Author Archives: Crafty Kath

Anniversaries

Posted on by

I seem to be coming into the anniversary season in the next month or so. I was in need of a card at short notice the other day but I found I had nothing available in my collection. So it was time to find some more of my mojo and make something quickly.

I spent a good hour or so routing through my card and paper stash but I couldn’t find anything to spark my imagination, until I discovered my remaining crochet hearts. I thought simple was the best option and using my hearts I looked for some co-ordinating papers to set them off.

Crochet Hearts

Crochet Hearts

For the first time in a while I enjoyed putting papers together and finding matching colours. I put together a small collection of six cards, all different colours with some marbled paper inserts. I hope the recipients like them too.

Happy crafting
x

Looking for my Mojo!

Posted on by

Today I have been to collect Guinness’s ashes from the vet which was quite upsetting. So I decided to take him for a walk around Bury. It’s been nice that the sun was shining and I felt better in the open air. I took a detour into TK Maxx, I always find it a great place to lose some time. I’ve noticed recently that they have been offering some craft items at pretty good prices, so I thought I’d have a look. As I am still looking for my mojo, I thought the selection of craft materials might inspire me to make something.

I found a collection of products from Papermania this time. It was a bumper pack of the Sew Lovely range – a sewing inspired paper range including ribbon, papers, decoupage and glue. So I bought the lot and came home to have a play. It’s pretty hard when you can’t find any inspiration, so the little inspiration card on the decoupage was a Godsend. I don’t do much decoupage normally, but I found the cutting out and putting pieces together very therapeutic. The kit is lovely. The papers all have a look of handsewn items – quilts, patchwork etc, and there were loads of little extras on the sheets – buttons, roses, pins. I’ve put together three decoupage elements and made them into some different cards for me.

P1240032

P1240031

Thank You Sew Much

Thank You Sew Much

It was great to find my craft space again and to actually make something. These cards are a completely different style to anything I’ve made before. The colours in this kit are great, so bright, yet very subtle. And the extras like the tape measure ribbons and card buttons are great to work with. I will be looking for ways to use some more of these in future projects.

Happy crafting
x

Easter Holidays part 2

Posted on by

Well the Easter holidays have not quite been the fun packed couple of weeks we hoped for.  We have had a pretty traumatic month all in all.  Having just got through my beloved little cat Stella passing in March, and then being rushed to hospital for a week, we have again been left distraught as we have now lost our other gorgeous cat, Guinness.  It has been a tough couple of weeks and it has left us all rather empty and finding it difficult to do things around the house.

P1160832

Having said that we have tried to do some things over the break, many of which have involved being out of the house.  It’s just been too empty.

Crafting hasn’t been at the top of our list, however, I have encouraged my daughter to make a little diary for her homework.  I think she’s done an amazing job.  Her marking of Guinness’s passing is lovely.

P1010275

I’m feeling a bit lost at the moment and hoping to get my mojo back soon.

Happy crafting
x

Easter Holidays

Posted on by

Easter holidays are tough for me this year as I love chocolate and cake and I just can’t have any!  But baking is also one of the best activities for the school holidays.  So with my daughter eager to make something for her friends and family, I helped her out with her idea of making chocolate nests.

This has got to be the easiest ‘baking’ ever!  I let her be in charge and tell me what I needed to do.  So she broke up shredded wheat into a bowl.  I was tasked with melting the chocolate over a pan of hot water and once melted I poured it into the shredded wheat bowl.  She then mixed it all together.  I had bought some Easter themed cake cases and little sticks from a local pound shop and they set the cakes off a treat.  The little nests were then made in each case and some chocolate eggs added to complete the nest effect.

P1230879

They looked great once they had set and I believe they tasted pretty good too.  We were certainly popular amongst the neighbours on Easter Sunday!

Now just another 2 weeks of holidays to fill!

Happy crafting
x

Happy Easter

Posted on by

Happy Easter everyone.

