Oh yeah, oh yeah ....

.... we've got a snow day tomorrow, oh yeah, oh yeah!! 

Can you tell I'm happy?  Must take some more photos tomorrow (uploaded some on my last post), but we had even more tons of snow last night and today.  It's beautiful snow too, all crunchy and fluffy.  The roads are hell, but we walked to school today so we were fine.  Kids were being collected early from school all day and by finishing time, there were hardly any left, so hurray, we get to stay home tomorrow!!

It's WOYWW again, and my desk is a riot of pink - I think the card I'm working on is the pinkest I've ever made.  Here's all the bits (excuse terrible lighting and shaky hand too!) :

And up at the corner of my desk are the piles of finished Christmas cards (cough, cough) still waiting to be written!!

Thanks for looking!

Snooooooowwwwww ....

.... I love it!!  This is the third "big" snowfall we've had in Ireland in the last two years - more than I can  remember ever.  I know those of you in certain parts of mainland Europe and the US, and in Scandinavia, would fall about laughing at our piddly quantities of snow, and the way the country grinds to a halt with it!!  But I am so happy 'cos I love winter and I love snow!!

Woke up on Saturday morning and it had fallen during the night.  I had a crop to go to, and I was a bit worried about the roads, 'cos it was on the other side of the city, but I decided to risk it anyway!!  Had a great day, finished my Christmas cards (yay!!), got home safely, and then it snowed AGAIN on Sunday night, Monday, Monday night and it's still going now (did thaw a bit during the day today, though.  Boo!!!).

On the down side, school hasn't been cancelled.  I did cross all my fingers and toes, and if the unprecedented 10 inches of snow that were forecast last night had actually happened, we would have had a snow day, but no.  Maybe tomorrow?!!!

Walked down to the shops on Sunday morning to get the paper and took a few photos.  It was a beautiful crisp clear morning.  Here's our house with the Minis covered in snow:

We walked through the grounds of my daughter's school on the way home, gorgeous trees and views of the Dublin Mountains:

No cards today, I have a baby girl one to do, will have to start it after dinner.

Thanks for looking!

The first ....

.... of my 50 Christmas cards is also, serendipitously, my DT entry for this week's PaperPlay Challenges, as our challenge this week is called "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow".  How convenient!  Our sponsor this week is Craft Brulee, the lucky winner will receive a store voucher.  Here's my finished design:

I'm entering quite a few challenges with this card: A Spoon Full of Sugar (distressing), ABC Challenge (holiday), Simon Says Stamp (sparkle), Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge (Sparkle & Shine), Totally Gorjuss (traditional Christmas colours) and Magnolia Down Under (shabby chic).

I keep my Christmas cards simple, with only one layer of patterned paper - and hand-stitching would be out of the question (although it kills me not to do it!).  The shaped nesties were great for adding a bit of interest, along with copious amounts of vintage photo ink, and two colours of stickles on the image.  Here's a slightly closer view of the image:

Recipe:

Paper: Basic Grey "Jovial"

Stamps: Snowman from Inkadinkado "Holiday Silhouettes" set; Magnolia "Merry Christmas Seal"

Colouring Medium: Prismacolour pencils

Other: Nestabilities "Labels 8", Xmas Red and Diamond stickles, gold gel pen, hairy string.

Now, post done, I'm off out this evening to my daughter's school play.  She was supposed to be dancing in it but, unfortunately, has pulled a hamstring so can't dance.  But I'm going anyway to re-live the 80s, 'cos the play is "Footloose" - remember that movie?!!  Kevin Bacon and ....... whatsherface?!!!!  Now where did I put my legwarmers?!!!!

Thanks for looking!

The production line ....

.... is in full swing here, 20 Christmas cards done, 30 to go!!

It's WOYWW again, I hadn't joined in for a few months during my timeout, but ta-daaaaaaah - on my desk today are the pieces of Christmas card numbers 21 - 30.:

I really admire people who get started on their Christmas cards in January, and make shed-loads, every one different. I would not be able to do it. I have 50 to make, so I start thinking about the design in August, order the stuff in October, and then have a big making session in November. Every one is identical and I put them together in batches of 10, to save my sanity for as long as possible.  Here's the next batch laid out ready to go: Stamped pieces need to be cut down with a smaller Nestie and inked, round seals to cut out and ink, red patterned paper ready for inking.  And the only thing I forgot to photograph is the big ball of hairy string!!

