June makes

Made by adapting a Christmas card pattern from Pinbroidey for a man who is 80 and sings in a choir. baking paper printed from Craftville

Graduation card made for a man getting his medical degree using pattern from Craftsuprint and printing papers using Craftville paper builder and a clip art stethoscope.

Recycled stitched card using pattern from Craftsuprint and background paper source forgotten.

Iris card from Dee Craft and paper printed with baking paper builder at Craftville and plain papers from stash.

Stitched card made with pattern from Stitching cards, buttons Trimits mini flowers.

Stitched card using pattern from Cardbroidery.  Baking paper made with Craftville baking paper maker.  Made for my husband for our 15th (Crystal) Anniversary

These 3 are just quick makes with baking paper and buttons.

This card opens in the middle, card from Dee Crafts opening edges embossed with flower embossing strip that came with a magazine.  Blue flowers cut using small x cut dies.

Centre taken from a used card and baking papers added.

I did also make a rugby themed birthday card for a 16 year old and a card themed birthday card, but in my haste I forgot to photograph them!

Emily has been busy at her Rivers Meet sewing class and this is her latest make, flowery skirt for her doll, she is going to be better than me at sewing.

Today the children have had their last day in this years class at school, they still have two half weeks of term but they will be in next years class, so today was party time and teacher present time.  These were what we made.  They were made in July, but have sneaked them in as I am behind with the blog

Emily's teacher is mad on football so we made her a football card using Sizzix dies for the person, clothes, football and grass.  We used the school colours of purple and yellow.  Gingham backing Kanban card from Create and Craft. The number 4 is for year 4.

Again using school colours, a button frame picture, using assorted buttons and mounted in an Ikea box frame

Finally Emily wrote this with the teachers name and we printed it and framed it.

May Makes

I have done quite a few easier makes this month as I have been worn out and just wanted something quick and easy to do, it also means I now have a bit of a selection of cards and don't need to madly make one when I need one.  I did also make some special cards, but have not shown them as they are for later dates, so will appear once they have been given.

Made with Dee Craft card and assorted papers, one of them is printed with the recipients name, but is not very clear.  Printed using Craftville backing paper maker.

Heart die cut with a large heart die (can't remember brand), backing paper printed with Craftville backing paper maker, letters and numbers stitched using Stitching card lettering font 370.  15th wedding anniversary is the Crystal anniversary.

Above and below, made with Spellbinders Pawing around die

Butterfly is X cut small butterfly die cut.  Cream circle cut with Nellies Multi die MFD075.  Background paper by Craft Sensations

Spotty card from Dee Crafts.  Shape made with unknown die cut.

Made with Dee Craft card and assorted papers, one of them is printed with the recipients name, but is not very clear.  Printed using Craftville backing paper maker.

Embossed with Darice Ducks embossing folder

Embossed with Cuttlebug owl flourish embossing folder

Shape cut from wrapping paper with with Nellies Multi die MFD075. Background embossed with Darice Butterfly corner embossing folder

Shape cut from wrapping paper with unknown heart die, background embossed with Darice Paws embossing folder.

Oval die cut from Dianne's Die Cuts strung using spirelli technique

X cut small butterfly on a background of Darice Butterfly corner embossing folder. Spotty card from Dee Craft

Owls cut using Tattered lace owl tree. Background paper by Craft Sensations

Shape cut from wrapping paper with unknown heart die.  Background paper by Craft Sensations

Tree cut with free die on Die Cutting Essentials magazine issue 9.  Buttons Trimits flowers.  Space left under design to add greeting of choice.

X cut small butterfly, circle die cut from Dianne's Die Cuts strung using spirelli technique. Backgroud is wrapping paper.  Space left under design to add greeting of choice.

Oval die cut from Dianne's Die Cuts strung using spirelli technique

Circle die cut from Dianne's Die Cuts strung using spirelli technique. Vellum background Heyda 78942. Space under design for greeting of choice.

Above and below shapes die cut from Dianne's Die Cuts strung using spirelli technique

Above and below shape cut with X cut nesting dies.  Background paper Docrafts Country Life, cover gift with Docrafts magazine

Shape cut from wrapping paper with with Nellies Multi die MFD075.

