Ah, Boxing Day...

A day made for sitting back, putting your feet up and digesting food... and with that comes the perfect opportunity to blog about bits and bobs! I've neglected to blog about our Halloween costumes [which feels like forever ago!] And if you haven't guessed already, we chose a Ghostbusters theme! After seeing the new movie, I felt inspired to do something pop culture and relevant and to pay tribute to the original franchise. I'm not good enough a costume maker to create detailed outfits which are true to either film, If I'm honest they are more like Blue Peter Pritt Stick quick-fix, but hey ho, they held together for the night! Here are just a few final details :)


So, it's worth mentioning that this Ghostbusters 'crew' consists of three members, myself [Mrs Stay Puft] and David [husband] & Simon [wife] as my arch rival Ghostbusters!

Me and Simon set out to complete the Ghostbuster jumpsuits first, which involved a cheeky eBay purchase, neon fabric from Abakhan and Simon was able to source the iconic badges online. We managed to put these bits together in a fun wine-fuelled evening [whilst David played on his PS4 - Go team! haha] We also created hand-embroidered name tags to give the outfits a personal touch.

The backpack involved a beer box, various other upcycled containers and gauges and knobs stolen from an old cooker! A hot-glue gun, a lick of black paint and a length of tubing later, and et voila! You have yourself a Proton Pack! :)


Doesn't it look glamorous on my ironing board? We then adhered the finished box onto a small grey backpack from Decathalon [only £2.49 - bargain!]



So, creating Mrs Stay Puft was no mean feat, if you're aware of the character - you'll know that it's essentially a huge marshmellow man... not so flattering! I decided early on that I'd go for volume in the skirt and opt for a sailor girl, cosplay vibe! I handmade the tutu with the tying method, which involves knotting narrow lengths of netting onto a piece of ribbon and packing them tightly together. I vastly underestimated how much netting I needed - all in all I think I used 10m! Luckily white netting is standard so it all co-ordinated. Here's a little piccie of me in my livingroom with the finished tutu! [note, I'm so bloody thrifty that I've since transformed the tutu into two mini fairy tutus for my little cousins]


The lovely Editor of Love Sewing, Amy Thomas was kind enough to lend me the sailor bib, which I sported over a white t-shirt dress. I die-cut the letters for the belt using white felt which a self adhesive sheet on the back.


I'm most proud of the teeny weeny hat I made, which was very last minute! It involved covering a strip of pliable card with blue material, stuffing it with carved foam. I covered the foam with white felt before securing the band around the edge and sewed a covered button through the centre. A few finishing touches later [PUFT lettering & a ribbon] it was good to go! Here's the collection together, with the finished ensemble, I donned a cheap white wig, some big pants [to try and cover my modesty] and white Doc Marten heels. 


Showtime! Here's my beloved with his outfit... I'd call him anytime ;)


My boys, giddy with excitement! They wear it so well! <3


Here we are together, in the spotlight!


And here's me, rocking the full volume of that epic tutu! I love this outfit and can't wait to throw myself into more handmade upcyled creations in the future - maybe next time I wont just wait till Halloween!


I hope you enjoyed a little bit of a change from cardmaking, I sure did!

N x

Greetings,

With Christmas nearly upon us, I thought it time to share a pair of card designs I concocted this year! The beauty of Christmas cards is that you're essentially batch-making, so once you've decided / set up the elements you're good to go! I made 25 in total, which took 3 hours tops? I do think I cheated a little bit... but I'll let you be the judge of that!


Ever the budget-savvy crafter, I used low costing materials to achieve a clean-&-simple-meets-elegant-bling look. The snowflakes are die-cut from cheeky wallpaper samples I got from B&Q [they must be sick of me wondering in and out for freebies!] and because I'm cheap and didn't want to use self adhesive shapes for each die-cut - I decided to use my sewing machine to secure the snowflakes to the card front. Another option was spray glue, but I find that it can be quite messy. I sewed the sentiment banner too... I would like to point out that I did it for the shabby-chic aesthetic too - honestly. The cardstock is leftover from my wedding, and the border is everyday Christmas metallic ribbon [from IKEA] which I adhered with double-sided tape.



My sewing machine threw a bit of a hissy-fit every now and then as the layers where quite thick but we got through it together! Thats the Christmas spirit! <3

I hope you like my festive contribution, and I hope the recipients liked them too :)

N xxxx

Good tidings to one and all!

