tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27677537396050039072024-03-12T16:57:54.169-07:00Crafty FriendsCrafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-47044615020153919332014-03-01T02:53:00.001-08:002014-03-01T02:53:47.926-08:00Cards and Promoting Craft Business<div style="text-align: justify;">
These past few days have been great, I have been busy creating and feeling inspired. It always helps when the weather cools off a little or we have a little rain, I am the opposite of most people I know and these types of days become my most productive. Perhaps it is because I live in a fairly warm climate all year round and never have to deal with the extreme cold temperatures or constant rainy days - but we do get humidity and a lot of it and that is the worst thing for depleting energy levels. So I do find myself loving days when the humidity is minimal, the weather is a tad cooler and my creative juices start flowing!</div>
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Here are a few of the cards I have been making in the last few days:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Tf7tBXxOzeU/UxG2lzpQnSI/AAAAAAAABrs/K-mvqqFWfvA/s1600/P2280006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Tf7tBXxOzeU/UxG2lzpQnSI/AAAAAAAABrs/K-mvqqFWfvA/s1600/P2280006.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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This is a cute patchwork style with a little owl</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c1gvCqDhp58/UxG27Uh5JSI/AAAAAAAABr0/K73Irc57tmg/s1600/P2280005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c1gvCqDhp58/UxG27Uh5JSI/AAAAAAAABr0/K73Irc57tmg/s1600/P2280005.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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This was just a fun design which I really enjoyed making</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tobkrkWz8uA/UxG3NaF7GvI/AAAAAAAABr8/-7RZb2lMkPU/s1600/P2280002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tobkrkWz8uA/UxG3NaF7GvI/AAAAAAAABr8/-7RZb2lMkPU/s1600/P2280002.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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This card was interesting to do, attempting to do the inking of the words in different colours</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9ibURO1FO5w/UxG3dCPeC8I/AAAAAAAABsE/aftrg93RDns/s1600/P2280008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9ibURO1FO5w/UxG3dCPeC8I/AAAAAAAABsE/aftrg93RDns/s1600/P2280008.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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This was made using a new set of stamps called <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=7792&CatalogID=2082">Dreamer</a> and was a favourite with all the girls in our family.</div>
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If you are looking for a great set of stamps to make cards, particularly for the pre-teen/teen age group, I highly recommend this set. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DcoqVkawVoM/UxG46EQWVkI/AAAAAAAABsQ/EFewy1w3sDM/s1600/P2280019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DcoqVkawVoM/UxG46EQWVkI/AAAAAAAABsQ/EFewy1w3sDM/s1600/P2280019.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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The big news in my last few days of being productive is that I have finally taken the time to set up a Facebook Page to promote my business: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-Harbottle-Independent-Consultant-Close-To-My-Heart/475705075868932">Karen's Facebook Page</a></div>
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Facebook is a great way to connect with people and I know I should have done this a long time ago. I will be posting things I make on my Facebook page too, so please be sure to take a look and Like my page so that you don't miss out on any updates in my little crafty world. Between my Blog and Facebook page I will hopefully keep things updated regularly. </div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/94/F7E293F05B29EF355E0448A646A3E1C2.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a>Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-63727246907171301652014-02-25T20:27:00.001-08:002014-02-25T20:27:58.955-08:00Close To My Heart - I am Loving It!!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well as the title of my blog post says - I am loving Close To My Heart! This month there is a new Ideas Book & Catalogue available which is full of the most gorgeous crafting supplies. You really must stop and take a look <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/ctmh/products/online-idea-book.aspx">here</a> and go through the pages of this beautiful catalogue. You simply cannot help but be tempted!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0dPCZJvnYmA/Uw1gROWNc8I/AAAAAAAABqU/FMvifTrhqpo/s1600/14-ss-idea-book-au_nz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0dPCZJvnYmA/Uw1gROWNc8I/AAAAAAAABqU/FMvifTrhqpo/s1600/14-ss-idea-book-au_nz.jpg" height="272" width="320" /></a></div>
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I am guilty of having ordered quite a few new items to play with myself. One I have been having a lot of fun with is the new <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/Retail/Products.aspx?CatalogID=2184">Picture My Life</a> Scrapbooking Programme. It comes with everything you need to make up your scrapbook pages, you just need to provide your photos and you are set to go. </div>
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Each Picture My Life Scrapbooking Programme comes with 10 Memory Protector sleeves, with a variety of different sized pockets, perfectly sized for you to slip your photos and these decorative cards into, plus one 12"x 12" Designed cover sheet which is double sided. You also get 44 double sided cards (2 of each design) in 4"x 6" and 78 double sided cards (3 of each design) in 3"x 4". These slip straight into the pockets to help form your page layout. You can add various embellishments to them, eg. flowers, brads, buttons, ribbons, lace, washi tape, etc. Decorate as little or as much as suits your style. Within an hour I had half an album full of pages completed. What can I say . . . . I am loving it! </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4zJi0fDRiWQ/Uw1iNibPLyI/AAAAAAAABqg/GeYh20L5hyk/s1600/14-ss-pml-avonlea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4zJi0fDRiWQ/Uw1iNibPLyI/AAAAAAAABqg/GeYh20L5hyk/s1600/14-ss-pml-avonlea.jpg" height="272" width="320" /></a></div>
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This first set I bought is called "Avonlea" and it is especially great for family related photos - which is exactly what I have been scrapping. I've also done a few pages of photos from our recent Anniversary trip and this set had the perfect designs to go with that.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZuQEsChVyHw/Uw1iTPV6eRI/AAAAAAAABqo/Ag90vmHBqDo/s1600/14-ss-pml-chantilly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZuQEsChVyHw/Uw1iTPV6eRI/AAAAAAAABqo/Ag90vmHBqDo/s1600/14-ss-pml-chantilly.jpg" height="272" width="320" /></a></div>
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The other set I bought is called "Chantilly" and every single card design in this pack is so pretty. It suits me just fine because we have 4 girls in our family and we all love pretty styles.</div>
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What a fast and easy way to make up scrapbook pages which look great. If you are time challenged, like me and just about every other person out there these days, then this is the perfect item for you to look at. There are 8 gorgeous packs to choose from and best of all, it is so inexpensive compared to other forms of scrapbooking!</div>
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Let me also show you some of the great new hostess collections available.</div>
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This set is from the Lollydoodle Range . . . so, so cute!!</div>
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This set is from the Ariana Range . . . the themes with this are a big favourite in our home.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ezcsmKRZiUE/Uw1mrZL_WjI/AAAAAAAABrE/FvsRoXuUW4Q/s1600/14-ss-idea-book-hostess-collection-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ezcsmKRZiUE/Uw1mrZL_WjI/AAAAAAAABrE/FvsRoXuUW4Q/s1600/14-ss-idea-book-hostess-collection-03.jpg" height="272" width="320" /></a></div>
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This set is from the Timberline Range . . . perfect for vacations or the great outdoors.</div>
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Over the last week I have had two separate card making workshops which have been so much fun. We worked on cards using the new <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/retail/Products.aspx?CatalogID=2175">Lollydoodle Paper Pack</a> as a base. All the ladies have been loving the bright colours and fun designs of this range. These are some of the cards we have been making. What I love most in these workshops is that even though I have a sample and everyone starts with the same kit pieces in their card packs, all the cards end up looking slightly different at the end depending on how differently people have put the cards together, where they have placed items, what embellishments they have used etc. It's great to compare at the end and gather new ideas from one another for future use.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-paTLM9rlkmk/Uw1obPmM7lI/AAAAAAAABrQ/yodBAo-vBoc/s1600/14-ss-lollydoodle-cd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-paTLM9rlkmk/Uw1obPmM7lI/AAAAAAAABrQ/yodBAo-vBoc/s1600/14-ss-lollydoodle-cd.jpg" height="272" width="320" /></a></div>
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Close To My Heart has been a company I have loved for many, many years and I'm so glad they are finally in Australia. It is like a dream come true to now have the perfect excuse to play with all my craft products and be creative . . . and earn money from it all. Hardly seems fair to call it work when it is so enjoyable. For me it is the perfect match and I get to spend my days doing what I love most. The rewards from this company are awesome. If you are looking for a fun way to earn an income, while working your own hours - just click on <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/ctmh/what-we-do/be-a-consultant.aspx">this</a> page to learn more or contact me.</div>
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Look at the fun craft kit you get to start you off!</div>
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Come join me today, you won't look back . . . it truly is that good!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/94/F7E293F05B29EF355E0448A646A3E1C2.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a><br />
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Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-1860294131666251722014-02-05T04:21:00.001-08:002014-02-05T04:21:22.769-08:00Pretty Stores, Flower Gardens & Shabby Chic Crafts<div style="text-align: justify;">
Wow! I didn't realize it had been so long since I had updated my blog. In my defence, life has been a little crazy!! Right now we have absolutely no bathroom in our house. The entire room has been completely stripped of everything, walls and all. This room has needed renovating since we first bought our house quite a few years ago, but as we all know, these types of things take both time and money. Finally it is happening though and although very inconvenient, it is very exciting too. The new walls, floors & roof are in, waterproofing done and hopefully within the next day or so tiling will commence then the essentials fitted. I won't know myself. I will be so, so happy to say goodbye to the camping shower we have set up in our backyard :)</div>
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During January I spent a week away with my husband. We had fun exploring a city we really didn't know very well. On our travels I found this store which was my all time favourite store on the whole trip!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FupFXv9-VqU/UvIj90Ny08I/AAAAAAAABpI/ZO3HElchX38/s1600/Queen+Victoria+Markets+-+Madame+Pompadour+%231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FupFXv9-VqU/UvIj90Ny08I/AAAAAAAABpI/ZO3HElchX38/s1600/Queen+Victoria+Markets+-+Madame+Pompadour+%231.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Take a look inside. There were so many pretty things - I honestly didn't know where to look next. A bit like a child in a candy store! I spent ages inside just wanting to absorb it all. Definitely my style of shop.</div>
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I also found a store which sold Russian Babushka Dolls. I've never seen so many varieties of Babushka Dolls nor a store devoted to selling them exclusively. It was fun to visit.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kuYVwFQuMt0/UvIlgHGxtkI/AAAAAAAABpY/f6c6xsAp7XI/s1600/Royal+Arcade,+Melbourne,+Babushka+Shop+%231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kuYVwFQuMt0/UvIlgHGxtkI/AAAAAAAABpY/f6c6xsAp7XI/s1600/Royal+Arcade,+Melbourne,+Babushka+Shop+%231.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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We tried the most amazing icecream - the creaminess and texture was, quite simply, divine. It was fun to try some of the interesting flavours, you could sample before you bought. The Pear & Cinnamon was certainly a flavour I had never come across before.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KzGv3j8HMdc/UvIpICpBh7I/AAAAAAAABp8/08JAshTRz44/s1600/Yarra+Valley+Chocolaterie+&+Icecreamery+%233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KzGv3j8HMdc/UvIpICpBh7I/AAAAAAAABp8/08JAshTRz44/s1600/Yarra+Valley+Chocolaterie+&+Icecreamery+%233.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Something I really miss, because I now live in a place where the climate is more tropical, is the colourful flower gardens - particularly the rose gardens. Here was my favourite coloured rose and the scent was beautiful. I wish I knew the variety of rose, it was just gorgeous! These all grew on standard rose trees - it was quite spectacular to see a garden full of rose trees. </div>
