Craft Buddies

Happy Valentines Day......

2012-02-14T00:58:00.003-08:00

This months crop kit was extremely popular and has now sold out. The papers I used were from Prima's Alla range and My Minds Eye Stella and Rose collection.

We try to add a different technique each month to the layouts and this month we used glimmer mist and made the flower embellishment from small squares of paper.
As you can see from the layout I had a gorgeous photo of my new Grandson I just had to scrap.

Cake update

2012-01-27T00:53:00.000-08:00

I know a lot of you like to see the cakes that I have made so I thought I would post a couple of pics of the ones I have done over the last month or so.
The first two cakes were made for friends whose daughters are very girly and are make up and shoe mad.

Next is Steph's 21st Birthday Cake. I wanted to make Stephanie's cake with a vintage style to it, she just loves 'vintage' at the moment, so I decided to adapt a design I came across to suit. I must admit I cheated a little on this one as time was short and decided to use silk flowers instead of sugar, although I am very pleased with the outcome as I managed to get just the colours I wanted. Steph was so pleased with the cake she didn't want to cut it.

A lot has happened...

2012-01-23T13:50:00.000-08:00

I can't believe we are now coming towards the end of January, and I haven't posted this year. I am sorry for my lack of blogging, a lot has happened since my last post.
Craft Buddies enjoyed its Christmas crop, everyone had a great day scrapping and we had a few games thrown into the day.
Our family Christmas was spent in anticipation of the arrival of another grandchild. Natalie was 12 days late and on 4th January gave birth to Thomas, our first grandson. Two days later we celebrated our youngest daughters 21st birthday.
The first crop of the new year was at Sea Palling, it was lovely to see everyone again. We were unable to have our second crop at it's normal venue so instead we went to Taverham Village Hall. Next month we will be in the same situation again with Tithe Barn being out of use due to the panto taking place. We will be having a crop on the 4th Feb at Sea Palling village hall and have cancelled the second crop for this month only. We will be back to normal in March.
I thought you would like to see this picture of Thomas, he is adorable.

Sea Palling Crop

2011-11-06T03:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was our last crop at Sea Palling before Christmas. I couldn't believe the difference in the weather from last months crop there. Last month was when we had that heat wave at the beginning of October and as you can imagine Sea Palling was packed with people making one last dash for a day on the beach. Yesterday unfortunately was a typical Autumn day, very drizzly and on the cool side. We even had to put the heating on.

For this months crop kit I used the very pretty papers from the Kaisercraft Bonjour range.
The kit costs £3.25 and consists of:
Bazzill Petalsoft cardstock
Bazzill French Vanilla cardstock
Bonjour - Provence
Bonjour - Moriesse
Bonjour - Paris
Prima Lace
Twine
3 adhesive pearls

Octobers Crop Kit...

2011-10-03T14:46:00.000-07:00

This months crop kit uses papers from the Summers End Range by fancy Pants. This is just one of the new releases they have made recently.
The kit consists of:
Reed Bazzill cardstock
Carob Bazzill cardstock
Kraft Bazzill cardstock
Fancy Pants Abundance
Fancy Pants Falling Leaves
Fancy Pants Harvest

Slider Card...

2011-09-19T01:15:00.000-07:00

I thought it was about time I made a slider card. They always look affective and you would be mistaken to think they were difficult to make. I made this as a wedding acceptance card and used the colours being used for the wedding.

I will add a tutorial on how to make this shortly.

Cup Cakes with a difference ....

2011-09-16T01:15:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be fun to try and make cup cakes that look like ice creams. They were a lot easier than I imagined. I firstly wrapped the outside of each cone in tin foil, this stops the cone burning whilst cooking. then I filled each cone with sponge mixture (I used chocolate), then I decorated the top with buttercream swirls and finished by adding sprinkles and chocolate flakes.

Acetate Dragonflies....

2011-09-15T01:15:00.000-07:00

As many of you will know I really love using butterflies on my cards. I also like dragonflies but find it difficult to find stamps that I like, so when I found this stamp at a local craft fair I just had to buy it.
I love the beautiful colours of dragonflies and decided to try to transfer this onto the card. I firstly stamped the dragonfly onto acetate using StazOn. After a few minutes I turned the image over and filled in the image using stickles glitter glue. Once the glue dried I cut the image out and used it to embellish the card below. The papers I used come from the My Minds Eye, Stella Rose range.

Just Beautiful.....

2011-09-14T01:17:00.000-07:00

I just had to show you pictures of the flowers that Natalie and her friend Emma did for a wedding recently. This year is the first year that they have both been offering flowers as part of Natalie's Wedding Crafts. I was so proud of her when I saw these they are just beautiful.

The brides and grooms wellies were filled with flowers and stood on the steps outside the reception hall.

These stunning hydrangeas were in both the pew ends and bridesmaids bouquets.

The bridal bouquet looked perfect against the brides delicate lace dress.

These beautiful bird cages were filled with flowers and sat on each table at the reception. Two larger birdcages sat on pedestals in the church.

If you would like more information on Natalies Wedding Crafts please follow the link.
www.facebook.com/pages/Natalies-Wedding-Crafts/183253368386491?sk=photos

Cup Cakes for Weddings......

2011-09-13T01:18:00.000-07:00

Cup cakes are so popular at the moment and are becoming so more and more as an alternative to the traditional wedding cake and giant cupcakes are also popular as an option for the top tier cake for the bride and groom to cut.
The cupcakes shown in the photos below are chocolate and vanilla flavours with opposite flavoured topping. Roses are made from sugar paste which I dusted with gold, the leaves are also made from sugar paste but these I painted gold so they would compliment the roses and stand out in the background.

The giant cupcake was firstly covered with chocolate paste before painting gold stripes onto it and decorating the top in the same way as the cupcakes.

September Crop Kit...

2011-09-12T01:46:00.000-07:00

This month I introduced a 'crop kit' at our Horstead crop. Well I really shouldn't have been worried about how they would go as I had sold out within the first hour and even had to make up some more during the morning.
There will now be crop kits available each month and hope to have them at our Sea Palling crop as well.
The kits will vary in price but will be between £2.50 and £3.50 depending on content.
Our first kit consists of papers from the Echo Park country drive range and apricot, jetstream & kraft Bazzill card stock. The cost this month is £2.50. If you would like to purchase a kit please email me at craftbuddies@yahoo.co.uk as the kits our not available online at the moment.

• Take base card and draw a line around the edge, occasionally adding a few zig zag stitches.

• Cut a strip of green zig zag paper 8cmx21cm. Using a border punch, punch the edge of the apricot card stock. Cut off main piece to about 1.5 cm. adhere pieces of this to the each end of the strip of paper. Now adhere this to the left hand side of layout.

• Take the piece of butterfly and lady bird paper and adhere it to the layout.

• Cut another piece if zig zag paper, this time 22.5cm x 7.3cm and adhere this across the butterfly paper leaving the bottom row of butterflies showing.

• Take the piece of craft paper and score 10cm in from edge then fold along score mark. Adhere to left hand side of layout.

• Decorate booklet with papers as desired.

• Matt photo and adhere to layout. Add photos or journaling to inside of booklet.

• Embellish layout with bunting and butterflies.

• Add title and other embellishments as required.

Pink and Butterflies....

2011-09-11T01:17:00.000-07:00

One of the popular colours for this years wedding season has to be hot pink. I have made cakes for two weddings with this colour and both have also had a butterfly theme running through as well.
This cake had three tiers to it, one cake fruit, one vanilla and one chocolate. Even though the cake took a while to decorate it was a fairly simple design and came together really well. I was intrigued whist decorating it, to just how many blossoms I was adding to it so I did a rough calculation and to my surprise there were approximately 750! I must admit I was really pleased with the end result....and so were the bride and groom.

My Apologies...........

2011-09-10T16:22:00.000-07:00

I have to apologise for not blogging for a while. It wasn't till a couple of people mentioned how long it had been since I last posted, that I realised just how long it had been.
The summer has been extremely busy with making wedding cakes, taking classes and the shop as well as enjoying the summer season whilst we can.

Well it's back to normal and it's time I started posting.

Like I said earlier, this has been one of my busiest summers for weddings in a long while. For one of the weddings I not only made the cake but also all of the stationery as well.
This is the table I plan I made, the table numbers and place settings were also on the butterfly theme.

