Finally finished!

Happy Halloween!!

Welcome to some new followers ~ thank you for joining me on my journey x

I thought today I would share with you a stitching project that I have finally finished.  I managed to get some time during the evenings of our hols to get some quiet stitching done.

For my birthday back in May my sisters got me some beautiful stitching books and one of them was
 ~
Home sweet home cross stitch by Helen Philipps. 
~
I instantly got all the materials and started my first project, but other projects came along and it kept being put to one side. 

I love this gorgeous little cottage

The strawberry border is delicious

All that needs to be done now is to find a lovely frame ~ oh and maybe a few buttons lol! can't resist.

It will take pride of place in my porch to welcome all my visitors.

Don't forget to enter my little craft candy giveaway a winner will be drawn on Sunday 7th November.

I thought I would leave you today with another gorgeous view!!! 

Hope you all get lots of yummy treats this evening.

Love Em x

The Lakes

Hi everyone and welcome to Elf's crafting life.

As you know we were away last week and I was hoping to post but unfortunately our internet connection was so poor I was unable to even connect let alone work blogger!

So I am adding a very quick post tonight to just say we had the most amazing time ~ it really is my favourite place in the world even with all the rain!

Our view from the caravan

I really could wake up to this view every day!!

Anyway back to reality and a mad week ahead!  Not only do we have loads of work to catch up on, but I have a wedding cake to bake for Friday ~ 90 cupcakes!!!

I am hopefully going to get time to do a few card challenges this week as well so watch this space.

Also don't forget my craft candy giveaway closing Sunday 7th November.

Thank you for visiting my blog and please feel free to leave a comment.

Well due to suffering from the holiday blues I am going to make myself a nice hot choc to snuggle down with.

Love Em x

Craft Candy Giveaway!!!!

Hi everyone and welcome to Elf's Crafting Life ....

Well it's the last day of term and we are all busy getting ready for our hols ~ Yippee!!!!

My blog next week will be a little different as we are going off to the Lake District my favourite place in the world.  Due to the Lakes being a very inspirational place to me and my crafty stash will unfortunately not all travel, I am going to be posting my inspirational photo of the day ~ and you never know there maybe some painting, sketching thrown in. =] 

I really can't wait but lots to do so I will get on with today's post.

I am having my very own craft candy giveaway. 

To thank all my followers so far and for joining me from the start of my journey.

Up for grabs is the following:

A selection of A4 plain card and paper

A selection of patterned 6" square paper

A packet of dried 'love in the mist' flowers and an assortment of brads and mini pegs.

A packet of elasticated metallic thread and 2 x reels of white ribbon

Assortment of paper flowers with lilies and berries

5 each of the sycamore and oak fabric leaves

All of this is available to win !! and I will post worldwide =]

All you have to do to enter is the following:

1. Follow my blog (in the sidebar) seeing as this is for my followers.

2. Leave a comment on this post, so your name can be entered.

3. You could also add my candy to your sidebar (optional)

it would be hugely appreciated.

I will draw a winner by random from the comments left below on Sunday 7th November.

Well I think that covers it all for today.  Best continue packing.

Good luck everyone.

See you all next week from the wonderful Lake District.

Love Em x

Distressed and Vintage

Hi everyone and welcome to Elf's Crafting Life...

Thank you so much for all your kind comments on my last post.

Today's card is for a challenge over at The secret Crafter ~ and this weeks challenge is distressed.

As soon as I saw it I instantly wanted to make something.  Distressed I can do that as I am completely in love with everything vintage.  Vintage/distressed are 2 subjects that work so well together ~ I bet you can almost hear the excitement in my voice lol!!

Materials used:

All background paper is from papermania signature A5 paper pack ~ Blueberry Hill.  For the curled sheets I glued 2 paper sheets together so I had a patterned back.

Stamped images from papermania's Hampstead clear stamps.

Papermania's thank you rub ons.

Key charm ~ From Corry in my giveaway pack ~ Trinket Shoppe blue moon beads

Lace, buttons, brad and flowers from crafty stash.

For the distressed look on the card I tore all the background sheets.  I also tore and rolled the bottom edges of the background paper.  I lightly stamped the images so they didn't come out perfectly.  Also although they're not meant to look like it, my rub ons are quite old and don't come off so well.  Which lends itself perfectly to a vintage/distressed card (so it was on purpose ~ honest!).

I just love the detail and layers going into this card.  It has to be my favourite so far x

This is my entry to The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog, please feel free to leave a comment.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Love Em x

Penny Black challenges

Hi everyone and welcome to Elf's Crafting Life...

