Zini Holiday..

Hey,

This is probably my last post of 2019 and in fact the decade!

I started my blog in 2010 at the start of this decade and it has been a source of great pleasure for me.

When I moved to New York, I decided that I would make more of an effort with my blog and posted more and was invited to a few design teams.

But last year I realised that I was 'competing' with myself to post almost every day and to outdo my total posts per year!

I decided last December that I would take my foot off of the gas and only post what I really wanted to and not because I felt I should - basically putting the fun and pleasure back into my blog posts.

It has worked, this year I have posted 173 times v 305 last year! And it has been a much more pleasurable and not stressful thing.

My card today was made for a good friend, using a gifted Zini from another good friend. I love how shiny and fun it is. The gold dots were created using Indian Gold Nuvo Mousse through a Clearly Besotted stencil.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your family and that 2020 brings you much happiness and laughter.

Hubby and I are heading to London tomorrow to spend some serious QT with our family and friends.

See you in 2020.

Cx

Take a deep breath...

Hey,

So you might have noticed that for 5 days there were no posts from me!!

I didn't have enough time in London to do everything I had planned to do, my actual job had to take priority.

I had planned to try and 'beat' my post total for last year. It's a weird competition I have been having with myself and it's been stressing me out to be honest.

Hubby told me to 'take a deep breath and be honest with yourself' and so that is what I have done. I managed 346 posts last year, that is no mean feat and with 7 weeks off sick this year, it is pretty good going that I am going to hit approx 330 posts for 2017.

Sometimes I have to remind myself that this blog is a fun thing and it doesn't matter if I don't post every single day.

So today's photo is not of anything crafty, but from my work trip over the weekend (to Ghent) where Hubby and I were reunited with JT and her hubby.

This photo is a reminder to me of how nice it is to take a breath, hang out with your people and have a laugh (and eat nice food..)

Cx

1,000th Post...the ramblings of a crazy crafty 40something..

Hey,

So today is a big freakin' deal for me...

It is my 1,000th post.

I actually can't believe it..

I started this blog in 2010 having no idea what I was doing or what I wanted to achieve with it and here we are six years later.

My Husband is a constant source of wisdom and he said a while ago that he thought it was cool that I had a blog that was an outlet for me, my makes and my chitty chat..

This blog has given me so much, that I actually don't know where to begin or how to explain what it means to me, but let's give it a go shall we?

I have met so many wonderful people via my blog, people that I wouldn't have met under 'normal' circumstances, they have become friends and in some cases daily companions (Sue and Cara, I love you guys..).

These are the people that helped and guided me through some tough times - when I was out of work, when we moved to NYC, when my Ma had Cancer.

They also celebrated the joyful times - becoming DT for Moving Along with The Times and Retro Rubber, when I turned 40, when I got a new job, when I won challenges.

There are also the wonderful people that have taught me and subsequently became my friends - Jenn Shurkus and Cheiron Brandon what the hell would I have done without you over the last 2 years!?!

Let's not forget the gift that is WOYWW (What's on your workstation Wednesday) - hosted by Julia on her blog Stamping Ground.  There are no words to express what a wondrous thing a WOYWWer is, you should join us on a Weds sometime and find out for yourself.

I also have to give a big shout out to my Retro Rubber family. What an amazing bunch of ladies they are - I love being teammates with them and our FB exchanges are comedy.

This blog has also given me the chance to constantly express my gratitude for JT.
I mean how on earth can I express how amazing she is?! Seriously though, she's as crazy as a bag of cats and she is my exact mirror image - so I guess that makes me crazy as a bag of cats too!  What I like, she likes, what she loves, I love, what I dislike, she dislikes, it's so weird, she is like an actual real life sister, born 12 years after me LOL.

So much joy has come from this personal piece of blogland and I never knew burping my life onto a blog could be so rewarding.

Anyway, as I wipe away my tears of joy, I want to give you something to say thanks. Send me a message via my contact form in the sidebar and I will send you a card and a little 1,000th post care package - who knows what it will contain, but isn't that part of the fun?

Cx

WOYWW 195 - Thank You bloggers...