I'm sorry the picture isn't very good but it was a lot brighter than shown.

Another cake made....

2011-06-27T08:58:00.001-07:00

It was another busy weekend for me this week. On saturday Sheryl and I had our workshop at Taverham Village Hall. This month we made a layout and learnt how to crackle glaze. I will be showing the layout in tomorrows post.
Yesterday, a friends daughter got married and she asked me to make the cake. She had a three tier cake and an additional 30 cupcakes. Her theme was butterflies and there were around 150 on the cake.

2011-06-26T14:32:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked to make a 40th birthday cake for a couple who enjoy jet skiing. After toying with a few design ideas I eventually came up with this

Splash!...

2011-05-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

'Splash' is the latest range from Echo Park and was perfect for this months workshop. During the workshop we made a layout and a beach hut mini book.
For the layout I used Lily White Bazzill cardstock for the back ground and firstly stitched around the edge with black thread. I then made cloud shaped masks from card which were then used with Cosmic Chalk mist spray to make the background. Once dry, I then painted through sequin waste randomly over the layout using aqua acrylic paint.
Using 'Splash' umbrella, mini stripe and whale papers I then cut 2 x 2" squares from each and adhered the squares to the layout 2 squares wide and 4 down towards the right hand side. I then stitched on the squares to make them look like patchwork.

I then attached the photo and embellished the layout using 'splash' element stickers, one of which was perfect to use for the title. I really enjoy running classes which include layouts everyone has a different take on the design and I love seeing the end results.

Busy making cakes.....

2011-05-22T14:35:00.000-07:00

Once again I have been busy making cakes this week....a retirement cake last week which I made for a friend. Unfortunately the photo wasn't as good as I had hoped, but I was really please with the cake. I decided to use slightly dusky colours on ivory which gave a soft delicate look.

The wedding cake i made for this weekend was a three tier, with both fruit and sponge cakes. I used ivory icing and coral coloured flowers which where the same used in the brides bouquet.

May's Crop Class & Competition.....

2011-05-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

Only a few more days to wait till our crop at Tithe Barn and with all the holidays we've had lately I'm sure everyone will be busy away scrapping their latest photos.
This month we are running a small competition and asking for anyone attending the crop to join in. All you have to do is bring/or scrap on the day, a layout that depicts spring. There will be a prize for the winner.
In this months class Sheryl will be showing you how to make a card which is suitable for men and can be adapted to fit any occasion, and with Fathers Day just around the corner it was the perfect card.

New Crop in Sea Palling

2011-05-08T05:33:00.000-07:00

Well yesterday we opened the doors on our new crop at Sea Palling here in Norfolk. Sea Palling is a lovely little coastal village and is a very popular location for its sandy beaches and also for water sports including jet skiing.
Natalie and I arrived early to set up and just before 10am the ladies started to arrive. We welcomed new members as well as some ladies who come to our Horstead crop. After lunch Natalie ran a small workshop and made some lovely tissue flowers which we used on a card.
We had a lovely day and hope it will be the start of many more. It was certainly a lovely way to spend National Scrapbooking Day.

A few pictures ....

2011-05-02T01:17:00.000-07:00

A few photos for you today. I have been experimenting with the different settings on my camera and these are a just few of the photos I took this week. I am really pleased with the outcome, especially the water ones.

A Little Late...

2011-05-01T05:50:00.000-07:00

I know Easter was a week ago, but I thought I'd just show you some of the photos I took of the day.
Millie and Ella had such a lovely day which they started by doing an Easter Egg Hunt.

Ella got so excited when she found something to go in her basket.

Even though this was Millie's first Easter Egg Hunt, she soon understood what she had to do.

Ella looked lovely in her Easter bonnet. We made both girls a bonnet for the Easter Parade at playgroup. For Ella's bonnet we decorated a straw hat with flowers, chicks and eggs, we were both really pleased with the end result. Natalie wanted a flower one for Millie, so out came the sewing machine, and after a few hours I came up with this.

What a cutie... and she kept it on!

TIm Holtz and Re-inkers....

2011-04-12T08:51:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to say that at last the Sizzix Tim Holtz Dies I ordered have finally arrived and are now available in the shop. I have also added some distress re-inkers for those of you who have requested them, although the range doesn't cover all colours at the moment. After the workshop we ran last month we had requests for the Victorian Velvet Distress Ink and I have added restocks of this as well.

I had a lovely surprise this afternoon as Natalie decided to bring the girls across after Ella said she wanted to see her Nanny. It was only a quick visit but it made my day. I'm looking forward to the next two weeks when I can take them out for the day and not have to worry about work. I love the holidays!

Easter Egg Holder...

2011-04-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

I am really looking forward to this months Craft Buddies which is taking place this coming Saturday (9th April) at Tithe Barn, Horstead. I am trying to finish off one or two projects at the moment so I'm hoping to make a start on them Saturday.
Sheryl will be making an Easter Egg Holder in this months class which will cost £1.50. I made a few of these last year and they looked lovely set out as a decoration on the dinner table at Easter.

If you would like to book a place for Saturday's class please email me at craftbuddies@yahoo.co.uk

More Cakes....

2011-03-28T06:19:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd add some more pics of cakes that I've made recently. The first is a parcel cake which I made for a friends daughter's 13th birthday. I haven't made a parcel cake for quite a while and I loved using black and white theme for this one.

The next cake is one that I made for Natalie's friend who's husband works with the Happisburgh Lifeboat. I just love the challenges I get when I'm asked to 'paint' a picture on the cake. I'm quite pleased with how this one turned out.

March Workshop...

2011-03-27T04:06:00.000-07:00

We are now running workshops once a month at Taverham Village Hall (Norfolk), and yesterday was our first. We had a lovely day and the ladies were pleased with what they made.
Our project was to make a box of cards.

The next workshop is on 30th April when we will be making a selection of gift bags and boxes. Numbers for our workshops are limited so it is advisable to book in advance. Payments should be made at the time of booking. For more details please contact me at craftbuddies@yahoo.co.uk

Gift Basket

2011-03-26T06:19:00.000-07:00

I just had to show you a sneaky peak of one of the gift baskets we will be including in our next workshop. Sheryl and I have been busy making gift bags and boxes and one of the ones that Sheryl made was this gift basket, although she made it in miniature. I decided to give it a go for myself but enlarged it as I wanted to use it as a gift basket for a friends birthday. I must admit I am pleased with the outcome and will certainly be making a few of these on the future. They would make great baskets for Easter.

New Workshops & Crops

2011-03-25T06:19:00.000-07:00

After many requests I am pleased to announce that we are now running workshops once a month. They will take place on the 4th Saturday of each month between 10am-4pm at Taverham Village Hall, Taverham, Norfolk.

We start our workshops this Saturday when we will be making a draw containing 5 cards. The cost for this months workshop is £20 which includes all materials and refreshments although a packed lunch will be required.
I am pleased to say that places for this months workshop have been taken up quickly, but we still have 2 places left for anyone who is interested in joining us. Please email me if you would like to join us.

Starting on the 2nd May we will be running a second Crop. We will be at the village hall in Sea Palling, Norfolk. This is a lovely hall in a great location and just 5 minutes walk from the beach. Details of dates and times can be seen on the blog along with my contact details for bookings.

I hope you will be able to come along and join us at Craft Buddies as I'm sure you will thoroughly enjoy your time crafting with us.

Stella & Rose Class

2011-03-24T14:46:00.000-07:00

Whilst we were away on our craft weekend I ran a class using the new Stella & Rose range form My Minds Eye.The colours and designs in this range are beautiful and I used the ones that suited the vintage look.

One of my favourite embellishments at the moment is the new Cinderella blossoms from Prima, they are stunning and unfortunately the picture doesn't do them justice. I decided not to add any journaling to the layout for the time being as I am giving this layout to Natalie, so I will leave it to her to make the addition.

Crafting Heaven.....

2011-03-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

Last Friday 10 of us met at the Pleasaunce Hotel at Overstrand on the North Norfolk coast, for a weekend of crafting. The hotel overlooked the sea and was set in beautiful tranquil surroundings.

