Becki’s Ramblings

I feel so guilty - I’ve been really behind with my Crafts Beautiful swaps recently, owing to a rotten headache that lasted for ages and seems to have knocked my recovery back a bit. And yet my postman has been kept busy busy busy delivering lots of lovely swaps to me.. Here are the photos:

These are of a fab RAK I got from Louise (PinkPuppy) on the CB forum. The ATC is just lovely - I wish I knew where the butterflies came from - and the papers are so scrummy! This made me smile so much when it arrived.

This is a gorgeous 6×6 scrapbook page made for me by SilverCustard, showing her “Great Aunt Alice - 1920s Flapper”. I love the photo and the pretty layered look achieved with the flowers. Really must work on my scrapbooking!

This fab wedding cake is the bookmark that Glitzzy (Maureen) made for me, for the May CB Bookmark swap. It is SO detailed, and I just love the “CB” on the top. This will get sooooo much use. Lovely!

One of the newest swaps on the CB forum is of Button Fairies. I have never made one of these before, and am running very late with mine. Here is a picture of the really pretty one I received from KarenL for the May swap - isn’t the “Lilac Lady” just gorgeous?!

She’s so delicate, and I’m planning where I can put her so she sill be on display but not risk being damaged. I love her!

Just had a horrid few minutes. Tried to preview my last post - and it disappeared! Nowhere to be seen for ages! Aaaarrrggghh! The thought of having to type all that over again - nooooooooooo!!!! Keep calm, Becki, keep calm. Really. Keep calm.

Then (thanks be to Blogland) all of a sudden, there it was again. Don’t know what happened, but I’ve learned my lesson. Save, save, SAVE. Scary time - I’m soooo glad it reappeared. Can you see me putting the flags out from where you are???

Anyway. Back to blogging. And saving regularly. (Did I say I’d learned to save?).

I realised a couple of days ago that the deadlines for various CB swaps were almost upon me. Don’t know where the time goes to, honestly. Frantic hours of trying to plan and to BE CREATIVE. Really ought to know by now that it really isn’t the best way to do things. Okay. Sit down. Cuddle the cat. Have cup of tea. Have chocolate (thanks Laura!). Maybe have another chocolate. And another. Oh crumbs - where did they all go? Surely little ol’ me didn’t eat ALL of those!!! Move away from the chocolates. Further away. That’s better.

Creative juices flowing again, I managed to get everything done and posted in time. I can relax now, and leave it all to the postman. Putting out of my mind the fact that last month’s ATCs went walkabout for weeks…

Here’s what I came up with:

This is for the May bookmark swap. The theme was cakes - I had these gorgeous little cake embellishments hidden away in my stash. The pale pink paper was in my “bits” box - I’m finally remembering to check there before I cut into any new paper, just in case. I was so pleased it went with the cakes.. I hope whoever gets it likes it…

For the May card swap, the theme was “female birthday”, and this is what I came up with. I have a whole case ful of scrummy border punches that I bought from Ideal World ages ago, and I really don’t use them enough. This is only really simple, but I think it’s effective for all that. I hope Nessa thinks the same when she gets it!

I’m pleased with these ATCs. The theme for this month was butterflies and I used shrink plastic for the butterflies (coloured in with the trusty Sakuras), then some tiny little stamps for the flowers. The sky was some more paper from my bits box, left over from a page I printed out from my Crafters Companion Florals CD ages ago, and the grass is layered up using green paper and funky foam, cut into to give it the right kind of texture. On each one, one of the “layers” of grass” has been inked over with a darker green ink, and the funky foam has been inked over at the edges with blue (odd, but seemed to work, somehow).  I didn’t want to send them off, so I hope the post doesn’t lose them!

Oh goodness, I’m not very good at this blogging lark. Every time I think I’m on top of it I have a blip and find that I haven’t blogged for AGES!!!! Must try harder……

Those lovely ladies on the Crafts Beautiful forum have excelled themselves again. I have had such a wonderful week for receiving swaps and RAKs, and they are all gorgeous! Here are the photos:

These first two are of a gorgeous RAK that I received from Max62. The papers aer just gorgeous and crying out to be used for lots of lovely things. Just can’t bear to cut them up yet! Are all papercrafters the same? I just sit and stroke new papers, and look at them for ages, before I can actually bring myself to USE them!

And these are from Ultramum (Eve) - the ATC is really pretty, with a three dimensional heart on a fabric-covered mount. Very touchy-feely. I  keep looking at the feathers and sequins and want t ouse them in something really special - though Rosie has her pretty feline eyes on them too, and I have to keep telling her that they are Mummy’s feathers, not a bird for her to play with. She doesn’t look convinced, I have to say.

This stunning Victorian lady is from Twiggy Peasticks - isn’t she pretty! I love the backing paper of pale cream lily-of-the-vally against a green background too..

I’ve joined in with the CB 6×6 scrapbooking page swap and this is the pretty page that I received from Glitzzy. The flowers are very painstakingly decoupaged (must have taken ages!) and the whole effect is beautiful. I love this page - a very spring / summery feel to it. Now, where did I put my purse?! But that’s not all that came in the envelope….

There was this lovely ATC too (such pretty ribbon!)….

And all these sumptious papers! I nearly cried when I opened the package - such a generous gift from Glitzzy. You really are amazing people, all you CB forum folk. Thank you!

My amazing week continued - I am so lucky! This was next to arrive….

This was also from Glitzzy! One of the swaps on the CB site is a postcard swap - just started up - and as things would have it, this lovely lady was above me on the sign-up list and so sent hers to me. I love it! A really serene but comforting picture. It’s beautiful! But this generous lady wasn’t content with sending the postcard on its own -

Isn’t this a beautiful ATC! I love the pearl hearts and the glitter-embossed details. This is just crying out to be displayed on a wall somewhere. Beautiful!