Simple Sparkle Things

Hi all
Just a quickie to drop of todays Simple Things project for this month. The word is Belief and I couldn't resist sharing my sparkle created by my 5 year old niece Megan!


You can read the full story on the IACW blog, I think I may have the youngest DT member ever LOL

I hope you're well and happy and may all your wishes come true (go on read the post LOL)

Happy Crafting
Love
M x

Tropical collage

Hi all, I have an offering over at It's a Creative world today


A bright and breezy tropical collage to help chase away those winter blues :) Why not hop on over to the IACW blog and read the full post .... enjoy :)

Short and sweet I know but I'll be back soonad may even blog from my beloved Mexico where I will be landing today ... Yippee!!

I hope you're all well and happy and as ever until soon Happy Crafting!
Love
M x

It's a {thrifty} creative world

Hi all
Well here I am again .... so soon!! Today is my turn to share a project over at It's a Creative world, an inspirational blog full of wide and varied crafty inspiration and a great team of girls!

My project this month is a thrifty pretty


We all love those prima vines, but not so keen on the price! So pop on over to It's a creative world and follow my step by steps to have a go at making your own!




A great Christmas present for a crafty friend, unusual and bespoke, easy to make and as I said most importantly thrifty :) Enjoy!

Good to *see you* If I don't see you before I'll see you here on Friday with some delicious Glitzy goodness, and of course Wednesday on Create and Craft with Serif! Until then Happy Crafting
Love
M x

It's a creative world

Hi all
Sorry this post is late, I am nursing a poorly Oliver Pickles at the moment :( I just wanted to pop in and drop this off


It's Simple Things day over at It's a creative world and the word this month is Memory ....


....remember these? For more on my project and to be inspired by the other creative girls pop on over to the creative blog and enjoy.

I hope you're well and happy and until soon Happy Crafting

Love
MJM x

Do not open until December 25th

Hi all
It's my turn to share over at It's a Creative World today and I thought I would bring out an oldie but goodie, well it only gets out once a year LOL
Here it is




An interactive memory advent calender that will fit in with your Christmas decs and if you'd like to know more, like how I did the text transfer or stretched the paper to paint, pop on over to IACW and read my far more detailed post over there as well as getting Christmas inspired by some of the other creative girls on your visit .... well it would be rude not to :)

Now while I'm here I want to ask ... how are you? It has been an age since I sat and wrote a real life blog, it was way back at the end of July so I must rectify this soon, if for no other reason than to share some pics of my woofs, they are well and bonkers as normal!! Life just seems to be going so quickly doesn't it! I know the battle cry as we get older is time goes fast but oh boy! this year them upstairs certainly have ther fingers pressed on that super fast forward button don't they!

And while I find myself chatting can I just say a huge thankyou for all the lovely messages I've had in various cyber places I frequent about the Serif POW shows on Create and craft, I do really appreciate you all taking the time out to find me and leave me some love :)

Ok rambling now, I'll save up the rest for a real life post ... very soon I promise!

I hope you're all well and happy, until soon Happy Crafting!
Love
M x

PS do you remember I mentioned retreats a couple of days ago? Well I've just been officially announced for the Scrap-A-Mia retreat in May, check out the side bar for details .... I am so honoured to be with such an AMAZING line up of teachers (if not a little nervous LOL)

a JOYous day at IACW

Hi all

It's this months post over at It's a creative world for the simple things project. A project that lasts all year and explores the simple things in life with a word prompt every month.

This month the word is JOY and here's my take on it



I wanted to record one of the days of my life when I felt I experienced real JOY and happiness when I became trainer for the day with the Dolphins at Xel Ha ecological park in my beloved Mexico.

I created a push me pull me card so the picture popped out to reflect the elation I felt that day. Push me pull me's are so easy to create and when you discover the secret ingredient you'll say no way like I did .... well, maybe you will! I am always amazed at how simple the mechanisms are for interactive cards. To see how easy they are pop on over to IACW to see the post and wallow in the rest of the inspiration over there from the rest of the oh so talented creative girls.

Today I'm busy preparing for a Serif Digtal scrapbook artist 2 show for Create and craft TV on the 23rd at 8am and a Purple Cows show at 9am eek!!

Thanks for popping by, I hope you're well and happy and until soon Happy Crafting!

Love
MJM x

Scrap it BIG!

Hi all

Today is my turn to post over at It's a creative world and today I have scrapped it BIG!


See the full post and my step by steps over on the It's a creative world blog, a great place for daily inspiration from some very talented and diverse crafters!