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I am really not much of a gardener, I just don't have the time, but I do appreciate beautiful gardens and love flowers. My other favourite flowers are hydrangeas, blue ones in particular. These grow so well in the cooler climates and we even drove through some mountain areas where they just grew wild. I have tried numerous times over the years to grow hydrangeas here, unsuccessfully I might add, so I really appreciated the beauty in what I saw.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y9IEfGCoJ4s/UvInruFkDmI/AAAAAAAABpw/-oe7oNcgVYQ/s1600/Dandenongs+-+Town+of+Sassafras+%231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y9IEfGCoJ4s/UvInruFkDmI/AAAAAAAABpw/-oe7oNcgVYQ/s1600/Dandenongs+-+Town+of+Sassafras+%231.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sorry if I have bored you with the flowers, but their beauty and colours are the sorts of things which inspire the creative side of me.<br />
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Talking about being creative, this past weekend was my first Market Stall for the year. One of my daughters came along to help me on the day. She loves crafts as much as I do, we are definitely kindred spirits when it comes to being creative.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jege1Sd2Zp8/UvIiPfrWv7I/AAAAAAAABo0/OtgOBqsjig0/s1600/Handmade+Redcliffe+Markets+01-02-14+%231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jege1Sd2Zp8/UvIiPfrWv7I/AAAAAAAABo0/OtgOBqsjig0/s1600/Handmade+Redcliffe+Markets+01-02-14+%231.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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For this market I made up a new item to sell - Shabby Chic style peg magnets. I always have something stuck on my fridge so that I won't lose it, so it's nice to at least have something pretty yet practical to hold that much needed information safely. These magnet sets were very popular and sold well. I will have to make some more for the next time.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NleY5d5WPK4/UvIilnfRMoI/AAAAAAAABo8/-iqWi2fAges/s1600/Shabby+Chic+Magnets+-+I+Made+Jan+2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NleY5d5WPK4/UvIilnfRMoI/AAAAAAAABo8/-iqWi2fAges/s1600/Shabby+Chic+Magnets+-+I+Made+Jan+2014.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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Well that is enough of a catch up for now . . . thanks for stopping by and sharing this little part of my world with me.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/94/F7E293F05B29EF355E0448A646A3E1C2.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a>Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-57414218226859471732013-12-19T22:41:00.002-08:002013-12-19T22:41:31.993-08:00Christmas Holiday Crafts<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now that school has finished for the year, we have been having a few crafty days with friends. We had a day of stamping and card making this week, which my girls particularly enjoy doing with their friends and the mums enjoy it too, so it is a win-win situation for everyone!</div>
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Another crafty morning we enjoyed last week with friends was painting ceramics. We went to a store which was filled with lots of lovely pieces to choose from. The idea is to choose the piece you want, in the price range you want and then decorate it with paint. Some pieces on display were of pieces which had been beautifully painted, others were hand-drawn designs on plates, mugs, etc. Some really great Christmas gift ideas to make for someone special.</div>
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Most of the girls decided on Christmas Decorations but one of my girls is a real cat lover at heart, so she couldn't look beyond the cat figures to paint - she just had difficulty choosing which one.</div>
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The colours look quite muted as they are painted on and required several layers of painting.</div>
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We left the pieces at the store for a week so that they could be kiln fired. </div>
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We had some excited girls when they saw their finished pieces!</div>
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If you check the picture above of the cat being painted and then compare it with this picture of the finished product, you can see it was actually quite difficult to picture how they would look when done from the colour paints the girls were using. They are both very proud of their efforts!</div>
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My own craftiness this week seems to be revolving about Christmas gifts. Here is an idea to share with you - simple to make and the end result is so cute!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NBBr286-yGE/UrPj3XP50MI/AAAAAAAABoc/zLsEsIQH4sU/s1600/PC170001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NBBr286-yGE/UrPj3XP50MI/AAAAAAAABoc/zLsEsIQH4sU/s320/PC170001.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Marshmallows and Hot Chocolate mix presented as a snowman in cute little jars. I actually filled some with Milo too as I know lots of people like this as a hot or cold drink too. Some of my jars had Christmas coloured candies in them too. </div>
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The jars are glued together and decorated with gem stones. The snowman's hat it made from felt and some spotted ribbon for a scarf. I forgot to take a photo of all my completed snowmen together, they looked so cute in a group, so I just have to make do with this single photo instead. These are quite a cost effective gift, especially if you buy the supplies in bulk packs. All our friends, neighbours, etc will receive one of these this year. I just have to hope none of them read my blog first!!</div>
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I hope you are all enjoying your own Christmas preparations!</div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/94/F7E293F05B29EF355E0448A646A3E1C2.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a>Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-56138090255903278802013-12-11T21:25:00.001-08:002013-12-11T21:25:29.446-08:00Playgroup Christmas Nativity and Party<br />
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It's hard to believe Christmas is almost upon us - it seems to have come around so quickly this year! I still have so much to do and the last few weeks have been filled with lots of Christmas activities and parties. Today I thought I would share with you a little of our end of year Playgroup Christmas party.</div>
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We always end our final day for the year with a big party and gifts for everyone. It is a much anticipated event and nobody stays away on that day! </div>
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We had all the children dress up in costumes and they did a mini version of acting out the Christmas nativity play and sang some Christmas carols. The children performed this for their parents and grandparents and also an older people's group which meets elsewhere in the church's buildings. The whole thing only takes all of 10 minutes, if that, so perfect for the attention span of the little ones involved.</div>
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We gave out these delicious Christmas Tree cookie stacks as gifts to all those who came along to watch. The older children had fun distributing these gifts which were very kindly made by one of our playgroup mums.</div>
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Each year I make up scrapbooks for each of the children which is full of their art & craft work and photos taken of the children at play and doing various activities throughout the year. It is a lovely keepsake which everyone looks forward to having.</div>
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For gifts this year we used Gift Bags. This is the most effective way of packaging up gifts we have done so far. Each year we improve on the process slightly. The bags were all hand-stamped and contained the children's scrapbooks plus their Christmas gifts. It made the whole process of distributing gifts so much quicker and easier. This photos doesn't show all the children, we have quite a large group and short attention spans, so we need a process that works quickly. I think we will do this again.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VAOqU3AIdqc/UqlEVpeVv0I/AAAAAAAABnI/FW_epYeYguc/s1600/Playgroup+Christmas+Presents+Dec+2013+%232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VAOqU3AIdqc/UqlEVpeVv0I/AAAAAAAABnI/FW_epYeYguc/s320/Playgroup+Christmas+Presents+Dec+2013+%232.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This year all the mothers, grandmothers and carers who come along each week all received a lovely Nutri-Metics gift. We always do something fun for the ladies, not usually this extravagant, sometimes smaller gifts or even a secret Santa which we all contribute to. This year someone very kindly donated a whole lot of Nutri-Metics products for me to use as gifts for both of our Playgroups, which is over 50 ladies - so it was a lovely treat for everyone!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1G2jk5I07tw/UqlGAqKCCnI/AAAAAAAABnU/FWhn_-MvKxY/s1600/Playgroup+Christmas+Morning+Tea+Dec+2013+%231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1G2jk5I07tw/UqlGAqKCCnI/AAAAAAAABnU/FWhn_-MvKxY/s320/Playgroup+Christmas+Morning+Tea+Dec+2013+%231.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We ended our busy morning with a lovely morning tea - so much food that we had plenty of leftovers! It was a great ending to a very fun year, shared with a fantastic group of people. We have the best playgroup ever - of course I am completely biased - but the sense of community, support and friendship within this group is like nothing I have ever experienced elsewhere, and I have certainly been to my fair share of playgroups over the years with my own 4 children during their younger years. </div>
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Thanks for sharing our Playgroup Christmas with me. I will be back to share more of my recent activities soon.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/94/F7E293F05B29EF355E0448A646A3E1C2.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a>Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-43974607004930434252013-11-26T03:50:00.000-08:002013-11-26T03:50:51.924-08:00Close To My Heart - Christmas Cards<div style="text-align: justify;">
This last month has been busy with a number of card making workshops. I am loving being part of the <a href="http://www.karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/">Close To My Heart</a> company so much. I feel like I could never call this work, it is too much fun!</div>
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This month the focus has been on Christmas Cards. I will share a few of the cards we have worked on with you.</div>
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This Noel card was made using the <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/Retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=7553&CatalogID=2156">Sparkle & Shine</a> Paper Pack and the Remarkable Wreath stamp set. The stamps in this set are great - you start with stamping a twig wreath and build up your layers however you want them. Mine just has Christmas berries, but other ladies added leaves and even flowers to theirs. They all looked different and so amazing!</div>
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This Nativity card is made using the <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/Retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=6273&CatalogID=2080">Glory To God</a> stamp set. The stamped image has been highlighted with <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/Retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=1030&CatalogID=2102">Liquid Glass</a> and this gives it a raised, glossy finish. Difficult to see in the photo, but so, so nice!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v0r4GEMJlRk/UpSITjZ6_bI/AAAAAAAABmQ/wsgK8rWlNaM/s1600/PB100034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v0r4GEMJlRk/UpSITjZ6_bI/AAAAAAAABmQ/wsgK8rWlNaM/s320/PB100034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This Christmas Card was done using the <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/Retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=6247&CatalogID=2086">Holiday Cheer</a> stamps and once again the Christmas Ornaments have been coated with Liquid Glass to give a raised, glossy finish. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zpgTcwe80v4/UpSJ5dsHIwI/AAAAAAAABmc/jxUN1omWCUs/s1600/Christmas+Tri-fold+card.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zpgTcwe80v4/UpSJ5dsHIwI/AAAAAAAABmc/jxUN1omWCUs/s320/Christmas+Tri-fold+card.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The last one I am going to share with you is one of my favourites - it is a Christmas version of a tri-fold card. Very effective! </div>