As usual, I can't believe a week has passed and its Wednesday already?! Time to pop along and join Julia at Stamping Ground for the weekly desk nose.

I am heading back to work next week it seems (already?!) and I felt it was appropriate that I thank Julia for WOYWW. Why? I hear you ask...well the blogging craft community has kept me and my little blog company for the last month or so and I've made some new virtual friends (Alison, Ria, Sandee, Darnell to name a few) they have provided tips, feedback and affirmation that I am not mad (hmm, well not fully).

So thank you to everyone that visits my blog on a regular basis and not just on a Weds.

Back to business before we get all weepy..my desk is exactly as I left it last night.

What can you see?

At the front and centre is a nearly finished card (needs to have the button stuck down), to the left of the card is the rejected Candi from the main card..they sparked an idea and I quickly laid it out before going to bed, so I didn't forget :) to the right is the next card waiting to be made - in the same layout as the main card. I keep the 'sister' card makings nearby, so I can change it up as I am making the first card...is that weird?! It makes sense to me, as I make 2 of everything. Right at the back on the right you can just see my WIP Mother's Day card. My watch seems to be there - I am assuming I got frustrated at having it on and took it off?! My glasses, a trusty pencil, some birthday sentiments and the usual bits and bobs lying around. You can also see a very small part of my well organised collection of flowers (there are more, many, many more..)

So as I've given you a small glimpse of it, here is  the card I finally settled on for my Ma, it's not finished yet it's a WIP, but I thought I'd share it, as you can see it on my desk..

I like it, I had to return JT's butterfly punch, but will be borrowing it again following our Saturday playdate. It might be time to invest in the same one.

Anyway Happy WOYWW, I'm off to have a nose about, before spending the rest of the day getting Mother's Day ready to upload to the website.

Cx

WOYWW - 189 - Belated Christmas...

Yay! It's that time of the week again, when us crafters from all over the world join Julia over at Stamping Ground for What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday.

Last week's one was fun and I found some new craft blog friends...I've seen some awesome stuff.

I take my photo on a Tuesday evening and this week, I was most excited to get home and try out my Christmas gifts to myself...

Basically, as I missed the WOYWW after Christmas when everyone got to show off their awesome Christmas gifts, I thought I would show you what I bought myself. Fortunately, I went a bit crazy in the Sizzix mega sale and on my desk are the things I bought that I tried out.

New embossing folders (you get x4, an owl, a pear, a flower and an A6 floral one), a Reindeer die - couldn't resist him, so gorgeous, finally some Framelits - I have been covering these for quite a while now..I also bought a letterpress plate for the Big Shot - it is awesome, it will require some mastering though.

Also on my desk are my glasses, some tape (for using with the Framelits), my glasses, a 1 inch square punch that I use to make flag banners, 2 interesting flower punches - I can't describe the technique :( - so go here and check them out. My fave Woodware scalloped heart punch (you'll see what I've been up to tomorrow) and the rest is pretty much on my desk every week..

Oh and before I wish you Happy WOYWW, check out my post about the cards that were on my desk last week, lots of you commented on them and I thought you'd enjoy seeing the finished result.

Happy WOYWW everyone!!

Cx

Merry Christmas..

Well, it's the last working day of 2012 for me today! Whoo Hoo!

It's been a pretty epic year for Hubby and I - not all good, but we have rolled with it and all is well.

It is with great joy that I officially anounce to you all that the long awaited move to NYC is finally happening in early Feb 2013. I can't believe it, we have visas and now my Project Manager skills are being tested to the max - getting us and the furchildren to NYC in 7 weeks is no mean feat...

I'm pleased with all that I have achieved with Ham'n'Mule in 2012 - 60 posts (22 up on last year!), new look and feel for the blog, new website and a partner (JT). I've had a great deal of craft fun this year, not least because of my amazing craft buddy JT. She's been a friend, a colleague and a craft inspiration this year - so thanks for that JT.

Our playdates have been hilarious and get especially funny around 9pm after 7 solid hours of crafting!! This is when we start to make really weird crap and one of our husbands has to kick the 'guest crafter' out! Let's hope the Skype playdates I am envisaging will be as much fun.