It didn't take long for us to settle in and start on our projects.
During the weekend Sylvia set a few challenges for us to take part in and I ran a class on Saturday.

The weather was good throughout the weekend and we couldn't miss the opportunity to take some pictures whilst taking a stroll through the grounds. One of the waitresses had a Kestrel which she brought to show us.

Sunday afternoon came far too quickly and we were all disappointed when it was time to leave. We had a thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing weekend, spent in the company of great friends.
Can't wait until the next one!

March Crop..

2011-03-02T03:29:00.000-08:00

I am really looking forward to the crop this month as we are back at the barn. It is a shame that we have to move the crop for two months every year, but it makes you appreciate the facilities of the barn even more when we return.
This month the crop is a week earlier as I am away for a crafting weekend. John says he is looking forward to a quiet weekend on his own, but I reminded him the girls will still be about and he will probably still be required as Steph's taxi service.
Sheryl has been asked to do a class using the 'Bind it All' so this month she is doing just that. Below is a picture of the project you will be making.

If you would like to book a place on Sheryl's class please email me or you can book on the day.

Vintage Prima...

2011-02-16T11:45:00.000-08:00

It is this time of year that we are seeing all of the new crafting products appearing on our shelves and finding out about the new up & coming ideas and techniques.
I have been taking delivery of some new products over the last week and one of my favourite items has to be the vintage trinkets from Prima. Vintage trinkets are metal embellishments that are perfect for embellishing mini books.
At the moment I have flowers, tassels and birds in stock with vintage keys arriving soon. You can find them in the store here.

Happy Valentines Day...

2011-02-14T10:57:00.000-08:00

Today I thought I'd share with you a Valentines card which I made by mainly using the Cricut. First of all I used raspberry cardstock for the base of the card and then added backing paper. The three hearts were cut on the cricut using the wedding cartridge. The centre heart embellishments were from Papermania.

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Birthday Millie....

2011-02-13T08:48:00.000-08:00

This weekend we have been celebrating Millie's 1st birthday. How quickly that year has gone. Millie had a little party yesterday with her little friends.

Natalie decided to have the party at her local village hall so that they could run around to their hearts content. Millie and Ella had a lovely time and soon fell asleep when they got home ....they were exhausted!
As usual I made the cake and this time Natalie wanted ladybirds and butterflies as the theme.

I also made cupcakes to match the cake.

I decided quite a while ago on the design I'd use for Millie's birthday card as whilst I was at the Big Stamp & Scrapbooking show at Alexander Palace, I found a stamp that reminded me so much of Millie, I just had to buy it. For the card I used maraschino bazzill cardstock, and 'Sunny Meadow' paper from Prima as the backing paper. I used Promarkers to colour the image.

Feeling much better....

2011-02-07T12:43:00.000-08:00

Well I'm pleased to say I am now feeling a lot better and it was back to work today as normal.

Over the last week I have taken delivery of lots of lovely new items which I have been adding to the store over the last couple of days. There are now more items available for those of you who enjoy card making, such as decoupage, card blanks and envelopes and card kits. The new chipboard albums are proving very popular as are the new 'Sew Easy' stitch piercers from We r Memory Keepers. Today I took delivery of some prima blossoms, gorgeous 6"x6" paper pads from the new Prima range and my favourite, new Vintage Trinkets again from Prima. I am still adding the items to the site this evening so pop over and see what lovely items are now available. You can see them all here.

A Big Thank You...

2011-02-05T15:27:00.000-08:00

I must say a huge thank you to Mags, Connie and Natalie for running the crop for me today. Unfortunately I have been unwell since Thursday and thought I would have to cancel the crop but due to the kindness of the girls the crop went ahead as normal.
Thank you girls, I owe you one xx

First Crop of 2011

2011-01-05T13:12:00.000-08:00

This Saturday (8th January) we have our crop, the first of 2011. We have change venue this month due to the Panto being performed at the barn, so we will be at Taverham Village Hall instead. We will be in the old hall and the times are the same as usual. This month in Sheryl's class, she will be showing you how quick and easy it is to make a desk calendar. These small desk calendars are ideal for using up odd bits of paper and are perfect for giving as a small gift. I have been helping Sheryl by putting this months class together, and will hopefully have pictures up tomorrow.
We are still taking bookings for this months class, so if you would like to join in please email me.

New Recipe.....

2011-01-04T14:23:00.000-08:00

On New Years Eve John, myself and 6 friends got together for the celebrations. We started the evening off with a 3 course meal which we all prepared. This time I made the starters and decided to do a pate as one of the choices. I found this lovely recipe which is really easy to make and tastes good as well, although next time I make it I may adjust the amount of garlic I use and maybe use a little less. As the recipe was a success I thought I would share it with you.

Course Country Pate

Ingredients:
12oz (350g) Minced Pork
1lb (450g) Pork Streaky Rashers
10oz (275g) dry-cured Smoked Streaky Bacon
8oz (225g) Pigs' Liver
20 Juniper Berries
20 Whole Black Peppercorns
1 heaped teaspoon Salt
1/4 rounded teaspoon Ground Mace
2 large cloves Garlic, crushed
I heaped teaspoon chopped fresh Thyme
4 fl oz (120ml) Dry White Wine
1 fl oz (25ml) Brandy
to garnish:
fresh Bay Leaves
a few extra Juniper Berries

You will also need a terrine with a 3 pint (1.75 litre) capacity or a 2lb (900g) loaf tin.

Method:
It is bes to process the different meats one at a time (finishing with the pigs' liver as this is the messiest). Begin by cutting the meat into rough pieces, then place them in the food processor bowl and process until quite finely chopped.
Next, tip each meat in turn into a large mixing bowl and mix them together thoroughly. Coarsely crush first the juniper berries and then the black peppercorns in a pestle and mortar and add these to the meat, along with one heaped teaspoon salt, the mace, garlic and thyme. Mix again even more thoroughly to distribute all the flavours evenly. After this, add the wine and brandy and give it a final mix. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave it in a cool place for a couple of hours to allow the flavours to be absorbed.

Before cooking the pate, pre-heat the oven to Gas mark 2, 300 F (150 C). Then pack the mixture into a terrine or loaf tin and decorate the top with the bay leaves and the extra juniper berries. Place the terrine or tin in a roasting tin half-filled with hot water on the centre shelf of the oven and leave it there for about 1 3/4 hours. By the time it is cooked, the pate will have shrunk quite a bit. Remove it from the oven and allow to cool without draining off any of the surrounding juices; once the pate has cooled, the surrounding jelly will keep it moist.

When the pate is cold, place a double strip of foil across the top and put a few weights on to press it down for at least a few hours - it isn't essential to press the pate but it helps to make it less crumbly if you want to serve it in slices. If you don't have any scale weights the tins of food can be used. Then, place the pate, weights and all into the fridge overnight.

To serve the pate you will need to take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes ahead, to return it to room temp, then turn it out of the terrine or loaf tin and remove the surrounding jelly and any fat.
Slice and serve with gherkins, watercress and hot toast, melba toast or crusty bread.

January Sale now on

2011-01-03T02:29:00.001-08:00

Our January Sale has now begun. There is 20% off everything throughout the shop....just click here to see what fantastic offers there are.

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T12:43:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone. I hope that 2011 is a good year for you all.
Today has been a lovely start to the year, spent with family after an enjoyable evening with amazing friends.
The celebrations are now coming to an end and I am preparing the store for our January Sale which starts on Monday 3rd January. There will be 20% discount throughout the store so don't forget to check out the store at www.craftbuddiespapercrafts.co.uk

2010-12-30T14:14:00.000-08:00

I hope you've all had a lovely Christmas. Our Christmas was spent with the girls over at Sea Palling with Natalie & James. It was lovely seeing little Ella & Millie enjoying themselves so much. Ella was so excited and thought all of the presents were for her. Ella just loves dressing up so I made her a Pirates costume as one of her presents, at the moment it is one of her favourite presents and wants to wear it all the time.

I just had to share this picture of Ella in her costume with you.
Well the new year is fast approaching us and it is now when I look back at the past year and remember the things that have happened. For me, 2010 was the year that I opened up my online store 'Craft Buddies Papercrafts' and I am so pleased with how things are going. In 2011 Sheryl and I are looking at expanding the classes we do, I will post details as soon as they have been confirmed.

