Tidy up time...

Hello everyone, hope you are well!
I've recently been up to my armpits in craft stash except that's not as exciting as it sounds. Basically, I've been having a good old clear out! I've been whittling away, thinning out all the stash I've accumulated over the last 7 years and I have got to a place where I'm quite happy with what I'm letting go now. I did think about asking the girls to take what they wanted before it all goes off to a good home (I've not actually worked out yet who's it's going to!) but I thought knowing my bunch they'll end up wanting the whole lot and I'll end up not being any better off for space! I admit it saddens me to see stuff I bought going unused tho' it's mostly stuff I've bought when I first started exploring scrapbooking. You know the kind of stuff I mean, stickers and rub-ons etc, stuff that seemed like a good buy at the time as they were in the bargain bin or sale. But I never did get a handle on making good use of these things. The stickers always looked a bit "stuck on for the sake of using them" and I never really got good results with rub-ons at all - usually ending with a total disaster and having to find a way of covering them up. Lol! Those were the days! How we have grown. Scrapbooking has changed such a lot since I started out. There seems to be two very different camps to be in these days. One is where you throw all sorts of textures and mediums at a bit of 12x12 cardstock showcasing just one photo and at the opposite end of the scale there is the Project Life kind of style where its just a matter of throwing some photos in pockets with a token bit of journalling and that's you done! Personally, I like to explore what happens somewhere between the two as both have their merits and advantages. Talking of scrapbooking - I really haven't done much of any crafting of late. Don't know what's up with me these days I just seem to be busier with the girls who obviously are going to bed a bit later as they get older and I think I feel less inclined to get crafting after the bedtime rush is over. I've tried doing bits and pieces while they're up and about but I'm afraid I'm one of those types that finds it hard to concentrate when there's noise and distraction around me. My craft area is actually a corner of the family room and although there's plenty space to work, peace and quiet is scarce! So, I guess I have failed miserably in my attempts to make enough minibooks, cards etc for a little craft sale of my own this year but well, there's always next year. I wonder if you are all busy making your Christmas cards, I should have been but I went and promised Millie I would help her start making her Xmas Fimo jewellery this weekend. Her school Craft Fair is at the beginning of Dec so we really do have to get cracking with it.  She wants to make Xmas Puds, Trees, Candy Canes and Gingerbreadmen. Guess who's heading on over to youtube for some inspiration...
Happy crafting everyone
Jak
xxx
PS. if you could telepathically send me some motivation that would be very much appreciated!

Here's a couple of Xmas mini books...

Hello everyone!
   I've been busy making a couple of mini books for Christmas to either sell or give as presents. The cute Santa one was made using a Tim Holtz edge die, covered in Sparky and Marie PP's by Dovecraft. I got these in last year's Hobbycraft sale - I love the bright colours in this collection. They give a kitsch twist to Christmas! The stamps used on both projects were sold with Get Stamping magazine. As usual the mini's have been constructed using recycled cereal boxes and corrugated cardboard packaging. The"Joy" Xmas tree mini was something I wanted to try out for a while - I love shaped mini's. At first I was going to make it a bit more tree shaped - you know, with sticky-out branches etc, but there was no way I could work that in with using the Bind-it-all so I went for a more simplified, triangular shape. The "Joy" title was cut out with the Silhouette (I know, get me!) I've got to do a bit more embellishing inside this one, so it's not quite complete yet - I've kinda run out of steam with it but hey, sometimes that happens. No problem - it'll get done when inspiration strikes.

 

   Can you believe it's holiday time for the kids again. Here in Bonnie Dundee we are halfway through a two week Autumn break (didn't they just go back to school?). I'm having a week off from work next week to entertain the troops and I have made a vow to myself to have a real good clean out of my Craft Stash while I'm at it. It's not something I'm looking forward to doing as I hate that the mess has to get an awful lot worse whilst you're sorting through things before it gets better, but, unfortunately it just has to be done. Besides, who knows what treasures I might unearth! I have a pile of clear boxes I'm waiting to arrive from ebay which I'm gonna use for all my scraps of cardstock/paper and embellishments - I hope to achieve a more streamlined system of finding things. Yeah, right! :-)
    However you're spending your time, I hope you can manage to squeeze in a bit of crafting! It's good for you!
Love (with crafty sprinklings),
Jak
xxx

Oooh, I've taken the plunge...

