A is for Anne

I doodled this little tangle this morning, whilst killing time waiting for my eyes to return to normal after having drops at the eye clinic this morning.  Was quite surprised how well it turned out considering I couldn't see that well.    My hubby had his weekly dressing treatment at the surgery this morning, so I created this for his nurse Anne, as I had promised to show her some of my "tangles".

I felt compelled to do something creative today, as I spent yesterday doing absolutely nothing, apart from sitting on facebook chatting to various members of the family, whilst we waited news of birth of my newest grandchild.  (I have never known so many of the family and friends be on FB at one time wiating for news!)

My son and DIL went to the hospital yesterday morning, as DIL was having contractions.  Everything seemed to be going well for a while and we were all waiting with baited breath, and then after lunch it all STOPPED!   This morning just as I was leaving for the eye clinic, my son rang to say he had come  home during the night, and was going to pick Kate up as they were sending her home!   They were devastated as she is already a week overdue, and originally the midwives thought it would arrive early as baby was so big!   So we wait again for it all to kick off.   The burning question is will it or won't it be a Leap Year baby!  Hopefully she is getting some rest, and renewing her strength for the big push!

I hope it won't be too long - apart from anything else, her father flew over from Switzerland yesterday to see the baby - we were at one point taking bets on who would arrive first him or the baby - obviously he won.  I haven't heard whether he is staying on or has gone back to work! 

So if anybody has got any positive vibes spare - could they direct them at Kate and get this baby moving!

Mags

Surprise Award.

ooo - I have received an award.  How lovely is that.  Received from an FB friend Fiona.  Do have a look at her blog - she does some fab stuff. http://fiona-the-craftyenthusiast.blogspot.com/ .  Thank you so much Fiona.  If I become half as good a crafter as you - I shall be well pleased!

The idea of the Liebster Blog Award is to spread the love from one small blog (under 200 followers) to other small blogs. This helps to spread knowledge and readership.

To accept the award, you must:

1) Link back to the person who gave it and thank them for thinking of you.

2) Post the award to your blog.

3) Give the award to 5 bloggers (with less than 200 followers) that you appreciate and value.

4) Leave a comment on the blogs of the five people you have chosen to let them know.

"Liebster" in German means "dearest", so to carry on the Liebster tradition, I am going to pass the award on to 5 people who's blogs have been an inspiration to me and my crafting
 
and here is a selection of blogs that I follow (in no particular order) that I would like to pass on the award to:

Beryl: http://bikshome.blogspot.com/
Pamela: http://pamelascraftspot.blogspot.com/
Hazel: http://hazel-hazelshappyhouse.blogspot.com/
Tess: http://craftytess.blogspot.com/
Debbie: http://debbiescardinspirations.blogspot.com/

Hugs

Mags

Heavy Metal Zentangle

Another Zentangle!  Hope you are not getting bored with them.  This one is for my niece Natalie who is into Heavy Metal music.  (I googled heavy metal for some inspiration and the blue symbols in the top right-hand corner seem to recur in a lot of posters - so had to use those.  I didn't manage to incorporate a guitar as she likes playing hers, but I did put the keyboard on for a smidgen of music.  Wasn't quite sure about the nuts and bolt representation, but they are "heavy metal"!   Coloured as the previous one with the 2012 spring edition Promarkers.



Close up of Tangle



Thanks for popping by.

Mags

ps must just add that my daughter Dawn tweeted her Guiding Tangle to WAGGS (World Association of Girld Guides) who in turn tweeted it to all WAGGS members around the World!   How Fab!



Thinking Day Zentangle



Thinking Day Zentangle



Today I am sharing something special created by my daughter.  She did this for Thinking Day.   February 22nd  is the day Guides (and Scouts) remember the founders of their movements Lord and Lady Baden-Powell  It was their joint birthdays.

So for all Guiding and Scouting pals (past and present) and any followers that have been part of Guiding at some point in their lives - Happy Thinking Day.

Mags

Donna Zentangle

Well the title says it all really.  Another Zentangle from me for a crafty friend's birthday.  Coloured with the Spring 2012 Promarkers.

Thanks for looking.

Mags

New Baby Card

A simple card for friends of my son, who have just had a new addition to their family.   Created with MCS The Artist Collection - Smudge.

Riley wasn't due to arrive into the world until beginning of March - he has beaten my newest grandchild into the world!  (Our latest grandchild is due tomorrow - will it or won't it arrive on time?  Hurry up baby I want to meet you!)

