More Crafty Makes

Hello friends!

I know I promised you a special post leaving you with a bit of a cliffhanger and keeping you in suspenders. However, life, or in this case Christmas gets in the way and that might be a post or two away now. I hope to get that special post up before Christmas.

This is just a quick share of some crafty makes I've been doing, this is what got in the way of the special announcement post. I love making small boxes and custom envelopes to accommodate gifts. I do my best to make the boxes reusable. I've made quite a few for myself for different purposes. I put my index card art in them and they fit perfectly because I customize the size to fit.  Anyway, I hope the recipients will either reuse the boxes for gifting or better still use them for storing small bits and bobs in maybe in their dresser drawer.

I made this box using 300gsm cardstock and strengthened it by lining it with the same card. So I suppose that makes it 600 gsm. I used a Martha Stewart Snowflake border punch and I colored in the band using alcohol ink and then I stuck that to the box which also gave extra rigidity.

I then had to make an envelope for a CD. I used a different type of punch to make a band around the outside.

Finally, using the same type of punch, but with a different design I made this greetings card. It's a very clever punch. It's just one motif, but it comes with instructions on how to place it to make an all over pattern. After I punched it out in the red card I cut a piece of plain glitter paper for a liner underneath. I used the same type of glitter paper to back the motif, which was cut out on the back of the envelope. I do like to do things that coordinate or tie in with each other. and punching the motif on the back of the envelope ties it all together.

I've had these punches, and many more Martha Stewart products, for years and not bothered using them. So it's high time I did something with them, don't you think? I am notorious for buying things that seem like a good idea at the time, then they languish in boxes and drawers.

Had the pandemic not happened, and had my health not failed me so, it had been my intention to set up a small cottage industry making custom designed cards and boxes for sale as a supplementary income. It was not to be.

Until next time.

Stay safe stay well.

Debbie.  xx

And That's A Wrap Advent Day 24

Hello friends!

Thank you for sticking with me for 24 consecutive days{with one small blip in the middle} and looking at the advent calendar. I hope you have enjoyed seeing it daily as much I have enjoyed sharing it. After today I probably won't be writing for a little while now, probably the next time I write will be in 10 days or so with the name of the winner of my little giveaway.

So here without further ado we have door number 24 and it is a door so I think we have found where the key belongs at last!  It is very well hidden indeed!

I spent many evenings through November making some simple Christmas cards. I like to make things, but making has become more important than ever now because it's a therapy for my hands and coordination, and although it doesn't eliminate the tremors, the more I can do to keep my brain connecting with whatever it is that makes the commands happen, hopefully the longer I can delay the progression of this horrible disease.   

I used a variety of materials that I had on hand including pre cut shapes, die cut shapes, embossing, and more with everything being hand coloured using mostly alcohol inks with some watercolour, and a few gel pens, and glossy accents. I enjoyed making them so much but I ended up not sending any so as most of them are generic to winter rather than to Christmas they may be going out as Happy Winter cards instead.

 

Well yesterday I became the recipient of one of those wonderful ”pay it forward” gestures. A delivery person came to the door and we were chatting about different things and I just happened to mention to him the difficulties we've been having in this area over eggs.  I thanked him for bringing my parcel up I wished him a happy Christmas and off he went.  a few minutes later there was a top at the door and I opened it and he was back holding out a dozen eggs for me! I offered to pay him and he said no, he'd bought the last box of eggs in the butchers shop, wished me a Merry Christmas and on he went! Needless to say I ended up in floods of tears absolutely choked with his kindness.

On that note of joy, I  wish you all 

A very Happy Christmas

and a

Happy Healthy New Year 2023.

Until next time

Stay safe, stay well, stay warm

Debbie xo

Springtime and Gratitude

Hello Friends!

I hope you are all keeping safe and well?  These lockdown conditions are not easy for any of us, not even for one of hermit like tendencies such as me.  I hope you are finding ways to keep your spirits up?

Although there is a lot, and I mean an awful lot, of work to be done in my garden before it is properly back on track, I had hoped to get my raised beds in order this Spring.  They're new, so need assembling along with compost and topsoil to fill.  Can you believe that I missed getting the compost delivered by less than half a day!  With lockdown looking set to continue, the possibilities of securing some now look remote.

Thankfully, I found some bags from last year, but nowhere near enough to fill even one raised bed, so I must prioritise how I will use it.  My only way forward now is pots.  Not my preferred way, but if I can produce enough salad crops {leaves, beetroot, spring onions and radish} in a few pots, it will be a good thing.  I found a packet of watercress seeds.  Watercress is apparently very high in nutritional value, and I like it, so that is a priority crop.  I have a couple of dustbins that have soil in, so I will try my runner beans in those.  I also think I might empty the compost pile, for there might be something good in there!

Everything else, my berries for example, will now have to rely on what would normally be the supplemental feeding.  I won't get a lot, but I will get something and for that I will be grateful.

Here are a few flower photos from the garden this week.

Wednesday this week saw a full moon super moon, also known as a Pink Moon.  No, the moon did not turn pink, apparently it is so called after the many pink wild flowers found at this time of year.

I took the first photo on Tuesday evening, it was cloudy and shortly after this was taken the clouds covered the view.

On Wednesday evening the sky was clear, and the super moon, the biggest of this year, filled my lens and spilled out of the frame.

Quite a difference between two evenings, don't you think?

I have been puttering a little with some media.  Here's a little countryside inspired picture I made with paints and stamps.  Umbels and seed heads are a particular favourite of mine.  Just faffing about with no direction in mind, just playing with what I have helps take my mind off the frightening situation in which we find ourselves now.

I am trying to find my muse, slowly but surely it will return, in this I trust.  I am starting to bake bread again, and began yesterday by baking my Hot Cross Buns for this Easter weekend.  They were not that bad considering I used out of date flour and yeast, but I will not waste food if I can help it.  Flour and yeast are both in short supply right now, so the nation must be baking!  This can only be a good thing.

Each day on Twitter, I try to post five things to be grateful for.  I find this a positive and often uplifting thing to do, reflecting each evening on five things that made me happy or for which I am deeply grateful.  If you are on Twitter I am @BeingMyHappy.

Stay Safe, Stay Well, My Friends!

Until next time
Deborah xo