The Craft Fayre update.

Well, it's official - I'm rubbish at craft fayres and won't be bothering in the future!
I took about £30.00 but £15.00 for the table brought that down quick as you like and the remaining £15.00 only slightly offsets the other table charges where I took nothing at all!


Still, look on the bright side - I have a plentiful supply of gifts for the next twenty years....! LOL!


I've been a bad blogger the last few months, because of the fayres, too but I hope to be back to  what passes for normal for me in the New Year as I'm sponsoring a couple of challenge blogs.


My old stomping-ground C.R.A.F.T Challenge blog are up first. A great bunch of people on this team - really friendly and helpful.  This challenge blog also originated on Trimcraft, my 'home' forum and is mainly comprised of Trimmies, so I'm pleased and proud to be asked to sponsor them!


These are the C.R.A.F.T dates.

C.R.A.F.T

12th of January

12th of April

19th of July

11th of October

The second challenge blog is a fairly new (to me) one called Southern Girls.

Another top bunch of peeps with a great sense of humour and their dates will be 

29th March 

 26th April 

 7 June 

 16th Aug 

 27 Sep 

 22 Nov

I'll be providing a prize for the winner on each of these dates and the winner gets to choose which digis they want too, so that's not too shabby, is it?

I hope you'll pop over to their blogs and have a lickle shufti!

Look forward to seeing you there!

Hugs

Ei

x

Craft Fayre Tomorrow at Lark Lane

I really don't know why I bother to do these because the ones I've not been too poorly to attend on the day, are peopled with non-buying browsers. 


I don't understand this because the items on offer from the other stallholders range from 'lovely' to 'exquisite'!  I think we stallholders account for 98% of sales.....to each other!


If this one doesn't bring any results I shall give it up as a bad job! LOL!


I've made some new items for tomorrow's fiasco. I really hope they sell because my house is looking like an Aladdin's cave  - and I don't mean the Christmas deccies either!




Her are my brooches and rings made from strong card & paper.

and my latest metal jewellery makes.

I love these little charm bracelets and hope they'll go to good homes for Christmas stockings tomorrow!


Have some more to show you soon!


Hugs
Ei
x

Lickle verse for a child to his/her Mammy

Over on my home forum, Trimcraft, one of the Trimmies said they were having trouble finding a verse for a two year old to his Mammy so I put my keyboard to use and came up with this.


Feel free to use it as you wish (change the age/gender if you like..!). If you publish on the net or otherwise I'd really like it if you could just give a small credit 'verse by Eiglas'  or something.




For Mammy
When I was younger I remember the feelings,
arms warm around me, keeping me safe
and those soft spoken words, 'Mammy's here Darling,' 
making me happy and I knew it was you.

Then I got bigger, was up on my own feet,
Sometimes I'd fall over and land on the ground,
Then those soft spoken words'Mammy's here Darling' 
Making me happy and I knew it was you.

Now I am talking, a little bit anyway,
I'm trying to tell you, what you want to hear,
those soft-spoken words, 'I love you Mammy'
making you happy, 'cos I'm only two. 


Hope you enjoy it!
Hugs
Ei
x

Sorry, not been around so much......

...but real life has got in the way a bit over the last couple of months and eaten into my crafting time.
Not just one thing but several - one of which is our BichPoo pup Lola's toiletting routine!


We've had about ten dogs, plus fosterlings over the years and I have never had such a hard time potty-training a dog before! This pup is the giddy limit! 


I'll be out in the garden with her at some unearthly time of the night/morning freezing my butt off and acting like a loon when she finally does something worthwhile, only for her to run back indoors leaving me like a lemon in the garden and by the time I get back in, she's left a message in the hall!

I blame those damn puppy pads they use these days - they seem to give the pup the idea that it's okay to toilet indoors, but last year when the pups were born we had the 'big freeze' in the UK and I just couldn't contemplate putting such tiny pups into the snow to toilet them - it would have been like aversion therapy! LOL!


Mind you, if Charlie, Lola's Dad, had not been a naughty boy, we wouldn't have had the problem of Winter pups....grrrr! 


She's been fine for a few weeks now and, to all intents and purposes, seemed to have got the message at last. Then she did it again! There's no rhyme or reason!

She was one last month so let's hope she gets the idea soon or I shall be tempted to make a pyjama case out of her...!

