Catching up.......

I have major catching up to do with my blog, I have been busy with work (which is a good thing) but it takes me away from what I love doing and that is crafting and blog-hopping. Now work is almost finished so it is back to normal, almost.

While I was "away" a few things happened in my life, first off I am a new Gran(d)-Aunt. In Ireland a standard answer to a salutation like;
How's the going? (How are you?) Grand.
Isn't the weather grand?
That's a grand pair of shoes you got there! (Lovely shoes)
Get my drift? Grand means - great, fine, the best
So I am not a Gran-Aunt (yes I am!) but I am a Grand-Aunt.

My nephew and his wife had a lovely healthy little boy on the 18th April. Baby Ronan.
They also have a little girl, Leah who is fast approaching 2yrs. but going on 22, you know the kind. lol
I eventually got a card made and sent, its not like the birth was a surprise or anything!

The backing paper is from Pepermania "Sweet Nothings" paper pack which I have had for ages. The scalloped yellow backing paper is DCWV Carstockt,"Brights".  The image is google download coloured with pencils and the giraffe's spots are glazed using Sukara (clear) glaze pen. The bow is from Papermania Capsule Collection which is mounted on blue satin ribbon from the local haberdashery. The candy dots are from stash "no name" bag!

The Scalloped circle opens up and reveals -  ta da!

Inside label is computer generated with the little chic coloured in pencil.

The verse inside the card (I had written the card before I photographed it!) reads:

Ten tiny little fingers that always want to play,

That never stop exploring

the wonder of today.

Ten tiny little fingers that from the very start,

Will reach out for tomorrow

yet always hold your heart.

Recipe:

Backing paper: Pepermania "Sweet Nothings".

Scalloped paper: DCWV Cardstock "Brights".  

Die Cut: Nestibilities - scallop circles.

Image: Google.

Colour medium: Pencils and Sukura.

Embellishments: Bow - Papermania Capsule collection.

Hope you like,

Birthday Card

 On Monday, Hubby asked me to make a card for the bar-maid in the local pub, which he frequents each Sunday night. She was celebrating her 50th on Wednesday and we were invited to a "shin-dig" in the same pub.  That was great as, I already had some cards ready that would suite the occasion, no pressure.

Wednesday afternoon Hubby phoned me - the party that night was been co-celebrated by her and her twin BROTHER. Hair pulling out time, as the cards that I had earmarked for her were very feminine cards, with flower and butterflies and I had none suitable. Holy Moly ( or words onto that) what was I to do now?!!!

It was late afternoon, I still had to get the dinner and sort Sonny, I also had to go to a meeting that evening, so time was in short supply. And what do I do when in need of immediate inspiration for anything, I Google. Google images have been a life saver for me in the past, and last Wednesday was no different.

This is the finished product.

With the rush to get it finished, I could only think of blue, which would represent the masculine side of things while the rest of the card is quite feminine, well, I think so anyhow.

The sentiment, "Breithlá Sona Duit" is Irish for Happy Birthday. I printed it out on to white card in a dark blue Gaelic font. It is mounted on a soft blue scallop circle, than on to white circular paper and that on to a darker blue scallop circle.  The patterned paper is from Pink Petticoat printed out on to white card. That is mounted onto a dark blue paper. I wrapped the two ribbons around the P.P. printed paper.

It is a very simple card and fast, (which is what I needed......) No colouring, no images, no bling!

Here is the inspiration.

Recipe:

Dark blue and soft blue paper: Icon Craft - Paper craft kit.

Designer paper: Pink Petticoat - Lola's Boudoir Rainbow collection.

Circle Die: Nestabilities - Circles and Scallop

Sentiment: Computer generated.

Ribbon: Stash - local haberdashery.

Hope you like,

Hope you all surived Easter.

I am a little late in sending Easter wishes, instead I hope you all had a very one a good one.

I have two cards to share with you today.  I used the same backing papers and colour combinations so decided to share together.

I covered the top of a blank card with Do-Crafts "Spring Chic" paper it covered in Easter eggs so suited the purpose perfectly. I cut some DCWV card stock to fit the lower part of the card and edged the top of it using a X-cut punch.  It cute image is from "The Crafty Pad", it is a digital download, they have lots of other cute digi, but it's" just one at a time" for me! I used pencils to colour the bunnies and log. The sentiment "Hoppy Easter" is from a Waltzing Mouse Stamp set, L'il Buddies.

The second card is an easel card, I used the same backing papers as the first card.  The image is a googled download, coloured this time with ProMarkers and I used Sakura white glaze pen to colour the ears, cheeks and tail.  You can't see in the picture but the glaze gives a slight shiny finish.  I mounted the image on die-cut backing using X-cut nesting die. The brads are pink and  "fuzzy" from Papermania. Easel cards are easy to make, must try a twisted easel next!

Recipe:

Backing Paper: Do-Crafts "Spring Chic" and DCWV card stock.

Images: The Crafty Pad - Bunny Fun on Log and "Google Bunny" (my own name for it, hehe).

Sentiment: Waltzing Mouse Stamp  - L'il Buddies.

