A day of contrasts ....

.... we were over at my in-laws' house yesterday - it was my husband's grandmother's 92nd birthday.  She used to have parties on the 5 year marks, but since she turned 90 (had a BIG celebration that year!), she's insisting upon having a "do" every time - and rightly so!!  All her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were there, she ate more food than she normally eats in a week, and all had a nice time.  Then we went in to a pub in town to see my husband's nephew's heavy metal band launching their first album.  Wonder what next weekend will bring!!! 

Here's the card I made for "Granny Susie":

I used the sketch from this week's Papertake Weekly, and I'm also entering this into the following challenges: Bunny Zoes' Crafts, Party Time Tuesdays, Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge and Simon Says Stamp ("Anything Goes"), Crafty Cardmakers ("Distress It") and Shopping our Stash ("May Flowers").
Here's a closeer look at the cute Sugar Nellie image I used (first time inking this one!):

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Capella"

Image: "Miss Tulip" by Mary Hall for Sugar Nellie

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Die Cuts: Nestabilities Ovals and Scalloped Ovals

Other: Hairy string, needle + thread

Thanks for looking!

Break out the yellow ....

.... because the sun is shining!!

It's been a very dank and grey spring here in Dublin, bar one sunny week way back in March (not that I'm complaining, as such - as I've said before, I like our weather). But today, the sun made a surprise appearance and it's to be fine for the whole week. My, what a good mood everyone is in!! And we've got Sports Day in school on Friday - it is so strange to hear people talking optimistically about the weather a whole 5 days in advance! Normally, we'd be hedging our bets and waiting until Thursday before deciding whether or not it can go ahead!

So when doing a commissioned card for a confirmation, I included a colour that I almost never use - YELLOW!! Here's what I made:

I used the sketch from this week's Sunday Sketch + Stamp and I'm also entering this into the following challenges: Paper Sundaes ("Pretty in Pink"), Basic Grey Challenges ("Anything Goes" - my third entry!), Sugar Bowl ("Free for All" using Sugar Nellie stamp), The Ribbon Girl ("Pinks and Creams") and Simon Says Stamp + Show ("Summer Holiday").

I used this cute Sugar Nellie Gorjuss Girl image - but masked out the heart and envelope seams and added a cross so it looks like a prayer book.  I was told that Róisín, the girl who the card is for, has reddish-blonde hair - so I had a go with the distress inks - quite pleased with the result.  Here's a close-up and then a pic of the distressed, inked and rolled flowers.

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Ambrosia", "Kissing Booth", "Nook + Pantry" and "Capella"

Stamp: Sugar Nellie Gorjuss Girl "Sent with Love"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Punch: MS "Branch"

Other: Ribbon from stash, needle + thread

Thanks for looking!

Ahem, forget that I ....

.... mentioned anything to do with resolving to create more in my last post.  Flippin' kiss of death, that was!!! 

It's been a loooooooong, dreary January - can't believe we've only done three weeks back at school - feels like twice that.  Oh well, only two more until half term!!  We've got quite a few family and friend birthdays in February, so I hauled myself up from hiberation on the couch and made this for a little pal:

I'm entering this into the following challenges: Fussy and Fancy Friday ("Polka Dots"), Creative Card Crew ("Seeing Red"), My Time to Craft ("Favourite Embellishment" - mine is stitching and ribbon), Passion for Promarkers ("Recycle Something" - the ribbon is from a box of chocolates), ABC Challenge ("Happy Birthday"), Basic Grey Challenges ("Favourite Things" - mine are papers and stitching), Creative Inspirations and Simon Says Stamp both have "Anything Goes" challenges and Truly Scrumptious ("Something Forgotten" - I dug out the Sugar Nellie stamp).

Here's a close-up of the image and the name banner:

Recipe:

Papers: Crate Paper "Emma's Shoppe" and BG "Piccadilly"

Image: Sugar Nellie "Manga Girl"

Doily Die Cut: Cheery Lynn "French Pastry"

Colouring Medium: Promarkers

Other: Pink Paislee die-cut numbers, ribbon from chocs, needle & thread

Thanks for looking!

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!!).

My first challenge ....

.... for Creative Card Crew!!   This week, the theme is "cute and girlie" and we're sponsored by the wonderful MelJen's Designs - I think everyone in blogland must now be aware of her lovely digi stamps, with their distinctive swirls.  Check out what the other CCC girls have made - all gorgeous stuff!

I have tried and tried to use digis, but no matter what I do, my printer is not complying and when I try to colour, I am not happy with the results no matter what medium I use.  I found a site last night that recommends washing the printed image under the tap to remove some of the excess ink, has anyone tried that?  I'd love to know if it is worth a shot.