Crafting coming soon....I hope!
Hugs
Ei
x

Crafty CardMakers - Ch 54 - Cute, with a dark twist....

Although not a full-time member of the DT any longer, the team at CraftyCardMakers have been very kind and asked me to contribute when I can so, for this week's challenge, I've especially created my little kitty, in this case, in the guise of 'Count Catula' the vampire kitty!


He's available from my Eiglassing site and I've made a digital card with him  this week but I will try to make a 'real' one in the next few days too.


Here he is:-

All the elements (apart from Catula) were made by various digital artists including L.Schmidt.
Hope you like him!


CCM's generous sponsor this week in the lovely Joanna Sheen, so make sure you pop over there and join in the fun!
Hugs
Ei
x

My very good friend's birthday...

It was my very good friend Kathy's 50th birthday last week and to celebrate we went out for a meal at our favourite Italian restaurant The Olive Tree at Penny Lane in Liverpool.


The food was, as usual, succulent and very more-ish, although their serevings don't really allow for 'more' - you're usually stuffed before you get to the desert, which you have to ease down your gullet with a shoe-horn!


I haven't enjoyed a night out so much in recent memory, although, to be fair, I don't really 'do' going out - it interferes with my crafting too much! LOL!


I was, however, a bit stuck for inspiration for the card. 
It had to be a bit special, you see, Kath being one of my all-time favourite peeps and it being her 50th, but she's not a 'Tilda' girl and I couldn't think of a starting point that didn't involve a coloured-in flower or something equally ordinary.


I wanted something amusing, as she's as mad as a box of frogs (think of a posh Victoria Wood and you're on the right track), but it had to be classy too as she's a very classy lady.


So, I came up with this. Hope you like it!

I had a similar conundrum with her present.
She has more perfume and 'goodies' than Debenhams so I decided to make her a one-off necklace and bangle set as I know she loves jewellery.


Kath is THE original Pink Lady. She even has apples of that name for her lunch!
So, there was no other colour I could use!

She absolutely adored it. Hope you like it too!
Hugs
Ei
x

Just to let you know.....

I'm having a lickle half-price Sale of my digital paper-kits over at Eiglassing this week so if you fancy any of them, you've until Midnight Sunday 09/10/11 to tell me and then they're back up to normal on Monday!


Go fill yer boots!
Hugs
Ei
x

New Jewellery Section

I seem to be making a fair bit of jewellery lately (...not selling any, mind...!) so I've decided a designated tab is in order.  I'll leave the existing ones on my main blog but any future pieces, I'll put under the new Jewellery 'n' stuff! tab.


I've had some new ideas, so I need somewhere to put them! LOL!


I'll also put 'stuff' under there too (...whatever 'stuff' may be...! ) LOL!


Just before I go I thought I'd share a joke which was sent to me last week - I loved it!

DOG FOR SALE

A bloke is driving around the back woods of Lancashire and he sees a sign in front of a broken down cottage -  'Talking Dog For Sale '.

He rings the bell and the owner appears and tells him the dog is in the back garden.

The bloke goes into the back garden and sees a nice looking Labrador retriever sitting there.

'You talk?' he asks.

'Certainly do mate,' the Lab replies.

After the guy recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he says

'So, what's your story?'

The Lab looks up and says, 'Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was just a pup. I wanted to help the government, so I told the SAS.'

'In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one ever imagined a dog would be eavesdropping.'

'I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running... but the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger.'

' I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in.

I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals.'

'I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired.'

The bloke is gobsmacked.   

He goes back in and asks the owner how much he wants for the dog.

'Ten quid'll do' the owner says.

The bloke says,’ten quid? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?'

'Because he's a liar' says the owner   'he's never been out of the darn garden'...! '

Hope you like it even if you already heard it!

Hugs
Ei
x

Christening Day

I don't normally put family events on here - it's primarily a crafting blog - but I just thought I'd put on one or two photos to show the happy, wonderful chaos of the day!


Ada was beautiful - as always - not that you're going to see that because she was also in a somewhat mischievous mood and was not allowing any sensible pap!


See what I mean....?

                                                               

                                     ....and there are loads more similarly messed up....!

and best of all......

Everyone else was fine but Ada chooses the second the shutter drops to slide out of her Daddy's grasp....! 


But at least Toby was on his best behaviour....!

