Would you believe it...

...it might be completed by Christmas 2017.

If you are scratching your head and wondering what I'm going on about, let me enlighten you.

In December 2016, I attended an all day workshop at Pinnacle Crafts where Joanne was showing us how to use the "Twas the Night before Christmas" Groovi plates along with traditional parchment techniques.

As I've told you all before, I am not a "Parcher" - I love the craft but am not very patient so am not particularly good at it. I enjoyed the class but joked that it would be Christmas 2020 before my book would be completed; if lucky.

Well, I've attended a few more classes and have actually constructed my book...

 ...easy enough task using 6x6 card blanks.
Here are my completed parchment pages...

 ...I actually only have five more parchment embellished pages to go.

On the Saturday of Bank Holiday weekend, I went to Carol Whalley's crop at the Toby Carvery.

During the course of the day I managed to construct a cover for my book...

 ...using images from the Hunkydory little book.
I have also added a few more pages throughout the book so that I can use some more of the images...

 ...and this one was actually framed using the new scalloped square Groovi plate to create a frame.
The Hunkydory little book has some lovely images and I love how they work well...

 ...scattered throughout the book.
I thought this image was perfect for the back cover...

...such lovely artwork.

The outer covers will probably get a bit more embellishment once the inside is completed but for now I don't want too much there that could get caught or damaged.

So here we are in the second week in May 2017 and things are coming along nicely. I have a few more lessons booked so that I can get the rest of the parchment elements done and all being well it will be done in plenty of time for this Christmas.

This has been quite a large project but for the first time in ages, this is actually for me. So it is lovely seeing it take shape....................................................

Kicking off...

...our weekend away.

Before our weekend, I'd paid a visit to Poundland and bought some packs of A6 hardbound note books and a selection of paper pads. The idea being that we could all participate in a common project but we could see the different ideas that we each had.

So for my notebook...

 ...out came the DST. Then I had to decide what papers to use...

 ...I went with some papers from the pad called "Pure Frozen" - lots of lovely blues & aqua colours to choose from. Crafting with friends is great as there is always something different to use...

...this was one of Carol's 'power punches'. They are made by Fiskars and it is amazing what they will punch through.
A bit of ribbon and some bling...

 ...and my book was done. The punched shape in the middle...

 ...is backed with aqua glitter paper but no matter how I tried to photograph this it really doesn't show.

This was Carol's finished book...

Chris went all buttons & bling...

I made a start on a second book...

 ...even the inside got some pretty paper.

Rene had a seasonal mix. The papers were from the Autumn pad and she hand coloured the daffs before fussy cutting...

Alison went for some butterflies...

What a fun way to start the weekend and we all now have a pretty notebook to jot down ideas in or give away as a little gift.

The weather outside was rather wet and blustery but we didn't care - we were crafting and having fun..............................................................

£731.75...

...is our current total for the RNLI.

Things are still going well with the fundraising, as you can see from our current total - we're still aiming for £1000 (fingers crossed).

We had another load of books donated and a couple of craft bits so I re-arranged the display...

 ...I only have a limited area where all this can be displayed so I have to move things around...

 ...to keep it looking interesting. I think it works as after this move around...

 ...we had another lot of sales. I've tried to make the books & crafts two distinct areas to make it easier to browse...

...and this resulted in a lot of Shaz Silverwolf's beautiful cards being snapped up.

After taking these photos we had someone bring in another suitcase full of books so the trolley isn't looking quite so tidy. But hey-ho, it's all for a good cause.

Our new CEO visited in September and he purchased some tickets for our Shipping forecast sweepstake. I emailed him last week to let him know that he wasn't the winner and I got a very nice reply from him (the next working day - not bad for someone responsible for 60,000+ staff).

So there you go folks, we are still rocking along nicely and I will keep you up to date with how things are going...............................................................

It seems like ages...

...since I last made a mini album.

So it was lovely to attend a workshop over at Pinnacle Crafts where Irene was showing how to make lovely little books that can help with your 'stash busting'.

I haven't finished decorating mine yet but here is the basic book...