I hope you have a lovely family celebration.

Collage Easter Egg Cards

There will not be quite as much chocolate in our house this year, as I am unable to eat it, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing!

Enjoy your day.
x

What a week!

Posted on by

Last week saw an emergency ambulance turn up at my house to take me off to the local A&E!  This was very unexpected and rather frightening to say the least.  I was suffering some severe stomach and back pain, unable to eat or drink and spent 5 days in North Manchester Hospital receiving some treatment and awaiting scans.

I am now back home, still with medication and I am awaiting an MRI scan before probable surgery to remove my gallbladder.

The illness has left me weak and very tired, so I am struggling to do very much.  I did manage to do some crochet while on the ward and made the other patients and staff some little crochet flowers.  I hope this cheered them up – it certainly made me feel more positive.

As I get stronger I hope to be back to my crafting soon.

Happy crafting
x

St Anne’s Craft Fair

Posted on by

This week I have been busy preparing for my first craft fair in over a year!  I shall be at St Anne’s Craft Fair on Saturday and have literally been taking stock.

Craft Fair flyer

I will be taking a selection of cards for all occasions, in particular for Mother’s Day and Easter.  In addition I will have a number of knitted and crochet items, ideal for spring – some baby gifts, brooches and keyrings that would make lovely pocket money gifts for Mum.

It would be lovely to see you there, so pop along and say hello.

Happy crafting
x

Origami

Posted on by

This weekend I’ve been having a go at some origami.  I fancied doing something different after spending all my time crocheting!  It’s a craft I used to love when I was a little girl but other than a brief go a few years ago making little origami Santa’s for some Christmas cards, I haven’t done any since.

I thought it would be a good idea to find something for some men’s cards.  I always find it difficult to make cards for the men in my life.  I have a pad of football shirt papers and decided to have a go at making some of them.  This I have to say I have found incredibly difficult.  They don’t seem to work properly without a collar on, but the papers don’t lend themselves to having a collar!  And you tube didn’t help either! Very annoying.  Anyway I managed to make a few.

P1230806

These are most definitely works-in-progress. However, I have also been making some shirts with collars, which work much better. I’ve loved looking through all my A5 papers for different patterns. It was fun to do with my daughter too as she was quite wacky in her choice of patterns. ( I shall leave you to decide which ones she chose) Now I just have to add some embellishments. I’m thinking bling for buttons, co-ordinating paper ties and maybe a pocket or two!

P1230756

I’m going to try and master a handbag or something else girly next!

Happy crafting
x

Half Term Baking

Posted on by

This half term holiday has been a real whirlwind, from a funeral and birthdays to swimming lessons, hospital visit, Chinese New Year and a couple of family days out.  So there hasn’t been a huge amount of time for crafting.

But we did manage a little bit of baking for Mum’s birthday.  My daughter, now 6, loves to help and she really wanted to make something for her Grandma.  So on the way home from a funeral , we stopped at a Lakeland shop, which only sold kitchen accessories.  It was a great shop and lovely to browse around.  I could have spent a small fortune but was sensible!  We bought some chocolate cupcake frosting, pink wafer flowers and small chocolate beans.

Once home we decided that some cupcakes would be the perfect gift.  I chose the simple, all-in-one sponge recipe and we made two different flavours – vanilla with cherry, and double chocolate!  The smell in the kitchen was delicious.

P1000433

Once cooked and cooled. we had great fun decorating them. I used some ready-to-roll icing and an imprinted roller and then cut them into circles to top the vanilla cakes, my daughter then finished them off with the pink wafer flowers. The chocolate ones I topped with the chocolate cupcake frosting, which came in a tube with a piping nozzle! Of course they had to have small chocolate beans added. I think they looked great. We chose the four best and presented them in a lovely cupcake box.

P1000423

Mum enjoyed them too and we shared the remaining cakes around. A lovely little crafting session.

Happy crafting
x