This Week, I Have Been Mostly Making...

...thank you cards! For the people I didn't get chance to say thank you for my Christmas presents to in person (yes, I realise it's almost a month since Christmas - shh)!

I love the designs on these papers, plus they're recycled and eco-friendly ones I got in the sale! I did what I always do - save lovely papers for a particular project (always as-yet undecided), so I used them instead of hoarding them, and I really like how the cards came out - what do you think?




I also made a birthday card, but that's not yet been received (actually, neither have these cards...shh again!), so I won't show you just yet :) what have you been up to this week? Do you have anything fun planned for your weekend?

This Week, I Have Been Mostly Making...

...a birthday card for my dad! Made from recycled materials, of course! Happy Birthday, Pops!


...new squares for my throw! I love the different coloured one, and the purple one has a lovely texture that really doesn't photograph well...the yellow one is a work in progress, however - it's set to be embroidered, but I haven't decided if I like the pattern yet!




So the pile is growing again steadily!


One day, this will become a blanket...! What have you been creating this week?

New Cards and Crochet!

Hellooo! I mentioned last week that I'll be having a stall at an upcoming clothes swish, so I thought I'd better get making some new stock to fill it up with! The good thing about selling on a stall is being able to create pieces from bits and bobs that I don't have many of; ones I've collected from various craft fairs and charity shops in small quantities, like these pressed flowers I got in a sale!





Also featured - a spare bit of shiny paper from a Roses chocolate! Reduce, reuse, recycle!

I also managed to learn how to crochet a couple of new shapes for my crochet garland, which is looking like this so far (I even stitched in my ends for you this time, aren't I getting good? ha!):




I love the tiny heart and the butterfly, although I think I might make another butterfly in just one colour for this particular garland, and use this little chap for a different project - what do you think? I really like the muted colours I've used for the garland, so I'll make him in just plain green to blend in!

New Crafty Bits!

Hello there! This is a little bit late - more mid-week than usual! - because of an impromptu long weekend! I did get around to making a couple of little bits I thought I'd show you!


First a couple of new home cards for friends who are moving! I really like the orange one - the blue one is nice, but I think the little house is a bit big! Future ones will be modelled on the orange one! Soon to be in my shop - this is definitely the time of year to be moving!






I've managed to complete a few more squares, too! The red one was an absolute nightmare to get the hang of - I started and re-started and re-started about six times, always getting almost halfway through thinking I'd definitely figured it out this time only to be bitterly disappointed (I realise that this is highly melodramatic for a crocheted throw, but, honestly, it was a right fanny!)...but I got there in the end, hurrah! The cross-stitch on the yellow one was also a bit of a pain, but only because I was too busy watching Spartacus: Blood and Sand - it's pretty hypnotising, in my defence! And check out my lovely new granny square :)


So the complete throw (so far!) now looks like this! I can only just fit it on the table - I'm going to have to find somewhere else to photograph it soon!


Look! My little pile is getting bigger!



Have you been getting along with any new projects recently?

Creative Monday - More Father's Day Cards!

Hello! What did you get up to over the weekend? We enjoyed the sun on Saturday with a picnic and ice creams and a bit of frisbeeing in the park, and escaped the rain on Sunday by having a bit of a gym session at Oliver's base on Sunday! It made me feel very virtuous and as if I definitely deserved the ridiculously good toffee-mousse cake I scoffed at tea time...definitely!



And then after one of THOSE Mondays that was frankly rubbish, I put my frustration into a bit of creativity, and came up with a few more Father's Day card designs - let me know what you think!





I've started altering my photos slightly to make them a bit brighter - what do you think?

Ooh - I've also just added a blog roll over to the right! Let me know if you'd like to be added!

A Busy Little Bee!

Hey there! Wednesday turned out to be a pretty busy evening...I've re-jigged my blog around, added a pretty new background and header that I think fit Wrapped Up With String really well, and I've finally listed some new items (long-awaited, I know...!)!

So here's my first batch of Father's Day cards - in which the recycled maps return...let me know what you think! Click the photos to visit each cards' Folksy listing.