Anyway, moan over, back to my card:

I've also entered this in this week's Sugar Bowl (DIY - participants can use whatever past sketch they wish - I've gone for No. 30), Daring Cardmakers (It's a Girl Thing), Paper Sundaes (stitching) and Basic Grey Challenges (stitching).

I used this beautiful Sugar Nellie girl by Leanne Ellis and coloured with distress inks - love the soft pinks and greeny/blues of the BG Olivia papers, my favourites at the moment, I think.  I stickled bits of the image and used glossy accents on the leaves, particularly on the ones I cut out, to strengthen them.  Here's a close-up:

Recipe:

Stamp: Leanne Ellis "Belle Flower" for Sugar Nellie

Papers: Basic Grey "Olivia"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: Doily and ribbon from stash, stickles, glossy accents, needle + thread

Thanks for looking - and don't forget to enter my blog candy (click here) - only 6 days left!!!

Taking the lazy ....

.... way out!!  It was my turn to set the challenge this week on PaperPlay,  I cheekily decided to take the easy peasy option, so the theme is "Anything Goes"!!!  We are sponsored this week by Waltzing Mouse Stamps - I hadn't come across their stamps, but have a look - they are gorgeous - more to add to the wish list, I particularly like the vintage labels.

Here's my card (pic taken at 7am this overcast morning, so it's a bit dark!):

I used this week's sketch on Sketch Saturday (I rotated it).  I'm also entering this card on Simon Says Stamp (dotty - you have to look closely, the dotty bit is the scalloped bit the image is mounted on), Fussy & Fancy Friday (stitches, scallops, sparkle), The Shabby Tea Room (1 ribbon, 2 buttons, 3 punches or dies),  Crafty Creations (summer) and Bunny Zoes Crafts (summer).

I dug into my stash and used some very old Crate Paper papers for this card, and went crazy with stickles.  Here's a close-up of the sweet image:

Recipe:

Papers: Crate Paper "Blue Hill"

Stamp: Leanne Ellis for Sugar Nellie "Bluebell"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: Ribbon from stash, "Blue Hill" chipboard buttons, sentiment stamp from stash, diamond stickles, needle + thread

I'm off now to contemplate on my first card for Creative Card Crew (eeek - the pressure!).  Don't forget to enter my blog candy - post at top of blog.

Colouring is fun ....

.... but only when you can find the ones you want!!  I posted about my super new organised pro-markers in my last post.  It was so easy to find the ones I needed when I was making my daughter's birthday card.  She'll be 16 soon (eeeek - how did that happen?!!!).  Here's my card:

I used the sketch from this week's Sugar Bowl and there is also a blue theme, which I've covered!  I'm also entering it into Passion for ProMarkers (distressing), Crafty Creations (happy or sweet),  Papertake Weekly (cutie patootie) and Crafty Angels (shabby chic. Can shabby be bright colours - I'm not sure?).

I used my scrumptious new Cosmo Cricket papers that I got last week.  I cobbled the sentiment together on Word, using two different fonts and some text boxes to squeeze it all together and I'm really pleased with the result.

I bought the stamp quite a while ago, with my daughter in mind, she loves all things manga. And since her hair is dyed red at the moment I decided to colour the image's hair red too (although dd's is not quite as red at this!!).  Here's a close-up:

Recipe:

Papers: Cosmo Cricket "Material Girl"

Stamp: Sugar Nellie "Manga Girl #2"

Colouring Medium: Letraset ProMarkers

Fonts: OldGateLaneOutline and Dear Joe 4

Other: Distress Inks, Nestabilities Label 1, stickles, needle + thread

Thanks for looking!

Safely back where I belong, in ....

.... my comfort zone.  I spent several happy hours last night with distress tool, inks, needle and thread and it felt good!!!

My card is for a retiring Sunday School teacher called Rosie.  I immediately thought of using BG "Sugared" paper, with its lovely blousy roses, but am branching off in other botanical directions too by using a Mary Hall for Sugar Nellie stamp called "Miss Sweet Pea"!!

My card is for this week's challenge on The Sugar Bowl, a lovely sketch (and an option to use pink/black/white, what can I say, I'm a rebel, I only used 33.3% of that option - pink/green/cream!!).  I changed the sketch very slightly by putting the "three elements" on the left hand side, I needed the right for the tag which has quite a bit of info that the customer wanted "on the front" - I love making tags for getting all the text on, but not in a way that clutters the card.

