Briefcase card

The latest issue of the Time for Crafting magazine is online now.

There are projects, templates, a competition to win a Cricut, and lots more.

They even have a free 'Taster' magazine on the home page!

One of the projects is for a briefcase card - so I had a go at it.

It was a fun project to create.  

I thought I would make something different than you'd expect.

This is the front - I have used Websters lovely paper and cut out some images and collaged them onto the briefcase to give it depth and texture

And this is it with the flap of the briefcase down.   I have dyed the lace on the handle to co-ordinate with the chinese lanterns - and of course I coloured the handle to match

It makes a lovely little card - here is the inside with room for a message and you can see the underside of the front flap with a co-ordinating pattern of chinese lanterns

 I thought that next time I would add a pocket to hold perhaps a £10 note, or a gift token or a little piece of jewellery.

This is the back of it.

The little girl with the butterfly is printed onto material - I thought her colouring just matched perfectly.

This little brief case is so versatile you could adapt it for all sorts of occassions.

It would, of course, be ideal for a male card with money or tokens or vouchers inside.

The template comes with straps and buckles - to make it look like a real briefcase - I just chose to omit them on mine.

Topiary Tree Flower Arrangement

I so enjoyed the workshop I attended earlier in the month when I made the topiary tree design, that on impulse this afternoon I made another.

We had to go into town today, so popped into the small supermarket where I bought the lovely Sweet Williams and a bunch of roses.

I used sprigs of bay from a tree in my garden, and for a filler I used variegated pittosporum.

It took me half an hour to make

And only cost £6 for the flowers.

It actually looked nice without the flowers in it, so I might make a smaller one with just foliage from the garden.

It makes the lounge smell wonderful

Daydreaming and busy buzzing bees

It's been so very very hot and I had to stay indoors out of the sun.  Instead I sat in the conservatory and looked out of the windows onto the garden.

Little bantams chasing butterflies and insects, hiding in amongst all the flowers and shrubs laying eggs that I can never find - and just running around full of joy.
In the flowerbed near the window, there were bees buzzing in and out of the orange calendula, and alstromeria, and very soon they had a 'coat' of orange dust on their backs as they collected pollen.

I thought I saw a little fairy amongst the flowers - but I must have been day-dreaming.  Or was I?

Well there's a little bee - whizzing around so fast it's a bit blurry

I wasn't dreaming - there is a little fairy nestled in the flowers

There is gold fairy dust on her wings and crown but it is hard to see, it did look so lovely in the sunshine though

She's a fairy princess called Jasmin, with her magical bumble bees

And she is hiding a surprise for little Kerys on her birthday

It's a magic wallet!  Keep watching that money

You blinked and missed it!

It's jumped from one side to the other!

Open it one way and the money is on one side - close it and open it again - and its jumped to the other!

These days children seem to want money instead of presents, but I do miss the 'old days'. 

We will be adding a cheque too of course for Mum and Dad to put into her savings account.

I do think it is nice to have something that no-one else will have, their very own magical fairy wallet!

Slim enough to pop into an envelope - and can be used for all sorts of occassions other than a birthday.  And something that will last longer than a birthday card - hopefully! 

Stamps used:  Stampotique designed by Jo Capper Sandon are:  Jasmin, tiny bee, crown, and bow heart.  Available as before from Happy Daze -  and a link in my side bar.

The fabulous template for the magic wallet is a download from Time For Crafting  -  and a link in side bar.

It's called 'Jacob's Wallet'. 

The great thing about the templates on Time For Crafting is that you can use your own imagination and turn them into anything you like - as I have done here to create something a little bit different.

I am entering this in the Lots to do Challenge

What's on the menu today then?

I have used Jo Capper Sandon's  Stampotique giant 'shroom, daisy, and bow heart stamps (available from Happy Daze see link on sidebar) to create this tag for a 'Cuisine' tag swap.

Can you guess what is on the menu?

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It's chicken and mushroom pie

The Pi symbol I have drawn on the little heart.

And the chicken is a rare breed - so won't end up in a pie really!

Math's was one of my favourite subjects at school!

I hear a mass groan!

Slide Mailer

You can probably guess by the cover that it features Venice.

And the sentiment

'All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveller is unaware'

I have re-stamped the sentiment since I took this photo.

Well this is my first attempt at altering a slide mailer - and as usual it tells a story!

I started this by inking up the dark cardboard all over, then stamped on top with acrylic paints

I rubbed over some stickles to give it a flavour of the 'carnival' and used lovely images from the Crafty Individuals book.

As you can see, the microscope slides have been edged with silver tape and inked with alcohol ink colours to tone with those of the mailer

The back cover - with another C.I. image.

I used ribbons to bind the spine to make it look like a book

The inspiration for this came from a four day break I spent in Venice in 1994.

Little did I know that it would change my life forever!

This is for a swap - so I won't be seeing it again - but I do have my memories, and living happily ever after with the gentleman who shook my hand and gave me a polite 'peck' on the cheek, whilst standing on the steps with a group of strangers, overlooking the bridges and canals of Venice, as the bells rang out, the clocks chimed, and the sky was alight with fireworks to welcome in the New Year!

More stamping with Jo Capper Sandon

I didn't mean that I actually did some stamping with Jo - in my dreams!

I meant that I used her latest stamps to make a card - and silly me - I forgot to blog it!

Floral Art

On Wednesday I spent two hours in the afternoon doing a bit of floral art. 

Topiary - which I haven't tried before.

Above is the arrangement my tutor made.  I just love the colours - yellow and blue - so I bought it off her for my home. 

And here is my effort below

I tried taking a photo in the garden, but the sun was too bright.

We live in such a tiny bungalow that it is hard to get a decent photo!

To make it you just need a pot of any description and sticks/pole for a 'trunk', which you cement into the container.

Wrap some rubber bands around the top of the 'trunk' and after soaking a piece of floral foam (either a ball or a piece which you cut from a block), push it onto the trunk to sit on the rubber bands, and away you go!  I put foliage in first then filled it out with flowers.

It was a bit of a 'knack' to get it ball shaped, and of course I had to 'alter it' with a bit of hessian - but I really enjoyed the couple of hours and it's great to have flowers in the house and it only cost me £15 all together including the cost of the lesson!

Once these flowers die, I will just put another piece of foam on top and make another!

It'll look great as a Christmas arrangement for my porch - just imagine a topiary tree of holly and ivy and conifer or box hedge with oranges and nuts etc in it.

July we are making an arrangement with a breeze block - the mind boggles!