Sunday, June 24, 2012

Magic Slider Card

I attended a class in Johannesburg, with the talented Jenni Willetts, and we make a magic slider card. It is such a clever card, and so suitable for children, as it changes like 'magic' when you pull the tag out!
Using the class sample as inspiration, I used a stamp from years ago, and found a bee to place on the card, just for fun. I also turned the tag opening to the side, to suit the stamp I used. I coloured the bottom stamped image with Prisma pencils and used some lovely paper I received as a freebie years ago, in a stamping magazine, on the front of the card. I always knew it would come in handy! Lol...... (trying to justify my hoarding fetish!)
Thanks for the lovely class and inspiration, Jenni!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Dressing Table Card

Whilst up in Johannesburg for my Dad's 80th birthday celebrations, I met up with some delightfully talented and charming ladies. One of the ladies, Ursula Uphoff, teaches card making and this is one of her designs. I used the Authentique Uncommon papers for this card.
I just love that you can change the card to suit the opposite sex, with different paper selections and can make it for most any age group.
Thank you Ursula, for your inspiration as well as the design. Not many will share with others, so I am more than grateful.



Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Door Stop

Just a quick one!


I was asked if I could make a door stop for the sweet Taylor's bedroom, and this is it! Photo taken on my dining table.


It is now filled with rice and in the sweetheart's bedroom.


Thanks for stopping by!

Monday, June 18, 2012

Knitted Knee Rug

Many years ago, I bought this lovely cotton yarn and decided to knit a blanket/rug of sorts. Now, I am severely challenged keeping count of rows, even with a row counter, and no matter how hard I tried with the first pattern I could not get the squares all square and joined together in the right order. It was a knit and join as you go pattern. Part of the problem was and still is, that I work on far too many project at once and have to reacquaint myself with the pattern etc. every time I pick the project up. So, years later, after unpicking each project, I found this knitted from the center rug that grew and grew as you went. The only pattern part to remember was to increase on either side of the corners to shape the rug. Well, that I did after a fashion and if you look carefully, you will see the corner 'seam' snakes a little - probably because I got the increase wrong! Believe me, I was really challenged! However, given the snake like seams, I am very chuffed with the outcome. I even managed to run out of yarn on the last row of this project and had to make a plan as I was not going to unpick more than 600 stitches on circulars. It was a huge bundle on my lap as I worked it. In fact, the very center is a little out of shape as the balls of yarn used to sit in the pouch as I knitted, and I think it may have stretched that area. Never mind, I am sure with washing over a period of time, it will settle back into shape. It really was a lovely project - mindless knitting - so mindless, I forgot to do the increases on the corners, in spite of having rather large markers I had to manoeuvre to get on with the knitting.
So now, we have two new knee rugs in the house! Our Lab, eyes them longingly, but since she likes to play tug-o-war with her Daddy and her blanket, she can keep looking!
I'm feeling very proud of myself, with two rugs off the needles. It has freed up lots of space for new projects....ha-ha-ha!
Just to show you the double picot edge and crooked snake
like seam!

Taken in the late afternoon, hence the dappled sunlight.
It more than covers the circular table on the patio!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Crochet Knee Rug


Now that the cooler weather is here, I like to sit in the evenings, whilst keeping DH company in front of the TV, doing handwork of sorts. What better way than to work on something that is keeping you warm at the same time! I started these flower squares last winter, but shelved it as the weather became warmer. It was a joy to hook the bag out and carry on with the project. I was totally smitten with these layered flowers when I saw them on my www travels and quickly tracked down a pattern and started on the flowers. I then thought, the flowers, as pretty as they are, are of no use to me, so decided to put them on top of squares, but worked out a way to crochet straight from the flower onto the square center and finish the square, so it was all in one. I'm no crochet expert, and don't have a rocket science degree, but managed to get it right and then started joining the squares together as I went along. I was surprised how quickly (ha-ha-ha, yes one year is quick for me!) it all went together and soon had my rug finished, but for the border. With the end in sight, the border did not take me long to do either! So now I sit at night, with the finished rug over me, snug and cozy and work on other projects, that hopefully won't take me another year to complete! I smile each time I look down at it and enjoy the 'prettiness' of the rug.
Brace yourself for another post showing you another project that finally was completed!


Taken in the late afternoon sunshine, hence shadows!

These four center squares had multi-layered flowers, but I
decided that it would take me more than 1 year to complete
with so many layers and switched to two layers!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Father's Day 2012

I made these two cards and shared them with my class, a few weeks ago. I stayed with the brown/caramel theme as it was easier to work with in the class. This is a photo of the two cards.




The first card has a pocket inside that one can pop a voucher or a special letter into, but still have a place to stamp a sentiment on the outside of the pocket. I left it blank so each lady could personalise her own card.
The front of the card is an embossed panel using Distress Markers and the Sizzex folder, Animal Print, and cut with the 2 Die 4 dies, Bulging Rectangle. The little rectangle was embossed first, then swiped with the Versamark Watermark pad and sprinkled with Gold Embossing powder before heating. Very effective.
The sentiment stamp is from a Hero Arts set.



The second card is a fabulous folded card. The front panel was embossed with Distress Markers and the Houndstooth folder. The bottom panel was embossed with a Diamond folder. The front mount was stamped with the Hero Arts Stripes pad that was coloured with Distress Markers before stamping. The car was stamped onto acetate using Staz-on ink. It is from a Darkroom Door set I have. The stripes and acetate images were mounted onto dark brown board and attached with big brass eyelets. The sentiment was from Hero Arts. Lots of room to write a message on the inside of the folder, that was punched with a Martha Stewart Checkerboard edge punch.


I do hope this has inspired you to get busy with Father's Day Cards. For a change, my Dad's card is well on it's way to him and perhaps he will receive it in time, but only if he remembers to clear his post box!!


Thanks for the visit.