Christmas is nearly upon us, and I'm happy to report that I'm feeling the festive spirit! It's hard to believe that I started this blog as my 2016's New Years resolution and that 70+ posts later, here we are. I haven't posted as much as I'd like to, but I'm so happy that I've created a platform which I can continue to grow creatively. I also have a few bits of very exciting news to share in the New Year which I know will push my growth and creativity in 2017! All will be revealed... in January!

But for now, I'm happy to share a selection of wintry cards which I made for Die-cutting Essentials issue 17, featuring the free Stardust stamp and die set which I actually had a hand in designing! I'm proud of my uber-bling creations which I think work for everyday occasion too.




This issue is on sale now and can be found here :)


I hope you like my makes! I have plenty more to share.. so stay tuned!

N x

Hello!
Sunday has rolled around again and it was a miserable misty afternoon... just perfect the night before Halloween! We celebrated last night, and I can confirm that we went to town on our outfits! More detail to follow.. it pays to be crafty!

I'm here to brighten the mood with a sneak peek of my fabulously fruity cards which feature in issue 16 of Die-cutting Essentials which is on sale now! My cards focus on the Fruit Salad dies from Hero Arts :)




To grab a copy of Die-cutting Essentials 16 click here.
Until next time! <3
N x

Hello all,

I'm a very happy camper because Friday has come around again in a flash!

Plans for this weekend... making cards with the new Dear Lizzy Saturday collection, practising my driving skills [or lack there of] ahead of my test and hopefully we'll be trying out a new Tapas restaurant in the village I live in with a couple of friends.

I'm stopping by to share a selection of cards that I made for Die-cutting Essentials issue 15 which feature Cheery Lynn Designs sentiment dies. It can be quite tricky to make the sentiment the focal point of the card, but it helped me to think more about composition and versatility. I managed to do a fun shaker card, a bit of inlay die-cutting and get a bit of bling in there!




The paper pack I used for the feature is one from DCWV called Happy Day which I love and have since used for many projects

Until next time :D
N x


Cor blimey it was a cold one today!
Luckily I swapped my denim jacket and pumps for my tweed coat and Docs!

My lovely Meem is making me a cardigan for Christmas which is becoming a bit of an annual tradition! I came across this fabulous piece of neon knitwear on a blog that I follow through Instagram. Andi Satterlund is seriously talented, you can find inspiration and purchase this pattern and many more from her site. I struggled to find the yarn used, so have opted for coral which is one of my favourite colours. Keep your eyes peeled in the coming months for the finished article! Maybe one day I'll be good enough to knit a garment like this! #practisemakesperfect


In other news, I've been busy starting on Christmas commissions for Papercraft Essentials, this little collection of cards was made using Christmas Wishes range from Kaisercraft! I love the contemporary colourway in this collection which I teamed with a bit of bling. The faux-wood and pine tree background papers add an illusion of texture to the design and what I really like about the range is the unique sentiments. I get so bored of 'Merry Christmas' over and over again!




And you can't go wrong with a cheeky gift tag!
I hope you liked my makes :D
Until next time <3
N x


Well hozar for Fridays!

It's been a tough old week, so i'm very excited about doing sweet-eff-all this weekend. Sleeping, hibernating, eating - much like a bear! That must be my spirit animal! Maybe I'll find time to play with my new stash, I also have Halloween costumes to make which I'm rather giddy about! Hint - there's a white wig on the way!

I digress, let's get back to business! Here's a selection of cards that I made for Papercraft Essentials using the Boho Dreams collection from Kaisercraft. I adore this collection, it features soft florals and whimsical illustrations which are perfect for loads of occasions - I especially love this sentiment from the stamp set 'thank you for your friendship' which I plan to use for letters and and forget-me-nots to friends :) I hope you like the collection!



As a collector of vintage cameras, this topper is my cup of tea! If you look closely, there's also a bit of cheeky denim in there, and bling of course!


The collection is huge - you get all these toppers to work with! Perfect for scrapbooking which is next on my to-do list.



This topper looks a bit like my bike [or dream bike!]
Thanks for stopping by! N <3
Hello, hello, hello!

It's another week, and it's certainly turning chilly! I don't mind a brisk morning as it means I can start to break out my snazzy jumper collection, woollen tights and boots!

I'm excited to share a sneak peek of the cards that I made for Die-cutting Essentials issue 13 using the Marquee Collection from Creative Dies. Designed by my dear talented friend Vicky Welsby, I love the versatility of these dies - within the feature I used gems, buttons, bells and even fairy lights which can be seen below [not as effortless as it looks!] I think this collection combines the vintage feel of old school marquee lights and a contemporary clean twist. I chose to use the dies with a glamorous 'all that glitters' colour scheme - black & white and a pop of gold!

