JB-Crafting Supplies...Another Tag...Another Tale

 Todays creation is a design team make for the fabulous JB-Crafting Supplies. I have made another piece of tag art and as always it is a memory based item. For this tag I used this old english prayer from my stash as the basis, alongside these stamped pansies from the Joanna Sheen set of embroidered flowers. I have coloured the flowers and the lace with my promarkers and coloured the prayer using my distress ink. Both the tag and the backing paper is available from Julie over at JB-Crafting Supplies.
The memory that sent me to make this tag was remembering when my Grandmothers friends would come over for a tea party and would always put the world to rights during the course of their afternoon. More often than not they would all bring their sewing with them and their needles would flash in and out of their sewing whilst they chatted and laughed. At that time, the ladies did a lot of embroidery. They sewed tablecloths, chair backs, tray cloths, cushion covers and lots of other pieces of household linen. I always remember an embroidered pillow slip at my Aunt Aramintas...she had sewn a basket of flowers on the pillow case and every morning I would wake up with a perfect replica on my cheek. The french knots always hurt the most..lol.

I am lucky enough to have samples of their work in my collection and have even sewn a number to join in with it. I also have a collection of scraps which I have bought from charity shops..it was so sad to see these perfect little pieces of embroidery just about to be thrown out..so I have collected them and intend to make a patchwork throw using them all. Someone loved enough to make them to grace their homes and all that love must count for something.

Well the coffee is calling and I have some work to do. All my cats are in and out today as the wind is blowing. They can't make up their minds whether they love it or hate it. Raven is the only one that really loves it. She is running round and round the studio roof, sending holly leaves into the air. Most of the other cats are looking at her as if she's crazy..lol. Jeffrey has just run back inside as the magpies have arrived. It seems as if they will never forgive him for going so near to their nest. So as the caffeine calls...until next time...take care and happy crafting.

Driving Home for Christmas

Todays card is a decoupaged image, available from jb-crafting supplies. In the pack there are 8 images and matching backing papers. It is a really lovely set to work with. I have recently seen the matching summer image to this one and it's equally nice. The artist is Andrea Jayne and this set is from the Docrafts Tulip Christmas range.
I have always been a christmas nut..I love the colours, the twinkling lights and all the traditions. We have made our own traditions in this family...blending older family ones with new ones and with a little hope they will continue  There are recipes that have been passed down which I'm writing down for my son, so he can share them in the future. If you have old family recipes or christmas traditions ,then please write them down..scrapbook them..it's your way of sharing them with the future generations of your family. One of our traditions is to buy one ornament for the tree every year..you never know what is going to take your fancy from one year to the next. But come the next christmas it's so nice when you unpack them and recall the memories attached to each one. Last year we began the owl tree. We have a collection of owl ornaments and clear glass icicles which has been building over the last few years. Well last year I decided that I wanted to do something special..so we created the owl tree. My son went out and cut me some twigs and small branches...I then painted them white and glittered them. We put them into a weighted vase and then decorated them with the owls and the icicles. Around the base of the vase we put some white tinsel and somehow the whole thing looked quite magical. It will be returning this year.
So whatever your family traditions..enjoy them and try to record them for future generations. They are what helps to make christmas such a special time of year. Well the coffee is calling and craft time is coming so wherever you are..take care and happy crafting

The Ginger Patchwork cat

Todays card is from Magical Christmas Moments available from Creative Crafting. Of course I adore this image because of the fabulous ginger cat. I wanted to make a patchwork backing paper so I used the new dies from Joanna Sheens Signature die range and took the colours from the image. I am really pleased with the effect. There is something so cosy about patchwork. It makes me think of my childhood and being tucked under the quilt with the wind and rain raging outside. A feeling of being safe and of being loved. Isn't it funny just what can set the memories off. Sometimes a piece of music, sometimes a certain smell or sometimes a picture can bring it all back. The smell of pine trees and woodsmoke make me think of early christmas morning. The squeak of new shoes make me think of the start of Autumn term at school. The texture of a candlewick bedspread takes me back to being little , lying in bed. The feeling on the air at the time of the first frost takes me to misty fields, walking in the early morning. It's so strange that all these memories can come from thinking about a card that you have made. I do a lot of scrapbookong and I think that it's these memories and experiences that we want to keep..to be able to recreate for other people to share. I want to share with my children my experiences, thoughts and dreams. Sometimes as an adult we get so caught up with work, paying the bills and keeping the household running that we can forget the dreams and the hopes that we had for ourselves when we young. And yet sometimes when life gets hard we wish we could be back there. To me that's what scrapbooking is all about .Remembering those special moments, the good times, the quirky moments. So please start to scrapbook and let future generations remember who you are..the dreams you had and the memories that you have made.
Well the glitter pot beckons..so it's time to craft. Coffee, I think is called for. So wherever you are have a good day..take care and happy crafting.