Making up a Christmas Vintage Box and Tags

New Christmas box Template and tags to be found on Artwolf on Etsy.
Just a quick zip through in pictures to take out the mistique of making boxes.
These boxes will fit together perfectly, just follow the very detailed instructions and diagrams on the Tips and Text sheet you get along with your digital template.

1. Print off your digital sheet onto card, smooth bright white card for the best effect. Cut out the box template and tags just roughly, leaving some white surround to release them into individual pieces, they are easier to cut out now. If you don't want to make up the boxes or all the tags now, leaving a border of white surround around each piece will save the piece's edges in pristine condition, so you can safely store them in a box, until you wish to make them up.
2. Make a centre cut into all of the corner spaces on the template before cutting into the corners, as in 3, this will stop you cutting too far into your box,when you cut away the rest of the whiteexcess from and into those corner spaces.

4. Cut out the rest of your box,from the white surrounding card,
as you can see completed in, 5.

6. Score lines indicated in your Diagrams, Tips and Text, sheet you received with your template, either using a board 6A or a 6B a ruler,with a scoring tool, carefully position and lightly crease score lines. Completed scored and creased box,7. Folding the box up together 8. Added glue to the box's side tabs and gluing, back two first, then front,9. The best Glue for this is Sticky Fingers, Crafters Glue.

Cutting the tags out 10, any rounded tag cutting is greatly helped if you have apair of curved bladed small scissors, not neeeded, but so much easier, you can usually pick up a cheap pair at the chemists counter. You can cut out tags with guilloteen, for straight sided ones or scissors, or try fancy edge scissors for some variety,11. Punching holes for ribbon when finished.12.

Decorating can carried out on a flat box or after glueing together, I prefer to glue together first before adding glitter etc. Ribbons should be the last editions.

The boxes and tags I completed while I photographed, have not yet been decorated with any extra embellishments or glitter as I still do not have full access to my craft supplies.

But I'm sure you get the idea.

Toby in Autumn Light

After a long day with his rug off, Mark took some pictures of Toby just as the sun went down, before we popped his rug back on. Hes starting to grow in his own winter coat, definately looking fluffier. My attempt at getting the ears forward with the empty feed bucket failed, still Toby still trailed after me around the field waiting for his apple treats.

Christmas Vintage Postal Cards

Little Girls grow up, but we all love to believe in Santa Claus and Christmas,
Postcards digital sheet to be found in Artwolf on Etsy.

Autumn Treats for Christmas-Sloe Gin

A special request a repost of how to make SLOE GIN

You Still have time to collect the last sloes and make some wonderful warming liqeure drink in time for Christmas, and its really simple.
Don't be put off if you dont like the taste of plain gin, sloe gin tastes nothing like it.
First pick some sloes, fruit of the blackthorn bush, Picking late, in October means the sloes will reach their maximum ripeness - and flavour.
Sloes picked late rarely need pricking with a pin this is usually done to the early collected ones August,early September which are very hard and will produce a drier tasting sloe gin, which I did this year so after decanting I had to add another two desert spoons of sugar to the gin mix.
You will need.....
1 lb or 2lb of Sloes, depending on how much you want to make.
Granulated sugar
Gin
Funnel
Empty Bottles
Gather and wash your sloes remove any stems,leaves, and badly squashed fruit.
Turn out on an old clean towel or similiar to dry, (sloe juice will stain clothing).
1. Fill your bottle with sloes to half way up the main body of the bottle.
2. Pop a funnel in the neck of the bottle, and pour in enough sugar to come to the top of the sloes level.
3. Fill the bottle to the top with Gin.
4. Screw on the Lid
5. Give the bottle a shake to get the sugar disolving.
After care...
Recipe 1. Turn the bottle up and back gently a couple of times,just once a day, for a week with the later ripe fruits.
((4 weeks with the early(as they are more resistant))
You can decant now or carry on after turning just once a week for the next few months,Then a week or two before Christmas, Strain your sloe gin through a coffee filter into a clean bottle.))
My Recipe 2. Its just preference, but I have noticed if left that long, there is more pulp and residue to strain as the sloes will break down in the bottle, Clouding, thereby wasting Gin!!! so my choice is to decant after a month of turning just once a day,every day of that month whatever the sloes are like, there is no loss in flavour.
Decanting;
I strain my bottles of sloe gin mix through coffee filters which removes any residue of fruit pulp, and results in a lovely clear Sloe Gin. During the filtering I go through up to about 5 coffee filters in the process. It just takes time, have patience. Pre wet the coffee filters with water before pouring the gin through, (you can use plain white kitchen roll in a sieve, but be careful get the strong kitchen roll) pouring carefully, most of the sloes will stay behind in the bottles, and you can shake them out child's money box style to clear the bottles, once washed you can pour the decanted gin back into the bottles.
You can now taste the decanted Sloe Gin, adding a small amount of sugar to your own taste if necessary, if the gin being too dry for you. Thats it..

Label,Rest on your laurels, Keep or store to Christmas or beyond.Enjoy :)

Christmas Cat themed Postal set

Snowballing kittens and Christmas cats curled up snug, new addition from Artwolf

Cardmakers Halloween Magic and Mystery

MAGIC and MYSTERY, a Hooded lady waits by the stage door, nearly midnight, footsteps echo in the cobbled side alley, a Gunshot or Black powder?
Through the mists the hooded figure silently dissappears.
Hoots of Owls in the Moonlight, while the scent of roses perfumes the cool night air.
Ancient texts and cyphers in the glow of candlelight, all in the pursuit of the prize.

Latest Digital offering from Artwolf found on Etsy