For this card I coloured in clear gems with a gold marker pen to create custom embellishments for my marquee die-cut! I don't think you can ever go wrong with black & white - you could easily swap the gold for another bold colour to mix things up.


The Teresa Collins Wanderlust paper pad was a lucky find, and it has come in for many other projects - perfect for cards for men!

Here's a cheeky little card using the peace sign which I love! Make cards not war! I offset a black die-cut behind the white to create a hint of shadow without making the card look too dark. The acetate sentiment is from the docrafts Forever Friends Opulence collection - I love the dimension it creates.




If you want to grab any of the dies in the collection and the co-ordinating stamps, they are all available from CraftStash here.

Last but not least, here's the frame that I made for the feature, which involved twisting very tiny fairy lights around the back of a chipboard die-cut - tricky but worth it! I think this idea is great for weddings and can be customised with a name or date with ease.


Until next time... keep crafting! *sways*

N x
Thank goodness it's Friday!

And with that, I'd like to share a lovely little feature I contributed to Die-cutting Essentials issue 12, which focusses on using free paint swatches to make ombre-inspired cards!

I so enjoyed making these clean & simple cards, and have since made many more cards with different swatches and colourways. I'm becoming more adventurous with colour, the beauty of paint swatches is that the colour combinations to create an ombre-look are ready and free to take from local DIY shops!


This fab build-a-cake die is from My Mind's Eye and come with a banner die and a diamond ring - great for wedding, engagement and birthday cards!



This is my favourite, remember it's important to smile! :)

Natalie <3

Hello hello hello!

I was lucky enough to work with Kaisercraft's Finders Keepers collection for a feature in Papercraft Essentials issue 133. Kaisercraft are one of my favourite brands, they regularly release full collections that always include a range of co-ordinating elements - there's something for everyone!


This eclectic collection is quirky, bold, nostalgic and whimsical - perfect for a whole range of of cards projects! I especially love the gushing sentiments, which are great for scrapbooking pics too.




I hope you like my quick makes  :)
N x
Hello all!

For anyone who knows me, I don't drive [yet!] so my bicycle has been somewhat of a lifesaver for getting out and about and to work on a daily basis. Cycling through the winter months is pretty tough, so my bike usually gets relegated to the garden in favour of lazy train rides! The last winer took its toll on the old girl, so I was inspired to give her a makeover this summer!

Regrettably, I didn't take many shots of the process given that it was a very spontaneous process! I replaced the chain, the grips, brakes and gave her a lick of paint! Here's a before and after shot of my bike who I have now christened Tango!


I've learnt a lot from the process...




  1. Spiders enjoy making a home in the most usual nooks and crannies.
  2. A £20 budget can go a long way to give a bike a new lease of life.
  3. And most importantly, that spray paint sure can travel... it. got. everywhere. 
I hope you like Tango! Since this picture i purchased a gel seat to guarantee maximum butt comfort!

xoxo

October!? How is it October already?
Although time is whizzing by at an alarming rate, I am excited that it's Autumn because it means i can crack out my jumper collection and thick woollen tights! Bliss! AND it means that it won't be long until Halloween - this year i'm hoping to go all out with our costumes *watch this space*

This is a quick post to show off some of the cards I made for Simply Cards & Papercraft issue 149, this edition was a complete sell out! I'd like to think that that was my doing, but it was most likely due to the fabulous free gift from Altenew!


Geometrics are bang on-trend and I love bold colours, especially orange. This collection of cards was made for the masculine makes section of the magazine using the latest paper pads from Simply Creative. I've since used these statement papers for many other projects.



I hope you like my take on masculine geometric cards!
Until next time <3
N x

Hello blogville!

I'm continuing my last thread, to share published articles which feature my cards and projects. I'm particularly proud of this card feature, as it showcases new Memory Box stamp and dies and proves that I can do cute! And who doesn't love bunnies?

I opted for a soft colour palette of pale yellow, grey and pink with a little bling thrown in for good measure. I originally opted for alcohol markers to colour in my bunnies but found that they were a tad too bold - you can't go wrong with colouring pencils!

I think this range from Memory Box is perfect for super-cute card for kids.. as well as bunny lovers and tea worshipers! I hope you like my lil' baby bunny cards!





You can find more cards from the range in Papercraft Essentials 132, copies are still available from here!

Until next time..

N x