I'm also entering this on Crafty Angels ("My favourite stamp"), A Spoon Full of Sugar ("Floral Delight"), and Creative Cottage ("Pink").

I coloured this stamp using Distress Inks, love the dusky pink and olive green colours.  I have lots of the ink pads, but only a few reinkers and I am definitely going to build that collection.  Here's a close-up of the image, it's such a sweet stamp:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey Sugared

Stamp: Mary Hall "Miss Sweet Pea" for Sugar Nellie

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: BG "Sugared" brads, ribbon from stash, needle + thread.

My daughter started her exams today, talk about cool as a cucumber - I don't want her to be panicking, but I wouldn't mind if she was a teeeeny weeeeny bit less laid-back either!!!!  And the next few weeks are bonkers, parish fete, boss's retirement events, car-boot sale, it's all go - and I have a long list of cards to make too.  EEEK!

Thanks for looking!

Oh my, all my friends ....

.... are turning 50, and policemen are definitely looking younger - does this mean I'm getting old?!!!

I had another 50th birthday card to do this week, and have used it for my PaperPlay DT entry, which this week is to "use a stamp and some bling".  We are sponsored this week by Stitchy Bear Stamps, the prize being 4 of their digital images.  Right, on to business, here's my card:

Excuse slightly blurry image, I took the pictures in a wild hurry before leaving for school, and had to hand the card over there so couldn't re-take.  I've used the sketch from Sketch Saturday (lovely to work with it was too!), and I'm also entering this on Crafty Angels (1 ribbon, 2 papers, 3 flowers - my papers have at least three flowers!), Simon Says Stamps (Birthdays/Celebrations) and Bunny Zoes Crafts (3 flowers, 2 papers, 1 ribbon or lace).

The lady who is getting this card, although she's Irish, lives in Finland, so I went with a slightly Scandi vibe with the colours on this card.  I did try to put three actual flowers on it, but the papers are so very busy, they were practically invisible, so I didn't use them, and decided that there are enough flowers on the papers to fulfill any flowery requirement!!!  The tag has Happy 50th Birthday on one side, and "Marion" on the other with some blingy bling.  I've also blinged the image, put stickles on her collar and gems on the little sticky-out bits of her dress - here's a close-up:

Recipe:

Stamp: "Poinsettia Girl" by Leanne Ellis for Sugar Nellie

Papers: Cosmo Cricket "Early Bird"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: Ribbon, Stardust Stickles, Hero Arts Gems, Scalloped Oval Nestabilities, needle & thread

Thanks for looking!

Big Girl ....

.... Colouring!!  I went to a workshop last week, where the lovely Mina was teaching how to colour with Distress Inks.  I've been itching to try this technique for a while, and I really enjoyed the class.

I sat down to make a card for yet another friend who is about to turn 50, and is a real girlie-girl, so I decided I'd do a Gorjuss Girl card for her, using the Distress Ink technique.  I had great fun colouring, and it's amazing what tiny quantities of ink are needed - very economical!!!  Here's my card:

I used this week's lovely sketch from Friday Sketchers - really nice to work with.  I'm also entering this into Totally Gorjuss (use a Gorjuss Girl!), Daring Cardmakers (Die-Cuts - I've used die-cut ribbon), A Spoon Full of Sugar (Happy Birthday) and The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge (Distressing).

Here's a close-up of my colouring:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey Urban Prairie

Stamp: Gorjuss Girl "Sent with Love"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks.

Other: BG Buttons, Needle + thread, ribbon sent to me by Elisa (thanks, hun!)

Thanks, Mina - I hope I've done your tuition justice!!!  Everyone else, thanks for looking!

Shiny Happy People ....

.... is the name of my challenge on PaperPlay Challenges this week, - use a "person" stamp/image, but it must have gloss, shimmer or sparkle on it. We're very excited to have Simon Says Stamp on board as a sponsor for this week's challenge (and the second Thursday of every month), they're offering a gift voucher as this week's prize, great news!

Here's my DT entry:

Recipe:

Stamp: "Blossom" by Leanne Ellis for Sugar Nellie

Papers: Cosmo Cricket "Early Bird"

Colouring Medium: Pro-markers

Other: Ribbon, Glossy Accents, Antique Linen Distress Inks, Nestabilities, needle & thread.

I've used the sketch from this week's Friday Sketchers, and this week's Stampin for the Weekend challenge is called "Ribbons and Bows".  Simon Says Stamp are looking for a card for a child, and Quixotic Challenges is "The Joys of Spring". Check!

