A mini me (of sorts)

Hello peeps, are you ready for Christmas? 

 I am amazed how it creeps up each year...it is 25th December every year isn't it?!!!  

Most of my pressies are bought, wrapped and already delivered to family and friends (yep...I am sat here a little smug for once-but not much a they say pride comes before a fall...and with my healing ankle I cannot afford that!) so this means I can indulge a little (only a little, I have a couple more gifts to finish!!) in some crafting just for fun!

So let me introduce you to dolly

This is the first one I have made-we all made them in the Coven earlier this year.  I took mine to show my dad just a few weeks before he died so I haven't been able to face finishing it.  But this week I finally did.

Isn't she lovely?  For those of you who know me will recognise the shot of white hair at the front of the fringe!!  Well, it wouldn't be my doll without that.

I am not sure where she will live, but at the moment she is sitting on the bookcase watching over me.

Happy Crafting

kyla

 

WOYWW

Hello peeps, its hump day again so that can only mean one thing-a legal snoop at desks across the globe as part of Whats on Your Workdesk Wednesday!

After 3 months off work following an ankle operation I am finally back at work-which means I am having to schedule time in for crafting so was pleased I was able to do WOYWW as I need to keep my work life balance more in check - I think that will be my new year promise to myself!

So, on my desk this week...LOTS of different stages of Christmas cards.  

One thing I have learnt this year is that I need to do less.  It if doesn't need to be done 100% perfect and it doesn't have to be done by me (because I have the special skill set or liability at work) then I either ask someone else if they can do it-or...shudder....don't do it at all!!!

To make life easier, this is the first year for many years that I have supplemented my handmade cards with some shop bought ones.  I am not seeing it as a failure on my part that I haven't made them all, but a part of making my life easier-I was amazed how much less stressful it was, and I actually enjoyed making the cards this year (I just need to keep remembering this)!

 

My "Man Bites Dog" cards this week are 'Romantic Singer Weeps for Fans'-now considering these are random and X Factor (not something I watch but the girls at work do!) finished at the weekend this seemed quite fitting.

Happy Crafting

Kyla

Frugal Christmas cards

 Hello peeps, I hope you are well and not freaking out too much over Christmas!

I decided to make a few clean and simple cards (not really my style)

 I drew a box around the card in a light blue pen and embossed some scraps of blue metallic card and die cut them with a die borrowed from a fellow coven member.  

These are frugal cards, not only is there no mat and layering, the blue card is from the scrap box and the ribbon is actually off a present I received and saved!

This bauble was too long for the card so I decided to snip the bottom off and add a point to make it shorter (and fit on the card!).

A couple of cards, didn't take too long to make and cost pennies.  What a shame I didn't think of this before I made my others!!!

Off to shake my sloe gin (bit late making it this year, but it should be ready new year celebrations).

Happy Crafting

Kyla

 

WOYWW

 Hello peeps, its hump day so that means its time for a legal snoop at desks across the globe, thanks to Whats on Your Workdesk Wednesday Queen Julia!

Now, I have kept something quiet for a while.  Yes I am embarrassed by it, but it is about time I came out and admitted it.......

I am addicted to googly eyes!  I have amassed tons of them!  I cannot wait until April 1st when I plan on sticking them to EVERYTHING in the fridge at work and waiting to hear the kerfuffle along our open floorplate!

I thought I would use some of them (ooh, my precious things...use them I did) on a card. 

 The design came from alltarynne.blogspot.com via pinterest (I like to credit people if I can) and I think its a great idea for an alternative Christmas card (can you spot Rudolf in the dark?).

On my desk, top left, if a small purse I just made from a kit my friend bought me from Simpleway.co.uk (I have a bag from them but have not attempted that yet), also a few bits and bobs the same as the other weeks as they have been sat there waiting to get tidied up-a job I am promising I will do today!!!

My "Man Bites Dog" cards read (sorry the flash was a bit harsh) 'Nurse Slays Tough Movie Actor'!!

Right, I need to stop procrastinating and crack on with cleaning my craft room!

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Sympathy snippets card

 Hello peeps, I hope you are all well and had a fabulous weekend.

It's that time of year again when I cannot show much of what I am making (it would spoil the surprise come the 25th!).

However, this is a card I made for a friend whose mum died recently.  Having lost my dad this year I really appreciated those cards I was sent that weren't black and white and didn't have words such as "sorry for your loss"...so I thought back to those cards and made one that hopefully she liked.

 

The great thing about this card was that it was all from the ever overflowing scrap box.  

I embossed some pearl card and punched a slim strip with my leaf punch.  I die cut some music paper with a butterfly die (borrowed from one of the coven!).  I used Tim Holtz tea dye DI to warm up the colours a bit and added a simple sentiment.

As its all from my scrap box I am entering this into the http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.co.uk/ snippets playground.

Happy crafting

kyla

 

365 Challenge catch up

Hello peeps, I have FINALLY caught up with my 365 challenge pages over on the thekathrynwheel

For my November pages I sprayed Dylusions and created a firework 'burst' mask, over spraying with black Dylusions.  When dry I added glitter and pearl paint for that added sparkle.

