Bright red wedding greetings ....

Recently, I needed to make a wedding card for a wedding that I was attending, and as I normally do, I used the invite to construct the card.  

I didn't take a picture unfortunately of the invite I received, but I can show you what I created with it.  The invite arrived on pearlescent cream card, with bright red roses on the front in a little square.  It wasn't a hand crafted card, it was one of the printed selection you can get directly onto the card stock.

It was very stylish and also very simple, so I made my card bearing this in mind.  Firstly I removed the roses element, I would definitely be re-using that!!! .... I used red ribbons to give colour, and leave the card front cream.  I also added a few diamante gems to roses, to highlight the shape, and mounted it on gold card. I had a really pretty background A4 card that has embossed roses on, so I used that as the front of the card.  (You can just about see the detail in the photograph- needless to say it is much prettier and more delicate in real life!!)

The card needed to contain the gift of money, so I thought that a pocket inside would be the best idea.  It also allows me to fully decorate the inside, and create a gift, rather than just use plain white inserts.  I also used a short phrase on the other side of the card, so that it completed the inside.  

Overall, I am really happy with how it turned out, and also, because I used elements from the invite itself, I knew that they would really like it.  :)

The wedding was lovely, I enjoyed the chance to get dressed up, and enjoy a lovely day with my family.

[Beautiful flowers for the top table]

[Me and my brother]

[One of my most favourite desserts! Creme brulee!]

Thanks for letting me take up some of your day

Shelly X

Perspective ....

* Make it what you want *

This blog post is a little off my usual content ...... but its important for me to share ..... if not for you, then for me!!    A strange thing happened to me on Thursday last week.  I have not long started losing weight (again!) and I have just begun to feel like I am getting somewhere.  OK, so its only 4.2lb, but I have been making good food choices, going out running, going swimming, this time I have been making a real commitment to it.

Its happiness weight that I am losing- the weight that I put on when spending some lovely time with my husband out dining, or home baking.  But of late it has got me quite sad. 

So my clothes are just beginning to loosen, 1/4 of a stone is just enough to make clothes begin to feel better.  I was feel happy that I was DOING IT. Making a change.

But then, I was off to a hen weekend and the theme was 'corsets'..... Being a rather busty lady I picked up a second hand bustier that would go under a dress. .... I don't want it all out on show!  So Thursday night saw me trying on all my dresses in my wardrobe. 

The size 14 ebay dress I bought, too small.

My size 12 wardrobe pieces, far too small.

I felt like a beached whale in what should have been fun and slinky dresses.  I looked like a pregnant fish.  

Suddenly I forgot all about my recent successes and new commitment-  I forgot that I am actually doing something about my weight now.  All I felt was a complete failure, and an unattractive one to boot.  How could the day end up feeling like that, when I had felt great in the morning after going out for a one hour and a half walk??

PERSPECTIVE.  If we always look at things from the inside out, our emotions colour how we view events.  If I was talking to myself as a friend, I would say...

Well done, you are doing something about it NOW, that's what matters.  The dresses will fit in the summer, yes its a shame they don't fit for your big night out, but its not a reason to to be unkind to yourself, or to give up.

So heeding my own words, I am sat with a cup of tea, reflecting on my day.

Perspective

* Make it what you want *

Be kind to yourself, and treat yourself like you would your bestest friend.... and see what happens :)

I know I will be giving it a bash!

Shelly X

Crime scene ...

Sometimes, artwork appears out of nowhere.  In Bristol, where I grew up, Banksy's artwork adorns the cities buildings .... they were familiar and well loved pockets of graffiti, long before they became the loved works of art that they are now.

I walked past this cool picture daily while on my way to work, when I worked in the city centre.

[Image credit from the BBC website]

No-one would ever see Banksy doing these great pictures ... they would just appear .... over night.

Well, a few nights ago, I came home from work to find this on the bedroom floor .....

A talcum powder crime scene man .... on the bedroom carpet ....

My husband is far more artistic, and creative than he gives himself credit for, and I laughed my socks off to find this lovely piece of artwork in our bedroom.

A commentary on the amount of talc I had peppered the floor with after my shower ... or just for fun....

............. As yet, I'm undecided!!

Shelly X

...because sometimes simple says it all .....

imagination and necessity?

On Friday I wrote briefly about how I like to create things .... making something from nothing ...

This guy does this too.... just on a larger scale!

It just goes to show what imagination and a simple material can create ....

Maybe we don't need the latest industry toy to die cut, or that 'essential' paper stack we are told about ...

Maybe all we need is our imagination, and the old scraps in the bottom of the craft draw?