Merry Christmas one and all ....

With New Years Eve fast approaching, I thought I would take a moment to wish you all a happy new year and best wishes for 2011.  The week leading up to Christmas saw all Evelyn Mae's custom orders finished, and gave me a week to make all my family Christmas gifts.  It was a lovely week, really feeling festive, and spending my time on creating presents for those I love.

The week before Christmas also gave me time to make a Christmas card for my husband, for our first Christmas together.  I used classic green and red in Victorian hues, and embellished with recycled buttons,  with ribbons and gemstones.  Inside was made with pockets so that I could put tags in, and a recipe card for a first Christmas.

All the elements were distressed with Tim Holtz and ink it up inks in greens and browns, and assembled using double sided tape, and pva glue.

I hope that you all have a wonderful rest of Christmas, and  a merry new year, and I'll catch up with you again in 2011.

Love Shelly X

Christmas cheer

Christmas is arriving at last, and all around us is snow!  On a journey from Bristol to Margate this week, not a field nor a road had been left untouched by the fluffy white stuff.  It made for a nightmare journey, but it was a truly beautiful sight.  

I am sat wrapped in a fleecy blanket in my living room, with my Victorian tree adorned with miniature knitted stockings, and delicate fairy lights are all around the house, snow floating down outside, and so, all cosy and tucked up, I thought that I would share with you my makings for last week.

It was one of my favourite friends birthday, and being so close to Christmas I wanted to make a gift that was fitting for a winter birthday, but that was bright and cheerful, and void of any red and gold!!

I chose to make sweet apple vodka, and sweet apple vodka biscuits, and make matching tags from October Afternoon's papers. I love how the aqua marine and apple green colours compliment each other, and even with aqua ribbon, the gift was still manly enough to give to my friend!!

I hope you like them ....

I hope that you all have a great time in the rest of advent, and i look forward to sharing with you some more creations soon

Shelly X

workshops and thank yous

After what seems like moving in to the house for a second time over, the workshop is now complete.  Yes, the furniture doesn’t all match, and yes, I still have boxes overflowing with crafty stash, but it is functional, holds all my tools and embellishments, papers and glitter, and keeps the mess contained in one room in the house.... except of course when I leave a trail of foam pad paper leading form the workshop to the kitchen (and mostly to the fridge!)  … It is not my fault they stick to my slippers!

This week has also seen me take a trip to see Oliver in the west end, and to say thank you I wanted to send my friend a card. I used Imaginisce paper, and because it was double sided paper it was easy to create the shape with patterns either side.  The embellishments we buttons and ribbon, and a little box to package it in.  It was brilliant to be creative, and to work in the new workshop, and not get in a pickle!! 

I’ll leave you with the pictures …. Enjoy!

All go in the workshop this week ...

It is all go in the workshop this week.  I am halfway through moving the old single guest bed out, and a delivery from the lovely people at Ikea arriving tomorrow, with a lot of drawers ready for my craft stash to live!!  I am in desperate need of worktop space as well, so a redesign of the workshop was necessary .....

I thought for this Monday's blog I would share with you how the workshop looks thus far ...

Quite a big job!!!  Either out of kindness, or fear that I might destroy the house whilst making the units, Marc my lovely husband has offered to help assemble the furniture tomorrow, and so begins the transformation!!!

I'll leave you with some images of some really cute cards that I have been designing for the Christmas 2011 collection, they are inspired by traditional colours from a Victorian Christmas, used in a more contemporary fashion.  I hope you like them!

Have  a really nice day, and I will catch up with you in a few days with an update on the craft workshop!!

Shelly  X

festive wreath project

Things have begun to get really festive here in Margate … We finally had a long awaited flurry of snow, which I had, quite vocally, and quite often, wished for!  After my wishful thinking we ended up with five inches, which led to various outings togged up in fluffy coats and wellington boots, and the heating on high with fairy lights on!

After getting in from a walk today, having made the most of the snow which should be disappearing overnight, I started work on a festive project which turned out to be quick and simple…..

You will need :

Craft wire

wire cutters

ribbon

felt or padding

thin long twigs

ivy, or any greenery that you can get your mits on

How to make:

 To make this simple Christmas wreath from items you will likely have at home in your craft box, start by shaping a circle from the craft wire.  I used an upturned bucket to maintain the circle shape, but this could be formed by hand.

Cut the felt or padding (i used padding that was left over from our oven hood) into long strips, measuring approximately two inches wide.  

Wrap these around the wire securing with more wire, building up the base of your wreath.

Use the twigs in the same fashion, fixing with wire.  This step should give you  really solid base which will hold its shape when held up.

Next, start securing your greenery onto your base.  i placed it on top and tucked the securing wire under the leaves, so it was secure but disguised!  

Eventually you will have the shape formed, use as much or as little greenery as you like, and whatever embellishments you find to put on.  Pine cones are traditional, but there are lots of things you might like - my Mum a few years ago put silver bows and purple baubles on hers, and it looked lovely.

Tie your bow, and fix using wire, this makes it really secure, and makes the bow sit forward on the project, rather than hidden in the leaves.

And lastly, make your loop to hand the wreath -I just used twisted wire around the top to fix onto the nail, but a piece of co-ordinating ribbon would also be just as nice!

I hope you enjoy making your wreath as much as I did...

Why not take your pictures of your Christmas projects and share the links in the comment box ... I'd love to see all your creations.

Happy Holidays

Shelly X