 

For my December pages used Dylusion sprays (they really are my 'go to' spray at the moment), this time spritzing with water to add some layers.

I stamped snowflakes and added glitter and pearl paint, this time with a bottle lid to create circles.

I stamped some trees onto paper and coloured them with water colours then cut them out and added them to the page, outlining them with black wax to make them 'pop'.

Both November and December letters were made with my cereal box die cuts (see my earlier post for full instructions), coloured with pro markers and for December I added some foil for extra christmassy sparkle!

So, finally caught up so I can now crack on with Christmas cards!!

Happy crafting

kyla

 

WOYWW

Hello folks, well its Wednesday again so time for the legal snoop at desks across the globe.

This is a little cheat, its taken on Tuesday afternoon and its not my desk!

That is because I am at a Coven members house and am making Christmas presents so its only a bit of what I am making that can be shown so there are no spoilers!!

 

I don't have the correct kit for what I am making so luckily my friend does..hence using her desk (thanks Jill!).

It was a fabulous day and we got a lot done....still much to do though!

"Man Bites Dog" cards this week are "Swinging Lover Bites General!" - a classic!!!

Right, I am off to check out some other desks.

Happy snooping!!

Kyla

 

Dies, free stash and a warning

Hello peeps, I hope you are all well.

Those of you who know me will recognise this scene:  Kyla at home, friends house, coffee shop or street....walks past some junk, rubbish and/or recycling....Kyla has a root through and pulls a bag from her pocket before stuffing new found goodies into said bag!! Yep, even at the WOYWW crops I ferret through the desk bins and LLJ once caught me peering into the kitchen bin (well you never know what you MIGHT find!!).

My latest discovery is cereal packets.  Now, I have often used them as a fake thinner chip board for crafting, but my favourite cereal is Dorset Cereal.

Whilst dismantling the box for recycling I noticed the inside was pure white and smooth......

 So I decided to cut it up carefully (rather than the carefree tearing I normally do!). I soon realised that the side panels fitted my X cut letter die....would the cardboard be thin enough to go through I wondered?

 Only one way to find out!

 Result!  Free smooth white letters that can be coloured with pens, inks, paint, embossing powders, foil, glitter.....the list goes on.  Because its cardboard it takes wet mediums quite well.

 I then tried the cereal box on a few other dies....this die is notorious in my craft room for causing an outburst of unladylike behaviour (me?  Never?!?!) as hardly anything cuts well on it apart from paper.

 But lo-and-behold!!  They too cut perfectly.

I coloured them with promarkers and promptly made a 'sailor jerry' inspired tattoo card.

So if you know me you have been warned....normally I am discrete with the bin diving round friends houses....now, I think I will be looking in their larders too and bagsying the cartons before they are used!!!

Also, I have been lucky enough to win 2 tickets to the craft show in Exeter in the new year!  Thanks Craft Stamper  magazine for choosing me as one of the winners.  After missing out on the NEC I am hoping Santa will be bringing me some cash so I can splash out of new stash!

Happy crafting

Kyla

WOYWW and Bunting

Happy WOYWW peeps.  This week finds my desk with some Chrimbo items on it as I have properly started making cards (well the fronts, still waiting for the card blanks to be delivered....they really are very few card and art shops in the West).

I am doing some bird cards at the moment. Some of you may know that my darling father (and fellow crafter and painter) died earlier this year so Christmas will not be celebrated quite the same way this year so I am making some non religious (and to be honest not too Jolly Christmassy) cards I can send the immediate family.

Also on my desk is my cuppa (pushed right back so I don't do the inevitable dipping of the dirty paintbrush in it!!) and my night scene stamp (its just sitting there on the right, no idea what to do with it this year....hoping my mojo will surprise me!)

My "Man Bites Dog" cards this week (it could be any variant but I chose)..."Exec Tells On Dead Killer Cop"!!!!!...ooohhhhh.....  

On a lighter note...here is a picture of my bunting from my lounge thrown, without care, onto the chair....why?

 This is why.....LunchLady Jan kindly sent me some of her fabulous bunting...little did she know I have a red and cream/burlap lounge so hers matching marvelously so up it went straight away (I am taking bets on how long it takes the hubby to notice its change!!).

It was a fabulous giveaway on her blog-thanks Jan, its loveerlllyyyy and is in pride of place every time I walk into my dining room from the lounge.

Right, off for a legal snoop around some desks courtesy of the lovely Julia....come and join us...its calorie free!!!

Happy crafting

kyla

 

A turkey of a card!

Howdy folks, just a quick update as its becoming mighty chilly here so I need to find my fluffy socks and get a hot chilli chocolate on the go!

I made a couple of these cards for thanksgiving for a couple friends of mine over in the states.

 

I cut the dies from some scrap white card and coloured them in with pro markers (to be honest I couldn't work out which part should be cut out of which colour card so thought this way was WAY easier).

I die cut a fence which I distressed with DI and mounted it all on a gingham background, adding some highlights on the turkey with a white gel pen.

Nice and simple.

Happy crafting

Kyla