Creating Your Life with a love of Crafting

 

Taken March 2020, a life changing trip for me, another step towards my new future, a future where I started to look beyond the illusion, before Covid really took hold of our reality.  This trip had been a last minute decision and the timing was so apt I am still astonished just how the universe works.  Almost two years on, and my journey has been literally transformational.  

I lost my mum almost 7 years ago and since then my crafting had been very hit and miss, I would start and lose interest.  Fast forward to August 2021, and I felt guided to start my crafting again, having already given away much of my stash, I was drawn back to TV shopping.  Hmmmmmm that's the reason I decided to come back to my blogging and share my experiences with you.

                                                Happy Birthday Mother-in-Law

So after a break from crafting, this was a quick card that I made for my mother-in-laws birthday in October.  I must admit I forgot the joy I found in cutting and playing with paper xxx

For me at this moment, I am continuing on my spiritual journey and my intention is to share that journey with you whilst going back to the love of all things pretty.

I also want to address the reason many of us turn to crafting, and for me it went way deeper than just being creative.  It was a form of escapism, and time to completely free my mind, it saved me through many dark moments of my life, as some of you will already be aware.  I want to share my experiences and would love to hear about yours too.

I also want to use my creative side to help others, so my intention is to make cards to sell for charity and also to do give aways especially to help those who may not have the financial resources to enjoy this craft.

If anyone is local to me and I am near Colchester, Essex, I am considering starting up a monthly group to share my skills and my stash, if you are not in a position to buy a die cutting machine or dies, you are welcome to use mine.

I will also be doing tutorials at least once a month, where we can do a live on Facebook, the card I make will be given away and there will be a chance to participate in a raffle for a prize that will be shown a week earlier.  I want everyone to be able to afford to participate so it will be done on a donation basis of a minimum of £1.00 per entry.  All money raised will be going to charity.  I will be publishing the charities in the next few weeks.

The first live will be scheduled for the middle of January, please watch out for more details.  I will also be putting up another giveaway for anyone who shares this post on any social media platform.  For each link you set up you will be given one entry, you will need to email me your links to littlepopits@aol.com so I can confirm them.

Crafting is a great way to help children escape from the pressure of their daily lives, with the arrival of Covid, many children are suffering right now, lets get them creating too, and talking.  I hope my channel is going to inspire children to let their creativity run wild and for them to have a place to talk freely to open up about their feelings.  I want to build a loving, caring, compassionate community and I hope you will join me there.

So much love and gratitude.  Happy Crafting xxxxxx

Snow and Some Crafting

Love the Snow

Snowdays and time to craft

I love the snow, and have to admit to being a little excited when seeing the first snowflakes falling.  With my husband watching (and who does not like the snow) I had to try my hardest not to do a little merry dance as the snowflakes  started to fall more quickly and bigger flakes xx

Looking outside today there is little evidence of there ever having been any snow, and as much as I do love it, I am pleased it has cleared.

I would like to share  a couple of cards with you.  Firstly a card I made to accompany a challenge that I took part in on You Tube.

I am not sure where I got this image from but I adore the little couple.

                                       Mothers Day card for my Mother in Law

Will be back tomorrow to share with you my projects for a swap that I have taken part in on a facebook group.  Just have to wait for my swap partners to receive them.

Maybe a Challenge, anyone up for it?

I am thinking of running a challenge later this month, would appreciate your feedback.  Who would be interested in taking part in a challenge I would put together a prize and draw a winner.

Look forward to your comments.

Hugs for now xxx

Back to crafting and back to my first love Papercrafting xx

Looking for My Mojo xxx

It has been so long since I blogged, and in truth I have pretty much forgotten how to do everything, linking pages etc, so it will be a slow process, but I hope it comes back to me, albeit slowly !!!

Due to lots of things going on in my personal life, I gave up blogging, and for long periods of time my crafting too.

