"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”*

October has arrived with it's new colours and smells, colours of green, gold and orange of the leaves, and the smells of home fires burning and wet rotting foliage.

Hubby and I went on a trip last Monday, not too far just a few hours away and it really brought home that the land is preparing for winter. The trees were every colour, from deep deep green of the evergreen hedges to the pale yellow of dieing foliage on the trees. I was mesmerised by all this because as we live by the sea we don't have large clusters of trees to view the different colours. So it was lovely to see.

Mind you it also reminded us that winter is bearing down on us and is time to light fires and turn on the heating. It is time of shortening days and longer nights. It is not time to bring out the winter clothes or put away the summer ones, as the weather over summer was so wet and cold at times that we were wearing both sets over the last few months.

With summer over and school back, Tiny and I have now gone back to walking the beach in the mornings again. Tiny loves it, he jumps out of the car and does not stop running until we are back in the car again, then he sleeps all day. lol

My sister contacted me a few weeks ago to ask me if I would make a wedding card for her to give to her DIL brother who was getting married soon. I had no problem with it, I asked when did she want it - "no rush", was her answer, "it's not for a few weeks yet". She rang me back a few days later, to enquire about the card, "the wedding is in Spain and they are flying out next Tuesday, so will need the card by Monday". No problem I will have it in the post by Friday to you, (we don't have post on Sat here). "Grand" she says. A few minutes later she rang back, - now I should say that this is late Wednesday afternoon, and I had work later in the evening. "I won't be here on Monday or Tuesday so I need the card by Friday" So the card that I had to make went from "no rush" to a few hours! That means I only had Thursday morning to make the card as the post here goes about 2.15pm for next day delivery. No pressure!

This is what I came up with:

Quick and simple. I had the cream and gold paper for ages, in fact I had forgotten about it. I just attached it to the front of the card.  The little diamante heart is something else I had for a long time. The ribbon was in my ribbon box so I had everything for a quick card. It took me some time to get the name and date printed out on the card where I wanted it and in the colour and font size. It was all done and dusted in a few hours. But then I decided to do the inside of the card.

I know the groom and I knew they would have a great fun wedding so this is what I did in the inside.

 

 

In fact this is what I wanted to do for the front of the card, but due to time constraints I wanted to have something that would have been "good to go" in time but I had some time to spare so I continued with the inside and if I did run out of time, then the inside could have just stayed plain.
The image is a Kenny K digi image. I printed it off and coloured with proMarkers. The sentiment is also computer generated. The backing layer was cut out using an X-cut die cut.

Recipe:
Front -
Designer Paper: Mulbery Tissue Paper (I think) I have it so long I have forgotten exactly what it is.
Ribbon: Stash
Embellishment: Diamante Heart Buckle from Cara Craft Supplies
Greeting: Computer generated.

Inside -
Backing paper: Core'dinations  
Die cut: X-cut nesting die set.
Image: Kenny K "Wedding Dance" 
Colouring Medium: ProMarkers

Hope you like,

*Post title is a quote from L.M. Montgomery.

What a month....

Hi all,

Where do I start? Not a lot has happened since I was last here, but time has just zoomed by. Here I am near the last days of August and not much to show for it. I have been busy working and then Sonny and I went visiting family for a week. I have also been crafting but cannot show all as it is a secret!

Here are some things that I can show. First up is a wedding card, I started this sometime in July but finished it in August.

 

I embossed some cream linen effect card and distressed it with Antique Linen distress ink, wrapped some green ribbon on the bottom, then mounted it onto gold card which I have edged with Martha Stewart Scallop dots punch. I mounted all this on to a square kraft card base. The image I used was a Pink Petticoat image, I left this plain except for highlighting the flowers with pink and green pencil and pink Sukura pen, I mounted this at an angle onto the card, just for effect.

Recipe:
Card base: KraserKraft square base 13.5x13.5cm (5.31"x5.13")
Gold card: Stash
Ribbon: Lidle's Christmas Ribbon pack
Image: Pink Petticoat "Lola Rose big day"
Embossing Folder: Provocraft D'vine swirl
Colouring Mediur: Pencils and Sukura Pen, Ink - Ranger Distressed Ink "Antique Linen"

Second, is a baby card.

For some reason there has been a lot of boy babies born this year. It seems to be a ratio of 3:1, boys to girls around here. Pity all the girls in about 20 yrs time! lol.

I printed out a giraffe, coloured it using Promarkers and cut it out. I highlighted the mane, tail and hooves using Anitas glossy accents. I mounted it onto blue core'dination card stock, Mother Nature elements collection, - love the colours in this pack - and distressed the edges with tumbled glass distress ink, then corner punched diagonal corners to soften the image. I used the same core'dination cardstock to layer onto a white card, onto this I layered some contrasting blue Papermania "Sweet Nothing" paper one vertically and one horizontally I inked all the edges using the same distress ink just to pull them all together. I mounted the giraffe onto this and added some card candy in contrasting pale yellow. 