Thanks to everyone that has read my blog and JT's throughout 2012 and supported Ham'n'Mule.

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone.

Cx

ps. Today's main photo is courtesy of 79 ideas, via Pinterest

Summer has arrived - at last!

Hello!

It's been a busy 2 weeks and summer seems to have arrived - it's been glorious. Really nice to put away the winter wear and get out the dresses and sandals.

This weekend Hubby and I have been putting the new blinds up - annoyingly it would appear I measured 2 of the windows wrong, which is an expensive mistake. Next time Hubby WILL check my measurements. It hasn't all been DIY though, my parent's popped over for brunch on Saturday, which was fun and Hubby and I went to dinner at the local Italian and sat outside in the fading sunshine drinking wine - awesome.

On Sunday I finally took some photos of the things I have been making over the last couple of weeks. Today's main picture is of an anniversary card I made for friends using an idea I saw on Indulgy - great site for inspiration. I think this is a clever idea and there is another version using die cut stars, that's next on my list. I used my brand new super duper Woodware heart punch - long overdue purchase in my opinion.

I've been making cards for a couple of large orders and as the customers weren't fussy about what designs they got, it meant I got to try out some new ideas.

First up are these thank you cards - I really like using tall / DL cards, but it means my embossing folders aren't long enough, so I used some sticky ribbon to create a break so you don't realise that I actually can't emboss the entire strip of paper. The sentiment is stamped on a die cut shape and as I mentioned in my previous post, these cards are a variation of the previous butterfly cards. I like this sewing on cards thing. I am pleased with how these ones came out.

Thank You Butterflies

Thank You Butterflies Purple

In my previous post I showed you a template that I had modified slightly - here's a picture. I basically cut rectangles of card, that I could lay over the printed cake tiers and stitched them in place. I then used glitter glue for the candle and around the cake tiers. Unfortunately my photo is a bit blurry, but they look amazing in real life - honest!

Stitched Tiered Cake

I thought I'd treat myself and enter a challenge - I liked the sketch on Mojo Monday 242 - here is my version of it.

I used grey canford card, the star paper was free, Lettering Delights ice-cream, Martha Stewart punch and a blue sparkly adhesive dot. I think it's fun....maybe it needs a sentiment.

It was quite a nice break to make something for a challenge. I have a few more things to show you that are for the orders. However, I think post is getting super long! So I'll save those for my last post in May, which will also be my last post before Hubby and I head to NYC. Yes I am super excited and yes I am heading to Michael's.

I know that I always seem to be heading to Michael's when I on my holibobs, but this time I have a legitimate reason. JT is away at the moment and we have agreed to do a $20 craft challenge. Basically we have to buy each other $20 of craft goodies - it can be lots of little things or one big thing, but we get to choose things that we think the other one might like and might not buy. This is a great idea and I think one we are going to be using for quite some time.

Cx

Sewing Machine Skills!

Thank You card for JT 

Recently I have been noticing a lot more cards and handmade stationery made using sewing machines - like the main pic in my previous post. I really like these items and have wanted to give it a go, but I love my sewing machine, it was a rather large investment and I have been unsure about using it for paper crafts.  So I bought myself a sew easy tool - quite frankly a lot of effort for not a lot of gain! eBay for that bad boy!!

Then I discovered MoonMum - her blog is AMAZING and totally inspirational and she's been using a Berina (which is not a cheap machine) to make her items. MoonMum is actually a lady called Belinda and she uses her awesome sewing machine skills to make fantastic items that she sells.

I've been thinking that if I can master using my sewing machine for making cards, I'll be able to make some really special things for my friends and family as gifts (ooh and imagine the Thank You sets I could make). I think that as I have a day job it's too much of a time investment to make these items for sale, which is a bit of a shame, but I guess one day Hubby and I will be living by the seaside working part-time and I'll be free to invest more time in Ham'n'Mule.