November Crop

2010-11-10T13:21:00.000-08:00

This Saturday is our crop at Tithe Barn. Sheryl has planned a lovely class this month using distress inks and perfect pearls on a Christmas card. Spaces for the class are limited so it is advisable to book.

Today I took delivery of some beautiful papers from the Hot Chocolate range from Fancy Pants, plus Bazzill match cardstock for the range. All will be available to purchase at the crop.

This month's Page Kit...

2010-10-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

For our crop this month we provided a page kit using some lovely papers from Graphic 45. Although they are from the Halloween range, they were perfect for an Autumn themed layout.

There are only a few of the kits still available and you can now purchase them online.
I have also added some more gorgeous papers that are also by Graphic 45, this time from the Steampunk range, plus some new, very pretty blossoms from Prima.

Another Challenge

2010-10-11T14:34:00.000-07:00

I was certainly given a challenge when Natalie asked me to make a Mr Tumble cake for Ella's second birthday. It took me a while to decide what I was going to do but I eventually decided that it would be easier to make a model to sit on the top of the cake. Thankfully Ella thought it looked like Mr Tumble, so mission accomplished! Just wondering what it will be next year.....

Back after our Summer Break......

2010-09-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

It was lovely having the crop again yesterday after our summer break and was great catching up with everyone again. Sheryl's class was a great success, and this month ran two sessions. Classes are getting booked up quickly each month so it is best to book your place in advance.
This week I took delivery of some gorgeous papers from Fancy Pants including the new Christmas range and also some beautiful Prima flowers and butterflies, they can all be found in the shop here.

Cup Cakes Galore

2010-09-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

This week has been rather hectic so I have been a bit slow in sorting out the photos I took last week at Linda's 60th Birthday Party. It is also Linda and Gerry's Ruby Wedding at the end of the month so they had a party to celebrate both. We had a wonderful evening and there were around 230 guests. I made cupcakes and a small cake with topper for Linda and a fruit cake for their Ruby Wedding.

Back to School Countdown........

2010-08-30T02:47:00.000-07:00

Just one more week before the children go back to school and you should once more be able to find some precious crafting time again.

For the back to school countdown, I will be a putting a different special offer on for you every day this week, starting with some papers with a 20% discount today.

You will find the offers in the 'Back to School Countdown' section here...... don't forget to check back each day as there are some more great offers coming up.

Wedding Season...

2010-08-17T01:50:00.000-07:00

Over the last couple of weeks I have been busy doing wedding orders. Not only have I been making invites, order of service etc but I've also been busy making wedding cakes. I've had a break from making wedding cakes for a year or two so it has been nice to make them again. Below are pics of two of the wedding cakes and I also used one of the designs when I made a friends silver wedding anniversary cake during the same week.

I am now finishing off my final wedding order for this summer. I will post pics of the cake later in the week. Next weekend I have a Ruby Wedding cake on order and 200 cupcakes for a 60th Birthday, then I have two more cakes to design for the beginning of Sept, one is a Christening cake the other an 18th Birthday cake....so as you can see I am certainly being kept busy.

John and I went away for a short break two weeks ago, where we stayed down near Oxford. We visited a few pretty villages and spent time down by the river.

Whilst we were away John had a day at Silverstone, where he drove his dream car....an Aston Martin. He was given this as a 50th birthday present from friends. He thoroughly enjoyed the experience and wish he had of had longer there.

Now we're home and it's back to work, well for John at least. I have another two weeks before school restarts so I am busy ordering new products for the shop and preparing new page kits with some of the gorgeous papers that have arrived.
This week I am expecting a deliveries of Prima, Cosmo Cricket and Tim Holtz, so remember to pop across to the shop and see what fantastic products are available.

Stamping Class....

2010-07-26T06:19:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the weekend is over already, time goes by far too quickly!
On Saturday Sheryl and I took our second Card Making workshop down at our local craft shop. Once again the class was fully booked and unfortunately they had to turn a few people away as they can only accommodate 10 people, which is such a shame. Already we are booking up for Sept-Nov so if you are interested in attending one of the workshops please email me for more details.
For our class this time we were asked to include stamps and flower soft into the designs, I must admit flower soft isn't something that I have used before and to be honest I'm not really sure I will use it again, but it was a challenge and the designs went down well.
I used flower soft on the cherry blossom on the 'oriental' themed card and again on the flower arrangement on the thank you card.

As the classes we run are for both experienced and newbie crafters we try design accordingly.
Sheryl designed a card using peel offs and vellum, which is very easy to do but looks really affective. Her top tip for adhering vellum to cards is to put the vellum through a 'Xyron sticker machine', this covers the vellum evenly and the glue cannot be seen.

Life is good...

2010-07-22T00:02:00.000-07:00

I have just unpacked and uploaded the new range of goodies from Echo Park called 'Life is Good' and they are just gorgeous. There is also the Bazzill matchmaker to go with them. Along with these there are now new additions of Prima Pearls and Crystals and some Lace. CHA releases will be available from next month. If there are any items you would like me to stock please let me know.

I have had a few requests for Page Kit's so over the next couple of weeks I am planning on releasing a few using the gorgeous papers from Echo Park's Sweet Summertime and Life is Good range and Basic Grey's Capella range. If you are interested and would like know when they are available for sale please email me.

Well now that the school holidays are here I can now concentrate 100% on the shop and classes, and I will keep you posted on the new challenges and classes coming up.

Last Crop before Summer Hols.......

2010-07-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, this week is the last crop before we break up for the summer hols. This year has just flown by and before we know it Christmas will be around once more. I know I shouldn't be mentioning Christmas just yet but it is about now when retailers start ordering summer stock. There are some gorgeous items being released next month so hopefully I will have had delivery by the next crop in September.
This month Natalie will be doing the class. As many of you have asked for another beading class she will be making a bag charm. The class will cost £2 per person. The charms will be variations of the one below. You will be able to choose your own bead colours and charms.

Day with the girls.....

2010-07-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

After an eventful week it was lovely to take time out today and enjoy the sunshine with Natalie and the girls. It was lovely to be greeted by Ella as soon as I arrived. We took the girls out for the afternoon and met up with some of Natalie's friends. Millie is growing up fast, I can't believe she is now 20 weeks old. She is now trying to sit up on her own and thoroughly enjoys playing in her bouncy chair.

A Beautiful Day

2010-06-26T08:08:00.000-07:00

Today has been another glorious sunny day. It's amazing how much better you feel when the sun shines. Sheryl and I have been down at the Garden Centre this morning running a Scrapbook workshop. It was fairly quiet today, which made it better for those who came along as we were able to spend more time helping when needed.
This month we went along with a summer theme and used papers from Basic Greys 'Green at Heart' range.
I just had to use this pic of Ella on the layout. We took her to Wroxham Barns on Thursday with some of her little friends and she thoroughly enjoyed running around with them. I love the mischievous look on her face.

Sneaky Peek for this weeks Class

2010-06-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

Sheryl has another brilliant class lined up for you at this weeks meeting of Craft Buddies. She will be showing you how to make a holder for all you ATC cards. The class will cost just £2.00 and you can either book via email to me or on arrival at the crop on Saturday.

For lunch this month their will be the choice of either Jacket Potato with choice of filling plus a salad garnish, cost £1.50 or hot baguette with the filling choice of either Bacon, Brie and Cranberry or Ham & Tomato or Prawns with Marie Rose sauce, these are served with crisps and salad garnish and costs £2. Please place orders for lunch by Thursday.
I will be taking the shop along for those who wish to stock up on papers and cardstock and Sheryl and I have put together a couple of page kits for you using Max & Whiskers from Basic Grey and also Cappella from Basic Grey for your wedding layouts.

Cake making again....

2010-06-06T14:06:00.000-07:00

I haven't had any cakes on order for a couple of months now, then this week I've had 3. I made a Christening cake for Millie last weekend, it doesn't seem possible that it was only last year that Ella was Christened. Then this weekend I made another two Christening cakes for Natalie's friend. The Lola is only 16 weeks old so I made her cake the same as I made Millie's.

I really wasn't sure what to put on the second cake as Jack is now 10. Natalie said that he was mad on surfing so we decided to go with that theme and I attempted to do a model of him lying on his surf board. He was impressed when he saw it so I was pleased.

