Sparkle and shine!

Oh what fun! More beading! This time, necklaces! I've got a bit of a thing for hearts....! I totally love these, especially the Swarovski crystal heart pendant, and those filigree balls mixed with the pearls give it a soft, elegant feel - I imagine this would be lovely for bridal wear.....?  Seeing this next to each other gives me the idea that the blue will work very nicely with that heart pendant - the colours just reflect and pick up all the colours around it, impossible to catch on camera! But here's a picture just in case it can be seen!  Peace to all x

All that glitters....

I have been busy making up jewellery, alongside my card making - and have also now got the Ultimate Pro so I can make up boxes much easier and quicker - great for both cards and jewellery making!

So first up, we have the handbag charm I made for my daughter's teachers end of year gift. The box and card was then made to match!

I also had fun making this Shamballa style bracelet and used the same bead to make these lovely earrings.

This cute little set has been called the Jade Collection and has Japanese seed beads using memory wire and brass findings.

I just love these cute butterflies and so I made some more earrings along with some sparkly crystals and also love the filigree balls - they are so delicate!


So that's it for now, I will add more another day - I have used some lovely Swarovski hearts for a necklace and earring set and have just got more sparkles to make more things! Fun! Peace to all x

Spellbound!

I'm very excited, as I now have a Spellbinderrs Grand Calibre! So I have been playing and experimenting with dies and embossing....well, it is my first time, so I need to get more adventurous...and I managed to buy also some mica powders, which, WOW, I LOVE them! They look so effective, but so far, just brushed onto wet ink... Also been experimenting with embossing powder, and am enjoying the results! I will add some pictures soon. I'm also excited about going on a craft training day tomorrow, for work! So my 2 shifts rolled into one day of crafting....what could be better.. AND i have had fun depatching at work too, a bit of card making, and getting absolutely COVERED in glitter...I was in Heaven! Sadly, with all the ups and downs of keeping up with life, admidst the fun of experimental crafting, I forgot it was Father's Day! Oh dear me, was I in trouble. Sony did manage to quickly put a card togetherr for my daughter to give to daddy, but I did not send one to my dad, something I must remedy! I have recorded the lovely Christine of Spellbinders, on create & craft with lovely Leonie there, so I can see some of the ways to use my new maching. I'm a little upset that my one is pink and not purple, but it's not really a problem (it's just my favourite colour is purple!) but this is what was at work (and I got a lovely discount! Yay!!) really love the grunge and distressed looks and have had great fun with the distress inks, sprinkling embossing powder to frame, oh I like it, whether anyone else does is another matter... I might have a play in my crafty space now..... Peace to all x

May, it's May but ne'er a dry day!

Well, what a very wet month! Thankfully we had a couple of sunny days though - last weekend being one where the whole village was out for Blossoms and Bygones and I was all dressed up 40's style - any excuse!!

I've been busy working with Tom's Pantry, designing logo and signage, including the labels for the food. I've designed website which is being built by a CMS web developer, so hopefully that will be live late June!

We've got chickens too!!! So it's been busy getting them settled in and they seem to be very happy!!!!

We have already got 2 hens laying, and have had eggs for the last week, which were very tasty! Both Ginger and Amber are the layers so far.... Jade and Georgie have yet to lay, but there is no rush!!

Poor Amber (white hen) has a bit of a sneeze happening just now, so I need to go buy some chicken cold medicine!!! Ah bless, she seems in good form though.  Here they are on a rare sunny day pecking and scratching about!!!  It had been raining and suddenly the sun came out, so I snapped pictures while I could!!!

and here are Jade and Georgie up near the fruit trees and bushes. Jade is more upfront and runs up to me - Georgina, well, she runs up if she thinks there is food...! But won't let me stroke her. The others all 'assume the position' for a stroke, admittedly, I think it's more instinctively for a rooster to get busy, but hey, they're not getting that kinda attention from me!!!!

We love the fact that they get to free range, we have a fairly large garden and so they can truly get some freedom. They love digging about the allotments and also love messing up the compost heap too - well, it keeps it stirred up...!!! So we've had great enjoyment with them, they are such wonderful 'pets' and my daughter really enjoys them too! The cats seem to have got used to them and after my initial panic when Harvey looked as if he would pounce on Amber...hmmm well since then, the chickens just charge the cats if they get to close! They charge the wild birds too which is a shame, but I think they have sorted their pecking order out and are more tolerant of the birds, unless they think there is food they are missing out on that is!!!!