Mags

sunset





February sunset

  

No craft from me today - although I have been busy preparing some zentangles for some birthday cards and colouring some images from the new Inklined  "The Next Big Thing" cd.   All I can say is WOW it is one brilliant cd - it took me ages to browse the images, and when it came to printing some off - heck I couldn't decided what I wanted to do first!

Anyway I just thought I would share this photo that I took from our front door yesterday evening - what a fab sunset.   (Mind you we didn't have a brilliant sunny day to follow it!)



another view



and another couple



 Mags

Beaded Brooch

Having made my Shamballa bracelet yesterday, I then set about making a brooch.  I had this idea in my head, and sat and played to try and achieve the result I wanted.   I had originally wanted it a bit larger, but was limited by size of the brooch back I had.  I don't know if they make brooch backs in a round shape, I shall have to do some research as that is what I really need - a bit like the bases you can get for a ring.

I could possibly have achieved a slightly different result by just threading the beads on wire and weaving them on - might try that another time, would be a darn sight quicker than preparing all those eyepins!

The centre is a sort of ribbon button that I wired to the brooch back to start with.  I then attached the beads through some of the outer loops of the centre and also on to the brooch back.    Some of the beads, have seed beads on them as well as the larger ones, as typical the colours I wanted to use - the holes were too big for eye pins!

Thanks for dropping by.

Mags

Shamballa Bracelet

Pink Shamballa

At last I have got around to making a Shamballa bracelet - been meaning to try for ages.  I even bought some beads at Sandown last month!  Of course this actually meant that I learned to do macramé for the first time too.

Am quite pleased with my first attempt.   Shall now look out for some of the beads with a groove in them to take the cord.   I also want some smaller beads to make some less chunkier ones.   Hope there are some on sale at Farnborough in a couple of weeks - if not shall have to wait until Sandown at end of March.

If anybody wants to have a go - here are a couple of links:

http://www.spoiltrottenbeads.co.uk/make-a-shamballa-style-bead-bracelet-845-c.asp

and for visual learning of the knots. (this video used 4 strands, but the bracelet just has the one central strand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBHnJhcwfQo

Mags

Granddaughter's efforts

A couple of weeks ago I spent an afternoon crafting with my youngest grandchildren.  They had the option of card craft of jewellery craft.  They chose cardmaking and at last I have obtained photos of the cards they made for their aunt, and thought as I had nothing of my own to share today I would share their finished cards.  They each designed their own card, I just provided some card and stash to boost their own craft stash, plus punches to choose from.  My job was to be in charge of the guillotine for trimming card!

 

 

The first one was made by the five year old.   She liked my new tonic punch, and managed the border very well. (they really are easy to use punches).   Good job the card was being hand-delivered as I think the beads she chose from my jewellery stash were a tad large! although they look good on the giant papermania flowers.  I showed her how to mat and layer her sentiment.  "oh Nanny I like how you do that, I am always going to do it - it makes it look like a bought card".

 

This second one was made by the two year old.  Her big sister actually stamped the Happy Birthday image, and then decided she wasn't going to use it on her card so her young sister decided to use it, and of course she wanted it matted and layered too, so I helped her with this, but she used the tape pen! 

I gather that when she knew I was coming over to do some craft, she was a bit upset and said to her Mum:  "But I am too little to craft, Mummy".   I don't think so!  I think she made an excellent job, and she has no trouble with a tape pen or foam pads and can manage peel-offs!

I make no apologies for being a proud Nanny for today's post, as I think we have two more crafters in the making! 

Mags

Bird of Paradise

I made this card for my daughter-in-law whose birthday is the same day as my granddaughter's.  I love this Jane Shasky image from Joanna's "from the heart of the garden cd.  It is not often I use orange on my cards.

I printed out the image twice and decoupaged the flowers.  I had the idea of using some of my beading cord to decoupage the twig on the image, but it didn't quite work - so used two lengths of diffent colours intertwined instead of ribbon.  The flowers in the corner aren't quite as dark as they appear in the photo, they are actually same orange as in the ribbon bow.

I also made her a cake.  I know her mum quite often makes her a chocolate cake for her birthday, and as the birth of our new grandchild is imminent, and as I wasn't sure if she would end up giving birth to another Valentine's Day baby,  decided to opt for a cake that would keep - just in case.   