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I think by general consensus at our last workshop, all the ladies agreed that Card Making was not only fun it also felt quite therapeutic to spend some time away from the stress of our busy lives and just enjoy being creative for a few hours.</div>
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If you liked any of the stamps we have used, they are all available for purchase online, just click on the links I have provided.</div>
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Until next time,<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/94/F7E293F05B29EF355E0448A646A3E1C2.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a>Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-3618071356867499612013-11-11T03:14:00.003-08:002013-11-11T03:14:54.616-08:00Handmade Craft Market<div style="text-align: justify;">
My first time running a stall at our local Handmade Craft Market has come and gone and was quite a fun, successful day! The markets were the weekend following my daughter's birthday, so after all the party preparations, I was only left with a week to get things ready for the markets, but thankfully it all came together well. I shared the stall with a friend, which helped to give us both the confidence to give this a try.</div>
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The markets are specifically called a Handmade Market, stocking products that are all handmade. Some crafty things, some edible. The lady who manages the markets also asked me if I would set up a demonstration of some type, so I had a free stamping make & take table which was very popular with the customers.</div>
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I managed to get a photo of the stall only part way through set-up. After that things got too busy and I never had a chance to get one of the completed set-up. Next time!<br />
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These were some gift bags filled with candy which I made using some of my Close To My Heart Stamps, My new wreath stamps were so much fun to experiment with and create so many different looks. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-edz9Efd8af4/UoC1XoU7FcI/AAAAAAAABlA/RXhvMzqg1qs/s1600/PA060023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-edz9Efd8af4/UoC1XoU7FcI/AAAAAAAABlA/RXhvMzqg1qs/s320/PA060023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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These are some giant clip magnets - perfect to clip up and hold paperwork you need to keep handy.<br />
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These are cute little notebooks with post-it notes inside. All have been made using my stamps. I love how they turned out! I plan to make more of these. They would make perfect little Christmas gifts.<br />
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These were some of my handmade magnets - before I had them all nicely packaged up. Even though I do enjoy a wide variety of crafts - I kept my focus on paper crafts for the markets.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d3m2Elm_uOI/UoC6UqBEm2I/AAAAAAAABlk/qQDR5ptmD60/s1600/CTMH+Card+Samples+%231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d3m2Elm_uOI/UoC6UqBEm2I/AAAAAAAABlk/qQDR5ptmD60/s320/CTMH+Card+Samples+%231.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This was just a small selection of the cards I had for sale. I enjoy making them, I find it so relaxing - but the quantity of cards can add up quite quickly, so much more than I could possible use myself, so it was a great opportunity to sell some. They were quite popular.</div>
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The market is only new to our area in the last few months. It runs every month. I loved it so much that I do plan to do it again next month - so that means some more busy days ahead for me, creating more to sell!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/94/F7E293F05B29EF355E0448A646A3E1C2.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a><br />
Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-14500229737515322402013-10-29T04:14:00.002-07:002013-10-29T04:14:19.804-07:00Sweet 16 + Hand Stamped Cards CTMH<div style="text-align: justify;">
Wow! What a busy weekend for our family. My daughter's Sweet 16 birthday party was a huge success. She celebrated with a great group of friends and they all seemed to have a fun evening together. She didn't want the night to end, so I take that as a sign of success!</div>
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Usually I always make the birthday cakes for my children, but this year I was really struggling with time so I asked a friend if she would consider making one for my daughter. She agreed and made the most amazing cake!! She had never made a topsy-turvy cake before, which was the birthday girl's request, but she was up for the challenge and the end result was a stunning cake which received a lot of praise on the night. </div>
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Our back garden was lit up like a fairy light wonderland, it made for the perfect party backdrop. We loved seeing our daughter so happy and enjoying her celebrations with her friends. </div>
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Well I promised to share some of my latest creations with you, which are all stamping related, so here they are:</div>
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A Christmas Card made using the Hostess Washi Tape Stamp Set available from <a href="http://www.karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/">Close To My Heart (CTMH).</a> I love this stamp set - it is so versatile and you can use it to make so many different things.<br />
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This card and the next one are similar, just done using different ink colours and sayings. The background is done using the CTMH <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=7094&CatalogID=2083">Honeycomb</a> stamps.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KzmDcrp9jCo/Um5EbuUGzhI/AAAAAAAABkQ/0vfyI_SPKW8/s1600/PA230087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KzmDcrp9jCo/Um5EbuUGzhI/AAAAAAAABkQ/0vfyI_SPKW8/s320/PA230087.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This next one is made using two of my favourite CTMH products - the <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=7146&CatalogID=2066">Chantilly Paper Pack</a> and the Pinwheel stamp set which was the September Stamp of the Month set. I love the colours in this card!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lwew2Pks6M0/Um5FBKeoA4I/AAAAAAAABkY/KEAxHZD-Z-U/s1600/PA230085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lwew2Pks6M0/Um5FBKeoA4I/AAAAAAAABkY/KEAxHZD-Z-U/s320/PA230085.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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And this one is my other favourite stamp sets <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=7451&CatalogID=2082">Paisley Perfect</a>. In fact, it is probably my most used stamp set of all.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rFkXKzvQPX4/Um5FohWueaI/AAAAAAAABkg/h2WRzEj2qUI/s1600/PA230084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rFkXKzvQPX4/Um5FohWueaI/AAAAAAAABkg/h2WRzEj2qUI/s320/PA230084.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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A lot of these cards and others that I have been working on samples of some of the card making workshops and also you can see they are all packaged in plastic - the reason for that I will save to share in another post. Another first time venture for me which makes me feel both excited and a little scared at the same time.</div>
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Hope you are enjoying a great week so far!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/94/F7E293F05B29EF355E0448A646A3E1C2.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a><br />
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<br />Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-23862798456501805272013-10-23T18:54:00.001-07:002013-10-23T18:54:12.825-07:00So much Crafty Goodness!<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you are a reader of my blog, you will have noticed the underlying fact of my life is that I am too busy. I love all that I do, but I am guilty of cramming too much into each 24 hour period and leaving myself feeling constantly on the brink of exhaustion. What do I do for relaxation, other than craft? I read Amish novels and I love them, I love escaping into the tranquillity of their world. The two extremes of lifestyle could not be any more different. </div>
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The reason you haven't heard much from me, is simply a lack of time to get to my computer and update my blog. I have been busy crafting whenever possible - mostly making cards. It's been too warm to crochet lately, summer has come early it seems. I haven't been in the mood for quilting. Maybe once my craft room is finally sorted out and I have someplace to leave my machine set up it might look more tempting to sew.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X7hoOmwNCYc/Umh46hwDnHI/AAAAAAAABjM/P_CNtSykkq8/s1600/Rebekah's+16th+Birday+Card+I+made+17-10-13+%231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X7hoOmwNCYc/Umh46hwDnHI/AAAAAAAABjM/P_CNtSykkq8/s320/Rebekah's+16th+Birday+Card+I+made+17-10-13+%231.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is a card I made for my oldest daughter's birthday. It's quite a large card and I was so happy with how it turned out. This weekend we are having a <strong>Sweet 16</strong> Party for her. She is very excited and looking forward to it! </div>
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I enjoyed going along to the Stitches and Craft Fair last week with my oldest daughter. It is the biggest craft fair we have here each year and always has an amazing display of quilts on show, plus lots of classes to do and a large variety of stalls for shopping for just about any craft imagineable.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uduyAi0ZGyE/UmhyVdKrCvI/AAAAAAAABiw/yrCaDXQcChg/s1600/Flower+Punch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uduyAi0ZGyE/UmhyVdKrCvI/AAAAAAAABiw/yrCaDXQcChg/s320/Flower+Punch.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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One of my purchases was this giant sized paper punch - these flowers measure 2 1/2" or 6 1/2cm, so they are huge! It was one of those bargain prices I just couldn't resist. I could imagine so many craft possibilities with our scrapbooking, card making and also my playgroup crafts. The best part is this punch is really easy to use too, not like some other punches I have which really hurt your fingers/hands to use.</div>
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Recently I found out that one of my favourite stores, <a href="http://www.ashabbystreak.com.au/">A Shabby Streak</a> is closing down. So very sad, especially when it is one of those specialty stores where you can find all types of gifts, home décor, pretty laces, little girl treasures, etc. It is just a beautiful store and will be missed by so many. So I did go pay them a quick visit when I was in the area yesterday and came away with some lovely china mugs and a pretty cake plate and these gorgeous pieces of lace and flat pearls for making something with.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zuOEIsR6aUU/Umh3OIgk7hI/AAAAAAAABi8/N_5d-xxxlvQ/s1600/PA230091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zuOEIsR6aUU/Umh3OIgk7hI/AAAAAAAABi8/N_5d-xxxlvQ/s320/PA230091.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have some beautiful hair scrunchies and a hair clip which also have come from A Shabby Streak.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HxrUxM_eb9M/Umh3voVOAOI/AAAAAAAABjE/nT6W-E53gk8/s1600/PA230093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HxrUxM_eb9M/Umh3voVOAOI/AAAAAAAABjE/nT6W-E53gk8/s320/PA230093.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Today a nice big parcel was delivered for me! I always get excited when parcels arrive, especially if it is craft items and I get to look inside at all the wonderful treasures - even if they aren't all for me! Here are some of my new <a href="http://www.karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/">Close To My Heart</a> supplies which I can't wait to try out! I think I will need to wait until after the party on the weekend though, too much to get done between now and then.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-idn06aXqQEY/Umh6812xKmI/AAAAAAAABjc/WKQ6gyVffCc/s1600/PA230102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-idn06aXqQEY/Umh6812xKmI/AAAAAAAABjc/WKQ6gyVffCc/s320/PA230102.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is the exclusive Stamp of the Month set for October. I've seen some beautiful card ideas made from using these stamps. If you like it be sure and order before the end of the month so you don't miss out. Stamp of the Month sets are never repeated again.<br />
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I will be back to share more of my latest creations soon!</div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/94/F7E293F05B29EF355E0448A646A3E1C2.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div>
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<br />Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-87974040692167310842013-10-01T02:32:00.000-07:002013-10-01T02:32:12.087-07:00Chocolate Chip Cookies & CTMH Craft<div style="text-align: justify;">
