Trying to get organised!

I had a really lovely afternoon with my neighbour Tracy on Tuesday when we got together for some crafting time and more specifically to begin making some Christmas cards.  Now I know many of you will have started yours a good while ago or stagger them throughout the year but I am just not that organised and always end up very stressed during December (I know many of us are but my other friend Tracy tells me that it is self-induced... well you can't beat a good friend for being honest with you!!) because I have to/want to make homemade Christmas cards.  Well I have decided that this year will be different (hmm, watch this space!) and have begun to make a start.

I haven't quite finished the ones I started at Tracy's on Tuesday but I do have some other ones I have made using the beautiful Prima 'North Country' range from last year which I absolutely love.  As well as the three cards I have made - actually I am cheating because I made them last December but didn't quite get round to finishing them :( - I have also made a layout with this range.

As well as a selection of papers from the range I have also used the Flower Market flowers and the Cling Mounted Stamp Set which has a great selection of different stamps making it very versatile, and the Chipboard Stickers.

 The images on the papers and stamps match each other perfectly so I was able to die cut the deer picture from the paper and then stamp an identical image which I then cut out and placed to one side.  This one was 9 pieces of the 'Maine Meadow' paper cut into small squares and then sewn on to the backing card which is then mounted on the card so that none of the loose ends show.  I finished off with a few flowers.

You can't really see from this picture but the front of this card is only half of the card, the red part, which opens up and then behind is some plain card for writing your greeting.  I have also used the Fiskars 'Apron Lace' punch on this one and the one below.

 There was no stamping on this card other than the greeting, the deers are cut from the patterened paper and with the addition of some flowers which I glittered I am really pleased with the effect.

'Christmas on the Common' by Kate Holliday

We regularly walk our dog on our local common and after a heavy snowfall it looks absolutely stunning.  Added to that the authority who maintain the common had made this rustic Christmas Tree with a plaque to wish all the 'Common Users' a very Happy Christmas and with the addition of a wonderful snowman created by one of the 'users' the whole place felt really festive. 

As well as the beautiful papers from the North Country range I have also misted some of the Pink Paislee 'Mistables Chipboard Alphas' in the Cosmic Shimmer Mist 'Teal Wash' and added buttons from the 'Aqua Splash' pack which I glittered to represent snowflakes. 

I will endeavour to continue with my Christmas Cards and then plan for a stress-free December !!!!

Have a great weekend.

Kate xxx

Feeling Neglected!

The poor Blog has been somewhat neglected over the past month or so - summer seems to have got in the way of crafting!  It has been wonderful to have the family together over the summer; to enjoy family meals together, to laugh, to squabble (!), just being part of each other's worlds, but it has not been good for crafting!  My son is away at university and whilst he is away his bedroom becomes my 'craft room'!  He is very understading about this and really complains very little about my craft 'stuff' being stored in his room but unfortunately when he came home for the (very long) summer bringing with him enough clothes to set up his own retail store and assorted electrical paraphernalia it became very difficult to access my craft equipment without it becoming a major ordeal, hence the distinct lack of crafting.  He has now gone back and there is a very big part of me that is sad that the summer is over and he is no longer around but the plus side is that I have my 'craft room' back again and within hours of him leaving the room was tidied, cleaned and set up ready for me to use so now all I have to do is get started!!!

What I did manage to achieve over the summer was a small album for my brother and sister-in-law to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary.  The original idea was that there would be a page for each year but, as I wanted it to be a surprise, it was very difficult to get enough photos to be able to do that so in the end I did 20 pages, some of which are doubles where I had lots of photos, others are singles and some cover several years on one page so a real mix.  I had great fun doing the album - lots to reminisce about- but, as is my want, I started it later than I should and it became a rush to finish it but I did get there in the end.  A few of the pages from the album are below and I am pleased to say that both my brother and sister-in-law seemed really pleased with the gift. 

The album was an 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" size. Unfortunately the pictures are not great as they were taken in a hurry - I was due to be delivering the album when I remembered I wanted to photograph it!

This was the first page of the album and uses the Websters Pages paper 'All About Me Looking Ahead' which is a paper I think I have used on about three different pages now because I love it so much.  My sister-in-law had cornflowers in her bouquet and I wanted to try and pick up that colour as best I could and this was the closest I could find. 

A double page showing the new arrival of their second child, my neice Matilda.  I wanted to give a fun, girly look and love the 'Ashtyn' range from 3 Bugs in a Rug.   I used two sheets from the range 'Floral' and 'Polkadot' and had great fun cutting out the pinwheels.  I added a brad to the middle of the pinwheels so they can be turned! 

My brother and sister-in-law spent three years in Vienna when the children were still quite small and I decided to do a montage of their time there on one double-page.  It was quite challenging choosing the photos - there were so many - but hoped that this selection gave a little taste of their time there.  I loved using the travel themed 'Check In' mini kit for this which couldn't have been more appropriate with its little wood veneer planes and die-cuts - such fun to use.

As the children become older you realise you are on borrowed time as far as family holidays are concerned and so I loved these photos of them away together in Pembrokeshire.  I had some bits and pieces left from the 'Doodle Deux' mini kit and the colours worked perfectly so I was very pleased with the result.

This was the last page of the album and shows my brother and his wife together at their Silver Wedding Anniversary party (such a great evening!).  For this I used another Websters Pages paper (I do so love Websters!) using the 'Arrive in Style' paper from the 'In Love' range which seemed rather appropriate!  I teamed it with some pretty Prima lace and some little embellishments I had lying around.

Sorry, I have wittered on for a very long time - I got a little over excited to Blog again!  Will be back soon and I hope you all have a great weekend.

Kate xx