1st Card Challenge of 2014

Hi,

Happy New Year.  Hope you had a happy holiday season.  We had a lovely time - I feel that all the hard work was definitely worth it.  I had a new camera from my OH - no, I haven't taken the photo below with it, I still have to find time to actually learn how to use it.  I am looking forward to it, hopefully I will take more photos and post more often.

 

This is my first card challenge of the year.  The inspiration came from a sketch over at 52{Christmas} Card Throwdown.  First time I have joined in and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Great sketch and brilliant inspiration from the DT. 

 

 

I am determined to get my cards made earlier - I did really well last year at the beginning and it all went down hill once the summer came.  I am planning a day on my gift tags tomorrow - I have a little rule that I make my gift tags in January and then put them away with the Christmas decorations.

 

Hope you are well and smiling, and the weather isn't too harsh where you are.

Thank you for reading.

Hugs

Kim M

x

More sewing...

Hi,

I am a really bad blogger this year... I have been organising myself ready for Christmas using the Planner I made at the beginning of the year.  I am actually really pleased with how I have used it this time, much better.  I am almost ready to post my cards - just need a few more stamps.  I have got some gifts and they are already gift wrapped.  I have quite a bit of the food shopping that can be bought early.  Have been de-cluttering like mad and am ready for my Christmas decorations to go up on Sunday with the tree.  As I said, I have been doing really well.  I have a journal I made ready to start journaling December on Sunday. 

I haven't done loads of crafting.  I do have a couple of stitching things to show off.  The first cushion I made with a rather lovely cross stitch round robin I did a few years back and found in the cupboard.  I am really pleased  with it. 

 

 

Then there is this little one - a rather cute teddy design which my daughter keeps trying to nick off with.  I am persevering with the sewing machine and it's fun WHEN I get it out. I have stopped getting in a mess with the bobbin and getting weird knots in the cotton, so I must be getting somewhere with it.

My favourite thing is decorating the Christmas cakes - will marzipan this week, then I can start to play!!!!  I have some gift money envelopes I need to make.  I have also had this idea to make my own selection boxes up this year.  My kids never like half what is in them, always seems a pointless thing, but you have to give them a selection box, don't you?  So I thought I would make my own box and fill it with their favourites.

Hope you are well and happy.  Thank you so much for stopping by and reading. 
Hugs
Kim M
x

Playing with my sewing machine

Hi,

I have been playing with my sewing machine.  I am one of those people who bought one because I thought I'd love to have a go and have hardly ever used it.  I went through some stuff and found a load of cross stitch that I had actually done nothing with so I thought I'd have a go with the machine and turn them into something.  I made a hanging ornament with an Autumn sampler which I love.

 

 

And a Halloween hanging ornament with this one - I need to invest in some fabric scissors and a few other bits and bobs but I can actually thread my machine and keep stitching without getting in a mess now.  Honestly before I was useless.

I only ever remember doing a small amount of sewing at school, so my skills are limited but the internet is wonderful for advice.  I am next going to have a go at some cushions. 

I have 17 more Christmas cards to make and need to start on some gift boxes and gift money envelopes. 

My organizing Christmas has started well.  My planner is in full swing.  I have lists coming out of my ears.  I have even made myself a journal for December.  It is so hard to find places to store things, but I have been decluttering (driving everyone mad) to make room for gifts, food, etc. I am hoping I am going to enjoy the actually build up to Christmas more, rather than being so stressed about whether I have everything. 
Hopefully I will be popping back a little more often, I've been really bad at blogging this year.
Take care,
Hugs
Kim M
x

Sketch Saturday 275

Hi,
I have been sorting out Christmas stuff for crafting and making a start on some Christmas cards.  It's quite shocking how many cards we send at Christmas when you come to make them... I decided to have a different approach this year... Splitting cards I need to make between Christmas cards for the masses and the Special cards for close family and friends.  I have been working on the cards for the masses... so to speak...
My inspiration has come from the bits and bobs I have found mostly, though I loved playing along with this weeks Sketch Saturday 275... I have no idea where any of it came from it's all from scraps again... 

