Leap Year

 The Sunday song and rhyme challenge poem for this time is chosen by me. This year is a leap year, so at the end of this month we get an extra day.

“Leap years are years where an extra day is added to the end of the shortest month, February. This so-called intercalary day, February 29, is commonly referred to as leap day.

Leap years have 366 days instead of the usual 365 days and occur almost every four years.” (https://www.timeanddate.com/date/leapyear.html)

I came across this rhyme by Brian Bilston, in his book Days Like These which rings very true;

Bilston is a modern poet born in 1970 and his rhymes are very relatable.

I chose this particular rhyme as my challenge falls over Feb 29th, I thought it very clever and so true, a whole 24 hours extra, it feels like we should be able to do so much with that time, but in fact it just becomes another day and we don’t feel any benefit to it.

When it actually came to creating something with a link to the rhyme I realised it was going to be harder than I had thought! I thought about a canoe, an Oscar, a Cello, but ended up taking the relatively easy option and using Bees.

The pattern is from Stitching cards, mounted on black card on Adorable Scorable Bee card depicting bees, honey comb and flowers.

My next challenge in mid May so already trying to find inspiration, so many songs and rhymes to chose from.

Challenge Feb 5th

 The rhyme for this Outlawz challenge is Wordsworth’s I wandered Lonely as a Cloud;

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

The poem was written in 1804, apparently inspired by an event on 15th April 1802 in Ullswater UK

It’s a long time since I did any poem analysis, so this is what I think and what inspired my card. Daffodils and clouds are obvious. The words in the clouds are the feeling I get from the poem, that he is dreaming, imagining and wishing, he uses the words pensive and thought. The stars and hearts are words in the poem; “Continuous as the stars that shine” “And then my heart with pleasure fills”

The daffodil pattern is from Form A Lines and is part of their Birth Flowers collection. Daffodil is the Birth Flower for March and is the National Flower of Wales. The clouds, stars and hearts are cut with my Cricut Joy and are in the subscriber images. Card is Hunkydory Adoarable Scorable. it’s a perfect card for a spring birthday or for someone taking exams or starting a new job or even a new baby.

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.

November / December makes

I didn't make much in November and made mainly Christmas cards in December some of which were very basic recycling of cards. Here are some of the things I remembered to photograph

Stitched with pattern from Stitching cards, backing paper from Yellow Moon

Stitched with pattern from Stitching cards, backing paper from Yellow Moon

Stitched with pattern from Stitching cards, backing paper from Yellow Moon

Iris card from Craftee, papers from Yellow Moon

Cut out recycled from an old card, backing paper Yellow Moon

Picture made out of craft cards that have been sent to me over years

Cat block finally started at November class, needs finishing and framing

Tray covered with scrapbook papers from K&Company to match light switch below that I did some time ago.

Iris card from Dee Craft, paper printed with baking paper maker from Craftville

Made with metal wire snowflake from Bead shop Leeds at  Rivers Meet and assorted beads.

Stitched with pattern from Stitching cards, backing paper from Yellow Moon

Emily has made a few things too, with a bit of help

Stocking made at sewing class at Rivers Meet

Felt star

Made with metal wire snowflake from Bead shop Leeds at  Rivers Meet and assorted beads.

Gingerbread house, kit from Ikea

Saw an idea for little houses at Red Ted art and here is our version!

I got one craft item for Christmas, Tattered Lace Owl tree, can't wait to try it.

October Makes

I had many plans for a crafty October whilst I was off Facebook for StopTober.

I survived being off Facebook and didn't really miss it, but other events conspired against my creative plans.  I have still been in a lot of pain and very dizzy, which I thought was due to some degree to using computer, but then I haven't cut down a lot either as I found other things to look at and did some online Christmas shopping.  Not to mention all the emails backwards and forwards with my Mum as my Dad is in hospital again.  Last weekend was spent hospital visiting which is very hard work

This last week has been school holidays so has made demands on my time and energy and I haven't been getting proper rest.  The school holidays included a trip to York Maze on a very wet day, thankfully it wasn't too cold.  We also attended Our Handmade Collective Christmas launch, which was very well attended, we didn't stay long, thankfully the shop is only small, but there is so much to take in ad Emily always wants to buy everything in the shop.  it also makes me feel like I should try and do more things myself, but I never seem to have chance.

Anyway more about none craft stuff in another post when I have the energy to write it, this one has taken me 4 days so far!!

I have made a few bits for a local Christmas Fair, Blackburn Hall Rothwell Saturday 21st November, where they will be on the Rothwell Baptist Church stall.  

Recycled birthday card for craft fair

Recycled birthday card for craft fair

Card made from pattern on stitching cards for my GP who is retiring and has been a great support over the last 15 years through my illness, Rob's illness and my pregnancy.

Recycled card, stitched from pattern I found on Pinterest, for craft fair

9th birthday card for my niece, made with template from  Dee Crafts and papers printed with backing paper maker at Craftville and backing papers at Craftville

Made for friend who has been walking Emily to school one day a week, but now has a new job, made with pattern from Stitching cards

Made using a piece off cut from a roller blind, for craft fair.

Made using a piece off cut from a roller blind, for craft fair.

9th birthday card for a friend, made with template from  Dee Crafts and papers printed with backing paper maker at Craftville and backing papers at Craftville

Made with pattern from Stitching cards, for craft fair.

Recycled card for craft fair

Recycled card for craft fair, made using child's drawing template

Made using a piece off cut from a roller blind, for craft fair.

Picture made from off cut off blind for my wall

Toybox covered to match curtains in Emily's room, needed help with this one!

Finally a few Halloween pictures

Emily with her face painted as a cat, (I didn't do it!) sadly day before Halloween so she didn't get to keep it for trick or treating

Emily and her Halloween Spider web

Emily and her Halloween Spider web, Emily is pretending to be a fly caught in the web!!