We heart mail

I am really excited to be part of a snail mail project :) I have followed quite a few in the blogosphere and have definitely developed some more craft crushes! Now my collection of craft accoutrement is growing with pretty papers, stamps, washi tape and lots of really cute stationery stuff. I love the process of hand writing a letter - although it takes a bit of getting used to again! You can check out the lovely ladies from all over the world who I am joining up with - they are a super creative bunch and I can't wait to see what they all come up with over the next year - here we all are at http://weheartmail.blogspot.com

Here's the envelope I sent to my gorgeous first partner - Liliana x

I made her a tiny little notebook and used some binding stitch to  hold it together.

 

I made this using a fold over project life card from my Kraft kit and some nice heavy artist paper.

 

 

I also included some sweet pea seeds - called April in Paris - I pinched an idea from one of the other girls who has included some flower seeds - our theme was new beginnings, what a great idea eh?

 

 

I made the outer envelope and another envelope inside for the goodies using some old envelopes as templates and my prized Love Mae wrapping paper. I know Liliana likes green so I chose that as the main colour.



 



I included some washi tape wrapped round a lolly stick - who doesn't need more washi? and a little glassine bag with veneer letters spelling out my new friends name :)

A little bag filled with Dear Lizzy paper stickers and tags and a hand-made gift tag stamped with the Eiffel tower using my Cavallini stamps bought by my dear husband for me. Paris is the recurring theme for me in this months letter as I met my gorgeous husband there and he proposed at the top of the Eiffel tower. He was the beginning of a new and wonderful life for me.

Hugs and kisses for now xxx

Should Old Aquaintance Be Forgot

Mini albums are a great way to get a real sense of accomplishment in jig time. So when I purchased the beautiful midnight edition core set from project life I wanted to do something quick and gorgeous with it but not in the project life format, I wanted something more handbag and gift appropriate. I actually purchased the paper as well as the kit as the colours were so vivid and contrasting - boy am I glad I did. I also recently purchased a new Canon Selphy with Wi-Fi and have been keen to use it but confess to being a little scared in case it did not live up to my expectations - Anyhoo, got over that and got it out of the box! this is what I came up with...let me know what you think :)

I looove the mustard colour with the black - the project life paper is very good quality and is double-sided which made this really easy to co-ordinate. I used pamphlet stitch to hold the pages together - first attempt and I found it pretty easy but my stitches are a little messy!

Lots of little folding pockets to hide pictures or notes in. This was fun to make and it looks really good as a finished project too.

a little inspiration.

My wee Granny, was 4ft 11” of true inspiration. The real deal when it came to thrifting, baking, sewing and knitting; past-times she indulged in daily, some through necessity and all through love. It is the time spent with her as a child which has stayed with me and inspired me now in my late 30’s and with little ones of my own, to create, sew and bake with and for my boys.

She was a mother of 6 and granny of many, she made old fashioned home cooked food, baked her own treats, ran the errands – little trolley in tow, mended the clothes by hand and held down a job. Sometimes we chuckled at the home made gifts like the pom-pom poodle toilet roll holders or brightly coloured knitted jumpers but all were received with love and gratitude. How I wish the many handmade kimonos and appliqued pinafores and funny gifts that were crafted with her tiny nimble fingers had been kept somewhere dear to bring out and cherish once again with my children. I strive now to treasure the little things and little moments with my children as well as my passion for fabric, crafting and all things vintage and “granny” and will always remember being taught to sew on her big Singer sewing machine and having the honour of licking the spoon when making her famous shortbread.

All that remains physically now is a cookbook hand written by her in the year before her passing, (many of the much devoured delicious recipes I was lucky enough to cook with her during that time), her well used scales passed down from her mother and now to me and her mums pretty floral china which I love. I can still smell the distinctive butter and sugar mix and a little of my granny's baking magic when I open the little tin of weights.

I made this little wall hanging a while back for my mum, it's really important to let people know "they are loved" x

 

Project Life Addiction Alert

This weeks craft obsession is for Project Life - I think it may actually change my life! I have started to get really anxious about the volume of photographs we have accumulated over the years digitally but haven't actually done anything with. I am also getting really anxious about the number of memories relating to the little things that happen in life which I now struggle to recall. They are there on the tip of my tongue I just can't roll them off the way I used to. So I eventually got round to sending some digital pics to an on-line printer (254 to be exact) and have started to buy the amazing project life stuff. Now this I think has serious addictiveness written all over it - so if you are a reformed or in rehab craft addict and haven't been introduced to PL (see I'm using blinking acronyms like a Pro already) then please look away now or alternatively have your "sponsor" on speed dial, I don't want the guilt of girlies falling off the wagon and smoking out their credit cards on my shoulders no thank you - I have my own bed to lie in on that front. Disclaimer over onto the hard stuff.


Looking at pictures of my boys + very cute/pretty paper stuff + stationeryesque style items + requirement for lots of boxes/storage = hooked! I have purchased to date the Kraft core kit, a 12 x 12 album and page protectors in design A, C and F, a Tim Holtz tiny attacher (ridiculously cute - my husband wants me committed for reacting to miniature staples as if they were in fact a new born child), vintage map style "thickers", Amy Tangerine letter stickers and lots of Dear Lizzy paper goodness - stop for breath- lots of wood veneers from Freckled Fawn - clouds, arrows, quotes, paperclips in the shape of arrows and airplanes, roller glue stuff and a glue stick with a sponge on the end for pics, and that's all really :) that feels good to get off my chest! if you are not familiar with PL please check out the gorgeous Becky Higgins for more information there are also gazillions of people out there documenting their everyday lives using this system. It is ideal for beginners venturing into the world of memory keeping with flair and it really does bring your pictures and memories to life. I love it.

Check out my first few attempts and let me know what you think my lovelies and have a great week making memories xxx

Hello World

This is my first post in blogland so I'm feeling a little nervous in a wobbly tummy kind of way, silly eh? I feel a bit like Horton in Horton Hears a Who - I'm convinced there are people out there somewhere but where the heck are they. Despite having spent years teaching people to use software applications and "technology" I still find the whole internet, people all over the world connected up by wires and satellites very weird. The thought that at the same time millions of people are sitting at their screens making all these connections kind of fries my brain - what about you? are you au fait with the ways of the web or does it weird you out a little?

Anyhoo without further ado...the little cloud studio is here :) and I'm so pleased to meet you, my on-screen presence is Cloud Cupcake - I am a little obsessed with clouds (and cupcakes of course - yum!). I like many others am completely obsessed in love with crafting in many forms. I'm like a craft stalker - I get sooo inspired by all the lovely things I see out there on Pinterest etc. and then I obsess about a certain fabric or technique and think this is IT I have found the one....only to quickly find the next ONE and the next and so on - you know how it goes ;)

This week I got obsessed by the amazingly fantastic work of the lovely hens teeth blog. Seriously gorgeous embroidery, so very creative - check out the beautiful envelope art - amazing. So amazing that I inadvertently bought 25 WWII envelopes off eBay - see what I mean, clearly obsessed in love!

I really want to put a lovely collage of pics in this post but I have to go work out how to do it first! please if you connect one of the millions of dots all the way to my little corner of whoville give me a shout x hugs and kisses x