But, now I feel its time to get back to my love of crafting and to share my projects with others who have the same love of crafting.

I will share today some tags that I made, to get myself back into my love of papercrafting.  I will also share my love of altering and everything shabby xx

I may have only just got back into it this time, but will have past projects to share with you too.

Hugs xxxx


                              A couple of stamped tags using my distress pads.

Two more tags.  The first was only one sided.  Displaying a handmade flower I had made some time ago.

The second tag, using one of the Elisabeth Stamps, I still adore all of her designs and have been enjoying using them again.

This is the reverse side of the Elisabeth Bell tag 

Lift up the sentiment to find another Elisabeth Bell image

and inside the envelope a little card x

Another flower embellished tag

Another Elisabeth Bell inspired card

The stamped image is actually a card, to add your greeting

This is the paper pad that I used for all the tags

Thank you for looking xx

You Tube Giveaway running till the 6th April

I am running a give away on my You Tube Channel, the closing date for entering is the 6th April.  For a chance of winning you need to subscribe to my channel and leave a comment.  Sharing the giveaway is not necessary but would be appreciated.  Good luck.

Details of what you will win are on the video, it will include one of the Doily Lace books I have made and a collection of other crafting goodies.

Will be announcing the winner  on the 7th April, which is my Grandsons 2nd Birthday.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvyYXhAVZNI




Thank you xx

Moving On and Accepting Who I am and my You Tube Channel

Good morning, and welcome to my blog.   I am slowly sorting out in my mind what I want to do.  I finally realized that although I did take a fairly long break from my crafting, I don't think I could ever give it up completely.  With life in general events do put life into perspective, and after losing my dear Mum almost 2 years ago, I decided to spend and appreciate my family even more than I already did.  With that in mind I took a long break from my crafting and did plan on giving it up completely.  I am now glad I didn't.

I have always been uncomfortable with "who I am" not liking the way I look, talk etc, etc, but I think this is true of a lot of us ladies.  I have always hated the camera and seeing myself or hearing myself.  So the fact that I had wanted to do a You Tube Channel did not make any sense.

I have finally realized, I am who I am and can not change that, I have to accept what I look and sound like, and so what if people don't like me, that's life.  It all sounds very easy when I read it back, but in reality it isn't as easy as it sounds.  Reaching 50 last year may be what has sparked this new belief.  So finally I decided last week to go for it.  I did my first ever You Tube video, if you would like to take a look the link is below.

It took me a week literally before I could watch or listen to it, all the way through .  My daughter edits and loads my videos as I rely on using her recording equipment.  For this reason I will only be loading once a week as she has study commitments.  So I have decided to use my blog again to share Car Boot Hauls, before and after shots of altered items from the Car Boot, and anything else I want to share with you all.

I would love to see your comments and will be running regular give aways on here and my You Tube Channel.

Thank you for popping by and I will be back soon with photos of some recent projects.

Linda xx


YOU TUBE LINK

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Lj5EZx0Ed3W_NR7tfMkFQ/videos

Blogging again after a very long break

I can hardly believe how long it has been since I posted on my blog.  I can not even explain why the long absence.  For those friends who know me, I do suffer with depression and a spell of it made me withdraw from many aspects of my life including my blogging.  So much has happened since I was last posting, and through the last couple of years, I have had spells of not crafting at all.  Having lost my wonderful Mum 18 months ago, it took a long time for me to get back into my crafting and to get my MOJO back.  I think I am finally getting there, and thought I would like to start sharing some of my projects with you and also to update you on my day to day life.  I am looking forward to catching up with some old friends on blogger.  Will be back shortly with some projects to share.  Hugs xxxx

Orange for a change

Can not believe its Friday again already, where did this week go? Thought today I would share with you another card we made when we were away for the weekend. I used an image that had been coloured in by the lovely Heather, who was my weekend away partner! I made my own background using the wonderful Cosmic Shimmer Mists and then stamped the swirl which is part of the Creative Expressions plate, using the marmelade distress ink pad. Turned it into an easel card and the inside is pratically the same as the outside without the image!



