Soft Toy and Pencil Case

Morning everyone!  Today I have a soft toy that I made with a little inspiration from 'Crafty Brooklyn Army Wife'.  I saw her toys and thought I really don't need a pattern just make any shape I like.  So I have made this toy smallish about 30cm long and very simple as I didn't want to add buttons and so forth which could fall off and be swallowed.  I kept it small so that a small person would not have problems carrying him around.  The whole reason the this project is our June Sewing Swap over at Craftmad.  We have each made a soft toy to swap with one another and then we are going to release it in to the world in our towns.  We are doing this release and keeping a track of our toy through the Toy Society.

Here is a blurb from the Toy Society:

The Toy Society is a world-wide collective of toy makers – of varying skill levels– who make toys and leave them as gifts for perfect strangers.

The project was started in Australia in June 2008 by a local crafter, Bianca, as an attempt to create a ‘something for nothing’ experience for anyone who discovered a toy.

What started as a small personal project has now spread around the world and become known as a Random Act of Craft.

There are more than 2500 members throughout the world who have collectively gifted more than 1200 lovingly handmade toys to perfect strangers since the project began.

When a member leaves a toy gift it’s called a “Toy Drop” and is posted here on the blog and assigned a drop number.

Each toy is safely sealed, with a note to the finder, inside a press seal bag – to protect from the elements. The toy is then left to be found with a tag attached inviting the finder to “Take Me Home I’m Yours”.

Finders are invited, but not expected, to let The Toy Society know they have found a toy, and these notes are also posted here on the blog. But it’s not expected to hear back from finders; The Toy Society is about giving someone something and expecting absolutely nothing in return, which is a real rarity these days.

Drops and finds can be tracked on the blog, either in numerical order as they are posted, or by country tags (see left column) or by themes (also see left column). The blog is maintained by a team of volunteers from around the world.

Membership of The Toy Society is open to anyone, who wants to contribute and believes in the spirit of the project, and is easily attained by completing a brief sign up form on the blog (see left column on the main page.

Crafters of all levels are welcome to participate – even beginners and kids.

thetoysociety@gmail.com

Just wanted to show the lovely pencil case I received for the April Sewing Swap over at Craftmad.  I just love the material that has been used.  Such a wonderful quality and pattern.

Flower Swing Card

My second card for the Crafmad Monthly Card Swap.  Again I have used some wonderful Birch Haberdashery & Craft paper....GP203 (Blue Edge Crafts).  I just love the pattern and the touches of glitter they have added to the design.  On the front of the card I have added some bling and lovely felt flowers from Stampin Up with a Stampin Up brad in the centre of each.  As there was no pink on the paper I dragged out a felt pen and coloured in a couple of stripes down the front.  I am just a little disappointed that I didn't think how the flowers looked when I closed the card and have chopped one off.   For the inside I have used the other side of this lovely design paper.  Also embossed the flowers along the centre with my Cuttlebug and a borders folder.  Finished with a touch of bling and a lovely greetings sticker (Sticker Store)

Hibiscus Swing Card

This month over at Craftmad our monthly card swap is two Swing Cards.  This is one I have created with this beautiful paper which has a touch of glitter on each of the petals ..... Tropical Flowers from Blue Edge Crafts.  I have used an orange card for the base card and then layers of the Tropical Flowers design paper.  Also on the inside I have used some matching Bazzil Bling.  The leaf which has a lovely suede feel to it I picked up at Scrap Attack.  I think I will be heading back to Babinda soon for some more as they have been so handy.

Blue Book

Finally managed to finish a book. I have another three on the go and hope to finish them this coming week. I have really enjoyed being able to create a book again. So much fun seeing pieces of chipboard, pad of paper, ribbon, eyelets and design paper emerge into a book.

Fingers crossed I should be visiting a little more regularly. The last month has definitely been full on. Started with me having to do Jury Duty for four weeks which ended last week. Last time I was called up the kids were much younger and I used them as an excuse to get out of jury duty. However, this time they are much older and I just could not come up with a legit reason to be excused. I managed to get empanelled twice during my four week stint. First case 1 1/2 days and second case 3 1/2 days. Definitely an interesting experience which I am glad I had the chance to do. This does not mean that I will be volunteering quickly again to do it and happy if that is my one and only chance. :-) Very nerve racking and intense (listening to the facts and making the final decision).

Kids are now on two weeks school holidays.....Yay! No more assignments and complaining that there is too much to do as they left it until the last possible day to start. Also all the study for the exams last week are over and done with.

The last incident to send my life into chaos. Hubby who cycles to work each day was hit by a car who didn't give way when merging from a side road to the highway. Thankfully and luckily, hubby doesn't have any broken bones or head injuries. Managed a deep scrape on his knee and elbow. However, he is very very sore from internal bruising around his rib cage/pelvic area. He has had the last week and a bit off work a he just can't sit for a long period of time and bending his very sore work even though he is taking painkillers. The doctors have xrayed and ct scanned him and couldn't see anything. So it is apparently all bruising and will take time to heal. For other cyclists out there....WEAR YOUR HELMET....my husband did and I definitely think this saved him either serious head injuries or even life. The helmet has the hugest crack on the lefthand forehead side of the helmet. Looking at his head there is a small scratch. I am so glad that it is the helmet with the crack.

