Today I Made An Easel!

Mmm, really, I did.  Made one out of whiteboard, so that I could have something to stand my cards on to photograph them.  Also made a little 'photo booth' out of white card, so that the background wouldn't be so much of a problem and I've found the perfect spot (daytime only, though) to photograph my creations.  On top of all that, I'm now using the little tripod we have to help keep things steady and I've learnt how to use the timer function for the camera so that I don't have to physically push the button at the crucial moment.  All in all, I'm much happier with the photographs I've taken today: although they're not perfect, they are soooo much better and I can do it all myself without having to constantly ask my OH for help.

So, let's see if you can tell the difference.  First up is a little 'gift' I made for my parents - having found my mojo behind the sofa! (I lost it on Wednesday when I was about to start this project.)  The 'gift' is actually a list of dates for us all to meet up this year.  Last year was manic and we didn't get to see my parents as much as we (and they) would have liked.  So this year, we've decided to block out a weekend each month where we know that we will be doing something together.  So I guess you could call it a 'gift of time', really - we just wanted them to know that we'll be around. 

Now, before you ask, "Are Ya Laking Aht"? is South Yorkshire dialect for "Are you coming out to play?".  My parents are from South Yorkshire originally and although neither of them has a strong South Yorkshire accent, this was the vernacular when they were growing up.  I thought it would be a nice touch and they'll find it quite funny, I hope.  The second photograph shows that there are two tags in the pockets, one to explain what it's all about and one with a list of suggested dates.  Just to finish it off, I covered the back of each pocket in co-ordinating paper and I think it's a lovely little gift. 

Papers:  Cosmo Cricket and Dream Street Papers.

I've recently joined Papercraft Planet and came across a digital stamp designer that I've not heard of before: Bugaboo Stamps.  So I had a quick look at the images and came away broke! I love Ruby and JJ - they make me giggle.  So, here's my first couple of Bugaboos:

Now this kind of colouring is very different from most of the other stuff I've done. I used my felt pens (I'm working on getting Copics!), which gives a very bright result, which is a bit scary for me as I'm not used to working with such vivid colours.  But I felt that they were appropriate for these images. I kept the rest of the card really simple.  Hope you find Ruby as funny as I do.  Hop over to Bugaboo - you get an extra 10% off your first order until 15 January 2010 as an opening offer.  I wish them good luck in their venture.

And just to finish off today, I thought I'd share this little paper teacup I made from instructions in Marion Elliot's book 'Paper Sculpt Sensation' (click here to see it on Amazon). There are some lovely projects but I didn't have too much time to delve, so I chose this because it wasn't difficult and there weren't too many pieces to cut out.

 

It's a tiny little thing - only about 8 cm high, or so.  Isn't it cute?  Now that I've made one, I shall be looking at what I can do with these little delights - watch this space.

Don't you think the photographs are remarkably improved?  I'm sooo pleased with the results.

Anyhooo, I still have to do my Digital Pencil Challenge post and it'll soon be teatime, so...

...happy crafting.

Px