Catching up!!!

Hello!!

Well its been a while! Please excuse my absence...I have no excuse though I'm afraid!! Just been enjoying life really, with all of its highs and lows it really does keep you busy! Although I really could have put together a post I feel it would have been half hearted and that's not good enough for my friends in blogland really now is it?

Well firstly A HUGE thank you to all of you who read and also commented on my vintage blocks post...I had such great feedback and orders!! I also had a lovely lady Susan Ashman
Enquire about wanting a set to go into the Children's attic playroom for a place that she is currently involved in the refurbishment of. It's a beautiful country house in Somerset that's grade 1 listed...make sure to visit her blog for more info, Its an interesting read!!

I taught a crafting class on Sunday and had a lovely afternoon with them...there are preparing for a wedding with a vintage style ( a girly after my own heart!!)
They made some Cupcake cards and did a fantastic job of them! Heads down all working hard!!Chloe making the smallest paper flowers..fiddly!!!!WE also made some paper flowers and threw around some wedding decor and invitation ideas! Can def see some production lines being started in time for the wedding next September!!
Thank you all so much ladies it was lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon...you were all a pleasure to teach!

As you can see from the 1st pic of the card It was my nephews 13th birthday this month but I always seem to struggle with designs for males whilst keeping true to my style!! So I came up with this design as He ALWAYS seems to win anything we play..especially cards!!!
Lots of monopoly money signifying the masses of times he has whooped us at games!!

Also I have a friend who teased me to say that no one would read my blog! He is now eating his words HA HA but has said to me that if I get close 100 followers he would build my website Birdcages and Butterflies for me! I hope to open a shop on there so I can sell some of my products online. SO I'm begging you who hasn't already please please please please please with tons of cherries on top so I can get my website up and running!!!
As a little thanks, here's the layout I used for the game card for your personal use!
This was made to fit an a5 card but of course feel free to add cut and use as template for your own patterns papers etc. Will be doing a giveaway when I hit 50 followers too...feel free to send me suggestions as a prize..was thinking a set of blocks maybe? Let me know, as always would love your feedback!! Oh and some pics and a link if you do make it too!! TA!
Enjoy!!
Annie xx
P.S Next time I'll tell you all about the giant Birdcage I'm transforming!!!

Building prettiness!!

Hello!
Well please excuse my absence this week..obviously if you read the last post you will know that My baby has made his way to BIG school and has been doing afternoons all this week and then Monday he does ALL DAY!! EEK!! I have also had my Hubby at home for the week before he starts his new Job so we been making the most of some child free hours every day by hanging out, shopping and drinking coffee and eating cake in Cafes!! So again not much work done again!! But have designed a new product which I think would make a lovely Christmas or birthday gift for somebody to display on their dresser or mantle.
They are Vintage style Building blocks that I have made to display the 4 seasons and some words to inspire appreciation of your surroundings!!
Well lets start with....

HOME SWEET HOME
Take a step back wherever your home should be and admire your surroundings... this is the place you come back to every day, the place that protects you and keeps you warm.

SPRING
Easter eggs, beautiful flowers, new beginnings and arrivals

SUMMER
Sunny days, light evenings, blue skies, juicy strawberries,scented roses and easy living

AUTUMN
Hazy days, cosy evenings, Harvest moons, Pumpkin patches and ghostly Fun and frolics!

WINTER
Family gatherings, counting down to happy days, pretty sparklies everywhere, fairy lights glowing and a visit from Father Christmas!!

LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE

Live each day with Laughter and Love

SO all of the above pictures are on one set of blocks ( 3 in a set) I will be pricing them at £9.99 a set.. main reason being that they take a long time to design and make 18 faces of the block. ( Let me know your opinion on the price please..all feedback will be welcome!)
A close up of the Halloween side of the block

So Will be selling this set and others designs soon. Please feel free to E-mail me with any enquiries on annmarie_vaughan@yahoo.co.uk
I can make them personalised for you too...there are endless possibilities!
Well thanks for reading and welcome to any new followers!! LOVE all your lovely comments too..need to catch up on all of your lovely blogs and see what you have all been up to!! Until next time, have a great weekend!
Annie X

just a quickie...

