Friday Freebie digital stamp = "Elenor"

7What a week!

I finally got to announce that the Little Musings are becoming an actual stamp range which was the highlight and mixed in with that I also got to do some hardcore potty training!
lol. It kinda puts life into perspective doesn't it? You can be basking in the golden light of happiness one moment, and the very next second, you can b e rudely shaken from your daydream by a waft of "something" up your nose...which see's you ceasing what you were doing in favour of an emergency poo hunt LOL.
Luckily enough for me, *touch wood* Finlay has mastered the potty really well with only a couple of mishaps and for that I am proud and grateful!
Right enough of that "potty talk" I know why you are here, and its for the FREEBIE!
Meet "Elenor"

Elenor is a very sweet little girl (Or so her parents like to b elieve) She loves carebears and marshmallows and watching Dora the explorer. She loves pink, pink and any other colour? Oh yeah, Pink. She believes that unicorns existed, and that mermaids live in the sea. She doesn't like having her hair washed - but loves to have it blow dried. This week Elenor has been poorly and has spent th e last two days in bed. Her parents are convinced she is sick.. and it is nothing to do with the Dora marthon on Nickelodeon Tv. *wink*

Here is what the Creative team did for me!
Leann made this card - as usual her clean, beautiful sewn cards never fail to make my go "ooooooo sooo pretty!!!" The simple sentiment at the bottom is beautiful - the layering is fab too, I always look at Leann's cards with jealousy at her colouring talent.

This bright beautifyl card comes from Tracy. Tracy was APRILS guest - and I am GUTTED to see her depart - If you want to see more of her work with the musings, pop on her blog and tell her!!!

Carolines gorgeous style shines through again on her latest musing card - Its the details on Carolines cards that make my heart beat a little faster - I love her blossom and pins and sentiments! I've said it a 100 times, but I real ly do love them!
(look at the pearls seperating the two panels of pretty paper... yup.. cute huh!)

So - if you like Elenor - and want her for free then downlaod her:
HERE

Right click and either save as, or copy picture url to repost on your blog:

The winner will get a mounted colour print of their musing sent in the post too.
Have fun!

Some exciting news about little musings designs.

Well - I can finally let you into a secret that has been bubbling away at me for weeks upon end now... those of you who love stamping and the little musings designs I have been drawing will be excited too to hear that:
PERSONAL IMPRESSIONS
have picked up my designs to create a range of stamp sets!!!!
This means three things:

1: As a customer , when the range goes on sale you will be able to buy the stamps from your local craft stores (if not then you should pester them to stock the range lol!)

2: if you are a UK craft shop then you will be able to stock my designs in your store when they become available with personal impressions.

and 3: Is that I am so over the moon exicted about this that I cannot even measure my joy!

I would just like to say thank you - to anyone who downloaded an image from me. I am sure that the popularity of the downloads had a part to play in the decision making, and that is all down to you - so thank you.
xxxxxxx

If you want to be added to a mailing list regarding the musings progress, availabilty and so forth - please email me:
sarahjane@scrappyfairy.co.uk
Mark your email "MAILING LIST" in the email title.

I can't think of a good title for this post....

Today my brain is numb from feeling un well - bad tummy and headache that feels like it is splitting my perception of life in half.

So on that charming and happy note I am blogging my latest blogable bits.

I was with my mum the other day having a good nose round the thrift shops in Bexhill - when I found this union jack tea towel. It was brand new with tag - so that kinda put me off (as it was crispy new and looked it) But it was 50p... so I bought it and came home to think about its future. Turns out I couldn't wait to alter it - as 10 minutes later I was to be found outside with bricks and sandpaper distressing the fabric. *FYI that works amazingly well*

Once I distressed it - I quilted the towel onto some wadding - following the lines of the union jack and so forth. Then I found some cute white and blue cotton stripe fabric and sewed the back on - turned it right way out - stuffed with old stuffing and part of an old duvet (to make it properly vintage style heavy, lumpy etc) and sewed it up!

I am pretty pleased with it really.... what do you think?

Today is my turn on the Fiskars UK (Fiskarettes) Blog - and I made two projects this week. A card for my parents anniversary....

which I spritzed with mist to highlight and sparkle...

And a LO featuring Ben & Fin on mini tractors...

You see that cute cloud pattern? that is giant patterned paper tape! Its called "Cute Paper Tape" or something - its about 2" wide and I LOVE it...

The layout is bright and colourful - just how I felt about the day the photo was taken...

Come back 2morrow for some REALLY cool news.....

Till then - I am off for a lay down in a darkened room.

Hello all!

