Paper and String .......

With every delivery from Stampin' Up! there is some lovely brown packing paper - I have so much I struggle to find a good use for it other than recycling.    This week I decided to have a try at making some paper flowers with my punches.

I have used several of the circle punches to make this flower, scrunching the paper before putting a clear rhinestone brad through the centre.  The background is stamped with a flower vine from the Tiny Tags stamp set in the gorgeous new Soft Suede ink, layered up on Soft Suede card.  I have tied a couple of the Tiny Tags punched out with some linen thread, the leaves are from the Bird and Branch punch. Sprayed with shimmer mist made using the lovely shimmer paints currently available in the mini catalogue until 30th September.

I have made this card using the same colours as before.  The Very Vintage wheel has been used over some Very Vanilla card to create the backgorund.  This flower uses the scallop circle punch, I have put 9 in my flower scrunching them before putting a rhinestone brad through the centre. Another Tiny Tag tucked into the leaves made with the Bird and Branch punch and a length of linen thread wrapped around the card.  Sprayed with White Frost shimmer mist, for a little sparkle.

I still have a huge piece of this lovely brown paper, so any further uses for it would be very helpful!!!  There may be a little surprise in the post for the best idea!!!

It has been so cold here today, more like late October than August bank hoilday!!!  So much for our vist to the Maize Maze, we hid out at the cinema - it was warm and dry there!!!  Fingers crossed the sun shines on Wednesday as I'm planning to try and get to the Maze then????

We are on to the last week of the holidays, this time next week the new clothes will be all laid out ready for the morning rush to begin again -  only this time Philip will be at school all day!!!  what will I do without my "baby"????? 

                                 

Helping Hudson, Templates & Tutorials .......

Earlier this week I came across the story of a little boy called Hudson who is in need of specialist equipment to help him and his family overcome some of his complex mobility needs - you can read more here and here.

I decided to buy a set of the tutorials that a group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators have generously put together to help raise funds for Hudson.  The set I bought is Bags, Boxes & Gifts, there are 10 fabulous tutorials included in the download, with clear instrctions and photographs.  I have made the "Fridge Calendar", it is so quick and easy to make following the instructions given, I had by chance picked up a 2011 calendar (yes they are in the shops already??) the other day not really knowing what I was planning to make so this was perfect timming!!

I changed the colours and stamps as I thought this would make a good addition to a future class I'm working on at the moment.  The colours are Close to Cocoa (retiring soon - buy some now before its gone forever) Pretty in Pink and Whisper White.  I used the lovely Very Vintage wheel across the card before punching the borders with the eyelet border punch, the butterfly is stamped in Close to Cocoa and cut out and coloured with the markers and blender pens.  The edge of the wings are glittered with Dazzling Diamonds, I added a scalloped circle and some Chocolate Chip ribbon to finish it off.  I just need to pick up some magnetic strips for the back of the calendar.

I'm planning to make a few more as I think they will make great gifts - Teachers, Grandma's, Aunties, friends.......

You can purchase the tutorials here and see some of the other fabulous tutorials available too!!

The work these talented ladies are doing to help Hudson and his family is amazing, I can fully understand his need as I mentioned the other day my own little boy Philip has been assessed for the very same "Kid Walker", it will make a huge difference to Philip he will finally gain some independance, which will be of great benefit to him as he will be starting full time school in September.  Philip got his "Kid Walker" on Thursday!!!!

We are surprised at how quickly Philip got his new walker, so now its lots of practise, hopefully the rain will stay away so we can get outside, I will take a picture and pop it on my blog in the next few days, his beaming smile say's it all!!