Valentines round-up

Love is in the air so I though I would do a wee round up of some of my Valentines projects over the last few years!

This year was a papercut Valentine's Card.

Last year I made a  Bell Heart,

and a tiny glitter heart canvas, paint canvas red, wait to dry, then glue a heart shape and sprinkle glitter over!

The year before I made heart wreath, inspired by a picture I saw somewhere in blogland and can't find again...

 

I cut the heart from heavy duty card (but need to remake it using some hardboard or something as it has flopped). I wound a strip of cream fleece around the heart then stuck rosettes made of scrap muslin to it with a few tartan rosettes to add a bit of colour. Simple.

Now to fix my floppy wreath!
 

Linking to some of these fab linky parties!

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Papercutting Tutorial

I went on a paper cutting course last September, we did some freehand paper cutting and then designed a card to cut, it was great and on the day I decided to plan in advance and make a Valentine's Card.

 I hadn't tried it again until last week, I made a birthday card for my Mother in Law.

The technique is fairly simple.

Decide on the size of the card then cut a piece of paper the same size.

Tape the card to a cutting mat, then tape the paper over the card. On the course we cut coloured paper that would be cut and stuck to the blank card and a piece of white paper over the top to draw the design on. This was actually a lot easier and you could get sharper detail as you were not trying to cut through heavy card by hand.

Draw whatever design you want (you must have a border though), we were told on the course to make letters sit on or hang from 'washing lines' which were attached to the sides. For this card the letters are attached to the sides with the climbing flowers.

I forgot to take a photo before, this is what it looked like after I had cut.

Then you take the paper off and paint/decorate however you want.

I used some handmade paper as an insert.

My cutting could do with a little work, the card was really tough to cut through neatly (and your hand really aches after a while!). If you fancy seeing some totally amazing paper cuttings then take a took at Rob Ryan's site, here.

Linking up to some of these linky parties!

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4/52

A very Sleepy Girl

Along with the pressies Big E received last Sunday for his 7th birthday he also got a nasty virus...

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Illness struck our house this week, it started with very high temperatures and ended with two children choked with the cold. Hopefully next week will be a bit healthier!

 

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DIY Tartan bow hairband for Burn's Day

Today is Burns Day in Scotland, celebrating our most famous song writer and poet.

Little e was to wear tartan to nursery and she wanted it on a hairband so I rustled one up last night, 2 loops of tartan ribbon with a tartan bow on the top sewed together then hot glued on to a hairband.

She also wore hubby's kilt from when he was wee, so sweet!

Linking up to some of these linky parties!

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A New Kitchen!

Finally, pictures of the almost complete kitchen. We went for white painted oak doors with an oak worktop. The floor tiles are honed slate and the splash back is multi-coloured slate mosaic. I love it!

Before:

When we got the house, before stuff arrived!

Utter Chaos!

After:

Before:

When we got the house

Chaos!

After:

We still have to seal the splash back tiles and attach the doors then we will be done, phew!!

Now on to the utility room...

Linking up to some of these linky parties!

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DIY Lego Head Cake

Big E was 7 on Sunday, how that happened I have no idea, but he requested a Lego Head cake for his birthday, which was a relief given that last year it was an ATAT!

I made 2 x 20cm deep chocolate sponges , cut them in half, layered them with Jam and butter cream, stacked them then iced them with yellow fondant.

The face is painted on with the gel food colouring and the nobble on the top is a slab of fondant.

The aspect ratio is wrong (this lego man has been eating all the cakes...) but the birthday boy was pleased! If I was making it again I would use a smaller cake tin!

Now to try and find a home for the mountain of Lego he got...!

Linking to these fab link parties!

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An Award..

Helen of the fab And Who Says You Can't? has passed me the Leibster Blog Award, Thank You!!
I have had this award before  so will answer the questions but not pass it on, hope that is ok!

If you have never heard of it before then this is it:

Don't know what the Liebster Awards are?   It's an fun "award" passed from blogger to blogger as a way to network and acknowledge some of your favourite blogs.  A receiving blog must have less than 200 followers.  
To participate:  
1. Thank and link back up to the one that nominated you.  
2. Answer 11 question asked to you by me.
3. Tell us 11 things about yourself.
 4. Nominate 11 of your favorite blogs that have less than 200 followers
5. Ask them 11 questions.


