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

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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
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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
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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

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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
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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

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Sketch Saturday - Week 258

Hi,

My inspiration for this card came from the sketch at Sketch Saturday week 258... really fun sketch... really fun playing along... perfect for this as I wanted to keep it simple... 

 

I seem to be running out of cards in my cupboard... I am so used to having a bit of selection that it came as a shock on Friday when I realised I only had a couple left...

I haven't been doing much crafting really... am working on a cross-stitch for my kitchen... but even that seems to be slow... need to get the mojo going...  I blame the weather... dreadful today...

Hope you are having a lovely weekend.
Take care
Hugs
Kim M
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Mojo Monday - 289

 

Hi,

Where does the time go?????  I can't believe it has been that long since I posted... I have almost sorted all of my crafting stuff... and have officially taken over the cupboard under the stairs as a craft cupboard.  It's amazing to be able to find everything so easily... and storage tubs are so expensive!!!

 

I have been crafting... my first offering is a card... inspired by the lovely sketch over on Mojo Monday #289...

 

I have just started an 8x8 scrapbook of random pictures of my son...  funny how there are always random photos... some times I don't even remember where or when they were taken...  I haven't done the journalling yet, but I wanted to include it in this post... This one was taken on a walk one sunday at Fairhaven Lake, St Annes... one of our favourite walks.

 

I have also managed to finish some cross stitch ornaments that I had found in the cupboard half done... looking forward to hanging this one this Christmas... really pleased with it.

 

And some beading ornaments... Mill Hill beads... love them... have 2 more to do... really love making these... have a feeling I will be ordering some more!!!!  For some unknown reason each time I took the photo it was blurred so gave up in the end... sorry!

 

Thank you for dropping by...  hope you are finding time to craft...

Take care

Hugs

Kim

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Busy busy busy!!!!

Hi,

My card making seems to have  been put on hold... and I am about to start making two that I need for next week... but I thought I would share the reason I have been busy first!

Obviously we had half-term last week... I had a migraine for the first part, and having two kids around the house made that harder work than normal... but I have managed a scrapbook page.  I am really pleased with this...I had fun playing... I think I am finally getting back into my scrapbooking!

 

I also finished this... an Easter banner... it's wool and plastic canvas, came in a kit... a present when the children were  very small, but I never had the time to start it.  As I am on a 'use everything up' binge, I dug it out and got cracking... and it didn't take that long to be honest!  We don't have Easter Ornaments, so the kids are quite thrilled with it!  Only thing is they want it up now...

I am now finishing off a cross stitch piece I started to make a friend a friendship cushion a couple of years ago... I know, dreadful!!!! 
Anyway, off to browse, then make at least one of my cards...
Take care
Hugs
Kim
x

Mojo Monday 279



 



Hi... Inspiration for this card came from the sketch over at Mojo Monday - 279...  Great sketch... sorry the picture is abit rubbish... I used all things from my scrapbox... I love it when I do that!

 

I have also been making scrapbook pages... using some old photo's I found in a package with stuff I didn't know I still had... I love doing that too.  I found lots of trinkets that I had obviously put away for keepsakes, my mum must have given me the box and I hadn't look in it. 

 

 

And... I have even made a Christmas card... thats five I have now... ooh!!!!!  Also used stuff from the scrapbox...

 

Seriouly need to have a flower making session... and a die cutting session... hopefully this afternoon. Hope you have a lovely weekend.

Hugs

Kim

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Sketch N Stash 105

 

Hi,

The card I have to share today was inspired by the challenge at Sketch N Stash 105.  I know it's not really vintage, but I like the sketch and I like to make my cards to fit the people I am sending to... which is what I have done.  I am pleased to say that I used old stash (The paper in the background and the flowers, these came with a kit I bought from QVC years ago and were actually forgotten in a box at the back of my cupboard).  I also used new stash... my mum got me some Kanban images for cards for christmas and that is where the card and sentiment came from too).  The sketch was fun to work with and I am sending it to a friend of mine who loves cupcakes...



 

 

I have also made another scrapbook LO.  This was inspired by a link I found but lost it... don't you just hate it when you do that????!!!!!  If I do find it again I will add it in... They had a wonderful sketch that inspired me to use some squares I had made using a Martha Stewart Punch set I have ages ago and didn't use...  The photo was taken on a day out at Cannock Chase... I love to take the children there because I spent so much time there as a child myself...  There is just so much to see and do there we all love it...

 





 

 

Here is my finished scarf ... very difficult to photograph a scarf... I am very pleased with it it is very warm.  I don't really have the patience for knitting... I tend to get bored half way through... luckily this didn't take too long... and I am glad to use up the wool.  I have had it for quite a while... now I need to find something to knit or crochet to use the rest of what is in the baskets!!!!!

Still have cards to make... hope you are finding time to craft and keep warm.
Hugs
Kim
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Mojo Monday 277

Hi,

Today the sun is shining... isn't is it amazing how when the sun is shining you feel so much better about everything?  Well I do anyway... easily pleased, eh?  I hope you weren't too affected by the snow... we haven't had much here really... being by the coast and all that, much to my childrens dismay, we seem to not get alot of snow. 

I have been playing... I suddenly seem to need quite a few cards all at once... this one was inspired by Mojo Monday's Sketch 277.  Really was fun to play along.  I am very pleased with this card and I think it really suits the person I am sending it to.

 

 

I have a scrapbook LO to finish that I started yesterday, so this is short and sweet.  I also been knitting a scarf, just need to finish off the ends so I will be back tomorrow with pictures.  I'm not the best or the faster knitter in the world, but I have actually enjoyed myself.

Keep warm and smile at the sun... might encourage it to shine more (my Nan always used to say that when I was little!!!).

Hugs

Kim

x

Happy New Year...