Made with Spellbinders Pawing around die.  Spotty card from Dee Craft

Last weekend we visited Pink Frog craft shop in Chesterfield.  They have some great dies and Rob's mum bought me some for my birthday.  They had a huge display of cards, but they were very intricate and fussy, I wouldn't have the time and energy to make ones like that.  I find it a bit depressing as it makes me think my cards are not good enough.

Emily helped me to photograph these cards and has joined in a bit with making them.  She thinks I should sell them.  I used to do that with my website Craftyjanes, but stopped when Emily was born.  people are not really interested in the basic ones, but I did get quite a few orders for personalised ones.  There is too much competition now and I don't think mine would sell, so at the moment they are just for personal use and my Mum had some of them.

and another

Pattern from Stitching Cards, buttons Hemline, backing paper from Docrafts Creativity Magazine.

This is for my daughter so I get to keep it :-)

That will be the last one this year.  Then need to get ready for Emily and Rob's birthdays.  I want to do a Frozen themed card for Emily, but need to make own pattern so might be quite tricky as I need to find a simple image first and then get my mushy brain in gear!

Don't make plans!!

Our plans for the last two days have been scuppered by Emily having a bad cold and cough.  She has been sleeping in my bed so I haven't had any sleep.  She is thankfully now on the mend.

Our plans to go the the Operation Christmas Child shoebox service at Rothwell Baptist church had to be cancelled I don't think anyone would have heard any of the service for Emily's coughing and it's not fair to other people to spread the cold around.  Emily was disappointed, but is going to take our shoeboxes to the school collection instead.

Today should have been her first day back at school, but she was not well enough so what with the 2 training days before half term and a day today it feels like she has had a long holiday, fingers crossed we will be back to normal tomorrow.

I wasn't able to go to 5 ways today, though not sure I would have managed it all anyway.  I hope that I didn't miss too much.  I need to get back to the positives each day.

I was able to make a rainbow picture whilst Emily was playing quietly on the computer this morning, but as she began to pick up she became more demanding of my attention.

Rainbow made from buttons framed in an Ikea box frame.

The line up on the sofa watching TV!

I feel that I should be making lots of things a Christmas is approaching, but I never know what to make and if people will appreciate things so end up buying things instead.  It gets very hectic Christmas is very hard work for me, it gets crazy at school and shopping, planning, then travelling, socialising and school holidays all at the same time is a killer, so maybe I should be taking it easy instead?  I find it hard to enjoy Christmas as by the time it arrives I have been so busy I feel awful and there are so many people to see and keep happy, it is exhausting.  I try to keep going and keep happy but it's hard work and I don't get the fun like parties or nights out, but still feel like I have a hangover most days!  But ignoring it won't make it go away so might as just get on with it and make the best I can and if that's not good enough there is always next year or hibernation!

Slow progress

I am making slow progress on the card for my Grandma's funeral, there is so much else going on, but it will be done.  Its been an emotional weekend, seeing my grandma at the funeral directors and sorting things at her house and then the announcement in the paper today.  My sister in law found a very moving piece written by my grandma about her work with injured service men during the war.  So there have been many more weepy moments and everyone is finding things difficult one way and another.

I have a few pictures to share now of other things I completed in the last few weeks.

The anniversary card I made for Rob.  Our13th Anniversary which is lace and Chrysanthemum, so this was what I came up with, using a heart die cut from funky foam and a chrysanthemum die cut bought from ebay, some lace ribbon and letter tiles that came free with Card making and paper craft magazine. 

Next is the Father's day card for my Dad

using embossed tree folder (make unknown), background paper from Craftville and birds from a pattern at Stitching Cards.  I think they would look sweet on Christmas cards as robins.

I changed the sunshine picture as I thought it looked like it had been made by a 5 year old!!  Think this version is neater.

Card made for my brother who celebrates his 40th birthday today.  Pattern from Form-a-Lines.

Finally a couple cards I was given for my birthday cards that are so pretty,

And a picture of Emily last week using the garden broom as a broomstick and pretending to be a witch, should be captioned Daft as a Brush!