Here are the questions Helen asked me and my answers: 

1. What made you get into blogging?

I was stalking loads of crafty blogs and following loads of their tutorials and felt that I should try and give something back to the blogging community.

2. What is your favourite project / post?

Probably my Snow White Dress Tutorial

3. What are you most proud of in your life?

Giving birth to my daughter at home with no intervention or pain relief.

4. Do you have any major determinations for 2013 that you would like to share?

Shout less!

5. Who is your favourite person in the world, and why?

Has to be people, my two kids!

6. When is the best time of the day for you?

Morning, assuming there have not been too many night wakings!

7. What's your favorite recipe?

Rock Buns from a Sue Lawence Baking book.

8. What is your favorite pin on Pinterest?

I can't choose one, probably all my crochet ones!

9. Why is that your favorite?

I am loving crochet at the moment.

10. Have you ever used ModPodge?

Yes, once to cover a cardboard box with wallpaper!

11. What craft / project is on your "to do list" right now?                 

Where do I begin... 3 pairs of curtains and 2 blinds for kitchen and living room, cushion covers for living room....the list goes on and on!

Now, 11 things about me......

1. I am 32
2. I am a Beaver Scout Leader
3. I always wanted to be an astronaut
4. I hate olives but the rest of my family love them
5. I would happily live on puddings, I am not a savoury person!
6. I love baking
7. I hate painting ceilings
8. I can't think of anything else to write!

Thanks again Helen!

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3/52 - A Snowy Day

 I am joining in 52 Portraits again this week.

Ready to slide! It is my big boy's last day of being 6 today, 7 seems so old....

That was fun!

 Saturday Sledging! We have the perfect slope at the side of the house for sledging and this is the first proper snow since we moved in a year and a bit ago so we have all been enjoying it!!

Snow Angels!

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The joys of living in an old house...

Our house is old, how old we are not sure, but we think it was built in the late 1700's. We are slowly renovating and have just (almost) finished the kitchen, hopefully will get some good photos soon to put on here but here is a peek (you should see the chaos in the rest of the room).

Our next job was to be an easy one, the spare room, hahaha....

We thought we would just clear the room, give it a splash of paint then lay some carpet...

Until we found this behind some of the junk we had stored in the room..

Oh the joys, now to find the leak...

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52 in 2013

I am joining in ( a wee bit late) with the 52 portraits of your children in 2013 over at Che and Fidel .

Here are my first 2 weeks (rubbish phone photos...):

1/52

Tea time in a messy half finished kitchen!!

First (and last if I get my way) ice cream factory

2/52:

They wouldn't cooperate for separate photos so I got a 'hug'!

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How not to start a crochet project...

I am impatient. So, when inspiration struck and I decided I was going to crochet this jumper  I had to start. 

Lady Like Jumper from Lion Brand

I had the perfect wool, a large hank of tweedy wool brought back from Lewis when my Mum was there for a meeting about 3 years ago. Now, I knew you were supposed to wind the hank in to balls but I was sure I would manage so skipped that step.

This is how far I got before I had to snip the wool and admit defeat, I was in an awful tangle...

Luckily I had two trusty assistants (thanks Mum and Dad) to help try and unravel my knotty mess.

 

 

I think 'we' got about half the wool untwisted, the rest is sitting waiting for something good to be on the TV so I can unknot and watch at the same time!







Linking to some of these linky parties.

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Resolutions

I am not really a New Years Resolution kind of person, but this year I have decided write down some things I want to achieve over the next 12 months, maybe I will do them if they are written down!!

Here goes...

Personal stuff:

 - Shout less and read Unconditional Parenting again

 - Loose weight so I am a healthy BMI (by June as we are going to a wedding and I want to fit the dress I made for another wedding in 2011 that has never properly fitted!)

 - Do some type of cardio exercise every second day
 
 - Do 5 mins of pilates and stretches every day
 
 - Read 20 books

Crafty Stuff:

 - Crochet myself this jumper (sweater),

Lady Like Sweater - Free Pattern on Lion brand yarn

 - Knit myself  this jumper, I am thinking it may be a little challenging but the wool is ordered so I have to try!!

 - Crochet / Knit both the kids a cardigan or jumper.

Hopefully they are all achievable, the shouting one will be put to the test on Tuesday when the kids go back to school and make it a mission to wind me up as much as possible before we leave the house in the morning! 

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