Craft Display

Last weekend, I had the chance to put a table together to display my craft projects as part of a fundraiser.  It was a nice opportunity to pull together the various albums and bits and pieces I have made for people over the years.

It was also a reflection of how my technique has progressed, as well as where my interest has been - decoupage, scrapbooking, card making and party decorations. 

 I guess the thing I drew from it was how much my work is treasured by those I have made things for, and that it is nice to see something finished.  Now for all those UFOs!  

Waterhouse Natural History art prize

Where has the year gone I do not know...  Work is all consuming which means all things creative tend to go by the wayside, including my blog.  I did make it to the Waterhouse Exhibition on the weekend for some inspiration.  It was great to see so many different mediums used in such creative ways - glass, plastic, lace, fabric, paint, and paper.  It was the paper entries that particularly interested me from the collages, to paper cuttings, to a three D book with Captain Robert Falcon Scott's exploration of the South Pole cut into it.  Amazing details and textures.  Check out these magnificent works at:

http://www.waterhouse.samuseum.sa.gov.au/artworks.html

One day I will get back to doing the things I love...

Welcome to 2012...

Can you believe it is the 1st of January, 2012 already?  Happy New Year!  It has certainly been a hot day, so much so we have retreated from our annual pilgrimage to the beach to the air-conditioned comfort of home.  41.6 degrees celsius is enough to make anyone hot!  Anyway it has given me some on-line time to catch up with the crafting world and see what has been going on.  A pleasant way to spend an afternoon really...

I was looking through my pinterest categories and my eye was caught by my word... page


There seems to be a theme...

A theme that says "anything is possible, if you take the next step..."

you just have to have faith....

Maybe I just need to focus...

Christmas crafting...

This year my Christmas crafting was a little more limited as time was running away.  We did get together for our annual Christmas Card making day, and this year I had some very special guests, my niece and nephew and Brittany.  It made for a very fun but very hectic day!  I took some photos of Emily's Christmas cards - I thought she did a really good job!

I managed to make some Christmas tags, and then Britt and I made some Christmas bon bons for our special Christmas dinner.  First we gathered our supplies and came up with a design for my red and white theme, and then set up a production line.  We worked really well together!

The finished product...

They added a lovely touch to our Christmas table....

Honeybee Hurrah 2011

Well I am not sure where the year has gone, but it is time for our Honeybee Hurrah for 2011!  This year I decided to make a little take home souvenir for the year - a summary of our books read for 2011.  I saw this idea somewhere on the web, and cannot remember where, but the design was my idea and I used Papertrey Ink products.  First I used the file Heidi had created with little thumbnails of the covers of books we had read over the year and made mini book pages from them.

Then I used the Lunchbox note die from Papertrey Ink to cut a folder for each book, and stuck the mini pages inside.

Then I decorated the front using the same style as I did for the bookclub calendar at the beginning of the year.  I thought they came up quite well really...

 

Once done they went into the party bags...

Next on the list was cupcake toppers...

and party food labels...

jars of lollies (tee hee)...

and of course a party table!

Another lovely day for our Honeybee Hurrah!

Paper Eskimo Competition

With the Honeybees reading 'Water for Elephants' for book club, it gave me the perfect excuse to style an entry for the Paper Eskimos - Head of the Table competition.  The circus theme was set and I had lots of fun gathering my supplies, including Paper Eskimo products of course!  Paper plates, serviettes, gift bags and tags, a table runner and little cupcake patty pans.  I even managed to find some elephant themed gifts for the take home bags!

So with the party bags put together, we got to work on the backdrop to the party table.  With a combination of crepe paper, tablecloths, blue tac, string and bamboo garden stakes, this was the final result!  I was very happy with that!

Then it was time to set the table with all our goodies.  I made lemonade for Rosie (you will have to read the book for that...), had jars of peanuts, jaffas and popcorn, little pies and frankfurters, homemade elephant cookies, mini hot-dogs, popcorn, fairy floss, toffee apples, strawberries, cinnamon donuts, little cups of elephant food (celery and carrot sticks with humus), and the final touch my circus tent cup cakes!  Here are some more photos of the details.

   

Book club was a great success and the girls loved it!  Nothing like an excuse for a party I say, cos we are all kids at heart.  Heidi was so impressed she even wrote a poem which I have included below.

Paper Eskimo Circus Spectacular

Roll up! Roll up! For the greatest show

Our thanks go to Paper Eskimo

Hailed as the best circus in town

All we were missing was a red-nosed clown

Paper Eskimo provided ideas

The room resounded in gleeful cheers

For the table was truly a sight to behold

Decked out in white and red and gold

Circus tent red appeared on the runner

It mirrored the ruby-red toffee-apple glimmer

Elephant biscuits paraded in lines

Pyramids of donuts and pies reached the skies

No water for elephants, now it is clear

Lemonade and peanuts make elephants cheer

Celery and carrot for those feeling healthy

Hot dogs and mustard for those really hungry

Serviettes guarded against any messes

No one wanted to mess with their dresses

Homeward bound went our party girls

Clutching party bags trimmed with ribbons and curls

Who could forget the joy of the day

With circus tent cupcakes lined up on display

These were undoubtedly star of the show

And all thanks to Paper Eskimo

So wish me luck and we will see how we go in the competition.

Centenary Dinner

Earlier this year I was given the opportunity to coordinate decorations for the Centenary Dinner of my local church.  The first challenge was the budget ($200) for 200 people which meant I had to put my thinking cap on as to how to do things cheaply as well as effectively!  After some brain storming I came up with a few ideas all pretty reliant on free things (milk cartons and tree branches) and cheap tissue paper, wrapping paper and kitty litter!  I utilised some of Martha Stewart's ideas including the puff balls and the cherry blossoms pattern.

The colour scheme was black, red and white, the colours of the Uniting Church, which gave us a focus for the decorations.  I mocked up some table decorations, milk carton holders for the tea lights and punched the table numbers using Papertrey numbers. Once we had agreed on a design it was time to get to work!

We had a working bee one Saturday when lots got done folding forty puff balls, making the candle holders, cherry blossoms, and tying ribbons on 200 menus.  

The team of people helping me kept working on things in the evenings, like fluffing pom poms and sticking on blossoms until we were ready for the set up.

We had access to the hall Saturday morning, which was just as well as it took about 3 hours to get things done.  First the puff balls were hung in the centre of the room in a grid pattern.  I had attached them to hula hoops wrapped in tissue paper to make it easier.   And then we got to setting the tables.

It came together quite well in the end with the centre pieces adding colour and focus, and each place setting having their own menu and handmade rose chocolates to take home.

With large vases of cherry blossoms in the corners of the room it came together beautifully.

Finally, I have to say I could not have achieved all this without the wonderful team of volunteers who assisted in so many ways, on so many days! The feedback was very positive and a great night was had by all.