JUST BEING............ a friend!

FREE DOWNLOAD FROM DOCRAFTS


Blog Prompt Day 3

Hello everybody.  I am really enjoying this 31 day blog prompt from Docrafts.  It is really making me think about what I am doing and why.  The challenge today is to use free downloads from Docrafts and be creative.


I have a lovely friend, who lives in Devon and recently came to stay with me while my husband was in India.  I am waiting for operations to my legs, which will involve bone grafts and 2 new knees.  They will be done one at a time.  On top of this there have been some serious family problems and I have felt quite trapped in a situation I never imagined I would find myself in.  So, when my hubby said he was going to India and would be away for 5 days, I asked my friend, who I have only seen a few hours over the past 10 years when on holiday in England, if she would like to come up and stay with me.  She know's about my situation and my hubby paid her airfares for her, which was really fabby.


Here she is in my little crafty room:

The card I have made today, using the Docrafts free downloads is  this one:

DAISY AND DANDELION

The download was the spotty backing paper and the decoupage of Daisy and Dandelion.  Isn't it cute?  To be honest I'm not into bears, but these two look so comfortable with each other, and it reminded me of when Christine and I are together.


I used a distressed pink card and covered most of the front with the spotty paper leaving a border of pink all around.  I layered cream lace with white pleated lace and then cream with pink velvet ribbon down the centre down the left hand side.  I then put together the decoupage using double sided foam sticky fixers and stuck it to the card.  Then I took a beige fabric rose and a pink fabric rose, both with netting underneath and glued them near the top of the lace on the left hand side. I used clear 3D gloss on the paws and noses of the bears. 


I also used foam sticky fixers for the sentiment (which came with the free download) and placed it just underneath the image.  Finally I glued a beautiful irridescent golden butterfly just below the sentiment to the right and edged the whole card with golden peel-off and peel-off corners to match.


So, the reason I chose this download from all that was available (and there is loads) was because of the way the two bears sat side by side, comfortable with each other.  They are not doing anything.....just sitting...............and sometimes it is just perfect to have a friend come alongside you and sit with you, not saying anything or doing anything......JUST BEING!  You know a real friend when they can BE with you in a situation and they don't try and tell you what to do or not to do. 


For anyone who is interested, I used:


Free Daisy and dandelion download: Docrafts
Kodak ultra premium photograph paper and kodak printer (Direct from Kodak)
Base card - pink, cream holey lace and cream lace with pink velvet: Paptiere (Aberdeen)
Fabric flowers: CraftsUlove
Butterfly: my own stash
Peel-off: mad about cards
White lace: Fantastic ribbons (online shop).




Never underestimate the silent company of a friend......it is a healing balm to the soul.


See you soon.


Annie xx

Docrafts Blog Prompt Day 2

5 Docrafts members galleries I love and why?

So this is day 2, and I have been missing in action due to other commitments.  Well now, visiting galleries is a great thing to do so I will start with my first one:


I love Donny's Gallery:  She has so many different things in it, not just one style, but many styles and that inspires me greatly:


I don't know how to put up pictures from her gallery here, so I will just try and put up her blog details:

Donny

The second one is:


NGCards Gallery:
http://www.docrafts.com/NGCARDS


it is full of beautiful cards and she uses images in many different ways.  I have had lots of ideas from browsing her gallery. 




The 3rd one is:
http://www.docrafts.com/KAREN-ALEXANDRA

Her cards are so lovely I would want to own them all and if I could get anywhere near to her standard I would be soo happy!


The 4th one is:
http://www.docrafts.com/grannyvera



The 5th one :
http://www.docrafts.com/Caggy 


Here gallery is full of beautiful cards and the simpleness of some of them makes me realise that sometimes less is more.


I'm just sorry I don't know how to put up other peoples photographs to show you all what I mean, but if you read this blog then you can visit those galleries which really inspire me for many different reasons.


See you all tomorrow.


Annie x

Docrafts Blog Prompt - Day 1

Hello everyone


This is going to be a test of my consistency and ability to do something from the first day until the last!


Emma from Docrafts has challenged us all in the forum to write a blog a day for 31 days.  She had even be kind enough to give us a title, and today's one is:

5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD CRAFT!

