JULY - MONTH IN MUMBERS...

After seeing Julie Kirk's project 'my month in numbers' last month I thought I would give it a go starting from July...

I have made mine into a scrapbook page using an old Kenner Road kit that I won waaaaay back when...lol...so this is also part of my stash busting drive too...

So I started of with the number FOUR...this being the number of books I have read this month(quite a slow one!) which is equal in this case to the total of ((1799)) pages... I have added myself to the Goodreads website and it's quite fun updating all the books I am reading or have currently read...Last year was a total of ((52)) books and so far this year I am on number ((43)) which I am very chuffed with....the problem I have is that I can NEVER give books away and if I lend them I have to GET THEM BACK with the result being that I have literary hundreds of books...

The papers/stickers/borders are from the Bliss collection by Crate Paper and in true Scottish fashion I have even cut out the middle of the back sheet before sticking the scalloped one on top...no sense in waste...lol...

The word NUMBERS is American Crafts Thickers 'Jewelry Box' and the tiny letter stickers are by the girls paperie by Margie 'Vintage Whimsy'...I also added loads of diamantes down this side for some added sparkle...

My second number is FOUR THOUSAND (at least) and is the number of times this month with us Scottish folk being on summer holidays that I have gone into either the conservatory or the living room and switched the tv of because no-one is in the room...kids huh!!!

My third number is THREE SQUILLION(about) and is about the sheer number of jelly fish that were stranded on the sand at Lossiemouth beach each time the tide went out...there were thousands of them and it made the kids a little wary of going barefoot...there was also an article in the paper that week(this isn't the actual article) about jelly fish and chips being on the menu...couldn't think of anything worse...yukkkkk

I added diamantes round all the labels as well...the stamped birdie and the felt flower embellishments are by Stampin Up... and I used some border stickers from the kit and folded it up and then sewed up and down then a couple of times to create a pleated effect....

So that's me for this month and hopefully I will have some more NUMBERS for you next month....

TFL...Kirsti xxx

Well here is my very late offering for this month's design team kit from Simply Create...sorry it took so long and all that....

I started with a blank canvasboard and added some dressmaking pattern using ModPodge(don't worry about the creases and crinkles too much, it just adds to the texture of the background) and then coloured it in green and blue paint....

I was going to cut the bunting flags(Glitz-Afternoon Muse Banner) from the 12x12 out individually until I realised that if I cut out just that bit of it fitted perfectly onto the canvas and I love the way the paper blends in with the painted background..I did cut round the bottom row and crumpled them a bit tho for a bit more of a layered look....

I used various stamps from the DT set of Lost and Found(Union Square 'Perfect') and a couple of Stampin Up rollers which I like as you don't get the whole image just bits of it to add interest to the background....I also splattered some Stampin Up All Purpose Ink in Frost White using a paintbrush...

I made various flowers which were duly crumpled and inked using cardstock and added buttons and ribbon and pearls for the centres and hand drew the stalks and leaves...I almost forgot I did the very bottom of the canvas with Ranger Distress Crackle Paint in Antique Linen and then added some more lovely shimmery ink from Stampin Up for some added shine..

I cut out the word SUMMER using Tim Holtz Vintage Market Die and added a few little drops of shimmer ink to that to...

Thanks for looking and have a great summer everyone...I have enjoyed my roll on the Design Team very much - it has definitely given me a little more confidence in myself....

Kirsti xxxx

SIMPLY CREATE CHALLENGE...

If you hop on over to Simply Create you will notice that they have a fab challenge going on at the moment with 100 pounds of stash up for grabs...and if you hurry you still have time to enter...closing date is 14th February...

This is my entry...
I used an SVG template from Dan99 for the Cricut and cut out this gorgeous wee house...it is actually a Christmas house in his description but I have made it a lovely Spring house for my project....

I used some cardstock from a pad by We R Memory Keepers that I picked up in TK MAXX last weekend for about 7 pounds...there are some gorgeous colours in it and it has a white core so is ideal for distressing...