...despite the fact he was absolutely exhausted, he smiled and laughed all day.
                                      He is such a little star!


It was a really lovely day - all the family had a wonderful time and the service was super - Michelle the vicar, was so welcoming and superb with the little ones, even enlisting Ada to help pour the water into the font.


I'm really hoping that other family members may have some better shots, but somehow, with the antics of Miss Bernhardt, I doubt it! LOL!
See you soon with some proper crafting!
Hugs
Ei
x

......and finally!

My two wonderful grand-babbies are both being Christened on Sunday and I've finally finished their cards.
If and when I get time, I'll make the boxes too but at least the main thing is done.


Here is Ada's....

I've used a Magnolia Tilda stamp for the main image coloured with my Copics and I've used the colours of the dress she will wear. She's also going to have gold glittery shoes! Everything is from stash except the Cuttlebug butterfly and Sizzix leaf dies. The inner I have made with K&Co candy stripe paper and a Brenda Pinnock spot. All papers are edged and distressed with Tim Holtz Victorian Velvet.

and here is Toby's!

I have used a right mix of papers for this - all from stash. The plain blue and the 'fan' type pattern is Papermania and the stripe was from C&C. The image I've used is an adorable HouseMouse stamp from Joanna Sheen and I've coloured it with my Copics. 

I chose the image because Toby is HUGE for his age and so very strong! I've used a Nestie label as an aperture for him to peep through. The blue die-cut half behind the image is a Tim Holtz 'Baroque' with a heart 'Mover & Shaper' in the middle. The white leaves are Sizzix and the foil heart borders were the result of my sharpening my Martha Stewart edging punch! The rosette is Tim Holtz again and everything else from stash! 

I hope you like these - I'm quite pleased with them.  I've also made two gift-wallets for them - all papers K&Co Baby Boy and Baby Girl.

They're well looked after children and want for nothing and Mum has enough trouble with the belongings they already have in their little cottage so a money gift will be appreciated! Hope you like them! 


I've also managed to photograph a Christmas Card I made about a month ago - I couldn't find my camera-charger!

I finally got my jewellery out of the way and also finished some pressing family matters, so here is the Christmas card I've been trying to photograph for a month! LOL! 


Anyway, here it is! I made the aperture by folding the lovely dp in half, allowing it to fit though my Bigshot and used the fabulous Nestability Christmas ornament die. It was a bit of a faff positioning it but effective once mastered!


 I used more Nesties to make the smaller ornament and the layered snowflake. Inside the aperture I placed a piece of pearlescent card which I had embossed. It was finished off with ribbon, a couple of tags and a pearl brad.


Hugs 
Ei
 x


Entered for   :-
Simon Says Stamp - Dies to die for
Creative Card Crew - Babies

I don't learn, do I...? LOL!

Well, they say the Lord loves a tryer. I hope that's true because despite the disaster that was my last Craft Fayre, I am not going to let it put me off (...paid out too much in insurance and stuff...!) and am going to have a table again this month.  


Let's face it, I'd be hard pushed to do worse than £12.50 - a net profit of  minus £2.50 (...if you don't count the insurance and stuff...! If you count these I am out by hundreds......!)....! LOL!


Let's just hope there isn't the biblical deluge we experienced last time either!


I've been too poorly to make and show over the last couple of weeks but I'm determined to get back in the saddle very soon, in fact I have to as I have a few family events requiring posh cards in the very near future, so I have to get my skates on!
Hugs
Ei
x

Exciting new collaboration!

Over the past few days I've been in discussion with a talented designer from Crafts-U-Print called Carol Smith.


Carol contacted me with come very complimentary comments on my digis and asked if I would allow the use of some of them on her super card-toppers, which she sells on Crafts-U-Print.


I confess to being a little sceptical at first as, really, I could do as much myself, had I the mind to, and wouldn't need to share any (very small it must be said!)  profit but as I looked at her pages on CUP I became convinced that I should go for it.   I did discuss it with a few of my friends, hobbyists and professional, and ended up more confusticated than before! 


So, in the end I took the bull by the horns and trusted my instinct that Carol is the lovely lady she appears to me to be.   I think it will possibly share my images to a wider audience and that thought makes me happy!


Here is her first creation with my image of my Very Cheeky Snowman!


Isn't that fab?


