baby pram

I'm really enjoying shapes at the moment and I'm half way through a couple of other things but I made this last night, after seemingly hours of trying to get baby to bed. She is a little minx and I think I need Jo Frost to teach me how to get her in a bedtime routine - I react emotionally and too quickly to her crying and so she has me totally sussed now - somedays I don't mind and she only takes half an hour to feed and get to sleep, other nights(and always when I have things to do!), it can take over 2 hours and by the end of it I'm drained.
Anyhow, I cobbled together this little pram using the same build as you go technique as the train (honestly it is easy - I can never find a ruler so there's no measuring or stuff). I started with the a box for a base and then drew around a bowl to make a circle, I cut each circle in half and then folded and glued it together to make - A SEMI CIRCLE! Difficult stuff huh? I took a strip of card wider than the base and cut tabs along both sides then using double sided tape stuck it along each side of the curved part of the semi-circles to make the hood. This was then taped to the base. Nestabiliites made layered wheels and I added a jewel brad to the centre and I curved strips of card over a apray can to make the handles.A little cardboard coverlet with some lace went inside and I lined the hood and covered the exposed tabs with pink gingham card. A bit of embellishing and I was done, just as well as it was way past bedtime - I'm going to rework the handles, I tried using a wooden piece with beads but it was too heavy and I never like the look of the wire ones. The finished pram is just the right size to tuck 3 pairs of newborn socks into or perhaps a baby mini album, if you have time for more creating!
tfl and enjoy the rest of the week.

treating myself

To my first proper day off since Brie was born, she is nearly 10 months now and what with breastfeeding and letting her sleep in my bed (can't get her out of it now though!), I think it's time for a bit of me time. So I booked my class today at the An Siopa Bui Extravaganza next weekend - I'm doing advanced cards with Philomena Sullivan and then a Flowersoft class with Helen and I can't wait. It's practice for the main event - The Great Big Craft Event in Athlone at the end of September, I'm teaching a two hour class using the new Spellbinders dies and nestabilities - my dies should arrive tomorrow, fingers crossed - DHL has them at their depot....all I need is time to play.
Quick anniverary card with the sizzix pop up platform inside, forgot to take a pic of that bit though. duh.

Do I like a challenge?

Well I do and I have the best of intentions but then real life catches up and lately the only cards have been sample invites that take all my time and energy, then come to nothing. I've had nothing left over for "fun" makes.
But by some miracle both my children went to bed by half eight last night and I made this little train with cards. It's a First birthday card for twins - I made congratultaions cards for them last year, they were very premature and I can remember worrying about suitable wording in the circumstances but now they are two bright nearly toddlers and their Aunt, Marie, wanted a special card.
I didn't use a template, I just tried a prototype (the one with A on the front) and then put it together as I went along. It's literally a series of boxes or part boxes for the basic shape and then nestabilities circles for the wheels, cylinder ends and buffers. I made little boxes for carriages and each carriage has a simple monogram card - one for each boy. To package it I made a 2 inch deep box base with 2 card loops that went over the front and back, then wrapped cellophane over the whole thing.I've left it open at the back, as I thought it would be nice to add chocolate buttons or something into the back of the train.
It was a really fun make - dd wants one (of course) - it's her birhtday next month and time permitting my aim is to try a purple one (her fave colour) with Dora the Explorer in the train and Boots and entourage as passengers in the carriages... watch this space.

wild west wedding

Tis been a long time since I blogged but I have been keeping my blog eye on everything! With CHA in the US I have been too busy drooling over peoples creations and making yet more wish lists to actually make anything.
Our friends are getting married in November and are having a wild west themed wedding - Yeeeehaaaa! So here's my first attempt at their wedding invitation - it needs tweaking, I've added real rivets but still think it needs a bit more dimension. The white background is for the photo and not part of the invitation - it's just on a brown mat.

salad days

Not a card to be seen lately - busy trying to keep the slugs at bay - I had an attempt at growing veg this year. The spuds are doing magnificently and I'm waiting patiently for a crop of white floury potatoes but my peas befell the cows from the field next door, they broke through and seemingly bored with grass took the top of my pea patch but there is still a nice crop coming on.
And so to why I have shown you my lunch - this is my first from my garden dinner. The salad leaves, scallion, beetroot and garden mint are all grown by me - the tomato came from a friend's greenhouse and had that gorgeous, warm smell that a tomato should have.
I thought it looked so bright and colourful, I could make it into a card!