By this time tomorrow, I'll be more than half way through, thank goodness.  The worst bit is writing the bloomin' things once they're made!!!

Thanks for looking!

P.S. Just marking today as the day my daughter finally got her braces off, after nearly 4 years.  What a difference it makes. We can't stop gazing at her teeth and are freaking her out!!!

Knew I'd forgotten ....

.... something, I meant to put glitter on this card, but as I've given it to the customer, bit late now!!!

It's for one of the teachers in school, for her mother's 50th birthday.  She said her Mum loves flowers and cooking.  I immediately thought of a cute little Tilda stamp that I've had for a while but never inked.  Here's what I ended up with:

I used the sketch from this fortnight's Basic Grey Challenges, used BG Capella and Sugared papers, and Sugared brads.  I'm also entering this into Magnolia Down Under (make your own embellishments - mine is the lollipop flower), Little Red Wagon (Do it in 3s - I have 3 papers and 3 brads), Cute Card Thursday (anything goes) and Stamp Something (Digi Day - OK this is pushing it a bit, but my sentiment is computer generated - does that count?!!).

The colours are very slightly off, I took the picture two or three times in different areas, either ended up too yellow with artificial light or too blue with natural light. Ah, the pleasures of winter!!  Having said all that, the adjust contrast thingie on photoshop made a massive improvement, how did I ever work without it!!

I coloured the image with distress inks, still loving this technique.  Here's a close-up:

Recipe:

Papers: BG Capella and BG Sugared

Stamp: Magnolia "Baking Tilda with Wooden Spoon"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: MS "Branch" punch, BG Sugared brads, needle + thread

Thanks for looking - I'm off to make apple crumble now as we have a guest for dinner.  The weekend plans include making a start on my Christmas cards - production line here I come!!!

You know the way ....

.... that every family has one month in the year where tons of birthday seem to fall?  Well, it's November in my family, and what's more (as I'm sure I moaned about here last year too!), it's all dreaded male birthdays this month.

First on the list is my husband's birthday, he was away in London for a few days so I took the opportunity to make his card without having to sneak around!!  Here's what I ended up with:

I used the lovely sketch from this week's Truly Scrumpious (but not the optional extra of petals, pearls and pins, don't think he'd appreciate them!).

I'm also entering this card in Little Red Wagon (use something red), Stamp with Fun (all that can fly) and The Crafty Pad (stitching).

DH loves flying and airplanes, so this Stampabilities image that my friend Sabrina sent me ages ago was just perfect.  I coloured it with prismas, glossy accented Snoopy's nose, goggles and scarf, cut out and popped up for some dimension.  Here's a close-up of the image:

Would you believe I took the photos at 11am this morning - the light was atrocious.  This side angle view gives a much better impression of the true colours:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Wander"

Stamps: Stampabilities "Snoopy Flying High" and Hero Arts "Design Block Clouds Background"

Colouring Medium: Prismacolor pencils

Other: Hairy string, needle + thread

Thanks for looking - now I really must go back to the ironing, I reckon I'm about a third of the way through!!

You should see ....

.... the giant pile of ironing in my house that's waiting to be done!!!  Nothing like a holiday to multiply the laundry by a gazillion percent, but I had a card to make for our Deputy Principal, who is now happily ensconced back in his own classroom after the arrival of the new principal. 

I wanted to make a funny card, so this is what I ended up with:

I'm entering it into the following challenges: Crafty Cardmakers ("Stitching"), A Spoon Full of Sugar (use embellishments), Papertake Weekly (card for a guy), The Shabby Tearoom (has a inspiration pic with red/blue/white colours that I've used) and Paper Sundaes (card for a man).

I've used my funny Basic Grey stamp creatures, and I decided to put googly eyes on them since they are a staple of most classroom art supply cupboards!!!  I made the banners from the lovely OA papers, cut out and glued to a red thread string, then attached at the ends so they swing freely. Here's a close-up of the images:

Recipe:

Papers: October Afternoon "Seaside"

Image: Basic Grey "Heart Girl" and "Frog Boy"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Lettering: 20 year old college letraset rub-ons - I knew they'd come in useful some day!

Other: Ribbon from stash, Doodlebug button, glossy accents, needle + thread

Thanks for looking!  And tomorrow, while I'm waiting for the iron to heat up, I'm planning to get a proper look at what you've all been up to - how I've missed blog-hopping!!