I overstamped the house shape with the Tim Holtz brick stamp and then punched out some mini flowers and drew on the stems...

The roof is actually a piece of the blue cardstock but I coloured it with brown ink and then ran through the Big Shot with the woodgrain texture plate(borrowed from Sonja) and the eaves are made using the Scallop punch from Stampin' Up...

The butterfly is one I had left over from a couple of cards I made last week...It is a digi one from Hero Arts that I have had my eye on in the 'real life' set but wasn't so keen on the rest of the pack so bought this one instead...

Thanks for looking....

Kirsti xx

SHOP STUFF...

Hello...today for want of anything else to show and since it seems to be all I am doing just now I thought I would show you some of the bits I have in my Etsy shop...and some of the custom cards I have made...I thought these were quite cute as they are so wee and dinky and I love that Unity sunflower...

And this one is part of my determination to use up the mountain of patterned papers I own so watch this space for more... Stampin' Up papers and bird stamp with a Unity sentiment...

This was one that was asked for by a friend...it's such a cute little stamp by Unity...I stamped directly onto the kraft card and then again onto patterned paper and cut out the house and trees and then added a beautiful button to the sun...

These ones I have on sale as singles and a pack of 3...I used more Unity for these...The tree is stamped with Stampin' Up's Old Olive and Close to Cocoa and then I stamped the tree part again and cut out the biggest butterfly which I then layer on top...

I think all the sentiments are Unity ones...

These cute little butterflies embellishments are made using the Cricut with an SVG from Dan99..I double layered cardstock and patterned papers and added some bling!!

As you can see I have had to take all my photos outside as the light has been so poor inside and that is a feat in itself what with the rain and the wind...

I have some birthday invitations that I have done for a friend but they will have to keep til they have been handed out...x

PS Forgot to say I have been appointed the Design Team Coordinator on the Simply Create blog...so get yourselves over there and see what we have been up to...hoping to have daily updates with little 'recipes' thrown in on how to make the gorgeous creations the team are coming up with and when the shop website is up and running(which hopefully won't be too long!) there will be links to all the products being used...exciting times ahead...Don't forget to scroll down the page for the latest post as the first one is a sticky...xxx

DT PROJECTS AND CHICKEN PIE...

Bet you thought I had forgotten all about these?!?...well not exactly..don't know what the matter is with me just now - just not been in the mood for crafting at all the last couple of weeks (did get some more stuff done for the table on Saturday but that's been about it!)... These are the bits I have done so far and I am in the middle of another project and have something in mind for the left overs...I have to say I struggled with this snowman stamp as he is just too cute and I don't really do cute but he looks kinda nice all grunged up!!!

It is also so long since I have really done any cards that I just thought simple would be better...

I printed of a 5"x5"ish photo which I altered with the time machine feature in my photo editing, I then distressed it er....slightly, well I couldn't not...lol...wrapped some twin around it and added a button. I cut a piece of the Merry Christmas paper from Echo Park and then er.....distressed the edges with my wee sharp Timmie tool and a Stampin Up border punch...

I used a cranberry paint dabber to er...distress the edges of the kraft cardstock and added the patterned paper and photo....Cut out the @ using the Cricut and it's actually had about 5 different effects on it and guess what? I ended up back at the original...always the way isn't it... For the Christmas Time I cut this out using the Cricut but had a brainwave before using the cut out letters and decided to use it as a stencil instead with a lettuce paint dabber...I like this very much, finished of with some bobble ribbon and buttons with twine (Kath's influence at work there). Will try and get the rest finished by this weekend and will also try to keep up in future!!! But in the meantime why not pop over to Simply Create and see what the rest of my teamies have been up to (much more productive than me!!) or better still why not pop over to Alford and take a look IRL....

Mmmmh Jamie Oliver Chicken Pie was definitely much better tasting than his Wonky Summer Pasta which was a disaster but to be fair I was trying to sort something important out on the phone at the same time as cooking...not a good idea!!!