...just 4.5x7 inches - so a lovely size for making a 'brag book' for grandma or a mini planner for an up & coming event. The pages are all attached using 'hidden' hinges...

 ...and there are plenty of pockets & panels for photos, journaling, general notes and keepsake storage...

...and you can add as much or as little as you like.

This book was made using: -
1 x A4 Greyboard
6 x 12x12 PPs
1 x A4 CS

So you can see, it doesn't require loads of materials and I'm sure you could make something similar and use up some of that stash mountain - you know, the one that we crafters all have tucked (???) away filling every nook & cranny.

If you have friends or family that have a special event coming up, you could make one as a gift so that they can fill it with photos/keepsakes after the event. I know that I'd like to get a few of these made if I can stretch a few more hours in my days.

Thank you Irene for a lovely day......................................................

And the "Totaliser" shows...

...that we have reached exceeded our target.

The aim was to raise £150 for the RNLI and yesterday we passed that mark.

As you can see from our totaliser, we have almost reached £180...

 ...so our first "splash" has been added to the chart...

 ...and we want to see how many more we can add.
The books are a fairly fluid thing as it seems we are given as many (or more) than we sell...

...but we are still getting a steady trickle of customers.

Our first sheet of the Shipping Forecast Sweepstake was completed yesterday and we had our first announced winner which seems to have boosted interest and sheet two is now underway.

We'll keep things running over the Summer and see what our final total is then.................................

The lovely Denise...

...who owns Craft Arena at Barleylands, gave me a book for my fund-raising.

Denise's shop & gallery are well worth a visit if you happen to be at Barleylands - her units are on the upper corridor.

Denise & I have known each other for many years - we were both Tupperware ladies/managers in a past life (and unfortunately she has the photos to prove it LOL). Denise is a recognised retailer of Brother sewing machines and she is a mixed media artist - you really do need to visit and see some of her fabulous work.

Anyhoo...

Denise very kindly gave me a copy of the "Taster Projects" book to help with my fund-raising...

...this is a super little book that contains the instructions for making 20 different items. This is part of a collection of books from "Search Press" with fabulous ideas for lots of different crafts and at £4.99 a book they are no dearer than most magazines.

I decided that rather than just put the book out for sale, I would add some crafting bits...

 ...so that someone could make a start on some of the projects straight away.
Here are the goodies all packaged...

 ...with the lovely little book showing what can be made...

...a little crafters starter pack suitable for anyone who wants to give things a try or perhaps for a child who wants to make 'stuff' just like Mum or Grandma does.

The things I included in the pack: -

1 x 4mm crochet hook
1 x pair of 4mm knitting needles (childsize - perfect for those smaller projects)
1 x pom pom maker
1 x 25g Navy Double Knit
1 x 25g White Double Knit
1 x 50g Random shaded Double Knit
1 x Project book

This will go on the table with all the crafty bits & pieces next week - thank you Denise for your generosity................................................................

The R.N.L.I. Fundraising...

...is underway.

We have been planning some fundraising events at work to raise money for the new Wells-next-the-Sea Lifeboat and decided to kick-off with a book sale.

Folk have been very generous with their donations of old/unwanted books...

 ...and we have been able to make a start with a pretty good selection of fiction, non-fiction and gift sets...

...the WRMK Alphabet Punch Board also got another workout.

So whilst the book sale is pretty much taking care of itself, the next step is preparing for the craft sale. We had our first donation for this yesterday - two pretty scarves. I've also been busy with the knitting needles and I'll show you what I've been up to tomorrow............................................

A class from...

...ATDML by Jane Hewitt.

I have to admit that I had totally forgotten about a recent ATDML cybercrop until I saw a lovely creation over on Virginia's blog.

Jane's class was to create a folio - along the lines of the ones designed by Tim Holtz that can be bought. So I thought I'd have a play.

Here is the basic folio...

 ...doesn't look much until you open it up...

...and then you find a mass of pockets, flaps & pages that you can decorate however you wish. This one will eventually be decorated in greens & lemons - I have the papers but I sort of got distracted.

I had a pack of 8x8 kraft card blanks and they were perfect to use for this project.

