Wow what a day! I have been at a buying event at the NEC in Birmingham today with work. I have seen lots of fantastic new products and have order loads of  them. It's been great to get some brand new stuff for the shop and hopefully a few new things for my personal stash. I've been stroking the stamps on PaperArtsy, I've been ooing and aahing over the new steampunk charms from Beads Unlimited and I've been dragging my heels past several new stamp suppliers. Really looking forward to getting my mitts on all the pretty stamps and things.

Hmm......Ok so I didn't make it back as soon as I thought and I still haven't got any exciting new things to show you. Don't you just hate it when every day stuff gets in the way of crafting.

I did manage to clear out some space in my jewellery supplies, firstly I sorted through various beads and picked out the ones I was never ever likely to use. I originally planned to put them on ebay to make a bit of money but I decided to put them to better use. I'm going to make them into cheap jewellery to give to the girls school, I've already gone through my ready made stuff and taken in a bag full for them to sell at the next fayre. So if I go dark for a few weeks it's because I'm trying to do something good (for a change).

On the plus side I know have more room in both my trolleys and hopefully I won't fill the supplies up too quickly.

Move along please, nothing to see here!

I've been a bit quiet on here I know, but I promise I've been a busy bee. I've been like a little Nana knitting away happily, I've also made a cute birthday card but I can't put it on here as the recipient is a nosey madam so she'd see it. : p

Anywho I'm sure I'll be back very soon so don't go anywhere.

I have been trying to post this for about 8 weeks, but for some reason every time I tried the picture came out upside down. So finally I have managed to get it on I will explain how it was created.

I know it looks really, really complicated so pay close attention and I will reveal all.
It's a box canvas with strips of different ribbon glued to it with pva glue! Yes that is all folks nothing difficult, jjust glue and ribbon. The sledge, reindeer and words were cut out using a Cricut machine. Then finally a few buttons glued to the top corners.
So was it worth the wait? Well I like it so I think so yes.

 This was an idea I came up with after a slow day at work.
The first picture is of a small felt purse, it's very simple to make by following the instructions.

1. Cut  a piece of light brown felt and a piece of dark brown felt in half, then cut about a third from each of these halves.
2. Cut each piece into a point at one end (2/5ths of the way down)
3. Add a press stud fastener to the two points (you can just see this as a small circle on the beak).
4. Sew the pale brown felt down to the body to create the base for the beak.
5. Put the two pieces of felt together, with the sewn beak on the inside. Now sew the two pieces of felt together at the two sides and the bottom, leaving the top 'flap' loose.
6. Finally turn the whole thing the right way round and sew on the eye buttons.

The second picture is a stuffed toy made in the same way as the purse only skip stages 3 and 4. Instead after sewing the body together stuff with wadding and sew across the top. Finally sew the beak down and sew the eyes on.

This is another quick card using a stamped image, a punch, a piece of ribbon and some pearlised gems.
The stamp was one of the Gorjuss girl stamps, she is so cute I couldn't resist her.
The punch is one from the Martha Stewart range.
Then I added a peel off greeting, some spotty ribbon and a few gems.
Simples!

This is a quick card for a friends birthday who was inconsiderate enough to have a birthday at the beginning of January. The background is an embossing folder called drink me and the cat in a box is a stamped image I have coloured using my promarkers.