END OF YEAR CLASSMATE GIFT

Time really does fly....seriously. I'm sure everyone can relate....but especially parents. I mean, it seems like only yesterday Theo started school and here we are, his last week of P3 (Grade 3). It feels like I've blinked since Christmas.....The year's now half over....wow.

Well keeping up with the tradition that was started last year, I like to make something special for Theo and the kids in his class. Last year was the "Congratulations Smartie Pants"

 

I wanted to follow along the same food related gift as its pretty hard to get wrong - I mean who doesn't like cookies right??? So, I let Theo pick the type. Double Chocolate Chip cookies it is.....

I have to say, I was pretty impressed with myself in the creation of the ticket. I used PicMonkey and used a standard font and background. Here is the image:

 

As luck would have it, there was a sale on and I managed to get the cookies for £1 per pack of 6! 29 kids in the class and one special one for a best friend and there you have it; £5 in cookies for an entire class. Not bad....

I printed them 6 per page on photo paper and punched a hole in the top corner of the packet and the ticket. Tied some purple ribbon through and there you have it! A great end of year treat for the whole class that didn't break the bank.

Email me for the image, Im happy to share :-)

FATHER'S DAY CARD

Peeps.....I've got to tell you something.....I've started a new relationship. A new, amazingly awesome relationship. You see, I've got a Cricut. Well, a Cricut Mini to be specific. If you've read my blog before and seen the Sonic the Hedgehog stuff or the Mario or Mushroom templates, you know that I've had to do all of this stuff for YEARS by hand. I have always wanted a Cricut....AND NOW I HAVE ONE!!

Hey Gorgeous!!

 Theo was so incredibly excited for this too! He's seen lego "skins" being made using a vinyl template and he is convinced that the Cricut can do this. I need to look it up but as this beaut can do EVERYTHING else, I wouldn't be surprised if she can make these "skins" too. *super excited*

I couldn't wait to try it out. But with purpose. Not just anything....a project. Father's Day seemed to be the best reason to get a project started.

Theo and I downloaded the software from the Cricut website. Plugged in the machine and seriously that's it. After less than 5 minutes, we were ready to go.

You get this amazing sticky mat that keeps the material in place. The gridlines match the gridlines in the software. So basically, what you have on the mat on screen, prints out on the mat in the machine. Super cool.

Add caption

You have access to free content within the basics library but you can buy downloadable stuff online through the Cricut Craftroom website. 

We decided that we wanted to make 2 cards for Dad. One dedicated to Theo and Dad's fav passtime; video games. 

£0.99?? How can you beat that???

You pick the image from your library in the software (you can search by keyword too) and bring the image up on your on screen mat. 

With the measurements on screen and on the mat you have a perfect idea of how big the project is going to be. We loaded up the paper onto the sticky mat and followed the on screen directions.

 

It's done. All you have to do is peel it back from the sticky mat. 

Someone's pretty pleased with himself

My choice was a Super Dad card. Again, on sale on the website!

Super easy. Same process. Load the paper on to the sticky mat, follow the 3 steps on screen and you're done. Peel back and you have yourself a fab card for the special Dad in your life.

I went back and printed the insert on yellow paper to make the image pop. What'd you think??

 

I can't stress enough how easy this was! I can't wait to see everything it can do!! There is over 80,000 images to chose from.......amazing. 

TELEPHONE TABLE

I gotta say, its been a while since I had the chance to do a furniture piece. Don't get me wrong, I HAVE a ton of furniture pieces to do.....but I just don't have the time these days...

My Sister and Brother-In-Law have just bought a beautiful new house. Their entrance / porch is massive, and full of light. So when I was given a vintage telephone table, I knew exactly who it would go to!

First step was to sand it all down. Then I used a couple coats of Dulux Satinwood in Caramel Sand.

I bought a remnant piece of fabric from a local fabric store and recovered the cushion. *My staple gun is my best friend*

 

So, here she is, with her new look! I really hope my Sis-in-Law likes her!! 

What do you think? ;-)

PICKING THE RIGHT TOASTER??

When we bought the house 6 years ago, I fell in love with the kitchen. Not specifically the decor, but the size. I miss the large open-plan style of my old house in Canada. I know everything is much smaller and relative here in the UK, but I still miss SPACE. So, when I saw the kitchen in this house, I knew it was for me. I have enough space for a 6 seater dinning table and if the space was used better, I could have more cabinets installed.....*kitchen daydreaming*

Mum-in-law helping with Christmas dinner

Truth is, its kinda bland. Boring even. The sun doesn't come through until much later in the day and to be honest, coupled with the greys and neutral colouring, it feels cold. The fridge, microwave and dishwasher are all grey and the stove is black. Can't really afford to change any of these guys, so thats out of the question.

I've been toying with the idea of changing the tiles and the cabinets. Thats alot of cash though...which we don't have. SO, how do I breathe some life into my boring and dull kitchen???

This is what I started with. Ikea has these cute prints and I thought the rainbow palette was cute and non-offensive. I think that it does brighten up the solid grey wall but still, it doesn't really help the overall look....

Next on my hit-list are the small appliances. Toaster; Im looking at you!!

Check out all of these amazing toasters. I think I need something as bold as some of these beauts. There are some models that come in 6 or 7 different colours. Some of them have a real retro feel and others are more modern. Decisions, decisions....

My question is; How bold can you go with your small appliances without looking garish? And, if you were in my position, which one would you choose???

HELP PEEPS!!  I need colour....

DE-CLUTTER YOUR LIFE

Confession time.....I'm a hoarder. Well, I'm trying to get over it and use the standard "Have you used this in 6 months?" rule. Sometimes I stick to it, sometimes I don't. The thing is.....I LOVE stuff. All kinds of stuff. Now that I have the blog and my craft obsession....I have even more STUFF. My spare room / craft room is currently over run with clothing, craft supplies and furniture thats on the upcycle waiting list.

I can't help myself.

It's gotten a little out of hand though......and there is very little space left.

What can a girl do????? Not too long ago, I used Music Magpie for the first time. I sold unwanted cds and dvds. It was a great way to get rid of some of the clutter in the house and also, make some cash! I think I go about £50 for all of the stuff. PLUS, they pay the postage. Pretty sweet.

SO, In my quest for the best way to get rid of some more of my unwanteds, I thought I should check out MusicMagpie again.....They've gotten even better!! Now, they take clothing. *happy days*

All you have to do is go to their clothing section and type in the brand of clothing you're looking to get rid of. Then the clothing type (from the drop down menu) and then the details (material, size, gender, etc) then click ADD and they give you a price. Once you're done filling in all of the information, you can finish the session and then send them the stuff (for free using their courier service) and GET PAID!! *they can pay you by cheque, bank transfer or in vouchers*

On top of the clothing, you can still sell all of the cds, dvds, tech and electronic stuff you want.

Old, unwanted clothes for cash?!?!? Amazing.

I'm excited to go through and get de-cluttered now!! Go check out MusicMagpie too! Just think of the crafty stuff you can buy with the CASH!!