I know she likes Cherry Cake, so that is what I made, and added a bit of water-icing on top and some cherries.  (I think it looks like a giant iced bun!).  The only thing I did wrong, was to follow the recipe and put all the ingredients in together, and then use the Kenwood, which of course blitzed all the cherries!  Was a bit miffed as I had put in a lot more than the recipe stated - should have mixed it by hand!  (or put in the cherries at the end! - duly noted for next time!)  Anyway I threw in even more whole cherries when I realised my mistake!  so even if doesn't look like there are a lot of cherries in it - it should definitely taste of cherries! LOL!

Mags

Blue necklace

Blue chip floating  necklace and memory wire bracelet

Made this last night as an extra little pressie for my granddaughter.  First time I have used tigertail.  The little blue "chip" beads were a present from my pal Sassie, think she will approve that I have made something for Ellie with them!  I also added a few little pearls.   I then made a complimenting bracelet with some memory wire.

another view

Thanks for popping by.

Mags

Ballet Shoe Birthday Cake

Have had a busy day today - making and icing family birthday cakes, and also making a necklace for a birthday present.

This one is for my granddaughter, she is giving up ballet shortly after her next exam, and concentrating on her tap and street dance, which will give her more time on a Saturday reducing her lessons from 3 to 2 hours!  She is a busy little bee with swimming lessons, Brownies, doing all her craft and homework, so something has had to give!  So I thought it only apt that I make her a cake with ballet shoes on before it is too late.  (I remember doing a similar cake for her mum when she was Ellie's age!)

I can report that she loves the cake, albeit it is pink, (not her favourite colour, but you don't see ballet shoes in purple!) as they called in with the cake board for it whilst I was in the last throws of icing it and didn't have time to hide it!

Fortunately there will still be a surprise as having received the board and iced it, I made a few quick roses (I call them marzipan roses, although they were made of sugarpaste!) to put on the board.  Knowing that she really likes blues and purples, I edged the pink roses with some purple!

This evening I have sat and made her a little necklace and bracelet, so will share that tomorrow.

Thanks for dropping in!

Mags

Daisy Card

As you can see I used one of yesterday's toppers on a card today.  This was quite different from the card I had sketched out in my head.  It was a toss up whether to use the guinea pig image from furry friends or one of the Daisy and Friends images I had coloured  - decisions, decisions.

Anyway this image won, and I put the one of the girl laying down on the back - as for the guinea pig image - that went on the insert!  (Me indecisive? nah - just can't make up my mind - so used all of them! LOL!)  Actually as Ellie is into Zentangle the choice of the main topper was really a no-brainer in the end!.

My granddaughter is not a "pink" person, so found this lovely purple card in my stash (think it was some C & C card from Wilkinson's).   Topper was mounted on silver mirri with a holographic ric rac peel-off around it.  Sentiment was on deep purple mirri.  I used my new tonic punch for the faux ribbon, and then ran a couple of the promarkers I used in the image over some flowers from my latest Docrafts  Goody Bag to tone in (they were originally white with pink spots), and finished them off with some little flower gems from my stash.

Hope she likes it - can't believe she is going to be 10 this week!

Mags

ps I have now entered this in the Whoopsi Daisy Challenge - have never entered a challenge before!   http://cutedaisymay.blogspot.com/

Daisy and Friends meet new Promarkers!

We have had the tree surgeons here today, sorting out our oak trees, so to keep myself occupied between making them cuppas, and standing fascinated watching them work, I decided to play with my new spring 2012 edition Promarkers.  I think these images are going to find their way on to birthday cards for the granddaughters this year - they are so cute!  As all the girls do ballet, I chose the ballet themed ones to colour today.



This one reminds me of middle granddaughter



This one could be my youngest granddaughter!



Thes two remind me of the soon to be 10 year old



couldn't resist a little zentangle on the present!



It is eldest granddaughter's 10th birthday next week and she is into Zentangle - so think this last image is going to appear somewhere on her card!

Mags

Easter Zentangle

Tonight's effort whilst watching "Midwives" - I wanted to do something with a word - and Easter just sprang to mind.  I had intended to do just the wording in colour, but I got sort of carried away with the promarkers!

I am hoping that I can soon get my hands on the new 2012 spring colours - think it would look good in those!

Mags

Neigh!

A card for a horse lover today.  Image and baking paper  from Joanna Sheen Furry Friends cd, mounted on a pearlescent card.  Computer generated sentiment and the flowers were the "waste" from a Tonic punch. 

Thanks for dropping by.

Mags