Anyway, I took the plunge and used my machine to make JT's card - today's picture (note the butterfly punch in the background, JT and I love love love that punch), here are a few more photos.

close-up of the top of the card - I love how the butterlies stick out and add depth to the card

close-up view of the bottom of the card

I used the beloved Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch, free contrasting papers for the butterflies, white scrap paper, blue gingham paper from Michael's. The sentiment is just a silver peel off - I might try stamping a sentiment next time.

I am really pleased at how well it came out, how easy it was to do and it has made me feel really inspired. I have started sewing together some bunting cards and have some other ideas that I want to try, hopefully I can finish and post those over the weekend.

On another happy note, my Owl builder and Bird builder punches by Stampin' Up arrived yesterday and I had a quick play with the Owl one tonight. It's really cool and I am looking forward to making some cards using them.

Cx

Say thanks!

I realised today that I have done nothing but moan lately. Which is unhealthy!

What do you do to get over yourself? Focus on the good parts of life!

So with that in mind, I was trawling through all the blogs I love and Tara over at Create-a-Holic had posted an entry about needing to craft to remain sane, so I know it's not just me!

Tara has just given me a stylish blog award - which is really sweet and has made me chuffed to pieces.

In order to continue, I have to pass it on to 8 other bloggers and tell you 8 things about myself.

1. I love my Hubby very much, he makes me smile, even when I don't want to
2. I'm going to be an Auntie soon and I am excited!
3. I am a Tottenham Hotpurs fan and I was a season ticket holder for 11 years and it hurts that I had to give it up
4. Hubby and I spend hours watching basketball
5. I like to sing - esp karaoke in my living room
6. I love animal print and my dress, the evening of our wedding was Leopard!
7. I'm addicted to fabric, stationery and wool 
8. I am way more girly than I admit to myself.

The following bloggers have inspired me and guided me and I can't think of any reason why they wouldn't be stylish bloggers!

Pam Wilson - Chicks of a Feather
Alice aka Futuregirl - Futuregirl Craft Blog
Randy - I have to say..
Denise - The Crafty Den
Sarah & Rebecca - Polkadot Door Designs (counting as 2 as they have different styles and I love them both!)
Mary - Stampin' Pretty
Deena - That I would be good

Have a fantastic weekend - I am going to be crafting up a storm.

Cx

p.s Today's pic is a fave of mine (its my in-laws dogs nose)

Sew Beautiful!

Hello!

Diary Cover - from Tokyo Textiles

So despite the rather cardmaking heavy focus of my blog, it does not mean I have by any means stopped sewing.

My wedding planner Marie - who has become a very good friend, has asked me to make her a diary cover. I jumped at the opportunity to try something new and to use some great fabrics from my stash. Marie is quite a girly girl, so I have trawled through my fabrics, trying to find something to suit her and I have 2 choices, so I have decided to make two covers and let her choose! Did I mention that she kindly offered to pay me. I haven't declined the offer of payment, instead I told her to decide what she thinks it's worth and gave her a price range - I think this is a good idea.

So making a diary cover is pretty straightforward, but I do not like to waste fabric, so decided to hunt for a tutorial and came across this one on Tokyo Textiles I am already a fan of their fabrics, which they sell online - their current site is a pilot to see what people want - great idea, I should totally try this with my things! Because I am already a fan, I was delighted to find a tutorial on their site.

In honour of both Marie and Tokyo Textiles, today's pic is the finished diary cover from the tutorial, I should have mine to show you in a couple of days.

I didn't win the DYSU Challenge 1 - but I don't mind, my time will come and I was inspired by their challenge blog to enter a challenge so that's pretty cool. Also I really loved looking at the other entries - people are very talented, I have much to learn.

On a final note for this week, Hubby and I are very excited as my Dad is coming to lay the new floor in our bedroom tomorrow - which means we will soon be dust / cat hair free under our bed, as we are laying a laminate floor. Yipee!

Have a good weekend, I'll be back on Monday (maybe Tuesday).

Cx

Getting the hang of it!

Hey!

So I think I am getting the hang of this challenge malarky! I had some time last night, so rooted around and found 2 challenges that I thought would be good practice for me.