....to show off my Aidan in his sparkly new school uniform before he makes holes in the knees!!He had a great afternoon and although rather vague about all the details that Mummy wants to know he said he did enjoy his day!
hopefully back with some thrifty finds discovered this week
Annie x

Vintage Sparklies and New Starts

Hello!

Not much work has been completed in the house of Annie this week as I've been spending time with my lil man before he starts reception at BIG school!! Have been celebrating as Husband has started a new job too..It will mean that we get a much more better quality of life as he will be at home at the weekends and working much better working hours too!!
Here's a picture of a vintage tiara and clip that I have made for my good friend as a present for her wedding. The diamantes are around 60 yrs old and the brooch about 50 yrs old.The clip is made from another vintage brooch with a gorgeous pair of earrings from the 20's!

This end of the year of my most fave, you still have some sunny days here and there, the evenings still hold lots of daylight but allow you to snuggle and get cosy in a blanket! Hence why Ive started to keep mine about to hide my feet under to avoid turning the heating on Just yet!! ( by turning the heating for me means summers officially over!!) And although the hats and scarves haven't quite been necessary these floral pretties had to be bought to wear with a cardie or light jacket! ( Matalan and Primark bargains!!)
It also does tend to influence my designs too...Colours are muted, olive green, burnt orange & sometimes even purple creeps its way in somewhere too...This is my display in my space i rented, from Last year...Of course a pumpkin naturally finds its way into the scheme of things!!
Basically this Thomas Kinkade painting sums up this time of year...the summer bedding plants are still in bloom but the leaves are orange and everything is hazy....(oh to live in a Kinkade Cottage!!)
Until next time...have a great weekend!! I'm off to enjoy our first weekend together in a long time!!
Annie x

Distressed!!

Hello!
Well I'm not personally distressed but thought i would post about this
little tool that I have fallen in love with working with!Anyone who is into paper crafts will know that there are tools out there that you can use
to distress paper with inks but can also be very pricey!! I have used these pricier tools and
have to say that sometimes the bargain is better!! Firstly let me tell you how to use it ......
First you place a bit of felt on the block and press down on the Velcro...

Then you get a normal stamp pad... ( I am using brown here to give it a vintage feel )
dab the the block felt side down on the ink pad a couple of times then on your chosen print or card
( making sure you have a bit of scrap paper under your print) then make small circles starting
from the scrap paper to the print rubbing and smudging the ink all around the edges
So it looks something like this, basically less is more and its best to build up the colours...

I also added some colour from a Teal ink pad, Autumn Leaf and pale Aqua too
and now it looks a tad more authentic!
It was a good friends Birthday Today too and I made her a card
in her fave Colour Purple but thought I would use a bit of teal in there too..
...LOVE THIS LOOK!!!
The Craft shop that I work for( Fantasy Crafts ) sell this magic little tool for the bargain price of ....£2.49!! YES I know!!!!..It also comes with some spare Felt pads too
but have to say these do not disintegrate easily so will last you a while too!!
If you would like to try one then just email fantasycrafts@hotmail.co.uk and I can send
one out to you for this great price plus £1 P+P only....
...If you do please show me the finished projects you use it for..
.by the way I have also used this on painted frames too!!
Oh and yes I have been playing with my blog background
but still have lots to learn and tweak so all feedback and advice would be much appreciated !! ;~)
Annie x

Celebrations!