A big hello to some new followers, it's great that you have chosen to follow my blog and I hope that you enjoy what you read.

Today's card is being entered into 3 blog challenges.

Sir Stampalot Challenge ~Autumn breezes, buttons and bows

Penny Black at Allsorts ~ Colours of Autumn

Penny Black Saturday Challenge ~ 2 or more Penny Black images

This is my second entry into Penny Black at allsorts I entered this card in the first week.  The team at Penny Black at Allsorts are kindly drawing winners each week as well as their monthly winner, which is great 4 changes to win!!

This is my entry to all of the challenges

Materials used:

Cute Hedgehog image and 'For You' sentiment from Penny Black ~ Tiny Wishes T for Transparent range

Bee's with envelope from ~ Hugs T for Transparent range

I stamped the above images using a Versafine ink pad and coloured using water colours.

I then matted and layered the card using various papers ~ K&Co Studio K Teal Plaid flat paper, Bazzill ~ Quick sand & Carob, the orange leaf paper is from my crafty stash (sorry I can't remember the brand).

Ribbon ~ Celebrate ribbon by the spool.  Flowers and button from crafty stash.

Sorry everyone I was going to upload a close up of the cute hedgehog image but Blogger is not working very well tonight.

Anyway this is my challenge entry for the following 3 blog challenges ~

Penny Black at Allsorts

Penny Black Saturday Challenge

Sir Stampalot Challenge

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, please feel free to leave a comment.

Love Em x

Edited 14-10.  Yeah!! I have finally been able to add the close up image of this cute hedgehog x  I have also entered this card into a 3rd challenge (blog post has been edited with links). I hope it still counts as it is a new card from my latest blog post and not back linked to an old project ~ fingers crossed.

Crafty Date ...

Hi everyone.

As promised I had a crafty day with the little one today.  Well she loved it and we followed HER designs.  I am actually very impressed with her ideas and how creative she was.

This was card number 1 now bear in mind she is 5 and she completely designed the card from start to finish.  I made mind the same way as she told me.

She had this lovely idea about doors on the front with the fairy behind so she wanted to continue this into card number 2

Then we dug out a free kit that I had with a magazine and she created the most gorgeous card for 'Mummy and Daddy' so it has now gone into hiding in her bedroom until Christmas ~ so I'll forget about it.

My little bean then decided that she wanted to have a play again with the water colours, and created a little masterpiece.

I don't think my paints have every been so well used lol!!

I think I have some cleaning up to do

We had a lot of fun today and I'm sure it will be repeated.  Hubby is a bit worried now as we have another budding card maker in the house ~ more crafty spends.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog today.

See you again tomorrow.

Love Em x

Very Proud Mummy!!

Hi everyone and welcome to Elf's Crafting Life ...

Just a short post today.  It has been crazy here today with work.  Every time I refresh the page there is another order to get out.  Definitely not complaining just not much time for anything else today.

We also had to go out to our little ones first Harvest Festival.  Well what a proud Mummy I am!! I couldn't wipe the cheesy grin off my face for the full service.  All four classes were doing their bit (2 years in each class ~ it's only a small village school).  Then it was reception and year 1's go and there she was stood front of the church singing her little heart out.  I swear I could hear her voice above everyone else's.  My little bean was getting well into the groove with all the actions.  You find yourself telling everyone ~ That's my baby up there!! Even though they already know. 

It's amazing the impact that children have on your life.  Being a parent is truly the best role/job in the world.

I would share some pics but the photographs that I took came out so dark, at least hubby got some video on his phone.

Something a little crafty and exciting to end my post with!

My craft candy has arrived from Corry and I thought I would share a pic

Gorgeous giveaway thank you so much Corry x

Thank you for taking the time to listen to my waffling x

It's a crafty play date tomorrow with the little one ~ she asked if she could make some cards like Mummy (how could I resist)

So pop back tomorrow to take a peep

Love Em x

All Creatures Great and Small

Hi everyone!!

Welcome to Thursday's blog, hope you are all well today.

Today's card is for a challenge over at Oldie But A Goodie this week's challenge is ~ All Creatures Great and Small (main stamped characters are animals). 

I love this blog as it encourages you to blow the dust off the old crafty stash (stamps) that's always a good idea around here ~ plenty of old stash that needs using.

I love the colour scheme on this card.  I really don't think I have a favourite colour as I love all colours as long as they brighten up the space they're in.  But I do seem to be drawn to all things purple/plum at the moment and that goes for fashion ~ which is normally black, but there is plum! starting to creep in.  Also interior's I am really drawn to plum colours and accessories ~ Strange! but good I feel I need more colour in my life =]

Materials Used:

A range of Penny Black stamps from the Hugs collection.  I stamped with Versafine ink and coloured with water colours.  I also extended the stamp with the mouse scattering the flowers by stamping more flowers.