Sometimes I love to print off my photos at A4 and let them do the talking in my scrap pages.

like this one here of my Husband


Printed at A4 and cut out, accompanied by Glitz Detour papers

and this one of a fun day out with my sister and nieces


Where the ferris wheel almost becomes the background, along with Glitz Maya papers and letting the little photos tell the story. Step by steps for this layout are in this post here.

So why not have a go at scrapping it BIG? Have a lovely time over at it's a creative world, fill your boots with inspiration! Thanks for stopping by and until soon, as ever, Happy Crafting!

Love
MJM x

Tomorrow is Lilypad lesson day, a festive treat with the new Banana Frog stamps :)

Inspiring, Inspiration!

Hi all, it's the simple things project day over at it's a creative world, our year long project with a new word to work with every month. Todays word is inspiration and here is my offering.



An altered jewellery box that is triple embossed with some grungeboard wings and inside



a concertina displaying a collection of my inspirational photos from Mexico.

There is a step by step in the post over there to make this super easy but effective little box of gorgeousness and of course while you visit you can be inspired by the rest of the creative girls :)

Today I am at Bee Crafty doing a workshop and we are making my inspirational carousel ... so yes all of those that have asked for it I am finally putting a DIY project together for it too :) And tomorrow I will be doing some show prep for my Serif show on Create and Craft on Monday but I'll be back soon!

I hope you're all well and happy and until soon Happy Crafting!
Love
M x

Focus on colour in Black and white

Clear as mud? maybe this will help ...


Hi all! This is my offering over at It's a creative world for today. A super easy but effective way to add a twist to your photos, go and check out my post to see how I did this easily and simply in a word document.





Although in the post over there I have said you don't need any fancy programme to do this effect in, I resisted the temptation to do it in my serif digital scrapbook artist 2 programme until I know you've all got it LOL and you can get it tomorrow at an absolute steal, basically getting a digi collection of 10 kits with it for free so why not join me tomorrow 17th August on create and craft and ideal world TV at 9am and 12 noon ... not sure which channel comes first as I post this, but you get the idea :) See you there!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoy the inspiration over at it's a creative world and until soon Happy Crafting!

Love
M x

Simple things

Hi all

This is an even quicker post than yesterdays :) and is one of those magical scheduled ones as I will be at Bee Crafty today preparing for next weekends workshop.

I wanted to remind you all of the year long Simple things project over at It's a creative world, this months word is 'achievement' and here is my offering



accompanied by my 'better late than never' entry for last months word 'graciousness'



(I had to gracefully admit time got the better of me!) Pop on over and see my full whittering in the post and also to be inspired by the other creative girls!

I'll see you all soon ... no really I will, lots to share :) so until then as ever Happy Crafting!

Love
M x

Love those meeces to pieces!

Hi all!
Still alive here :) just busy, busy!!!

Just wanted to pop in and drop this off



Todays project from Moi over at It's a creative world and full destructions can be seen in my post over there. A really fun, quick easy little sewing project ... I know me sewing but I had the urge LOL (and I use the term sewing loosely!! They're 'shabby chic' LOL)

This past few weeks has seen a few new things for me to play with, not least the Serif Digital scrapbook artist 2 which I LOVE and took on Create and Craft TV for the pick of the week at the beginning of the month even though it only survived 44 hours and 42 minutes before selling out :) It really is awesome and I will post a few of my creations and more info very soon when I have a little more time!

At the moment I am prepping for a Purple Cows show (that I will probably have done by the time you read this!) on Create and Craft today and I have to leave here at 4am for an 8am show ouch!! Can't wait for you to see the birthday cake I have made with the trimmer though ... I love it even if I say so myself LOL

Since I was here last I also saw my husband for a whole 6 days and actually took some time off for a picnic and dinner out shock horror, oh and the boys have had hair cuts ... Oliver has dramatically shrunk LOL but more of all that and pics in the next real life post I do ... soon... honest! and it will be full of pretty pictures and sneaks of the oh so yummy new Glitz lines (you can see them here if you can't wait! ... swoon!!!)

Sorry to type and dash but I must! I hope you're all well and happy and until very soon Happy Crafting!!
Love
M x

It's a creative world with a shakey page!

Hi all!
Today is my turn to share over on the It’s a creative world blog alongside an amazingly talented bunch of crafters! Pop on over and soak up some inspiration!

My project is an interactive scrap page. You’ve heard of shaker cards right? Well this is a shaker page and I had so much fun with my Purple Cows laminator and alcohol inks creating it so without further ado this is how it turned out



Sun, sand and sea?