That's it now until July when I have two wedding cakes to do, and then another for August.

Busy time and new supplier

2010-05-25T13:24:00.000-07:00

Today has been really hectic at work, it always is this time of year. The exam season has now started and activities week is only 2 weeks away. Once again i will be running a scrapbooking and altered art workshop, this will last the whole week and it is amazing to see what ideas the pupils come up with. I am really looking forward to it, although I am rather busy at the moment putting together projects and kits.

Since opening the store I have been sourcing new suppliers and I am expecting a delivery tomorrow of some lovely chipboard shapes that are just waiting to be altered.
I hope to have all stock loaded up tomorrow evening so be sure to check out the site on Thursday.

Cupcakes...

2010-05-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

It has been a beautiful sunny day today, and it was lovely waking up to the birds singing. What a difference it makes when the weather is good.
Today, Sheryl and I ran a workshop at our local craft store. It was the second one that we have done, and has taken off very well with both sessions being fully booked.
We put together 3 cards, each for a different occasion. Of course we just had to do one with a 'cupcake' theme.

For this card I used Core'dinations Coconut Cream, French Roast and Raspberry, Basic Greys Cappella- Forte and the stamps are 'Cupcakes' for Hero Arts. I inked the edge of the card with Tim Holtz distress ink - Old Paper and the mini cherries in the right corner were made using shrink plastic. All items can be found on our website here.

Max & Whiskers ...

2010-05-11T14:14:00.000-07:00

Have you seen these lovely papers from Basic Grey. The new Max & Whiskers range are full of beautiful vibrant colours. Not all of the papers have pets on so there are papers for everyone. Here are just a couple that are available, with more arriving soon.

Check back to the store later in the week as there will also be the new Cappella range from Basic Grey available.

Lovely Papers

2010-05-09T14:18:00.000-07:00

It's been a week since my online store opened and I am really pleased with how it has taken off. Restocks of liquid pearls and prima stamps are due to arrive tomorrow and there will also be the arrival of some new cardstock colours and 'Max & Whiskers' papers by Basic Grey.
New products are being added all the time so please check back on a regular basis.

There are now some gorgeous papers from My Mind's Eye 'So Sophie' range which you can see here.

Workshops & New Website .....

2010-05-06T13:43:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Sheryl and I ran our first Scrapbooking workshop at Taverham Garden Centre. We had 7 lovely ladies book in to do the class, and we all had a very enjoyable morning. We all made a layout using a black & white picture of ourselves. We decided to us ourselves as a topic as we know full well that it is normal for us to scrap anyone but ourselves, probably because we are the ones that are always behind the camera taking the photos.

I am also pleased to announce the opening of my on-line store www.craftbuddiespapercrafts.co.uk I am specialising in papers, cardstock, stamps, mediums and accessories.

This week is Craft Buddies crop at Tithe Barn Horstead. There are still a few places left if anyone would like to book in. Sheryl will be making the Flag Book this month ( a slight change to the programme) and Natalie will be making a bag charm next month.
If anyone would like to join us please email me at craftbuddies@yahoo.co.uk

April's class

2010-04-05T04:05:00.000-07:00

Well the Easter weekend is nearly over, it's a pity the weather hasn't been better, though at least it has stayed dry most of the time. Yesterday was spent round Linda & Gerry's with the girls. Ella enjoyed her first Easter Egg hunt, and was so funny to watch as she ran around the garden filling her basket. Today John & I are trying to finish decorating the kitchen, it only needs painting so it shouldn't take too long.
It is Craft Buddies this weekend and Sheryl is making an 'All in One Gift Box' for this months class.

The cost of the class is £1.50. You can book a place for the class by emailing me at craftbuddies@yahoo.co.uk to ensure you get a place or you can book on the day if there are spaces left.

Little Millie

2010-03-23T14:34:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share a recent picture I took of Millie. This is one of my favourites, she has the most beautiful big blue eyes. Ella also adores her little sister and is always wanting to sit and cuddle her, she is so gentle with her, its lovely to see.

Number Jacks

2010-03-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

I have been making a few more celebration cakes lately and have been trying out a few new designs, one of which was one from Number Jacks. I just love the bright colours though I'm not sure how many 'E' numbers are hidden in there, glad I'm not the one controlling the party!!!

Job Done

2010-03-21T03:29:00.000-07:00

Phew! finished at last. I have spent the last couple of days finishing off one of my Wedding Orders. Forty Wedding Invitations & 100 Evening Invitations, boxed and delivered. Poor Sheryl got roped into helping me yesterday when she came over for the day. We were meant to be sorting things out for our demo next weekend, but as usual were side tracked.

Next Saturday (March 27th) Sheryl and I will be demoing at 'Sew Simple' at Taverham Garden Centre, where they will be holding their first Scrapbooking Day. We will be there between 10am and 4pm, demoing the basic skills of scrapbooking, using the lovely Martha Stewart Punches and making Mini Books. As you can imagine we have been busy putting together items for display and sorting out stash to take with us.
We will also be running workshops at the Garden Centre, starting in April. The first will be a scrapbooking one and the following one a card making one. We hope to alternate the workshops each month but will go with the demand. Don't forget to come along and join us next Saturday as it looks to be a great day!

A busy weekend

2010-03-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been a very busy one. On Saturday Craft Buddies celebrated it's first birthday. We had a lovely day, and everyone was pleased to be back at the barn.
Yesterday was spent with the girls. Natalie & James came over with Ella & Millie and we celebrated Natalie's birthday as well as Mother's Day.

Craft Buddies is a year old

2010-03-09T15:56:00.000-08:00

Craft Buddies celebrates it's first birthday this weekend, I can't believe that a year has passed so quickly.
This month we will be back at Tithe Barn. Sheryl has a lovely class organised, she will be showing you how to make a lovely little purse that holds a card.
I am still taking bookings for Saturday so if you would like to join in the fun drop me a line.

New Baby Card

2010-02-16T07:07:00.000-08:00

I thoroughly enjoyed making this card for Natalie & James. At first I wasn't really sure what design to do but I wanted to do something a little different and move away from the traditional baby colours. The backing paper is from Bo Bunny and was the perfect colour to go with the Winnie the Pooh theme. The little charm was from Indigo Mill.

I can't leave without showing another snap of Millie. This was taken on Sunday when she was just 3 days old.

First meeting of 2010

2010-02-13T14:27:00.000-08:00

Today was the first meeting in 2010 of Craftbuddies. Unfortunately we had to close last month due to bad weather, but the predicted snow held off today and the crop was able to go ahead. It seemed ages ago that we had our last meeting and it was lovely to meet up with everyone again.

Millie Grace

2010-02-12T01:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday our second little Grand Daughter was born. Millie Grace arrived at 5:10am weighing 9lb 2oz. Millie kept us all waiting and arrived 11 days late. Natalie is looking amazingly well although rather tired. I am looking forward to the half term holiday next week as I will be able to pop over more than normal to help out and of course to have lots of cuddles and take loads of photos.
Well here is a pic we took of her yesterday at just 14hrs old. She is adorable.

February's Crop Class

2010-02-08T14:08:00.000-08:00

Helen will be taking the class at this months meeting of Craft Buddies, and will be making the Valentines Card shown below. I'm sorry the picture quality isn't very good.

Please remember that we will be at Coltishall Village Hall this month as Tithe Barn is being used for the Panto. We will however be back to normal next month.

Weekend of Celebration

2010-02-07T14:36:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we celebrated John's 50th birthday. On Friday we spent the day with the girls and went out for lunch. I had arranged a surprise for John for the evening and we were joined by 18 of our friends at a local hotel for a 70's evening. We had a fantastic time and spent most of Saturday recovering. I made John a cake with a model Ducati on top and also took cupcakes to the hotel for our guests so that we could take the cake away with us.

Sunday was spent with family and everyone came over for lunch. John had some amazing presents and is looking forward to his track days on his bike and his day at Silverstone.
He received some lovely cards but his favourite were the handmade ones, his favourite being the one from Natalie and of course Ella.

Steph thought it would be funny to add John's pic to her card,

the other cards were made by Linda and Sheryl.