12 x 12 glitter background paper from crafty stash.

Mulberry Street Petaloo paper flowers.

Brads and ribbon from crafty stash.

This is my entry into The Oldie But A Goodie challenge

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog, and thank you so much for all your kind comments. 

 Please feel free to leave a comment as I do love to read them.

Hope you all have a lovely cosy evening ~ it's getting a bit chilly in Devon.

Love Em x

Autumn Days

Hi everyone and welcome

Today's creation is an entry for 2 blog challenges.

Penny Black Saturday Challenge ~ Don't be Square

 Penny Black at Allsorts challenge ~ Colours of Autumn

I must admit after making this card I am in love with the Autumn colour scheme.  I actually didn't realise how much I had to use.

Materials used~

A5 card blank

Stamp ~ Penny Black Hugs stamped with Versafine ink pad and coloured with water colours.

12 x 12 scrapbook paper ~ patterned and plain brown from crafty stash

fabric leaves from crafty stash.

punched leaves made by Docrafts leaf punch, peel off, lace, flowers and sentiment from crafty stash.

Sorry there has been a lot I have used for this card out of my crafty stash and to be honest I have had some of it so long I can't remember what brands they are.

I absolutely love these cute hedgehog stamps and I think they look fantastic with this colour scheme or anything Autumnal.

I tried to colour the image with the Autumn theme in mind ~ the grass is not a fresh green colour and I have given the impression of moss on the pots by adding a little green.

Another love of mine is lace anything a bit 'touchy feely'/textiles on a card I think is great and love to try and add it.

The lace is a creamy/off white colour and compliments the cards beautifully.

So that's my entry for

Penny Black Saturday Challenge

Penny Black at Allsorts challenge

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog. 

 Please call back again tomorrow for another instalment of Elf's Crafting Life...

Love Em x

Forever Friends challenge ~ Home Decoration

Hi everyone and welcome to Elf's Crafting Life..

Yesterday I gave you a little sneaky peek at a project I was working on. 

It was a piece for the new Forever Friends challenge ~ Home Decoration

Big ta dah! moment

This is my finished design, but how is it a home decoration I hear you ask ~ well I'll show you (lol!)

I have designed a jar wrap ~ that handy little jar that we all have why not recycle into pen pots

A vase would be lovely during Christmas with some Holly sprigs and Poinsettia's.

Reverse lace up detail.

This little cover can also double up as a gift label for those special handmade Christmas gifts

So my entry for this weeks Forever Friends Challenge is a jar cover/wrap

                                   

Stamps ~ Forever Friends Cosy Christmas 8x8 clear stamp collection, which were stamped using a Versafine ink pad and coloured with pencils.  I added some white glitter to the hat and icing.  Mounted on green card stock and punched edges with EK success sparkles border punch.  I used a paper punch to punch the circles down the edge and just laced up with some red ribbon.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and I hope you like my little paper craft project which actually made a nice change from making a card today.

See you tomorrow

Love Em x

I'm back!

Hi everyone!

I am so sorry that I haven't 'blogged' lately.  I'd set myself a goal to blog everyday, it was working and I was thoroughly enjoying myself. 

Then last Thursday everything went a bit crazy!!

We have been snowed under with work so there wasn't many hours left at the end of the day to be crafting.  Then to top it all off my little bean has been having some trouble.  She only started school in January of this year and although she doesn't like mummy bear leaving her in the morning, she had been settling in quite well.  Then we had the huge break of the summer holidays we had loads of time together, had loads of fun and she hasn't settled back in quite so well. 

Then the bomb shell strikes on Thursday that there are some older children making life a little hard for her at school (she's only 5 and these children were at least 9).  It breaks my heart just thinking about it.  So off I march into the head Mistresses office ~ Mother on a mission, I was ready to take on anyone and anything at this point (crazy look in my eye). 

Fortunately all seems to be calming down now so fingers crossed we nipped it in the bud.  So as you can imagine we have had a lot going on in our little haven in Devon.  Like all of us our little bean is number 1 and my mind has been completely else where with it all going on.

But I'm now back down to earth. 

Work was busy today (like every Monday), all is well in school so deep breath lets start again.

I haven't had much time to craft today as like I say every Monday is busy from the orders over the weekend, but I have had time to do a little and I have a little sneaky peek.

All will be revealed tomorrow ~ as I promise I will be back x

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog, please feel free to leave a comment as I do love reading them.

Hope you all have a lovely cosy evening.

Love Em x