As ever, I'm more than happy to make cards in colour-palettes of your choice, or with your own messages on the front or inside, and I have lots of different bits of maps, so if there's a place you'd like featured, just let me know!

I'd love to hear what you think to my new-look blog, too!

A Couple of Little Projects...

I did manage to be a little productive on my day off, in between swimming, napping and eating my dad's fish pie...mmm!

I made a wedding card for my cousin and her new husband! The gold looks a bit...erm...mucky (!) in this photo, but it's much softer in real life. They've (literally) just got married on a beach in California, hence the shells!


I made a birthday card for another two-year-old (see the similarities to the last one?)...I love the primary colours and big shapes - it definitely appeals to the two-year-old inside me!


And I started hand-stamping ready for the next project...I wonder what the event might be...?!


Have you been being productive lately? Or are you more in favour of procrastination? I feel a healthy balance is best - which generally involves crafting to Glee (have I mentioned my obsession recently? It's growing in intensity, I can barely wait for the next episode...)! I realise this must look odd to my neighbours - a 23 year old in her pyjamas jigging around the living room? Too cool for school...! My new favourite characters are...


...LOVE them!

Custom Order and Clothes Swap!

Hey there! I spent a good amount of Monday making cards for a special order from my grandma - she wanted ten! I'm taking them over to her house today - she's enlisted me to clean her windows (gotta love working part time, eh?!), amongst other jobs - so I thought I'd share them with you. Some of them are a little...erm...classic, shall we say? By request! Fingers crossed they're suitable - my grandma will tell me in no uncertain terms if they're not! I'd love to know what you think!

First of all she wanted a mixed bunch of six (six?! I'll probably see one of these back in a few weeks - it'd better be a colourful one haha!) birthday cards:



And then one for a little boy called Sam - she wasn't certain if he was 2 or 3 so we decided to miss his age out just in case! I love this one, I wish I was turning 3! Those eagle-eyed paper fans out there may notice that the letters in his name have been sneakily cut from a Paper Mill Shop box...reduce, reuse, recycle, kids!


And then three get well soon cards (oh dear...!), which I made to be a bit more demure:


What do you think? I must apologise for the slightly out-of-focus images - it was getting dark by the time I'd finished them so I had to use the flash on my camera, which doesn't really show them at their best but I thought you might like to see anyway!

Later this evening I'm off to a charity clothes swish - I'm taking a few bits and bobs I don't wear any more in the hope of swapping them for some lovely new additions to my (pretty unspectacular!) wardrobe! I'll let you know how it goes! I've been to one before, organised by Big Wardrobe. It was held in a bar in Leeds and it wasn't particularly great - there were people elbowing each other out of the way and stuffing piles of clothes into bags, which isn't really in the spirit of it, so I just ended up getting a couple of bits of clothing and some jewellery and coming away feeling cross, but apparently tonight's will be a far more civilised affair (I think I'm getting old!)! Have you ever been to a swish? Was it a success?

Don't forget to enter my 100 Followers Giveaway! All you have to do is comment on the giveaway post - just one little comment!

Happy Easter!

Hiya! Today I thought I'd show you a couple of things I've been making recently!

First a little Easter card for my friend and her children - I think it's a bit busy (I decided this after I'd stuck everything down...) but I do really like the colours!



And then the next square for my throw! A granny square this time - I love how it turned out!


So here's my throw so far...I don't really like the pink one in the middle; I don't think I got the tension quite right, and I'll probably pull it out and redo it in the future, but it took such a long time I just can't bear to yet!


We're off to Liverpool for the weekend, which will hopefully involve seeing some friends, plenty of snoozing, eating some chocolate, a nice spring jog or two and an Easter egg hunt if I can convince Oliver to embrace his inner child!

I also might have a look at getting a bike, ready to cycle to and from work to make the most of any nice weather! Something nice and ladylike (to keep up the pretence that I am ladylike, obviously!) like these lovelies (click photos to go to source)...






I imagine this must be from a film, given his bloody nose, suit, and determined look in his eye, but I'd love to think Harrison Ford rides around on a pink flowery bike!


What are you up to for Easter?