MerryMade Crafts etc ...

I made these little snappy coin purses to use as gifts at sometime this year.  I used this tutorial which is what I found for the snappy pencil cases I created here. The closure is created using pieces of metal tape measure, so it bends open and snaps shut.  Quick easy and fun projects.  I have joined a Facebook group called Make One a Week Christmas Club.   The name really says it all.  It is a very inspiring group, seeing what everyone is creating. Catch you all later.

This is my take on the Craftmad January Christmas All Year Round Sketch.  I had enough of this beautiful paper to make two cards which I layered up on silver card stock.  All papers and base cards are from Blue Edge Crafts .  I found this charm buckle in my stash and finally got to use the silver christmas ribbon I had been given years ago. Same layout but I just added a little red to match the die-cut bauble which I really like. Please join in we would love to see what you come up with.  You can post a photo of your creation on either: Pinterest  or in our new Facebook group  

This is the card I made for our daughters birthday this year.  The image is from this tutorial from kids to use their thumbprints on, I used a small dot stamp. I used five different colours of ink and randomly stamped them on the flower head.  I then used my Wink of Stella - clear pen to give a little sparkle to each of those dots.  Found some co-ordinating card stock from Stampin Up and layered them up.  Embossed the background with a new dandelion embossing folder.  Yes, I do love dandelions. Finished with a Just Rite sentiment stamp backed with glitter card stock. I was lucky to share part of the day with our daughter while visiting my sister (in Glass House Mountains) with Mum.  Our daughter drove the short distance up to spend some time with us. Have a great weekend.

I have started on the challenge I set myself to reduce my fabric stash.  I found a wonderful Facebook group  called Sewing for Australia Charity.  Each month they sew/crochet/knit something for a chosen charity (different each month).  I like this idea as the projects seem simple and quick and I get to try something new each month.  I joined at the end of December and thought I'd just jump straight in. They were sewing Joey Pouches for baby Koalas and Kangaroos also crocheting nest for possums (I think).  I made 20 Joey Pouches and sent them on their way. This has made a big dent in my fabric stash. January is all about kids so they have asked for library bags and pencil cases.  I have opted for the pencil cases as the pattern they shared used a tape measure to create the closure.  Something new to try.   I used this tutorial , so much fun.  I bought a $4 tape measure and got 7 pencil cases.  One went to my niece for her b...

I am so good at the beginning of the year keeping up with the Monthly Sketch Challenges that Kaye adds for us at Craftmad.  Then I go back to work and it's the end of the year, it seems, before I do another challenge. lol  This is my take on the January Sketch Challenge.   Sketch challenges can be viewed and photos added on the Craftmad Facebook page here . I grabbed a Graphics 45 paper pad and went from there.  Found a couple of stamps in my collection that I thought complimented the papers and added jewels to the centre of each flower which took a long time as they are so tiny.  I saw this in my Facebook newsfeed this morning and wished I had had this while doing my card - wax pen picker upper. Thanks for popping in.

Back in October last year our swap with Craftmad was to decorate a matchbox then fill it with crafting goodies to send off to our partner. The photo above shows the decorated matchbox I received and the photo below shows all the goodies that were crammed inside.  Yes, amazing hey. :-) Our first Craftmad swap for 2018 was to use some of the goodies inside the matchbox we received.  I used the laser cut butterflies on this card and all the heart brad next to the Thank You sticker.  I used one of the pieces of this beautiful paper from my stash.  I think it originally came as a magazine giveaway but I love the colours. I used the three white butterflies as a pop up in the centre of the card.  Coloured them with by pink Wink of Stella pen so the wings have a glittery effect.  The body I used a black permanent marker. When I saw these gold bird trinkets in the matchbox I couldn't wait to use them.  There were two which I hav...

The Craftmad card swap for December was all about Vintage, not something I do a lot of.  As I typed that last sentence it got me to thinking if I was 'Vintage' lol.  So my first search on Google found this and gave me a smile.  " Many people expect it (Vintage) to have some standard of date applied to it. Accordingly, most experts in the trade have decided that the term "vintage," when used in a way similar to the term "antique," refers to items that are over 50 years old, but less than 100. This kind of standard works when dealing with truly old, but not antique, items but falls short when using the term to describe something newer, and from a specific era.  " This the link to the Ebay description of what is Antique and what is Vintage. Hmmm,  'truly old, but not antique' not sure I am keen on that description. :-) Anyways, for the card above I found some 'old' but not truly old (according to above link) Stampin Up...

Just going through my photos and tidying up and found these photos.  I made these cards for the wonderful people at work…..such a fun and easy Christmas card to put together.  The buckle is just a square of glitter card with a square cut out of the centre, luckily I had a button die and the rest is just strips of coloured card stock.

As always my first card for the year is for my wonderful husband whose birthday is the 1st January. My card started from the charms and beads which I spied on my desk.  I received them back in October in our Craftmad swap which was a decorated matchbox filled with crafty goodies.  The charms and beads all come from Blue Edge Crafts .  So I decided to set a scene for these items.  I tore some strips of light blue paper for the sky.  Then I found this wonderful remanent of navy embossed paper which looked like waves to me.  Next I discovered this textured cream paper which was perfect for the beach and some brown handmade paper for the land the lighthouse sits on.  Attached all the beads and charms with Glossy Accents.  It looked a little bare so found these stickers in my stash which were the perfect size for my scene.  I thought this post is as good as any to start my resolution of a weekly blog post sharing some photos that ...