Carol has, very kindly, sent me the sheet so I was able to make up one of the possible designs with it.

The sheets Carol makes are already coloured in and come with the background scene you see here (plus others) and they come with the separate sections so you can easily decoupage them.


Here's a low-res image so you can see the layout (but thieves can't use it as it will pixillate as soon as you enlarge it). Carol's are much higher res and are a clean print.

Carol's toppers are great fun and a real boon to those with little time to spare or not confident in their colouring and they're very inexpensive!

And don't forget, if you would like the original digistamp, only I have those and Cheeky here is over at  Eiglassing! in the Christmas collection.  Or, just e-mail me and a download code will be sent.

Pop over and have a look!

Hugs

Ei

x

My first Christmas cards of the year!

I've done it! I've made my first Christmas cards of the year!  I'm not usually this organized, it must be said!
Here they are!

and .....

I've also made som gift-card/money/teabag wallets....

...and a couple of Maze books!


I need to make something but I just don't have the time or a good reason...! My next 'reason' is my daughter's birthday at the end of September and I've a boxful as would do for that!  


I've now to make some kind of home out of the mayhem the builders have left so I feel guilty wanting to craft....!
At least this latest carpet fitter actually turned up...!
Hugs
Ei
x
PS - I've put a link in my sidebar for my Etsy shop - I'd be chuffed if you'd have a look and comment ....better still BUY something from me!  The taxman's not going to recover from his laughing fit at this rate!




My Christmas cards entered for......
Christmas Stamping all year round
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge

After the event.......

....and I'm totally out of pocket but enjoyed the day very much anyway!


The venue is a lovely old ex-police-station and we were in two medium-sized rooms on the ground floor.  The table was a bit wobbly but once everything was out on it, it became a bit more stable!


I managed to park nearly outside the venue just whilst I unloaded (four trips) but then had to park up  a short walk away as I was on yellow lines.


All would have been well ( and mostly was..) if the heavens hadn't opened and a biblical-scale deluge of rain hadn't come bucketing down, soaking me to the skin !
Thank goodness I managed to get my stock inside before the worst of it hit! Cards and rain are not a good mix!


Unfortunately, this mini-monsoon lasted most of the day and kept footfall to a minimum. I don't think we had over thirty peeps in all day.


On th bright side, I had 'won' one of the demonstration tables and so was able to spend my day making up more jewellery.....not that I got much made as I'd just got two new toys in the morning post - a 'Thing-a-Ma-Jig' and wire-twisting Gizmo. 


The latter is especially welcome as it saves my fingers a lot of grief from the wire-work!   I actually spent twice as much on these pieces of vital equipment, than I took, and they weren't at all expensive! 


 I only sold two items - a £2.50 Gift-card/money gift wallet and a small £10.00 charm bracelet!  That won't keep the wolf from the door and may, indeed, cause the taxman to die laughing!! LOL!



I have to say though, that I thoroughly enjoyed myself anyway and would like to thank my lovely daughter-in-law Dani for coming with me to 'help'! (hehehehe..!)
 
She was charming company and her artistic eye was imperative to the success of the mission (...photos will follow shortly...!)


The other table-holders were lovely - very welcoming and helpful.  I look forward to doing it again and next time should be easier as everything is set up now. My stock is all labelled and on a spread-sheet, my cards and jewellery all bagged up and priced.


I suspect though, despite my enjoyment, I will not be the next Alan Sugar anytime soon.......!


Hugs
Ei
x

Craft Fayre Tomorrow......

....and I'm bricking it! LOL!  I'm also looking forward to it as I really want to know if anyone would buy my stuff! They'd better - it's cost me a fortune!


I also have a new Etsy shop here although it's only got one bracelet in at the minute! I thought I'd wait and see what I'm left with tomorrow but I'm quite excited because I've got back into my jewellery making.   I don't yet have access to 'proper' metalworking facilities, so no proper rings etc. yet, just the bought blanks for now, but I've taken up wirework again and although a bit rusty, it'll soon come back.


Here's a small selection of some of the items I've made. I have loads more on the go and even more ideas but not enough time to make them real for this one.  Might for the September one though!

and a couple of cards too...!


My 'Leaping Deer' whitework card....

..........and a tri-fold card with bookmark.

                                                       

There are loads more items - these are just a few of the new ones.   
Off to finish my preps now!
Hugs
Ei
x