Well, I need to get on with some work!! I did some lovely crafty things for my friend's birthday but didn't take a picture, which is a shame. Made a beautiful bracelet and a I modge-podged a candle holder with lovely peacock tissue paper and added some stickles glitter - I have also done a little shelf/dressing gown hanger for my daughter with butterfly paper, so I'll take a picture of that when it's up!!! But Oh, most exciting, at work (not my business, but the p/t job in garden centre craft department), we have now got Deco-Patch papers in, so I shall be getting some more of that I expect!!! AND I did a flower soft demo at work too!!! Going to play with some Kanban core paper too so we can put examples of how to craft with it - loving working there and got a course in June for some crafts, some things I already do and a couple of things I want to do, but not had a chance to, so getting myself very excited about that!! BUT I REALLY MUST GO! I have labels to finish, and working this afternoon... Not enough hours in a day!

Peace & Harmony to all - and much glitter to brighten your day!

April Showers....

Well, what a wet and windy April it has been!! Thankfully, at this point in time (minute) the sun is out, which is nice.

Off out in a short while with a friend/colleague/client...hmm well, one friend I'm working with on a website, another is the client of said website, whose logo I have also designed, and last of all, and of no less importance than any other person in the world(!) friend, all are other mums of course, from daughter's school...!  So we're off to buy the fruits of labour from Tom's Pantry (aforementioned friend whose logo and website we're doing). And of course, to get coffee and natter....

So my morning of colour palettes for a website, backgrounds, images and fonts has not been as fruitful as it could have been... I shall have to concentrate tomorrow!

My life of juggling has been added to, since I've started my job in a local craft department and I've enjoyed it, the ladies I work with are all lovely (and men too, not wishing to be sexist..!). I think I shall learn lots of craft tips from the ladies, and it's good as we are all diverse if many ways, but overlap - so while some may not be into cardmaking, others do scrapbooking, others knit and crochet, we can all share something with each other. So, other than having aching feet, even after only 4 hour shifts, it's good.

My desk is a bit of a mix of craft and graphic design - it's a complete mess! Good job my laptop isn't too big! But I think I need a bigger desk, thinking work surface, just like ones you buy for kitchens - couple of those in my shed, nice a white, all bright, etc and I shall have PLENTY of room to leave my mess laying around!!!!!! (cos lets face it, I'm lazy when it comes to cleaning up after a bit of craft!!!)

My little girl gets new shoes today, bless, I have not had a chance to take her out and living in the sticks means you really have to plan a trip to the shop, and I really want to make sure the shoes fit, especially as I'll be getting her good ole Clarks shoes to ensure her little tootsies are well looked after!  I'm one of those lucky mums I suppose, she hasn't had massive growth spurts and her feet I think are only about a 9.5(f) and she'll be 7 in August!!!!!  She's wee like me! :)

OK, thanks for ready, albeit enough to send you to sleep!  I must upload the latest cards I made, used some lovely new stamps and my pro-markers, had lots of fun and got very inky fingers! yay!!! the best time EVER!!!!

Peace & Harmony to all,
Maxine

Long time, no blog...

So here I am, to put right this wrong!

It's been a busy time for me. Being a mum, and trying to be the best for both family and work is challenging, and made all the better now that the weather has changed and there is a little sun and warmth! I think bears and other critters have it very right when it comes to hibernation...I mean, I could SO do that!

So been very busy with logo designs and other creative work on the design side of the business. Also been busy making cards and some jewellery - mostly earrings actually. Still do not have ready to sell as yet, because I keep giving them away as gifts and using the cards to give for birthdays and events, etc...!

I have also taken a few hours of work in a craft department at a local garden centre, which I am looking forward to. I get to help crafters with what to buy for their crafting and will need the demonstrators that are regularly featured, Docrafts are often the demonstrators there, and I may even, in the future be asked to do a demo (yikes!!) but, well, let's see how that goes!  But I do feel confident that I'll be able to give any kind of advice with regards various crafts and be able to point them in the right direction.

So the world of me isn't really very exciting, though it's certainly busy for me and mine.

Talking of which......I must get back on with my work!

Peace & harmony to everyone.

My Daughter, the Poet

My lovely 6 year old girl wrote me a poem over the weekend. I was blown away by how lovely it is and wanted to share. I will upload a photo of the original a little later, but will type with correct spellings, as words are written phonetically.

*The "woooo" is the sound of a gentle exhale"

"Music Sounds in the Breeze" by HLG.

The lullaby in the breeze "woooooooo"*
Tweet, crunch, tick all around,
Tip tap tick-a-ty tap,
You can hear it every autumn.

She wrote this as a gift for me, and I have to say, I love it.