John is not going to let me forget the fact that I didn't make his card, and bought one instead, but my excuse was I was too busy making the cake and 'to make a card' completely slipped my mind. I did however make the wallet to put his gift vouchers in, so that kinda counts.

Treat to myself......

2010-01-13T15:50:00.000-08:00

I wasn't really planning on changing my car just yet, but on new Years Eve I decided to go along to the garage to see what offers they had.
Yes you guessed it.....I gave into temptation and treated myself to a new Clio. This time I bought a Dymonique. They had one in the show room that was a special edition model. It reminded me of a sports car John & I once had. I expected to wait a while as they normally have to order them in but I ended up having the one in the show room and picked it up after work yesterday.

Short of time

2010-01-11T13:46:00.000-08:00

Steph remembered at the last minute that she needed to make a birthday card for one of her friends but didn't have time as she had to work. As usual good old Mum was given the job and I quickly had to rustle one up.
For this card I used papers from Basic Grey, the butterfly and flowers were black peel offs.

Clare's Birthday Book

2010-01-10T12:35:00.000-08:00

I have been making the most of the bad weather this weekend by staying at home in the warm and spending the time crafting. I have been making a book to put Clare's 21st birthday pictures in, and have managed to complete it.

I started off by using a template to cut out the page shapes, and then covered the pages with card and paper.

I edged the pages with ink to start with but didn't quite get the definition I wanted, so I then used thinned acrylic paint, which I found worked much better.

I have used rub on's on the front page around the door and also for the butterflies and have finished both the front and back page by highlighting with glitter.

I made a name page to go on the front of the book using some Karen Foster paper I had hidden away, it was perfect for the theme I was going with. I also made a keychain tag to attach to the front of the book, to which I added the book title and a small key charm.

I then completed the book by adding photo's and small amounts of journalling, finally finishing off by adding a few gems to add that little bit of glitz that Clare loves.

Cancelled due to bad Weather....

2010-01-08T23:58:00.000-08:00

I am sorry to say that we are having to cancel Craft Buddies this month due to the bad weather conditions.
The next meeting will be on February 13th, at Coltishall Village Hall, Rectory Road.
Sheryl will now be running two classes in February they will be the zig-zag book for those who booked this month and a valentines card.
We look forward to seeing everyone next month.

School Closed!......

2010-01-07T06:21:00.000-08:00

At half 6 this morning I received a text to say that the school was closed due to bad weather. Well I'm certainly not complaining, although it does mean that I still have to do work from home otherwise I will end up getting behind. Mind you I have taken a while to get myself motivated, and I keep stopping to play with new laptop. Oh well......work will get done eventually.
I thought I would share this pic of Shannon with you, I took it on Sunday when we took her down to the beach at Sea Palling.

Happy Birthday Steph & Sheryl

2010-01-06T15:38:00.007-08:00

December & January are busy months for birthdays in our family. Today it's Stephs' 19th Birthday.....my baby is all grown up! I decided to make her a framed layout of for her birthday of a pic I took of her and her boyfriend just before Christmas. I also had a go at making a matching card, which I wasn't too sure of when i'd made it, but she loved it.

it is also Sheryl's birthday today, unfortunately because of the snow I haven't been able to get across with her prezzie but as they say all good things come to those who wait....hehehe.
I did however send her card well in advance just in case the post was slow. I used one of my favourite stamps from the Penny Black range for it.

Reminder.....

2010-01-04T14:35:00.000-08:00

Just a quick reminder that Craft Buddies opens its doors for the first time this year on Saturday 9th January. This month we will be at Coltishall Village Hall, Rectory Road, due to the barn being closed for the annual panto.
Sheryl will be making a zig-zag book for this months class but spaces for this are limited so it is advisable to book a place.

Happy New Year & Holiday Catch Up

2010-01-02T05:31:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a great Christmas. Our Christmas was spent at home, with the girls and my parents. We had a lovely day watching little Ella enjoy herself, and taking in all the new experiences.

I had a lovely surprise a few days before Christmas when John took me into the city and bought me a laptop. I have a Mac Book Pro, which I am so pleased with. I am now looking forward to getting some photo editing done in the new year. Then for Christmas he bought me a lovely leather case to keep it in. He also treated me to a couple of Martha Stewart punches as well as toiletries etc. So yes I have been really spoilt this year.
I now have to try and keep my laptop away from the girls. Steph was using it on Christmas day and Ella decided that she would join in...they start young these days. I managed to get a lovely pic of her watching Steph.

New Years eve was spent with friends. We all prepared a 3 course meal (each person a different course) which we completed once there. Then after dinner chatted and played games. We had a fantastic evening and eventually arrived home around 3:30am.
Now the celebrations are over it is now time to take down the decorations and get ready for work next week. Our monthly Craft Buddies club also restarts next week, so there are preparations to make for that as well.
Bye for now

Birthday Celebrations

2009-12-14T13:40:00.000-08:00

We have had a lovely weekend celebrating Clare's 21st Birthday. We started the celebrations on Saturday with her party at the Hog in Armour in the City, then yesterday my parents, Linda & Gerry (Natt's In-Laws) and the girls with their partners and little Ella all came over and we went across the the Taste of Oz for lunch. I surprised Clare by taking her cake down earlier in the day without her knowing.

Today Clare went over to Natalie's for a pamper day which she and Steph had organised for her. They had bought her some Vivienne Westwood shoes which she adored. Tonight Nick has taken her out for a meal, the perfect end to a perfect day. "Happy Birthday Clare".

New classes

2009-11-14T14:29:00.000-08:00

Today Sheryl came over so that we could sort out next years programme of classes for the crop. We have some fantastic classes lined up and I can't wait to start giving you sneaky peaks of them in January.
We have also decided to celebrate Carft Buddies first birthday with a retreat. At the moment we are still putting a programme together and are still to have a meeting with the owners of the barn where we are holding it, so we can't give details out yet. All I will say is that it has beautiful accommodation, with good food, and just 5 minutes drive from the beach and 5 minutes drive from a nature reserve.

Ella's 1st Birthday

2009-11-13T14:32:00.000-08:00

At lst I've sorted out the photo's that I took on Ella's first birthday. I can't believe how quickly this year has passed.
Natalie decided to have two little parties for her, one for family on the day and a teddy bears picnic a few days later with her little friends. As usual I got roped into helping with the cake. Natalie decided to follow the theme and wanted the cake decorated like a teddy bears picnic. They always give me a challenge. We both got stuck in and came up with this.

Not only did we have mini cakes for the children but we made cupcakes for the adults, these are always a firm favourite.

I found a lovely little stamp to use on Ella's card when we went ro Alexandra Palace in September. If I remember rightly it is one of the designs from Stampasourus. I also found some pretty pink paper which looked lovely with the lemon cardstock.

Steph decided to make Ella a card as well and for someone who rarely crafts she thoroughly enjoyed making it.

Phew....home at last

2009-11-12T13:28:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness it's Thursday....day off tomorrow and I can't wait. This week has been hectic at work. I have been busy preparing a Careers event for our pupils, where we have guests coming into school and talking about their profession. Next Tuesday we have a local television newsreader coming along to launch the event and to give a talk about journalism.

Sheryl and I have been trying to sort out another venue for Decembers crop as we are unable to use Tithe Barn. Unfortunately the hall we had in mind is not really suitable. Luckily the barn is now empty on the 5th Dec so we have decided to bring the crop forward a week so that we can use our normal venue. We will however still need to move in January & February and have managed to book Coltishall Village Hall.

Octobers Sneaky Peak....

2009-10-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that its that time of month already. We still have a few places available for this months club, so if you would like to join us please email me to confirm.
This month Sheryl is making some gorgeous boxes to hold all of your Halloween treats, and here is your sneaky peak as promised.

A great day crafting....

2009-09-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

It was so nice to open the doors of Craft Buddies yesterday after our summer break! Everyone spent the day catching up on all the news and of course, crafting. Sheryl's class went down a storm, I only wish I had of done it as well, but as usual there wasn't really the time. I have however taken a copy of the instructions she gave out and will endevour to have a go one evening soon. I love seeing everyones work at the end of one of her classes as even though they all start off with the same idea, everyone puts their own twist to it and each project turns out different.