It is school holidays here and so that means lots of children around, all of whom seem to be constantly hungry! Here is one of our favourite cookie recipes which we find is loved by anyone who tries them. They may not look overly attractive, but don't be deceived - once you try one of these cookies, it is hard to resist taking another!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RHIJgz4CW7M/UkqOslr_2YI/AAAAAAAABiA/O04iA33-Xi8/s1600/Chockie+Rock+Cookies+%232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RHIJgz4CW7M/UkqOslr_2YI/AAAAAAAABiA/O04iA33-Xi8/s320/Chockie+Rock+Cookies+%232.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is the Recipe in case you may want to give them a try. Yes, it is a lot of butter, which is why you don't make them often!!</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Chocky Rocks</em></span></span></b><br />
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250g Butter<o:p></o:p></em></span><br />
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1 cup Sugar<o:p></o:p></em></span><br />
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2 Eggs<o:p></o:p></em></span><br />
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½ tsp Vanilla<o:p></o:p></em></span><br />
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2 cups Self Raising Flour<o:p></o:p></em></span><br />
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100g Chocolate Bits<o:p></o:p></em></span><br />
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½ cup Sultanas
(optional)<o:p></o:p></em></span><br />
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2 cups Cornflakes<o:p></o:p></em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Cream butter and
sugar until light and fluffy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beat in
eggs and vanilla, beating well between each addition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fold in flour, choc bits, sultanas and
cornflakes and mix thoroughly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Place
teaspoonfuls of mixture onto greased/lined baking tray and bake in oven for
12-15 minutes at 180*C (160*C for fan forced).</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We have been spending days with lots of play dates for the children with their friends. We have also done quite a lot of papercraft activities when it has just been our family having a quiet morning or afternoon at home. Certainly never a dull moment here!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I've had so much fun making up cards using my new </span><a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/Default.aspx"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Close To My Heart</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> products. One of my favourite stamp sets has been the Washi Stamps set - this is a special hostess reward set only. If you want to know more, just contact me.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cGFjb8mYjS8/UkqRtF4cPaI/AAAAAAAABiM/-2xNSMNK53I/s1600/CTMH+Card+%2316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cGFjb8mYjS8/UkqRtF4cPaI/AAAAAAAABiM/-2xNSMNK53I/s320/CTMH+Card+%2316.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I hosted a CTMH gathering last week and enjoyed an evening of card making with a lovely group of ladies. These are the cards we worked on.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D_4vMfYrjfY/UkqSRDGC5_I/AAAAAAAABiU/uAaSGLhuisA/s1600/CTMH+Card+%2326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D_4vMfYrjfY/UkqSRDGC5_I/AAAAAAAABiU/uAaSGLhuisA/s320/CTMH+Card+%2326.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This simple design was to give the ladies practice with general stamping techniques, especially for those new to stamping. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iha_mI1d3Us/UkqS9el8NII/AAAAAAAABig/6p8Zt2O3QtQ/s1600/CTMH+Card+%2328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iha_mI1d3Us/UkqS9el8NII/AAAAAAAABig/6p8Zt2O3QtQ/s320/CTMH+Card+%2328.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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This card was a lot of fun to make. The Pinwheels stamps are from the September Stamp of the Month Promotion. I've fallen in love with these pinwheels and used them for a number of different card and scrapbook projects, even a simple table centrepiece. I can picture using them for birthday parties too - so much fun to stamp and put together. It's fun experimenting with colour combinations too, colour makes them all look a little different.</div>
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Hope you are enjoying a little bit of craft time in your part of the world!</div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/94/F7E293F05B29EF355E0448A646A3E1C2.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a><br />
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Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-7036721422436735812013-09-18T19:46:00.000-07:002013-09-18T19:46:29.050-07:00Handmade Cards - Close To My Heart CTMH<div style="text-align: justify;">
Last night I hosted my first home gathering and enjoyed an evening of card making with a great group of ladies. It was so much fun!</div>
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I am loving the opportunity to create projects from all these wonderful new products. Here are the cards we made last night.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eQjC7NtxqJE/UjphQ6L2kAI/AAAAAAAABhc/vWpIPBi0LWY/s1600/CTMH+Card+%233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eQjC7NtxqJE/UjphQ6L2kAI/AAAAAAAABhc/vWpIPBi0LWY/s320/CTMH+Card+%233.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Both this card and the next one were made using the <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/Retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=7146&CatalogID=2066">Chantilly Paper Pack.</a> The colours and designs in the pack are just gorgeous with so many creative possibilities.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7WaVGXZutig/Ujph9xkNAJI/AAAAAAAABhk/LN0U4Uf9HHU/s1600/CTMH+Card+%232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7WaVGXZutig/Ujph9xkNAJI/AAAAAAAABhk/LN0U4Uf9HHU/s320/CTMH+Card+%232.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The stamp sets used here are <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/Retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=6507&CatalogID=2086">Beautiful Friendship</a> - this was used for the wording in both cards as well as the pale yellow stamped background on the second card, which is a little hard to see in the picture. The other set used for the flowers was my favourite <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/Retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=6275&CatalogID=2086">Hooray Bouquet</a>. The flowers were cut out and mounting tape has been used to add dimension to the card.</div>
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The ladies really enjoyed making both cards and loved the designs and the new products they were able to try out.</div>
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Today I have made up one more quick card and I'm pleased with how it turned out!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d8K4-e3HIvg/UjpjktBXiYI/AAAAAAAABhw/ZFVA84naQyQ/s1600/CTMH+Card+%236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d8K4-e3HIvg/UjpjktBXiYI/AAAAAAAABhw/ZFVA84naQyQ/s320/CTMH+Card+%236.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This card would be great for a beginner. The main stamped part of the card was made using the <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/Retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=7094&CatalogID=2083">Honeycomb</a> stamp set. The inks are bright, sunny colours - they make you feel happy!</div>
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I hope you are having a great day!!</div>
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Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-59126121062662850672013-09-16T01:00:00.003-07:002013-09-16T01:00:30.777-07:00Birthdays, Kids Crafts and Cards!Do you ever have weeks where you feel like you have just lived a month within the space of one week? Well we have just had one of those.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7ZZOhUNxYIQ/UjayciskBlI/AAAAAAAABgc/Qq9wB8izXkA/s1600/P9030004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7ZZOhUNxYIQ/UjayciskBlI/AAAAAAAABgc/Qq9wB8izXkA/s320/P9030004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The week always starts with Playgroup preparations - here are our latest Playgroup crafts for those of you who like craft ideas for little people.<br />
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I found tubs of cute stickers which we used to make these. Foam sticker tubs are great value. I made up 50 separate crafts and used just over one tub, so I have plenty of leftovers to put away for another year. </div>
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We had had a birthday and a birthday cake! Very simply decorated with marshmallow flowers dipped in pink sugar. The inside of the cake was a little impressive though, chocolate cake filled with coloured cake balls - it gave a nice rainbow effect. Of course, silly me, I forgot to take a photo of the cake once it was cut.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TVCCHvqvWXI/Uja0nUqo7sI/AAAAAAAABgw/EpaLeeIBe-g/s1600/P9130049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TVCCHvqvWXI/Uja0nUqo7sI/AAAAAAAABgw/EpaLeeIBe-g/s320/P9130049.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We usually do home birthday parties, but this year the Birthday Girl wanted to go bowling with some of her little friends. They had such a fun time and I discovered that we have one very serious little bowler in the family!</div>
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<em>And the special occasion included the Birthday Girl getting her ears pierced!</em></div>
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It has been exam week at school, getting end of term assignments finished and handed in and just lots of extra running around in general. But amidst all the craziness that has been our week, one of my girls and I have had a chance to have some fun together and try out some of our new <a href="http://www.karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/">Close To My Heart</a> stamps and make some cards. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rao0g5xlTJU/Uja1QoDo3MI/AAAAAAAABg4/miQa-n8wTxQ/s1600/P9150074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rao0g5xlTJU/Uja1QoDo3MI/AAAAAAAABg4/miQa-n8wTxQ/s320/P9150074.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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These stars are fantastic! I still need to work on my techniques for applying the <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/Retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=1030&CatalogID=2096">Liquid Glass</a> to give a glossy, 3D effect. I've used it on other cards with no problems, but this time I applied it right after inking - so I have learned that you need to let the ink dry first so that it doesn't bleed. I am loving the <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/Retail/Products.aspx?CatalogID=2089">colours</a> in this card though!!!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iRWXuYoWmzw/Uja3KGoHQDI/AAAAAAAABhE/msw1jpV3rnU/s1600/P9150077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iRWXuYoWmzw/Uja3KGoHQDI/AAAAAAAABhE/msw1jpV3rnU/s320/P9150077.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This card was made by one of my younger girls. She did a great job! It was done using the stamps from a set called <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/Retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=6275&CatalogID=2086">Hooray Bouquet</a>. This has been one of my favourite stamp sets so far and I have used it myself for so many card projects.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d8kiJnZHVsQ/Uja32gdUy_I/AAAAAAAABhM/ONIZj6P-xOg/s1600/P9150078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d8kiJnZHVsQ/Uja32gdUy_I/AAAAAAAABhM/ONIZj6P-xOg/s320/P9150078.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This one is made from a set of stamps called <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/Retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=6507&CatalogID=2086">Beautiful Friendship.</a> My daughter has done it in her favourite colour. Her stamping techniques are getting better the more she does.<br />
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I have a few more cards I am working on at the moment, but will wait and share those with you another time. <br />
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Hope your week is a productive one with a little crafting included somewhere!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/94/F7E293F05B29EF355E0448A646A3E1C2.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a><br />
Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-35066463906209660012013-09-08T03:29:00.002-07:002013-09-08T03:30:01.725-07:00Close To My Heart - Shop Online in Australia Now<div style="text-align: justify;">