So here goes................um! I've got my thinking hat on, because I could just come up with anything but I am thinking this one through.  In no particular order here are 5 reasons from me:

Number 1:

A reason why I craft is to see a finished article and be able to give it to someone and then watch their response when opening it.  I make cards, so I personalise them.  I don't mean just put their names on them, I mean I try and find out what the person likes and how other's see them, and then I include that in verses I compose and the embellishments I put on them.  So the first reason to craft is that it brings pleasure to see someone pleased that they have received something that means something to them.

Here is a book card I made for a friend to give to her friend:

As you can see I made the envelop too (not very professional, but adequate!)

Here are further pictures to show you how the book has different pages:

The tag  with this card was used for the person giving it to write a message on the back of it.

And here are the pages:

As you can see I used personal photos of the person's family and friends in this card:

and finally:

The person who received this card loved it and has kept it as a keepsake, which has made me very happy too.

Number 2:

I craft because each card makes me think about what I am going to do with it.  I become creative and express myself though what I do with it.  I may start off with an idea and by the time it is finished the idea has gone out of the window and something else has appeared......it's exciting, thought-provoking and keeps my mind working.  If you want to find out how creative you can be get crafting...there is no right or wrong....there is just creativity.

This next card started off with just to blossom and then I spilt some inky stuff on the card after I attached the blossom, so instead of writing the sentiment onto a die-cut as I had planned, I played with some green paper and made a plant pot, which I think worked well and no-one knew!  I used peel-offs in the centre of the flower for the sentiment.

Number 3:

When I am feeling down, or going through a particularly upsetting time or am poorly, I craft like mad.  I may make my best ever cards when I am feeling low, because the beauty and fun creeps through as I put a card together and that raises my spirits.  I love to compose verses when I am low because it reminds me of all the good things in my life and the lives of others.  So if you have depression or are poorly in any way I recommend crafting, as it will lift your spirits and bring you out of that dark place into a much better place.  You will always get a sense of achievement when you make something beautiful while you are feeling pants!

Here is one I made that reminds me that we all run dry sometimes, but there is always nourishment if you need it:

This one was made in one of my more meditative days.

Number 4:

Crafting brings like-minded people together and that can only be a good thing.  New friends are always made through crafting and everyone is very helpful and supportive.  I can only think of one time I left a forum due to someone else's attitude.  Mostly people in the crafting forums are there because they are sociable and want to share their craft and experiences with each other, helping each other on the way.  I have met up with various crafter on my travels down south, and hit it off with them all.  It's a great community to belong to and everyone is equal.

So here are some people I met on my travels, all crafters:

I am on the left and the lady in black is Angela from Gourock, who came up north to visit family and we decided to meet half way between Peterhead and where I live.  We met at a place called Duff House in Banff and had coffee and stuff.  I also met Angela's other half and he put up with our crafty chat very well, I thought.

On my way back from England I met up with Angela (same as above) and Anne from Falkirk.  We met at Stirling and had dinner at the restaurant of the hotel I was staying in overnight.  Interestingly, we were the last ones to leave and the staff were putting out lights all around us....there is just too much crafty stuff to talk about and not enough hours in the day or night!!  These two crafters are the best talkers I have ever met, and they just love to laugh.

Here i am on another journey to England and I met up with Liz from Bonnybridge, again at Stirling   (good place to meet up with crafters I reckon!!)  She is from yet another forum and we had a great time meeting up both on my journey to England and on my return too.  Liz is a great person, and very encouraging.


So you see, you make new friends and you when you do they are not fair-weather friends.

Number 5:  There is always something new to try when crafting.  Knitting, sewing, stitching, card making, scrap-booking, jewellery making, clay working, painting, designing, quilling, iris folding, decoupage, decoupatch, altered art, altered items, glass painting, silk painting..........and that's not to mention what is fashionable at any one time  ( I can only speak about card making here) e.g. wellington, smirk, distressing inks, steam-punk (one of my favourites) digi stamps.  The list goes on.  If you want something to do there has got to be something in what I have just listed to whet your appetite.  There are magazines galore to give you ideas and most of them come with free gifts so that you can make something.


Here is a variety of things I have made:

A Christmas family.

Gold leafed labels I made for a shop.  I made 5 sets of these.

More labels for a shop.  I lost count how many I made.

More Christmas people.

Wooden Christmas decorations

And finally:

A lovely altered clowns hat book of delights.

 I will repeat myself here:  Thre is no right or wrong.....there is just Creativity!