VW Camper

Hi everyone, just a quick post today to show a card I've made using my new fave stamp. Its the gorgeous VW camper van from Docrafts fab Portobello Road stamp set. I've kept it really simple for this card, just the stamp, backing paper and a sentiment so that the camper van is the focus of the card.

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I have another two stamped campervans ready to use, one red and one pink, just havent decided what to do with them yet. Hmmm... Thinking cap on lol.

Bye for now!

Hayley x

Crafty cardmakers challenge #59

I absolutely love the new Portobello Road range from Docrafts, it's perfect for cards for men and I especially love the stamp set which features the London bus below and a super cute VW Camper. The challenge at Crafty Cardmakers is- No floral embellishments, so I decided to try out my new stamp set and make a manly card.

The London bus stamp was coloured with Promarkers, paper is from the Portobello Road paper pack and sentiment is from my stash.

Thanks for dropping by!

Hayley x

Back to reality

So Christmas and New Year are finally over and it's back to work and back to normal life. I haven't had much of a chance to sign in over the hols so I'll be catching up with blogs over the weekend.

I was a busy bee in the run up to Christmas thanks to the snowflake box die that I bought for my bigshot. I made up a few and filled them with chocolates for stocking fillers and next thing I know I'm getting orders from friends, family and my facebook page! I made about 60 altogether and they went down really well.

The only thing is now that Christmas is over and I don't have Christmas cards and presents to make, I'm feeling a bit uninspired. Is anyone else feeling like this? I'll try to get back to normal over the weekend.

Wish me luck!
Hayley x

Time for a challenge

Hi everyone! Well its that time of year again, Christmas is nearly here and shortly after it will be time for the dreaded New Years Resolutions... Eek! In the next couple of days I plan to write a post summing up how this years resolution of turning crafty as gone. The fact that I'm still blogging is a clue that it's gone well lol! I will definately be continuing with cardmaking, decoupage and basically anything else I want to try but I'm setting myself a new challenge for next year...

Over the last 8/9 months that I have been cardmaking I have collected a large stash of crafty bits. Although my stash is nowhere near as big as some peoples, my problem is that I don't have a craft room, just the corner of my bedroom (and to be honest, at the moment, half of my floor too!). As well as this, I've also decided that I must make my money go further next year, so here is my next challenge. I've decided to go all posh and declare it properly haha.

I, Hayley Usher declare that for the next year, commencing today 19.12.2011 I will limit myself to one craft shop visit per month, to one shop of my choice. After each visit I will blog what I have purchased and give my reason for buying it/them. I will make do with what is already in my stash and recycled materials (foil sweet wrappers, cardboard boxes, drinks cans etc) or things that I am given by others. I am doing this to make a dent in my crafty stash and to (hopefully) spend less of crafting materials/equipment.

So theres my declaration, now I just have to stick to it for a whole year! (What have I done...) Feel free to joing me if you are up for a challenge!

Hope everyone has a fabulous Christmas!
Hayley x

My first craft fair

I attended my first craft fair on Sunday and I loved it! It was great to meet other crafters and get experience at selling my crafts. Ok so getting there could have gone smoother, it was hailing and a windscreen wiper fell off my car... not the best start. Once I got there everything was fine, I made enough money to cover the cost of the table and a bit extra. Overall I really enjoyed it. In the rush of getting everything packed and in the car I forgot to take my camera to get a pic of my table. Oh well.

Another good thing that came out of the fair was I was inspired to finally make a facebook page! Heres the link, let me know what you think =)

Im taking a break from making new cards for the next few days and I'll start fresh next week. Hopefully by then I'll know if I've been successful in applying to be on the Crafty Cardmakers DT, it was extended until the weekend. Ooo the suspense lol!

Thanks for dropping bye!
Hayley x

Charisma Cards challenge entry

Well I'm still knuckling down making Christmas cards and I've decided to enter this one in the Charisma cards challenge which this week is Anything Goes!

I love decoupage at the moment and when I saw this cute Forever Friends topper in my local craft shop, I knew I had to get it. The bears are so cute, I had a forever friends bedroom when I was a kid. The topper and sentiment are both Docraft's Forever Friends range, paper is from my stash and the stick on ribbon is Fizzy Moon. I love the 3D effect! I haven't decided which pile to put this card in, theres the "christmas craft fair" pile or the "friends and family cards" pile. Guess it's just going on my desk for now!

Thanks for dropping by!
Hayley x

Fizzy Moon Christmas cards

Hi everyone! Well I've started to really focus on Christmas cards now and I bought a pack of Fizzy Moon chipboard characters last week, so I started experimenting. I love the cute characters, they work well with loads of colour combinations. Heres what I came up with:

Sweet with traditional colours and festive ribbon

Bright and sparkly

Sorry I can't get this pic to go the right way up!

 Thats three more cards for the Christmas pile but a lot more to go! I'd better get on with it lol

Bye for now!
Hayley x

Lazy day

I've had a lazy day today, assembling toppers for Christmas cards. Well I'm feeling a bit under the weather again so this was just what I needed! It felt quite relaxing and theraputic.

 Can't wait to make Christmas cards out of these for the "Christmas craft fair" box. They are just too sweet!

Thanks for dropping by!
Hayley x

Crafts and me challenge

So I'm finally getting into the swing of making Christmas cards and decided to enter this one into the Crafts and Me challenge, which this week is- Blue, green and pink!

I'm still in love with easel cards and this adorable Me to you topper was just the right size!

I'm not sure if you can tell on the pic but the bear is decoupaged to look 3D. For this card I used:
Tatty Teddy Christmas topper (layered using hot glue gun)
Papers from stash
Anitas peel off sentiment

Well thats it! Now this card can go in the ever increasing "Christmas craft fair" pile =)

Thanks for dropping by!
Hayley x

First attempt at an easel card

It's been a long time since I posted a project on here, mainly because my room is still not sorted. I am never ordering furniture through that well known catalogue based store that begins with an A ever again. Its been 3 weeks since the delivery men stood the boxes with my wardrobes/desk/drawers in a puddle, therefore water damaging them and I still don't know when the replacements are coming. Ridiculous.

But never mind, I'm using the dining room table as my craft area at the moment, to my mams horror (shes a clean freak and does not appreciate my clutter). So my mam asked me to make her a 50th birthday card for someone at work and I took it as an opportunity to have a go at making an easel card. I'm pleased with it for a 1st attempt, sorry in advance for the picture.

Everything I used was from my stash and I can't really remember where I got it all from. I attached the net flower with my glue gun and the scalloped square is cut with a nesting die used with my Big Shot (yes I finally got a diecutter and I love it!)

My mam is impressed so I'm happy =D. Hopefully next time I post I'll have my furniture!

Hugs,
Hayley x