Vanity Challenge Peek

I was photographing my Vanity Challenge Entry last night for the Crafts Beautiful Forum and, to my dismay the pictures were rather dark, even though you could see the pictures well, but I was not very happy with them. So, I have posted a small peek of my entry on the Papercrafting Thread just to get crafters minds thinking and curious, because that's what I like to do!

Anyway! I have a photo of my peek of my Vanity challenge entry for others to see as well as those on the members list of Crafts Beautiful. I thought it would be fun to let you guess what my entry is, and send out a surprise prize for the person who guesses it right first!! I have decided to entrer a post of my Vanity Entry a couple of days before the challenge closes to allow for all those crafters to guess and leave a comment here on my blog! You can also leave a comment of a guess on my thread of the peek on the Papercrafting Thread! Godluck all!

Just want to say that One Person has guessed half right and another has too. x x x

Wedding Acceptance Cards

We have been invited to a couple more Weddings this year, one at he end of July to my uni friends', and the other in August to my old school friends'. I am very much excited with these weddings and so, I thought they would like a handcrafted Acceptance card for a change. Ihave had thorough enjoyment doing these two cards for the two Happy Couples getting married soon. I used my punches, as you can see, and used my layering of papers technique that I have been enjoying doing for a while now! It took me a litle time than normal to choose what papers to use and what went with what paper. If it was not for that I would have done these Aceeptances quicker than I had. Hope you like them. :0)

x x x

Inspiration

Younger than me and very talented for what she does, the remarakable Charlotte Liddle, who came away with an Honours degree in Textiles from Huddersfield is a big inspiration on me! Guess, with having studies textiles myself I truly understand the hard work that goes into such a degree. Textiles are something quite unique and special no matter who makes things. We can all make textiles in some form. I saw some projects done by Charlotte Liddle a few months ago (pictures shown) and fell in love with her notebook and badges she created. I adore the textile feel to them and the colours are just remarkable. Charlotte was and stil is the reason for me making my own peg bag. I have just found out from Feejay 9crafts Beautiful Member) that Charlottle did a peg bag project in an issue of CB, so I am going off to find it and have a re-look at it and see what to do with my peg bag next. x x x

Papercraft Essentials Issue 31

Just ythe other day I purchased my issue of this months Papercraft Essentials mag. and I was best pleased that I did as it was full of interesting projects, blooming with colour and excellent free papers and some interesting features too. I had a very pleasnt read of it and recommend it to anyone who enjoys this magazine as much as I do. :0) x

Along with the issue you got this fabulous booklet of free papers with 24/25 sheets in it. There are numerous gorgeous papers and below is one I particlary like. I shall be using some of my free papers from this issue and I shall post out others I do not use in RAKS. So keep your eye out those of you on the CB Forum.

Inside this issue I saw a set of stamps featured of Trendy Teens. I was quite taken to the Ballerina more than the others. The one with the sword.....well...I'm not so sure abvout to be honest. Looks like somethjing MentalSarcasm would like, I think!....This is called the Kerry Jo stamp set which you can get from Debi Moores website www.debbimoore.co.uk £14.99. These are said to be the "hottest stamps out right now".

You get a shopping Ideas page in every issue, and I usually always find that there is something that I like in this section. In this issue 31. I was drawn to these floral papers. New to Fancy Pants which you can get from here http://www.creative-expressions.uk.com/ at 80p a sheet.

Papercraft Essentials Issue 31

These cards above are featured in this issue of Papercraft Essentials. Fun and funky animal cards that really captured my eye. I just adore the Mouse card as it uses my favourite colours and I like the patchwork on it. Hope you like them too! There are more animal cards like these I just wanted to show a few. ;0)

A Card to be Featured in Crafts Beautiful

How thrilled was I to be asked for some of my cards to be featured as Projects in the wonderful and most popular craft magazine, Crafts Beautiful! I was beyond delighted as you can well imagine. So here, above, is an advertisement feature of one of my cards coming in the small free booklet that comes with the issue every month. I was in awe as soon as I set my eyes on this and could not quite believe that this was it! I was overjoyed and dancing around all the rooms, showing my husband Paul! I was ever so excited and even more so when I saw my cards published as projects in the free booklet.

Your In My Thoughts Card

A handcrafted card made for someone especially for this extremely special friend of mine was in need of my love and thoughtfullness so, I just wanted to give her something made with my own two hands. This specia friend is a regular member of the Crafts Beautiful Forum and has so much love and friendliness and thoughtfullness in her. As I have witten for the card below this one, I have read that a few people on the CB forum have been unwell and on a low level due to personal reasons. So, I wanted to bring some happiness and brighten their day by handcrafting something by me to cheer them up and just to say "Your In MyThoughts". I used my favourite Amy Butler fabrics here and one of her papers from the Belle Collection. I punched out some flower motifs for the centre of the design and then finished off with some punched out butterflies added onto each corner and, glued on a Pink flower sequin and white bead on the centred flower.