Recently I have been determined to spend more time crafting and doing the projects I've just put on hold. I have just completed a scrapcube which I made to put on my desk at work. The pictures are of our little grand daughter, Ella. Her little smile is enough to brighten anyones day!

I decorated each of the four sides of the cube with a small picture and a selection of papers and embellishments.

The top was decorated with a photo of Ella and her name along one edge.

I'm also enjoying making cards at the moment. I have recently found some beautiful papers and stamps. Here are just a couple I have made using Basic Greys paper from the Wisteria range, and of course my favourite.....butterflies.

Septembers' Sneaky Peak...

2009-09-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

This week Craft Buddies opens its doors once more after our summer break. It seems ages since our last crop and I am really looking forward to seeing everyone again.
Sheryl and Natalie have some fantastic ideas for classes over the next few months which I am sure you will all enjoy doing.

This month Sheryl has put together a picture for you to make using circles. There are still a few places available so if you would like to sign up please email me.

Hope to see you on Saturday

Trip to the Big Stamp & Scrapbooking show

2009-08-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

We are organising a trip through our craft club to The Big Stamp & Scrapbooking Show at Alexandra Palace on Sunday 27th September. The bus will be picking up at North Walsham at 6:15am and then at Taverham Village Hall at 7am. The cost at the moment is £25 per person which includes travel and entrance ticket to the show. If however we are able to fill the bus we will be able to lower the price of the trip to approx £20. If you are interested please contact me via email at karen_rhodes50@yahoo.co.uk I will then contact you with updated news and to discuss payment. I hope you will be able to join us on this enjoyable day out.

Quick and Easy

2009-08-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

Had a great day yesterday when I met up with the girls for one of our craft days. This time we met over at Sheryl's. Susie came along with her daughter Steph and Natalie brought little Ella. My other two daughters, Clare & Steph also joined us as Nat had roped them into helping her make Ella's birthday invitations.
We all had a very productive day and caught up with all our news.

I was so busy making a scrapcube yesterday that I forgot to make a card for my sister in-law. So I had to quickly put one together this afternoon so that I could catch the post. I found some butterflies from Papermania which I decided to use as a quick embellishment. As the colours were pink and green I decided to stick with it and used bazzill card stock and paper from basic greys porcelain range.

We are running a trip to the Big Stamp and Scrapbooking Show down at Alexandra Palace on Sunday 27th Sept. We still have a few places available if anyone would like to join us. The tickets at the moment are £25 per person but if we fill the bus the cost will be less.
The bus will pick up in North Walsham at 6.15am and then again in Taverham at 7am. We hope to arrive at Ally Pally by 10 am. If you are interested please email me at craftbuddies@yahoo.co.uk

Raspberries & White Chocolate....

2009-08-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

Today I've been busy decorating again, this time I've started on the kitchen. I haven't got too much to do....just freshen up the paintwork. I've decided to paint a slightly lighter shade to what we already have. There's no stopping me now I've started, so watch out John, this girl is on a mission.

I have also enjoyed the time at home to bake a bit more, something I can't get into when I've been at work all day. You'd never believe that I used to make between 3 & 10 celebration cakes a week. Today I made one of my families favourite desserts....Raspberry Ripple & White Chocolate Cheesecake. This cheesecake is scrummy and so easy to make so I thought I'd share it with you in case you may like to try it sometime. Here's the recipe -

Ingredients
Makes a 24cm cheesecake (freezable).
125g fresh raspberries
250g mascarpone or soft cream cheese
250ml whipping or double cream
125g white chocolate
100g icing sugar
125g butter
1 med pkt digestive biscuits-crushed
Juice of half lemon

Method
1. Melt the butter then add the crushed biscuits. Mix well then press into a 24cm spring-loaded cake tin.
2. Crush the raspberries with half the icing sugar and the lemon juice.
3. Place the white chocolate in a bowl and melt it gently over hot water, stirring continuously.
4. Whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks.
5. Whisk together the cream cheese and the rest of the sugar.
6. Fold together the cream cheese, cream, melted white choclate and raspberries.
7. Put the mixture on top of the biscuit base.
8. Smooth the top and tap the sides of the tin. Leave to set in the fridge for three hours.
9. Loosen the cheescake with a palette knife.
10. Dust with some icing sugar and decorate. It is also nice served with raspberry coulis.

You can swap the raspberries for strawberries, rhubarb or blackberries - whatever is in season.
ENJOY!!

Craft Room Pics

2009-08-04T13:49:00.000-07:00

This morning I went across to Sea Palling to visit Natalie, James and Ella. It's Nat & James' 2nd wedding anniversary today, so I took over their card and a small gift. Last night I made a card for Ella to give to them which they loved.

Spoke to Sheryl today, she's back from their holiday in the lake district, unfortunately the weather wasn't too good but they still had a good time. We are getting together on Thursday and are taking a trip to Holt. Holt is one of my favourite market towns around here as it is full of quaint little shops which sell the nicest things. There are also a few nice tea rooms so we will have no problem finding somewhere to treat ourselves to tea & cake.

As promised I have taken a few pictures of my craft room, I still have a few decorations to add but I'm still hunting the shops to find exactly what I want.

I now have a tidy rack for my papers.

Shannon made sure she got in this picture. As you can see she is guarding my stash.

Like I said yesterday, I have a few baskets to store my stash in. I can now see exactly what I've got, so in theory I should start using it instead of keep buying .....yeah right....

You'd never guess I have a thing for brads.....

My labelled baskets.

I just loved this planter when I saw it in 'Raspberry Village' and knew it would be perfect to hold my tools in and a bargain at £6.50

Time to update....

2009-08-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

I have been really bad at blogging recently, so I decided it was time I pulled myself together and got myself back on track. Now the school holidays are here I have been catching up on all those jobs I don't seem to have time for (or I put off). Last week I blitzed the study (which I like to call my craft room) and decided to decorate. I'm really pleased with it so far, Ive just got add the finishing touches and wait for John to lay the floor, then it's complete. Last week I purchased quite a few lined baskets and have used these to store all of my craft items on shelves. I have also labelled each basket...much to the amusement of my family, as it took me a couple of evenings firstly to make the tags and then to stamp them, I think there were 25 in all. Of course I didn't tell John how much the baskets cost, I'll tell him on a need to know basis and he doesn't need to know lol!
I will try and remember to take some pictures of the room tomorrow for you to see.

Today I have been making an Anniversary card for Natalie & James. tomorrow they will have been married for 2 years....where has that time gone. I can't believe how quickly that time has pasted, it seems like only yesterday that I was rushing around putting the final touches to her wedding cake and decorating the barn with flowers.
The stamp I used on the card was from Stampin' Up's 'Summer by the Sea' set. I decided to try and get a sepia look to it which would hopefully compliment the backing paper. I think it's worked.

Yippee!...School's Out!

2009-07-19T14:30:00.000-07:00

Yippee!!! school's out and the holiday begins........what makes you think I work in a school? Now is the time for me to catch up at home and spend some quality time crafting. I treated myself to a 'Bind-it-all' yesterday and I am now ready to start making myself some mini albums.There are a couple of projects that I have in mind so I hope to get these done over the hols.
As usual at the end of term I was asked to make a cake, this time it was for one of the teachers who was retiring. He came into school each week to teach PE and Swimmming to pupils with special needs. So as a bit of fun we decidied to give him a 'pool cake'.

Yesterday I went along to Alisons crop with Sheryl and as usual we didn't get very much done but we did join in the mini book class. We also bought some beautiful papers and embellishment s from Indigo Mill who came along with their new collections form Australia. Wonder over and have a look at their site as I know you won't be disappointed, the paper quality is fantastic. We are also pleased to say that Steph will be bringing Indigo Mill along to our Crop on 7th November so be sure to put us in your Diary.

July's Sneaky Peak

2009-07-04T13:16:00.000-07:00

It seems such a long time ago since our last 'Craft Buddies' meeting, so I'm really looking forward to next week. Unfortunately we are closed in August for the hols so I'm detemined to make the most of Saturday.

Sheryl has put together a beautiful card for this months class. The design she has used is perfect for any special celebration and especially now with the wedding season upon us. Don't forget to book if you'd like to take part in this months class as places are limited and always very popular.
Here is the sneaky peak you've been waiting for.......