Having already made one folio, it was quite a quick affair to put this together...

...using the G45 "A Christmas Carol". At the moment only the outside is covered with PP but there is no decoration and I haven't even made a start on decorating the inside - so it is a 'work in progress'.

Jane's basic idea is fabulous and her instructions are easy to follow so why not hop over to ATDML and have a look...and perhaps a little play. The folio is a great size and can be adapted for lots of occasions.

I promise I will show you both of the folios when they are finished..............................................

Are there things...

...that mean Christmas to you?

In our family there was the early present from Santa's elves on Christmas Eve which contain a new nightie or pajamas so we could go to bed and await Santa's arrival...all snuggled up in our new nightwear.

Stirring the Christmas pudding mix (and getting to 'lick out' the remains of the mix from the bowl).

Checking the TV listing to see when "White Christmas" would be showing (usually Christmas Eve) because the holidays couldn't start until we had all sung along with Bing, Danny, Vera and Rosemary.

Another Christmas 'must see' was the Tom & Jerry "Night before Christmas" animation - I loved this cartoon as the Clement C Moore tale has always been a favourite.

I have a number of copies of this tale in various formats and love to see the wonderful illustrations that artists come up with to go with the tale. Last week I bought a beautifully illustrated paperback from the 'Nutshell Studios' at Barleylands (a wonderful children's book shop that reminds me of the 'Shop around the corner' from the film You've Got Mail). This week was the craft village's Festive event and all the retailers were sporting Christmas jumpers or fancy outfits - creating a fabulous atmosphere. The Nutshell was all 'decked out' and there was a super display of Christmas books including this...

...it is only 5.5 x 6.5 inches in size (there is a full size version available) but each page is a delight and I couldn't resist buying a copy...for me!
The Night Before Christmas story is printed with silhouette illustrations to support the narrative...

 ...but each page has secret interactive parts that help to bring the story to life.
However, it is the delicate paper-cut pop-up at the end of the book that is amazing...

 ...Santa and his reindeer, speeding off over the rooftops...

...and the last line of the tale "Merry Christmas to all...and to all a good-night!".

Although this is only a small book, it would make a lovely display centre-piece for over the Holidays.

As a lover of books, I can truly say that this is a book that I will treasure and enjoy.

As for the other family traditions - the DVD of White Christmas is to hand, YouTube have the Tom & Jerry cartoon and I'll just have to wait and see what the elves bring this year by way of PJs.......................................................................

A whole week...

...gosh time is flying by.

Saturday was the second Gilded Lily workshop at Pinnacle Crafts and we all made an album from scratch to fit in last weeks box.

The cover & spine were made from greyboard panels...

...covered with cream pearl paper and decorated with the picture panels from the G45 12x12 papers.

It was a fabulous day and I really enjoyed it - thank you Andy.

I also managed to pick up my Ground Espresso Distress goodies - what a super dark brown.

Still not having any luck with my CD and memory card drives on the PC - oh how I wish I was a bit more techy.......................................................................

I previously mentoned...

...my little book of Calm Colouring.

It is such a dinky little book and the images within it are for my 'playtime'...

 ...rather than what I would call 'serious colouring'.
These are images that I can lose myself in and just play around with colours.
All these images were coloured using Edding 1200 pens...

 ...and this one was completed using the red/orange/yellow pens.
Despite my tin of Edding pens only consisting of 10 colours...

 ...I was very happy with the effect that I managed with this image. The lotus type flowers were very easy - just a few pink brushstrokes and the rest was left white.
I love images of poppies and I like to play around with colour combos because poppies do come in colours other than red...

 ...the first flower was completed using red & pink (the Edding pink is quite mauve in shade). I then decided to have a go at a variety of bright colours...

...limiting each flower to just two pen colours...

...and the finished result was a lovely splash of colour.
This last image was pretty much like doodling...

...I just worked through the stripes on the balls with my colours in a particular order - starting with yellow on some and reversing the order and starting with green on others.

It is actually quite interesting playing around with a very limited range of colours and I'm enjoying the challenges this brings to my colouring.....................................................................