Here are some pictures of some of the cards I have made this week:

 

Hopefully, I will keep this up now until I have finished... then start on my Special card list...

 

My baby started High School on Friday... more scary for me than it was for him, I think.  He was so excited and really enjoyed his first day.  Isn't it great when the kids like the school?  My daughter started there last year, and despite some bullying problems, which I am pleased to say, the school got to the bottom of and sorted out, she loves it.  I am hoping this continues with both of them.

 

Hopefully, I will get back into keeping up this blog as well as do lots of crafting... I want to make some Christmas ornaments, gifts and have a few things to finish.  I need to spend less time looking around on the internet too... I seem to spend so much time looking and reading about stuff on here that I have less time to craft.

 

Hope you have a lovely weekend.  At least the sun is out today and the rain has stopped for the time being. Take care.

Hugs

Kim M

x

Busy Busy Busy...

Hi,

Hope the summer is smiling on you still.  We are having a lovely day here...  With the children off school, I haven't found much time for crafting, but I have taken some photographs in the hope of more scrapbooking to come.  I really want to get into it again. 

 

I have been digging through my paper and although some of it is pretty old now, I have some lovely papers that are begging to end up on some lovely pages.  I am determined to get more organised... organization is the key to everything... and I am so disorganised.  I have already made my Christmas planner... no, honestly it's not too early to do this...  if I leave it too late, it never gets done properly and I don't get started early enough.  I used to laugh at a friend of mine who is always organised and ready really early, but by December she is always a lot more relaxed about the whole thing... unlike me!!!!!!!  So I am determined... Operation Christmas Card needs to be in full-swing!!!!!

 

Anyway, my inspiration for this sketch came from a blog that I can't find this morning... but I will edit it in later... see disorganised!!!  I took this photo of this beautiful horse and carriage as it trotted around a beach car park in St. Anne's one day when I went in to pick up some groceries.  Very odd but lovely to see. 

 

Hope you have a lovely day.  Thank you for reading.
Take care
Hugs
Kim M
xx

Mojo Monday ~ # 305

Hi,

It has been ages since I blogged....  not done a lot of crafting to be honest...  Life just gets too busy for crafting sometimes and I spend a lot of time wishing I didn't need to sleep... think of all that crafting time... 

Here is my take on the Mojo Monday sketch 305... made this for my Niece... love the sketch gives a chance to use some scraps from my scrap box...  The image and greeting came from some Kanban things my mum got me a while back and I found yesterday in with some magazines. 

 

 

 

I have been playing with my crochet hook... made this hat for my daughter.  I haven't made a hat before so it seemed to take me ages... then I made a blue one for my son that crocheted up really quickly.  Need to make me one now.  I really enjoyed it. 

 

We have just had a lovely week away in Devon...  I think the kids just spent most of the week in the two pools on the park... they loved it.  And when the kids are happy... I'm happy.   Now, of course, I am catching up with the washing.  As Steve has gone fishing today, I thought that's it I'm having some crafting time today... and blogging!!!!

I am hoping to get back into it a bit now, so hopefully I will be back tomorrow with some more things to show off.  Hope you have a lovely day.
Take care and thank you for stopping by.
Hugs
Kim M
xx

Sketch Saturday #262

 

Hi,

I am pleased to say it's lovely and sunny here still... hope it is where you are.  It has been lovely having such wonderful weather... I have been painting decking and fencing and playing with the garden so have not done much crafting... I find that I am now getting withdrawal symptoms and want to do everything at once...

I made this card as a quickie to be honest... inspired by the sketch #262 over at Sketch Saturday.  Lovely and simple...

 

 

 

Hopefully I will have some more things to show soon. 

Take care and thanks for looking.

Hugs

Kim M

x