Hi Pauline!

2009-06-27T05:08:00.000-07:00

Hi Pauline I told you I'd give you a mention! Pauline is one of the lovely ladies who comes to 'Craft Buddies'. I said I'd give her a mention when I next posted on here.

I'm sorry it's been a while since I've posted but work has been hectic, so in the evening if I sit down for too long I've been falling asleep. Not good....even my scrapbooking has suffered.
It has been one of my busiest times of year at work. Part of my job is organise activities week for approx 670 high school pupils plus staff. This year has been a bit of a logistical nightmare trying to put pupils into the activity they want to do and making sure that the staffing is adequate. Activities week took place during the week 8th-12th June, luckily all went well and the week was a great success.

As one of the options I organised a 'Scrapbooking & Altered Art' activity, (surprise, surprise) I was lucky enough to have two members of staff help me who were also keen crafters. Each time I have run this activity in school, I find that the pupils never cease to amaze me. We had 2 groups of 35 pupils, and each pupil made a scrapcube, 6"x6" book and altered a tin. The work they did was amazing, considering most of them had never done anything like this before (they were aged between 12 & 14yrs).

This is just a small sample of what the pupils produced. They paid £10 each for the activitiy which I thought was good value.

I am now organising my last event of the year which is the 'Future Pathways Experience'. This is a 3 day careers event where pupils in Yr 10 have the opportunity to go to a selection of A level and BTEC talks over the course of 2 days. This helps to prepare them for their 6th form application process in October. On the third day pupils are able to go to the Future Pathways exhibition to meet a selection of employers and training providers. This year I have been lucky enough to have 20 exhibitors agree to join us, including all of the forces, so hopefully this event will be successful as well.

Even though I have been busy at work I have managed to take time off at weekends, I have to otherwise I think I'd go mad. On the 13th June I was lucky enough to go to the Theatre Royal, here in Norwich to see Evita. Wow! what a show. I went with four friends. It was Sandra's 50th birthday so Joan, Anne, Debbie and myself surprised her by meeting her in the city before taking her on a mystery walk before ending up at the theatre. After the show we went back to Joans where we were greeted by our husbands. Between us we had organised a three course meal, which we later sat down to. We all had a great evening. A perfect end to a busy week.

Our Anniversary

2009-05-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

Today John and I celebrate our 21st Wedding Anniversary, I can't believe how quickly those years have passed. We have spent a quiet evening in with the girls, relaxing with a glass or two of wine!
I thought I would share with you the card that I made for John. As usual I left it to the last minute to get him a card, I was going to buy him one but they all seem to have the same boring pics on the front so I decided to make him one instead. Now that is a challenge in itself. I don't really enjoy making masculine cards as I find it difficult to know what design to do. I am quite pleased with how this card turned out and John liked it. I found a great site on the internet that has verses for all occasions (sorry I'm not sure of the sight at the moment...will post it later when I've checked).

Sneaky Peak of this months class.......

2009-05-06T14:24:00.000-07:00

Natalie has sent me a pic of this months class, so I thought I would share it with you. Natalie has already started to take bookings for the class and there are just a few spaces left. If you would like to book a place you can either email me or book on arrival on Saturday.

New Arrival

2009-05-04T13:58:00.000-07:00

Well its finally here. John now has his new baby.....an 848 Ducati. I must admit I wasn't too keen on him getting another bike at first, but it has always been his dream to get a decent bike. He is really made up and still can't believe his luck.

Now John has his bike he said I could treat myself, well I don't really need anything but a new craft room would be nice.....you can't blame a girl for trying.

Ella's Christening

2009-05-03T13:48:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated Ella's Christening. The service was at Sea Palling church, followed by buffet etc at 'The Old Hall Inn'. The weather, although windy at times, stayed fine throughout the day. Everyone enjoyed the celebrations including little Ella, who was so well behaved throughout the day.
I managed to take a few pictures and can't wait to start scrapping them.

Ella looked so pretty in her Christening gown. It was the one that I wore when I was Christened ....50 yrs ago.

I made Ella's Christening Cake and the little ornament on top which Natalie can keep.

When I was deciding on what to put on Ella's Christening card, I came across a picture of the Forever friends bear looking into a font. Unfortunately I was unable to buy a stamp of this design so I decided to draw it and paint with water colours. I wanted to add a little cross embellishment to the card but it was so difficult trying to buy something suitable so I made one by using 2mm gems.

Doesn't time fly.....

2009-04-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it was over a week ago that I last posted on here. Time just flies by these days!
Last week was rather a busy one. I have been snowed under at work organising this years activities week at school and I've also had a couple of cakes to make. One cake was for a member of staff at work who's sister was celebrating her 21st the other was a Wedding cake for Natalies friend Rachel.
I spent all of thursday evening putting the final touches to the wedding cake and making sure it was secure enough to travel. We had to travel down to Nottinghamshire with it on Friday, a 2-3 hour drive from Norwich. Amazingly it arrived safe and sound, with no mishaps on the way.

The weather was fantastic all weekend, slightly different to what was forecast. We had a lovely day and Rachel looked beautiful.

I made Rachel & Dan's Wedding Card using a stamp from SU's 'Summer by the Sea' range.
I used pearlescent card for the base card which I stamped with baroque swirls and heat embossed with satin pearl embossing powder. I also used the scallop edge and oval punches. The greetings on the front and inside the card were from the SU 'Very Versatile' set. I used green satin ribbon to go along with the wedding colour scheme.

This coming weekend we have little Ella's Christening, which I am really looking forward to.....and yes....another cake to make.

Great day at Ally Pally

2009-04-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, six of us went down to Alexandra Palace for The Big Stamp & Scrapbooking Show.
We left Norwich at 7am, bleary eyed but very excited. We had a good journey with no stops, and arrived at Ally Pally just after 9.15am, giving us plenty of time to stop for a coffee before we joined the queue to get in.
Once again the selection of stands and variety of products on sale were excellent and we all had a fantastic time. We managed to pick up some great tips whilst watching the demos at some of the stands and have got some great ideas that we can share at our Craft Buddies meetings.
One of the the things we enjoyed most was finding suppliers of products that are not available in most shops. It is always lovely finding something slightly different. One such stand was that of Craft Work Cards. They were selling beautiful pearlised papers and card at fantastic prices, as well as pre cut dies with greetings and pictures on. We all agreed that the bargain of the day was the 'Goody Bag' they were selling for £10. It contained 40 square cards & envelopes, die cut flowers, 6"x" papers (some foiled), embossed frames, die cut greetings, sweet sentiments, A4 cardstock, embossed borders, ribbon and card candy. We all loved the Chocolate goody bag containing papers from their 'Yummy Scrummy' range, in beautful marshmallow, cappuccino, cream and gold....almost good enough to eat. I have taken some pics of the kit to share with you.

I have looked on their website and they seem to sell these and others on a regular basis. Their addy is www.craftworkcards.co.uk
Of course I had to start using the kit almost straight away and this is what I came up with.

Today I made a 'Thank you' card for Clare to give to someone at work. I used 'Stampin' Up' perfect plum, lavender lace & certainly celery cardstock, verso watermark ink pad and stamp from the 'very versatile' set for the background, flowers & greeting from the 'live your dream' set, certain celery ribbon, scalloped oval & oval punches.

Crazy for Cupcakes

2009-04-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

Today I have been putting together a few cards using the SU 'Crazy for Cupcakes' set.

For this card I have used pretty in pink cardstock, and paper from the 'Tea Party' range (mini catalogue). I wanted to add a bit of sparkle to the card, so the greeting was heat embossed using tinsel silver embossing powder, and I also used a little crystal transparent embossing powder on the cupcake.

Once again I have used 'Pretty in pink cardstock and paper from the 'Tea Party' range. I have also used embossing powder on the greeting and balloon. I have also finished off this card by embellishing it with clear and pink gems.

For this card I have used Old olive and bashful blue cardstock along with silver mirror board. I have also used red and white gingham paper from Making Memories and I have embellished the cupcake with red gems. I have used the scalloped oval and oval punches and the greeting was from the 'Very Versatile' set.

I have again used the same cardstock as for the card above and have kept the design fairly simple. I have embellished the card with a couple of gems on the left hand side of the card.