Today we are Celebrating my lovely Bear's 3rd birthday, happy birthday my lovely baby, and thank you for bringing so much joy into my life.


Well ladies hope you have a lovely weekend, will be back later to share some more cards with you.

Hugs Linda x

MUSIC SAVES MY SOUL

Good evening ladies, I can hardly believe I'm doing another post. This time not only a card but I am also taking part in the lovely Marceas - Music Saves My soul Saturday, which I came across this evening. Of course I realize its not Saturday but I am always late!

I am a huge Westlife fan and was very sad to hear of the break up this week. My favourite all time song is Flying Without Wings, which I decided to share with you.



Why not join in with this weeks Music Saves My Soul and share with us your favourite track.

Back tomorrow with another card to share.

Hugs Linda x

DIES MAD!!!!

It has been a week since I got home from the crafting weekend, and other than a brief post, I did not get chance before now to show you one of the cards I made. If you have been reading the weekend blog, you will know we didn't get to craft quite as much as I had intended, far too much chatting going on, and a severe lack of inspiration on my part. This was the last card I made, and the one I was happiest with.

Using some of the fabulous gold/white greetings card and the embossed happy christmas card I made this take on an acetate card. I am just loving the use of acetate in my cards at the moment, and these dies lend themselves perfectly.

The wonderful bird cage die has been one of my favourites, I have used it in lots of my workshops, I will be back later this week with more of the cards Ive made using this beauty.

I love the Cheerylynn flourish die too which is soooo elegant and one of the Crealies flower dies too which I just find scream for gems to decorate! EK success flower punch dies and a gorgeous butterfly punch too which the lovely Sarah let me borrow. I think I've finally tracked one of these down now Sarah, can't wait for it to arrive.


I have used one of the nestabilities to cut out the frame, and embossed it with an embossing folder that I borrowed , and don't know which brand - sorry! You can not see from this picutre, but you can open the book to write inside your message.


I hope you've all have a lovely weekend, I will be back later in the week, with a few challenge cards (fingers crossed) and also the other two cards I made while I was away.

Hope you have a good evening, hugs Linda x


PS. If anyone wants any other details on the dies i've used, or to purchase, please email me at littlepopits@aol.com.

Crafty Weekend Away and Back to Blogging

Yes, I have decided to go back to blogging properly! I have just returned from the Crafty Weekend break which was an absolute blast. Hello ladies (waving !) , thank you for making both Heather and my weekend so enjoyable. Only wish we hadn't had to rush off this morning! I hope all you wonderful ladies have returned home safely, and in good form, hows that head of yours Natalie???! Sorry, to have missed you this morning to say goodbye. You really helped to make my weekend, with your banter, I have never laughed so much!

Well, we didn't get as much crafting done as I'm sure was expected, but we had some lovely goodies from the sponsors to play with now we are back home. I will be doing a separate post later thanking those sponsors, once I get photos of the 3 cards I made this weekend using their fabulous goodies.

The weekend made me realize how much I had missed my blogging, and I will try to find time to blog again on a weekly basis, and share with you my latest creations.

Hope you all enjoy the rest of your evening, big hugs for now Linda x

AWOL - a Card and hoping to be back soon

I am not sure anyone will read this, its been so long since I blogged. Infact, I can not believe just how long. Where has the time gone? I have had alot on with personal issues and my classes, and most of the time I feel im chasing my tail, but I have missed my blogging and you've always been near in my thoughts. I am determined to start posting again regularly, I have a lovely party to go to on Saturday, and a class on Friday, so have alot to do over the next couple of days, but intend to post here on Sunday, with some photos of the cards from the class and also of the party.

Here is a wedding card I made a while ago, thought I would share it with you. Have a ton of cards to share, but have had no camera to take photos of them, so am waiting on my lovely daughter or hubby to do it for me.