I am super excited about the very recent launch of <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/">Close To My Heart</a> in Australia. Following the company's earlier introduction to the Australian market last year and the very positive response that received, CTMH has now officially launched their company in both Australia and New Zealand. The great news for all of us is that it now means everyone has the opportunity to purchase and use the wonderful CTMH products!!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TEn4jVcv1DU/UivSMt98yCI/AAAAAAAABfU/BTUmtS9py64/s1600/Ctmh+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TEn4jVcv1DU/UivSMt98yCI/AAAAAAAABfU/BTUmtS9py64/s320/Ctmh+logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you have never had the opportunity to take a look at any CTMH products, I invite you to click on the link <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/">here</a>. You then need to click on <strong><u>Products </u></strong>and from there choose the <strong><u>2013 Products Launch Guide</u></strong>. Then sit back and enjoy browsing!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vCLGeQppBuQ/UivZwbiOfRI/AAAAAAAABfk/aBRMH9nb9Vk/s1600/close+to+my+heart+%231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vCLGeQppBuQ/UivZwbiOfRI/AAAAAAAABfk/aBRMH9nb9Vk/s320/close+to+my+heart+%231.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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CTMH provides quality products for all of my stamping and scrapbooking needs - both hobbies which I personally enjoy. One thing I really appreciate about CTMH is it's affordability. This is something which particularly matters when you have a large family. I love to be able to enjoy my crafts but need to work within a specific budget to justify (mostly to myself) the expense. It has been great to see how quickly my stamps and ink supplies have grown through CTMH products, simply because of affordability . . . not to mention the fact that I love the designs and colour palette.<br />
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My first introduction to CTMH was back in the late 1990's and they were one of the first companies which had co-ordinating papers, cardstock and ink pads. I still have some of my original inks and they are still working fine. They also had one of the most amazing collections of stamps available. So you can see, my enthusiasm for CTMH coming to Australia is definitely well founded.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3g04wMGIB0s/UivbnHDfNSI/AAAAAAAABfw/76BqsXslwcM/s1600/05_13_SOM_pinwheel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3g04wMGIB0s/UivbnHDfNSI/AAAAAAAABfw/76BqsXslwcM/s320/05_13_SOM_pinwheel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is an example of a scrapbook page and a few other crafty ideas made using the great pinwheels stamps which are available in the exclusive Stamp of the Month set for September. This one is definitely joining my collection, look at the variety of sizes which you can place together to form a dimensional pinwheel. I love the pinwheels and can think of so many possibilities for using them!!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mEaxypAzUkk/UivcLAnXeBI/AAAAAAAABf4/EpAYOMcxCJE/s1600/05_13_SOM_pinwheel_stamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mEaxypAzUkk/UivcLAnXeBI/AAAAAAAABf4/EpAYOMcxCJE/s1600/05_13_SOM_pinwheel_stamp.jpg" /></a></div>
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Stamp of the month sets are only available for purchase for one calendar month and then they are no longer available after that. If you like this one, be sure you don't miss out.</div>
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I know that there are lots more products available to those of you who live in the USA and I am looking forward to the product catalogue expanding for Australia next year. In the meantime, if you wish to shop online yourself, you can do this from <a href="http://karenharbottle.ctmh.com.au/">here.</a> There are fantastic benefits if you are a serious scrapper or card maker, you may wish to look into becoming a CTMH consultant yourself. Especially in the early stages of this being new to Australia, a great time to join. Just ask me how!!</div>
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I'm off to play with some new stamps and create a few new card designs too ~ fun, fun, fun!!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/94/F7E293F05B29EF355E0448A646A3E1C2.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a><br />
<br />Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-58520412622031931412013-08-30T21:15:00.000-07:002013-08-30T21:15:25.326-07:00Handmade Cards - Stampin Up<div style="text-align: justify;">
One evening this week I had the opportunity to go along to a card making evening with some friends and it was so good! I know that for many of you, you most likely do things like this often, but I don't tend to get out much, especially evenings, to do things on my own without the kids, so I totally enjoyed it!!</div>
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The cards were all simple to make and done using stamping techniques. They were all made using <a href="http://www.stampinup.com/home/">Stampin' Up</a> stamps. The lady hosting the evening wasn't a Consultant for Stampin Up, but she very obviously favoured their products and had an enormous supply of everything to choose from. It was fun using a different variety of stamps and ink colours to what I have at home.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0r2CqDtRwFk/Uh_EkWGYATI/AAAAAAAABec/z7PGnHGw46Q/s1600/P8290005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0r2CqDtRwFk/Uh_EkWGYATI/AAAAAAAABec/z7PGnHGw46Q/s320/P8290005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Christmas Reindeer</em></div>
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This Christmas card has an embossed background, which was done using a <a href="http://www.sizzix.com/product/655268/sizzix-big-shot-machine-only-black-pink">Sizzix Big Shot Machine</a>. The brown card was lightly sanded after it was embossed, which brings out a two tone background - rather nice!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YwkKek4OyrQ/UiAAm3ZR2oI/AAAAAAAABes/IWeK3N6Wr2U/s1600/P8280001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YwkKek4OyrQ/UiAAm3ZR2oI/AAAAAAAABes/IWeK3N6Wr2U/s320/P8280001.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<em>Coffee & Friends Card</em></div>
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Although I prefer Tea to Coffee, I still really loved this card. It could be used for anything. It doesn't look very complicated, and it isn't, but there are 3 different shades of brown ink to do all the stamping which gives nice colour variation. All the splatter across the bottom comes from 3 separate stamps. The band around the coffee cup is raised up to give the card some dimension. All up a fun card to make.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VhzhjOmhkDg/UiACGgjRtOI/AAAAAAAABe4/dep4bSbCrhQ/s1600/P8290007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VhzhjOmhkDg/UiACGgjRtOI/AAAAAAAABe4/dep4bSbCrhQ/s320/P8290007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Hexagon Card</em></div>
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This card, believe it or not, was actually the most challenging. I used a new tool which I had never seen before and what it did was allowed me to line up my stamps exactly where I wanted them to go. I tried stamping the hexagons freehand, which is never usually a problem for me, but could not achieve this same perfect look. So I gave the tool a try and this was the end result, perfectly spaced little hexagons. Each individual hexagon has been separately stamped. I loved the colour palette of the ink pads in this one. It was a great card to make and I like coming away feeling I have learned a new skill.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b1aX5ZFjXDk/UiAEApTPG_I/AAAAAAAABfE/R8sd9vC93aY/s1600/Card+for+Jo+Ramsay+2013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b1aX5ZFjXDk/UiAEApTPG_I/AAAAAAAABfE/R8sd9vC93aY/s320/Card+for+Jo+Ramsay+2013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>40th Birthday Card</em></div>
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This last card was something I made by myself at home for a friend's 40th Birthday. I made a large card, double the size of what I would usually do, so that a number of friends could all write in the same card. The idea for the card design came from adapting another card I had found on Pinterest. The green paper flower I made using an online tutorial and once finished, stuck a button on the top. I loved how the entire card turned out.</div>
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I find card making to be so relaxing and almost therapeutic, I really should do it more often!!</div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/94/F7E293F05B29EF355E0448A646A3E1C2.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-15802244844790352342013-08-28T20:54:00.002-07:002013-08-28T20:54:35.586-07:00Samaritan's Purse - Operation Christmas Child 2013<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well I can't believe that 12 months has already rolled around again so quickly - where has the time gone?!! We are at that time of the year when we start to prepare our Shoeboxes full of gifts for Operation Christmas Child. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yZxMDnfQeDc/UC4dGKQH01I/AAAAAAAAAeA/Rfu7vOXihBE/s1600/Operation+Christmas+Child+Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yZxMDnfQeDc/UC4dGKQH01I/AAAAAAAAAeA/Rfu7vOXihBE/s1600/Operation+Christmas+Child+Logo.png" /></a></div>
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This has become a yearly event our family is always involved in and we love putting together boxes full of gifts for children who live in places around the world where they don't have much at all. For us it doesn't necessarily come easy financially to be involved in this venture, it is a sacrifice. We have a large family and it is expensive just to provide for the needs of our own children, but we look beyond this to the opportunity this experience provides as a valuable teaching lesson to our children. We need to be thankful for the things we have and reach out to help those around us. It encourages the spirit of giving at Christmas, rather than having kids only focus on what they want to receive. As many of you know, the gift of giving actually brings you a greater sense of joy within yourself - for me it has been such a blessing to see my own kids understand this.</div>
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Samaritan's Purse is a Christian relief and evangelism organization. The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God's love in a tangible way to needy children around the world. </div>
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To learn more about Operation Christmas Child you can visit their website <a href="http://operationchristmaschild.org.au/">here.</a></div>
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The concept is to share a gift with a child by filling a box with a variety of small gifts. The box will then be collected and distributed to a needy child somewhere else in the world.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5vtC9D85xXs/UC4fZpj8FuI/AAAAAAAAAeU/m304nl4pcmw/s1600/Operation-Christmas-Child-copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5vtC9D85xXs/UC4fZpj8FuI/AAAAAAAAAeU/m304nl4pcmw/s320/Operation-Christmas-Child-copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It has been fun throughout the last 12 months, shopping for this project. We do watch the stores for sales and buy up a lot of the supplies for the boxes then - for example, back to school sales are a great opportunity to get lots of school supplies cheaply. By stretching our dollar, while still providing quality items, we are able to actually put together a few extra boxes than we might have been able to do otherwise. My kids are so in tune with the whole concept of Operation Christmas Child that when they see things on sale throughout the year that are on our lists for the boxes, they are very eager to buy them and put them away for when we are ready to pack the shoeboxes in August.</div>
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<br />Last week we pulled out our containers of supplies. I store everything we purchase throughout the year in large plastic containers to keep them all clean. My younger girls sorted all the supplies into separate piles to make it easy to collect what we needed for each box and then we began the task of packing the individual boxes. It was very exciting and lots of fun for the kids. They get so much enjoyment out of putting together a box of supplies for a gift for another child somewhere in the world. Last on the list of things to add to the boxes is a photo of the kids, to make the gift a bit more personal for the recipient, so they know somebody made this parcel for them and cares for them.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0JZa0dxqiTQ/Uh7CfddDD7I/AAAAAAAABeM/8TPR7GRFuIA/s1600/Operation+Christmas+Child+2013+%234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0JZa0dxqiTQ/Uh7CfddDD7I/AAAAAAAABeM/8TPR7GRFuIA/s320/Operation+Christmas+Child+2013+%234.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Our church family all get involved with Operation Christmas Child and the church is a local collection point for people to be able to drop their packed shoeboxes off to. It is amazing each year to see a massive wall of boxes which are all donated by the generous people from both our church family and our local community. The school where our children go is also involved in this project, so we have opportunities to be involved each year by donating items for the school students to pack boxes. The school then sends a team of senior students overseas on a mission trip to help with the distribution of the boxes - truly a life changing experience!</div>
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If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend getting involved - contact Samaritan's Purse for more details of how to do this in your local area.</div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/94/F7E293F05B29EF355E0448A646A3E1C2.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-52350237065053227842013-08-17T00:31:00.000-07:002013-08-17T00:31:17.029-07:00Playgroup Crafts<div style="text-align: justify;">