I think I'm starting to get the hang of the pro-markers, although I still haven't bought the good non-bleed Letraset paper - all in good time!!  I tried to challenge myself not to distress the edges, in the end I had to use distress ink - can't bear white edges!!!

Thanks for looking!

Deadlines are ....

.... sometimes a good thing!!  My step-mother asked me to make a card for her friend's birthday, and since it's at the end of this week, I had to put down the paintbrush and get crafting.  Yayyyy!!

I've used this week's challenge on The Sugar Bowl, which is called "Sketch by You", participants get to choose whichever sketch they wish from the Sugar Bowl archives.  I've chosen Sketch No. 21, I've used it before and it's a lovely sketch.  I'm also slipping it in at the tail end of Quixotic Challenges - "Case It".  I love Rowena's work, and I guess I'm influenced by her in the way I'm using more and more stitching on my cards, although she uses a machine and I hand-stitch (and they're consequently taking longer and longer to do!!!).

Here's my card:

I've used new Basic Grey Kioshi papers - I like these particular ones, but some of the papers in the set are ..... hmmm ..... not really to my liking!!

Off for lunch with my friend now, then when I come home I have to do my DT entry for next week's PaperPlay - more deadlines!!!

Thanks for looking.

Yahoo, a commission ...

.... from school, for a teacher who recently got engaged (I've never made an engagement card before).

I've also made it for this week's challenge on The Sugar Bowl, which is this interesting sketch:
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I've flipped it 90 degrees and done a DL card (very out of my comfort zone - but there needs to be plenty of space for all the staff to sign it!!!). I used my Leanne Ellis "True Love" stamp, and decided to use more masculine colours - after all, the card is for a bloke as well as a girl!!!
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I agonised for ages over whether or not to cut the image into 4 pieces to replicate the "window" in the sketch. In the end, I did it and I think it makes it a much more interesting card. I also glossy accented the flower and leaves.

Recipe:
Papers: MME 29th Street Market
Stamp: "True Love" Leanne Ellis for Sugar Nellie
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Vintage Photo and Antique Linen
Colouring Medium: Pro-markers
Other: Ribbon and brads from Stash, Fiskars border punch, needle and thread

ETA: Took the pics again in daylight today - it was a grey day so they're only a bit better, but the colours are at least truer!!
Thanks for looking.

P.S. Update on the baby's name from a few posts back, they called her Cara (so glad I put repositional adhesive on the nameplate!):o).

Pink, White ....

.... and Green. That's the colour combination on this week's PaperPlay Challenges. It's a very popular combination for many people, but not one of my usuals!!

I had a card to make for a friend's daughter who will be 8 soon, so I decided to go for full on girlie and dig out some Doodlebug papers. I bought these a few years ago at my first crop, they were the very first scrapbook papers I had seen and I was overcome with the gorgeousness of everything!! Of course, shortly afterwards I discovered Basic Grey and the poor Doodlebugs were pushed to the back of the pile, where they've been languishing ever since!!!


And Totally Gorjuss are looking for "Dimension" in projects this week. There is certainly a lot of that on this card. I've stamped the image twice and popped the second one up for added dimension. I also popped up the circle sentiment and number. The flowers on the image are highlighted with Glossy Accents. The number 8, made from Doodlebug Sugar cardstock, is also covered with Glossy Accents (mainly to keep the glitter under control!!!).

Here's a close-up of the layering. The background card and punched border are actually hot pink, although they look red in the pics.
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Recipe:

Papers: Doodlebug

Image: Gorjuss Girl from Sugar Nellie

Colouring Medium: Prismas and Promarkers

Other: Doodlebug brads, MS punch, Stardust Stickles, Glossy Accents, needle & thread

I'm hoping to do more crafting this week, I've been too too busy the past month, not nearly enough time for fun stuff!!! I've received two lovely blog awards from Sandie and Carol, will upload and pass on in the next day or so - thank you ladies!!!

And thanks for looking!!

P.S. "Chloe's" card from last week is still on my desk - I haven't heard yet if they've picked a name - well, they are not getting the card until they do!!!

Snow Days ....

.... I love 'em. Off again today, and the forecast is really bad for Sunday and into next week. We could be stuck here for days!!!! Yippee!!!

Thankfully, we got to the dentist on Tuesday and DS's bad tooth was extracted. Our dentist is so wonderful, he ensured the whole procedure was as untraumatic as possible, and DS was very, very good (I had had my doubts about that!!!). I was very good too!!! (Well, I was dentist-phobic for years!).

I've made another card - the productivity is great with all this enforced house-dom!! Our friend is turning 50 shortly and is having a huge party, yet she doesn't want anybody to shout about her age - we think this is very funny!!! I thought she'd kill me if I made a card emblazoned with big 5s and 0s, but yet I feel I have to mention the age achievement, so I tried to think of a sneaky way to do it!!