...and finally bought myself a Silhouette Portrait! It's so good and I really love that you can design your own stuff and cut that as well as buying files from the Silhouette studio, also it cuts any fonts you have already on your computer! She's more my thing than the Cricut, but that's not to say that the Cricut is rubbish. Just horses for courses and all that...
  Here's a new 12x12 with my first ever cuts from her —

 

Cute paper bows!

   So, I downloaded the lovely frame for the photo plus a template to make up the paper bows. The bows are a really handy one to have in my library as I seem to be using these quite a bit of late but I designed the balloon with wording and the main Cookies title too. It was quite easy once I worked out how to format the files for importing into the Silhouette Studio programme. The software is definitely a bit more in depth than the Cricut but that suits me as I like to do my own design thing!
There's actually quite a bit going on with this LO. It took a while to put together as I was getting to know my new gadget and swithered with various elements, but then it suddenly came together. There's a bit of border punching going on with the pink at the top and bottom with sections of paper doily tucked in behind. The teeny bunting at the top right corner is made from twine and washi tape. Cute!
  On a different topic — today was Coffee Morning day up at the girl's school and Millie managed a sell out with her Fimo jewellery! Well done babe! You worked really hard! I believe the headmistress has already asked if she could kindly do some more for the Christmas Fayre and the wee rascal, excitedly wants to start on them NOW! Eeek! Mummy needs a bit of time out from Fimo though, and is experiencing mild paper stroking withdrawal! Besides I really have to get on with some of my own Xmas projects. I've seen an interesting technique though for baking soda dough which I'm sure we can utilise for the school Christmas Fayre projects and my own ideas for tags and decorations. Hmmm...
Anyways, thanks for checking in. Have a creative weekend!
Jak
xxx

Fimo jewellery...

...as made by Millie! (with a wee help from Mum!) I'm really hoping that she gets them sold as she's worked really hard - they've turned out lovely, if I do say so myself, plus it's for a very good cause (Macmillan Coffee Morning)! There's hotdogs, cupcakes, doughnuts, fondant fancies, dolly mixtures and liquorice allsorts to choose from in an array of different forms be it earrings, rings, badges or fridge magnets so all tastes are catered for.

 Yummy doughnuts!

 Hot dogs! Get yer hot dogs!

Honestly, making these took me back 25 years to when I used to make/sell them for xmas. It was a great way of supplementing my income back in the day which really came in handy for doing the Christmas shopping. I used to sit for hours each night rolling and modelling  -  Fimo Soft is a much easier clay for this which wasn't around then, but hey, it kept me out of mischief! There's a lot more Fimo jewellery out there nowadays just look at etsy and these kind of places - some of it so detailed too. All sorts of moulds are available also which must make life a bit easier when putting them together but Millie's ones are properly handmade! Fingers crossed she gets them sold!

Packaging them all up, ready for taking to school later.

Thanks again for coming by and looking!

Jak

xxx

Hello! Remember me?

...well, it has kinda been a while since I posted anything. Anyway, how are you all doing out there in Craftland. Me, well, I've just been busy doing other stuff, lots of miscellaneous stuff,  mostly on the domestic homefront, what with the summer holidays etc. There's not been an awful lot of papercrafting going on but I have been helping my Other Half decorate a bedroom and the kitchen amongst other housey type things. We are all well Chez Strachan and getting back in to the old routine now that the girls have settled back in at school. That has got to be the quickest summer ever (do I say that every year?) and I'm wondering if all the good weather had anything to do with that perception. The girls played out a lot and time just seemed to tick by in a flash (instead of us all moping about getting on each others nerves because it rained and we had to stay indoors)... aahh summer sunshine bliss - all but a fading memory now. So, autumn is definitely just round the corner, don't know about you but I can smell it in the air and lo and behold it was almost dark by 8pm last night, so I think it's about time we had a nice little crafty catch-up. This here piccie is my latest 12x12 that I did just last weekend. The papers are from a K&Co Bloomscape pad which I've had for ages but only just got round to using them (my bad!). They have to be the most floral, colourful ones I have tried so far and I think they are beautiful but quite tricky to work with as so many have very busy bold prints. But you know me - I do like a challenge and I was quite happy with how it turned out as it's quite dimensional too. I tried incorporating a bit of stamping just using a black inkpad and it seems to balance/quieten the full on colourful craziness a bit...