Happy New Year...  Hope you had happy holidays...  I love that Christmas and New Year is all about family for us...  and we had a great time.  Now, of course, we are all back to normal... OH has gone fishing (yes, I know it's raining... it always rains when Steve goes fishing!)... Kids are back at school and I am back crafting... My offerings today are a card that was inspired by a sketch from Mojo Monday #275 and a pile of scraps... I wanted to put a happy anniversary greeting on it but could not find one!!!

My next offering today is a scrapbook page... I know I am the most shocked, believe me... I just had an urge to scrapbook... My inspiration for this one also came from a sketch on Scrapville; December/January sketch, which was really fun to play with...  I wanted to keep it quite simple keeping the focus on my adorable baby!

 

 

Well, thats it for today on here, if I manage any more I will be back on tomorrow to show you how well I played...  Take care

Hugs

Kim

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Mojo Monday 264

Hi,

Hope you are having a lovely weekend...  and keeping warm... it has gone really quite cold all of a sudden! 

My card today is a Christmas one... inspiration came from the sketch over at Mojo Monday # 264... enjoyed playing very much... have also spent alot of time cutting out flowers and snowflakes ready to get cracking on my cards for Christmas... doubt I will make my original target for finishing them but am going to get stuck in this week...

 

I have actually been making lots of lists and sorting out what I need to do and buy and in what order.  My Christmas planner is busy busy busy...  children are off this week, so am going to get them crafting too.  And theres the Christmas cake to bake too...

Take care
Hugs
Kim
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Sketch Saturday #229

Hi,

Aren't I doing well this weekend.... My inspiration today came from Sketch Saturdays lovely sketch #229... there are some lovely example cards over there, it is well worth a visit... I used some papers from an old DCWV pad that I have about a third of left... lovely colours...

 

We have had a nice sunday... went to my Mum's for dinner which was lovely and makes me feel abit spoilt, not having to cook.  We are planning a joint crafting session soon, we haven't done it for ages and it's always fun... so long as the kids are sorted with something to do, of course!

Hope you have had a lovely weekend.
Take care
Hugs
Kim
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Sketch N Stash - Challenge 98

Hi...

Wow... back so soon... blimey, I can't believe I've actually made  another one in one week... I am doing well!  for me that is!!!

Today's card was inspired by a lovely sketch over at Sketch N Stash - challenge 98...  My old stash that I am using is a small paper pad that I have had for a couple of years and yes... there are some peel offs on there.  Thats the thing about doing out the crafting stuff, you even find the stuff you thought you would never use and I was determined to put peel offs on this one!!!!!  I am actually quite pleased with the results!

 

I really want to get stuck into my Christmas crafting... I am already plotting certain types of gifts for certain people so that I can make fancy bags and boxes!!!  I actually sat down with my Christmas Planner (which I am so glad to say I made in January before I lost sight of my Christmas crafting stash) and have made some very useful lists today!  Of course, I am trying to keep it low key or the kids will start making Christmas list now that will end up the size of the argos catalogue and my OH will think I've gone completely mad... he is one of these odd folk that litterally leaves all his gift buying until Christmas Eve, runs around as I stay home and bake cookies or something with the kids and have a calm day, and then he falls asleep before the kids because he is worn out after a rather rushed visit to his mum's and a pint in the pub!!!!  Leaving me to get everything ready for Christmas day on my own... hence why I like to be so organised... plus all my family live in Staffordshire and I like to deliver the presents a couple of weekends before Christmas (weather depending).  It's nice actually because the children, my mum and myself have a lovely Christmassy weekend with the relatives and friends and Daddy gets to work!!!! ha!  He really does think that Christmas only needs one day to prepare for!!!!

Enough of that... off to play with paper...
Have a lovely weekend...
Hugs
Kim
x

Mojo Monday 262

Hi,

Hope you are well and happy... the weather doesn't look well and happy today here, but I have to say I have enjoyed our little spell of dry weather...  it's lovely to get the sheets blowing on the washing line (good job I do them early in the week, eh?!).

I have finally had some new cupboards for the cupboard under the stairs... which is where I am keeping my craft stuff (well, some of it anyway)... now I don't know how to organize everything... how can it be so complicated!!!!  Must be me!  I am trying to be organized in a way it's easier to use my tools and things... I have things I hardly use because it's such a hassle to have them out for a short period of time...

Anyway, enough of that... my inspiration came from this weeks sketch over at Mojo Monday #262... it's a Christmas card... and I must say I really enjoyed playing. 

 

Off to make the most of the afternoon on my own today...
Take care,
Hugs
Kim
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Mojo Monday #261

Hi,

Well, I have not been able to find anytime to craft lately...  and I need to get on with making my Christmas cards.  Today my inspiration came from Mojo Mondays sketch #261, it made me get all my stash out looking for round inspiration... ha! 

 

I made my Christmas planner at the beginning of the year this time... and I have dug it out ready to start making lists to organize myself...  hopefully it will get me moving in the right direction with my cards!  The time seems to fly when all the christmas build up starts... I seem to spend so much of december running around with the children with all the things they have going on...

Anyway, I'm off to have a play with my stash!
Take care
Hugs
Kim
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Sketch N Stash #96

Hello,

Hope you are well...  I have been playing again... This time my inspiration came from Sketch N Stash challenge 96...  This was a fun sketch... and the stash I used is some that I bought in a kit from QVC rather a long time again.  It's Flair Designs paper...  The fibre I used I have had forever (you can't really see it on the picture... I'm not good at using fibres to be honest.

 

I have bought some scalloped cards to play with next... so hopefully I will be back soon with another Christmas card or two...  I hope you are having a great day... I am so glad I don't have anywhere else to go today... there is a real chill to the wind here today despite that rather warm sunshine!!!!

Hugs
Kim
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