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Tuesday 26 March 2013

Pierot again

I had three pieces of pierot wallpaper in my "recycle" swap parcel from Terri and this is my second attempt.  I found it really difficult to make a totally different design after my easel card make.  I also had several sheets of a flower shaped circle of paper.  I cut these up into pairs of petals and then arranged them behind the pierot image and then cut some more up to place in the corners of the card.  I cut the pierot with my cuttlebug and a nestie die and then also cut some darker card of my own to back it.





I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Try it on Tuesday:  Recycle
TTCRD:  Anything Goes
Bizzy Becs:  Anything Goes 
My Grafico:  Anything Goes

Monday 25 March 2013

Spring

We can be forgiven to thinking that spring is here when we have so many daffodils out in the garden but I am not sure the weather quite understands.  There is a really bitter easterly wind out there; it certainly doesn't make me want to be outside for long.

I made this card at my local cardmaking group and it was lovely to use a different punch.  I thought the card would be suitable for a spring birthday or Easter.


I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Chocolate, Coffee & Cards:  Bring on Spring
Card Makin Mamas:  Its Springtime
Kaboodle Doodles:  Easter or Early Spring

Sunday 24 March 2013

Not feeling Blue

Another card from my swap parcel from Terri.  A great recycle card using some of the included wrapping paper, blue paper and the patterned strip.  I just found some slightly darker blue paper in my snippets box so that I could layer it up and coloured some card candy with my promarkers.


I have entered this in the following challenges:

Divas by design:  Babies and Toddlers
Challenges 4 Everybody: Anything goes
Pixie's Crafty Workshop: Snippets

Saturday 23 March 2013

Pierot

This card was made with my swap parcel from Terri.  Oh how I remember a similar wallpaper as my daughter had a pierot wallpaper in the 80s.  It instantly shouted easel card but I did go rummaging in the snippets box for a darker shade to cut some little dots and a spellbinder shape to go behind the image.  I used a bit more of the pierot paper to cover the base card and a little more of the darker shade card to create a strip to mount the greeting on.





I am entering this in the following challenges:

Bearly-Mine challenges:  Anything Goes
Bizzy Becs Store:  Anything Goes
Brown Sugar Challenge:  Anything Goes 
Pixies' Crafty Workshop:  Snippets

Thursday 21 March 2013

Merry and Bright

This is another card for CHNC Merry and Bright Challenge and also for the Challenge Extra March



Just a simple decoupage from a bought kit but it certainly fits as it uses the word Merry and also has a silvery snowflake border as well as other silvery highlights.

I am also entering it in the following challenges:


Merry Monday Christmas Card challenge

Wednesday 20 March 2013

Visiting Kids Co

Yesterday I was invited to go to one of the Kids Co centres at Kenbury Street in South London.  I do wonder what the neighbours thought when I left home wheeling a large suitcase and also a large laundry bag!  I had three large double cellular blankets in the laundry bag and the suitcase had 11 sets of fairy lights cushioned by one more double cellular blanket and some of my knitted hats, scarves and gloves.

I reached the local station and then found an out of order lift to the platform I needed!!  I managed to get the suitcase up the steps one by one but not sure how I did; that suitcase was so heavy.  All went well until I needed to change trains at Blackfriars ..... yes, another lift out of order!!  I didn't have long to wait for the train to Loughborough Junction and yes, I needed to carry the suitcase downstairs; at least it was easier to carry down than up.

A 10 minute walk and then I turned into Kenbury Street, wondering what I was going to find.  I soon saw the entrance and signed in with security whilst I waited for the lady I was going to meet.  What a busy place; Mum's were leaving with little ones in tow or in buggies, staff were coming to and fro between the buildings here and a similar place over the road.  There were several brightly painted sheds and small buildings in the yard and then the main building itself.  The buildings and area have seen better days but the murals on the yard walls, the bright colours and the enthusiasm of the staff and volunteers helped make this a place of laughter and safe haven for children.

I was taken over to the office section over the road to unload my goodies and they were so gratefully received.  The blankets will be used in the chill out rooms when kids want to relax and be quiet or when even to hide away under them when they don't feel sociable.  The fairy lights will be used to create an ambience in the chill out rooms; they had only expected a couple of sets of lights so the extra ones will enable them to use them in other areas too.  I joined in a planning session with the two group leaders for the after school group I was joining that afternoon.

The office section was very busy; keyworkers were updating records on the computers, meeting parents and planning work .  I am sure that only touches of the surface of what they do.  Originally they had planned to use that building as an extension of the centre over the road, but planning was not approved.  Meanwhile it is easily identified as it is painted in the same bright colours as the centre.