Here are a couple of close ups of the details

Those butterflies are from an Anna Griffin kit I bought last year and compliment the big roses of the print. I made/printed some red and white paper for the border and a paper bow. (I love making these!) And of course those are Tim Holtz diecut rosettes there as well. As usual there's quite a bit going on but sometimes you have to indulge yourself I think! I hope you like it.
Stay tuned! Millie has a Macmillan coffee morning/craft/bake sale coming up at school and we have been beavering away together making some goodies for that so the next post will be showing off some attempts at Fimo jewellery!
Thanks for stopping by,
Jak
xxx

The Messy Gene...

These photo's are from Sadie's second birthday I think... just as the truth was dawning on us that Sadie had definitely inherited Daddy's messy gene! Now I know that all children are messy but, this little tyke takes it to a whole new level - especially when it comes to eating! You should see the crumbs she leaves wherever she goes too!!!! Can I just mention that 5 years on from here, she is still as bad and everytime I take a piccie of her I feel compelled to digitally remove all the dirt and food off her face. I'm in a constant dilemma "To Photoshop or not to Photoshop". However I feel I would be misrepresenting the truth (i.e. lying!!!) if my kids appeared to be immaculate every time a camera was pointed in their general direction - lol! But, hey kids are messy - that's just what they do. No point fighting it! Might as well make a point of scrapping it! This LO was made mainly with American Crafts Dear Lizzy Neapolitan again - did I mention I got a brilliant bargain by getting a 12x12 pad in TKMaxx for only £7.99 - amazing as I'm sure they retail for about £19.99 usually! Love a bargain so I do!!! The little deer and yellow bow were cut with the Cricut Mini when I borrowed it from work. Also I downloaded some AC digital elements that match the paper and used them on this too. Downloads are great as you can print them out whatever size you need 'em over and over again.
The bunting was cut out from a 12x12 sheet which was a total faff but necessary as it really "festives" up the page. The bee is from a stamp that was part of the project pack in Ruby Loves Issue 1 which I coloured up with pencils. I hope you like how it came together - thanks as always for popping by my wee blog!
Keep on crafting!
Jak
xxx

Mmmmeatballs....

...a different kind of post this time. Getting creative in the kitchen! Now I don't pretend to be any great cook - but what I do, I do well, without too many disasters - unless there's baking involved then I can get a bit forgetful or distracted. To me baking is more like science - it's a bit more exact and a lot less forgiving! Anyhoo when it comes to rustling up a quick tea for the family, meatballs are a bit of a winner. I always make plenty and keep some aside for after in case anyone wants a cheeky wee meatball sandwich later on! Just remember to put them somewhere the cats can't get to 'em them otherwise there'll be no extras for later ( ...the voice of experience...). These meatballs are made with a packet of beef mince, some crushed up crackers or breadstix - it just depends on what's in the cupboard, always lots of garlic powder, salt and ground pepper and an egg. I usually go for the garlic powder instead of fresh as I don't like coming across really chunky garlicky bits when I'm eating them. I find garlic powder flavours them a bit more uniformly. Maybe I just need a new garlic press... Sometimes I use lots of chopped fresh herbs, sometimes I use freshly ground cumin and crushed chillies - sometimes I use all these things at once, it just depends whether the kids are having them too as my girls haven't got the taste for anything too spicy yet! So once the ingredients are all in the bowl I like to get stuck into the mixture with my (clean) hands and kinda knead everything together into one giant meatball. Once this is done, I let the mix chill out in the fridge for half an hour to let the bread/cracker crumbs settle in and the flavours blend together. Once out of the fridge I shape them into little balls and brown them in a frying pan. No need for any oil they give up plenty of their own. Once they have been browned I take them out and finish cooking them in a large pot which contains a carton of passata. Keep the heat quite low and simmer for maybe 20 mins with the lid on the pot to keep the passata nice and juicy. Serve on a bed of spaghetti and get stuck in! Salad on the side and a nice glass of red is always nice addition which makes it a bit posher for the grown ups too! The girls love a bit of finely grated cheese on theirs too - that's their version of a less smelly, kid friendly, parmesan! So, there you have it! Dining Chez Strachan! It might not be the finest of dining but it's fresh and good for you!
Bon Appetit mes amis!
Jak
xxx

These babies are going in the frying pan!

Come and get it!!! (as long as you're not veggie! Soz!)