I hope everyone is well, will get round to your blogs very soon. Thank you for bothering to visit me.

big hugs Linda x

Craft Workshop and An Adorable Girl!

Good morning, its Monday again and despite having a really bad head cold , it's a gorgeous day, the sun is shining and the temperature is high for this time of year! I have done nothing today, i had a craft day yesterday, and how I got through it I don't know, my head was thumping and I made more than one mistake, my ladies must have learnt very little!!! I will be back later with the cards that we made in class. In the mean time I would like to share with you a card I made with one of the absolutely Adorable digi downloads! I just love this little princess, how beautiful is she? and what I love the best is no colouring!! i have combined her with some of the lovely DCWV papers, which are just my favourites! The white lace leaves along the left hand side were from a bunch of lace collars I brought some time ago on the internet, finally a use for them!!!! corners were made using the Nellie Snellen flower die cut into quarters and stamped using one of the Stampin Up stamps from the vintage vogue set. I use these a lot.




I apologize for my lack of blogging these days, i just don't seem to find the time, I am however hoping to get back into things very soon. Please bear with me. Have a lovely afternoon xx

Happy Birthday to my Dad

As promised i am back with a card that I have made for my dads birthday, on the 23rd January. It is using a digital download that I brought from the very talented Teri, some time ago. I love otters and this are a dream to use. Just click and print, how easy is that. Have used a combination of DCWV and GHD papers, both in black hues and totally stunning.



I still have stomach pains and also a head cold, so my creative juices aren't really flowing. I have some cards to share with you that I made for the christmas season, will share throughout the week.

Will come visit you all soon too, have a fabulous evening, hugs Linda x

So Long but back soon

Happy New Year to you all. I can not believe just how long its been since I have posted on my blog. Lots of things have been going on this end, a new year brings with it hopefully new beginnings. I am looking forward to returning to my blogging, I have missed all my lovely friends on here. Unfortunately this is a short post, I have terrible stomach pains nothing more serious than those dreaded women's visits!! and I have managed to get myself a terrible headcold too. I am feeling very sorry for myself this morning.

I will be back later in the week with some cards to share with you. Hope you have a lovely weekend and will catch up with you soon.

Oh before I forget, I can not believe I have plans already for October!!! check out the link on my sidebar to the weekend away!

Hugs Linda x

Sorry for the Absence, Sweet Peas to Share and the chance of some Blog Candy

Can you believe this awful weather, its raining cats and dogs and the wind is blowing a gale!!! what a start to winter, I am glad I didn't have to venture very far today!

I can hardly believe how long it has been since I last posted on this blog. I did post on Jazzlins yesterday, please go take a look here.

BLOG CANDY AT JAZZLINS

I am going to give some blog candy to a random follower of Jazzlins, when my followers reach 100, so to be in for a chance of winning some Sweet Pea stamps, 4 random stamps (my choice) , go and add your name to my followers list (found at the bottom of the page). If you want to add a link to Jazzlins about the blog candy you will get an extra gift if you win! but please leave me a comment saying you have linked the blog candy, thank you.

Well I went to the NEC on friday and what a lovely time I had, I managed to stock up on some of the new LOTV stamps and some more image cards which i just adore for that quick card.

Unfortunately the shop is keeping me very busy and im finding it very hard to fit in time to blog as I would like to, so I apologise for not visiting you all more, I hope things will settle down after my next craft weekend on the 20th/21st November.

I hope you will enjoy catching up with some of my makes from the last few months. Kicking off with a couple of the delicious sweet pea images. I just adore these fairies and they are such a dream to colour in. If you would like to purchase any please email me. At the moment I have some Sweet Pea Grab Bags on offer for £10.00 for 4 stamps my choice.

I adore this beautiful girl, what a gorgeous face and I have sneaked outside my usual pink colourways and gone for some blue!!! papers are from the DCWV range, the sentiment is a rub on from my stash. The flowers have been punched out with the whale of a punch daisy punch and a smaller woodware daisy punch.