This year seems to be going so fast and I find myself constantly in planning mode for Playgroup, especially when it comes to the weekly crafts. Our group is growing in size, which is wonderful, but it is also challenging me time-wise to prepare so many crafts each week - I usually work on preparing for 40-50 children. If I can find something in a kit form, it is a bonus, but those usually work out too expensive and so I revert back to something that is the most cost effective.</div>
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So where do lots of my ideas come from? Well I gather them from all over the place. Sometimes we work on a theme each term and other times crafts are a bit more random. <a href="http://pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a> is one of my favourite places to source ideas from, but I also borrow ideas from crafts my own children might make at school, especially during that first year at school. </div>
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So for those of you who might have the need to come up with craft ideas for young children, be it for using at home or elsewhere, I thought I would share with you a few of our latest crafts. None of them are difficult. Most only require glue and decorating, so they are relatively easy.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V_KIr6gGjHY/Ug8hd17pW1I/AAAAAAAABdI/FQM5r_tuEOU/s1600/Playgroup+-+Frog+Craft.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V_KIr6gGjHY/Ug8hd17pW1I/AAAAAAAABdI/FQM5r_tuEOU/s320/Playgroup+-+Frog+Craft.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<em>A green frog - with lots of sparkling glitter!</em></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XqSzDhlG634/Ug8h1vawcjI/AAAAAAAABdQ/FK-bfgBPEHM/s1600/Playgroup+-+Snake+Craft.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XqSzDhlG634/Ug8h1vawcjI/AAAAAAAABdQ/FK-bfgBPEHM/s320/Playgroup+-+Snake+Craft.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Snake made from a paper plate</em></div>
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<em>This looks good when pulled up from the head in the centre</em></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PSy7zWObTjI/Ug8iRbpilNI/AAAAAAAABdY/65yLvfW2blI/s1600/Playgroup+-+Crown+Craft.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PSy7zWObTjI/Ug8iRbpilNI/AAAAAAAABdY/65yLvfW2blI/s320/Playgroup+-+Crown+Craft.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Crown decorated with </em><a href="http://www.crafty-friends.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/dot-markers.html"><em>Dot Markers</em></a><em> & gems</em></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gLUNI3fgOqk/Ug8joCgx_jI/AAAAAAAABdk/kWVp6FO7EkU/s1600/Playgroup+-+Birds+in+Nest+Craft.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gLUNI3fgOqk/Ug8joCgx_jI/AAAAAAAABdk/kWVp6FO7EkU/s320/Playgroup+-+Birds+in+Nest+Craft.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Birds in a Nest</em></div>
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We've been doing a bit of painting too. Last week we did magic pictures where I had drawn pictures onto white paper using a white crayon and then gave the children a watered down paint wash to paint over the top and reveal the picture.</div>
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Another fun form of painting which all the children love to do is marble painting. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Iwqp5tlMWZY/Ug8lWmShneI/AAAAAAAABdw/4S9ZfWIJbHk/s1600/MarblePainting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Iwqp5tlMWZY/Ug8lWmShneI/AAAAAAAABdw/4S9ZfWIJbHk/s320/MarblePainting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We use a jumbo sized marble for this, almost a golf ball size, dip it in paint and place it in a shallow container with a piece of paper already placed in the bottom. The children just need to roll the marble around inside and it creates a fun painting, especially when using multiple colours.<br />
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I don't always remember to take a photo of our crafts each week, but I am trying to be more diligent at doing that so that I can build up my own craft resources and then rotate them every few years as new groups of children come through.<br />
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If you have any great ideas for that 2-5 year old age group or know of some great websites with inexpensive but creative ideas, I would really value your feedback. If we all help one another out, we will have enough ideas to share around for a very long time to come!<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/94/F7E293F05B29EF355E0448A646A3E1C2.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-60018342625317922662013-08-01T17:51:00.000-07:002013-08-01T17:51:01.112-07:00Variegated Crochet Ripple BlanketI have been so excited about my current crochet project which I have been steadily working away on, so thought I would give you an update.<br />
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If you have visited my blog before you may remember me sharing about my latest purchase of some lovely soft yarns and my plan was to turn them into a new <a href="http://www.crafty-friends.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/yarn-sale-new-crochet-project.html">Ripple Blanket</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LYLkVWFzNP4/UfsA-hmDr3I/AAAAAAAABc4/Yyczb1koXUE/s1600/P6070134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LYLkVWFzNP4/UfsA-hmDr3I/AAAAAAAABc4/Yyczb1koXUE/s320/P6070134.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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While our home has been undergoing major repairs and renovations and I've not been able to access my craft supplies, nor a flat space to work on, my crochet has been a wonderful creative alternative. It would drive me absolutely crazy not to have something to be able to work on.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VQBJ1hNOOMY/Ufr-tYX-2TI/AAAAAAAABck/BdaaxECCHC4/s1600/P8010006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VQBJ1hNOOMY/Ufr-tYX-2TI/AAAAAAAABck/BdaaxECCHC4/s320/P8010006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>My ripple blanket is growing into a lovely lap sized rug</em></div>
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Working on a crochet blanket has been the perfect winter project and now that it is growing it has the added bonus of keeping me nice and cozy in the evenings as I continue working away on it.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DwY9dyW58t0/UfsAmkE6Z2I/AAAAAAAABcw/9VsVroAS8OQ/s1600/P8010008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DwY9dyW58t0/UfsAmkE6Z2I/AAAAAAAABcw/9VsVroAS8OQ/s320/P8010008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Here is a close up of the pattern and colours</em></div>
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I've been so pleased with the combination of the pink with the variegated colours, they look so good together. The variegated yarn is made up of pink, grey and a creamy white.<br />
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If you are in Australia and have a <a href="http://www.lincraft.com.au/">Lincraft</a> store near you, they have their yarns on sale this week for 30% off. I highly recommend this <em>Veronica </em>yarn I am using, while it may be thick, it is the softest and warmest yarn I've used in a long time - really nice to work with. You can't go wrong with it!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/94/F7E293F05B29EF355E0448A646A3E1C2.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a>Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-11061693365056756262013-07-25T19:53:00.001-07:002013-07-25T19:53:25.447-07:00Children's Crafts - Hamabeads and Whipple<div style="text-align: justify;">
Children's Crafts are something that are always popular in our home and my girls always seem to have something on the go. I thought today I would share with you a couple of the projects they have been working on over the last few weeks.</div>
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Now these are not something new, but these little beads are the most amazing things to make things with. They go by a lot of different names, depending on where you buy them from. I've always known them as Hama Beads. Here is a link for the <a href="http://www.hamabeads.com/">Hamabeads Website</a>. Lots of craft stores sell them and you can also buy them from IKEA.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WWLCw86qBGk/UfHe5nlFzyI/AAAAAAAABbU/WtnzDbyBt1g/s1600/P7240020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WWLCw86qBGk/UfHe5nlFzyI/AAAAAAAABbU/WtnzDbyBt1g/s320/P7240020.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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The way these beads work is that you start with a template which is covered in tiny little pegs which hold the individual beads. Using your own imagination with the colours, you create a cute little design. Once finished, you cover it with a non-stick baking paper and carefully iron over the top. The heat from the iron melts the beads just enough to bond them together and hold the shape.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zBN4lwUeETs/UfHf3-n4UMI/AAAAAAAABbg/8BcCjuQW9So/s1600/P7240023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zBN4lwUeETs/UfHf3-n4UMI/AAAAAAAABbg/8BcCjuQW9So/s320/P7240023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>A variety of template shapes are available</em></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ET1y8nZTEl4/UfHgFNXNBYI/AAAAAAAABbo/4kCXMDVwB68/s1600/P7240024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ET1y8nZTEl4/UfHgFNXNBYI/AAAAAAAABbo/4kCXMDVwB68/s320/P7240024.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Here is a finished heart</em></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l42O-povX_0/UfHi2gjY5nI/AAAAAAAABcQ/FGFAXMCaXuU/s1600/P7240028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l42O-povX_0/UfHi2gjY5nI/AAAAAAAABcQ/FGFAXMCaXuU/s320/P7240028.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>and a Butterfly</em></div>
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We have built up a collection of colours over time and I love the fact that all the age groups seem to enjoy making things with them. My son has even been known to do some craft with these!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zhq9pqMV0is/UfHgr8XXKsI/AAAAAAAABbw/kWu93307uJc/s1600/P7240018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zhq9pqMV0is/UfHgr8XXKsI/AAAAAAAABbw/kWu93307uJc/s320/P7240018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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So if your children are looking for a fun activity and they haven't tried these, I would highly recommend them. They are a great non-messy craft, providing of course, the beads don't get spilled all over the place!!<br />
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Another craft I wanted to show you is called "Whipple" and it comes in a kit form. My daughter had such a lot of fun with this. This year she received lots of craft kits from friends for her birthday, they all know her so well! <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OPNA7SOGbz0/UfHiKeCgucI/AAAAAAAABcA/UnbnuDkE8Po/s1600/P7240010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OPNA7SOGbz0/UfHiKeCgucI/AAAAAAAABcA/UnbnuDkE8Po/s320/P7240010.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Whipple is basically a non-edible form of decorating cupcakes. The "cream" comes in a tube ready to be piped onto the cupcakes and decorations are then added. The whipple cream is left to dry hard and then you have a lovely collection of cupcakes to display. The smaller ones have chains which come in the kits so that they can be made into keyrings. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MiWOt9LxqVM/UfHie5UCgPI/AAAAAAAABcI/DmQQm442vqE/s1600/P7240014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MiWOt9LxqVM/UfHie5UCgPI/AAAAAAAABcI/DmQQm442vqE/s320/P7240014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Too cute!</em></div>
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While I have been unable to do much crafting myself with our repairs and renovations going on, there has still been some craft going on in our home. I love that my kids enjoy being creative!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/94/F7E293F05B29EF355E0448A646A3E1C2.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a><br />
Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-52740661411490909852013-06-26T22:28:00.000-07:002013-06-26T22:28:17.489-07:00Make Your Own Heat Bags<div style="text-align: justify;">
My little world has been in chaos as we change rooms about in our home and relocate my office/sewing & craft room - which also includes all of the things I sell online - so it is a huge task and I am surrounded by mess as I sort through everything. It is a great opportunity to get rid of things I didn't even remember I had. I'm finding the whole process very time consuming though and my crafting has been put on hold for awhile.</div>
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What I thought I would share with you today is how I made my heat bags. I had a request from one lovely reader, asking how they were made. If you remember reading my previous blog post about the school fete, these were something I made a lot of and they all sold really quickly.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9FbK6mzh1HU/UcVSivRICfI/AAAAAAAABaQ/_oeFmucCzhI/s1600/P5180053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9FbK6mzh1HU/UcVSivRICfI/AAAAAAAABaQ/_oeFmucCzhI/s320/P5180053.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Heat Bags are on the right side of the table</em></div>
