Some handmade Christmas Cards

Well I know it's a bit late in the day to be making Christmas cards now but I thought I would share a few quick cards that I made fro a friend. They actually asked for 40 cards (Which I did somehow manage to make on time) for their work colleges. When I asked what they were looking for they just said " I will leave it in your capable hands" and that was it! I think it's often harder when you don't have a brief to work to. I worry that my taste is not necessarily shared with anybody else. I did contemplate working with the Hunkdory Christmas ranges but decided to use up some other stuff instead. I had to make these cards quickly and easily and so here is what I came up with:

They were all made from either Fizzy Moon or Helz Cuppleditch decoupage pads. and finished with the ever faithful self adhesive gems.

A Sweet Tree Christmas!

What do you buy for somebody who has it all and really needs nothing? I find myself sticking to the same old safe Christmas presents year after year and now its getting a little boring. I find my in-laws really hard to buy for. Their gorgeous little cottage is stuffed to the brim with decorative pieces that they have gathered up over the years, they have enough smellies to clean the whole of the British army and they have more clothes than they know what to do with. Does this sound familiar? 

I was walking past an old fashioned sweet shop in our neighbouring little market town when inspiration struck! It doesn't happen very often so I was quick to act on the idea. In the window was a cute little tree made from sweets and they were charging £30 for it! I immediately thought " I could make one of those for a fraction of the price" and when I got home, I set about researching how they are made. Google really is a marvellous tool! Here is what I came up with:

The base is made from a silver bucket which I bought from Ikea in the summer for around £1. I knew it would come in handy!! I stuck the silver ribbon covered stick in the centre of the bucket in plaster of paris and left it overnight to set. Meanwhile for the top part, I used oasis that I had left over from some floral arrangements which I cut to a rough circle and covered in a couple of layers of silver foil. Other people had suggested a polystyrene ball but I didn't have one to hand and couldn't have afforded to wait for one to be delivered so I improvised.  Next I chopped some cocktail sticks in half and stuck each piece of liquorice into the foil covered ball with the half cocktail stick. It took just over 4 bags of liquorice and a couple of hours to complete whilst I was watching telly! I just added some clear cellophane over the top, some purple tissue paper to hide the plaster of paris and some Christmas ribbon to complete. I reckon the whole thing cost me less than £10 to make and I must say, I found it quite easy and therapeutic to do. I just hope the in-laws like it  :-)