Last night I hosted a Stampin Up workshop at my house with my good friend Ruth doing the cardmaking. Such a wonderful and relaxing night creating and catching up with friends. So yes, I have another card to show you tomorrow. :-) Also bought some goodies so will have something new to play with in a weeks time. That has to be good for the old mojo.

Still Here

Thanks for all the lovely comments that you leave when you visit. I am still here but just very busy. Next week however, I should have a post or two and will up date you with what I have been up to. :-) Plus I will get time to catch up on all your wonderful creations.

Little Notebooks

Yes, I got busy on the weekend and finished off these little notebooks I started a couple of months ago. I had seeing a few notebooks/journals around internet that used pages of different papers. I thought I could do that and use some of the school books that the kids have not used over the years. I have also added a ribbon and charm to each notebook as a page finder.

The pages are torn from the kids unused school books through the years. So there are different types of lining rulings as they progressed in their letter writing. I have also used envelopes and pieces of my special papers to add a touch of colour.

I like this book with it's bright and cheery green. Also some papers in there that I created using marbling paint and another using wet crepe paper.

Here are the envelope and exercise book pages.

No cardmaking at the moment but other projects underway.

I haven't made any cards at all in the past week and a half.... :-0 Having the one extra person in the household certainly does knock the routine. I have been working on some new journals that are planned to go on sale at the newly revamped Bookbinders in the second hand book section. So that has kept me busy....just remembering how to create a book and doing it here from home rather than in the bindery. Amazing how we crafters can improvise. :-) I am at the stage of punching the holes down the side of the journal so that I can thread the ribbon through. The small drill bit that I used to use at the bindery broke ages ago. So I tried my leather punch last night and put too much pressure on it and it broke. Mind you this is waaaaay old as it is one that Mum passed on to me and I remember her using it when I was a kid. I think the power drill is coming out today.

Another reason for no cards this past week or so is that the weather is just so lovely you can't help but be outside. So the gardens are getting a little TLC.

Something else that has kept my little brain busy is thinking of a way to make those flag/banners that you see in the car yards. On a bendy stick which seems to be pulled over at the top. I am thinking of using some the bamboo from out the front and bought some wonderful bright material (like spray jacket material). I want to make these so we can use them at the local museum to hopefully attract attention. We are located way down the back of town across from the sugar mill and if people look that way all they see is sugar mill and a building that looks like maybe a hall. So the little white Open sign behind bushes isn't doing a thing.

Well thats where I am at at the moment. Have a good weekend all.

90th Birthday Cards (Swing Card and Bugaboo)

Here is the swing card I made in my last post to which I have added some roses. This was a suggestion from Kylie over at Kylie's Craft Corner. Thanks Kylie, I was so happy that I actually had these coloured roses in my collection and it just finishes the card off nicely.

Now my friend that requested a card for her 90 year old Grandmother is so full of life and fun. I thought that maybe she would like a card that was a bit less Grandmotherly. Thought this was a wonderful excuse to buy a Bugaboo image that I see Cheryl over at My Cardmaking Haven playing with all all the time. Bugaboo have such fun images I did buy two and I am sure I will return in the future.

I think this is a really fun card. I have used a pre scored metallic white card from Blue Edge Crafts for the base card. Mauve Bazzill Bling and I layered the image up on some wonderful silver glitter paper (both from BE Crafts). The greetings I printed out on my computer and backed with green card and finished the card with three square bling. I coloured the image with my watercolour pencils and aqua pen. Also added a touch of Dimensional Magic to the glasses and the balloon. My friend loved them both and ended up buying both. :-)

Swing Card

Hey everyone, Life has been busy yet again....become a habit which I am not keen on as I am not getting to my craft desk. I have tonight though. A friend has asked me to make a card for her Grandmother's 90th Birthday.....how impressive is that. The 90 that is. :-) I decided to have a go at a Swing Card which is what we are swapping this month over at Craftmad. I am having a practise run as we haven't found out our partners yet. I found a tutorial over at Splitcoast Stampers. I have used burgandy coloured card for the base card. I have embossed this beautiful paper with the Cuttlebug Victoria embossing folder. I have also added these lovely butterfly and wavy border stickers and the greeting stickers. All from Sticker Store.

Cuttlebug embossing folder Victoria.

This is the inside of the card. A friend had gold embossed these lovely roses for me years ago. Been waiting for that special occasion. I have coloured them with my watercolour pencils and embellished with this beautiful lace from Scrap Therapy. Finished with some more lovely butterfly stickers from Sticker Store. I would really love to hear if you think this card needs a little something as I am thinking something extra would be great.

Have a wonderful weekend all. I probably won't be around for a week. This weekend is Relay for Life and next week I think I have a full and busy week....will just have to see what comes about on Monday.

Card Holder

This is the wonderful card holder I have made for my last three cards using the Kaisercraft paper. The holder is folded from one sheet of A4 card and I found the terrific tutorial here at Stampin n Stuff