Die-cut: X-Cut nesting die - Ornate Frame.

Punch: X-Cut Decorative Border Punch - Flower Doily.          

Colour medium: 1st card - pencils, 2nd card - ProMarker and Sakura White glaze pen.

Brads: Papermania

Hope you like,

 

New Template

Welcome to my new folowers, hope I can keep you entertained now and again. Leave a comment, I do like reading them.

I have just changed my blog template. I have been thinking about it for a long time and today I "bit the bullet" and went for it. I am sure there are lots of things I can to to improve and I am sure I will over time. There is one thing, the font colour, is it too light? I think it's okay but maybe a little hard to see for some people - and no I do not mean you!!!!

Let me know what you think, please. I would like to thank those who commented on the change of justification a few weeks back, I like the centre justification so I will stick.

Hope you like,

A card today

I have a very simple straight forward card for your perusal today.  I made it for a crafty buddy whom I lent some spellbinders too. Hope she enjoys playing with them.

It is a square card, and all I did was to attach some designer paper to it.  I then just blinged it all. I outlined the butterflies and stars with some Glamour Dust, boy does it life up to its name! I added Papermania. glitter flowers to cover the flowers that were there already.  I also added gems to the little dots outlining the flourishes.

"Easy peasy, lemon squeeze."

But it looks lovely and effective, bright and colourful. Yeah! I know I say so myself. lol

Recipe:

Backing paper: DCWV - Blossoms and Butterflies

Flowers: Papermania - Capsule collection

Gems: Martha Stewart - clear gem stickers

Glitter: Decoart - Glamour dust

Hope you like,



"Every cloud" 'nd all ...

Today's blog is not craft or card related, just thoughts and reminiscing.

As the saying goes "Every Cloud has a Silver Lining".

Just over a week ago we were preparing for our sons confirmation. We painted the ceiling in the kitchen on Thursday, on Friday, I went into the hot press to find that the timber around the hot water tank was wet! Yep, our tank had sprung a leak. That in itself was bad enough but the hot press is situated over the kitchen - yeah you guessed it, the newly painted ceiling had a brand new major water stain. Bummer.

Now for the silver lining -

I had to remove lots of clothing and "stuff" from the press including a box of clothes.  Clothes that I had put away "in case I would wear them again".  I emptied the box just to see what was in there and low and behold there was my wedding garter in the bottom, now this is something I had never intended in wearing again so I have no idea why it ended up in this particular box! In fact I had forgotten that I still had it. We celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary last November.

This made me think about  the other wedding cloths I still had.

My dress is still hanging in the wardrobe, my shoes are back in their box on the top shelf of another wardrobe. We got married in November; I had a little jacket to wear over my dress, that too in hanging in the wardrobe.  I did not wear a full veil in stead I wore a hat with a veil at the back and that hat is in its box on top of "the" wardrobe. What do I do with them?

I wore the hat again to my SIL wedding, also put on the shoes but they were so uncomfortable that I had to come home again after the church to change them. lol

The dress and jacket was a present from  my mother, she got it made for me. It was made with the intention of shortening it and dyeing it so it could be worn again as a "going out" dress and the bottom of the skirt would have being made into a christening robe. Now, as it happens, we never had birth children so we never needed a christening robe.

I have thought about selling them or giving them to a charity shop but I just cannot do it, it was such an important day that I just cannot bring myself to get "rid" of them. So I think they will remain in the wardrobes and my garter shall join them.

Hope you like,

Mothering Sunday

Last Sunday was "Mothering Sunday" here in Ireland and other parts of the world also know as "Mothers Day". Usually I have to post the card to my Mom but this year I was lucky enough to have her come visit us here. This is the card I made her.

I tore the right edge, just for a different look! Than edged it with pink ink.  The backing paper, strip in the middle, is a down load for Pink Petticoat. The pink ribbon I got from my SP (Secret Pal) last year.

The image is a stamp that I have for an age, but don't seem to use much of. I stamped it first with black ink onto a scrap piece of paper, then with watermark ink (I did wipe most of the excess ink off the stamp first, as I did not want to damage the watermark inkpad) and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder. That's why the "clear" embossing looks grey. I then coloured the image with ProMarkers. I cut it out with a oval nestibility die cut.

The sentiment, "Joy, Hugs and Smiles" comes from a PaperTrey set. I cut this out using a label 4 nestibility die cut.

Actually it looks much nicer IRL.

Recipe:

Card: Stash.

Backing Paper: Pink Petticoat download.

Image: Papermania - Love Jesse Edwards.

Sentiment: Papertrey - Simple Sunflower.

Colouring medium: ProMarkers.

Ink: Watermark.

Embossing Powder: Clear.

Die Cut: Nestibility-  Classic Oval and Label 4.

Ribbon: Friend - Martha Stewart

Challenge entered:

Card Crafters Circle - Challenge #15 TIC TAC TOE

Hope you like,

 P.S. I have decided to put all post justified to the centre, what do you think, is it better or should I leave itjustified to the left? Let me know what you think, please.

V.