And when I saw Dena's lovely card, I had my answer. Here's my card:


Notice the "Sshhhhh" printed on the left hand side - and when you pull the tag, it reveals this:

I'm entering this in three challenges:

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Quixotic Challenges and Simon Says Stamps Challenges both have "Hot Chocolate" as their challenge this week - I've used lovely pink and chocolately colours.

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And Crafty Angels are looking for something recycled. See the hairy string on the tag - I got that from the postman - he had tied a load of post together with it and was going to dump it - so I rescued it!!!!

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey Bittersweet

Colouring Medium: Promarkers and Prismas

Inks: Chestnut Roan and Dark Brown Colorbox Chalks

Font: Excellentia in excelsis

Other: Hairy String and Eyelet from stash

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Thanks for looking! And thanks for taking time to leave a comment - I love to read them!

My first card ....

.... using my Promarkers. I've been fiddling about with them, and this is the first image I've coloured. Few observations, first being that I used the wrong paper, it was quite difficult to blend the colours and they bled a bit too, but I'm happy enough with it as a first experiment.

I've followed the lovely sketch on this week's Sugar Bowl - I've used their sketches before, but hadn't used Sugar Nellie stamps, so couldn't enter the challenge. Well this week, as I've got my Gorjuss Girl image, I can enter - here's my card:

There was an extra requirement to use lace. Well, I don't have any lace, so I used my MS Doily "Lace" punch, hope that fulfils the brief!! The papers are Cosmo Cricket Lil Man - I love 'em!!

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Thanks for looking - and thanks for lovely comments left on my last post.

Bit of repetition ....

.... going on here, now that I look at my last few blog entries. Seems to be a preponderance of spots and Sugar Nellies!!! Maybe it's something to do with this being my week to set the challenge on PaperPlay Challenges, I've called it "Spot This":

"Pretty self-explanatory really. I am a sucker for buying spotty paper (and stripy - but we won't go there!), then I don't use it up because I don't want to cut into it. So this week, I'd like everyone to make spotty things (using paper or indeed anything else spotty you wish).

Have fun (I, on the other hand, will be weeping with a pair of scissors over my lovely spotty darlings!!!)."

So here's what I made:

Yes, it's my lovely Gorjuss Girl, coloured with Prismas and distress inked to within an inch of her life!! Papers are Crate Paper Avenue - I soooo love this line - the colours are my favourite dusky blues, creams, and dark browny/black.
I am also going to enter this card in this week's Simon Says Stamp challenge, which requires stitching. Seeing as I was insane enough to be sitting doing hand-stitching and cross-stitching on this one at 12.15 last night, I think it might just fit the bill!!!
Thanks for looking!

Late nights and ....

.... early mornings. I'm soooo tired today, had a very very busy weekend, most of it same old same old and some unbelievably boring (committee meeting - blah!). When I got home last night I stayed up quite late getting this card for my friend's daughter finished. Then my mind was buzzing and I couldn't sleep, so I was not at my best this morning!!!

I've used this week's sketch from Friday Sketchers and I'm also entering it in this fortnight's challenge on Basic Grey Challenges - which is to incorporate embossing - I've embossed the oval panel and I've used papers from BG June Bug and Mellow and a teeny Ambrosia button. Sorry the light is bad - I took the photo early this morning as I had to get it in the early post to make sure it arrives on time - fingers crossed anyway!!

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Thanks for looking!

Tag It ....

.... that's the title of this week's challenge on PaperPlay Challenges, set by Jackie:

I would like you to use a tag or multiple tags on your creation .. any size .. any shape!!

Here's my DT entry:

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I used one of my favourite BG paper lines, Skate Shoppe - an old 'un but a good 'un!! The image is my Leanne Ellis for Sugar Nellie cutie - you can't see in the photo but I've highlighted the flowers and leaves with glossy accents.

Thanks for looking. Next week it's my turn to set the challenge - eeek!!

Strawberries dipped in ....

.... chocolate. I'm very very partial to strawberries, can do without the chocolate!!! But the colours red and brown look soooo good together, so that's this week's challenge on SFTW.

This is the first time I've entered this challenge, and I like the way my card turned out. Decided after the last near-disaster with the sewing machine that I'd stick to hand-stitching the border, and it came out nicely, even though I finished at 1am last night!!!


Gosh, 3 cards in just over 3 days - there's nothing like summer holidays to kickstart the old mojo!!!

Thanks for looking!