Cupcake Craft Challenges - it's a pretty cool blog and they get lots of entries, which is cool. Even more than participating in the challenges, I love looking at the cards people have made, they provide fantastic inspiration.

Mojo Monday - is very cool and all based on sketches, which is very cool. They have a fantastic blog and I think I might be visiting their sketch archive soon to try some of them out. This whole sketch thing is new to me, but I like it, sometimes you need an idea of what shape the card is going to take.

So my challenge to myself, was to make ONE card that fits these 2 challenges and I think I did it with this lovely item!

Cupcake Craft's Challenge was to make something using something New - new baby, new home, etc or a new craft goodie.

Mojo Monday's Sketch was this -

So I used the following things -

Papers by kit 'n' cradle and Heidi Grace (via TK Maxx!), Ribbon by Papermania, Border Punch Zig Zag embossed dots by Martha Stewart - it is so new it only arrived on Tuesday, it's a gift from my Sister-in-law and her husband, the self adhesive gems are from my local craft shop, the chipboard sentiment is by Simply Creative Stickers - also new from Hubby for Christmas.

Yay! That makes 4 challenges entered so far, it's fun, I love it.

Cx

The joys of married life!

Image from ink'n'rubba

Ooh as an early Anniversary present, Hubby bought me 4 sets of Letraset Promarkers! What a lovely gift and they are so delicious I could eat them.

I tried them out with a pretty stamp and they work so well, they make my colouring in, look really professional. I think I will use them to make all our Christmas thank you's. It will be a nice project after the intense Christmas period.
The colours are fab and the 4 sets I have cover a wide spectrum of colour, but I am now going to become totally addicted, as I am convinced I am going to want quite a few more of the colours!

Uh oh here comes another obsession, they come in so many colours and Letraset naughtily supply a colour chart with each set and so now I can see all the other glorious colours and I WANT THEM!

So today's picture is a nicely geeky one courtesy of the ink'n'rubba blog, I love this blog and want to thank Annie, as I love her blog and this chart is a great idea - I have seen quite a few other people do this, but not as well and it is a really good idea to create your own chart, using your own Letraset Promarkers or Copic, as I believe that some people use both, so they can find exactly the colour they want.

Enjoy! I am off to scour the internet for the best price on promarkers!

Cx

P.s Letraset if you are reading, I'd quite like the cool grey set - thanks!

Introducing the Polzeath 2010 Range

So, way back in July when Hubby and I were in Cornwall on the Halley / Grantham family holiday, my brother-in-law Stu made an off the cuff comment that stuck.

Hubby was busy drawing the Ham 'n' Mule in the sand and Stu said 'that can form part of the Ham'n'Mule Designs Polzeath 2010 range!

Anyway about 5 weeks ago, I came across a sock filled with all these beautiful pebbles and stones and then I remembered that Hubby and I had spent an afternoon chilling on Polzeath beach and had collected all these pebbles. However we didn't have a bag with us, so Hubby gave me one of his trainer socks to put them in! (true love right?).

It triggered a reminder of what Stu had said and I started wondering how I could incorporate them into my crafting. Then I found these beautiful little jars and I got an idea. I made the tags tags, filled the jars and attached the tag - voila! Paperweight!

I've already sold one to someone, he proposed to his wife near Polzeath and is giving it to her as an anniversary gift - sweet.

I think they look really good and they are unique - as no 2 pebbles are alike, unfortunately my picture was taken with my Blackberry, so you can't see the riot of colours, there are reds, deep blues, creams and greys - really pretty.

The great thing about these are they are so easy to make and if you collected pebbles/stones from every holibobs you went on, you'd have a really pretty and useful keepsake.

Cx

Which way round does it go?!

So as I mentioned yesterday I have been exploring new things to make.

I've always liked to sew, but have been pretty useless at using patterns, until I got a copy of Sew Magazine - which I now subscribe too.

Not only do they give you a free pattern, but the instructions are really really clear.

I've had quite a few successes this year with their patterns - I made 2 beautiful tops and have modified the pattern to make a longer tunic style version - check me out!