And this is how I created it!



First off I cut some masks in the shape of waves and layed them inside my Purple Cows hot pocket



Then I went to town with my alcohol inks, splodging and splattering and generally getting messy, that’s the best bit of crafting for me!



And while I had all my goodies out I filled another pocket with some inks so I could create some embellishments … look at that pattern of colours … yumsville!!



Once the inks were dry I sprinkled some glitter into the sea lamination for extra sparkle and laminated my two pockets. Cutting out seaweed shapes and fish I created my own bespoke embellishments.



After building up my 12 x12 to look like a sea bed I added a pile of sequins, micro beads, and laminated fish and seaweed in the centre of it.



I then stuck the sea lamination over the top of it, trapping in all the shaker bits. I built my layout up over the top, using some fish embellishments as accents on the outside of the lamination ...



... as well as some Seaweed around the bottom. With some Hessian, ribbons and my photos I finished of the layout and journalled the story of my little nieces trip to the beach where she loved the sand and the picnic but was just not convinced by the sea!

I hope you feel inspired to create your own interactive scrap page. Pop back often to the IACW bog to be inspired by the creative girls and I’ll see you soon, there and here! Until then happy crafting
Love
M x

Simple Things

Hi all

It's that time again over at It's a Creative World when the creative Girls share their take on the word prompt of the month for the year long Simple things project.

I love how we are all interpreting the words differently, so far we have had simplicity, time and honesty and this months word is CREATE. The projects are all taking many forms from digital scrapping to art journals, quilt making to my treasure chest so why not pop on over and investigate, be inspired and even play along!

Here's my project for this month...





An altered set of playing cards laminated with my Purple Cows Kool laminator that provide me with little snippets of inspiration to CREATE when the mojo won't play :) Read all about it on the IACW blog and check out the rest of the inspiration from the creative girls.

Thanks for stopping by ... can you believe I'm actually being organised with my blog posts? I have quite a few scheduled to publish ... I'm scaring myself LOL I will be back between these scheduled post to fill you in on 'stuff' in real time soon. As I write Stan and Ollie are great, Ollie has been out on the lead HILARIOUS! and no doubt I will share piccies soon :)

I hope you're well and happy, until soon
Happy Crafting
Love
M x

It's a creative world!!

Hi all!
And it is a creative world isn't it? I am constantly inspired by the creativity I see whether it is on the numerous amazing blogs I frequent, magazines, books or even TV commercials and not least by the girls over at It's a creative world!

As you know I have been honoured to be invited as a guest over at this inspirational blog for the 2010 simple things project and I am honoured again to have been invited to contribute to the team! Today is my first post as an official creative girl!

Warning those of a nervous disposition please don sunglasses LOL!



Fashion victim?

My post title is faux Hipstamamtic and I got to playing with perfectly scanned and fixed old photos and returning them to their dodgy gloriousness :) Pop on over to see more details and while you're their enjoy topping up on some inspiration from the other creative girls!

I hope you're all well and happy, thanks for stopping by and until soon Happy Crafting
Love
M x

who stole them????

... come on own up the last 10 days of my life where did they go?? It seems them upstairs are having a big joke with me at the moment and I can quite honestly say hand on heart I don't know where the last 10 days went!!!

I know I had a fab time teaching at Bee Crafty, the Fairy castle class went really well although I don't know if the girls will ever forgive me for all the cutting out LOL but we had a lot of laughs and a yummy buffet lunch, thanks Sam, oh and I now have an addiction to cheese straws LOL Next month is my reverse canvas class won't you join us??

I know I had a mad day of Housework (sorry to swear!) and cutting the grass on Sunday, well the sun was shining and it makes you feel like daft activities like that doesn't it? days when you can throw open the windows and shout 'hello spring'.

I know hubby came home on Monday for what we thought was 36 hours that ended up being 12! And I made a yummy dinner although the chilled out evening of wine and films went awry with the opening of the chinese laundry and evil paperwork to be done while he was around!

And I know I have been creating like a creating thing, although some of it I can't share at the moment! I also know I am in Yorkshire Dog sitting Stan's sister for mum and dad who are having a weekend in Belgium and Stan is in his element and I do know that hubby is stuck in Egypt! Grounded along with thousands of others ... wonder when I will see him again???