Your In My Thoughts Card

A couple of days ago I started to make some few cards for some good friends of mine on the Crafts Beautiful Forum just to say "Your In My Thoughts". I have been reading some posts where people have not been well or are not on a good level right now for personal reasons, so thought it would be lovely to handcraft a card for those that need some special love from me!

The card below was handcrafted especially for Louise Corke aka. Pinkpuppy from Crafts Beautiful Forum. As you may all know she has had some sad news about her Mum today and I have them all in my prayers right now. I give her my strength and thoughtfullness! And hope she recewives this card tomorrow if not received already. I used Anna Griffin Graphic paper, Basic Grey Sultry paper and Amy Butler Belle paper, stitched on flower sequins and white beads using gold metallic thread and used my flower Woodware punch to create the flowers in the centre.

Uh Oh!

Recently I have been thinking about doing something about m,y Peg Bag situation as, my Peg Bag is all rotten, marked and un-ineresting, and lost it's cord! Last year I started making my very own peg bag as I have all this fabric in my craft fabric box. It has been sat in my craft wardrobe since I moved in to my new house, mid-december, and not been touched. So....I am desperate for a new Peg Bag and, am thinking of finishing off the one I have started. All I have done is stitched together the 4 panels and now, need to stitch the inner top edges and create a handle of some sort to allow to hang. Mmmmm! WHat shall I use for this??? Ribbon? Wire hanger? or something else? I'm thinking ribbon! And I am thinking of maybe embellishing a little bit onto each side of my peg bag too.

Pictured are photos showing you the front and the back of my Peg Bag that I have started off, now to figure out what step to take next.

Anyway Keep your eye out for this as I really need to finish this off as all my Pegs are lying out on the ground out in my beautiful garden.

Natalie x x x ;0)

Crafts Beautiful Project feature

I am a big big big fan of Amy Butlers Design Patterns for fabric and papers! And have been for a year now! I created quite a few cards using fat quarters of her fabrics, bought from www.antiqueangel.co.uk. I have shown two pictures of my makes using the fabrics down below. This fabric is called Duck Egg. These are two very simple cards to make and result in a exciting bold finish. The second card below, was featured in the July Crafts Beautiful small booklet of Quick Makes and gives you my step-by-step instructions. Sarah Crosland, the Editor of Crafts Beautiful, and Sarah Capel are both the reason for two of my cards being featured as projects so I than them truly from the bottom of my heart! Such an honour and fullfillment to be part of the magazine and becoming a Designer for them. What a joy it is! I am still Smiling! Anyone wanting to be where I am I advise you to start sending in your Cards and other makes continuously! That is how it worked for me plus, the uniqueness of my cards helped too.

Thank you very much for looking girlz!! Hope you like the makes! Again, I will be showing more of my handcrafted cards in future coming Crafts Beautiful Monthly issues, so keep your eye out.

Natalie x x x ;0)

Where's It Gone???

Okay! So I had planned to blog some of my makes this afternoon while Ava had her nap but, when I came to the computer there was no camera lying around in sight. Darling husband Paul, has gone to work out today at the shop we had to close down, as he is renovating it himself. Paul must have taken the Camera with him to take some photos of the stag the shop is at nowadays! Aww well, tonight I shall blog my new makes as DH is off out to Jujitsu so shall do it then. ANyway, it has given me the chance to leave some comments on other peoples Blogs. Made a good start to them too. More blog browsing to do though, there are so many to get round!

Natalie x

Feejays Blog Candy

Feejay on the Crafts Beautiful Craft Forum has some Blog Candy up for grabs filled with stunning clear stamped images of the New Magnolias an Sarah Kay Stamps, some Sue Dreamer Charms and DCWV ribbon. To be in with a chance to win her Blog Candy simply visit her Blog http://jennifer-phoenixcrafts.blogspot.com/ leave a comment on the particular post and leave a note of your blog. Goodluck to you all that Enter this Wonderful and Delightful Blog Candy! that Feejay has very generously given up for grabs!

Natalie
x x x

My Sisters

Paul and I were at a wedding last weekend in a beautiful village called, Lennoxlove, outside Haddington, off the A1. We had such an enjoyable day and the sun shone for the Newly Weds, as I suspected it would do.

Below, is a picture of myself (wearing the white dress), Jennifer (my elder sister xpecting in 5 weeks time) and Stephanie (younger sister in the funky floral dress). I only just received this photo this morning from Jennifer, through e-mail and fell in love with it. It has turned out really well and you can see that the sun was shining brightly for the Happy Couple!

Natalie x

My Sisters