Hello!
Well sorry have been missing in Action for a couple of days now, its been a Busy busy week what with my Birthday on Thursday and the Wedding at a manor on Saturday that I was working on I haven't had a chance to post!
So first a catch up!!
I did show you some pressies that I opened at my birthday BBQ in my last post but I did save some to open on my actual birthday ( whom I share with the lovely Debs from Home thoughts from Vintage wants ) so here's the rest that I was so blessed to receive

These gorgeous bags are made by Anna Chocola They are SOOOO cute!!
and her business cards are Gorgeous too!! Apparently these were delivered virtually the next day, how professional is that?!! You can find more of her products here
some more goodies follow.....YES I am a walking Cath Kidston advertisement!! LOL! did you notice the Birdcage necklace and Birdcage umbrella? I can feel the roll of the eyes already!!! Tee hee!!
Here's also a little collage of the birthday cards I got too..My friends are always complaining that I'm hard to buy cards for because i make them...but I always think they do a Fab job...here's a few of them!!
After receiving all of these Pretties my Darling Hubby took me to London and spoilt me rotten!! I got clothes, books and the most gorgeous purple Anna Scholz autumn jacket too...oh and a country living subscription!!! WOW!!! I GOT SPOILT!!!!!
SO back to business....
This Saturday was the wedding I had been working on, it was held in this lovely place

The Bride looked amazing

AS did the setting

a few finishing details made by moi ...Handmade paper roses on a birdcage you might have seen somewhere before....

and it was complete!...It was a great success! Wishing the happy couple many years of happiness x
SO now my big job is to try and get my lil man ready for school next week...He starts reception!! and then my poor neglected house! ( Well with 4 part time jobs somethings gotta give!!)
Thank you to all of you in Blog land who sent me Birthday wishes too..I'm touched xx
Annie x

Birthday BBQ and an Update

Hello!
Ok Well I had a BBQ to celebrate A) My birthday on Thursday and B) the fact that for the first time in 2 years we have something that resembles a back garden! SO I er kinda forgot to take pictures mainly due to copious amounts of this Demon below!!SO I thought I would take some pictures of the aftermath!! We had such strong winds that the Gazebo nearly blew away!! but managed to clear the rubble before Taking this picture..I found some lights for £6 in the sale and painted some polka dots and strawberries on a paper light shade and cherries on another and the hung a few lights in them for the evening.

and these little Strawberry Bird feeders were too cute in the B& Q sale so I put a tea light in the bottom and they made cute candle holders!!

SO I got a few pressies from my Lovely friends and family... and YES I KNOW It's not my Birthday till Thursday but It would be rude not open them when they want to know if I liked them or not!!!! Of course I did as my friends all know me too well!!
Theres some fab C k goodies there..one I'm saving to open on Thursday! Some Breathtaking Crystal Necklaces and great little goodies.....all sitting on a fab bedspread made by Mummy along with the heart cushion I was swooning over in this post!!
and YES that is a birdcage necklace you can see there!!
This pretty little card was made by the lovely Aisha, my friends Daughter and I just think its so cute!! Love the colours together!!..def an artist in the making!
Having my family and friends altogether in the same place just made me feel so happy...I have friends that have known me since the teenage years and some that have just come into my life but every one of them bring something extra to my life....I feel so blessed.
Speaking of blessed.....I have a NIECE!! Her name is Casseta Angelique and is just gorgeous! My Husbands Twin Sister had her a couple of days ago and they are both doing well...She is a natural earth mother!!
SO I had some lovely baby cuddles over the weekend too!! Hopefully we'll be blessed with another in the next year!!
Ooh OOH here's my pumpkins too!!
This is what it looked like last time I posted....and now it has grown and been joined by another!! I have a pumpkin patch!! Can't wait for them to turn orange!! I planted them quite late in the season so they are a bit behind some other plants i have seen. I read that to get a nice round shape that you have to stand them on end so that's exactly what I've done...if anyone is growing them too I would love to hear from you so we can swap notes!!

SO Hubby is taking my Birthday off so we can go and take a trip to London...I know Spitalfields Antique market is on that day but can anyone give me any secret spots that will hold vintage treasures that they would like to share with me? Consider it a birthday gift!!!!
I will try and post at the end of the week if I am not busy preparing for the wedding in Birmingham the next day!!! Until next time oh gorgeous ones.....BYEEE! xxx
Annie x