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To make these I bought some heavier weight fabrics which would wear well - my choices were Corduroy and Furnishing Fabrics. There are such a lot of lovely fabric designs available, so they key is to make them to look at attractive as possible.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F5UwJo4s2bg/UcVTaOPToYI/AAAAAAAABac/5TS5Jiiu9OM/s1600/Corduroy+Fabrics+%232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F5UwJo4s2bg/UcVTaOPToYI/AAAAAAAABac/5TS5Jiiu9OM/s320/Corduroy+Fabrics+%232.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Heatbags are really simple to make, they are just a large rectangle, sewn into 3 sections. To begin with you need to cut 2 rectangles, one for the back and one for the front. I used pattern fabrics on the front and plain co-ordinating colours on the back. This was just so that I could stretch my patterned fabrics further. If I was doing it for myself at home I would probably just used the same fabric for back and front. My rectangles measured 7" x 15". You can make these heat bags any size you like though.</div>
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The next step is to pin right sides together and sew around 3 sides of your rectangles, starting at one of the longest sides. Leave one of the shorter sides open. Turn to right side out. Measure your rectangle into three equal sections. Now comes the tricky bit! How to fill and sew the seams without the contents spilling everywhere!!! <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_O5laaIbgT0/UcvL5rW3SiI/AAAAAAAABa0/8WRlGSSkRsY/s1600/Heat+Bags.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_O5laaIbgT0/UcvL5rW3SiI/AAAAAAAABa0/8WRlGSSkRsY/s320/Heat+Bags.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The idea is to fill the first 1/3 and then sew it right across to close it off, then continue again for the following two sections in the same way. My greatest success came when I filled the first portion then pinned it completely closed and then sewed 1bout 1/4" from where I had pinned so that it was completely sewn shut. The pinning helps keep the filling in place. I used rice to fill mine - you could use wheat instead if you preferred - and if you like a little scent, add a drop of lavender oil to the rice. When I reached the final end I tucked under the ends so that they would be completely enclosed inside and then proceeded to sew shut in the same way I did the other cross seams.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vXivwoU_A20/UcvMdiKjqPI/AAAAAAAABa8/MONjqCtJ93s/s1600/Heat+Bags+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vXivwoU_A20/UcvMdiKjqPI/AAAAAAAABa8/MONjqCtJ93s/s320/Heat+Bags+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I know that it is really difficult to try and picture this without pictures of the sewing process, but I hope that if you look at the picture of the finished product you will be able to work it out okay. These are the best heat bags and having those 3 even sections distributes the filling evenly and makes it so much more comfortable to use.<br />
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Happy Sewing!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/94/F7E293F05B29EF355E0448A646A3E1C2.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a>Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-72385701049982387232013-06-08T19:55:00.003-07:002013-06-08T19:55:52.881-07:00Yarn Sale ~ A New Crochet Project<div style="text-align: justify;">
For the last 8 weeks we have had major repairs being done to the inside of our house. I will be so grateful when it is all done, but in the meantime, surviving the constant mess and chaos has been very difficult. For someone who likes to be creative, not being able to access my sewing and craft supplies and then not being able to access any table space to actually work on either, well that has been challenging to say the least. So in cases like this what does one do, well you look for alternatives of course!</div>
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Our local Craft store had a sale on this week and I found the most gorgeous and soft yarn in very pretty colours. I couldn't resist buying some, even if I had tried - which I did not. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5QBhtDAIL0Q/UbPsRm1yGSI/AAAAAAAABZo/ZjKFpFBtu-c/s1600/P6070138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5QBhtDAIL0Q/UbPsRm1yGSI/AAAAAAAABZo/ZjKFpFBtu-c/s320/P6070138.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I came away with two different colour variations and enough yarn to crochet some new ripple blankets - I am very addicted to the ripple pattern, I just love the way it looks.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7D0ieX6v3c/UbPs1f6vekI/AAAAAAAABZw/Zu9pojAHy4w/s1600/P6070133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7D0ieX6v3c/UbPs1f6vekI/AAAAAAAABZw/Zu9pojAHy4w/s320/P6070133.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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So here is what I have started so far . . . and I am really loving the softness of this yarn, it feels so great as I crochet with it.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iLKCIHopTzQ/UbPtV7iE52I/AAAAAAAABZ8/W0OfnSlNQwQ/s1600/P6070135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iLKCIHopTzQ/UbPtV7iE52I/AAAAAAAABZ8/W0OfnSlNQwQ/s320/P6070135.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Crochet is the perfect thing to pick up and do anytime, anywhere and a great creative choice for a cooler winter's day!</div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/94/F7E293F05B29EF355E0448A646A3E1C2.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a>Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-39206542447759763752013-06-04T05:04:00.000-07:002013-06-04T05:04:31.265-07:00Craft Stall - School Fete Update<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well this post has been a long time coming, it has been such a hectic month for me. For those of you who may not have read my other blog entries, I have been busy running a craft stall for our annual school fete. As I look back, I have learned so much and my confidence grew along the way. From sourcing ideas for craft items to make (thanks to Pinterest) which we hoped would be popular and would sell well, to running craft workshops with helpers to make everything, and then the actual set up of the craft stall on our school fete day. Overall it was a huge success, with an enormous effort by a lovely group of ladies who so generously gave of their time - none of whom I knew before, but now all of whom I consider new friends.</div>
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So, besides the craft items I have shared with you before, here is a brief summary of some of the other things we made to sell.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xlR_e6yypCo/Ua3KG4-Bv-I/AAAAAAAABXk/FG2q1UK-DMM/s1600/P5010046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xlR_e6yypCo/Ua3KG4-Bv-I/AAAAAAAABXk/FG2q1UK-DMM/s320/P5010046.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<em>Extra Large Magnetic Pegs - perfect to pin up things on the fridge!</em></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-akQzBZ5Ua4s/Ua3PvMYMfBI/AAAAAAAABY4/b5stoIAYuGE/s1600/P4220001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-akQzBZ5Ua4s/Ua3PvMYMfBI/AAAAAAAABY4/b5stoIAYuGE/s320/P4220001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Canvas wall art. </em></div>
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<em>Anything with Owls or a Paris/Eiffel Tower theme sold very quickly!!</em></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y29uW-TDSmI/Ua3LWkfIdBI/AAAAAAAABX0/ny-pa1cL9hs/s1600/P5060096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y29uW-TDSmI/Ua3LWkfIdBI/AAAAAAAABX0/ny-pa1cL9hs/s320/P5060096.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Magnetic Post-It Note Pads</em></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9RJbxREZ368/Ua3XCcuvATI/AAAAAAAABZY/awa5OvzGpJQ/s1600/P5060097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9RJbxREZ368/Ua3XCcuvATI/AAAAAAAABZY/awa5OvzGpJQ/s320/P5060097.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<em>Handbag Cards with Soap inside</em></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EpULknO5V8o/Ua3L--XmoqI/AAAAAAAABX8/NGPXNVhVORU/s1600/P5090022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EpULknO5V8o/Ua3L--XmoqI/AAAAAAAABX8/NGPXNVhVORU/s320/P5090022.JPG" width="320" /></em></a></div>
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<em>Lots of pretty Heat Bags</em></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-43NMD8mdfcY/Ua3MdZwtN_I/AAAAAAAABYI/I4LSU7Ou9ug/s1600/P5020078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-43NMD8mdfcY/Ua3MdZwtN_I/AAAAAAAABYI/I4LSU7Ou9ug/s320/P5020078.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Cookie Cutter Pincushions</em></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eoRmFAqDm0k/Ua3M92Ge8vI/AAAAAAAABYQ/bm1dUQRd-fY/s1600/P5020072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eoRmFAqDm0k/Ua3M92Ge8vI/AAAAAAAABYQ/bm1dUQRd-fY/s320/P5020072.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Lots of decorative word art</em></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VCPBSo6NUv4/Ua3Ndi7Bx8I/AAAAAAAABYY/wcuypm0fWjo/s1600/P5180053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VCPBSo6NUv4/Ua3Ndi7Bx8I/AAAAAAAABYY/wcuypm0fWjo/s320/P5180053.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Handmade Cards, Cupcake Pincushions and </em></div>
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<em>lots of pretty Bunting - this was popular!</em></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LRflUBWCT28/Ua3OGp8bl8I/AAAAAAAABYg/hlZL7XRsHIs/s1600/P5180050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LRflUBWCT28/Ua3OGp8bl8I/AAAAAAAABYg/hlZL7XRsHIs/s320/P5180050.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Beautiful Floral Decoupage & Painted Wooden Coat Hangers,</em></div>
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<em>Crochet Flower Clips and Hats</em></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lYsbcpg6MrY/Ua3PPs-OfhI/AAAAAAAABYw/o0Tni_xx8mo/s1600/P5180052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lYsbcpg6MrY/Ua3PPs-OfhI/AAAAAAAABYw/o0Tni_xx8mo/s320/P5180052.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<em>Crochet Hanging Tea Towels - a lady makes these every year and </em></div>
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<em>they sell so well, </em><em>always very popular. </em></div>
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<em>This year she made over 50 of them!</em></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AcRQdZ6-IR8/Ua3RU3BrxOI/AAAAAAAABZI/EaeKNbe5iLc/s1600/P5180060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AcRQdZ6-IR8/Ua3RU3BrxOI/AAAAAAAABZI/EaeKNbe5iLc/s320/P5180060.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Lots of different types of bags, quilts, painted folk art and we even made Kewpie Dolls.</em> </div>
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In case you don't know what they are - Kewpie Dolls are dolls on sticks which are very glittery and have frilly dresses. These were a trip down memory lane for lots of us from our own childhoods. They were always something you came home with from a show/fair. Believe it or not, we sold every single one.</div>
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We were still setting up in this last picture, the towel rail didn't stay up on the trolley. The real challenge of the day was the wind blowing, we ended up having to tie up the stand with bags on it to stop it from blowing over.</div>
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We had incredibly positive feedback about the craft stall on the day and judging by the amount that sold, it was worth all the time and effort we put into it. I did have the best salesman on the day, my wonderful husband! He was very enthusiastic and charming and had people buying things without hesitation - a natural sales person. The objective of the fete is to raise funds for the school and it was great to be a part of that. </div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/94/F7E293F05B29EF355E0448A646A3E1C2.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a><br />
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Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-86265478260820898472013-05-07T03:01:00.001-07:002013-05-07T03:01:05.581-07:00Crafts to Make and Sell<div style="text-align: justify;">
Right now my life is totally consumed by craft! If I'm not busy making something for the upcoming school fete, then I am packing it and thinking of the next thing on my list of things to make. It has been constantly like this for the last few weeks. Thankfully I love to be creative, so it is a pleasant type of being busy.</div>
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Here is something I have been working on which is such an easy craft - bead magnets.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Q0kV8N7Ml4/UYcsVZJCDAI/AAAAAAAABVs/fQgcCNAG22U/s1600/P4260010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Q0kV8N7Ml4/UYcsVZJCDAI/AAAAAAAABVs/fQgcCNAG22U/s320/P4260010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I made these using some glass beads I found in the garden section of a discount store, so they were very inexpensive. Using a circle punch, I just punched out a cute picture for my magnet. You could just trace around the bead and cut if you didn't have a circle punch. The next step is to use a little Mod Podge and cover the back of the bead, place the picture right side down onto the back of the bead. In case you are worried, the Mod Podge does not ruin the picture at all and it dries completely clear. Leave these to dry. Once dry use your craft glue to stick a magnet to the back and you are done. So simple and you end up with some very cute magnets!!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iapYvVUhOpU/UYcthcnBuzI/AAAAAAAABV4/LWuqhs6SDkE/s1600/P4260019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iapYvVUhOpU/UYcthcnBuzI/AAAAAAAABV4/LWuqhs6SDkE/s320/P4260019.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<em>Here are some close-up pictures</em></div>