I feel like I haven't scrapped in ages - which is probably true - I have found that my drive for it has slowed down somewhat - I think since in the new place - having a garden and no "designated" room to scrap in does quash the creativity.
Which is a shame.
I think having new photos will help = and I have ordered some so hopefully that will give me a needed boost.
Today I am spending all day in doors with Finlay - as we have started on the long road of potty training. I took some advice and we have done it the "all or nothing route" we have no proper nappies in the house anymore - we have pull up night time pants for bedtime and in the day time he is in actual big boy pants! It is an approach I must admit some would raise an eyebrow too, however, I am over the moon with it, as it is already working with great success today!
Finlay was obviously ready for it though, I can imagine potty training a child who wasn't ready for it this way would be disastrous for their confidence.
We have had only one accident today - which makes me a proud mummy indeed.
Talking of proud mummy moments - this came home with him from nursery the other day - *bless* His first masterpieces!

*heart strings twang twang*

Sunday Sunday tea cup madness.

Today was a good day - it started off with a lay in for me, thanks to Ben and the fact that he got up and half six, took Finlay to a car boot fair and left me blissfully dreaming about all sorts of random things. At half past eight I was woken by Finlay prising my eye lids apart to tell me that Ben had fed him chips in the field where the boot fair was held. I got up, dressed and we all went to the "lazy start" car boot fair in Rye. I love lazy start boot fairs!
When I got there, I was amazed at how much random old china there was... I bought a couple of cheapo bits which I regret now, but when I came across these beauties my heart leap!
Ben dampened my soaring heart glow by saying £15 was too much - and he was right - ish... so I said good bye to them an continued with the rummaging. I thought about the cups all the way round, and even when it rained and most people were hurrying to their cars, all I could think about where the cups I had "let go"...
When we left, Ben drove past the end of the row where their stall was, and I got out the car, and ran over to them, they had packed up and I knocked on their car window and said "Do you still have the cups... would you take £10?" And - they said yes!
Now - don't get me wrong, I am aware that £10 is still more than my £1 limit (per cup) that I had set myself for the tea party that I am collecting them for... but as you can see, they were worth it! When I got home I showed Ben properly and we realised they were made by "Royal Standard" and a single trio of them (Which I have six of now) Was worth around each £8-10 so YAY!

So beautiful yes?
I can't wait to drink pink lemonade/pink wine from them heheh!
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It's official... I am addicted to tea cups and tea pots at the moment. I feel like I am throwing my soul into my birthday tea party planning - and I really hope I can make it what my soul wants/needs it to be!
I discovered some shrink plastic in my stash draw last week - and new I wanted to make some "charms" as part of the little gifts I am planning for the tea party... I drew the teacups and pots on the shrink plastic in American Crafts pen 03 (My most used pen of all time)

I then punched a hole in each cut out doodle.. so I could add a jump ring when shrunk..

I then used a heat gun to speed up the process of shrinking. Plus doing shrink plastic in the oven is a task I have no patience for!
Here is a tea pot cut out of the plastic PRE-shrunk (the cup is already shrunk)
and here is the tea pot shrunk for comparisonHow cute are they!!!
I think I will be making a fair few of these pretties... next time in colour!
Ps: If you have shrink plastic - don't be put off by the doodling aspect - you can actually see through the plastic to start with as it is slightly opaque - so, print off a picture - and put it under the plastic sheet and trace it!
Problem solved
:-)

Blog Birthday!

Today is my blog's 4th birthday.

I find it funny that I have kept up this blog for so long - and now it is a daily part of my life. A part that I have come to love.

I thought that I would show you some of my first Layouts from my first ever album...

Some are shamefully bad, but all part of the journey I guess!

Whilst many of my albums have been "pruned" The majority of my 1st album remains in tact for the pure purpose of remembering the start of my "scrapping addiction"

This is the first page I ever made! please note:

Tearing - something I now never do!

Awkward tag placement and die cuts!

Classy!

This was my 2nd ever page - more die cuts - and... shudder... FIBRES!

We all loved fibres so much didn't we!! hehehe!

However - I did go through a giant phase of hand cutting titles that I had printed onto cardstock.. I did it for nearly very page I made! I used to ink and heat emboss them every time to strengthen the letters.. it took me AGES.. and It wasn't till my 2nd album that I started experimenting with other title ideas.

My first and RARE double Layout - featuring me & Ben horseback riding over Dartmoor.

The saddles were old and ill-looked after and our bottoms were actually bruised - we did this on the first day of our holiday together and couldn't sit properly for the rest of the week!

You see the alphabet papers in the page below? I made those! LOL a lot!

More freaky fibres and hand cut titles.....

The title on this next page was by far the fanciest title I ever "Made" in my first album... edged in gold embossing powders and double layered... lol... life is TOO short now for that sort of faff!

I don't hate it though - I look back and remember how much love I had for the pages I made and I smile...

After this album - I went through a long phase of 8.5x11.

This I found a great size as it was quick, however the appeal soon wore off and I was back to 12x12 after about 4 albums worth.

This layout makes me realise that my ring needs cleaning!

I don't know when my over use of ribbon and ribbon slides wore off - but thank goodness that it did!

I think these next two are towards the end of my 8.5x11 albums... and they are some of my favourite 8.5x11 pages that I made.

The layout next was the first time I used "negative" space on a page - and I firmly believe that this is the LO that started my love affair with "Cluster" scrapping.

