Christmas Still Arriving :D

Well normally in our house the kids have a tree each to decorate cause I'm so particular on how the big tree looks lol but this year the boy is too old so it was down Abbie!
She was helped out with the lights but the rest is her creation lol the tackier the better for our daughter!!
Bless her she's just like me & loves Christmas :D

Christmas Has Arrived :D

Well my lovely hubby cleaned the place while I was at work ready for big Bertha to go up, I have a thing that the place must be clean before the tree goes up I hope it's not just me lol
I just love Christmas defo my most fave time of the year, we listen to Chrimbo songs or have a Chrimbo movie on, have special nibbles while trimming the tree & I get all cranky cause the deco's ain't spaced evenly!! I have an extra worry this year as we have a 5 month old Devon Rex kitten called Lily in the family now and she's just loving the new climbing frame :(
Never mind it's only for a few weeks and the kids done great with the tree so I'm happy, just need to finish the present shopping and then I can shut shop when the bug man is due and enjoy the season :D
Have fun playing spot Lily in the bottom picture, she was doing her best trying to hide lol

Trying to get in the mood!!

Finally got the shop all Christmassy today but not full of the Christmas spirit yet lol
So I made a couple more cards simple is best I think :D

Christmas Is Here

Well in card terms :D We took delivery of this lush 12x12 card stick today & I couldn't wait to use it!! I was hoping to use some Prima bling but we where all out, so ended up using stickles free hand I wasn't great but not to bad for first go :D

Been A While

Been a while since I've managed to get on here, things have been manic and if I'm honest I really couldn't face it due to a few things happening closer to home :(

Anyhoo I've been busy behind the scenes trying to get my new card range ready and I just received the samples this week and I am so excited!!! So without further a do heres the pic's

Its Official!!! Crafts Beautiful 2011 Nominee

Cullen Crafts has been nominated in the 'Best Independent Craft Store For Scotland' :D beams widely!! 

I am so chuffed to bit that my customers think my wee store beside the sea good enough to be up for this category and even if we don't win its still great knowing I'm on the right tracks!

If you'd like to vote for Cullen Crafts please click the box below or use the voting form inside this months Xmas edition of Crafts Beautiful  x 

New Crafty Ventures

Hello peeps I know its been a while I hope this post finds you well & busy crafting :D I'd like to say I got plenty crafting on oner the summer but it was mostly working which is why the blog has been neglected :( never mind I'll be back at least once a week again x

I decided to take an online course by the wonderful Christy Tomlinson, She Art. I've always wanted to be a bit more creative but just never found something I love until now :D I have even found a love for rub-ons again after years of hating the little beggars!!!

Above is my 1st completed 4x4 canvas as you can see i was a bit tame with the background but I really love it, I was real scared to start my 1st canvas but it was my wonderful Mum's birthday so it gave me the intensive I needed to start :D

Not sure what happened here as the pic was the right way up never mind lol You start with a blank canvas which I gesso'd and then I play, you really need to take the She Art Class it is the best!

I decided my girl size, shape & position on canvas

I love the fact I can get inky messy with my rubber and sprays, getting messy is actually a big thing for me cause i don't do inky fingers but I am beginning to get it :D

Next I've added the dreaded rub-ons :D I am hunting them down all the time now, I am using some great ones from Fancy Pants but got my eye on lush ones from Kaisercrafter after seeing them at the trade show last weekend YUMMY!!

Finally I've gone in with the pen to add details and freehand, still think it needs a wee bit more but I want to refer back to Christy's class for more inspiration, one of the other great things about her classes are you have 3 months access to the class materials and videos :D

Party Crafting :D

It was my beautiful daughters 9th birthday in July when we where on holiday so we decided to have it a wee bit early and her theme was Cupcake crafting party, with lots of colour and Mamma bear had full control over what was happening with the exception on the Cup Cake fondu which was a must have request :) Many an hour was spent drooling over the wonderful creations found in the U.S for parties and I just loved the way everything was themed and matched so I set to work getting a little obsessed!

 My poor fridge was groaning with the amount of food prep the night before, Willy Wonka would have been proud!!

Before and after shots of the food table

I purchased a printable birthday kit from Anders Ruff on Esty and it was money well spent, I wanted to make sure the party had a wow factor but without the cost so a good few weeks before I decided on the food and which decorations I'd need to print/cut out and spend hours looking through the web to find decorations makes that where easy on the pocket, like the pom pom's above which came from the wonderful Martha Stewart.

Silly touches like the labels for the lolly pops where a bit ott but great fun and tied everything together

 I found great glass jars holding sweets on many U.S sites but I didn't want to risk it with my lot so I checked out ebay and found these cute jars which can be reused again in the shop.

                 

Watergate was a source of amusement for my family as I obsessed about having water bottle square not round :D it just looked better honest!!!

Matching tableware was a must as there is no point going to all the effort to have a white plate and napkin and they looked so sweet with traditional paper doilies that where also used in the decorations, from Poundland bargain!

 Favour table was so cute and a last minute idea from my Dad, I was so wrapped up on the food looking great lol
I had all the treats and favours laid out beside the crafty goodies the kids where going to be working with and it look fab

My baby is growing up fast :D

 This beauty was a full 30cm hight once complete :D

Cupcake fondue and showing off their beautiful Tiaras

 Handmade props went down a treat 

Real poser 

We couldn't resist joining in :D

last minute fun before the clear up!

 It was a great day and one I hope she'll remember for a long time, I just hope she's not expecting the same next year lol

Creative Expressions Calling Card Challenge

 Life started out boring with these three kraft storage stacking tubs from Do-Crafts. The top black small was turned upside down and painted black with Tim Holtz cracked paint, the second I coloured using a Stazon Red ink pad and just wiped it all over the tub until it there was no kraft colour showing. The last which was the most fun was a bit of what I call decoupage, images where slapped on with pva in a totally random fashion and then left to dry completely, then I used Tim HoltZ walnut distress ink pad to colour the edges and add a little aged effect

 I found a little red satin ribbon in my collection but it was a bit too in your face so I ran a black Stazon in pad over to tone it down and then added it around the black top box to make it look a bit more like the hat.

I recently took delivery of these wonderful playing card rubber stamps, they where actually the reason behind this creation and my love of Alice :D To be honest there is nothing special going on with them, they where stamped coloured using my Copics and then I added 3-D clear glass over the red hearts and then on the back an ATC stamp(forgot to take a pic to show soz) To make a place for the cards to stand I didn't want to cut into the box so I had some cute teapot and teacup charms which where stuck down, with Pinflair silicone glue, side by side but with enough room to slide the playing cards in & the three cards where then glued together and added when the glue had dried.

I am actually really rather chuffed with the result and had peeps wishing to buy it :D

Where has the time gone!!!

Hellllllooooooooooooooooooo!

This have been pretty hectic lately and priorities have not been what they should with certain things in my life but hopefully I'm back on track and more determined than ever about the family, the business and the blog :) 

I have been crafting but not as much as possible we where all hit with illness and stressful times but that seems past us so I thought I'd pop by to say hello just before I head off on my family hols this Friday, hope life has been treating you all well & catch up soon xxx