We went back over the road and there were children queuing to get into the yard; there was plenty of laughter, pushing and shoving but there was also those who were standing alone or were withdrawn.  There were friendly smiles and words of comfort as we walked by them.  Inside the main building were sign up tables for the different activities that were going on; cooking, girls club, table games, gym, IT, music to name but a few.  The children soon came in and it was a hive of activity and over exuberance.

The cooks were busy in the kitchen having only just finished clearing up after the lunchtime meals they had provided; fruit snacks were ready on the table for the kids and preparations were underway for the meals that would be served to them at the end of the after school sessions.

Different groups met in the rooms in the building or the sheds in the yard and some are held in rooms donated in local business premises.  The small group I was with was taken by minibus to premises 5 minutes away and we spent an hour with three 10 year olds doing games and activities based on "self care".  We were collected by the minibus to be taken back to the centre where most of the kids were perched on seating around the walls or at tables and were tucking into their meals.

It was then time to say goodbye and start the long journey home.  It gave me plenty of time to reflect on what I had seen and heard.  So many young enthusiastic keyworkers, professionals and volunteers trying to make a difference to so many young lives; lives that have been damaged by trauma in different ways.  I hope my contributions will help to heal those lives too.

Saturday 16 March 2013

Bright Christmas

My typical CAS style card!!!  Am afraid the the silvery Christmas bauble shows up rather dull but was in fact a shiny silver ...why do I never get photography right??





I am entering this in the following challenges:

CHNC challenge 116:  Merry and Bright
CHNC Extra for March

Friday 15 March 2013

Eastertime

 I got this stamp recently and have made several Easter cards with it.  I have edged the image with a brown ink pad and mounted it on some yellow paper from my snippets box.  I used a snippet from an Advent swap parcel for the punched border strip down the card and then stamped a greeting and mounted on some brown card.





I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Polkadoodles:  Happy Easter
Avadares:  Easter or Spring
DL.Art:  Easter
Bearly Mine :  Easter
Pixie's Crafty Workshop:  Snippets 
Papermill Direct Easter Project

Wednesday 13 March 2013

Crochet

I am really enjoying doing crochet at the moment as it seems to grow so quickly.  It is mainly self-taught but at least I can pop into either the knitting or crochet club in Sussex Crafts in Cuckfield if I get stuck; they are a great group of people.

Today I have finished off a little yellow top down crocheted baby jacket to go with the little yellow baby hat I did the other day.  Both these items will be winging their way to Kids Co at some point.



I also finished off a stripey beret and have nearly finished off the scarf to go with it.  I have enough of the same wool to make another beret and scarf.  The colours don't show up too well in the photos but it is a pretty sage green and not a dark muddy green as in the photo.  There is also white, a mottled pink and a mottled pale blue.

This is to top of the beret:


and this is the other side:


Tuesday 12 March 2013

Pink

This is my last card from Pat's swap parcel with the theme of recycle.  A cute teddy piccie with some ribbon and buttons and a piece of patterned paper that was in fact part of an envelope.


I have entered it in the following challenges:

The Pretty Little Ribbon: Happy Birthday
Fashionista:  Pink
Pixies Crafty Workshop Snippets

Sunday 10 March 2013

Steam

This is the second card that I have made with my swap parcel from Pat.  I think she had a recipient in mind when she included this particular image for me.  I hope she isn't disappointed with how I have made it into a card.  Lots of recycled bits here and a lovely card that is earmarked for a steam buff!!


I have entered this in the following challenges:

Here Comes the Boys:  No Stamps
Crafty Cardmakers:  Masculine

Friday 8 March 2013

Pretty in Lilac

I decided to try my hand at a pretty crochet stitch, rather than the plain trebles, doubles etc.  I don't do shaping (well not yet, anyway) so I just did the fancier stitch in plain rectangles and then made this little baby jacket.


One day I hope to progress as far as shaped garments, just why is knitting so much more intuitive than crochet.  Sighhhhhhhhhh

Wednesday 6 March 2013

Green


I opened my March swap parcel from Pat the other day.  The theme this month is recycle so I wasn't quite sure what I would find in there.  Oh I found some lovely goodies and have made three cards so far.

I wonder if the green and white striped card came from a tissue box?  I still have more of it in the packet even after I have used it on this card.  I used the background paper that was included and also coloured the image with my Promarkers.....I just had to give him a green car.


I have entered this in the following challenges:

Scrap-Creations:  Green
Anything Goes:  Make it Manly