and the wishing one could be from a birthday set rather than Christmas and found loads of Merry Christmas I could've used, the only thing I can guarantee that they were definitely were Simon Says Stamp. Will have to work it out cos I reckon I may need it again.

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Happy Birthday Sis

I'm still scrapbooking 2015 but I have one more wedding one to do and that she be that year done. In fact I need to sort out some more photos and kits ready for the retreat coming up soon.

This layout is using a sketch from Pinterest but using my papers and the fact I didn't quite get the angle right. I used some old MFT Slide dies which have come back in fashion, I remember having to stick pattern paper over the top of white slide die cuts thank goodness for someone inventing die cutting machines and wafer thin dies.

The little hearts and star confetti was made using Simon says Stamp Holiday Shapes on scraps of matching card and randomly stuck on.

Koala

There is a new release at Simon say Stamp called Fun and Festive I quickly ordered what I thought would be useful in my craft room but now I've seen all the wonderful creations I want all the other that I didn't order.

Simon says Stamp very kindly sent me this Large Picture Book Koala die it always surprises me that when this happens Mr Mojo usually is away on holiday again. Everyone have done marvellous job with these dies and I was tempted to forget to post mine.

Since I wanted to use the Simon says Stamp Leafy Frame I thought the Koala would be lost and decided to add a white border which is very easy to do just draw round the actual die. The border is even all the way round just the camera being difficult.

By doing this, it is much easier to add the individual pieces, add a bit of white using a Uniball White pen to help bring him alive.

Oh the background is one of the ones made previously with oxides. Lastly I made the sentiment tag with Simon say Stamp banner dies and Messages for Everyday.

Crochet Update

So finally my Easter Jewels is finishes, I really enjoyed making it but I did have some issues. First my tension there was no way my tiles were going to be the size they were meant to be. I would have to use a really large hook and then my crochet would be horrible.

So I stuck with the two hook sizes that suit me but then I kept forgetting to change them to the point I gave up worry about it.

I also like the way some people didn't add the triangles to corners but do you think I could get it to lay flat, I unpicked it so many times, it would have been quicker to make and add those pesky corners.

My last issue is my fault using hook sizes that suit me, it came out quite small, in hindsight I would added another row and I would have plenty of wool to do so.

Meanwhile I've started another shawl using Scheepjes Whirl using the Secret Paths from Johanna Lindahl which is a free pattern. I'm also joining in with the Not so Ugly Sweater Blanket Cal the plan is to use greens and reds with  maybe a bit mustard which is almost a gold colour but we will see.

Three little kittens

I had planned to make this card for someone but I've had to have a total rethink on their card but I still wanted to used this image so I kept things nice and simple.

The papers are Echo Park and I had to used stars to decorate, they are the smallest star die from MFT Stitched Stars and Simon Says Stamp Bundle of Shapes.

The sentiment which I absolutely love comes from the stamp that was with Simon says Stamp Card Kit but you can buy the stamp set separately Sketched Flowers.

Almost forgot the most important part of my card the cute image which is from Mo's Digital Pencil called Three Little Kittens.