Sinful that I used the same photo in the same album two pages apart = but I got over it pretty quick lol! It makes me nostalgic to look back over the "past" pages - I must admit - I never get the albums out for a flick through, ever. So doing this was really lovely to see my pages and what I had scrapped about - what meant a lot at the time etc.

Which is why this page seems "apt" at this point....

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I have made some life changing friendships through this beautiful hobby - true friends that mean the world to me. I have shed tears over this hobby - at the sometimes darker side to online life, but mostly I have laughed till my sides ached, been to retreats and met lovely people, stayed in a cute but cold log cabin, played guess who on the kitchen floor at 3am with like minds, jumped off steps, sat on a ornamental canon, laid in the grass and balanced on logs for photos, I have screamed with joy over new releases, had exciting news a few times, and sad news some others, I have bought about 20 pairs of scissors which always go missing, I have come to love the postman's parcel "knock" more than any other time in my life and hope that this all continues...
Happy blog birthday me..
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And - it wouldn't be a celebration on my blog if I didn't offer a freebie now would it?
CUPCAKES! (funnily enough, Katy you requested cupcakes as a freebie one day - who knew it would be the NEXT day lol!?)
There is also a postcard image for you to print out on a blank postcard / card front etc.

Want it?
Here you go!

Friday Freebie - 23rd April - Alfonzo!

I blinked and Friday came - I must admit, having a Friday commitment like the freebie makes the week wizz past, sometimes too fast -and before I know it - I find myself waking on a Friday realising that I haven't organised myself, the download, the promo page etc etc at all - and leaves me in a right old panic! Getting up at 6am today helped (Finlay's internal alarm clock seems to be set to "Irritatingly early" at the moment... and even black out lining hasn't prevented this monkey from waking early!)
Anyway - here I am once more, kept sane by the lovely comments some of you leave me!! - they do mean the world.. those of you who comment make my day - thank you xxx
Onto the reason you are all here this sunny Friday morning!.......
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Meet "Alfonzo"
(Ok.. so his actually name is Archibald.. but who wants to be called that when you have grand dreams of wizardry?) Alfonzo can be found beneath a duvet and sheet draped over two chairs reading one of two books.
1: Harry potter - deathly hallows.
or
2: Hints'n'tips to awesome tricks.
His favourite food is dinosaur turkey shapes and curly fries.
He likes ice cream sodas and hanging out with Bertie his black cat - whom he is convinced understands every human word.......

As usual - my creative team have worked wonders for your inspiration.
Caroline has made this stunning card creation - rocking the sassafrass to epic proportions!
loving his blue shoes :-)
Kylie has made this beautiful card - those star buttons are beautiful aren't they?!
Cute colour combination of the purple and orange.
*heart*

When Tracy emailed me this image - I was like "That is pure... GENIUS!"
What a brilliant idea for the freebie!
Such a cute party favour that it blew my mind.

And it had me wondering - if the freebie looked so good on a party favour t0pper, what else in the "party line" would it work on?
So - I made this party invitation. Laura mentioned to me last week that the freebies would sometimes make cool invite images... and she was right. cute huh?
(The invitation is actually included in the download you lucky lucky people!)

And what party is complete without mini bunting?
I used a string of 8 Alfonzo's - perfect for the average door frame. (2 to a 6x4 sheet - I included the template to print for this in the download)

So - that concludes today's post - one thing left to say...
DOWNLOAD HERE
(and if you like it - let me know!)
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inspiration in pictures........

A few pretties that make my day happy happy happy.

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I love art - its official - I always have, from when I cold hold a crayon to present day and for the rest of my random inky filled life.

I especially love pretty whimsical art that can make you laugh, think, cry and art that resonates with your soul...

I also love it when art can make you say "Ohmygosh.. that is SOOO totally me, or you" etc..

I have come across two artists this week who make me smile.

One being Corina Rothwell.

I bet at least one of these makes you smile..

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this one makes me think of me... I HATE washing up... with a burning passion that somehow convinces me that its ok not to do it LOL.. poor Ben.

And this next one is SOOOO BEN at Tesco supermarket - doing the weekly shop together tests our marriage to its limits.. luckily we have never filed for divorce over a packet of rivitas... yet..

This next one is all about my friend Laura - lol... no explanation needed for that cheese'o'holic!

This one used to be me, I had a real butter addiction.. luckily enough I have shed that side to me!

And this one just because its so bizarre that I feel I need to have it in a frame in my hall.

This one is for my cat Lola - and I am sure ANY cat indeed...

This one is for Laura and Shimelle together...

how many did you identify with?

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This next artist sells her prints on Etsy. Which I adore, as Etsy is a beautiful place of wonder to get lost in for hours on end.

Vol25's shop is :here:

her artwork is so so so beautiful - I think Elsie linked to it this week too - which made remember that I had saved some of her work in my "Pretty inspiration" folder...

*sigh*

I will buy one, one of these days... I think the typewriter ones are my fav.

I would LOVE to see who you adore.. who inspires your work?

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