Secondly another sweet pea card, and another gorgeous girl! this time in more neutral colours and a sentiment downloaded from the internet.

Using one of my all time favourite MS deep punches, available from my shop at £14.99 plus postage.


Lastly another card but this time a card made in one of my weekly classes. A simple sentiment and the addition of a few flowers, simple! pink managed to creep its way back in this time!


Well im now off to post on Jazzlins about the blog candy, hope to see you there soon, have a lovely day, big hugs Linda x

A NOSTALGIC CARD

Happy Saturday Morning, hope your day is starting better than mine. My headcold has taken a hold and I feel like i've done ten rounds with Mike Tyson! its cold, windy and the threat of rain later, can the day get any better?????

Hope you are having a better day than me. I just wanted to come and share a card with you that I made for my lovely friend Jan's birthday.

I want to apologize to some other friends Tracey, Helen and Cami, as I realized I missed your birthdays. I hope you had a wonderful day, and the postman will visit you soon, I promise!

Yesterdays MacMillan coffee morning at the garden center was a little disappointing, I only sold 2 Martha Stewart punches, so will instead make another personal donation to the charity. Will also be running a blog candy on my Jazzlins Designs Blog soon for this charity. Please be sure to join in, by keeping an eye out here.

Here is the birthday card I made for Jan. I have used the DCWV Linen Closset papers, i love this pad, and i have used the Martha Stewartdeep lattice border punch. Some addition of lace and paper punched flowers to complete this course.

Hope you will come back tomorrow when I hope to share some more Sweet Pea cards.

Have a lovely day, hugs Lilnda x

MacMillan Coffee Morning at Baytree Garden Centre

Happy Thursday morning, can you believe another week is nearly over? I am at home today instead of at work as my youngest son has had to have 5 baby teeth removed. He has been very brave and making very little fuss about it. Wanted to post on here and then we are going to settle down to watch Lord of the Rings together.

Tomorrow at Baytree Garden Center we have a coffee morning in aid of the MacMillan fund. There will be free drinks and a cake, but donations would be welcome.

The shopping village outlets are all donating a prize for the raffle and also a designated item in the shop will have a £1.00 donated for each of that item sold to MacMillan. In my case it will be any Martha Stewart of EK success punch. If any of you live near enough to join us we would be thrilled to see you there.

As you know I have a blog especially for the shop Jazzlins Designs. I will be running blog candy from the weekend, so please follow the link on my sidebar and follow me, so you do not miss it!

I have a few cards to show you, none that i've made this week, but cards we have made in my weekly wednesday class and also a project I did to highlight the fabulous sweet pea Stamps.

Firstly I love this sweet pea image and she looks gorgeous in more muted colours. Her wings were decoupaged and stickled and glossy accented to add extra dimension.



I have altered a clip board, I painted in with acrylic paints and then covered with some gorgeous MME papers. Added a few lovely flowers and beaded gems and of course some ribbon. All available from Jazzlins.



Secondly a card we made a few weeks ago using some sentiment rub ons and those fabulous fused pearl strings. I am just loving these at the moment and seem to be putting them on everything!

Turned this card into another easel card, as I am addicted to them still!!!!! oh and some more fused pearls and a lovely Martha Stewart border punch!


So remember girls, go take a look at Jazzlins as there is more inspiration there, not only from myself but some of my lovely DT girls.

Have a lovely day and will be back later at the weekend with more cards to share.

Hugs Linda x

Happy Weekend

Jazzlins Designs

Happy weekend to you all. I hope you are all okay and having a great weekend. Its dull and miserable here with the threat of rain at any minute. I wonder what the week has in store for us.

As many of you know I have a new blog for my shop called Jazzlins Designs. I hope you will have go take a look . I am going to be updating my blog at Jazzlins probably more regularly than here, at least for the time being, so please become a follower here.

