About Me

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Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
I love to craft. I've been crafting in one form or another all my life and never tire of learning new skills or updating old ones. I learn something new everyday and can never find enough free hours in my day to do all the things I'd like to. I'm new to Blogging but hope to get better at it as we go along............any hints or tips would be most welcome.

Saturday 1 December 2012

My Advent Calender Entry for the UK-Irelandcraftswaps on Facebook. 

This was something different for me, I don't like measuring in any way shape or form, I just cant stand fiddling about and  being just so. My crafting is what it is.........but saying that I totally enjoyed making this and I know I will be doing things along the same lines very soon. !

There are some other very clever and beautiful Advent Calenders being entered and I truly wish them all the best of luck too, fingers crossed for all of the beautiful things enterd. X


 I made a template, which my lovely Hubby had measured out for me. This was because this whole Advent Calender was being built up around the chocolates I had already bought to pop into it.. I know that's the wrong way around but they are just so pretty I had to have them for my Granddaughter X
 I made up the boxes, 25 in total, it took quite a few hours but was well worth it in the end and became quite a challenge at times.





The box pile grew and grew !





Then I added the side strips of my chosen Holly with Berry paper.
 Then I made the base and 3 other covered mounting board squares, big enough for my boxes to be layed in a 4 pattern.  I chose to have mine 1 side to the front + 1 front opening,  box on each side of my square.
But you can do it in any order that works for you.
 
 My papers are from Crafters Companion CD, quite an old one I believe. It has some lovely papers on it, sometimes its well worth looking through our old CD Rom's I think...........

 



  

Its started to make sense and I liked it x

So I added quite a few bells in Red, Blue, Gold and Green and 2 purple velour ribbons.

 The bells make the most fantastic Sleigh bell sound, so Christmassy .


The top box is to have something special popped in on Christmas eve, by Santa X
 All finished and I am so pleased with it. This truly was a challenge, Dyslexics and rulers are not two things that go together often, but this shows what can be achieved if you really want to do it. ( with a little help from my Hubby on the ruler front )




 These are the chocolates that the whole Advent calender was built around  ............................


I have a video of this on Youtube..

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwcNOV9zf6I

So many things to do so little time to do them in ......

I have had such a hectic time lately, well that's my excuse for adding to my blog :O)   ...........

I have been in several swaps and started, but not finished changing my Crafttroom around and having a major clear out.
All was going so well, except for my legs not letting me do it for more than an hour at a time, but still Hey Ho.....onwards and upwards and even beyond...
Some pictures of my craftroom during and a couple of how it is mid way to finished........... 

   My faithful friend helping in the background !




My spare room is pretty unusable !
                         




Loved this picture, Ginga jumped down just  as I took it .

 *      *     *     *     *     *    *     *     *     *     *      *
 Starting to see a shape appearing now!

Friday 5 October 2012

Its 5th Ocober, I've been so busy !

Well, what a month I've had through out September. All sorts of things happening.

I have made a Mini Christmas Album, for a lovely Lady on the UK & Ireland Craft Swaps page, on Facebook. I have also made another set of ATC and that brings my total to 3 sets. They are quite a challenge, especially when you have 17 to make lol.
I am just finishing the Halloween Mini I have been making for another craft swap, and this is after finishing a 6x6 Christmas Card swap on the same group..... all such lovely and talented crafters. If you haven't seen the group, please go along check them out and join in the fun. :O)

All the pictures of my handy work will follow. I have naturally added any videos on my youtube too. I have a parcel next to me as I am writing this and to be honest I am bursting to open it........... but I have said I will video it so must be controlled. !!!!

So here are some pictures of crafts through out September......

 More to come on this Christmas Mini......................


My Christmas Card 6x6 Swap.





Made using Craft Artist program and Autumn Fairy Digi kit.....

ATCs to follow............................................
Please check out my youtube.... http://www.youtube.com/user/TheBlackbutterfly62











Friday 14 September 2012

More photos on my Altered Letter stand

 The Top hat ( made using a wedding box gift box)  is a small storage holder, with the same paper stack inside as the rest of the stand. That's the Graphic45 paper.


I made the paper into a small box and added a wooden crown with tiny stones on.
Then a round velvet clothed Tarot reading table and the animal cage from wooden match sticks.



View  of the full stand.


Crafty-Emblies.com for the wooden and MDF embelishments, www.Crafty-Emblies.org




This clock is one of my favourite parts of the stand.



I liked the little tarot table and made a small crystal ball.


The charm hanging from the top could be unlinked and worn


 Crafty-Emblies used down both sides of letter stand.

Graphic45 papers for back of stand.
 Such a sweet little spider at the bottom.

Fantastic, loved making this one.............

September Update

Hi All

 Well August was a busy time, I joined The UK & Ireland Swap Group on Facebook.
I entered Three swaps.   The first was an ATC swap, I had never made them before but had great fun learning, all about them and then making them  I had to make 10 ATCs all the same, you then post them to the person holding the swap. Who then collects them all in and distributes them back out to everyone.
 They were all very beautiful I have to say, so many different styles of crafting too.
I will add a picture on here, but I havent taken them yet.................................. Great fun!

There is a youtube video on all the UK-IrelandCraftswwaps, if not by myself, there will be one by one of the other members...........

Then the second swap was the Captured Faerie........... as can be seen below. I have enjoyed this one so much I have started making them for other people too. Again there is a video on my Youtube on both the faerie's I have made.







The third swap was ATCs again but this time with a Halloween theme, one of my favourite times of the year...My New Year. These are yet to arrive in the post but Ia m  looking forward to seeing what everyone has made.

I have made a video of my Halloween ATCs  on youtube ...



This is the faerie  for me


Faerie in Jar   This was a lovely thing to make .


My Victorian print of a pandering Faerie, sitting on her Velvet mushroom.




This is glass paint dripped doen the inside of the glass, I suggest you do this in a very well ventilated area.







Cosmic Shimmer Glue used down sides of jarin dots.


. Check out UK & Ireland Craft Swaps on Facebook to see more on this group.

Cards I've just made...........

Two cards Ive made in September 2012......







  These cards are on my Youtube in more detail...............



Sunday 26 August 2012

I love these images....stamps from Graphic45

A few cards using Graphic45 images from stamps and Promarkers with Glossy Accents .............



I think they make such sweet cards :O)

Card for My Mother In Law..........



These images I drew and coloured with Promarkers
 
The backing paper was my design using Craft Artist program

I added lace and tiny pearls to the joining edge of the papers
 

 I have to admit, I was very pleased with the colours of this jacket and dress
 This is one of my favourite images of mine.
 Before sending the card I added two beautiful large pearl hat pins coming up
 from the hand made flowers.  I'm pleased to say, she like it very much.