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<em>I've been working on some pretty hair clips too.</em> </div>
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<em>I know it's being a bit fussy, but I do believe presentation does help to sell,</em></div>
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<em> so I've tried to package everything to look pretty.</em></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/---jr_nCaQZc/UYcva8jEYAI/AAAAAAAABWQ/5LscKWn4GEs/s1600/P5060088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/---jr_nCaQZc/UYcva8jEYAI/AAAAAAAABWQ/5LscKWn4GEs/s320/P5060088.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Here is a basket of some of the hair clips, all packed and ready to sell. </em></div>
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<em>We have a few more styles to add to these.</em></div>
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I cannot take all the credit for everything that is being made for our craft stall. I have been running a fun craft workshop one day each week at the school, where a few other ladies have volunteered their time to make things up to sell as well. It is always fun to work together in a group!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hKvG8tB5iyo/UYjLfyFDk1I/AAAAAAAABWw/68KCPEk2BMk/s1600/P5020076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hKvG8tB5iyo/UYjLfyFDk1I/AAAAAAAABWw/68KCPEk2BMk/s320/P5020076.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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One very talented lady has done lots of sewing for us - bags in all shapes and sizes. One other very cute item she has made is this cute little bear in a bed.</div>
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A few of us have been busy sewing up heat bags. I really like this style of making them with 3 separate panels. It distributes the filling (rice) more evenly and stops it all going to one end, which means it is much more effective when heating and using it. It actually stays in place too when you use it, rather than sliding off or down because of the weight of the contents all going to one end. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5zOgmMoMPMw/UYjPDaxDHaI/AAAAAAAABXI/ma44KQ-3Es0/s1600/P5020084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5zOgmMoMPMw/UYjPDaxDHaI/AAAAAAAABXI/ma44KQ-3Es0/s320/P5020084.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>We are putting a few drops of lavender oil into some of them, </em></div>
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<em>then leaving the rest of them fragrance free.</em></div>
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Another lady has hand-stitched these beautiful Lavender bags. The care she has put into each stitch really shows, she even has co-ordinating purple gingham on the back with a handmade gingham button. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K9PZTYi6G_8/UYjNGZkHvfI/AAAAAAAABW8/w9KVOXVfFek/s1600/P5060089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K9PZTYi6G_8/UYjNGZkHvfI/AAAAAAAABW8/w9KVOXVfFek/s320/P5060089.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>These are amazing and look like something you would expect to find </em></div>
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<em>in some fancy gift boutique store.</em></div>
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While the night is still young I am off to make myself a cup of tea and get busy making some earrings and more hair accessories. I have more photos to share but will save them for next time. I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy a bit of craft and creativity this week!<br />
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Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-83285446100117881812013-04-21T01:44:00.002-07:002013-04-21T01:45:02.476-07:00Crafty Cupcakes & Clipboard Folders<div style="text-align: justify;">
My weeks have been busy creating crafts lately and I know I haven't been regular enough with my blogging - but I'm finding there are only "so many" hours in a day and I'm not able to accomplish everything I would like to sometimes, including my blog updates. This next month is going to be crazy for me while I prepare crafts and run craft workshops for our upcoming school fete, so please be patient with me. I will try and update you with my craft stall ideas as I go along.</div>
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Here is something I finished off today. These cute little cupcakes are one of the items we will be selling. They are made by using a facewasher, folded up to resemble the shape of a cupcake. This is placed into a silicone cupcake holder and then decorated with coloured pins to represent the sprinkles and instead of a cherry on top - I have little rose bud flowers. </div>
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I think they look quite cute and wouldn't they make a lovely little gift for someone!</div>
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This is closer photo to show you the detail.</div>
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I've also been shopping and picked out some great corduroy fabrics which are ready to be sewn into heat bags. These are always a very popular selling item and we make them in all shapes as sizes to suit everyone.<br />
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Another project I have been working on is decorating clipboard folders. These are all done using my papercraft supplies. This is my first attempt at ever working with Mod Podge so I'm finding I am learning the best techniques to use with it as I go. I've also used a sealer spray to finish everything off, I like this better rather than just leaving the Mod Podge as the sealer on top.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iwYaJAkk9Gw/UXOkAGrvFxI/AAAAAAAABVQ/-buKg_0Eimc/s1600/Folders+%231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iwYaJAkk9Gw/UXOkAGrvFxI/AAAAAAAABVQ/-buKg_0Eimc/s320/Folders+%231.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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These started out as plain wooden clipboards. I'm loving the colours!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BZQhWeGpIEk/UXOkUvR7dRI/AAAAAAAABVY/rToMybE4X3g/s1600/Folders+%232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BZQhWeGpIEk/UXOkUvR7dRI/AAAAAAAABVY/rToMybE4X3g/s320/Folders+%232.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Well that is about all that I have actually taken photos of at the moment. This week I am starting to work on decorating some canvases. That should be fun!!<br />
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Have a great week everyone!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54490/94/F7E293F05B29EF355E0448A646A3E1C2.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a>Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-52567987672922099672013-04-10T04:54:00.002-07:002013-04-10T04:54:23.891-07:00Craft Market Projects<div style="text-align: justify;">
I know that I am always saying how busy I am, and it is true, believe me! Well a few weeks ago I was asked if I could take on co-ordinating the craft stall for our upcoming School Fete - how could I say "no" to something I love so much? So of course I said ÿes". I probably did over-commit myself in the process, but this only comes around once a year and it is helping to raise funds for our school and my involvement is doing something I love - so not too hard really. </div>
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Co-ordinating the craft stall means a whole lot of things, sourcing supplies and donations, making crafts and we are also running craft groups for school mums who can come along to help make things for the craft stall while the kids are all in school. We start that next week, so I really need to get myself organized. But for now, while we have been on school vacation, I have been making a few things here at home.</div>
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First up are these little babushka dolls which I made up from a drawing I did. They still need keyrings attached and then they are finished.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zWEhDGzB8gY/UWVPmpDbcEI/AAAAAAAABUQ/3938UYYttxI/s1600/P3190001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zWEhDGzB8gY/UWVPmpDbcEI/AAAAAAAABUQ/3938UYYttxI/s320/P3190001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Next are some ruffled tea towels - I love how they turned out - ruffles are amongst my favourites!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4jQQ993u_SA/UWVQloVJhEI/AAAAAAAABUY/N5Uehlx0Dvg/s1600/P4090009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4jQQ993u_SA/UWVQloVJhEI/AAAAAAAABUY/N5Uehlx0Dvg/s320/P4090009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I do have quite a few other things I have made but haven't had time to take pictures of everything yet. Over the coming weeks I will show you some more of the craft projects that are being made for our craft stall. </div>
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I am still constantly searching the internet for ideas, so if you know of any simple, inexpensive crafts to make for craft markets/school fetes, I would be so, so, so grateful if you could reply and let me know. I am relying on a team of helpers and I know that what might appeal to me may not necessarily appeal to someone else, so a wide variety of ideas is essential.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1FTUZbJyiT4/UWVR0fBHUqI/AAAAAAAABUk/e9HynOxPMRM/s1600/203593_498305400203511_1677498345_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1FTUZbJyiT4/UWVR0fBHUqI/AAAAAAAABUk/e9HynOxPMRM/s1600/203593_498305400203511_1677498345_n.jpg" /></a></div>
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Above are some of my felt creations - chocolate and strawberry tarts and pancake stacks with berries and cream - don't they look great - and so edible! If only!!! <br />
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Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767753739605003907.post-90337343509513187432013-04-03T19:26:00.002-07:002013-04-03T19:26:50.477-07:00<div style="text-align: justify;">
In my little part of the world it is now school vacation time and we have just been away on a camping trip as a family over the Easter long weekend. We went with a group of friends and had such an enjoyable time together. The best part was that when you stay in a place like this which is so peaceful, it forces you to just stop and take a break from the usual frantic pace of life. I really needed that! </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vOgGadn96-g/UVzgASWL5xI/AAAAAAAABTw/TkwBqf1nuDY/s1600/six+mile+country+retreat+%232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vOgGadn96-g/UVzgASWL5xI/AAAAAAAABTw/TkwBqf1nuDY/s320/six+mile+country+retreat+%232.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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While sorting out my photos today on my computer I have come across some quilts which I have made but don't think I have ever shared with you - so I thought it might be a nice opportunity to do that today.</div>
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I really love the simplicity of this design. It is called a Disappearing Nine Patch. Made with 9 squares of fabric sewn into a block (3 rows of 3 joined together), then the finished square is cut into quarters, straight down the centre, horizontally and vertically. All you do then is rearrange the squares and you get this neat combination. It makes the quilt look more complex than it actually is.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sJJakVWI3v4/UVzhDBie77I/AAAAAAAABT4/G8NjQ1c89VQ/s1600/Moda+Charisma+by+Chez+Moi+-+made+May+2010+%233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sJJakVWI3v4/UVzhDBie77I/AAAAAAAABT4/G8NjQ1c89VQ/s320/Moda+Charisma+by+Chez+Moi+-+made+May+2010+%233.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I fell in love with the Moda Charisma fabrics by Chez Moi when they were around quite awhile ago but couldn't think of a quilt design that would show them off nicely, until I came across this. What I liked was that even with a collection of very busy looking fabric prints, it still looks great.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wQHOD1UEfqc/UVziiQw1q1I/AAAAAAAABUA/XsAW2t_ijWo/s1600/Mother's+Day+Quilt+I+made+for+my+mum+2010+-+Natures+Chorus+Fabric+%231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wQHOD1UEfqc/UVziiQw1q1I/AAAAAAAABUA/XsAW2t_ijWo/s320/Mother's+Day+Quilt+I+made+for+my+mum+2010+-+Natures+Chorus+Fabric+%231.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is another version of the same style quilt, this time made with Moda Nature's Chorus by April Cornell. Again, these fabrics were around quite awhile ago. I will often buy fabrics I see and love then put them away until I can the perfect use for them.</div>
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So if you are looking for an easy afternoon or evening of sewing a quilt, then why not give this quilt pattern a try. To make it even easier, all you need are 2 packs of the Moda pre-cut Charm Squares and you won't even need to cut out the squares to begin with. It really is that easy!!</div>
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Crafty Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10915644450014028306noreply@blogger.com1