Recipe:
Card Base: White Greeting cards 12.7x17.8cm (5"x7")
Backing Paper: Core'dinations "Super Assortments" Elements Mother Nature
Designer Paper: Papermania "Sweet Nothings"
Ink: Ranger Distressed Ink "Tumbled Glass"
Image: Google
Embellishments: Card Candy


Hope you like,

Sonny's* 13th birthday...

Yesterday, Sonny celebrated his 13th birthday. Now some people say that when children enter the teenage years they get moody and disagreeable, well I can categorically say that that is not true, he has been like that for the past year! lol
He is a wonderful child teen if a little "independent" at times.

It took me a day and a half to do this card, I had no idea what kind of a card to make at first so I had to search the Internet to see what it would throw out. This is nothing like I found either, it just materialised as I went on.
I wanted to make a different type of card and I like easel cards, this was my starting point. The image is from Kenny K "Cool Kid" it took me two colourings to get it right. The verse and 13 are computer generated. The lightening bolt is a google download which is glittered to an inch of its life using Glamour Dust, - but you cannot see it here. These elements are mounted on Core'dinations card stock, this is a lovely colour, using Nestibilities die cut shapes and the image mount is cut using an xcut die.  The backing paper is a free download from KWB Downloads, (if someone knows more about KWB let me know, as I don't have any other info on them).

Recipe:
Designer paper: KWB Downloads
Image: Kenny K - Cool Kid
Backing paper (mounts): Core'dinations Card Stock - Super Assortments, Earth Elements color.
Colour medium: ProMarkers
Embellishments: Stash.


For the first time in the last 6 years, I made the birthday cake.

It is/was a chocolate biscuit cake with strawberries, Sonny loves strawberries and I love chocolate so that's us sorted, Hubby just had to eat it! It's scrumptious but a little rich. It is an easy cake to make but been the first time I made one, it took me ages. And the amount of washing up afterwards - won't even go there. lol

*Not real name.

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.

Procrastinator Cheetah!

I was to update last night but I had to go to a Rugby Club AGM, I am now the secretary of the club, don't know what I have let myself in for but will find out soon enough. ......

Sorry about that, I was disturbed and had to go and play "fetch" with Tiny, the dog. "Fetch" finished early as I lost the ball in the hedge. lol

This is a card that I finished in a rush but had lots of time to do it in. I am a major procrastinator! Last minute Vicky is what I should be called. :(

Anyway back to card. 

The "Cheetah" paper is actually gift wrap. When I saw it I thought it could make nice backing paper for an animal card.

This is a "crisscross" card closed with a belly-band which is decorated with nestabilities circles and scalloped circle and a cheetah image. I edged the edges with narrow lace ribbon.

This is the inside of the card, I just used my PC word processing software to create the sentiment.

I entered this card into PCP monthly challenge.

Recipe:

Card Stock: Core'dinations - Vintage Collection.

Lace: Stash

Image: Google!

Coloring medium: ProMarkers

"Designer Paper": Wrapping Paper.

Dies: SpellbindersNnestabilities Circle and Scollop Circles

Hope you like,



Doodle Dog.

Isn't this image cute, it is of a "Doodle Dog". Now to be honest, I never heard of this breed of dog until very recently but the person I made this card for has a "Doodle" so I looked it up.  They are really cute. They are a cross between a Labrador and a Poodle. Just so cute. awwwwwwww But not as cute as our own little Tiny, (check profile photo).

This is a Tri-fold Shutter Card, here is the tutorial that I used for measurements. I love the paper she used on her card.

Recipe:

Card Stock: Stash

Embossing: Cuttlebug folders

Dies: Nestabilities "Fancy Tags" & "Labels 4"

Ribbon: Recycled from a Chocolate Box

Image: Google

Colors: ProMarkers

Hope you like,

What I was doing while I was missing!

I entered my craft room one day with the idea of making some birthday cards that I needed for family members and this is what I made instead! A wedding card, even if I say so myself a lovely wedding card, but I don't have any weddings to go to this year!

Recipe:

Image - Download from Papercraft Inspirations
Colored - ProMakers
Ribbon - Martha Stewart
Die Cuts - Nestabilities Scallop Ovals
Bling - Glitter Dust,liquid pearls and glitter glue
Sentiment - Stamp Papermania "Love Jesse Edwards"

Hope you like,

Mami Doodles Challenge #2

Hi all,

Card size, A5.

The main image is a Mami Doodles digi image, very appropriate, don't you think. lol It is coloured with pro markers. I then "glossed" the Lady bird with glossy accents.

The backing papers are from Cosmo Cricket. The bow is make from recycled ribbon I received with a gift some time ago, just like most crafters, nothing goes to waste! The flower are two layered prima flowers with a gem in the centre.


This is my first time entering an challenge via my blog. For a long time I have put off entering challenges because I did not have a blog and I did not have a blog because I did not know if I could blog often enough to make it interesting. I think it is a bit like the ever famous question "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" lol

Hope you like,