Jazzlins Designs will soon be having its own fortnightly challenge and my lovely friend Paula will be putting out a DT call soon, along with more details of the challenge blog. Hope some of you might want to join in!

So this week has been fairly quiet in my little shop, but it has meant I have had chance to do a bit of crafting. I have a couple of cards to share with you. A wedding card I made for a customer and an anniversary card for my sister in laws friend.

This wedding card has been very popular in the shop, I have reproduced it with different colours and slightly different layouts at least 10 times. I have actually taken this design out of the shop now as I am fed up with re-producing it!

Adorable LOTV wedding couple, one of my all time favourite wedding images and a simple layout again using my favourite easel cards.



Using my favourite heart Marth Stewart edger punch available from my shop and also my script embossing folder. Fused pearls used to decorate. The vellum is from my stash and unfortunately im unable to get any more. If anyone reading this has any they would like to sell to me, PLEASE get in touch!!!




Secondly an anniversary card similar layout as the wedding card, has anyone noticed how much I love that heart punch? and those flowers?

Again more of those fused pearls and my favourite heart nestabilities!



Well my lovelies, i hope you enjoy your weekend, I'm off to watch the rest of X Factor and to wait for my chinese super, I'm starving!!

Loving you all Linda x

September and Getting Organized

Now I suspect not many people will be reading this, its been such a long time since I posted again, you've probably all forgotten about me by now.

I can not believe its September already, and only 3 more months till Christmas, I don't know what has happened to the rest of this year.

The shop is certainly taking up all my time and energy and i'm finding it increasingly frustrating that I am not finding the time to update my blog a little more regularly.

The shop is going well and I have met so many lovely new "crafters". I have two ladies every Wednesday for a class and it has eased me into teaching very gently.

I have now decided to have a craft day, as I have been asked about classes by lots of ladies, and I am limited in my little shop to only two/or three ladies at a time.

I am having my first craft day on October 10th, a lovely friend has allowed me to use her beautiful crafting barn for the day. If anyone is interested in joining us please either send me an email or contact me via this post. Leave your email address or phone number and I will get back to you with more details.

I have a batch of the new Martha Stewart punches and EK success punches on order which i'm expecting delivery of next week, so if anyone wants any please contact me.

My actual crafting time is very limited, and unfortunately I have had to step down from some of my DT positions. Thank you to the other Design teams for being so patient with me, I promise I will get myself organized and back to normality soon!!!

I have quite a few cards to share with you, that ive been making in my classes and for the shop. I am going to put out two wedding cards that were special orders and also a birthday card for my colleague next door (at work) for her husbands birthday. He loves sailing so I decided to put my iris folding boat stamp to use! Hope you enjoy seeing them.

Now I am hoping that a couple of the ladies who visit my shop will read this as I do not have their email addresses, and I wanted to let them know about the craft day. You will know who you were, you were in last week. If you are interested in the craft day please drop me a line.







So I hope i've not bored you all too much. I promise to get round to some ofyour blogs this weekend. I miss visiting you all.

Have a lovely evening, hugs Linda x

MISSING IN ACTION - TERRIBLE BLOGGER

I can hardly believe how long its been since I last posted on this blog. I have been so busy with the shop, that i've had little time for much else. I am so sorry that I have not had chance to visit your lovely blogs, I promise to spend some time catching up with you over the weekend. I have to say although I am enjoying the shop, I never realized just how much time it would take up. I am barely getting chance to craft just for the fun of it. I have been making wedding cards lately, special orders for customers. If I am totally honest, I am a little sick of them just now.

I thought I would share one of those cards with you. I love the easel cards as you know and the customer wanted a card to matvh the colours of the bridesmaid dresses, so green and pink it is, one of my favourite colour combinations. Hope you like it.





Well back to work, hope to catch up with you all again over the weekend.

Hugs Linda x