Because of this success, I thought for Christmas it would be nice to try out a new tote bag pattern, it's working really well and I think they will be a hit!

I love Simplicity patterns, they are simple! I have a couple of new ones that I am going to try out over the Christmas break, as they are for dresses and you need a bit more time than I have right now. Also as I mentioned before I don't find sewing that relaxing, so it will be nice to sew when I have oodles of time.

Today's picture is of one of the patterns that I will be trying to make - a touch more advanced than usual, but I am getting braver and braver - especially now that I understand how to use patterns. I really want dress B, that is soooo going to become a wardrobe staple (if I get it right!). Dress b also looks like something I am coverting on the M&S website, so if I can make it for less than the 39.99 they want, I will be dead chuffed!

Making clothes is something I would love to do more, but it does require a bit more time than I generally have. I remember a really good piece of advice about not starting too many projects at once, as you can get overwhelmed with all the 'work in progress'.

The other good thing about using patterns is that you don't get so much waste, as you know exactly how much fabric you need. I have some really beautiful fabrics, that I am going to use to make the Cynthia Rowley dress b.

I love fabric so much and one of my favourite places is Gaga Fabrics, check out their store - their stuff is AMAZING! They sell Robert Kaufman fabric, Japanese imports, Amy Butler patterns (my summer tops were an Amy Butler pattern) and lots more. They aren't the cheapest, but price is not always the key - their range is so great and their shop is really easy to use and these things often make me happier than a bargain (geek).

Cx

p.s a final shout out to Pam from Chicks of a Feather, her blog has been my solace for such a long time, it fills me with joy to know that she reads mine and likes it!

Christmas has exploded in my room!

Ha ha, not quite, but I've attached a picture of the drying area in my craft room and I think you can see there is quite alot going on! There is also a picture of one of the cards on the shelf, close-up!

I have hit the 300 card mark with the Christmas cards - so yay for me, but there is still a long way to go - gotta hit 500 before November the 6th.

I have a reason for this. If I have 500 cards (= 50 sets) and I sell a reasonable amount on Nov 6th, then I will only have to make a small amount to cover my work sales and the Nov 28th fair! Logical right?

I am finally loving the wooden Christmas decorations, they have been a bit of trial and error to be honest and I am still not 100% in love, but I can be a bit like this about the things I make, I get a bit insecure! Especially if they have taken awhile to get right!

The felt Christmas decorations are my fave, as I get to use felt, hand sew and use my button collection.

I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I've enjoyed the Christmas crafting this year and I think that I owe that to my fellow crafters and their handy tips - start early, pace yourself, take a break - wise words indeed.

On a slightly different note I noticed last night that one of our cats is covered in glitter! She did run off with a rather expensive Magenta Stickles a couple of weeks ago, so I am assuming this is why!

Whilst I am mentioning Stickles, I have to say, I thought they were going to be an expensive waste of money, but they have brought me only joy! I love using them, they add so much to my projects and are easy to use and best of all seem to go a long way. Papermania have brought out some similar products this year for Christmas and they are a cheap alternative to Stickles and ok, but not as good.

Lastly a bit shout out to Pam at Chicks of a Feather - who left me a really sweet message a few weeks ago, I totally love her blog, it's an inspiration.

Cx

Craft Heaven

What a beautiful morning! It's sunny and I feel in a fantastic mood, but my craft room is so warm currently that I am wilting whilst working in there!

Today, I thought I'd talk about one of the things I have come to love as a relatively new crafter, is the amount of blogs available for crafters.

There are some that are truly inspirational. Lots of these blogs have taught me new techniques, prevented me from killing when I was tired and have provided free patterns and ideas.

So I thought for my second post, I would say thanks to my fellow craft bloggers and list them here - even if you aren't 'crafty' they are so beautiful and funny, you'll love them anyway.

I'll be maintaining a list of my fave blogs, for you to view, but for now my top five blogs are:

i have to say

Allsorts

futuregirl

the purl bee

chicks of a feather

Cx

p.s the image is a handmade musical heart for over a babies cot, courtesy of The Toy Shop