Vintage mini

Warning - Photo heavy post

As promised, this is is the Vintage Mini Book I made for Amy for her birthday

The book is made from a gutted hardback novel from the charity shop

The cover has been primed, painted, waxed and sealed

The Tim Holtz flourishes have been embossed with some metallic powder and rubbed with wax

Some pretty Prima trinkets adorn the ends of the ribbons decorating the spine

I have kept each page really simple with lots of blank space for Amy to document this milestone year

There are half pages as well as full pages adding lots of extra space for photos

I used a calendar page, inside the front cover with her birthday highlighted.

I added decorative paper pages

I also included quite a few various sized journalling cards 

Between these next two pages you can see the handstitched pages

All the papers are from a Tilda paper pad and an assortment of oddments I have accumulated

These journalling sheets are from a Making Memories notebook

Of course I had to include at least one japanese inspired page

Amy loved her book and we are planning to fill it together, it will be so special to create this keepsake as mother and daughter  - precious times !

The book is actually a variation of the class I taught last month, the class was a resounding success and I have a waiting list to do it again, so it will be repeated in the new year. So far I have made three of these books and have another two in progress, mini books are a bit of an obsession of mine - love them - in all their various forms and styles.

Next I have the ATC's I made for the RWS October swap, the theme was Buttons and we had to used the colour Ivory

Thankyou to everyone who took part, as always the standard was incredibly high, I have exchanged all the swaps this evening so they will be in the shop as of tomorrow for collection.

This months (November) theme is TREES and the required colour is RUST if you are interested in playing along all the details for the months swap are HERE and the rules and regs for the swaps in general are HERE

While on the subject of ATC's, I won this months swap over on The Stampman site with my Oriental ATC below, woohoooo, thankyou Janet xxx

I received the most beautiful gift today, alas I didn't have my camera with me and after returning home after work and the gym, the light had disappeared completely, I will try and photograph it tomorrow and share it with you all tomorrow, it really is gorgeous and a real honest work of art.

Planet Leeds

This weeks class cards

I don't normally create cards to a specific theme when planning a class, rather generic style cards which can be adapted to the needs of the creator. But I have been asked for ideas for 'new home' cards recently.

And the second card I taught, simple cuttlebugging, simple stamping, simple design = simple card

I have also finished next months ATC's for the Stampman swap,  get me being a whole month ahead of myself ! The theme was garden

I went with a little whimsy this time, not my usual style, but fun to do

I have also been busy with a very special circle journal, more details to follow shortly.

I will be back tomorrow with a card I made for a commission this week.

On a personal note, I am extra busy this week because I am attempting to take my mind off the fact that my daughter is in Leeds at the festival.

I know I am not the only mum that goes through this.

I just wasn't prepared for the way it would make me feel. Ironic really, I have spent the last 17 years teaching my only daughter how to be independent and the first time she shows a little independence I panic. She is with lifelong friends who are all sweet, good girls, she is sensible and practical and yet I am sat here worrying whether she is warm enough, safe, happy, hungry, and whether she is talking to some bloody weirdo.

Leeds feels like it is a million miles away and for some frustrating reason my natural ability to sleep at the drop of a hat has been completely obliterated. Last night was spent examining the ceiling (how do they manage to plaster so smoothly without it all dropping off onto their heads ? I can't even ice a cake !) Although, by all accounts, Amy had no sleep either as the girls managed to find a lovely place to pitch their tent, right near the DJ playing rave music til 5am. Lord knows what I am going to be like when they all eventually leave home !!!

Snowy is at a complete loss, he keeps wandering up and down the hall, moping, looking for her, under the bed, behind the door, in her wardrobe, tirelessly seeking out his playmate, he keeps looking at me with his cute little puzzled head tilted on one side and then glances back towards her bedroom door, yeah I know mate, I want her home too !

Cards and gifts and ATC's oh my !!!

WARNING - long post - photo heavy catch up

Last weeks class cards, the first is an A5 simple card, papers are My Minds Eye

The second one is much smaller than it looks here, it actually only measures 3.5 inches square, I was inspired by the quilting technique my friend and Stampin' Up demonstrator has used previously, Yee Ting will be teaching this fantastic idea on 25th August at the shop, there are places morning and afternoon  - please ring the shop for details.

A quick and easy card I made in my lunch hour earlier in the week, I love using these shaped 12 x 12 scrapbook papers on cards

My sweet friend Sara popped in last week also and brought me this Gorjuss mug, she knows I can't resist anything Gorjuss - she saw it on her travels and thought of me - how sweet, I don't see so much of Sara as she has a fab new job and I do miss her, now every time I sip my coffee I will be reminded of her friendship. Thankyou Sara xxx

Anita bought me this fab little keepsake for the shop from her recent holiday, she said it suited the shop perfectly and I have to agree as some of my best friends have been made through the shop, I love it - thankyou Anita xxx

And now into this week, these are the cards I taught in class tuesday and wednesday, the first one is using Basic Grey papers

And this second one uses papers by Making Memories

And so on to the Running With Scissors ATC swap for June, here was the card I made, the theme was RECYCLING and I stipulated that green had to be incorporated somewhere on the ATC

I used corrugated card from an old box for the actual atc,which I painted with gesso and then overstamped with green ink and a crackle effect background stamp. I recycled a book page for the heart, a piece of green making memories packaging for the smaller heart and a vintage button, the sentiment is by Stampin' Up.

Below are the ATC's I received in return, we swap five

They are from left to right top row Anita, Helena and Nicki, bottom row, Su and Margaret, thankyou all so much for playing and swapping ladies, there were so many inspiring ideas this month.

July's theme is Circles and the requisite colour is yellow, if you would like to play along the details are on my website HERE, the thread for this month is HERE, you have until 31st July to get your 5 ATC's into the shop.

Finally I received this lovely stamp set from my friends Nicki and Anita today, they popped to Tilly's to make the most of the fantastic sale Denise has on at the moment and couldn't leave without treating me to these lush stamps - thanks girls xxx
Soooooooo, as much as I have whinged about NO CHRISTMAS stuff yet, I think I might have to join Chrissie, Marlene and Keitha in the 'christmas cards early brigade', because these little beauties are so not going to sit on my table unused, in fact......shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh................. can you hear that ? they are calling me to come and play !

Love and scrummy Santas

Tracey xxx