Trying to catch up on ....

.... some sleep this week.  We were so tired after the weekend away - all those late nights and early mornings took their toll!!  And it was a very busy week in school too, which didn't help.  We had an unannounced visit from an inspector on Thursday - cue behind the scenes panic and mayhem - but all was well!

Went to a 40th birthday party today, luckily the birthday girl has small children, so the party wasn't a late-nighter - we came home at 9pm.  Here's the card I made for her:

I used the lovely sketch from this month's CLP Challenge and I'm also entering this into Colour Create ("Pink, Brown, Cream, White"), Cute Card Thursday ("Anything Goes") and Stampin for the Weekend ("Tickled Pink").

I used this sweet stamp from Lili of the Valley, first time to ink it up.  The gorgeous die-cut doily was done with a friend's die at a crop a while back - I cut several in the one colour - why didn't I think to do some other colour too?!!  Here's a close-up of the image:

Recipe:

Papers: MME "Stella Rose - Hazel" and Crate Paper "Emma's Shoppe"

Image: Lily of the Valley "Milly Just for You"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks
Other: Diamond Stickles, BG Pearls, needle + thread

Thanks for looking!

No, I haven't been ....

.... away on holidays for the last three weeks - I have simply no idea where the time has gone.  Spent the first fortnight of the summer hols trying to wrestle house and laundry into some kind of order, the third week was a completely indulgent Harry Potter fest - my son and I spent the entire week watching all the previous movies and reading the books in the run up to HP8's release - then went to see it on the release day.  We loved it!

We spent a few days this week visiting some Mini friends of ours down in Cork - they run a B&B in their house - a fantastic old converted train shed (The Old Train House B&B) - and we had such a good time touristing by day and gossiping by night!!!

But now I'm home again, with a scarily large backlog of cards to make!!  The first one is also my PaperPlay entry this week.  Our challenge is called  "In the Garden" and we are sponsored by Whiff of Joy.  Here's my card:

I'm also entering this into the following challenges: Colour Create ("Pink, Green & White"), Fussy & Fancy Friday ("Summer"), Stamp Something ("Something embellished") and Totally Gorjuss ("Punch or Die").

I've used a gorgeous Lili of the Valley fairy image - so cute.  Here's a closer look:

Recipe:

Papers: BG "Wisteria"

Image: Lili of the Valley "Fairies - on Tiptoe"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: Nestabilities Lacey Circles, MS Branch punch, Diamond Stickles, flower and brad from stash

Thanks for looking - another card started at a crop this evening, who knows, I may even finish it tomorrow - cough cough cough!!

Begorrah, bejaysus ....

.... and beshamrocks - it's Thursday again and another week of PaperPlay - our challenge this week is a very Irish one - Shades of Green - the challenge is to make a St. Patrick's Day card, a good luck card, or simply use shades of green.

I'm not a big fan of St. Patrick's Day, the only good thing about it is that it's a day off!!!  I have too many  memories of having to attend parades in the freezing rain and the howling wind as a child.  My own two poor deprived offspring have never been to a Paddy's Day parade, they'll have to wait 'till they're old enough to go by themselves!!!

So, I didn't make a St. Patrick's Day card - I made a good luck one - here it is:

I've used the sketch from Totally Gorjuss, and I'm also entering this into The Shabby Tea Room ("Luck of the Irish"), A Spoon Full of Sugar (vintage/shabby), Little Red Wagon ("St. Paddy's Day Green"), Simon Says Stamp (anything goes) and Colour Create (green/brown/cream/black).

The colour scheme is not one I'd normally use, but I really like the combination - especially with the added touches of gold on the ribbon and the gold stickled hearts - very leprechauny!  I've used one of my Sugar Nellies that I haven't inked up for a while - love these Leanne Ellis images - here's a close-up:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Origins"

Stamp: "Choose" by Leanne Ellis for Sugar Nellie

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: Gold stickles, ribbon from stash, needle + thread

If you were wondering where I got the title for this post, I've added a link below.  If you've got 4 minutes to spare, have a listen.  It's an Irish comedian called Mario Rosenstock doing his version of Michael Flatley on a spoof radio interview - I've listened to it over and over and it makes me cry with laughter every time.  Enjoy!!

And thanks for looking (and listening!!).

Eek, I'm getting a bit ....

.... maybe nearly almost quite old/middle agedish!!  I've been invited to a past colleague's birthday party, I was a bit taken aback to realise she will be 40 - I thought she was a lot younger than that!  What next, am I going to start thinking that policemen all look like teenagers!!! 

Here's what I made for her (very dark and yucky photo - will try to retake before I hand it over):

I used the sketch from this week's Lili of the Valley Thursday Challenge. I'm also using this fortnight's Colour Create Challenge colour scheme of Chocolate, Strawberry and Cream and entering this into The Shabby Tea Room ("Keeping Warm").  I started this card at a crop on Saturday and I left all the papers I intended to use at home.  My kind friend, Jackie, let me "borrow" some of hers - thanks, Jackie!!

I love the image on this card, another Lili of the Valley that I bought in a set and this is the first time I've inked this one up.  Here's a close-up:

Recipe:

Papers: BG Bittersweet (brown), the red ones I don't know

Image: Lili of the Valley "Rosie Posy"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: ribbon from stash, Perfect Pearls, needle + thread

Thanks for looking!

They do exist ....

.... baby boys that is.  I know because my brother-in-law and his partner just had one!!

It's my challenge this week on PaperPlay and I've called it "Brown and ? - I don't wear brown, I have no brown in my house, but my goodness, I use it a lot in crafting!!!  Easy challenge, you must use brown and another colour (or colours)."

So I made this card for the new baba:

I've used the sketch from this week's Penny Black Saturday Challenge and the colour scheme of khaki, aqua, brown and cream from this fortnight's Colour Create Challenge. I'm also entering it into SFTW (card for a male), The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge (3 embellishments, two papers, 1 image), and Cute Card Thursday (someone special).
 

I really need to invest in some new baby stamps, I have only three - and in my current phase of colouring mania, this is the only one that will do!!!  I've coloured with Prismas and glittered with stickles - and I made the chipboard letters.  Here's a close-up of the detail (hmmmm, the embossing seems to have disappeared in the photo!!)

 

 

Recipe:

Stamp: Penny Black "Cat in the Moon"

Papers: October Afternoon "Weather Vane"

Colouring Medium: Prisma Pencils and Sansodor

Other: Cuttlebug embossing folder, nestabilities, BG Bittersweet buttons, stickles, ribbon, needle + thread

 

My daughter's ballet show was wonderful last night.  It's on again tonight, tomorrow, Sat afternoon matinee and Saturday night.  What a long week!!

 

Thanks for looking!