I also know that you need to go and check out It's a creative world. The new post is up for this months entry for the simple things project that I am a guest for. This months word is Honesty and I love seeing how all the girls interpret it and their creativity in doing so!
Last month was TIME and I ran out of that very thing to get my post up so I sneaked it in this month :)



and this is my HONESTY offering



More pictures and descriptions can be seen over at IACW

and I can't resist giving you a sneak peek of something I have been working on



I had a scrappy time with some gorgeous Glitz papers and will share full pics when I can!

Right I'm off to walk the woofs in the woods, I love being 'home' where I grew up although it does feel rather odd and strange to re live things iykwim!!! I have decided to give up looking for those missing days and hopefully will be back before too many more are stolen!

Thanks for stopping by and until soon Happy Crafting

Love
M x

A wish to be a better blogger!

Well I don’t know where the time has gone since our last visit!!!! I just seem to be chasing myself coming back at the moment. BUT I will not complain, all’s good and I am happy (if not a little frayed around the edges LOL) So before I go further I will apologise for yet another epic post from me, I do have the good intentions of little and often but don’t seem able to put that into practice!!

Some of you may also notice my colourful background has gone … while it made me smile at the time I decided it was a little bright and distracting so I will remain a plain Jane until just the right thing finds me :)

In my last post I said I was in Yorkshire at my parents retrieving Stanley Dervish, well, we finally made it home through the blizzards, I couldn’t believe there was more white stuff!!! We’re glad to have him home although I know he misses his sister!

When I got back I had to prep my class for the Barncrafters crop, and I had a great time with all the lovely ladies there



We made birdhouses and I loved seeing all the different versions. This one was made by Annie and is just awaiting it’s bling. I love the colours



And this one was made by Julia who was at the Bee Crafty workshop the week before. Thanks for sharing Julia I love it!



It’s great how everyone adds there own creative touches to one of my DIY projects!

I also posted this months offering on the It’s a creative world blog for the Simple things project. This months prompt was Simplicity





And after my trip to Mexico I used it as the inspiration for this little fold out mini book/art journal in which I tried to record the simplicity of life over there



Go and check out all the IACW girls’ projects. I love them all, such a wide and varied take on one word! (Click on the simple things logo on the right to take you right to the project posts) Why not play along too!

I managed to fit in a trip to Stitches last weekend. The trade show at the NEC and met up with some old friends and met new ones too including finally meeting the lovely Jane Dean and the super talented Karen Burniston.

I had another Lilypad lesson over at Banana Frog.



As ever hop on over to the blog for a full step by step of the project. Keep an eye on the Lilypad, lots of exciting things are happening and don’t forget Bev has returned to retail so you can buy ALL the fab Banana Frog stamps right there!

I’ve also had quite a few projects published over at the Purple Cows ranch







This is a wall hanging created with Clear scraps acrylics and lovely Cosmo Cricket papers



A laminated organiser, I made one of these for myself too and I can tell you I couldn’t be without it!



And a laminated fishing game …. Oh such fun! Pop on over to see Sadie Purple cow and you can get full PDF instructions for all the projects for free, and not just mine but all the cow girls projects! There’s lots of things happening at the ranch at the moment and I’m thrilled to be working with Design Objectives in bringing the cow to the UK in a big way. You are going to love the freestyle trimmer (I do) and the UK version of their fabulous laminator …. Watch this space!

I’ve also been getting creative for creative expressions and helping Sheena with some demonstrations for Create and craft this week. I got to play with lots of new spellbinders dies as well as the gorgeous cosmic shimmers watercolour paints … you see I told you I can’t complain about being busy … I’m a lucky crafter and love working with all the great companies that have me along to play!

Oh and in amongst all this I put on my old hat as stage manager and worked hubby’s show at the Bristol Hippodrome last Friday. He had a great time …. And so did the audience! And he has me coming out of retirement AGAIN next week as he is doing an anniversary show in his home town.

At the moment I am getting ready for my workshops at Olympia later in the month. I’m also designing my stand so it looks pretty, please pop by and see me at the show. I’m also getting ready for my full day workshop with the lovely Sue at Crafty Stash … that’s going to be a great day!!!

Ok I’m done waffling and you’re all up to date now …. Phew! So all that remains for me to say is

And finally …… (it’s been a while LOL)



Stanley and his sis Ruby



Stanley is home!!!!



Stanley helping my hubby unwrap his birthday presents!!!

Ok cyber buddies thanks for trawling through this epic, who knows my wish to be a better blogger may come true and I’ll be back soon…. But no promises!!!! I hope you’re all well and happy, thanks for stopping by and until soon happy crafting ;)

Love
M x